Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application is a communication method. The method comprises: sending first information and second information, wherein the first information is used for requesting the establishment of a first communication connection, the first communication connection is used for direct C2 communication, the second information is used for requesting the establishment of a second communication connection, the second communication connection is used for network-assisted C2 communication, and the first communication connection and the second communication connection are used for performing C2 communication between a first device and a second device, thus, two different communication connections, which are respectively the first communication connection and the second communication connection, are established between the first device and the second device, such that redundant C2 information can be transmitted between the first device and the second device, so as to ensure that when one connection fails or encounters problems, data transmission and communication can still continue, thereby ensuring the stability of the C2 communication.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on March 29, 2024, with application number 202410385364.X and title “Communication Method and Communication Device,” the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0003] A command and control (C2) communication method has been proposed for use between an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and an uncrewed aerial vehicle controller (UAV-C). C2 communication can transmit command and control information for UAV operations from the UAV-C to the UAV. Current C2 communication only establishes a single C2 communication connection for transmitting command and control signaling, which can lead to communication instability. For example, when the UAV and UAV-C are close, C2 communication can only be carried out via the proximity communication 5 (PC5) connection. When the distance between the UAV and UAV-C increases, since there is only a single PC5 connection, C2 communication between the UAV and UAV-C via the PC5 connection will result in unstable communication.

[0004] Therefore, the present invention proposes a method for establishing multiple C2 communication connections to ensure the stability of C2 communication. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and a communication device, which can establish two communication links for C2 communication to ensure the stability of C2 communication.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a first device, and the method includes: sending first information and second information, the first information is used to request establishment of a first communication connection, and the first communication connection is used to directly command and control C2 communication; the second information is used to request establishment of a second communication connection, and the second communication connection is used for network-assisted C2 communication; the first communication connection and the second communication connection are used for C2 communication between the first device and the second device.

[0007] Exemplarily, the first device sends a first request message and a second request message, the first request message is used to establish a first communication connection, and the first communication connection can be used for direct C2 communication; the second request message is used to establish a second communication connection, and the second communication connection is used for network-assisted C2 communication, and the first communication connection and the second communication connection are used for C2 communication between the first device and the second device.

[0008] It can be understood that the first communication connection is a connection for direct communication between the first device and the second device, and the second communication connection is a connection for communication between the first device and the second device via a wireless network.

[0009] In one possible design, a first device sends first information and second information, wherein the first information is used to create a first C2 communication for the first device, and the second information is used to create a second C2 communication for the first device. In the present invention, the first information sent by the first device can be used to create a first communication connection or a first C2 communication for the first device, and accordingly, the second information, like the first information, can be used to create a second communication connection or a second C2 communication for the first device. Whether it is used to create a communication connection or to create a C2 communication depends on the actual name and usage of the information, and the present invention does not limit this. The following text will be expanded on the basis that the first information is used to create a first communication connection for the first device and the second information is used to create a second communication connection for the first device. It can be understood that when the first information is used to create a first C2 communication for the first device and when the second information is used to create a second C2 communication for the first device, the corresponding description is also modified accordingly.

[0010] It should be understood that the present invention does not limit the order in which the first request message and the second request message are sent, or the order in which the first communication connection and the second communication connection are established. For example, the first device may first send the first request message to establish the first communication connection, and then send the second request message to establish the second communication connection; the first device may first send the second request message to establish the second communication connection, and then send the first request message to establish the first communication connection; or the first device may simultaneously send the first request message to establish the first communication connection and the second request message to establish the second communication connection.

[0011] Based on the above solution, two different communication connections are established between the first device and the second device, namely the first communication connection and the second communication connection, wherein the first communication connection is used for direct C2 communication between the first device and the second device, and the second communication connection is used for C2 communication between the first device and the second device through a wireless network, so that redundant C2 information can be transmitted between the first device and the second device, ensuring that when one connection fails or problems occur, data transmission and communication can still continue, thereby ensuring the stability of C2 communication.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first communication connection and the second communication connection are redundant connections for C2 communication between the first device and the second device.

[0013] In an optional manner, the first communication connection and the second communication connection constituting the redundant connection of the C2 communication are used to transmit redundant C2 information.

[0014] Based on the above solution, the first communication connection and the second communication connection are redundant connections capable of C2 communication, so that subsequent C2-related data can be redundantly transmitted through the two communication connections. When one communication connection is unavailable, the other communication connection can continue to transmit data, ensuring the stability of C2 communication.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first communication connection is a proximity service ProSe communication connection or a sidelink communication connection, and the second communication connection is an air interface wireless communication connection.

[0016] Based on the above solution, the first communication connection is a ProSe communication connection or a sidelink communication connection, and the second communication connection is an air interface wireless communication connection. The ProSe communication connection or the sidelink communication connection, as well as the air interface wireless communication connection can all perform C2 communication, utilizing the existing communication connection method while ensuring the stability of C2 communication.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, establishing the first communication connection and / or establishing the second communication connection is triggered based on one or more of the following information: proximity communication strategy, user routing strategy, application server pairing information, and indication information for creating a redundant connection.

[0018] The proximity communication policy may be a PC5 policy, and the user routing selection policy may be a URSP policy.

[0019] Based on the above scheme, the establishment of the first communication connection and / or the second communication connection can be triggered by the proximity communication strategy and / or the user routing selection strategy and / or the pairing information of the application server and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection, thereby improving the process of establishing the first communication connection and the second communication connection, ensuring the establishment of two C2 communication connections between the first device and the second device, and thus ensuring the stability of the C2 communication.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving the proximity communication and / or the user routing selection policy from the policy control function network element, the proximity communication policy and / or the user routing selection policy being used to indicate establishing a redundant connection for C2 communication between the first device and the second device.

[0021] Based on the above scheme, the first device can receive proximity communication or PC5 policy and / or user routing policy URSP from the policy control function network element, and the first device can trigger the establishment of a redundant connection according to the proximity communication or PC5 policy and / or URSP, that is, establish a first communication connection and a second communication connection, improve the conditions for establishing the first communication connection and the second communication connection, that is, improve the process of establishing the first communication connection and the second communication connection, and ensure the establishment of two C2 communication connections between the first device and the second device, thereby ensuring the stability of C2 communication.

[0022] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the proximity communication or PC5 policy and / or user routing selection policy of the first device is generated according to pairing information and / or instruction information for creating a redundant connection of the application server.

[0023] In one embodiment, the policy control function network element receives pairing information and / or indication information for creating redundant connections from an application server, and generates proximity communication or PC5 policy and / or user routing selection policy based on the pairing information and / or indication information for creating redundant connections. The application server may be UTM / USS.

[0024] Based on the above scheme, it is clarified that the proximity communication or PC5 policy and / or user routing selection policy URSP is generated based on the pairing information of the application server and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection, and the conditions for generating the proximity communication or PC5 policy and / or user routing selection policy URSP are improved, so that the first device can subsequently trigger the establishment of the first communication connection and the second communication connection according to the proximity communication or PC5 policy and / or user routing selection policy URSP, thereby improving the process of establishing the first communication connection and the second communication connection, ensuring the establishment of two C2 communication connections between the first device and the second device, and thus ensuring the stability of the C2 communication.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the pairing information of the application server is used to indicate identification information of a second device performing C2 communication with the first device, where the identification information of the second device includes one or more of the following information: an application layer identifier, a layer 2 identifier, and an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the second device; the indication information for creating a redundant connection is used to instruct the first device to create a first communication connection and a second communication connection.

[0026] The application layer identifier may be an application layer ID, and the layer 2 identifier may be a layer-2 ID. The application layer ID is an identifier for identifying an entity (e.g., a UAV, UAV-C) in a specific A2X application environment. These identifiers are used for direct C2 communication or direct detection and avoidance.

[0027] Based on the above solution, the application server's pairing information can be used to indicate the identification information of the second device, so that the first device can subsequently trigger the establishment of the first communication connection and / or the second communication connection with the second device based on the pairing information of the application server. In addition, the instruction information for creating a redundant connection can also be used to instruct the first device to establish the first communication connection and the second communication connection, thus improving the process of establishing the first communication connection and the second communication connection, ensuring the establishment of two C2 communication connections between the first and second devices, and thus ensuring the stability of C2 communication.

[0028] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: allocating the same redundant connection pair identifier to the first communication connection and the second communication connection.

[0029] The redundant connection pair identifier is used to indicate that the first communication connection and the second communication connection are redundant connections.

[0030] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: determining the first communication connection and the second communication connection constituting a redundant connection according to the redundant connection pair identifier.

[0031] The redundant connection pair identifier is an identifier shared by the first communication connection and the second communication connection.

[0032] Based on the above solution, the first and second communication connections are assigned the same redundant connection pair identifier, that is, the first and second communication connections have the same identifier. Based on the redundant connection pair identifier, the first and second communication connections that constitute the redundant connection can be determined, so that these two communication connections can be subsequently used for C2 communication. Furthermore, if one of the connections becomes unavailable, communication can continue using the other connection identified by the redundant connection pair identifier, thereby ensuring the stability of C2 communication.

[0033] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information includes one or more of the following: an identifier of the first device, a first identifier, indication information of a redundant connection, and a second identifier; wherein the first identifier is used to identify the second device; the indication information of the redundant connection is used to indicate that the established first communication connection is a redundant connection; and the second identifier is used to identify the communication group to which the second device belongs.

[0034] Based on the above scheme, the first information includes one or more of the following: an identifier of the first device, a first identifier, indication information of a redundant connection, and a second identifier; wherein the first identifier is used to identify the second device; the second identifier is used to identify the communication group to which the second device belongs, so that when the first device communicates with the communication group to which the second device belongs, the first device can establish C2 communication with the second device corresponding to the second identifier through the identifier of the communication group to which the second device belongs; and the indication of the redundant connection is used to indicate that the established first communication connection is a redundant connection; the process of establishing the first communication connection and the second communication connection is improved, thereby ensuring the stability of C2 communication.

[0035] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second information includes a third identifier, and the third identifier is used to identify the second communication connection.

[0036] Based on the above solution, the third identifier is carried in the second information, and the third identifier is used as the identifier of the second communication connection, thereby improving the process of establishing the first communication connection and the second communication connection.

[0037] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method also includes: determining a fourth identifier of the second device and a fifth identifier of the second device, the fourth identifier being the identifier of the second device corresponding to the first communication connection, and the fifth identifier being the identifier of the second device corresponding to the second communication connection.

[0038] Based on the above scheme, the first device can determine the fourth identifier of the second device and the fifth identifier of the second device, and the fourth identifier is the identifier of the second device corresponding to the first communication connection, and the fifth identifier is the identifier of the second device corresponding to the second communication connection, so as to subsequently determine the first communication connection and the second communication connection based on the fourth identifier and the fifth identifier of the second device.

[0039] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method also includes: determining an association relationship between the fourth identifier of the second device and the fifth identifier of the second device, the association relationship being used to indicate that the first communication connection corresponding to the fourth identifier and the second communication connection corresponding to the fifth identifier are redundant connections.

[0040] Based on the above scheme, through the association relationship between the fourth identifier and the fifth identifier, where the fourth identifier corresponds to the first communication connection and the fifth identifier corresponds to the second communication connection, redundant C2 communication can be subsequently performed between the first device and the second device through the two communication connections indicated by the association relationship, thereby ensuring the stability of C2 communication.

[0041] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending a data packet whose destination address is the fourth identifier and whose destination address is the fifth identifier, where the data packet is used for C2 redundant communication.

[0042] Based on the above scheme, data packets with destination addresses as the fourth identifier and the fifth identifier can be sent. The fourth identifier and the fifth identifier correspond to the first communication connection and the second communication connection respectively, so the first communication connection and the second communication connection can be used to send data packets to the destination address for C2 redundant communication.

[0043] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the fourth identifier is a layer 2 identifier or a ProSe device identifier of the second device; and the fifth identifier is an IP address of the second device.

[0044] In a second aspect, a communication device is provided, which is configured to execute the method provided by the first aspect or its implementation. Specifically, the device may include units and / or modules, such as a processing unit and / or a transceiver unit, configured to execute the method provided by the first aspect or its implementation.

