Wireless communication method and communication device

Abstract

Provided are a wireless communication method and a communication device. The method comprises: a first device being handed over from a first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide access services for a data plane. In embodiments of the present application, a first device can perform a handover process for a first network element, that is, handover from the first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide access services for a data plane, facilitating the first device to communicate with the data plane by means of the second network element, thereby improving the continuity of data plane-based services.

Description

Method and communication device for wireless communication TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication, and more particularly, to a method and a communication device for wireless communication. BACKGROUND

[0002] For a communication system including a data plane, a first network element (e.g., a data plane access controller (DPAC)) is introduced so that the first device can interact with the data plane through the first network element. However, the coverage of the first network element is limited, which can result in that the first device cannot communicate with the data plane through the first network element, and thus the data plane based service is interrupted.

[0003] SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a method and a communication device for wireless communication. The following introduces each aspect of the present application.

[0005] In a first aspect, a method for wireless communication is provided, comprising: switching, by a first device, from a first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide access service for a data plane.

[0006] In a second aspect, a method for wireless communication is provided, comprising: sending, by a target device, first information to a first device, wherein the first information is configured to determine the first device to switch from a first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide access service for a data plane.

[0007] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, which is a first device, comprising: a processing unit configured to switch from a first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide access service for a data plane.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is a target device, comprising: a sending unit configured to send first information to a first device, wherein the first information is configured to determine the first device to switch from a first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide access service for a data plane.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory and a communication interface, wherein the memory is configured to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is configured to invoke the computer programs in the memory, so that the communication device performs part or all steps in the method of the above aspects.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which comprises the communication device described above. In another possible design, the system can further comprise other devices interacting with the communication device in the solution provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. The computer program causes a communication device to perform some or all of the steps of the methods in the various aspects described above.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program. The computer program is operable to cause a communication device to perform some or all of the steps of the methods in the various aspects described above. In some implementations, the computer program product can be a software installation package.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip. The chip includes a memory and a processor. The processor can invoke and run a computer program from the memory, to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods in the various aspects described above.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present application, the first device can perform a handover procedure for the first network element, i.e., handover from the first network element to the second network element, where the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide access services for a data plane, which facilitates the first device to communicate with the data plane through the second network element, to improve the continuity of data plane service-based services. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture to which embodiments of the present application are applicable.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a blockchain architecture to which embodiments of the present application are applicable.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture including a data plane provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a data plane provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of operation logic of a smart contract in an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of a method of wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] FIGS. 7-10 are schematic flowcharts of solutions for a first device to perform handover in an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] FIG. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The technical solutions in the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate understanding, the following will first introduce the schematic diagram of the communication system architecture of the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application. The network architecture can include terminal devices, access network (AN) network elements, and core network network elements.

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

[0027] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can also be referred to as a user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station (MS), an MT, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless core network network element, a user agent or a user apparatus. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can refer to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity for a user, and can be used to connect people, things and machines, such as handheld devices with wireless connection functions, vehicle-mounted devices, etc. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer (Pad), a notebook computer, a palm computer, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, etc. Optionally, the terminal device can be used to act as a base station. For example, the terminal device can act as a scheduling entity, which provides sidelink signals between terminal devices in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) or device to device (D2D), etc. For example, a cellular phone and a car communicate with each other using sidelink signals. The cellular phone and the smart home device communicate with each other without relaying the communication signals through the base station.

[0028] The access network element can be an access device through which a terminal accesses the network architecture by wireless means, and is mainly responsible for wireless resource management, quality of service (QoS) management, data compression and encryption, etc. on the air interface side. The access network element can also be referred to as a radio access network (RAN) device, for example, the access network element can be a base station. The base station can broadly cover various names in the following or replace the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master 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. The base station can be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node, or the like, or a combination thereof. The base station can also refer to a communication module, modem or chip used in the aforementioned device or apparatus. The base station can also be a mobile switching center and a device that performs the function of a base station in D2D, V2X, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, a network side device in a 6G network, a device that performs the function of a base station in a future communication system, etc. The base station can support networks of the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the access network element.

[0029] The base station can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or a drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move according to the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, the helicopter or the drone can be configured to act as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0030] In some deployments, the access network element in the embodiments of the present application can refer to a CU or a DU, or the access network element includes a CU and a DU. The gNB can also include an AAU.

[0031] The type of the core network element can include a user plane function (UPF) network element, an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, a session management function (SMF) network element, a policy control function (PCF) network element, an application function (AF), a data network (DN), a network slice selection function (NSSF), an authentication server function (AUSF), a unified data management (UDM), a network exposure function (NEF), a network repository function (NRF), and a network slice-specific authentication and authorization function (NSSAAF). Among them, the UPF network element is mainly responsible for the transmission of user data, and other network elements can be referred to as control plane function network elements, which are mainly responsible for authentication, authorization, registration management, session management, mobility management, and policy control, etc. to ensure reliable and stable transmission of user data.

