Methods for wireless communication, and communication devices

Abstract

Provided are methods for wireless communication, and communication devices. A communication method comprises: a first network element sending first information to a second network element, wherein the first information is associated with first data, and the first network element or the second network element is located in a blockchain. In the embodiments of the present application, a network element located in a blockchain can communicate with a network element in a communication system, and therefore the communication system can leverage the inherent security and trustworthiness features of the blockchain to provide data services, thereby facilitating trusted collection of data (also referred to as "first data") in the communication system.

Description

Methods and communication devices for wireless communication Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a method and communication device for wireless communication. Background Technology

[0002] In some networks (e.g., 6G systems), "trustworthiness" will become a crucial requirement for users' data services. Data services primarily manifest in the stages of data collection, data storage, data access, and data sharing. Improving data trustworthiness during the data service process is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method and a communication device for wireless communication. The various aspects covered by this application are described below.

[0005] In a first aspect, a method for wireless communication is provided, comprising: a first network element sending first information to a second network element, wherein the first information is associated with first data, and the first network element or the second network element is located in a blockchain.

[0006] In a second aspect, a method for wireless communication is provided, comprising: a second network element receiving first information sent by a first network element, wherein the first information is associated with first data, and the first network element or the second network element is located in a blockchain.

[0007] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a sending unit for sending first information to a second network element, wherein the first information is associated with first data, and the first network element or the second network element is located in a blockchain.

[0008] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a receiving unit for receiving first information sent by a first network element, wherein the first information is associated with first data, and the first network element or the second network element is located in a blockchain.

[0009] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, including a processor, a memory, and a communication interface, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to invoke the computer programs in the memory, causing the communication device to perform some or all of the steps in the method of the first aspect.

[0010] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system including the aforementioned terminal device and / or network device. In another possible design, the system may further include other devices that interact with the terminal device or network device as described in the embodiments of this application.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a communication device to perform some or all of the steps in the methods described above.

[0012] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program operable to cause a communication device to perform some or all of the steps of the methods described in the foregoing aspects. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0013] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip including a memory and a processor, the processor being able to call and run a computer program from the memory to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods of the foregoing aspects.

[0014] In this embodiment of the application, network elements located in the blockchain can communicate with network elements in the communication system. Therefore, the communication system can leverage the security and reliability features of the blockchain itself to provide data services, which helps to achieve the reliable collection of data (also known as "first data") in the communication system. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the blockchain architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture including a data plane provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the data plane provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the operation logic of the smart contract in the embodiments of this application.

[0020] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication scheme based on the data plane in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a data storage scheme based on a data plane in an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding, the following description will first introduce a schematic diagram of the communication system architecture of an embodiment of this application with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture applicable to an embodiment of this application. This network architecture may include terminal equipment, access network (AN) elements, and core network elements.

[0026] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: 5th generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as 6th generation mobile communication systems, satellite communication systems, and so on.

[0027] The terminal device in this application embodiment can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), MT, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless core network element, user agent, or user device. The terminal device in this application embodiment can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, and can be used to connect people, objects, and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connectivity, vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal devices in the embodiments of this application can be mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, etc. Optionally, the terminal device can be used to act as a base station. For example, the terminal device can act as a dispatching entity, providing sidelink signals between terminal devices in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) or device-to-device (D2D) communications. For example, cellular phones and cars communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Cellular phones and smart home devices communicate without relaying communication signals through base stations.

[0028] Access network elements can be access network devices. Access network devices are devices that terminals use to wirelessly access the network architecture. They are primarily responsible for air interface-side radio resource management, Quality of Service (QoS) management, data compression, and encryption. Access network devices can also be called radio access network (RAN) devices, such as base stations. A base station can broadly encompass, or be replaced by, various names including: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master eNB (MeNB), secondary eNB (SeNB), multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, micro base station, relay node, donor node, or similar entities, or combinations thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, a device that performs base station functions in D2D, V2X, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, a network-side device in a 6G network, or a device that performs base station functions in future communication systems. A base station can support networks using the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the access network equipment.

[0029] 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 depending on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured as a device to communicate with another base station.

[0030] In some deployments, the access network device in this application embodiment may refer to a CU or a DU, or the access network device may include both a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an AAU.

[0031] The core network elements can be categorized into several types, including user plane function (UPF) elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) elements, session management function (SMF) elements, policy control function (PCF) elements, application function (AF) elements, data network (DN) elements, network slice selection function (NSSF) elements, authentication server function (AUSF) elements, unified data management (UDM) elements, network exposure function (NEF) elements, network repository function (NRF) elements, and network slice-specific authentication and authorization function (NSSAAF). Among these, UPF elements are primarily responsible for user data transmission. The other elements, which can be referred to as control plane function elements, are mainly responsible for authentication, authorization, registration management, session management, mobility management, and policy control to ensure reliable and stable user data transmission.

[0032] UPF network elements can be used to forward and receive data from terminals. For example, a UPF network element can receive service data from the data network and transmit it to the terminal through access network equipment; a UPF network element can also receive user data from the terminal through access network equipment and forward it to the data network. The transmission resources allocated and scheduled by the UPF network element for the terminal are managed and controlled by the SMF network element. The bearer between the terminal and the UPF network element can include: the user plane connection between the UPF network element and the access network equipment, and the establishment of a channel between the access network equipment and the terminal. The user plane connection is where a QoS flow (transmission flow) for data transmission can be established between the UPF network element and the access network equipment.

[0033] AMF network elements can be used to manage terminal access to the core network, such as terminal location updates, network registration, access control, terminal mobility management, and terminal attachment and detachment. When providing services for a terminal's session, AMF network elements can also provide control plane storage resources for that session to store session identifiers and the associated SMF network element identifiers.

[0034] SMF network elements can be used to select user plane network elements for terminals, redirect user plane network elements for terminals, assign Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to terminals, establish bearers (also known as sessions) between terminals and UPF network elements, modify and release sessions, and perform QoS control.

[0035] PCF network elements are used to provide policies to AMF and SMF network elements, such as QoS policies and slice selection policies.

[0036] AF network elements are used to interact with 3GPP core network elements to support the routing of application-affected data, access network exposure functions, and interact with PCF network elements for policy control, etc.

[0037] A Data Network (DN) can provide data services to users for networks such as IP Multimedia Service (IMS) and the Internet. A DN can contain various application servers (AS) that provide different application services, such as carrier services, Internet access, or third-party services. The AS can implement the functions of an Application Server (AF).

[0038] NSSF is used for network slice selection and supports the following functions: selecting a set of network slice instance examples to serve the end device; determining allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), and, when necessary, determining the mapping to the subscribed single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI); determining the configured NSSAI, and, when necessary, determining the mapping to the subscribed S-NSSAI; determining the set of AMFs that may be used to query the end device, or determining a list of candidate AMFs based on the configuration.

[0039] AUSF is used to receive AMF requests for terminal authentication. It requests a key from UDM and then forwards the issued key to AMF for authentication processing.

[0040] UDM includes functions such as generating and storing user subscription data and managing authentication data, and supports interaction with external third-party servers.

[0041] NEF is used for capability exposure, meaning that based on NEF, network capabilities can be exported to external networks. Untrusted external applications can access core network data through NEF to ensure network security. NEF can provide functions such as QoS capability exposure for external applications, event subscription, and AF request distribution.

[0042] The Network Request Forwarder (NRF) is used for the registration, management, and status detection of core network elements, thereby achieving automated management of core network elements. When a core network element starts up, it must register with the NRF before it can provide services. Registration information may include, for example, the type, address, and service list of the core network element.

[0043] In addition, some networks (such as 5G networks) have added network data analytics function (NWDAF) to the core network. Based on NWDAF, data can be collected from various network elements and network management systems in the core network, and big data statistics, analysis or intelligent data analysis can be performed to obtain network-side analysis or prediction data, thereby assisting various network elements to more effectively control terminal device access based on the data analysis results.

[0044] In some communication systems (such as 5G systems), core network elements can also be called network functions (NFs).

[0045] The network elements in Figure 1 can be network components in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualization functions implemented on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). It should be noted that the network architecture shown in the above figures is merely an illustrative representation of the network elements included in the overall network architecture. In this application embodiment, the network elements included in the entire network architecture are not limited.