[0045] In one implementation, the apparatus is a first device or a second device. When the apparatus is the first device or the second device, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver, an input / output interface, or a communication interface; and the processing unit may be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver is a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface is an input / output circuit.

[0046] In another implementation, the apparatus is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in the first device or the second device. When the apparatus is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in the first device or the second device, the transceiver unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0047] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes: a memory for storing programs; and at least one processor for executing computer programs or instructions stored in the memory to perform the method provided by the first aspect or its implementation.

[0048] In one implementation, the apparatus is a first device.

[0049] In another implementation, the apparatus is a chip, a chip system, or a circuit used in the first device.

[0050] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor and a communication interface, wherein the at least one processor is configured to retrieve a computer program or instruction stored in a memory through the communication interface to execute the method provided by the first aspect or its implementation. The communication interface may be implemented in hardware or software.

[0051] In one implementation, the device further includes the memory.

[0052] In a fifth aspect, a processor is provided for executing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0053] For the operations such as sending and acquiring / receiving involved in the processor, unless otherwise specified, or if they do not conflict with their actual functions or internal logic in the relevant descriptions, they can be understood as operations such as processor output, reception, and input, or as sending and receiving operations performed by the radio frequency circuit and antenna. This application does not limit this.

[0054] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a program code for execution by a device, wherein the program code includes a method for executing the above-mentioned first aspect or its implementation method.

[0055] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method provided by the first aspect or its implementation.

[0056] In an eighth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executes the method provided in the first aspect or its implementation. The communication interface may be implemented in hardware or software.

[0057] Optionally, as an implementation method, the chip also includes a memory, in which a computer program or instruction is stored, and the processor is used to execute the computer program or instruction stored on the memory. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided by the above-mentioned first aspect or its implementation method.

[0058] When the method provided in this application is executed by a chip, this application does not limit the number of chips that implement the method. For example, the method can be executed by one chip or by two or more chips. Furthermore, when the number of chips implementing the method of this application is two or more, the chip manufacturers are not limited and can be the same manufacturer or different manufacturers.

[0059] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising at least one of the first device or the second device described above.

[0060] In a tenth aspect, a computer program is provided, which, when executed on a computer, enables the method provided by the first aspect or its implementation to be executed.

[0061] For possible designs and beneficial effects of the second to tenth aspects, reference can be made to the description of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the 5G system architecture applicable to this application.

[0063] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the logical architecture of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in a 5G system and a 4G system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0064] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture for communication between UAV and UAV-C.

[0065] Figure 4 shows four methods of C2 communication.

[0066] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0067] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of another communication architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0068] FIG7 is a schematic flow chart of a method 100 for authentication and authorization of a UAV and a UAV-C.

[0069] FIG8 is a schematic flow chart of a method 200 of UUAA-MM.

[0070] FIG9 is a schematic flow chart of a method 300 of UUAA-SM.

[0071] FIG10 is a schematic flowchart of a method 400 for re-authenticating a UAV in a 5GS.

[0072] FIG11 is a schematic flow chart of the communication method 500 provided in this application.

[0073] FIG12 is a schematic flow chart of the communication method 700 provided in this application.

[0074] FIG13 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method 800 provided in this application.

[0075] FIG14 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method 900 provided in this application.

[0076] FIG15 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0077] FIG16 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2000 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0078] FIG17 is a schematic block diagram of a chip system 3000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0079] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0080] Various numerical numbers such as first, second, #1, and #2 are merely distinctions for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application, nor are they intended to indicate order or importance, such as distinguishing different messages or information. "Predefined" can be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device. This application does not limit its specific implementation method. The "protocol" involved may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, the NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communications systems. This application does not limit this. Words such as "exemplary," "for example," "exemplarily," and "as (another) example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described in this application as an "example" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and their variations all mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. "At least one" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship. Descriptions of network element A sending a message, information, or data to network element B, and network element B receiving a message, information, or data from network element A, are intended to clarify which network element the message, information, or data is sent to, and do not specify whether they are sent directly or indirectly through other network elements. "Used to indicate" can include both direct and indirect indications. When describing that an indication is used to indicate A, it can include whether the indication indicates A directly or indirectly, and does not necessarily mean that the indication contains A. Phrases such as "when," "under the circumstances of," "if," and "if" all imply that the device will perform a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not limit the time, do not require the device to perform a judgment action during implementation, and do not imply any other limitations.

[0081] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, including but not limited to: fifth generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, long term evolution-advanced (LTE-A) systems, wireless local area networks (WLAN) systems, satellite communication systems, optical communication systems, microwave communication systems, etc. It can also be applied to future communication systems, such as future mobile communication systems, or fusion systems of multiple systems. In addition, it can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems. In addition, the present invention can also be extended to similar wireless communication systems, such as wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WIMAX), and communication systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), without limitation.

[0082] A device in a communication system can send signals to or receive signals from another device. The signals may include information, signaling, or data. The term "device" may also be replaced by an entity, a network entity, a communication device, a communication module, a node, a communication node, and the like.

[0083] The following describes a system architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0084] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the 5G system architecture applicable to this application. As shown in Figure 1, the system architecture includes access network elements and core network (CN) network elements. The network elements included in the system architecture and their respective functions are described as follows:

[0085] The access network (AN) provides network access for authorized users in a specific area and can use transmission tunnels of different qualities based on the user level and service requirements. The access network can be an access network that uses different access technologies. Currently, there are two types of wireless access technologies: 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access technologies (such as the wireless access technologies used in 3G, 4G, or 5G systems) and non-3GPP access technologies. 3GPP access technologies refer to access technologies that comply with 3GPP standards and specifications. Access networks that use 3GPP access technologies are called Radio Access Networks (RAN). The radio access network in a 5G system can be called the next generation radio access network (NG-RAN), and the access network equipment in a 5G system is called the next generation Node Base station (gNB). Non-3GPP access technologies refer to access technologies that do not comply with 3GPP standards and specifications, such as air interface technologies represented by access points (APs) in Wi-Fi.

[0086] An access network that implements access network functions based on wireless communication technology can be called a radio access network (RAN). The radio access network can be used for wireless resource management, uplink and downlink data classification and quality of service (QoS) applications, as well as completing signaling processing with the control plane function and data forwarding with the user plane function. The radio access network can be a next-generation (such as future communication systems or higher) radio access network, or a traditional (such as 5G, 4G, 3G or 2G) radio access network. Access network equipment or radio access network equipment is a device that provides wireless communication functions for terminal devices, and can also be called a network device. The network device may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to the wireless network, such as a network device may be a base station. A base station may broadly cover various names as follows, or replace the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station, secondary station, multi-standard radio (motor slide retainer, 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), radio unit (RU), positioning node, RAN intelligent controller (RIC), etc. A base station may be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node, or the like, or a combination thereof. A base station may also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip used to be installed in the aforementioned equipment or devices. A base station may also be a mobile switching center, a device that performs base station functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, a network-side device in a future communication system network, or a device that performs base station functions in a future communication system. A base station may 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 network equipment.

[0087] 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.

[0088] In some deployments, the network devices mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may include a CU, a DU, or both a CU and a DU, or a control plane CU node (central unit-control plane (CU-CP)), a user plane CU node (central unit-user plane (CU-UP)), and a DU node. For example, the network devices may include a gNB-CU-CP, a gNB-CU-UP, and a gNB-DU.

[0089] In some deployments, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be CU, DU, CU-CP, CU-UP, or RU, etc. The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as the BBU. The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as an RRU, AAU or RRH. In one possible design, the processing unit for implementing the baseband function in the BBU is called a baseband high layer (BBH) unit, and the processing unit for implementing the baseband function in the RRU / AAU / RRH is called a baseband low layer (BBL) unit. In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, the radio access network may also be an open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture. In the ORAN system, the CU may also be referred to as an O-CU (open CU), the DU may also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP may also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP may also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU may also be referred to as an O-RU. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0090] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the network device can be a network device, or a device that can support the network device to implement the function. The device can be called a network device, or an access network device or a wireless access network device, such as a chip system or a chip, and the device can be installed in the network device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0091] User equipment (UE), also known as terminal device, usually needs to be registered with the operator's network to use the operator's network. Examples include mobile phones with subscriber identity module (SIM) cards and IoT devices using embedded SIM (eSIM) cards.

[0092] The terminal devices in the embodiments of the present application include various devices with wireless communication functions, which can be used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, D2D, V2X, peer to peer (P2P), M2M, MTC, IoT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, etc. The terminal device can be a terminal in any of the above scenarios, such as an MTC terminal, an IoT terminal, etc. The terminal device may be user equipment (UE), terminal, fixed device, mobile station device or mobile device of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard, subscriber unit, handheld device, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, cellular phone, smart phone, Session Initialization Protocol (SIP) phone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA), computer, tablet computer, notebook computer, wireless modem, handheld device, laptop computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, smart book, vehicle, satellite, global positioning system (GPS) device, target tracking device, aircraft (such as drone, helicopter, multi-copter, quadcopter, or airplane), ship, remote control device (such as drone controller), smart home device, industrial equipment, or a device built into the above devices (such as a communication module, modem or chip in the above devices), or other processing devices connected to the wireless modem. For the sake of convenience, the following description will take the terminal or UE as an example to describe the terminal device. In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device mainly corresponds to an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and an uncrewed aerial vehicle controller (UAV-C).

[0093] It should be understood that in some scenarios, a UE can also be used to act as a base station. For example, a UE can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between UEs in scenarios such as V2X, D2D, or P2P.

[0094] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device, or it can be a device that can support the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system or chip, which can be installed in the terminal device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0095] It should be noted that the above-mentioned network devices and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on the water surface; 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 network devices and terminal devices are located.

[0096] The session management function (SMF) network element mainly includes functions such as controlling the establishment, modification and deletion of sessions and the selection of user plane nodes.

[0097] The access and mobility management function (AMF) network element mainly includes functions such as user registration management, reachability detection, SMF node selection, and mobility state transition management.

[0098] User plane function (UPF) network elements mainly include packet routing and forwarding, mobility anchor points, uplink classifiers to support routing service flows to data networks, and branch points to support multi-homed packet data unit (PDU) sessions.

[0099] The policy control function (PCF) network element is a policy decision point that provides rules based on service data flow and application detection, gating, quality of service (QoS), and flow-based charging control.

[0100] The unified data management (UDM) network element is mainly used to store user contract data.

[0101] The authentication server function (AUSF) network element is mainly used to provide authentication services.

[0102] The application function (AF) network element is mainly used to interact with the 3GPP core network to provide services and influence business flow routing, access network capability exposure, policy control, etc.

[0103] The network exposure function (NEF) network element is mainly used to securely expose services and capabilities provided by 3GPP network functions, such as third parties, edge computing, and AF.

[0104] Data network (DN) network elements are mainly used to provide operator services, Internet access or third-party services.

[0105] The network data analytics function (NWDAF) network element mainly includes the functions of providing network data collection and analysis based on technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence.

[0106] The network repository function (NRF) network element is mainly used for registration and status monitoring of network functions, enabling automated management, selection, and scalability of network functions, and allowing each network function to discover the services provided by other network functions.

[0107] The service communication proxy (SCP) is mainly responsible for message routing, service discovery, and message load balancing between network functions.

[0108] A network service function (NSF) generally refers to a service function within a network. For example, when an NSF provides session management services, it can be an SMF. When providing other network services, it can refer to other network functions. Alternatively, an NSF can be called a network function (NF).