[0032] The UPF network element can be used to forward and receive data of the terminal. For example, the UPF network element can receive service data from a data network and transmit it to the terminal through the access network element; the UPF network element can also receive user data from the terminal through the access network element and forward it to the data network. Among them, 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 a user plane connection between the UPF network element and the access network element, and a channel established between the access network element and the terminal. Among them, the user plane connection is a QoS flow that can be established between the UPF network element and the access network element to transmit data.

[0033] The AMF network element can be used to manage the terminal access to the core network, for example: location update of the terminal, registration network, access control, mobility management of the terminal, attachment and detachment of the terminal, etc. The AMF network element can also provide storage resources for the control plane of the session for the terminal in the case of providing services for the session, to store the session identifier, the SMF network element identifier associated with the session identifier, etc.

[0034] The SMF network element can be used to select a user plane network element for the terminal, redirect a user plane network element for the terminal, allocate an internet protocol (IP) address for the terminal, establish a bearer (also referred to as a session) between the terminal and the UPF network element, modify the session, release, and QoS control.

[0035] The PCF network element is used to provide policies such as QoS policies, slice selection policies, etc. to the AMF network element and the SMF network element.

[0036] The AF network element is used to interact with the 3GPP core network element to support application influence data routing, access network exposure functions, and interact with the PCF network element for policy control, etc.

[0037] The DN can provide data services for users, such as IP multi-media service (IMS) networks, the Internet, etc. There can be various application servers (AS) in the DN to provide different application services, such as operator services, Internet access or third-party services, etc. The AS can implement the functions of the AF.

[0038] The NSSF is used for network slice selection, and the supported functions include: selecting a set of network slice implementations to serve the terminal device; determining the allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), and determining the mapping to the single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) of the subscription when needed; determining the configured NSSAI, and determining the mapping to the S-NSSAI of the subscription when needed; determining a set of AMFs that can be queried for the terminal device, or determining a list of candidate AMFs based on configuration.

[0039] The AUSF is used to receive a request for terminal authentication from the AMF, request a key from the UDM, and then forward the issued key to the AMF for authentication processing.

[0040] The UDM includes functions such as generation and storage of user subscription data, management of authentication data, and supports interaction with external third-party servers.

[0041] The NEF is used for capability exposure, that is, based on the NEF, the capability of the network can be output to an external network. An external untrusted application can access internal data of the core network through the NEF to ensure the security of the network. The NEF can provide functions such as external application QoS capability exposure, event subscription, AF request distribution, and the like.

[0042] The NRF is used for registering, managing, and detecting the state of core network elements, thereby realizing automatic management of the core network elements. When a core network element starts, it must be registered with the NRF to provide services. The registration information may, for example, include the type, address, and service list of the core network element.

[0043] In addition, some networks (for example, a 5G network) also increase a network data analysis function (network data analytics function, NWDAF) in the core network. Based on the NWDAF, data can be collected from various network elements, network management systems, and the like of the core network, and big data statistics, analysis, or intelligent data analysis can be performed, thereby obtaining analysis or prediction data on the network side, and further assisting various network elements in more effectively controlling terminal device access according to the data analysis results.

[0044] In some communication systems (for example, a 5G system), the core network element can also be referred to as a network function (network function, NF).

[0045] The network elements in FIG. 1 can be network elements in a hardware device, software functions running on a dedicated hardware, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (for example, a cloud platform). It should be noted that in the network architecture shown in the above figure, only the network elements included in the entire network architecture are exemplarily illustrated. In the embodiments of the present application, the network elements included in the entire network architecture are not limited.

[0046] Those skilled in the art can understand that the network architecture shown in FIG. 1 does not constitute a limitation on the network architecture, and in actual implementation, the network architecture can include more or fewer network elements than those shown in the figure, or some network elements can be combined, and the like. It should be understood that the AN or RAN is represented in the form of (R)AN in FIG. 1.

[0047] In some scenarios, the network device and the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on the water surface; and can also be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites in the air. The scenarios in which the network device and the terminal device are located are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0048] By way of example, and without limitation, in embodiments of the present application, a network device can have a mobile characteristic, for example, the network device can be a mobile device. In some embodiments of the present application, the network device can be a satellite, a balloon station. For example, the satellite can 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 the present application, the network device can also be a base station arranged at a location on land, water, etc.

[0049] In embodiments of the present application, a network device can serve a cell, and a terminal device communicates with the network device through a transmission resource (for example, a frequency domain resource, or a spectrum resource) used by the cell. The cell can be a cell corresponding to the network device (for example, a base station), and the cell can belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cell can include a metro cell, a micro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, etc., and these small cells have the characteristics of small coverage and low transmit power, and are suitable for providing high-rate data transmission services.

[0050] It should be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can be direct indication, or indirect indication, or can be an indication of an associated relationship. For example, A indicates B, which can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can be obtained through A; or A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; or A and B have an associated relationship.

[0051] In the description of embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" can mean a direct or indirect corresponding relationship between the two, or an associated relationship between the two, or an indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0052] The "configuration" in the embodiments of the present application can include configuration through at least one of a system message, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, and a media access control control element (MAC CE).