[0046] Those skilled in the art will understand that the network architecture shown in Figure 1 does not constitute a limitation on the network architecture. In specific implementations, the network architecture may include more or fewer network elements than shown in the figure, or combine certain network elements, etc. It should be understood that AN or RAN is represented in Figure 1 as (R)AN.

[0047] In some scenarios, network devices and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenarios in which the network devices and terminal devices are located.

[0048] By way of example and not limitation, in the embodiments of this application, the network device may have mobility characteristics; for example, the network device may be a mobile device. In some embodiments of this application, the network device may be a satellite or a balloon station. For example, the satellite may be a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, etc. In some embodiments of this application, the network device may also be a base station located on land, water, or other similar locations.

[0049] In this embodiment, the network device can provide services to a cell. The terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources (e.g., frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources) used by the cell. The cell can be the cell corresponding to the network device (e.g., a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or to a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cell can include: metro cell, micro cell, pico cell, femto cell, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage area and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0050] It should be understood that the term "instruction" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being able to obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, so B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that there is a relationship between A and B.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" may indicate that there is a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or that there is an association between two things, or that there is a relationship of instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0052] The “configuration” in this application embodiment may include configuration via at least one of system messages, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, and media access control element (MAC CE).

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, "predefined" or "preset" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices). This application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, "predefined" can refer to what is defined in the protocol.

[0054] In some embodiments of this application, the term "protocol" may refer to standard protocols in the field of communications, such as LTE protocols, NR protocols, and related protocols applied in future communication systems. This application does not limit the scope of the term.

[0055] To facilitate understanding, some related technical knowledge involved in the embodiments of this application is first introduced. The following related technologies are optional solutions and can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, all of which fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. The embodiments of this application include at least some of the following contents.

[0056] Blockchain

[0057] Referring to Figure 2, Blockchain 200 is a typical distributed collaborative system. This system includes multiple blockchain nodes 210. These multiple blockchain nodes 210 can jointly maintain a continuously growing distributed data record. The data in these records can be protected in terms of content and time sequence using cryptographic techniques, making it difficult for any party to tamper with, deny, or forge. Blockchain nodes 210 can be devices with computing capabilities, such as servers, server groups, blockchain chips, etc., where server groups can be centralized or distributed. In some implementations, the aforementioned servers can also be servers providing services to a cloud platform.

[0058] In some implementations, a blockchain can include three basic elements: transactions, blocks, and a chain. In a blockchain, data (such as transaction information, transaction execution results (also known as "state results")) can be encapsulated in the form of blocks. Blocks can be linked together through forward references to form a "chain," also known as a blockchain.

[0059] In some implementations, a transaction can be understood as an operation, where executing a transaction may trigger a change in the state of the ledger in the blockchain.

[0060] In some implementations, these blocks are used to record transactions and state outcomes that occur over a period of time. The nodes responsible for record-keeping in the blockchain can reach a consensus on the current ledger state based on these blocks; the consensus mechanism is described below.

[0061] In some implementations, blockchain can record a log of all state changes. That is, each block in the blockchain stores data records (i.e., transactions, also known as "data transactions") within a specified time period, and uses cryptography to build a secure and reliable chain, forming an immutable, universally owned distributed ledger (also known as a data ledger). Simply put, a blockchain is a ledger that records all historical transactions, with each node holding a copy. A consensus algorithm among nodes ensures that everyone's ledger eventually converges to consistency. Each block in the blockchain is like a page in the ledger, recording a batch of transaction entries. In this way, all transaction details are recorded in a public ledger visible to any node. To modify a recorded transaction, all nodes holding the ledger must modify it simultaneously. Furthermore, because each page of the blockchain ledger records a summary of the previous page, if a page of the ledger is modified (i.e., a block is tampered with), its summary will not match the summary recorded on the next page. This necessitates modifying the content of the next page, which in turn leads to a mismatch between the summary of the next page and the page after that. This cycle continues; tampering with one transaction leads to modifications of the summaries of all subsequent blocks. Considering that everyone must acknowledge these changes, this would be an enormous and nearly impossible task. This is precisely why blockchain possesses the characteristic of immutability.

[0062] Typically, a block can include a block header and a block body. The block header contains basic information about the current block to ensure it is correctly entered into the blockchain. For example, the block header might record the block hash of the previous block. It might also record the block height, which identifies the block's position in the blockchain. In some implementations, the genesis block has a height of 0. The block body records transaction information, such as the number of transactions and transaction data.

[0063] Blockchains are generally classified into three types: public blockchains, private blockchains, and consortium blockchains. Furthermore, combinations of these types are possible, such as private blockchains + consortium blockchains, or consortium blockchains + public blockchains. The implementation methods provided in this application can be implemented in suitable types of blockchains.

[0064] consensus mechanism

[0065] Consensus mechanism can be understood as how the nodes responsible for recording transactions in a blockchain (or accounting nodes) reach a consensus to determine the validity of a record.

[0066] Blockchain's consensus mechanism features "majority rule" and "equality for all." "Majority rule" doesn't solely refer to the number of nodes; it can also be computing power, shareholding, or other comparable computer characteristics. "Equality for all" means that when nodes meet certain conditions, all nodes have the right to propose a consensus result first, which can then be directly accepted by other nodes and potentially become the final consensus result. Taking Bitcoin as an example, it uses proof-of-work. Only by controlling more than 51% of the network's accounting nodes is it possible to forge a non-existent record. When a sufficient number of nodes join the blockchain, this becomes virtually impossible, thus eliminating the possibility of forgery.

[0067] The self-trust inherent in blockchain technology lies in the fact that users distributed across the blockchain do not need to trust the other party in a transaction, nor do they need to trust a centralized institution; they only need to trust the software system under the blockchain protocol to complete a transaction. This self-trust is predicated on the blockchain's consensus mechanism. In a market where there is no mutual trust, the necessary and sufficient condition for nodes to reach a consensus is that each node, driven by the pursuit of its own maximum benefit, will spontaneously and honestly adhere to the pre-defined rules of the protocol, verify the authenticity of each record, and ultimately record the verifiable records in the blockchain. In other words, if nodes have independent interests and compete with each other, it is virtually impossible for them to collude to deceive you. This is especially evident when nodes possess public credibility within the network. Blockchain technology uses a consensus-based mathematical algorithm to establish a "trust" network between machines, thereby creating new forms of credit through technological endorsement rather than centralized credit institutions.

[0068] The consensus mechanism of a blockchain can be one of the following: Proof of Work (PoW), Proof of Stake, Delegated Proof of Stake, Verification Pool, and Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT).

[0069] Smart contracts

[0070] A smart contract is a set of promises defined in digital form, including protocols that allow the contract participants to execute these promises. Alternatively, a smart contract can be understood as a program deployed on a computer system that can be automatically executed when its triggering conditions are met.

[0071] The emergence of blockchain provides the technological support for the implementation of smart contracts. By writing smart contracts into the blockchain in digital form, the characteristics of blockchain technology ensure that the entire process of storing, reading, and executing smart contracts is transparent, traceable, and immutable. Furthermore, a state machine system can be built using the consensus algorithm inherent in blockchain, enabling smart contracts to run efficiently. For a transaction, if the conditions of the smart contract are met, the transaction is considered valid, and correspondingly, the transaction information can be recorded on the blockchain and the ledger updated.

[0072] In some implementations, users can invoke smart contracts by submitting transactions to the blockchain system, setting data recorded in the smart contracts, and storing the configured smart contracts on the blockchain. Correspondingly, when specific conditions of the smart contract are triggered, blockchain nodes can execute the smart contract and record the execution result and execution status.

[0073] In some implementations, smart contracts can contain code functions and can also interact with other contracts, make decisions, store data, and perform other functions.

[0074] Currently, various industries, and even certain sectors within industries (such as finance, public welfare, insurance, and cross-border payments), are building different types of blockchains based on their own industrial structures, and recording valuable information and assets within their industries on the blockchain.

[0075] Data plane (DP)

[0076] In some scenarios (e.g., practical experience with 5G network intelligence), data acquisition is extremely difficult, and data quality is hard to guarantee. On the one hand, data collection based on network management suffers from limited data types, long collection cycles (15 minutes), and inconsistent data formats, naming conventions, and calculation methods across different vendors, making it difficult to make network management data publicly available. On the other hand, collecting data from terminal devices is even more difficult because it may lead to privacy leaks and reduced data security. Therefore, ensuring that data collected from terminal devices can be processed by trusted nodes to avoid leaking user privacy, or how to track collected data throughout its entire lifecycle to ensure that every piece of data used by any data consumer is recorded, are currently unsolvable problems.