[0109] In addition, the interfaces between the aforementioned network elements are specifically shown in Figure 1. For example, the N1 interface is the communication interface between the UE and the AMF, used to transmit control plane signaling between the core network and the UE; the N2 interface is the communication interface between the RAN and the AMF; the N3 interface is the communication interface between the RAN and the UPF; the N4 interface is the communication interface between the SMF and the UPF; the N6 interface is the communication interface between the UPF and the DN; and the N9 interface is the communication interface between UPFs. The other interfaces shown in Figure 1 are service-based interfaces of the corresponding network elements. NFs can request services from the corresponding NF by calling these service-based interfaces. For example, the Npcf interface is the service-based interface of the PCF. Other NFs can request services from the PCF through the Npcf interface. Other service-based interfaces are similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0110] It should be noted that the above-mentioned terminal devices, network devices and functional network elements can be hardware devices, or software functions running on dedicated hardware, software functions running on general-purpose hardware, such as virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (for example, a cloud platform), or entities including dedicated or general-purpose hardware devices and software functions. This application does not limit the specific forms of terminal devices, network devices and functional network elements.

[0111] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the logical architecture of a UAV in a 5G system and a 4G system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the logical architecture includes a 5G system and a 4G system. The components of the logical architecture are described as follows:

[0112] The 5G core network (5GC) is the core of the 5G network, responsible for handling key functions such as data routing, mobility management, user authentication, and access control. It is a key component of the 5G communication architecture, capable of supporting high-speed data transmission, extremely low latency, and large-scale device connectivity.

[0113] An unmanned aerial system (UAS) is a combination of UAVs, UAV-Cs, and their communication systems. UAVs refer to aircraft that can be remotely controlled without the need for a pilot, and are referred to as drones. UAVs can obtain control commands from operators through drone controllers and complete a series of autonomous flight operations. UAVs have the advantages of low cost, ease of use, and low requirements for the application environment, and are widely used in scientific research, site exploration, military operations, disaster relief, personal entertainment, and other fields. UAV-Cs are machines used to command and control drones' takeoff and recovery, aerial flight posture, application deployment, and other operations.

[0114] A UAS service supplier (USS) is an entity that specializes in providing data exchange, airspace management, and safety services for drone operations. Services provided include flight plan management, airspace data provision, remote sensing identification, conflict avoidance, and communications services, helping to ensure the safe and efficient operation of drones.

[0115] Uncrewed aerial system traffic management (UTM) is a system that can safely and efficiently integrate UAVs in flight with other airspace users. It is used to register and authenticate drones, authorize drone services, manage drone policies, and control drone traffic in the airspace.

[0116] The evolved packet core (EPC), used in 4G LTE networks, can provide high-speed data transmission and Internet access services, support mobile broadband access and ensure efficient network operation.

[0117] As can be seen from the above terminology, the connection path from the UE to the NG-RAN represents the logical architecture of drones in 5G systems, while the connection path from the UE to the RAN represents the logical architecture of drones in 4G systems. Taking the 5G system as an example, the USS / UTM system can communicate with the 5GC through the UAS NF / NEF and connect to the UPF via the N6 interface for data transmission.

[0118] Figure 3 illustrates the system architecture for communication between UAVs and UAV-Cs. As shown in Figure 3, UAVs and UAV-Cs can communicate via 3GPP-defined networks or networks outside the 3GPP framework. UASs exchange application data and information via an uncrewed aerial system traffic management (UTM) or a USS. Both the USS and UTM can be used to command and control UAVs.

[0119] Among them, command and control (C2) communication is used to transmit command and control information of UAV operations from UAV-C or UTM or USS to UAV.

[0120] Figure 4 shows four C2 communication modes. The following describes the C2 communication modes involved in Figure 4.

[0121] (1) Direct C2 communication refers to the establishment of a communication link between UAV-C and UAV for C2 communication, which optionally requires registration using a wireless network.

[0122] (2) Network-assisted C2 communication refers to the communication between UAV-C and UAV through the 5G network after they are registered on the wireless network.

[0123] (3) Network-assisted dual indirect C2 communication means that the UAV and UAV-C register with the 5G network through different NG-RAN nodes, and the 5G network needs to provide a reliable C2 communication link.

[0124] (4) UTM / USS-navigated C2 communication refers to the UAV having a pre-scheduled flight plan function. Although the UAV can fly autonomously, it still needs to maintain a C2 communication link with the UTM / USS to regularly monitor the UAV's flight status, verify the latest flight status, provide route updates, and navigate the UAV when necessary.

[0125] A C2 communication method has been proposed for UAVs and UAV-Cs. C2 communication can transmit command and control information for UAV operations from the UAV-C to the UAV. Current C2 communication methods only establish a single C2 communication connection for transmitting command and control signaling, which can lead to communication instability. For example, when the UAV and UAV-C are close, C2 communication can only be carried out via a single proximity communication (PC5) connection. However, when the distance between the UAV and UAV-C increases, C2 communication between the UAV and UAV-C over the PC5 connection becomes unstable because there is only a single PC5 connection.

[0126] Based on the above-mentioned technical status, the present application proposes a communication method, in which a first device can send a first message and a second message, the first message is used to request the establishment of a first communication connection, and the first communication connection is used for direct C2 communication; the second information is used to request the establishment of a second communication connection, and the second communication connection is used for network-assisted C2 communication. The first device establishes two communication connections for C2 communication between the first device and the second device, and can perform C2 redundant communication through the two communication connections to ensure that when one connection fails or a problem occurs, data transmission and communication can still continue, so as to ensure the stability of C2 communication.

[0127] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5, Figure 5(a) shows two connections between the UAV and the UAV-C: the UAV redundantly communicates with the UAV-C via the PC5 (#1) connection, and the UAV redundantly communicates with the UAV-C via the air interface (#2). Figure 5(b) shows a more specific connection method for communication between the UAV and the UAV-C. As can be seen from Figure 5(b), the UAV and the UAV-C can communicate via the communication link #1, that is, direct communication via the PC5 connection; the UAV and the UAV-C can also communicate via the communication link #2, which runs from the UAV-C to the NG-RAN, the NG-RAN to the UPF, and the UPF to the UAV, that is, communication via the wireless network. The A2X application shown in Figure 5 is an application that implements the Aircraft-to-Everything (A2X) service. A2X communication is a type of communication that uses the PC5 and / or Uu reference points to support A2X services. A2X services are implemented through various types of A2X applications. An A2X service is a data service provided to A2X applications and optional A2X application servers. An A2X service belongs to an A2X service type. An A2X service can be associated with one or more A2X applications, and an A2X application can be associated with one or more A2X services.

[0128] PC5 is an interface for direct communication between devices, that is, an interface for implementing Proximity-Based Service (ProSe) connections. Therefore, the PC5 connection described in this application can be understood as a ProSe connection, that is, a direct connection between devices. It should be understood that a ProSe connection is a direct connection between devices, supporting direct communication between devices.

[0129] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another communication architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, the UAV can connect to the UAV-C via PC5 (#1) for C2 communication, and can also connect to the USS / UTM via the air interface (#2) for C2 communication.

[0130] It should be noted that #2 in Figures 5 and 6 represents an air interface connection, which can also represent a Uu connection. Uu connection refers to the wireless interface between the UE and the base station in a wireless mobile communication system in the 3GPP standard. This connection is one of the most basic connections in a mobile communication network. It enables mobile phones, tablets, and other wireless devices to access the mobile network for data and voice communications. The Uu connection involved in this application means that UVA performs C2 communication by establishing a PDU session.

[0131] It should be understood that the two connections #1 and #2 in Figures 5 and 6 can be called redundant connections that are redundant to each other. Redundant connections can also be understood as alternative connections, that is, through additional or alternative paths and connections, it is ensured that when one connection fails or a problem occurs, data transmission and communication can still continue, thereby increasing the reliability and stability of the communication system.

[0132] It should be noted that this application is not only applicable to C2 communication scenarios in UAS, but also to scenarios where PC5 connections and Uu connections need to be established as redundant connections, such as scenarios where communication is carried out between V2X and personal IoT networks (PIN), etc. This application does not limit this.

[0133] The following describes the steps for authentication, certification, and re-authentication between a UAV and a UAV-C. Figures 7 to 9 are schematic diagrams of the process flow for authentication and certification between a UAV and a UAV-C. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the process flow for re-authentication between a UAV and a UAV-C. It should be understood that the specific details of the process flow for authentication, certification, and re-authentication between a UAV and a UAV-C can be found in 3GPP TS 23.256. For ease of understanding, this application only describes some of the steps related to this application.

[0134] Figure 7 is a schematic flow chart of a method 100 for authentication and verification of a UAV and a UAV-C. Method 100 includes steps S110 through S170, which are described in detail below. For details of each step in Figure 7, refer to the description of Figure 5.2.2.1-1 in 3GPP TS 23.256.

[0135] As can be seen above, both the UAV and the UAV-C are UE-type devices. It should be understood that the UE shown in the following figure can be either a UAV or a UAV-C. For ease of understanding, the following steps for authentication and authorization are based on the UE being the UAV.

[0136] S110. The UAV sends a registration request message.

[0137] If a registration request message is sent, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)-level drone identifier (ID) and optional USS address of the drone, namely CAA-Level UAV ID and USS address, should be provided when sending the registration drone service request. A UAV needs to be assigned a CAA-Level UAV ID in a flight domain (such as USS). This identification information is used for remote identification and tracking, and to identify the drone. The USS address is used by the core network to find the USS corresponding to the UAV and perform USS UAV authorization / authentication (UUAA). If there is no USS address in the request message, a possible implementation method is that the NEF can find the corresponding USS address through the CAA-Level UAV ID.

[0138] S120, optional, initial authentication.

[0139] If initial authentication is required, the AMF sends a request to the AUSF and, if location confirmation of the UAV is available at the AMF, provides the location confirmation requirement in the request. For disaster roaming registration, the AMF may provide an indication of the disaster roaming service in the request. The AUSF responds to the AMF's request and performs authentication of the UAV. The AUSF selects a UDM and provides the indication and / or requirement contained in the request to the UDM and obtains authentication data from the UDM.

[0140] For example, if the AMF provides an indication of disaster roaming service, the AUSF may provide this indication to the UDM, which then performs authentication of the UAV. Once the UAV is authenticated, the AUSF provides the relevant security information to the AMF. The purpose of the initial authentication is to verify whether the UAV can join the network.

[0141] For details, please refer to the description of step 9 in Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1 in 3GPP TS 23.502[3], which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0142] S130. AMF determines whether to perform UUAA authentication on the UAV.

[0143] Specifically, the AMF should determine whether the UAV requires UUAA-MM. The AMF can determine whether the UAV requires UUAA authentication based on whether the UE's subscription data contains aerial user subscription information (Aerial UE subscription info) and whether the UE provides a CAA-Level UAV ID. Among them, the authentication and authorization of the UAV during the 5G system (5GS) registration process is called UUAA-MM.

[0144] S140. AMF sends a registration acceptance message to the UAV.

[0145] If the AMF determines in S130 that UUAA-MM is to be performed, the AMF shall include a pending UUAA-MM indication in the Registration Accept message to indicate the execution of UUAA-MM.

[0146] Optionally, S150, UAV sends registration request completion information to AMF.

[0147] Optionally, S160: Execute the NSSAA process.

[0148] Optionally, if the UAV indicates that it supports the network slice-specific authentication and authorization (NSSAA) process, and its request information includes slice information of the requested single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), if the requested slice information has not been successfully authenticated, step S170 is executed.

[0149] S170: Execute the UUAA process.

[0150] UUAA includes UUAA-MM and UUAA-SM. The following describes the UUAA-MM and UUAA-SM processes respectively. The authentication and authorization performed by the UAV during PDU session establishment is called UUAA at PDN connection / PDU session establishment (UUAA-SM).

[0151] Figure 8 is a schematic flow chart of method 200 for UUAA-MM. Method 200 includes steps S210 to S270, which are described below. For details of each step in Figure 8, refer to the description of Figure 5.2.2.2-1 in 3GPP TS 23.256. For ease of understanding, the following description of UUAA-MM assumes that the UE is a UAV.

[0152] S210: AMF triggers the execution of UUAA.

[0153] For UAVs that require UUAA or that have triggered USS re-authentication, the AMF triggers the UUAA-MM procedure. If there is no Aerial subscription in the UE subscription data retrieved by the AMF from the UDM, the AMF will not trigger the UUAA-MM procedure.

[0154] S220. AMF sends an authentication request to the UAS NF / NEF.