[0053] In some embodiments of the present application, "predefined" or "preset" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables or other means for indicating relevant information in devices (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices), and the present application does not limit the specific implementation manner thereof. For example, predefined can refer to defined in a protocol.

[0054] In some embodiments of the present application, the "protocol" can refer to a standard protocol in the communication field, which can include, for example, an LTE protocol, an NR protocol and a relevant protocol applied in a future communication system, and the present application does not limit this.

[0055] For the convenience of understanding, some relevant technical knowledge related to the embodiments of the present application is introduced first. The following relevant technologies can be combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application in any manner as optional schemes, and all belong to the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application. The embodiments of the present application include at least part of the following contents.

[0056] Blockchain

[0057] Referring to FIG. 2, the blockchain 200 is a typical distributed collaborative system. The system includes a plurality of blockchain nodes 210. The plurality of blockchain nodes 210 can jointly maintain a growing distributed data record. The data of the records can be protected in content and time sequence through a cryptography technology, so that any party is difficult to tamper with, deny or fake. The blockchain node 210 can be a device with computing capability, for example, a server, a server group, a blockchain chip, etc., wherein the server group can be centralized or distributed. In some other implementation manners, the above-mentioned server can also be a server providing services for a cloud platform.

[0058] In some implementation manners, the blockchain can include three basic elements: transaction, block and chain. In the blockchain, data (e.g., transaction information, transaction execution result (also referred to as "state result") and the like) can be encapsulated in the form of a block. Blocks can be linked to each other through forward references to form a "chain", also known as a blockchain.

[0059] In some implementation manners, a transaction can be understood as an operation, and performing a transaction can trigger a change of a ledger state in the blockchain.

[0060] In some implementation manners, the above-mentioned block is used to record transactions and state results occurring in a period of time. A node responsible for accounting in the blockchain can perform a consensus on the current ledger state based on the block, and the consensus mechanism can be referred to the introduction below.

[0061] In some implementations, the blockchain can record a log of the entire state change. That is, each block in the blockchain holds data records (i.e., transactions, also referred to as “data transactions”) within a specified time period, and forms a secure and reliable chain through cryptography, forming a tamper-proof, all-common distributed ledger (also referred to as a data ledger). In simple terms, the blockchain is an account book that records all historical transactions, and each node holds a copy. The nodes ensure that everyone’s account book eventually converges through a consensus algorithm. Each block in the blockchain is like a page of the account book, recording a batch of transaction entries. In this way, all transaction details are recorded in a public ledger that can be viewed by any node. If you want to modify a recorded transaction, you need to modify all the nodes that hold the ledger at the same time. At the same time, since each page in the blockchain ledger records a summary of the previous page, if you modify the account book of a page (i.e., tamper with a block), the summary will not match the summary recorded on the next page. At this time, the next page of content needs to be modified, which further causes the summary of the next page to not match the record of the next page. In this way, the modification of a transaction will cause the modification of all subsequent block summaries. Considering that all people need to recognize these changes, this will be a nearly impossible task due to the enormous amount of work. For this reason, the blockchain has the characteristic of being tamper-proof.

[0062] Generally, a block can include a block header and a block body. The block header can contain basic information of the current block to ensure that the current block can correctly enter the blockchain. For example, the block header can record the block hash value of the previous block of the current block. For another example, the block header can also record the block height of the current block. The block height, referred to as “block height” for short, is used to identify the position of the block in the blockchain. In some implementations, the block height of the genesis block is 0. The block body can be used to record transaction information. The transaction information can include, for example, transaction quantity and transaction data.

[0063] The blockchain is generally divided into three types: public blockchain, private blockchain, and consortium blockchain. In addition, there can be combinations of the above types, such as private blockchain + consortium blockchain, consortium blockchain + public blockchain, etc. The embodiments provided in the present application can be implemented in a suitable type of blockchain.

[0064] Consensus mechanism

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

[0066] The consensus mechanism of the blockchain has the characteristics of "minority obeying majority" and "everyone is equal". The "minority obeying majority" does not refer to the number of nodes, but also can be the computing power, the number of shares or other characteristics that can be compared by computers. "Everyone is equal" means that when the node meets the conditions, all nodes have the right to propose a consensus result, are directly recognized by other nodes, and finally have the possibility to become the final consensus result. For example, Bitcoin uses proof of work. Only when more than 51% of the accounting nodes in the entire network are controlled, it is possible to forge a non-existent record. When the number of nodes joining the blockchain is large enough, it is basically impossible, thereby eliminating the possibility of fraud.

[0067] The self-trust of the blockchain mainly reflects that the users distributed in the blockchain do not need to trust the other party of the transaction or a centralized institution, but only need to trust the software system under the blockchain protocol to realize the transaction. The premise of this self-trust is the consensus mechanism of the blockchain, that is, in a market where each node does not trust each other, the sufficient and necessary condition for the nodes to reach an agreement is that each node will voluntarily and honestly comply with the rules set in the protocol to judge the authenticity of each record, and finally record the record judged to be true in the blockchain. In other words, if each node has its own independent interests and competes with each other, it is almost impossible for these nodes to collude and cheat you, and this is particularly evident when the nodes have public credit in the network. The blockchain technology uses a set of consensus-based mathematical algorithms to establish a "trust" network between machines, thereby creating new credit through technical endorsement rather than a centralized credit institution.