[0077] To address the aforementioned issues, some network architectures (e.g., 6G network architecture) have proposed adding a "data plane." In some implementations, the data elements in the data plane will encompass both internal and external network data, specifically including service data, user data, network data, sensing data, and external data.

[0078] In some implementations, basic data services include data acquisition, data preprocessing, data storage, data access, data sharing, and collaboration. These basic data services may possess the following characteristics: support for trusted authentication, authorization, and access; efficient data storage and management; on-demand data acquisition and preprocessing; and external data accessibility. In other words, the data plane may include one or more network elements that provide basic data services for the aforementioned data elements. Alternatively, the data plane may include one or more functions (or network elements) to support one or more of the following data services: trusted and flexible data collection between data sources and data consumers; data accessibility; data preprocessing; data storage; and data tracking. The data source and / or data consumer can be any node; for example, the data source can be any node with data storage requirements, and the data consumer can be any node with data access requirements.

[0079] In some networks (e.g., 6G networks), "trustworthiness" will become a crucial requirement for users of data services. Data services primarily manifest in the stages of data collection, data storage, data access, and data sharing. How to provide trusted storage and traceability of data during the data service delivery process is a key issue that needs to be addressed in the data plane.

[0080] Therefore, to address the aforementioned problems, this application introduces a data plane in its embodiments. The following description, in conjunction with Figure 3, illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture including a data plane provided by an embodiment of this application.

[0081] In some implementations, the data plane can be used to support one or more of the following functions: trusted data collection, trusted data storage, trusted data access, and trusted data sharing. It should be understood that the term "data plane" is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In future communication architectures, this term can be replaced with the name corresponding to network elements with the same or similar functions in the future communication architecture. For ease of description, the embodiments of this application use the data plane as an example for introduction.

[0082] Referring to Figure 3, the data plane 310 may include network element 1 and / or network element 2. In some implementations, network element 1 is used to provide data plane storage functionality, or in other words, network element 1 is used to provide storage space for data to be stored in the data plane. Accordingly, network element 1 can also be called a "data plane repository function (DPRF)". Of course, in this embodiment, the name of network element 1 is not limited. For example, network element 1 can also be called "data plane repository infrastructure".

[0083] In some implementations, network element 1 can be a blockchain node located in the blockchain (e.g., blockchain node 210), which helps to realize functions such as trusted data storage in the communication system architecture by leveraging the characteristics of blockchain introduced above.

[0084] It should be noted that network element 1 can correspond to one or more physical devices (e.g., a server). If network element 1 corresponds to multiple physical devices, then the network element can be understood as distributed. Some or all of these physical devices can reside in a blockchain. For example, multiple physical devices can correspond to multiple blockchain nodes.

[0085] In some implementations, if network element 1 is distributed and the multiple physical devices corresponding to network element 1 belong to the same blockchain node, then the multiple physical devices will store the same data, thereby ensuring that the data is immutable.

[0086] In some implementations, Element 1 can be used for one or more of the following: processing transaction requests, collaborating with other peer nodes, adding successfully verified transaction information to newly created blocks, updating and maintaining the ledger corresponding to each blockchain node, and providing an application programming interface (API).

[0087] In some implementations, the above-mentioned processing of transaction requests may include, for example, storing data based on the transaction request, and / or retrieving data based on the transaction request.

[0088] In some implementations, the aforementioned collaboration with other peer nodes (also known as peer-to-peer DPRF) may include, for example, verifying the consistency of transaction data, and / or, providing distributed storage for data together with other peer nodes. Here, a peer node can refer to a blockchain node that stores copies of the ledger and / or smart contracts.

[0089] In some implementations, adding successfully verified transaction information to a newly created block can include adding the successfully verified transaction information to the newly created block after verification through smart contracts and consensus algorithms, and then connecting the blockchain to the blockchain.

[0090] In some implementations, NET1 can update and maintain the ledger corresponding to each blockchain node, which helps to provide transaction information for tracking each transaction.

[0091] In some implementations, network element 1 can expose an API interface, allowing other network elements (such as network element 2 described below) to call the interface to perform blockchain-based data services with network element 1.

[0092] The above describes network element 1 in the data plane provided in the embodiments of this application. The following describes network element 2 in the data plane provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0093] In some implementations, network element 2 is used to manage or control data plane access; therefore, network element 2 can also be called a data plane access controller (DPAC). Of course, in the embodiments of this application, network element 2 can also be called one or more of the following: data plane management network element, data plane interface, data plane control network element; the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0094] In some implementations, network element 2 can be located in the core network, that is, network element 2 can be a core network element.

[0095] In some implementations, the aforementioned management or control of data plane access may include one or more of the following: collecting data to be stored on the data plane; performing security verification on the data to be stored on the data plane; managing the identification information of the data source of the data to be stored on the data plane; managing the identification information of the data consumer of the data to be stored on the data plane; managing access permissions for the data stored in the data plane; format conversion; data tracking of the data stored in the data plane; and interacting with the storage network elements in the data plane.

[0096] In some implementations, the data to be collected and stored in the data plane may include data from the communication system (e.g., the communication system shown in Figure 1) to be stored in the data plane.

[0097] In some implementations, the aforementioned security verification of the data to be stored on the data plane may include, for example, using smart contracts and / or consensus mechanisms to perform security verification on the data to be stored.

[0098] In some implementations, the data source identification information mentioned above can be understood as the identification information of the data source corresponding to the stored data. For example, if terminal device 1 stores data to the data plane, then the data source identification information may include the identification information of terminal device 1, and correspondingly, network element 2 is used to store the identification information of terminal device 1 corresponding to the data. As another example, if AF1 stores data to the data plane, then the data source identification information may include the identification information of AF1, and correspondingly, network element 2 is used to store the identification information of AF1 corresponding to the data.

[0099] In some implementations, the aforementioned data consumer identification information can be understood as the identification information of the consumer who purchases or subscribes to this data. For example, if AF2 subscribes to data from the user plane, then the data consumer corresponding to that data is AF2, and correspondingly, network element 2 is used to store the identification information of AF2 corresponding to that data.

[0100] In some implementations, the aforementioned access permissions can be used to indicate which users or devices can access the data, or in other words, the aforementioned access permissions can be used to indicate which data a particular user or device can access.

[0101] In some scenarios, the format of the data received by network element 2 may differ from the format supported by the storage network element. Accordingly, the aforementioned format conversion may include network element 2 converting the format of the received data to the format supported by the storage network element. Of course, in this embodiment, the aforementioned format conversion may also include network element 2 converting the format of the data stored in the storage network element to the format supported by the data requesting end (e.g., the data consumer). The storage network element may, for example, be network element 1 as described above.

[0102] In some implementations, data tracing of data stored in the data plane may include tracking the modification process corresponding to the data. Of course, in this embodiment, the tracing data may include the data source corresponding to the tracing data, and / or the data consumer that calls the tracing data.

[0103] In some implementations, interacting with storage network elements in the data plane can be understood as network element 2 interacting with network element 1 in the data plane. For example, network element 2 can store data in network element 1; that is, network element 2 can send a transaction request to network element 1 to request that data to be stored be stored in network element 2. The data to be stored can be data sent from a data source to network element 1. As another example, network element 2 can retrieve data to be accessed (or called) from network element 1; that is, network element 2 can send a transaction request to network element 1 to request the data to be accessed. The data to be accessed can be data requested by a data consumer from network element 2.

[0104] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the function corresponding to network element 2 can be implemented by enhancing the data collection coordination function (DCCF). That is to say, network element 2 and DCCF can be a single network element. Of course, in this embodiment, network element 2 can be an independent core network element.

[0105] As mentioned earlier, to improve data credibility and traceability, Network Element 1 can be implemented using a blockchain architecture; for example, Network Element 1 can be a blockchain node. In this case, Network Element 2 can interact with the blockchain to store data from the communication network (e.g., a 6G communication network) into the blockchain.

[0106] For ease of understanding, the following section uses data collection from a terminal device as an example to introduce network element 1 and network element 2 in this application embodiment. Assume the terminal device is the data source, network element 1 is the DPRF, and network element 2 is the DPAC. During the transaction between the terminal device and the data plane, the terminal device can send a transaction request to the DPAC. This transaction request carries one or more of the following: data source ID (i.e., terminal device ID), the data itself, and data description information. Accordingly, the DPAC verifies the data source ID based on the transaction request sent by the terminal device. If the verification is successful, the DPAC can send the data source ID, the data itself, and the data description information to the DPRF for storage. The data description information describes the function of the data, or in other words, it describes the content of the data. For example, for the terminal device's sensing data, the data description information indicates that the data is the terminal device's sensing data.