[0155] Specifically, the AMF calls the Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize request message. For initial authentication, this shall include the UAV's generic public subscription identifier (GPSI) and CAA-Level UAV ID, and may include a USS address, such as a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or USS IP address, and may include the UUAA aviation payload provided by the UE. For re-authentication triggered by the AMF, the CAA-Level UAV ID may not be included.

[0156] S230. The UAS NF / NEF sends an authentication request to the USS / UTM.

[0157] Specifically, the UAS NF / NEF sends a Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize request message to the USS / UTM, which includes the GPSI and CAA-Level UAV ID of the UAV. Optionally, the message also includes the address of the USS.

[0158] Optionally, S240, the authentication method used by the USS requires multiple round trip messages.

[0159] The multiple round-trip messages include: the USS / UTM sends a Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize response message to the UAS-NF, which then sends the Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize response message to the AMF. The Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize response message and the Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize response message include the GPSI and authentication information (Authentication Msg) based on the authentication method used. The Authentication Msg is forwarded to the UAV via the non-access stratum (NAS) MM. The AMF receives the Authentication Msg from the UAV via the NAS MM. If the UAV has not previously provided a UUAA aviation payload, the received Authentication Msg may contain the UUAA aviation payload required by the USS / UTM. The AMF sends authentication authorization information (Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize) to the UAS-NF, and the UAS-NF sends authentication authorization information (Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize) to the USS / UTM. Among them, Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize and Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize include GPSI, CAA-Level UAV ID, and Authentication Msg.

[0160] From S250 to S270, the USS / UTM sends an authentication response to the UAS NF / NEF. The UAS NF / NEF sends the authentication response to the AMF, which then sends the authentication response to the UAV.

[0161] Specifically, the authentication response message is used to return the authentication request result, which includes the UAV's GPSI, CAA-Level UAV ID, and the UUAA result. The UUAA result indicates whether the authentication is successful or failed. The authentication response message sent by the USS / UTM to the UAS NF can be a Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize response message, and the authentication response message sent by the UAS NF to the AMF can be a Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize response message. The AMF can forward the authentication response message from the USS via NAS transmission information.

[0162] At this point, the UAV and UAV-C can complete the UUAA-MM process, that is, complete authentication and authorization.

[0163] Figure 9 is a schematic flow chart of method 300 for UUAA-SM. Method 300 includes steps S310 to S390, which are described below. For details of each step in Figure 9, refer to the prior art description in 3GPP TS 23.256. For ease of understanding, the following description of UUAA-SM assumes that the UE is a UAV.

[0164] S310: Determine whether to perform UUAA authentication / authorization for the PDU session establishment request.

[0165] The UAV includes a service-level device identity (e.g., a CAA-level drone identity for UVA) and may include an authentication server address (e.g., a USS address) and possible authentication data (e.g., a UUAA aviation payload) in the PDU session establishment request.

[0166] If it is determined that UUAA authentication / authorization is required for the PDU session establishment request, the SMF will determine the need to call the UAS NF / NEF service operation to perform UUAA authentication / authorization for the PDU session establishment request based on the provided data network name (DNN) / S-NSSAI combination specifically used for air services (setting the air service indicator) and the service-level device identifier (CAA-Level-UAV ID) included in the request. If the provided access point name (APN) / DNN is specifically used for air services but no service-level device identifier (CAA-Level UAV ID) is provided, the SMF will refuse to establish the PDU session and will not execute the following process of UUAA-SM.

[0167] From S320 to S330, the SMF sends an authentication request to the UAS NF / NEF, which then sends an authentication request to the USS / UTM.

[0168] Specifically, the SMF calls the Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize service operation and sends an authentication request message to the UAS NF / NEF. This message carries the GPSI, CAA-Level UAV ID, DNN, S-NSSAI, and may also include the USS address and UUAA aviation payload. The UAS NF / NE then sends the authentication request message to the USS / UTM.

[0169] Optionally, the authentication request also includes the UAV location, permanent equipment identifier (PEI) and the UAV's IP address. The UAV location is the user location information (e.g., cell ID) provided by the AMF.

[0170] Optionally, S340, the authentication method used by the USS requires multiple round trip messages.

[0171] The multiple round-trip messages include: the USS / UTM sends a Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize response message to the UAS NF / NEF, which then sends the Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize response message to the SMF via the UAS-NF. The Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthenticateAuthorize response message and the Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthenticateAuthorize response message include the GPSI and authentication information (Authentication Msg) based on the authentication method used. The SMF transmits the Authentication Msg to the AMF via the Namf_Communication_N1N2 transmission message. The Authentication Msg is forwarded to the UAV via the non-access stratum (NAS) SM transmission message. The AMF receives the Authentication Msg from the UAV via the NAS SM. If the UAV has not previously provided the UUAA aviation payload, the received Authentication Msg may contain the UUAA aviation payload required by the USS / UTM. The AMF transmits the N1 message to the SMF via the Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMcontext message. The SMF sends authentication and authorization information to the UAS NF / NEF, namely Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize, and then sends authentication and authorization information to the USS / UTM through the UAS-NF, namely Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize. Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize and Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize contain GPSI, CAA-Level UAV ID, and Authentication Msg.

[0172] From S350 to S360, USS / UTM sends authentication request response information to UAS NF / NEF, and UAS NF / NEF then sends the authentication request response information to SMF.

[0173] Specifically, the authentication response message is used to return the authentication request result, which includes the UAV's GPSI, CAA-Level UAV ID, and the UUAA result. The UUAA result indicates whether the authentication is successful or failed. The authentication request response message sent by the USS / UTM to the UAS NF / NEF can be Naf_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize Response, and the authentication request response message sent by the UAS NF / NEF to the SMF can be Nnef_Authentication_AuthenticateAuthorize Response.

[0174] S370. Optionally, if the authentication / authorization is successful, the USS will perform the steps of subscribing to the PDU session status event. The UAS NF / NEF determines the PDU session status event notifications to which the DNN and S-NSSAI subscribe.

[0175] S380. Optionally, complete the establishment of the PDU session. If the SMF receives the USS / UTM authorization profile index from the UAS NF / NEF, it sends the USS / UTM authorization profile index to the PCF to retrieve policy information and policy control and charging (PCC) rules related to the PDU session from the PCF.

[0176] S390. Optionally, detect the PDU session establishment time.

[0177] If the USS / UTM in S370 subscribes to PDU session status events, the SMF will detect when a PDU session is established and send a PDU session establishment event report to the UAS NF / NEF via the Nsmf_EventExposure_Notify message (including GPSI and UAV IP address).

[0178] At this point, the UAV and UAV-C can complete the UUAA-SM process, that is, complete authentication and authorization.

[0179] Figure 10 is a schematic flow chart of method 400 for re-authenticating a UAV on a 5GS. Method 400 includes steps S410 to S490, which are described below. For details of each step in Figure 10, refer to the description of Figure 5.2.4.1-1 in 3GPP TS 23.256. For ease of understanding, the following description assumes that the UE is a UAV.

[0180] S410 : Store the UE's UUAA context after a successful UUAA-MM or UUAA-SM procedure.

[0181] The UUAA context can be stored in the unstructured data storage function (UDSF) or in the local UAS NF.

[0182] S420. The USS / UTM sends a re-authentication request message to the UAS NF.

[0183] Specifically, the re-authentication request message may be a Naf_Authentication_Notification, which is used for re-authentication of the UAV and may carry one or more of GPSI, CAA-Level UAV ID, and PDU session IP address.

[0184] S430: The UAS NF retrieves the UUAA context of the UAV.

[0185] The UAS NF retrieves the UUAA context of the UAV. From the stored UUAA context, the UAS NF determines the target network element to send the notification, which can be the AMF or the SMF.

[0186] The UAS NF determines the target network element (i.e., AMF or SMF) to which the re-authentication request should be sent based on the stored UUAA context. That is, the UAS NF determines whether to execute S440 or S450, and S480 or S490, based on the stored UUAA context. If the UAS NF determines that the target network element is the AMF based on the stored UUAA context, S440 and S480 are executed. If the UAS NF determines that the target network element is the SMF based on the stored UUAA context, S450 and S490 are executed.

[0187] S440. The UAS NF sends a re-authentication request to the target network element AMF, and the target network element AMF initiates re-authentication to the UAS.

[0188] S450. The UAS NF sends a re-authentication request to the target network element SMF, and the target network element SMF initiates re-authentication to the UAS.

[0189] S460: The UAS NF sends a re-authentication response message to the USS, which is used to provide feedback that the re-authentication request has been successfully initiated.

[0190] Optionally, S470, if the UAC is in the connected mode idle (CM-IDLE) state, the target network element AMF / SMF initiates a service request.

[0191] S480: The target NE AMF initiates a UUAA-MM process. For details about the UUAA-MM process, see method 200.

[0192] S490: The target network element SMF initiates the UUAA-SM process. The UUAA-SM process can be found in method 300.

[0193] FIG11 is a schematic flow chart of the communication method 500 provided in this application.

[0194] The method 500 includes S505 to S560 , which are described in detail below.

[0195] S505. The third-party network element sends the application server pairing information and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection to the core network element. Correspondingly, the core network element receives the application server pairing information and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection from the third-party network element.

[0196] The pairing information of the application server is used to indicate the identification information of the second device that performs C2 communication with the first device. The identification information of the second device includes one or more of the following information: the application layer identifier, layer 2 identifier, and IP address of the second device; the indication information for creating a redundant connection is used to instruct the first device to create a first communication connection and a second communication connection. The application layer identifier can be an application layer ID, and the layer 2 identifier can be a layer-2 ID. The application layer ID is an identifier that identifies an entity (such as a UAV, UAV-C) in a specific A2X application environment. These identifiers are used for direct C2 communication or direct detection and avoidance (Direct Detect And Avoid).

[0197] The pairing information of the application server and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection can also be used to trigger the core network element (such as PCF) to generate PC5 policy and / or user route selection policy (URSP). The third-party network element (or application server) can be USS or UTM.

[0198] As an example, the core network elements include PCF, SMF, and AMF. The third-party network element sends the application server pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information to the PCF. The PCF generates a PC5 policy and / or a URSP policy and sends it to the SMF via first policy information. The first policy information is then sent to the first device via the AMF. The application server pairing information includes the IP addresses of the first and second devices forming a C2 pair.

[0199] In one possible manner, the third-party network element directly sends the pairing information of the application server and / or the indication information of creating a redundant connection to the first device, and accordingly, the first device receives the pairing information and / or the indication information of creating a redundant connection from the application server of the third network element. Exemplarily, in the above-mentioned UUAA-MM / UUAA-SM / other processes that require third-party network element authentication of the first device and / or the second device, the third-party network element can add pairing information and / or indication information of the redundant connection during the authentication process to trigger the first device to create a redundant connection. The pairing information of the application server and / or the indication information of creating a redundant connection can also be used to trigger the first device to establish a redundant / dual-path connection. It should be understood that when the first device receives the pairing information and / or the indication information of creating a redundant connection from the application server, it triggers the establishment of a redundant / dual-path connection.

[0200] S510: A core network element sends first policy information to a first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first policy information from the core network element.

[0201] Specifically, the policy control function network element sends the first policy information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first policy information from the policy control function network element.

[0202] The first policy information is used to indicate a PC5 policy and / or a URSP policy, which is used to trigger the first device to establish a redundant / dual-path connection. It should be understood that upon receiving the first policy information, the first device triggers the establishment of a redundant / dual-path connection. The redundant / dual-path connection comprises a first communication connection and a second communication connection. In other words, the first communication connection and the second communication connection can simultaneously perform C2 communication. Optionally, the PC5 policy and / or URSP policy of the first device is generated based on pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information sent by the USS / UTM.

[0203] It should be noted that the redundant connection established in this application can also be referred to as a dual-path connection, that is, two communication connections are established between two devices. The redundant / dual-path connection allows data packets to be transmitted over the two communication connections, ensuring that data transmission and communication can continue even if one connection fails or encounters a problem. This application does not limit the names of the two connections for redundant communication between two devices. They can be called redundant connections, dual-path connections, or other names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning.