[0068] The consensus mechanism of the blockchain can be one of the following consensus mechanisms: proof of work (PoW), proof of stake, proof of share, verification pool and practical byzantine fault tolerance (PBFT).

[0069] Smart contract

[0070] A smart contract is a set of promises defined in digital form, including agreements that contract participants can execute on them. Alternatively, a smart contract can be understood as a program deployed on a computer system that can be automatically executed when the triggering condition of the smart contract is met.

[0071] The emergence of blockchain provides technical support for the implementation of smart contracts. The smart contract is written in a digital form into the blockchain, and the characteristics of the blockchain technology guarantee the transparency and traceability of the storage, reading and execution of the smart contract. On the other hand, a state machine system can be built by the consensus algorithm of the blockchain, so that the smart contract can be efficiently run. For a transaction, if the conditions of the smart contract are met, the transaction is considered valid, and the transaction information of the transaction can be recorded by the blockchain and the ledger is updated accordingly.

[0072] In some implementations, a user can invoke a smart contract by submitting a transaction to a blockchain system, set data recorded in the smart contract, and store the set smart contract in the blockchain. Accordingly, when a specific condition of the smart contract is triggered, the blockchain node can execute the smart contract and record the execution result and the execution status of the smart contract.

[0073] In some implementations, the smart contract can include a code function (function) and can interact with other contracts, make decisions, store data, etc.

[0074] Currently, various industries and even some fields in an industry (for example, finance, public welfare, insurance, cross-border payment, etc.) can build different types of blockchains according to their own industrial structure, and record valuable information and assets in the industry or industry on the blockchain.

[0075] Data plane (DP)

[0076] In some scenarios (for example, practical experience of intelligent 5G network), it is very difficult to obtain data, and the quality of the data is difficult to guarantee. On the one hand, the data collection based on network management also has the problems of less data types, long collection period (15 minutes), non-uniform data format, naming and calculation method of different manufacturers, which leads to the difficulty of opening network management data. On the other hand, it is more difficult to collect data from terminal devices, because collecting data from terminal devices may lead to leakage of private data and reduction of data security. Therefore, how to ensure that the data collected from the terminal device can be processed by a trusted node so as to not leak the privacy of the user, or how to track the collected data throughout the life cycle and ensure that the use of any data by any data consumer will be recorded, are currently unsolvable problems.

[0077] To solve the above problems, in some network architectures (for example, 6G network architecture), a scheme of adding a "data plane" is proposed. In some implementations, the data elements in the data plane will cover internal and external data of the network, including business data, user data, network data, perception data, external data, etc.

[0078] In some implementations, the basic data service (or data plane service) includes data collection, data preprocessing, data storage, data access, data sharing and collaboration, etc. Among them, the basic data service can have the following characteristics: supporting trusted authentication, authorization and access, efficient data storage and management, on-demand data collection, data preprocessing, and external data opening. That is, the data plane can include one or more network elements that provide basic data services for the above data elements, or the data plane includes one or more functions (or network elements) to support one or more of the following data services: trusted, flexible data collection, data opening, data preprocessing, data storage, data tracking between data sources and data consumers. Among them, 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 calling requirements.

[0079] In some networks (for example, in a 6G network), "trust" will become an important requirement for users of data services, where data services are mainly reflected in data collection, data storage, data access, data sharing, etc. How to provide trusted storage and traceable characteristics of data in the process of providing data services has become a key problem that the data plane needs to solve.

[0080] Therefore, to solve the above problems, the embodiments of the present application introduce a data plane. 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 noted that, in the following, the term data plane is used as an example for illustration, where the data plane can also be referred to as "data plane" or "data network element set". Of course, this term can also be replaced by other terms in the communication system that have the same function or similar function. In the embodiments of the present application, the name of the data plane is not limited.

[0081] The following describes a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture including a data plane provided by the embodiments of the present application in combination with FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 3, the data plane 310 can include a network element 1 and / or a network element 2. In some implementations, the network element 1 is used to provide a data plane storage function, or in other words, the network element 1 is used to provide storage space for data to be stored in the data plane. Correspondingly, the network element 1 can also be referred to as a "data plane repository function (DPRF)". Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the name of the network element 1 is not limited. For example, the network element 1 can also be referred to as a "data plane repository infrastructure".

[0082] In some implementations, the network element 1 can be a blockchain node (e.g., the blockchain node 210) in the blockchain, which can help to implement functions such as trusted data storage in the communication system architecture by virtue of the features of the blockchain introduced above.

[0083] It should be noted that the network element 1 can correspond to one or more entity devices (e.g., servers). If the network element 1 corresponds to multiple entity devices, it can be understood that the network element is distributed. Among them, part or all of the entity devices in the multiple entity devices can be located in the blockchain. For example, the multiple entity devices can correspond to multiple blockchain nodes in the blockchain.