[0107] Referring again to Figure 3, network element 2 in data plane 310 can communicate with control plane (CP) 320 via an interface. Taking network element 2 as a DPAC as an example, this interface can be represented as N. DPAC .

[0108] In some implementations, network elements in the control plane 320 can communicate with network elements in the user plane (UP) 330. For example, the AMF in the control plane 320 can communicate with the terminal equipment (UE) in the user plane 330 through the N1 interface. As another example, the AMF in the control plane 320 can communicate with the access network equipment in the user plane 330 through the N2 interface. And as yet another example, the SMF in the control plane 320 can communicate with the UPF in the user plane 330 through the N4 interface.

[0109] Based on the architecture shown in Figure 3, it can be seen that...

[0110] In some implementations, the terminal device can access the data plane 310 via the user plane. In other implementations, the terminal device can access the data plane 310 via the control plane 320. For example, the terminal device can communicate with network element 2 (i.e., DPAC) via the AMF.

[0111] In some implementations, the access network device can access the data plane 310 via the user plane 330. For example, the access network device can access the control plane 320 (e.g., SMF) via the UPF, and then access the DPAC in the data plane 310 via the control plane 320. In other implementations, the access network device can connect to the control plane 320 via interface N2, and access the data plane 310 via the control plane 320. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the terminal device and / or the access network device can establish separate connections to communicate with the data plane 320 respectively.

[0112] In some scenarios, the data plane is a distributed architecture, which helps support flexible and efficient data management. That is, a distributed data plane can include multiple network elements 1, and correspondingly, different network elements 1 can be associated with different or the same network elements 2. In this case, the data source can select the closer data plane (or network element 2) for access, thereby reducing data transmission latency.

[0113] The foregoing described network element 1 and network element 2 included in the data plane of this application embodiment. In this application embodiment, the network elements included in the data plane are not limited. In some implementations, referring to Figure 4, the data plane 310 may also include network element 3 and / or network element 4.

[0114] In some implementations, the NET3 is used to provide data plane smart contracts. These smart contracts are used to verify the validity of transaction requests, the validity of data associated with a transaction request, or the validity of the transaction associated with a transaction request. Therefore, the NET3 can also be called a data plane smart contract (DPSC).

[0115] In some implementations, network element 3 can include multiple conditions. Generally, if a transaction meets all the conditions recorded in network element 3, the transaction is considered valid and can be executed accordingly (for example, only the data requested by the transaction will be stored in network element 1). Conversely, if a transaction does not meet some or all of the conditions recorded in network element 3, the transaction is considered invalid and will not be executed accordingly.

[0116] In some implementations, the network element 4 is used to record the ledger of the data plane, where the ledger is used to record the transaction information that occurs. The transaction information may include one or more of the following: the data itself, the data source, the data consumer, the timestamp, the subsequent use of the data, and the data description information of the data.

[0117] In some implementations, the same ledger is stored for each element 1 (i.e., DPRF) of the same blockchain, which helps to improve the traceability and immutability of the data.

[0118] As mentioned above, network element 4 is used to record the ledger of the data plane. Therefore, network element 4 can also be called the data plane data ledger (DPDL).

[0119] For ease of understanding, the operational logic of the smart contract in this embodiment is described below with reference to Figure 5. Referring to Figure 5, assume network element 1 is DPRF and network element 2 is DPAC. If DPAC sends a transaction request to DPRF, DPRF will send parameter 1 associated with the transaction request to DPSC so that DPSC can determine whether the transaction request is valid. Correspondingly, DPSC can determine whether the transaction request is valid based on pre-configured conditions and output parameter 2 to DPRF.

[0120] In some implementations, parameter 1 may include one or more of the following: identification information of the smart contract; information indicating a request for a blockchain-based transaction; a transaction request; ledger status information; and identification information associated with the transaction.

[0121] In some implementations, the identification information of a smart contract may be, for example, the smart contract's ID. In this embodiment, the method for determining the identification information of a smart contract is not limited. For example, DPRF can determine the identification information of a smart contract based on the type of transaction request.

[0122] In some implementations, parameter 1 includes information indicating a request for a blockchain-based data transaction. That is, parameter 1 can be used to indicate that the transaction corresponds to a blockchain-based data transaction, where the data transaction may include, for example, data storage and / or data retrieval.

[0123] In some implementations, a transaction request may include data description information of the data associated with the transaction request. The data associated with the transaction request may include the data that the transaction request requests to invoke, and / or the data that the transaction request requests to be stored.

[0124] In some implementations, DPRF can provide the ledger status information of the currently stored ledger to DPSC so that DPSC can verify the validity of the data and ensure its traceability.

[0125] In some implementations, the identification information associated with the transaction is used to indicate the data service associated with the transaction request. That is, the identification information can indicate whether each transaction request sent by DPRF is for the same data service. In some scenarios, due to reasons such as request message capacity and blockchain performance, the data associated with a data service may need to be divided into multiple transactions for execution, with multiple transactions associated with multiple transaction requests. In this case, the aforementioned identification information can be used to indicate that multiple transaction requests are for data from the same data service.

[0126] In some implementations, parameter 2 may include one or more of the following information: information for indicating whether a transaction is accepted or rejected; information for indicating whether a transaction is valid; information for indicating the reason why a transaction is invalid; and the updated ledger status.

[0127] In some implementations, if DPSC determines a transaction is valid based on its internal logic, parameter 2 includes information indicating acceptance of the transaction. Conversely, if DPSC determines a transaction is invalid based on its internal logic, parameter 2 includes information indicating rejection of the transaction.

[0128] In some implementations, if DPSC determines a transaction is valid based on its internal logic (such as the pre-configured conditions described above), then parameter 2 includes information indicating that the transaction is valid. Conversely, if DPSC determines a transaction is invalid based on its internal logic, then parameter 2 includes information indicating that the transaction is invalid.

[0129] It should be noted that the information used to indicate whether a transaction is accepted or rejected, as well as the information used to indicate whether a transaction is valid, can be indicated by the same information to reduce transmission overhead. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the information used to indicate whether a transaction is accepted or rejected, and the information used to indicate whether a transaction is valid, can be independent information.

[0130] In some implementations, parameter 2 may include information indicating the reason for the invalid transaction, so that the user can confirm the reason for the invalid transaction and improve the user experience.

[0131] In some implementations, if the transaction is valid, parameter 2 can include the updated ledger state so that the DPRF can store the updated ledger state.

[0132] For example, the transaction request in parameter 1 carries data description information for data 1, and this data description information indicates that data 1 is a sensing result of the terminal device. Accordingly, after receiving parameter 1, the DPSC can determine that data 1 is a sensing result of the terminal device based on the data description information. Then, the DPSC can determine whether data 1 is within the valid time, i.e., whether data 1 is valid, based on the pre-configured validity period of the sensing result. If the generation time of data 1 exceeds the validity period, the DPSC determines that data 1 is invalid. If the generation time of data 1 does not exceed the validity period, the DPSC determines that data 1 is valid.

[0133] It should be noted that network element 1, network element 2, network element 3, and network element 4 mentioned above can be understood as network elements abstracted from the functional level. That is to say, some or all of the network elements in network element 1, network element 2, network element 3, and network element 4 can be implemented by one or more hardware devices. Correspondingly, in some scenarios, the above-mentioned network element 1, network element 2, network element 3, and network element 4 can also be referred to as function 1, function 2, function 3, and function 4.

[0134] In addition, in this embodiment of the application, for ease of explanation, the term "data plane" is used as an example. The data plane can also be called "data plane" or "data network element set". Of course, this term can also be replaced by other terms with the same or similar functions in the communication system.

[0135] The data plane provided in the embodiments of this application has been described above with reference to Figures 2 to 5. The communication scheme based on this data plane in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to Figure 6. The method shown in Figure 6 includes step S610.

[0136] In step S510, the first network element sends the first information to the second network element.

[0137] In some implementations, the first information is associated with the first data. The first information will be described below in conjunction with Examples 1 to 8.