[0204] In one possible embodiment, the first communication connection and the second communication connection are alternative connections to each other, that is, when the first communication connection is unavailable, the second communication connection can be used for communication; or when the second communication connection is unavailable, the first communication connection can be used for communication. Both the first communication connection and the second communication connection can be used for C2 communication.

[0205] Optionally, the PC5 policy and / or the URSP policy is locally configured on the first device.

[0206] As an example, the first communication connection is a ProSe communication connection or a sidelink communication connection, and the second communication connection is an air interface wireless communication connection.

[0207] As an example, the pairing information of the application server is C2 pairing information (C2 PAIR info), which indicates the identification information of the UAV-C performing C2 communication. Optionally, the C2 pairing information may include identification information of at least one or more UAV-Cs, such as the IP address and / or Layer-2 ID of the UAV-C. The PCF generates a PC5 policy and / or a URSP policy based on the C2 PAIR info and / or the instruction information for establishing a redundant connection. The application server is a UTM / USS.

[0208] As an example, in one embodiment, the first policy information is a PC5 policy. The PC5 policy can define the service type requiring a redundant connection. For example, the input is an A2X service type (e.g., a C2 communication service type). Optionally, A2X application requirements can also be input. The output is PC5 QoS parameters and a redundant connection indication / configuration. This indicates that if the UAV wishes to initiate a C2 communication service, a redundant connection indication / configuration will be generated, indicating that a redundant connection needs to be established. In other words, the PC5 policy is used to indicate the establishment of a redundant connection for C2 communication between the first and second devices.

[0209] As an example, the first policy information is a URSP policy. In the URSP policy, the service type requiring a redundant connection can be defined, such as using an application description to define the corresponding service, as well as a redundant connection indication / configuration. Furthermore, the communication connection type can be defined, such as communication via a PC5 connection and / or a Uu connection. This means that if the UAV wishes to initiate a C2 connection service, a redundant connection indication / configuration will be generated, indicating that a redundant connection needs to be established. In other words, the URSP policy is used to instruct the establishment of a redundant connection for C2 communication between the first device and the second device.

[0210] As an example, when the core network element includes PCF, SMF, and AMF, the UTM / USS optionally sends the application server pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information to the PCF through the UAS NF / NEF. The application server pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information are used by the 5GS to initiate the establishment of a UAV redundant connection. The PCF generates a PC5 policy based on the application server pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information, and sends the first policy information to the AMF. The first policy information is used to indicate the establishment of a redundant connection, and the first policy information includes the PC5 policy. The AMF sends the PC5 policy to the first device.

[0211] As an example, when the core network element includes PCF, SMF, and AMF, optionally, the UTM / USS sends the pairing information of the application server and / or the indication information for creating a redundant connection to the PCF through the UAS NF / NEF. The pairing information of the application server and / or the indication information for creating a redundant connection is used by the 5GS to initiate the establishment of a redundant connection. The PCF generates a URSP policy based on the pairing information of the application server and / or the indication information for creating a redundant connection, and sends the first policy information to the AMF. The first policy information is used to indicate the establishment of a redundant connection, and the first policy information includes the URSP policy. The AMF sends the URSP policy to the first device.

[0212] Optionally, before sending the first policy information, the first device and / or the second device completes authentication and authorization.

[0213] S520: The first device sends first information to the second device based on the PC5 policy and / or the URSP policy. Correspondingly, the second device receives the first information from the first device.

[0214] The first information is used to request the establishment of a first communication connection. The first communication connection is a connection for direct communication between the first device and the second device, without requiring a wireless network. The first communication connection is used for direct C2 communication. The first information includes one or more of the following: an identifier of the first device, a first identifier, redundant connection indication information, and a second identifier. The first identifier is used to identify the second device; the redundant connection indication information is used to indicate that the established first communication connection is a redundant connection; and the second identifier is used to identify the communication group to which the second device belongs.

[0215] As an example, the first information is ProSe direct link establishment req. The first information includes one or more of the following information: UAV application layer ID (UAV application layer ID), UAV layer-2 identity (UAV layer-2 ID), UAV-C layer-2 ID, and redundant connection indication information. That is, the identifier of the first device can be UAV application layer ID and / or UAV layer-2 ID, and the first identifier is UAV-C layer-2 ID.

[0216] As an example, the first information is PC5 discovery information #1. PC5 discovery information #1 includes the identifier (group ID) of the UAV group to which the UAV belongs, such as the application layer group ID (UAV application layer group ID) or the layer-2 group ID (layer-2 group ID). In other words, the first identifier can be the application layer group ID and / or the layer-2 group ID.

[0217] As an example, the first device is a UAV, and the second device is a UAV-C. The first information requests establishment of a first communication connection between the UAV and the UAV-C.

[0218] As an example, the first device is a UAV-C, and the second device is a UAV group to which the UAV belongs. It should be understood that the UAV group includes multiple UAVs, and the multiple UAVs are controlled by the UAV-C. The first information requests establishment of a first communication connection between the UAV group and the UAV-C.

[0219] S530: The second device sends first response information to the first device based on the first information. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first response information from the second device.

[0220] The first response information is used to indicate acceptance of a request to establish a first communication connection between the first device and the second device.

[0221] As an example, the first response information is response information #1 of PC5 discovery information #1.

[0222] S540: The first device and / or the second device allocates an identifier for the first communication connection.

[0223] In one embodiment, after receiving the first response information, i.e., after the first communication connection is established, the first device assigns a first communication connection identifier to the first communication connection. Optionally, a redundant connection pair identifier (dual connection pair ID) is assigned to the first communication connection. The redundant connection pair identifier is an identical identifier for two connections established as redundant connections. The redundant connection pair identifier is used to indicate that the first communication connection is a redundant connection.

[0224] In one embodiment, after receiving the first information, the second device allocates an identifier of the first communication connection to the first communication connection.

[0225] S550: The first device sends second information to the core network element. In response, the core network element receives the second information from the first device. The second information is used to request the core network element to establish a second communication connection. The second communication connection is a connection for communication between the first device and the second device via a wireless network. The second communication connection is used for network-assisted C2 communication.

[0226] In one embodiment, the second information includes a third identifier, and the third identifier is used to identify the second communication connection. It is understood that the identifier of the second communication connection established between the first device and the second device is the third identifier included in the second request information.

[0227] As an example, the second communication connection is an air interface wireless communication connection. The second information is a PDU Session Establishment Request, which is used to request the establishment of a PDU session. The second information carries a PDU session ID and a DNN / S-NSSAI for the A2X service. When the core network element is an AMF, the AMF sends a request / response message for creating a PDU session to the SMF based on the received second information. The request / response message for creating a PDU session is used to request the establishment of a PDU session and to feedback the PDU session establishment result. The PDU session ID is an example of a third identifier. It should be understood that the present application is intended to conduct C2 communication between the first device and the second device by establishing a PDU session, so the established air interface wireless communication connection can be understood as a connection for C2 communication between the first device and the second device achieved by establishing a PDU session.

[0228] S560. The core network element sends second response information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the second response information from the core network element.

[0229] The second response information is used to indicate acceptance of the request to establish a second communication connection between the first device and the second device.

[0230] S570: The first device and / or the second device allocates an identifier for the second communication connection.

[0231] In one embodiment, after the first device receives the second response information, i.e., the second communication connection is established, the first device and / or the second device assigns a second communication connection identifier to the second communication connection. Optionally, a redundant connection pair identifier (dual connection pair ID) is assigned to the second communication connection. The redundant connection pair identifier is an identical identifier for the first communication connection and the second communication connection. The redundant connection pair identifier is used to indicate that the second communication connection is a redundant connection.

[0232] In one embodiment, the first device and / or the second device determines a fourth identifier of the second device and a fifth identifier of the second device, where the fourth identifier is an identifier of the second device corresponding to the first communication connection and the fifth identifier is an identifier of the second device corresponding to the second communication connection.

[0233] In one embodiment, the first device and / or the second device determines an association relationship between the fourth identifier of the second device and the fifth identifier of the second device, where the association relationship indicates that the first communication connection corresponding to the fourth identifier and the second communication connection corresponding to the fifth identifier are redundant connections.

[0234] In one embodiment, the fourth identifier is a layer 2 identifier or a ProSe device identifier of the second device; and the fifth identifier is an IP address of the second device. For example, the layer 2 identifier may be a layer-2 ID, and the ProSe device identifier may be an application layer ID.

[0235] Optionally, the first device determines an association between the layer-2 ID / application layer ID of the second device and the IP address of the second device, where the layer-2 ID of the second device corresponds to the first communication connection, and the IP address of the second device corresponds to the second communication connection. That is, the association indicates the destination addresses of the first communication connection and the second communication connection. The layer-2 ID of the second device is an example of the fourth identifier, and the IP address of the second device is an example of the fifth identifier.

[0236] Optionally, the second device determines the association between the layer-2 ID / application layer ID of the first device and the IP address of the first device, the layer-2 ID of the first device corresponds to the first communication connection, and the IP address of the first device corresponds to the second communication connection, that is, the association indicates the destination address of the first communication connection and the second communication connection.

[0237] As an example, the first communication connection is a ProSe connection, and the identifier of the first communication connection is a PC5 link identifier (PC5 link identifier). Optionally, a redundant connection pair identifier is allocated to the PC5 link identifier.

[0238] As an example, the second communication connection is a PDU session, and the identifier of the second communication connection is a PDU session identifier (PDU session ID). Optionally, a redundant connection pair identifier is allocated to the PDU session ID.

[0239] As an example, the ID of the first device is the UAV layer-2 ID / UAV application layer ID, the IP address of the first device is the IP address of the UAV, and the association between the ID of the first device and the IP address of the first device is the association between the UAV layer-2 ID / UAV application layer ID and the IP address of the UAV.

[0240] As an example, the ID of the first device is UAV-C layer-2 ID / UAV-C application layer ID, the IP address of the first device is the IP address of UAV-C, and the association between the ID of the first device and the IP address of the first device is the association between UAV-C layer-2 ID / UAV-C application layer ID and the IP address of UAV-C.

[0241] As an example, the ID of the second device is UAV-C layer-2 ID / UAV-C application layer ID, the IP address of the second device is the IP address of UAV-C, and the association between the ID of the second device and the IP address of the second device is the association between UAV-C layer-2 ID / UAV-C application layer ID and the IP address of UAV-C.

[0242] As an example, the ID of the second device is a UAV group ID (group ID), and the IP address of the second device is the IP address of a UAV in the UAV group. The association between the ID of the second device and the IP address of the second device is the same as the association between the UAV group ID and the IP address of the UAV in the UAV group. It is understood that if the second device is a UAV belonging to the same group ID, then the IP address of at least one UAV in the group corresponds to the same group ID.

[0243] It can be understood that the first device allocates redundant connection pair identifiers to both the first communication connection and the second communication connection, that is, the redundant connection pair identifier indicates that the first communication connection and the second communication connection are redundant / dual-path connections.

[0244] In one embodiment, the first device or the second device stores a correspondence between an identifier of a first communication connection and an identifier of a second communication connection; when one of the first communication connection or the second communication connection fails, the other of the first communication connection or the second communication connection is determined as an alternative connection based on the correspondence.

[0245] Figure 12 is a schematic flow chart of the communication method 700 provided in this application. As shown in Figure 12, the first device is a UAV, the second device is a UAV-C, and the core network elements include AMF, SMF, and PCF as an example for explanation. It should be understood that the relevant description in the embodiment shown in Figure 11 above is also applicable to this implementation. The same or similar technical means may exist between Figure 11 and Figure 12. The content described in the embodiments shown in Figure 12 and Figure 11 will not be repeated.

[0246] The method 700 includes steps S705 to S775 , which are described in detail below.

[0247] S705: UAV and UAV-C complete authentication and authorization.

[0248] The authentication and certification steps of the UAV and UAV-C may be specifically referred to in the above methods 100 to 300, and the re-authentication process of the UAV and UAV-C may be referred to in the above method 400. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0249] S710. Optionally, the third-party network element sends pairing information of the application server and / or instruction information for creating a redundant connection to the PCF. Correspondingly, the PCF receives pairing information of the application server and / or instruction information for creating a redundant connection from the third-party network element.