[0084] In some implementations, if the network element 1 is distributed and the multiple entity devices corresponding to the network element 1 belong to the same blockchain node, the multiple entity devices will store the same data, thereby ensuring the non-tamperability of the data.

[0085] In some implementations, the network element 1 can be used for one or more of the following: processing transaction requests, cooperating with other peer nodes, adding successfully verified transaction information to a newly created block, updating and maintaining the ledger corresponding to each blockchain node, and opening an application programming interface (API).

[0086] In some implementations, the above processing of transaction requests may, for example, include storing data based on transaction requests and / or retrieving data based on transaction requests.

[0087] In some implementations, the above cooperation with other peer nodes (also known as peer DPRF) may, for example, include verifying the consistency of transaction data and / or providing distributed storage for data together with other peer nodes. Among them, the peer node can refer to a blockchain node that saves a copy of the ledger and / or a copy of the smart contract in the blockchain.

[0088] In some implementations, the above adding of successfully verified transaction information to a newly created block may, for example, include adding the successfully verified transaction information to a newly created block after verification by a smart contract and a consensus algorithm, and linking the block to the blockchain.

[0089] In some implementations, the network element 1 can update and maintain the ledger corresponding to each blockchain node, which can help to provide transaction information for tracking each transaction.

[0090] In some implementations, the network element 1 can open an API interface, so that other network elements (e.g., the network element 2 introduced below) can call the interface to perform blockchain-based data services with the network element 1.

[0091] The network element 1 in the data plane provided by the embodiments of the present application is introduced above, and the network element 2 in the data plane provided by the embodiments of the present application is introduced below. In some implementation modes, the network element 2 is used to manage or control data plane access, and therefore, the network element 2 can also be referred to as DPAC. Of course, the network element 2 can also be referred to as one or more of the following in the embodiments of the present application: data plane management network element, data plane interface, data plane control network element, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0092] In some implementation modes, the above management or control of data plane access can include one or more of the following: collecting data to be stored in the data plane; performing security verification on the data to be stored in the data plane; managing the identification information of the data source of the data stored in the data plane; managing the identification information of the data consumer of the data stored in the data plane; managing the access permission of the data stored in the data plane; format conversion; performing data tracking on the data stored in the data plane; and interacting with the storage network element in the data plane.

[0093] In some implementation modes, the above collection of data to be stored in the data plane can include the data of the communication system (for example, the communication system shown in FIG. 1) to be stored in the data plane.

[0094] In some implementation modes, the above security verification on the data to be stored in the data plane can include, for example, security verification on the data to be stored by using a smart contract and / or a consensus mechanism.

[0095] In some implementation modes, the above identification information of the data source of the data can be understood as the identification information of the data source corresponding to the stored data. For example, if the terminal device 1 stores data in the data plane, the identification information of the data source of the data can include the identification information of the terminal device 1, and correspondingly, the network element 2 is used to store the identification information of the terminal device 1 corresponding to the data. For another example, if the AF 1 stores data in the data plane, the identification information of the data source of the data can include the identification information of the AF 1, and correspondingly, the network element 2 is used to store the identification information of the AF 1 corresponding to the data.

[0096] In some implementation modes, the above identification information of the data consumer can be understood as the identification information of the consumer who purchases or subscribes to the data. For example, if the AF 2 subscribes to data in the data plane, the data consumer corresponding to the data is the AF 2, and correspondingly, the network element 2 is used to store the identification information of the AF 2 corresponding to the data.

[0097] In some implementation modes, the above access permission can be used to indicate which user or device can access the data, or in other words, the above access permission can be used to indicate which data a certain user or device can access.

[0098] In some scenarios, the format of the data received by the network element 2 can be different from the format supported by the storage network element, accordingly, the format conversion described above can include that the network element 2 converts the format of the received data into the format supported by the storage network element. Of course, in the embodiment of the present application, the format conversion described above can also include that the network element 2 converts the format of the data stored in the storage network element into the format of the data supported by the data request end (for example, the data consumer). Wherein, the storage network element can be, for example, the network element 1 introduced above.

[0099] In some implementations, tracking the data stored in the data plane can include tracking the modification process corresponding to the data. Of course, in the embodiment of the present application, tracking the data can include tracking the data source corresponding to the data, and / or tracking the data consumer calling the data.

[0100] In some implementations, interacting with the storage network element in the data plane can be understood as that the network element 2 is used to interact with the network element 1 in the data plane. For example, the network element 2 can store data into the network element 1, that is, the network element 2 can send a transaction request to the network element 1 to request to store the data to be stored into the network element 2, wherein the data to be stored can be sent to the network element 1 by the data source. For another example, the network element 2 can obtain the data to be accessed (or said to be called) from the network element 1, that is, the network element 2 can send a transaction request to the network element 1 to request to obtain the data to be accessed, wherein the data to be accessed can be the data requested to be accessed by the data consumer to the network element 2.

[0101] In some implementations, the network element 2 can be located in the core network, that is, the network element 2 can be a core network element.