[0138] In this application embodiment, the first data is not limited. In some implementations, the first data may include data associated with the terminal device. For example, the first data may include one or more of the following: data to be stored in the data plane by the terminal device; application layer data of the terminal device; movement trajectory information of the terminal device; location information of the terminal device; measurement results obtained by the terminal device based on configuration; artificial intelligence (AI) data of the terminal device; and perception data of the terminal device.

[0139] In some implementations, the first network element and / or the second network element reside in the blockchain; or, in other words, the first network element and / or the second network element are network elements in the blockchain (in this case, network elements in the blockchain can also be called "blockchain network elements"), or the aforementioned network elements are implemented by blockchain nodes in the blockchain. The following will introduce the first network element and the second network element in conjunction with the first information in different embodiments.

[0140] Example 1: The first information is used to request the storage of the first data to the second network element, that is, the first information includes a transaction request for the first data.

[0141] In some implementations, the first network element may include one or more of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, and network management equipment.

[0142] In some implementations, the first network element can be the data source of the first data. However, in this embodiment, the first network element may not be the data source of the first data. For example, the first network element can be an intermediate device that helps the data source of the first data forward the first information.

[0143] In some implementations, the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or, the second network element resides in the blockchain. For example, the second network element is network element 1 (e.g., DPRF), where an introduction to network element 1 can be found above.

[0144] In some implementations, the first information carries one or more of the following: first data; identification information of the data source of the first data; transaction type of the first data; and data description information of the first data.

[0145] Taking the first information carrying the first data as an example, that is to say, the first information may include the data itself to be stored in the data plane, and the introduction of the first data can be found above.

[0146] Taking the identification information of the data source carrying the first data as an example, if the first network element is the data source of the first data, then the identification information of the data source of the first data includes the identification of the first network element. Taking the data source of the first data as a terminal device as an example, the identification information of the terminal device may include a generic public subscription identifier (GPSI). Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the identification information of the terminal device may also be a new identifier defined in a future communication system.

[0147] Taking a transaction type that carries first information as an example, the transaction type may include data storage or data retrieval.

[0148] Taking the data description information that carries the first data as an example, the data description information is used to describe the function of the first data, or in other words, the data description information is used to describe the content of the first data. For example, if the first data is the sensing data of a terminal device, then the corresponding data description information of the first data is used to indicate that the first data is the sensing data of the terminal device.

[0149] In some implementations, the first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element via a third network element, whereby the third network element manages or controls the first network element's data plane access. For example, the third network element can be network element 2 (e.g., DPAC). This will be described in conjunction with Figure 7 below.

[0150] Example 2: The first information is used to request the storage of the first data to the second network element, that is, the first information includes a transaction request for the first data.

[0151] In some implementations, the first network element is used to manage or control data plane access. For example, the first network element can be network element 2 (i.e., DPAC), and an introduction to network element 2 can be found above.

[0152] In some implementations, the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or, the second network element resides in the blockchain. For example, the second network element is network element 1 (e.g., DPRF), where an introduction to network element 1 can be found above.

[0153] As described above, the data plane may be distributed, meaning it can include multiple DPRFs. These DPRFs can include those that communicate directly with the DPAC and those that communicate indirectly with the DPAC. A DPRF that communicates indirectly with the DPAC can be understood as one that needs to communicate with the DPAC through other DPRFs. In some scenarios, the DPRF that communicates directly with the DPAC can be called the "master DPRF".

[0154] In some scenarios, the second network element can be located in the blockchain; therefore, the first information can also be called a "blockchain transaction request".

[0155] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following: first data; identification information of the data source of the first data; identification information associated with the data transaction of the first data; and data description information of the first data.

[0156] Taking the first information carrying the first data as an example, that is to say, the first information may include the data itself to be stored in the data plane, and the introduction of the first data can be found above.

[0157] Taking the identification information of the data source carrying the first data as an example, if the data source of the first data is a terminal device, then the identification information of the data source of the first data may include GPSI. Of course, in this embodiment, the identifier of the terminal device may also be a new identifier defined in a future communication system.

[0158] Taking the identifier information associated with a data exchange carrying the first data as an example, in some implementations, this identifier information is used to indicate the data service associated with the data exchange. That is, this identifier information can indicate whether each transaction request sent by DPRF is for the same data service. In some scenarios, due to reasons such as request message capacity and blockchain performance, the data associated with a data service may need to be divided into multiple transactions, with multiple transactions associated with multiple transaction requests. In this case, the aforementioned identifier information can be used to indicate that the transactions corresponding to multiple transaction requests are for the same data service.

[0159] In some implementations, the first data transaction can be understood as the data transaction request storing the first data in the data plane.

[0160] Taking the data description information that carries the first data as an example, the data description information is used to describe the function of the first data, or in other words, the data description information is used to describe the content of the first data. For example, if the first data is the sensing data of a terminal device, then the corresponding data description information of the first data is used to indicate that the first data is the sensing data of the terminal device.

[0161] In this embodiment, the first network element can determine whether to send first information based on the transaction request of the received first data. For example, the transaction request of the first data can be the first information in Embodiment 1, that is, Embodiment 2 can be used in combination with Embodiment 1. Of course, in this embodiment, Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 can be used independently.

[0162] Taking DPAC as the first network element and DPRF as the second network element as an example, if DPAC receives a transaction request for the first data, DPAC can verify the transaction request. If the verification is successful, DPAC can send the first information to DPRF. Conversely, if the verification fails, DPAC can choose not to send the first information.

[0163] In this application embodiment, the method of verifying the first network element is not limited. In some implementations, the transaction request for the first data is sent from the terminal device to the first network element. In this case, the first network element can perform verification based on the terminal device's subscription information. For example, if the terminal device's subscription information indicates that the terminal device can (or has been authorized) store the first data on the data plane, then the verification passes. Conversely, if the terminal device's subscription information indicates that the terminal device cannot (or has not been authorized) store the first data on the data plane, then the verification fails.

[0164] Example 3: The first information is used to request the second network element to call the first smart contract associated with the first data. Therefore, the first information is also called the "call request".

[0165] In some implementations, the first network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or, the first network element resides in the blockchain. For example, the first network element is network element 1 (e.g., DPRF), where an introduction to network element 1 can be found above.

[0166] In some implementations, the second network element is used to maintain the first smart contract, and / or the second network element resides in the blockchain. For example, the second network element can be network element 3 (e.g., DPSC), where an introduction to network element 3 can be found above.

[0167] In some implementations, the first smart contract is used to verify the first data. The first smart contract can be, for example, the smart contract described above in conjunction with Figure 5.

[0168] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first smart contract; identification information associated with the data transaction of the first data; information for indicating a request for a blockchain-based data transaction; and information for indicating the ledger status associated with the first data.

[0169] Taking the first information including the identification information of the first smart contract as an example, the identification information of the first smart contract is used to identify the first smart contract.

[0170] In this embodiment, the method for determining the first smart contract is not limited. For example, the first network element may determine the first smart contract that matches the blockchain transaction information based on the blockchain transaction request (e.g., the first information described in Embodiment 2).

[0171] Taking the identification information associated with a data exchange, which includes the first piece of information (first data), as an example, in some implementations, this identification information is used to indicate the data service associated with the data exchange. That is, this identification information can indicate whether each transaction request sent by the DPRF is for the same data service. In some scenarios, due to reasons such as request message capacity and blockchain performance, the data associated with a data service may need to be divided into multiple transactions, with multiple transactions associated with multiple transaction requests. In this case, the aforementioned identification information can be used to indicate that the transactions corresponding to multiple transaction requests are for the same data service.

[0172] For example, the first information may include information indicating a request for a blockchain-based data transaction, or in other words, the information may indicate that the data transaction requested by the transaction request is a blockchain-based data transaction, wherein the data transaction may include, for example, data storage and / or data retrieval.

[0173] In some implementations, a transaction request may include data description information of the data associated with the transaction request. The data associated with the transaction request may include the data that the transaction request requests to invoke, and / or the data that the transaction request requests to be stored.

[0174] Taking the first information as including information for indicating the ledger status associated with the first data as an example, the first network element can provide the information of the currently stored ledger status to the second network element so that the second network element can verify the validity of the first data, which helps to achieve the traceability of the first data.

[0175] As mentioned above, after receiving the first information, the second network element can verify the first data based on the first information. The process of the second network element verifying the first data can be referred to the above description in conjunction with Figure 5. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described again here.

[0176] Example 4: The first information is used to indicate the verification result of the data transaction associated with the first data, and the verification result is used to indicate whether the data transaction is valid or invalid.