[0250] Specifically, the third-party network element sends the application server's pairing information and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection to the PCF through the UAS NF / NEF. Correspondingly, the PCF receives the pairing information and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection of the third-party network element's application server forwarded by the UAS NF / NEF. The application server's pairing information and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection are used to initiate a request to the 5GS to establish a UAV redundant connection. The application server's pairing information may be C2 pairing information (C2 PAIR info). C2 PAIR info includes the IP address of at least one UAV / UAV-C. The application server's pairing information and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection may be sent via Nnef_Uetriggel_Create req.

[0251] Optionally, the third-party network element sends the application server's pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information to the UAV. Accordingly, the PCF receives the application server's pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information from the third-party network element. The application server's pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information is used to trigger the UAV to establish a redundant connection.

[0252] It should be noted that the third-party network element in this application can be a UTM or a USS, without limitation.

[0253] S715. The PCF sends the PC5 policy to the AMF. Correspondingly, the AMF receives the PC5 policy from the PCF.

[0254] Specifically, the PCF generates a PC5 policy based on the received pairing information of the application server and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection, and sends the PC5 policy to the AMF. The PC5 policy is used to indicate the establishment of a redundant connection, or in other words, the PC5 policy can be used to trigger the UAV to establish a redundant connection. The PCF sends the PC5 policy to the AMF through the Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Creat message, that is, the Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Creat message includes the PC5 policy. The PC5 policy is used to indicate the establishment of a redundant connection for C2 communication between the UAV and the UAV-C.

[0255] S720: The AMF sends the PC5 policy to the UAV. Correspondingly, the UAV receives the PC5 policy from the AMF.

[0256] Specifically, the AMF sends the PC5 policy to the UAV through the N2 PC5 policy container to trigger the UAV to establish a redundant connection.

[0257] It should be noted that the PC5 policy can be sent directly to the UAV or forwarded to the UAV via the RAN, and this application does not limit this.

[0258] S725, UAV configures PC5 policy.

[0259] Specifically, the UAV triggers the establishment of a redundant connection based on the PC5 policy issued by the core network and / or locally configured. The core network side can issue the PC5 policy by sending it to the AMF through the PCF, and then the AMF sends it to the UAV.

[0260] Optionally, the UAV may send the generated redundant connection indication to the UAV-C. Accordingly, the UAV-C receives the redundant connection indication from the UAV to trigger establishment of the redundant connection.

[0261] Optionally, S730 and UAV-C configure PC5 policy.

[0262] The UAV-C can store the ProSe communication connection and the air interface wireless communication connection as redundant connections through the redundant connection indication from the UAV or the PC5 policy issued by the core network, wherein the ProSe communication connection is the connection for direct C2 communication through the PC5 interface, and the air interface wireless communication connection is the connection for C2 communication through the PDU session.

[0263] Optionally, the UAV-C may also store the ProSe communication connection and the air interface wireless communication connection as redundant connections according to the locally configured PC5 policy.

[0264] S735 : The UAV sends the first information to the UAV-C. Accordingly, the UAV-C receives the first information from the UAV.

[0265] Specifically, the first information is sent to the UAV-C corresponding to the UAV-C layer-2 identity (UAV-C layer-2 ID).

[0266] The first information is used to request establishment of a ProSe communication connection between the UAV and the UAV-C. The first information carries any one or more of a UAV application layer ID, a UAV layer-2 ID, a UAV-C layer-2 identity (UAV-C layer-2 ID), and redundant connection indication information. The first information may be ProSe direct link establishment req information. The redundant connection indication information is used to indicate that the ProSe communication connection established by the UAV-C is a redundant connection.

[0267] S740. UAV-C allocates an identifier for the connection to PC5.

[0268] Specifically, after receiving the first information, the UAV-C allocates a PC5 link identifier (PC5 link identifier) ​​to the ProSe communication connection requested to be established by the first information, and optionally stores the UAV layer-2 ID and UAV-C layer-2 ID carried in the first information.

[0269] S745 : The UAV sends a first response message to the UAV-C. Correspondingly, the UAV-C receives the first response message from the UAV.

[0270] Specifically, after receiving the first information from the UAV, the UAV-C sends a first response message to the UAV corresponding to the UAV layer-2 ID. The first response message is used to feedback the acceptance of establishing a ProSe communication connection between the UAC and the UAV-C. The first response message can be ProSe direct link establishment accept.

[0271] S750. The UAV allocates an identifier for the connection to PC5.

[0272] Specifically, after receiving the first response information, that is, after the ProSe communication connection is completed, the UAV allocates a PC5 connection identifier for the ProSe communication connection.

[0273] Optionally, the UAV allocates a redundant connection pair ID (dual connection pair ID) for the PC5 connection.

[0274] By assigning a redundant connection pair ID to the ProSe communication connection, not only is the ProSe communication connection marked as redundant, so that two connections with the same redundant connection pair ID can subsequently be used for redundant information transmission, but also, if one redundant connection becomes unavailable, communication can continue using the other connection identified by the redundant connection pair ID, thereby ensuring communication reliability and stability.

[0275] Optionally, the UAV stores an association between the layer-2 ID / application layer ID of the UAV-C and the IP address, where the association indicates a destination address of the redundantly connected ProSe communication connection and the PDU session.

[0276] Optionally, the UAV-C stores an association between the UAV's layer-2 ID / application layer ID and the IP address, where the association indicates a destination address for the redundantly connected ProSe communication connection and the PDU session.

[0277] Optionally, at S755 , data is transmitted through the established ProSe communication connection. The ProSe communication connection corresponds to a redundant connection pair ID.

[0278] S760. The UAV sends the second information to the AMF. Accordingly, the AMF receives the second information from the UAV.

[0279] The second message is used to request the establishment of a C2 communication connection for the PDU session. The second message includes the PDU session ID assigned by the UAV and the DNN / S-NSSAI for the A2X service. The PDU session ID is used to identify the C2 communication connection for the PDU session, which is an example of an air interface wireless communication connection.

[0280] It should be noted that the second information can be sent directly to the AMF or forwarded to the AMF through the RAN, which is not limited in this application.

[0281] S765. AMF sends and / or receives request / response information of SMF to create a PDU session.

[0282] The request / response information for creating a PDU session is used to request the establishment of a PDU session / feedback the result of the PDU session establishment. The result of the PDU session establishment includes whether the PDU session establishment is completed / not completed. The request / response information for creating a PDU session includes the request information for establishing a PDU session and the response information for establishing a PDU session. It should be understood that the request information for the PDU session and the response information for establishing a PDU session can be sent through one message or two messages, and this application does not limit this.

[0283] The request information for establishing the PDU session may be Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Req, and the response information for completing the establishment of the PDU session may be Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Resp.

[0284] S770. Optionally, the AMF sends a second response message to the UAV. Accordingly, the UAV receives the second response message from the AMF.

[0285] Specifically, after receiving the second information sent by the UAV, the AMF initiates the PDU session establishment process. After the PDU session is established, the AMF sends a second response message to the UAV. The second response message is used to feedback that the PDU session establishment is completed.

[0286] It should be noted that the second response information can be sent directly to the UAV or forwarded to the UAV via the RAN, and this application does not limit this.

[0287] S775. The UAV allocates a redundant connection pair ID, which is the same as the ProSe communication connection, to the PDU session ID.

[0288] Specifically, the PDU session is established according to steps S760 to S770. After the PDU session is established, the UAV optionally stores the PC5 connection identifier and the PDU session ID for the redundant connection. The UAV application layer perceives the redundant PC5 connection and PDU session and constructs data packets on the corresponding connection for redundant transmission.

[0289] Optionally, a redundant connection pair ID (dual connection pair ID) that is the same as the PC5 communication connection is reallocated to the PDU session.

[0290] By assigning a redundant connection pair ID to the PDU session, not only is the PDU session marked as a redundant connection, allowing subsequent redundant information transmission using two connections with the same redundant connection pair ID, but also if one redundant connection becomes unavailable, communication can continue using the other connection identified by the redundant connection pair ID, thus ensuring communication reliability and stability.

[0291] Optionally, the UAV-C determines an association between the layer-2 ID / application layer ID of the UAV and the IP address, where the association indicates a destination address of the ProSe communication connection and the PDU session for the redundant connection.

[0292] Optionally, the UAV determines an association between the layer-2 ID / application layer ID of the UAV-C and the IP address, where the association indicates a destination address of the ProSe communication connection and the PDU session for the redundant connection.

[0293] The layer-2 ID corresponds to the ProSe communication connection, and the IP address corresponds to the PDU session. It is understood that when the UAV and / or UAV-C determine the layer-2 ID and IP address of the peer, that is, when the corresponding ProSe communication connection and the C2 communication connection of the PDU session are determined to be redundant connections, redundant transmission can be performed.

[0294] Optionally, the UAV records the correspondence between the identifier of the PC5 connection and the PDU session ID.

[0295] Optionally, the UAV-C records the correspondence between the identifier of the PC5 connection and the PDU session ID.

[0296] Through the correspondence between the identifier of the PC5 connection and the PDU session ID, when another connection that is a subsequent redundant connection is unavailable, for example, when the Uu connection is unavailable, another connection between the UAV and the UAV-C, such as the PC5 connection, can be found based on the correspondence to continue communication, thereby ensuring the reliability and stability of communication.

[0297] Through steps S735 to S775, a direct C2 communication link (also known as the aforementioned ProSe communication connection, or a communication connection established via the PC5 interface, or a PC5 connection) can be established between the UAV and the UAV-C. Furthermore, an air interface wireless communication connection (also known as a connection for C2 communication via a wireless network, or a connection for C2 communication via a PDU session established via the Uu interface, or a Uu connection) can be established between the UAV and the UAV-C. Furthermore, by assigning the same redundant connection pair ID to the ProSe communication connection and the air interface wireless communication connection, or by the UAV and the UAV-C storing the association between the layer-2 ID / application layer ID and the IP address of the peer end, the UAV and the UAV-C can not only determine that the ProSe communication connection and the air interface wireless communication connection are redundant connections, enabling redundant transmission, but also ensure that if one connection between the UAV and the UAV-C subsequently becomes unavailable, the redundant connection pair ID can be used to determine another connection for continued communication, thereby ensuring communication stability.

[0298] It should be understood that the ProSe communication connection established in this application is a connection via the PC5 interface, that is, the two ends of the ProSe communication connection communicate directly, and the ProSe communication connection may also be referred to as a PC5 connection, etc., while the air interface wireless communication connection is a connection via the Uu interface, that is, the two ends of the air interface wireless communication connection communicate through a wireless network, and the air interface wireless communication connection may also be referred to as a Uu connection, a C2 communication connection of a PDU session, etc. The names of the ProSe communication connection and the air interface wireless communication connection in this application are only used as examples. In future communication networks, these two connections may also adopt other names. As long as the names of the connections have the same or similar functions as the ProSe communication connection and the air interface wireless communication connection introduced in this application and achieve the same or similar technical purposes, they should fall within the technical scope covered by this application. For example, in future communication system networks, some or all of the names of the ProSe communication connection and the air interface wireless communication connection may continue to use the names in 4G / 5G, or new names may be adopted.

[0299] Figure 13 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method 800 provided by this application. As shown in Figure 13, the first device is a UAV, the second device is a UAV-C, and the core network elements include AMF, SMF, and PCF. It should be understood that the relevant descriptions in the embodiments shown in Figures 11 and 12 above are also applicable to this implementation. The same or similar technical means may exist between Figures 11, 12 and 13. The contents described in the embodiments shown in Figures 13 and 11 and 12 will not be repeated.

[0300] The method 800 includes steps S805 to S865 , which are described in detail below.

[0301] S805: UAV and UAV-C complete authentication and authorization.

[0302] The authentication and certification steps of the UAV and UAV-C may be specifically referred to in the above methods 100 to 300, and the re-authentication process of the UAV and UAV-C may be referred to in the above method 400. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0303] S810. Optionally, the third-party network element sends pairing information of the application server and / or instruction information for creating a redundant connection to the PCF. Correspondingly, the PCF receives pairing information of the application server and / or instruction information for creating a redundant connection from the third-party network element.