[0102] It should be noted that the function corresponding to the network element 2 in the embodiment of the present application can be realized by enhancing the data collection coordination function (DCCF). That is, the network element 2 can be a network element with the DCCF. Of course, in the embodiment of the present application, the network element 2 can be an independent core network element.

[0103] As introduced above, in order to improve the credibility and traceability of the data, the network element 1 can be implemented through a blockchain architecture, for example, the network element 1 can be a blockchain node. At this time, the network element 2 can interact with the blockchain to store the data in the communication network (for example, the 6G communication network) into the blockchain.

[0104] For ease of understanding, the following data is taken as an example of data collection by a terminal device, and the network element 1 and the network element 2 in the embodiments of the present application are introduced. It is assumed that the terminal device is a data source, the network element 1 is a DPRF, and the network element 2 is a DPAC. In the process of transaction between the terminal device and the data plane, the terminal device can send a transaction request to the DPAC, and the transaction request carries one or more of the following: data source ID (i.e., terminal device ID), data itself, and data description information. Correspondingly, the DPAC verifies the data source ID according to the transaction request sent by the terminal device. If the verification is passed, 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 is used to describe the function of the data, or in other words, the data description information is used to describe the content of the data. For example, for the sensing data of the terminal device, the data description information of the data is used to indicate that the data is the sensing data of the terminal device.

[0105] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, the network element 2 in the data plane 310 can communicate with the control plane 320 through an interface. Taking the network element 2 as a DPAC as an example, the interface can be represented as N DPAC .

[0106] In some implementations, the network element in the control plane 320 can communicate with the network element of the user plane 330. For example, the AMF in the control plane 320 can communicate with the terminal device (i.e., UE) in the user plane 330 through the N1 interface. For another example, the AMF in the control plane 320 can communicate with the access network network element in the user plane 330 through the N2 interface. For another example, the SMF in the control plane 320 can communicate with the UPF in the user plane 330 through the N4 interface.

[0107] In some implementations, the terminal device can access the data plane 310 through the user plane. In other implementations, the terminal device can access the data plane 310 through the control plane 320. For example, the terminal device can communicate with the network element 2 (i.e., DPAC) through the AMF.

[0108] For the access network network element, in some implementations, the access network network element can access the data plane 310 through the user plane 330. For example, the access network network element can access the control plane 320 (e.g., SMF) through the UPF, and then access the DPAC in the data plane 310 through the control plane 320. In other implementations, the access network network element can be connected to the control plane 320 through the interface N2, and access the data plane 310 through the control plane 320. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device and / or the access network network element can respectively establish a separate connection to communicate with the data plane 320.

[0109] In some scenarios, the data plane is a distributed architecture, which helps to support flexible and efficient data management. That is, the distributed data plane can include multiple network elements 1, and accordingly, different network elements 1 can be associated with different or same network elements 2. At this time, the data source can access through selecting a data plane (or network element 2) that is closer, thereby reducing the transmission delay of data.

[0110] The network element 1 and the network element 2 included in the data plane in the embodiments of the present application are introduced above. In the embodiments of the present application, the network elements included in the data plane are not limited. In some implementation manners, referring to FIG. 4, the data plane 310 can further include a network element 3 and / or a network element 4.

[0111] In some implementation manners, the network element 3 is configured to provide a smart contract of the data plane, which is configured to verify whether a transaction request is valid, or which is configured to verify whether data associated with the transaction request is valid, or which is configured to verify whether a transaction associated with the transaction request is valid. Therefore, the network element 3 can also be referred to as a data plane smart contract (DPSC).

[0112] In some implementation manners, the network element 3 can include multiple conditions. Generally, if a transaction satisfies all the conditions recorded in the network element 3, the transaction can be considered valid, and accordingly, the transaction can be executed (for example, data requested to be stored by the transaction can be stored in the network element 1). On the contrary, if the transaction does not satisfy part or all of the conditions recorded in the network element 3, the transaction can be considered invalid, and accordingly, the transaction is not executed.

[0113] In some implementation manners, the network element 4 is configured to record a ledger of the data plane, wherein the ledger is configured to record transaction information occurred, which can include one or more of the following: data itself, data source, data consumer, timestamp, subsequent use of data, and data description information of the data.

[0114] In some implementation manners, for each network element 1 (i.e., DPRF) of the same blockchain, the same ledger is stored, which helps to improve the traceability and non-tamperability of data.

[0115] As described above, the network element 4 is configured to record a ledger of the data plane, and therefore, the network element 4 can also be referred to as a data plane data ledger (DPDL).

[0116] For ease of understanding, the operation logic of the smart contract in the embodiments of the present application is described below in combination with FIG. 5. Referring to FIG. 5, it is assumed that the network element 1 is a DPRF and the network element 2 is a DPAC. If the DPAC sends a transaction request to the DPRF, the DPRF sends a parameter 1 associated with the transaction request to the DPSC, so that the DPSC determines whether the transaction request is valid. Correspondingly, the DPSC can determine whether the transaction request is valid based on a preconfigured condition, and outputs a parameter 2 to the DPRF.