[0177] In some implementations, the first network element is used to maintain the first smart contract, and / or the first network element resides in the blockchain. For example, the first network element can be network element 3 (e.g., DPSC), where an introduction to network element 3 can be found above.

[0178] In some implementations, the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or, the second network element resides in the blockchain. For example, the second network element is network element 1 (e.g., DPRF), where an introduction to network element 1 can be found above.

[0179] In some implementations, if the verification result is used to indicate that a data transaction is invalid, the first information is used to indicate the reason for the invalidity of the data transaction, which helps to improve the user experience.

[0180] In this embodiment, the process by which the first network element determines the verification result of the data transaction is not limited. In some implementations, the first network element can determine the verification result based on the judgment method described above in conjunction with Figure 5. For the sake of brevity, it will not be elaborated further here.

[0181] Example 5: The first information is used to request other nodes in the blockchain to perform consistency verification on the data transactions associated with the first data.

[0182] In some implementations, the first network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or, the first network element resides in the blockchain. For example, the first network element is network element 1 (e.g., DPRF), where an introduction to network element 1 can be found above.

[0183] In some implementations, the second network element includes other nodes in the blockchain that provide data plane storage functionality. These other nodes include all nodes in the blockchain other than the first network element, or in other words, the peer nodes of the first network element. Taking the first network element as a DPRF (Data Utilization Requested Request), the second network element can be called a peer DPRF.

[0184] In some implementations, the second network element may include one or more peer DPRFs in the blockchain.

[0185] In this application embodiment, the method of consistency verification is not limited. In some implementations, the first network element and the second network element can perform consistency verification based on a consensus mechanism. The consensus mechanism can be found in the description above.

[0186] Example 6: The first information is used to indicate the consistency verification result of the first data.

[0187] In some implementations, the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or, the second network element resides in the blockchain. For example, the second network element is network element 1 (e.g., DPRF), where an introduction to network element 1 can be found above. In some scenarios, the second network element can be understood as a network element requesting consistency verification of the first data (e.g., the first network element in Example 5).

[0188] In some implementations, the second network element may include one or more peer DPRFs in the blockchain.

[0189] In some implementations, the first network element includes other nodes in the blockchain that provide data plane storage functionality. These other nodes are those in the blockchain other than the second network element. For example, the first network element can be a peer node of the second network element in the blockchain; taking the second network element as a DPRF (Data Utility Functional Provider), the first network element can be called a peer-to-peer DPRF.

[0190] In this embodiment, the method by which the first network element verifies the first data is not limited. For example, the first network element can call a smart contract to verify the consistency of the first data based on a consensus mechanism. The smart contract called by the first network element can have the same content as the first smart contract described above, or the smart contract called by the first network element can be the first smart contract itself.

[0191] Example 7: The first information is used to indicate the updated ledger status, which is associated with the first data.

[0192] In some implementations, the first network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or, the first network element resides in the blockchain. For example, the first network element is network element 1 (e.g., DPRF), where an introduction to network element 1 can be found above. As another example, the first network element could be the network element mentioned earlier that requests consistency verification of the first data.

[0193] In some implementations, the second network element includes other nodes in the blockchain that provide data plane storage functionality. These other nodes are those in the blockchain other than the first network element. For example, the second network element can be a peer node of the first network element in the blockchain; taking the first network element as a DPRF (Data Provider Requested) as an example, the second network element can be called a peer DPRF.

[0194] In some implementations, the ledger state is associated with the first data. This can be understood as the ledger state being used to record the process of operations performed on the first data. These operations may include one or more of the following: updating the first data, storing the first data, or retrieving the first data.

[0195] In some implementations, the aforementioned first information can be broadcast from the first network element to the second network element so that the second network element can determine whether the locally stored ledger status is consistent with the received ledger status.

[0196] In some implementations, the aforementioned first information can be sent by the first network element after the consistency verification of the first data has passed. That is, if the consistency verification of the first data passes, the first network element sends the first information to the second network element. For example, the first network element determines whether to execute the transaction associated with the first data based on the consistency verification result of the first data. If the consistency verification result of the first data passes, the first network element executes the transaction associated with the first data and updates the ledger status associated with the first data. Afterwards, the first network element can broadcast the new ledger status to the second network element. The execution of the transaction associated with the first data by the first network element may include the first network element creating a new block to store the first data and the corresponding transaction information, and connecting the new blockchain to the existing blockchain. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the execution of the transaction associated with the first data by the first network element may include the first network element adding the first data and the corresponding transaction information to the existing block.

[0197] In some implementations, the second network element can send a response message to the first network element regarding the first information, indicating whether the ledger status associated with the first data was successfully updated based on the first information. The ledger status associated with the first data can be stored locally on the second network element.

[0198] Example 8: The first information is used to indicate that the transaction (or data transaction) associated with the first data has been completed.

[0199] In some implementations, the first network element provides data plane storage functionality, while the second network element manages or controls data plane access. For example, the first network element is network element 1 (e.g., DPRF), and the second network element can be network element 2 (e.g., DPAC).

[0200] In other implementations, the first network element is used to manage or control data plane access, and the second network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, or network management equipment. For example, the first network element is network element 2 (e.g., DPAC), and the second network element can be a terminal equipment.

[0201] In other implementations, the first network element provides data plane storage functionality, and the second network element includes one of the following: a terminal device, an access network device, a core network element, an application device, or a network management device. For example, the first network element is network element 2 (e.g., DPAC), and the second network element can be a terminal device. In some scenarios, the first network element can send first information to the second network element through a third network element, where the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element's data plane access; for example, the third network element is network element 2 (e.g., DPAC).

[0202] In some implementations, the first information may be sent by the first network element after the blockchain node in the blockchain confirms that the ledger status of the first data association has been updated. That is to say, embodiment 8 can be combined with embodiment 7, and will be described below with reference to Figure 7.

[0203] The first information in the embodiments of this application has been described above with reference to Examples 1 to 8. In the embodiments of this application, the above embodiments can be used individually or in combination. The following describes the combination of the above embodiments with reference to Figure 7.

[0204] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a data storage scheme based on a data plane (e.g., data plane 310) in an embodiment of this application. The method shown in Figure 7 includes steps S710 to S724. Assume that network element 1 is DPRF, network element 2 is DPAC, network element 3 is DPSC, and the first data is data 1. The functions of each network element and the functions of the information described below can be found in the above description. The following mainly describes the coordination method of the first information between various embodiments.

[0205] In step S710, the terminal device sends a transaction request to the DPAC.

[0206] In some implementations, a transaction request is used to request the storage of data 1 from the terminal device to the data plane. This transaction request includes the data 1 to be stored, the terminal device ID, the transaction type, and a data description of data 1. Data 1 may include one or more of the following: application layer data of the terminal device, measurement result data based on the terminal device's configuration, location information of the terminal device, movement trajectory information, AI data of the terminal device, sensed data, etc. The terminal device ID may be, for example, a GPSI. The transaction type may indicate that the transaction is for storing data.

[0207] In step S711, DPAC determines whether to authorize the terminal device's transaction request based on the terminal device's subscription information.

[0208] In some implementations, DPAC queries the terminal device's subscription information based on the terminal device ID and transaction type to determine whether the terminal device has permission to execute the transaction corresponding to that transaction type. If the terminal device has permission, DPAC authorizes the terminal device's transaction request and executes step S712. Conversely, if the terminal device does not have permission, DPAC rejects the terminal device's transaction request.

[0209] In step S712, the DPAC sends a blockchain transaction request to the main DPRF, which corresponds to the transaction request.

[0210] In some implementations, a blockchain transaction request may include one or more of the following: data source ID (i.e., terminal device ID); transaction-associated ID; data description type; and data 1.

[0211] In some implementations, the primary DPRF is the node that can communicate directly with the DPAC. The DPAC can determine the primary DPRF based on its configuration.

[0212] In step S713, the main DRPF determines the matching DPSC based on the blockchain transaction request.

[0213] In step S714, the master DRPF sends a call request to the DPSC to request the invocation of the DPSC.

[0214] In some implementations, the call request may include parameter 1 as described above. Accordingly, the DPSC can determine the validity of the transaction for data 1 based on parameter 1. For example, the DPSC determines that data 1 is a sensing result from the terminal device based on the data description information in parameter 1. Then, the DPSC can determine the validity of data 1 based on the configured validity period of the sensing result and the generation time of data 1. If data 1 exceeds the validity period, the DPSC determines that data 1 is invalid and refuses to store it. The DPSC then returns an invalid transaction indication to the DPRF. Conversely, if data 1 is within the validity period, the DPSC determines that data 1 is valid and executes step S715.