[0304] Optionally, the third-party network element may also directly send the application server's pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information to the UAV. Accordingly, the UAV may receive the pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information from the third-party network element's application server. The application server's pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information is used to trigger the UAV to establish a redundant connection.

[0305] For details of the pairing information of the application server and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection, please refer to step S710, which will not be described here for the sake of brevity.

[0306] S815. The PCF sends the URSP policy to the AMF. Correspondingly, the AMF receives the URSP policy from the PCF.

[0307] Specifically, the PCF generates a URSP policy based on the received pairing information of the application server and / or the indication information for creating a redundant connection, and sends the URSP policy to the AMF. The URSP policy is used to indicate the establishment of a redundant connection, or in other words, the URSP policy can be used to trigger the UAV to establish a redundant connection. The PCF sends the URSP policy to the AMF through the Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Creat information, that is, the Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Creat information includes the URSP policy. The URSP policy is used to indicate the establishment of a redundant connection for C2 communication between the UAV and the UAV-C.

[0308] S820: The AMF sends the URSP policy to the UAV. Correspondingly, the UAV receives the URSP policy from the AMF.

[0309] Specifically, the AMF may send the URSP to the UAV through the URSP policy container to trigger the UAV to establish a redundant connection.

[0310] It should be noted that the URSP policy can be sent directly to the UAV or forwarded to the UAV via the RAN, which is not limited in this application.

[0311] S825. The UAV configures the URSP policy.

[0312] Specifically, the UAV triggers the establishment of a redundant connection based on the URSP policy issued by the core network. The URSP policy issued by the core network can be sent by the PCF to the AMF, and then the AMF sends the URSP policy to the UAV.

[0313] Optionally, the UAV may also trigger the establishment of a redundant connection based on a locally configured URSP.

[0314] Optionally, the UAV may send the generated redundant connection indication to the UAV-C. Accordingly, the UAV-C receives the redundant connection indication from the UAV to trigger establishment of the redundant connection.

[0315] Optionally, S825 , the UAV-C configures a URSP policy.

[0316] UAV-C can record the ProSe communication connection and air interface wireless communication connection as redundant connections through redundant connection indication from UAV or through the URSP policy issued by the core network. This application intends to establish an air interface wireless communication connection for network-assisted C2 communication by establishing a PDU session.

[0317] Optionally, the UAV-C may also record the ProSe communication connections and PDU sessions as redundant connections according to the locally configured URSP policy.

[0318] S830. The UAV sends the second information to the AMF. Correspondingly, the AMF receives the second information from the UAV.

[0319] The second message is used to request the establishment of a C2 communication connection for the PDU session. The second message includes the PDU session ID assigned by the UAV and the DNN / S-NSSAI for the A2X service. The PDU session ID is used to mark the established PDU session, or in other words, to mark the PDU session, i.e., the air interface wireless communication connection.

[0320] S835. AMF sends and / or receives request / response information of SMF to create a PDU session.

[0321] For details, please refer to S765 in method 700. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0322] S840. AMF sends a second response message to the UAV. Correspondingly, the UAV receives the second response message from the AMF.

[0323] Specifically, after receiving the second message sent by the UAV, the AMF initiates the PDU session establishment process. When the PDU session establishment is completed, the AMF sends a second response message to the UAV, which is used to feedback that the PDU session establishment is completed. The UAV marks the PDU session as a redundant connection.

[0324] S845. Allocate a redundant connection pair ID for the PDU session ID.

[0325] Specifically, a redundant connection pair ID is allocated to the C2 communication connection of the PDU session according to the ID of the PDU session, and the PDU session ID and the redundant connection pair ID are stored.

[0326] S850: The UAV sends first information to the UAV-C. Correspondingly, the UAV-C receives the first information from the UAV.

[0327] For details, please refer to S735 in method 700. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0328] S855: The UAV sends a first response message to the UAV-C. Correspondingly, the UAV-C receives the first response message from the UAV.

[0329] For details, please refer to S745 in method 700. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0330] S860: Allocate PC5 connection identifier and store UAV-C and UAV layer-2D IDs

[0331] After receiving the first response information, or after the ProSe communication connection is completed, the UAV assigns the PC5 link identifier (PC5 link identifier) ​​to the established ProSe communication connection, and the UAV marks the ProSe communication connection as a redundant connection.

[0332] Optionally, the UAV and UAV-C store an association between the layer-2 ID / application layer ID and the IP address of the other end, where the association indicates a destination address of the redundantly connected ProSe communication connection and the PDU session.

[0333] S865 . Allocate a redundant connection pair ID for the ProSe communication connection, and store the PDU session and ProSe communication connection for the redundant connection.

[0334] Specifically, according to the PC5 connection identifier, the same redundant connection pair ID as the PDU session is reallocated to the ProSe communication connection.

[0335] By assigning the same redundant connection pair ID to the PC5 connection and the PDU session, the ProSe communication connection and the C2 communication connection of the PDU session can be determined to be redundant connections, enabling redundant transmission. In addition, if one of the ProSe communication connection and the C2 communication connection of the PDU session is unavailable, communication can be continued using the other connection based on the redundant connection pair ID, thereby ensuring communication stability.

[0336] Specifically, the PDU session ID and PC5 connection identifier of the redundant connection are stored. The UAV application layer perceives the ProSe communication connection and PDU session of the redundant connection, and constructs data packets on the corresponding connection for redundant transmission.

[0337] Figure 14 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method 900 provided by the present application. As shown in Figure 14, the first device is UAV-C, the second device is a UAV group (for example, UAV#1 and UAV#2), and the core network elements include AMF, SMF, and PCF. It should be understood that the relevant descriptions in the embodiments shown in Figures 11, 12, and 13 above are also applicable to this implementation. The same or similar technical means may exist between Figures 11, 12, 13 and 14. The contents described in the embodiments shown in Figures 14 and 11 and 12 will not be repeated.

[0338] Method 900 involves two UAVs, such as UAV#1 and UAV#2 shown in the figure. UAV#1 and UAV#2 are examples of two UAVs in a UAV group, illustrating the concept of a UAV group. It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of UAVs in a UAV group. UAVs belonging to the same UAV group have the same group ID, for example, UAV#1 and UAV#2 have the same group ID. In methods 700 and 800, a UAV and its corresponding UAV-C are referred to as a C2 pair. Unlike methods 700 and 800, in method 900, a UAV-C corresponds to multiple UAVs, and these multiple UAVs belong to a UAV group. Therefore, the UAV-C and the UAV group constitute a C2 pair. Therefore, method 900 involves a C2 group communication scenario, that is, a scenario in which a UAV-C communicates with its corresponding UAV group. For ease of description, UAV#1 and UAV#2 are used below to represent a UAV group.

[0339] The method 900 includes steps S905 to S955 , which are described in detail below.

[0340] S905: The UAV and / or UAV-C completes authentication and certification.

[0341] The authentication and certification steps of the UAV and UAV-C may be specifically referred to in the above methods 100 to 300, and the re-authentication process of the UAV and UAV-C may be referred to in the above method 400. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0342] It should be understood that the UAV mentioned here is the concept of a UAV group, such as UAV#1 and UAV#2 shown in the figure, and UAV-C corresponds to UAV#1 and UAV#2, or in other words, UAV-C controls UAV#1 and UAV#2 at the same time.

[0343] Optionally, the third-party network element sends the application server's pairing information and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection to the PCF. Accordingly, the PCF receives the application server's pairing information and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection from the third-party network element. For details, see S710 in method 700.

[0344] Optionally, the third-party network element may also directly send the application server's pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information to the UAV-C. Accordingly, the UAV-C may receive the pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information from the third-party network element's application server. For example, during the aforementioned UUAA-MM / UUAA-SM / other processes requiring USS authentication, the USS may add pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information during this process. This pairing information and / or redundant connection creation instruction information is used to trigger the UAV-C to establish a redundant connection.

[0345] S910. The PCF sends the PC5 policy to the AMF. Correspondingly, the AMF receives the PC5 policy from the PCF.

[0346] Specifically, the PCF generates a PC5 policy based on the received pairing information of the application server and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection, and sends the PC5 policy to the AMF. The PC5 policy is used to indicate the establishment of a redundant connection, or in other words, the PC5 policy can be used to trigger the UAV to establish a redundant connection. The PCF sends the PC5 policy to the AMF through the Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Creat message, that is, the Npcf_UEPolicyControl_Creat message includes the PC5 policy. The PC5 policy is used to indicate the establishment of a redundant connection for C2 communication between the UAV and the UAV-C.

[0347] S915. The AMF sends the PC5 policy to the UAV-C. Accordingly, the UAV-C receives the PC5 policy from the AMF.

[0348] Specifically, AMF sends the PC5 policy to UAV-C through the N2 PC5 policy container to trigger the UAV to establish a redundant connection.

[0349] It should be noted that the PC5 policy can be sent directly to the UAV-C or forwarded to the UAV-C via the RAN, and this application does not limit this.

[0350] Configure the PC5 policy on the S920 and UAV-C.

[0351] Specifically, the UAV-C triggers the establishment of a redundant connection based on the PC5 policy issued by the core network. The PC5 policy issued by the core network can be sent by the PCF to the AMF, and then the AMF sends the PC5 policy to the UAV-C.

[0352] Optionally, the UAV-C can also trigger the establishment of a redundant connection based on the locally configured PC5 policy.

[0353] In a PC5 policy, you can define the types of services that require redundant connections. For example, the input is an A2X service type (e.g., C2 communication). Optionally, you can also enter A2X application requirements. The output is PC5 QoS parameters and a dual connection indication / configuration. This means that if a UAV wants to initiate a C2 connection service, a redundant connection indication / configuration will be generated, indicating that a redundant connection needs to be established.

[0354] Optionally, the UAV-C may send the generated redundant connection indication to the UAV, and accordingly, the UAV-C receives the redundant connection indication from the UAV to trigger establishment of the redundant connection.

[0355] Optionally, the UAV-C locally configures the PC5 policy.

[0356] The UAV-C may store the PDU sessions and ProSe communication connections for redundant connections through redundant connection indication information from the UAV or through the PC5 policy issued by the core network.

[0357] Optionally, the UAV-C may also store PDU sessions and ProSe communication connections for redundant connections according to the locally configured PC5 policy.

[0358] S925 , UAV-C sends PC5 discovery information # 1 to UAV# 1 and UAV# 2 , and accordingly, UAV# 1 and UAV# 2 receive PC5 discovery information # 1 from UAV-C.

[0359] Specifically, the UAV-C sends PC5 discovery message #1, which is used to discover members using the same application layer group ID (application layer group ID), such as UAV#1 and UAV#2 shown in the figure. This discovery message #1 is also used to request the establishment of a ProSe communication connection with the discovered UAV with the same group ID. This PC5 discovery message #1 can be called a ProSe PC5 discovery message. This PC5 discovery message #1 includes the application layer group ID (application layer group ID) or the layer-2 group ID (layer-2 group ID).

[0360] S930 , UAV# 1 and UAV# 2 send response information # 1 of PC5 discovery information # 1 to UAV-C. Accordingly, UAV-C receives response information # 1 of the discovery information from UAV# 1 and UAV# 2.

[0361] Specifically, after discovery is complete, UAV#1 and UAV#2 record the ProSe connection established between UAV-C and the group ID of UAV#1 and UAV#2 as a redundant connection and send a discovery response message #1 to UAV-C. This discovery response message #1 is used to provide feedback that the discovery of UAVs with the same group ID has been completed. This discovery response message #1 also provides feedback that the ProSe communication connection between UAV-C and the group of UAVs with the same group ID has been established.

[0362] S935. Reassign a redundant connection pair ID for the connection between the UAV and the PC5 of the UAV group.

[0363] Specifically, when UAV-C receives the response information #1 of the discovery information, and the response information #1 of the discovery information feedbacks that the ProSe communication connection has been established between the UAV group and UAV-C, a redundant connection pair ID is allocated to the ProSe communication connection, and the group ID of the UAV group is optionally stored.