[0117] In some implementations, the parameter 1 can include one or more of the following: identification information of the smart contract; information used to indicate a request for a blockchain-based transaction; a transaction request; ledger state information; and identification information associated with the transaction.

[0118] In some implementations, the identification information of the smart contract can be, for example, an ID of the smart contract. In the embodiments of the present application, the determination manner of the identification information of the smart contract is not limited. For example, the DPRF can determine the identification information of the smart contract based on the type of the transaction request.

[0119] In some implementations, the parameter 1 includes information used to indicate a request for a blockchain-based data transaction, that is, the parameter 1 can be used to indicate that the transaction corresponds to a blockchain-based data transaction, where the data transaction can include, for example, data storage and / or data retrieval.

[0120] In some implementations, the transaction request can include data description information of data associated with the transaction request. The data associated with the transaction request can include, for example, data requested to be called by the transaction request and / or data requested to be stored by the transaction request.

[0121] In some implementations, the DPRF can provide the DPSC with the ledger state information of the currently stored ledger, so that the DPSC can verify the validity of the data and achieve traceability of the data.

[0122] In some implementations, the identification information associated with the transaction is used to indicate a data service associated with the transaction request, that is, the identification information can represent whether the transaction request sent by the DPRF each time 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 can need to be executed in multiple transactions, and multiple transactions are associated with multiple transaction requests. At this time, the above identification information can be used to indicate that the multiple transaction requests are for data of the same data service.

[0123] In some implementations, the above parameter 2 can include one or more of the following information: information used to indicate acceptance or rejection of the transaction; information used to indicate whether the transaction is valid; information used to indicate the reason why the transaction is invalid; and updated ledger state.

[0124] In some embodiments, if the DPSC determines that the transaction is valid according to the internal logic, the parameter 2 includes information indicating that the transaction is accepted. Conversely, if the DPSC determines that the transaction is invalid according to the internal logic, the parameter 2 includes information indicating that the transaction is rejected.

[0125] In some embodiments, if the DPSC determines that the transaction is valid according to the internal logic (e.g., the preconfigured condition described above), the parameter 2 includes information indicating that the transaction is valid. Conversely, if the DPSC determines that the transaction is invalid according to the internal logic, the parameter 2 includes information indicating that the transaction is invalid.

[0126] It should be noted that the information indicating that the transaction is accepted or rejected and the information indicating whether the transaction is valid can be indicated by the same information to reduce transmission overhead. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the information indicating that the transaction is accepted or rejected and the information indicating whether the transaction is valid can be independent information.

[0127] In some embodiments, the parameter 2 can include information indicating the reason why the transaction is invalid, so that the user can confirm the reason why the transaction is invalid, thereby improving the user experience.

[0128] In some embodiments, if the transaction is valid, the parameter 2 can include the updated ledger state, so that the DPRF stores the updated ledger state.

[0129] For example, the transaction request in the parameter 1 carries data description information of the data 1, and the data description information indicates that the data 1 is the sensing result of the terminal device. Accordingly, after receiving the parameter 1, the DPSC can know that the data 1 is the sensing result of the terminal device based on the data description information. Then, the DPSC can determine whether the data 1 is valid within the valid time based on the preconfigured valid time of the sensing result, i.e., whether the data 1 is valid. If the generation time of the data 1 exceeds the valid time, the DPSC determines that the data 1 is invalid. If the generation time of the data 1 does not exceed the valid time, the DPSC determines that the data 1 is valid.

[0130] It should be noted that the network element 1, the network element 2, the network element 3, and the network element 4 described above can be understood as network elements abstracted from the functional level, that is, part or all of the network element 1, the network element 2, the network element 3, and the network element 4 can be implemented by one or more hardware devices. Accordingly, in some scenarios, the network element 1, the network element 2, the network element 3, and the network element 4 described above can also be referred to as function 1, function 2, function 3, and function 4.

[0131] Based on the foregoing introduction, for a communication system including a data plane, a network element 2 (also referred to as a "DPAC") is introduced so that the first device can interact with the data plane through the network element 2. However, the coverage of the network element 2 is limited, which can cause the first device to be unable to communicate through the network element 2. For example, as the first device moves, the first device can move out of the coverage of the network element 2, at this time, the first device is unable to communicate with the network element 2, and accordingly, the first device is also unable to communicate with the data plane through the network element 2, which can cause the data plane service to be interrupted.

[0132] Therefore, to solve the above problem, the embodiments of the present application propose that the first device can perform a handover scheme for the network element 2, which helps the first device to communicate with the data plane through the newly handover network element 2 (hereinafter referred to as a second network element), so as to improve the continuity of the data plane service. To facilitate understanding, the method of wireless communication of the embodiments of the present application is introduced below in combination with FIG. 6. The method shown in FIG. 6 includes step S610.

[0133] In step S610, the first device is handed over from a first network element to a second network element.

[0134] In some implementations, the first network element and the second network element are used to provide access services for the data plane. For example, the first network element and the second network element can be the DPAC introduced above, and the related introduction can be referred to the introduction of the network element 2 above.