[0215] In step S715, the DPSC returns the transaction verification result and ledger update status to the main DPRF.

[0216] In step S716, the master DRPF sends a request to the peer DPRF to verify the consistency of data 1 according to the consensus mechanism.

[0217] In some implementations, the main DPRF and the peer DPRF belong to the same blockchain, and the peer DPRF can be any other DPRF in that blockchain besides the main DPRF.

[0218] In step S717, the peer DPRF calls DPSC to perform a consistency check on data 1.

[0219] In step S718, the peer DPRF sends the consistency verification result to the master DPRF.

[0220] In step S719, the main DRPF confirms whether the consistency verification of data 1 has passed based on the consistency verification result.

[0221] In some implementations, if the consistency check of data 1 passes, the main DRPF updates the ledger state associated with data 1 and creates a new block to store data 1 and the transaction information associated with data 1.

[0222] In step S720, the primary DRPF broadcasts the ledger status associated with data 1 to the peer DRPF.

[0223] In step S721, the peer DRPF updates the locally stored ledger status based on the ledger status associated with the primary DRPF broadcast data 1.

[0224] In step S722, the peer DRPF returns response information to the primary DRPF to indicate whether the ledger status associated with data 1 has been successfully updated.

[0225] In step S723, the main DPRF sends a response message to the DPAC for the blockchain transaction request, which indicates that the transaction is completed.

[0226] In step S724, DPAC sends a response message to the terminal device in response to the transaction request, which indicates that the transaction is completed.

[0227] The method embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The apparatus embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 8 to 10. It should be understood that the descriptions of the method embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the apparatus embodiments. Therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the foregoing method embodiments.

[0228] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 800 shown in Figure 8 includes: a transmitting unit 810.

[0229] The sending unit 810 is used to send first information to the second network element, wherein the first information is associated with first data, and the first network element or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

[0230] In some implementations, the first information is used to request that the first data be stored in the second network element.

[0231] In some implementations, the first information carries one or more of the following: the first data; identification information of the data source of the first data; the transaction type of the first data; and data description information of the first data.

[0232] In some implementations, the first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through a third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

[0233] In some implementations, the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

[0234] In some implementations, the first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, or network management equipment.

[0235] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following: the first data; identification information of the data source of the first data; identification information associated with the data transaction of the first data; and data description information of the first data.

[0236] In some implementations, the first network element is used to manage or control data plane access, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

[0237] In some implementations, the first information is used to request the second network element to invoke the first smart contract associated with the first data, and the first smart contract is used to verify the first data.

[0238] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first smart contract; identification information associated with the data transaction of the first data; information for indicating a request for a data transaction based on the blockchain; and information for indicating the ledger status associated with the first data.

[0239] In some implementations, the first network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or the second network element is used to maintain the first smart contract.

[0240] In some implementations, the first information is used to indicate the verification result of the data transaction associated with the first data, and the verification result is used to indicate whether the data transaction is valid or invalid.

[0241] In some implementations, if the verification result is used to indicate that the data transaction is invalid, the first information is used to indicate the reason for the invalidity of the data transaction.

[0242] In some implementations, the first network element is used to maintain the first smart contract, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

[0243] In some implementations, the first information is used to request other nodes in the blockchain to perform consistency verification on the data transactions associated with the first data.

[0244] In some implementations, the first network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and the second network element includes other nodes in the blockchain.

[0245] In some implementations, the first information is used to indicate that the data transaction associated with the first data has been completed.

[0246] In some implementations, the first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through a third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

[0247] In some implementations, the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

[0248] In some implementations, the first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, or network management equipment.

[0249] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 includes a receiving unit 910.

[0250] The receiving unit 910 is used to receive first information sent by the first network element, wherein the first information is associated with first data, and the first network element or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

[0251] In some implementations, the first information is used to request that the first data be stored in the second network element.

[0252] In some implementations, the first information carries one or more of the following: the first data; identification information of the data source of the first data; the transaction type of the first data; and data description information of the first data.

[0253] In some implementations, the first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through a third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

[0254] In some implementations, the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

[0255] In some implementations, the first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, or network management equipment.

[0256] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following: the first data; identification information of the data source of the first data; identification information associated with the data transaction of the first data; and data description information of the first data.

[0257] In some implementations, the first network element is used to manage or control data plane access, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

[0258] In some implementations, the first information is used to request the second network element to invoke the first smart contract associated with the first data, and the first smart contract is used to verify the first data.

[0259] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following: identification information of the first smart contract; identification information associated with the data transaction of the first data; information for indicating a request for a data transaction based on the blockchain; and information for indicating the ledger status associated with the first data.

[0260] In some implementations, the first network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or the second network element is used to maintain the first smart contract.

[0261] In some implementations, the first information is used to indicate the verification result of the data transaction associated with the first data, and the verification result is used to indicate whether the data transaction is valid or invalid.

[0262] In some implementations, if the verification result is used to indicate that the data transaction is invalid, the first information is used to indicate the reason for the invalidity of the data transaction.

[0263] In some implementations, the first network element is used to maintain the first smart contract, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

[0264] In some implementations, the first information is used to request other nodes in the blockchain to perform consistency verification on the data transactions associated with the first data.

[0265] In some implementations, the first network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and the second network element includes other nodes in the blockchain.

[0266] In some implementations, the first information is used to indicate that the data transaction associated with the first data has been completed.

[0267] In some implementations, the first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through a third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

[0268] In some implementations, the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

[0269] In some implementations, the first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, or network management equipment.

[0270] In an optional embodiment, the transmitting unit 810 may be a transceiver 1030. The communication device 800 may also include a processor 1010 and a memory 1020, as shown in FIG10.

[0271] In an optional embodiment, the transmitting unit 910 may be a transceiver 1030. The communication device 900 may also include a processor 1010 and a memory 1020, as shown in FIG10.

[0272] Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The dashed lines in Figure 10 indicate that the unit or module is optional. This device 1000 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The device 1000 can be a chip, a terminal device, or a network device.

[0273] Apparatus 1000 may include one or more processors 1010. The processor 1010 may support apparatus 1000 in implementing the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The processor 1010 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0274] The apparatus 1000 may further include one or more memories 1020. The memories 1020 store a program that can be executed by the processor 1010, causing the processor 1010 to perform the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The memories 1020 may be independent of the processor 1010 or integrated within the processor 1010.

[0275] The device 1000 may also include a transceiver 1030. The processor 1010 can communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1030. For example, the processor 1010 can send and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1030.

[0276] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. This computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in this application, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0277] This application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in this application embodiment, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0278] This application also provides a computer program. This computer program can be applied to the terminal or network device provided in this application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0279] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. Furthermore, the terminology used in this application is only for explaining specific embodiments of the application and is not intended to limit the application. The terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0280] In the embodiments of this application, the term "instruction" can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being able to obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, so B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that there is a relationship between A and B.

[0281] In the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean that B is determined solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0282] In the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" can indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or an association between two things, or a relationship such as instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured.

[0283] In this application embodiment, "predefined" or "preconfigured" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices). This application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to what is defined in the protocol.

[0284] In this application embodiment, the "protocol" may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communication, such as the LTE protocol, the NR protocol, and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0285] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0286] In the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply 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 this application.

[0287] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0288] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. 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 the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0289] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0290] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can read or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs, DVDs) or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs), etc.

[0291] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, characterized in that, include: The first network element sends first information to the second network element, wherein the first information is associated with first data, and the first network element or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is used to request that the first data be stored in the second network element.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first information carries one or more of the following: The first data; The identifier information of the data source of the first data; The transaction type of the first data; The data description information of the first data.

4. The method as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through the third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The second network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, and network management equipment.

7. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following: The first data; The identifier information of the data source of the first data; The identification information associated with the data exchange in the first data; The data description information of the first data.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The first network element is used to manage or control data plane access, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

9. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is used to request the second network element to call the first smart contract associated with the first data, and the first smart contract is used to verify the first data.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following: The identification information of the first smart contract; The identification information associated with the data exchange in the first data; Information used to indicate a request for a data transaction based on the blockchain; Information used to indicate the status of the ledger associated with the first data.