[0364] S940. UAV-C sends the second information to AMF. Correspondingly, AMF receives the second information from UAV-C.

[0365] For a detailed description of the second information, please refer to S760 in method 700 , which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0366] S945. AMF sends and / or receives request / response information of SMF to create a PDU session.

[0367] For details, please refer to S765 in method 700. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0368] S950. AMF sends a second response message to UAV-C. Correspondingly, UAV-C receives the second response message from AMF.

[0369] For a detailed description of the second response information, please refer to S770 in method 700 , which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0370] S955 . Allocate a redundant connection pair ID that is the same as the ProSe communication connection for the PDU session ID, and store the PDU session ID and the PC5 connection identifier.

[0371] Specifically, the PDU session is established according to steps S940 to S950. After the PDU session is established, the UAV stores the PC5 connection identifier and PDU session ID for the redundant connection. The UAV application layer perceives the redundant ProSe communication connection and PDU session and constructs data packets on the corresponding connection for redundant transmission.

[0372] It should be noted that the storage of an identifier, such as a redundant connection pair ID, described in the embodiments of this application can also be understood as recording the identifier, i.e., recording the redundant connection pair ID, and recording a connection also means recording the identifier of the connection. This application does not limit the order of the steps in the above embodiments. The steps in the above embodiments can be performed sequentially or simultaneously.

[0373] The above describes in detail the communication method provided by the present application. The following describes the communication device provided by the present application.

[0374] In order to realize the various functions of the communication devices in the embodiments of the present application (such as the first network device, the second network device, the access network device, etc.), each communication device can realize the corresponding functions through hardware structure, software module, or hardware structure plus software module.

[0375] Figure 15 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 10 , the device 1000 may include a transceiver unit 1010 and a processing unit 1020. The transceiver unit 1010 can communicate with the outside world, and the processing unit 1020 is used for data processing. The transceiver unit 1010 may also be referred to as a communication interface or a transceiver unit. The processing unit 1020 may be used for processing.

[0376] Optionally, the device 1000 may further include a storage unit, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 1020 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit so that the device implements the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0377] Exemplarily, the communication device 1000 is a first device (e.g., UAV / UAV-C), which can be a first device, or a communication device applied to the first device or used in combination with the first device and capable of implementing the method executed by the first device, such as a chip, a chip system or a circuit. For details, please refer to the relevant description of the chip system shown in Figure 17.

[0378] Exemplarily, the communication device 1000 is a second device (e.g., multiple UAVs in a UAV-C / UAV group), which can be a second device, or a communication device applied to the second device or used in combination with the second device and capable of implementing the method executed by the second device, such as a chip, a chip system or a circuit. For details, please refer to the relevant description of the chip system shown in Figure 17.

[0379] Exemplarily, the communication device 1000 is a core network network element, which can be an AMF, or a communication device applied to a core network network element or used in combination with a core network network element and capable of implementing a method executed by a core network network element, such as a chip, a chip system or a circuit. For details, please refer to the relevant description of the chip system shown in Figure 17.

[0380] In one possible design, the device 1000 can implement steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the first device in the above method embodiment, wherein the processing unit 1020 is used to perform processing-related operations of the first device in the above method embodiment, and the transceiver unit 1010 is used to perform transceiver-related operations of the first device in the above method embodiment.

[0381] Exemplarily, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to receive first policy information from a core network network element; is also used to send first information to a first device; is also used to send second information to a core network network element; the processing unit 1020 is used to assign a first communication connection identifier to a first communication connection; can also be used to assign a second communication connection identifier to a second communication connection; can also be used to assign a redundant connection pair identifier to the first communication connection and the second communication connection.

[0382] In another possible design, the device 1000 can implement steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the second device in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver unit 1010 is used to perform transceiver-related operations of the second device in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 1020 is used to perform processing-related operations of the second device in the above method embodiment.

[0383] Exemplarily, the transceiver unit 1010 is configured to receive first information from a first device; and further configured to send first response information to the first device; and the processing unit 1020 is configured to allocate a redundant connection pair identifier to the first communication connection.

[0384] In another possible design, the device 1000 can implement steps or processes corresponding to those executed by the core network network element in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver unit 1010 is used to perform operations related to transceiver transmission of the core network network element in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 1020 is used to perform operations related to processing of the core network network element in the above method embodiment.

[0385] Exemplarily, the transceiver unit 1010 is used to receive second information from the first device; and is also used to send second response information to the first device; and the processing unit 1020 is used to establish a second communication connection.

[0386] It should be understood that the device 1000 here is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a merging logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 1000 can be specifically the transmitting end in the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the transmitting end in the above-mentioned method embodiment, or the device 1000 can be specifically the receiving end in the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the receiving end in the above-mentioned method embodiment. To avoid repetition, it will not be described here.

[0387] The device 1000 of each of the above-mentioned solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the sending end in the above-mentioned method, or the device 1000 of each of the above-mentioned solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the receiving end in the above-mentioned method. The functions can be implemented by hardware, or the corresponding software can be implemented by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions; for example, the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the sending unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing unit, can be replaced by a processor to respectively perform the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0388] In addition, the above-mentioned transceiver unit can also be a transceiver circuit (for example, it can include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit can be a processing circuit. In an embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned communication device can be the receiving end or the transmitting end in the aforementioned embodiment, or it can be a chip or a chip system, such as a system on chip (SoC). Among them, the transceiver unit can be an input and output circuit or a communication interface. The processing unit is a processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit integrated on the chip. This is not limited here.

[0389] Figure 16 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 16, the device 2000 includes a processor 2010 and a transceiver 2020. The processor 2010 and the transceiver 2020 communicate with each other via an internal connection path. The processor 2010 is configured to execute instructions to control the transceiver 2020 to transmit and / or receive signals.

[0390] Optionally, the apparatus 2000 may further include a memory 2030, which communicates with the processor 2010 and the transceiver 2020 via an internal connection path. The memory 2030 is used to store instructions, and the processor 2010 may execute the instructions stored in the memory 2030.

[0391] In a possible implementation, the apparatus 2000 is used to implement various processes and steps corresponding to the first device in the above method embodiment.

[0392] In another possible implementation, the apparatus 2000 is used to implement the various processes and steps corresponding to the second device in the above method embodiment.

[0393] In another possible implementation, the apparatus 2000 is used to implement the various processes and steps corresponding to the core network elements in the above method embodiment.

[0394] Optionally, the memory 2030 may include a read-only memory and a random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A portion of the memory may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory may also store device type information. The processor 2010 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory. When the processor 2010 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 2010 is configured to perform the various steps and / or processes of the above-described method embodiments corresponding to the transmitting end or the receiving end.

[0395] During implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or by instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in conjunction with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0396] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above-described method embodiments can be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits in the processor or by software instructions. The above-described processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, or the aforementioned CPU, other general-purpose processors, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, or a portion of the circuitry in other chips used for processing functions. The processor in the embodiments of the present application can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be directly implemented and executed by a hardware decoding processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in a storage medium well-known in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in a memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above-described method.

[0397] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0398] In the embodiments of the present application, the above-described method can be performed by the first device, the second device, and the core network element, or can be performed by a chip, chip system, or circuit, which can be installed in the first device, the second device, and the core network element. The chip system of , and is described below with reference to FIG17 .

[0399] FIG17 is a schematic block diagram of a chip system 3000 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG17 , the chip system 3000 (or also referred to as a processing system) includes a logic circuit 3010 and an input / output interface 3020 .

[0400] Logic circuit 3010 may be a processing circuit in chip system 3000. Logic circuit 3010 may be coupled to a storage unit and call instructions in the storage unit, so that chip system 3000 can implement the methods and functions of various embodiments of the present application. Input / output interface 3020 may be an input / output circuit in chip system 3000, outputting information processed by chip system 3000 or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into chip system 3000 for processing.

[0401] As a solution, the chip system 3000 is used to implement the operations performed by the first device, the second device and the core network element in the above method embodiments.

[0402] For example, the logic circuit 3010 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the first device in the above method embodiment, such as the processing-related operations performed by the first device in the above method embodiment; the input / output interface 3020 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the first device in the above method embodiment, such as the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the first device in the above method embodiment.

[0403] For another example, the logic circuit 3010 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the second device in the above method embodiment, such as the processing-related operations performed by the second device in the above embodiment; the input / output interface 3020 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the second device in the above method embodiment, such as the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the second device in the above embodiment.

[0404] For another example, the logic circuit 3010 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the core network network element in the above method embodiments, such as the processing-related operations performed by the core network network element in the above embodiment; the input / output interface 3020 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the core network network element in the above method embodiments, such as the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the core network network element in the above embodiment.

[0405] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions are stored for implementing the methods executed by the first device or the second device or the core network element in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0406] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the first device or the second device or the core network element in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0407] An embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes the first device or the second device or the core network element in each of the above embodiments.

[0408] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, which will not be repeated here.

[0409] In this application, under the premise of no logical contradiction, the examples can reference each other, for example, the methods and / or terms between method embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples can reference each other.

[0410] 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.

[0411] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0412] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0413] 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.

[0414] 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.

[0415] 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.

[0416] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0417] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first device, the method includes: Sending first information and second information, the first information is used to request the establishment of a first communication connection, the first communication connection is used to directly command and control C2 communication; the second information is used to request the establishment of a second communication connection, the second communication connection is used for network-assisted C2 communication; the first communication connection and the second communication connection are used for C2 communication between the first device and the second device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first communication connection and the second communication connection are redundant connections for performing C2 communication between the first device and the second device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first communication connection is a proximity service (ProSe) communication connection or a sidelink communication connection, and the second communication connection is an air interface wireless communication connection.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The establishing of the first communication connection and / or the establishing of the second communication connection is triggered according to one or more of the following information: proximity communication strategy, user routing strategy, pairing information of the application server, and instruction information for creating a redundant connection.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: The proximity communication policy and / or the user routing policy are received from a policy control function network element, where the proximity communication policy and / or the user routing policy are used to instruct establishment of a redundant connection for C2 communication between the first device and the second device.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The proximity communication policy and / or user routing selection policy of the first device is generated according to the pairing information of the application server and / or the instruction information for creating a redundant connection.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The pairing information of the application server is used to indicate the identification information of the second device performing C2 communication with the first device, where the identification information of the second device includes one or more of the following information: an application layer identifier, a layer 2 identifier, and an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the second device; The instruction information for creating a redundant connection is used to instruct the first device to create a first communication connection and a second communication connection.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: The same redundant connection pair identifier is assigned to the first communication connection and the second communication connection.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first communication connection and the second communication connection constituting a redundant connection are determined according to the redundant connection pair identifier.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The first information includes one or more of the following: The identifier of the first device, the first identifier, the indication information of the redundant connection, and the second identifier; wherein, The first identifier is used to identify the second device, and the first identifier is an application layer identifier and / or a layer 2 identifier of the second terminal device; The redundant connection indication information is used to indicate that the established first communication connection is a redundant connection; The second identifier is used to identify the communication group to which the second device belongs.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The second information includes a third identifier, and the third identifier is used to identify the second communication connection.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The method further comprises: Determine a fourth identifier of the second device and a fifth identifier of the second device, where the fourth identifier is an identifier of the second device corresponding to the first communication connection, and the fifth identifier is an identifier of the second device corresponding to the second communication connection.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: determining an association relationship between the fourth identifier of the second device and the fifth identifier of the second device, The association relationship is used to indicate that the first communication connection corresponding to the fourth identifier and the second communication connection corresponding to the fifth identifier are redundant connections.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send a data packet whose destination address is the fourth identifier and whose destination address is the fifth identifier, where the data packet is used for C2 redundant communication.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that The fourth identifier is the layer 2 identifier or ProSe device identifier of the second device; and the fifth identifier is the IP address of the second device.

16. A communication device, characterized in that: The apparatus comprises units or modules for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 .

17. A communication system, characterized in that: include: A first device, configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer program is run on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises: a computer program code, which, when executed on a communication device, causes the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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