11. The method as described in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The first network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is used to maintain the first smart contract.

12. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the verification result of the data transaction associated with the first data, and the verification result is used to indicate whether the data transaction is valid or invalid.

13. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, If the verification result is used to indicate that the data transaction is invalid, the first information is used to indicate the reason why the data transaction is invalid.

14. The method as described in claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The first network element is used to maintain the first smart contract, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

15. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is used to request other nodes in the blockchain to perform consistency verification on the data transactions associated with the first data.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The first network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and the second network element includes other nodes in the blockchain.

17. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate that the data transaction associated with the first data has been completed.

18. The method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through the third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

19. The method as described in claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The second network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17-19, characterized in that, The first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, and network management equipment.

21. A method for wireless communication, characterized in that, include: The second network element receives the first information sent by the first network element, wherein the first information is associated with the first data, and the first network element or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

22. The method as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The first information is used to request that the first data be stored in the second network element.

23. The method as described in claim 22, characterized in that, The first information carries one or more of the following: The first data; The identifier information of the data source of the first data; The transaction type of the first data; The data description information of the first data.

24. The method as described in claim 22 or 23, characterized in that, The first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through the third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

25. The method according to any one of claims 22-24, characterized in that, The second network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

26. The method according to any one of claims 22-25, characterized in that, The first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, and network management equipment.

27. The method as described in claim 22, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following: The first data; The identifier information of the data source of the first data; The identification information associated with the data exchange in the first data; The data description information of the first data.

28. The method as described in claim 27, characterized in that, The first network element is used to manage or control data plane access, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

29. The method as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The first information is used to request the second network element to call the first smart contract associated with the first data, and the first smart contract is used to verify the first data.

30. The method as described in claim 29, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following: The identification information of the first smart contract; The identification information associated with the data exchange in the first data; Information used to indicate a request for a data transaction based on the blockchain; Information used to indicate the status of the ledger associated with the first data.

31. The method as described in claim 29 or 30, characterized in that, The first network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is used to maintain the first smart contract.

32. The method as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the verification result of the data transaction associated with the first data, and the verification result is used to indicate whether the data transaction is valid or invalid.

33. The method as described in claim 32, characterized in that, If the verification result is used to indicate that the data transaction is invalid, the first information is used to indicate the reason why the data transaction is invalid.

34. The method as described in claim 32 or 33, characterized in that, The first network element is used to maintain the first smart contract, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

35. The method as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The first information is used to request other nodes in the blockchain to perform consistency verification on the data transactions associated with the first data.

36. The method as described in claim 35, characterized in that, The first network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and the second network element includes other nodes in the blockchain.

37. The method as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate that the data transaction associated with the first data has been completed.

38. The method as described in claim 37, characterized in that, The first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through the third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

39. The method as described in claim 37 or 38, characterized in that, The second network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

40. The method according to any one of claims 37-39, characterized in that, The first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, and network management equipment.

41. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The sending unit is configured to send first information to a second network element, wherein the first information is associated with first data, and the first network element... Alternatively, the second network element may be located in the blockchain.

42. The communication device as described in claim 41, characterized in that, The first information is used to request that the first data be stored in the second network element.

43. The communication device as described in claim 42, characterized in that, The first information carries one or more of the following: The first data; The identifier information of the data source of the first data; The transaction type of the first data; The data description information of the first data.

44. The communication device as described in claim 42 or 43, characterized in that, The first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through the third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

45. The communication device according to any one of claims 42-44, characterized in that, The second network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

46. ​​The communication device as described in any one of claims 42-45, characterized in that, The first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, and network management equipment.

47. The communication device as described in claim 42, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following: The first data; The identifier information of the data source of the first data; The identification information associated with the data exchange in the first data; The data description information of the first data.

48. The communication device as described in claim 47, characterized in that, The first network element is used to manage or control data plane access, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

49. The communication device as described in claim 41, characterized in that, The first information is used to request the second network element to call the first smart contract associated with the first data, and the first smart contract is used to verify the first data.

50. The communication device as described in claim 49, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following: The identification information of the first smart contract; The identification information associated with the data exchange in the first data; Information used to indicate a request for a data transaction based on the blockchain; Information used to indicate the status of the ledger associated with the first data.

51. The communication device as described in claim 49 or 50, characterized in that, The first network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is used to maintain the first smart contract.

52. The communication device as described in claim 41, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the verification result of the data transaction associated with the first data, and the verification result is used to indicate whether the data transaction is valid or invalid.

53. The communication device as described in claim 52, characterized in that, If the verification result is used to indicate that the data transaction is invalid, the first information is used to indicate the reason why the data transaction is invalid.

54. The communication device as described in claim 52 or 53, characterized in that, The first network element is used to maintain the first smart contract, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

55. The communication device as described in claim 41, characterized in that, The first information is used to request other nodes in the blockchain to perform consistency verification on the data transactions associated with the first data.

56. The communication device as described in claim 55, characterized in that, The first network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and the second network element includes other nodes in the blockchain.

57. The communication device as described in claim 41, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate that the data transaction associated with the first data has been completed.

58. The communication device as described in claim 57, characterized in that, The first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through the third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

59. The communication device as described in claim 57 or 58, characterized in that, The second network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

60. The communication device as described in any one of claims 57-59, characterized in that, The first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, and network management equipment.

61. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is a second network element, including: A receiving unit is used to receive first information sent by a first network element, wherein the first information is associated with first data, and the first network element or the second network element is located in a blockchain.

62. The communication device as described in claim 61, characterized in that, The first information is used to request that the first data be stored in the second network element.

63. The communication device as described in claim 62, characterized in that, The first information carries one or more of the following: The first data; The identifier information of the data source of the first data; The transaction type of the first data; The data description information of the first data.

64. The communication device as described in claim 62 or 63, characterized in that, The first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through the third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

65. The communication device as described in any one of claims 62-64, characterized in that, The second network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

66. The communication device as described in any one of claims 62-65, characterized in that, The first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, and network management equipment.

67. The communication device as described in claim 62, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following: The first data; The identifier information of the data source of the first data; The identification information associated with the data exchange in the first data; The data description information of the first data.

68. The communication device as described in claim 67, characterized in that, The first network element is used to manage or control data plane access, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

69. The communication device as described in claim 61, characterized in that, The first information is used to request the second network element to call the first smart contract associated with the first data, and the first smart contract is used to verify the first data.

70. The communication device as described in claim 69, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following: The identification information of the first smart contract; The identification information associated with the data exchange in the first data; Information used to indicate a request for a data transaction based on the blockchain; Information used to indicate the status of the ledger associated with the first data.

71. The communication device as described in claim 69 or 70, characterized in that, The first network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is used to maintain the first smart contract.

72. The communication device as described in claim 61, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the verification result of the data transaction associated with the first data, and the verification result is used to indicate whether the data transaction is valid or invalid.

73. The communication device as described in claim 72, characterized in that, If the verification result is used to indicate that the data transaction is invalid, the first information is used to indicate the reason why the data transaction is invalid.

74. The communication device as described in claim 72 or 73, characterized in that, The first network element is used to maintain the first smart contract, and / or the second network element is used to provide data plane storage functionality.

75. The communication device as described in claim 61, characterized in that, The first information is used to request other nodes in the blockchain to perform consistency verification on the data transactions associated with the first data.

76. The communication device as described in claim 75, characterized in that, The first network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and the second network element includes other nodes in the blockchain.

77. The communication device as described in claim 61, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate that the data transaction associated with the first data has been completed.

78. The communication device as described in claim 77, characterized in that, The first information is sent from the first network element to the second network element through the third network element, wherein the third network element is used to manage or control the first network element to access the data plane.

79. The communication device as described in claim 77 or 78, characterized in that, The second network element is used to provide data plane storage function, and / or the second network element is located in the blockchain.

80. The communication device as described in any one of claims 77-79, characterized in that, The first network element includes one of the following: terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network element, application equipment, and network management equipment.

81. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a program, and the processor invokes the program in the memory and controls the transceiver to receive or transmit signals so that the communication device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-20 and 21-40.

82. An apparatus, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling a program from memory to cause the apparatus to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-20 and 21-40.

83. A chip, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling a program from memory, causing a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-20 and 21-40.

84. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It contains a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-20 and 21-40.

85. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-20 and 21-40.

86. A computer program, characterized in that, The computer program causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-20 and 21-40.

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