[0135] In some implementations, the first network element can be a network element currently accessed by the first device, and therefore, the first network element can also be referred to as a "source network element" or a "source DPAC".

[0136] In some implementations, the second network element can be a network element to be accessed by the first device, and therefore, the second network element can also be referred to as a "target network element" or a "target DPAC".

[0137] In the embodiments of the present application, the first device is not limited. In some implementations, the first device can include one or more of the following: a terminal device; an access network element; a core network element. In other implementations, the first device can include a data provider and / or a data consumer.

[0138] In the embodiments of the present application, the implementation of the first device switching from the first network element to the second network element is not limited. In some implementation manners, the first device can use a hard switching manner, i.e., the first device first deregisters from the first network element, and then registers to the second network element after the deregistration is successful. In another implementation manner, the first device can use a soft switching manner, i.e., the first device can first register to the second network element, and then deregisters from the first network element after the registration is successful. In this way, the soft switching manner helps to avoid the related service of the first device being interrupted, and helps to improve the continuity of the first device performing the related service. The following will be introduced in combination with FIG. 9.

[0139] In some implementation manners, the first device can send second information to the first network element to indicate that the first device deregisters from the first network element, where the second information can also be referred to as a “deregistration request” or a “deregistration message”. That is to say, the above method further includes that the first device sends the second information to the first network element, and the second information is used to indicate that the first device deregisters from the first network element.

[0140] In some implementation manners, during the process that the first device deregisters from the first network element, the first device can request the first network element to release the context of the first device. For example, the first device can call a release context service operation (also referred to as an Ndpac_Communication_ReleaseContext service operation) to request the first network element to release the context of the first device. The service operation can be referred to in combination with Table 1 in the following.

[0141] In some implementation manners, the first device can send third information to the second network element to indicate that the first device requests to register to the second network element, where the third information can also be referred to as a “registration request” or a “registration message” or a “data plane access registration request”. That is to say, the above method further includes that the first device sends the third information to the second network element, and the third information is used to indicate that the first device requests to register to the second network element.

[0142] In some implementation manners, during the process that the first device registers to the second network element, the first device can request the second network element to create the context of the first device. For example, the first device can call a create context service operation (also referred to as an Ndpac_Communication_CreateContext service operation) to request the second network element to create the context of the first device. The service operation can be referred to in combination with Table 1 in the following.

[0143] In some embodiments, the third information can carry information for indicating the data plane. In this way, after receiving the third information, the second network element can determine the data plane requested to be accessed by the first device based on the information for indicating the data plane. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, if the first network element accesses only one data plane, the second network element accesses only one data plane, and the data plane accessed by the first network element is the same as the data plane accessed by the second network element, the third information can also not carry the information for indicating the data plane.

[0144] In the embodiments of the present application, the information for indicating the data plane is not limited. In some embodiments, the information for indicating the data plane can include an identifier of the data plane and / or an address of the data plane. The identifier of the data plane can be, for example, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN).

[0145] As described above, the data plane can store data associated with the first device, and accordingly, operations such as access, update, and modification of the data need to be performed on the data plane. Therefore, the first device usually needs to access the same data plane before and after the handover. At this time, the first network element and the second network element can provide access services for the same network element, so that the data plane can continue to provide services such as access, update, and modification of the data.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first network element and the second network element can be equivalent network elements, or the first network element and the second network element can belong to a set of equivalent network elements, wherein the set of equivalent network elements includes multiple network elements that are equivalent to each other. Accordingly, the network elements that are equivalent to each other can be associated with the same data plane, for example, the network elements that are equivalent to each other can access the same data plane. Taking the first network element and the second network element as an example, the set of equivalent network elements can also be referred to as an "equivalent DPAC set", and the DPACs in the equivalent DPAC set can access the data plane 1.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first network element can correspond to multiple equivalent network elements, wherein the multiple equivalent network elements can include the second network element. At this time, the distance between the second network element and the first device can be less than or equal to the distance between other equivalent network elements in the multiple equivalent network elements and the first device. For example, the second network element can be the equivalent network element with the smallest distance to the first device among the multiple equivalent network elements, which helps to improve the quality of services provided by the second network element for the first device.

[0148] In some embodiments, the area associated with the first network element and the area associated with the second network element can partially or entirely overlap, and accordingly, the first device can perform the handover operation in the overlapping area, which helps to improve the success rate of the handover performed by the first device.

[0149] In the embodiments of the present application, the area associated with the first network element is not limited. In some implementations, the area associated with the first network element can be a service area of the first network element, or in other words, the area associated with the first network element can be a coverage area of the first network element, where the service area (or the coverage area) can refer to an area in which other network elements move without causing the other network elements to disconnect from the first network element. In other implementations, the area associated with the first network element can be determined based on the service area of the first network element. For example, the service area can contain the area associated with the first network element. In other implementations, the area associated with the first network element can include one or more of the following: one or more tracking areas (TAs) associated with the first network element, one or more registration areas (RAs) associated with the first network element, and one or more cells associated with the first network element.

[0150] In the embodiments of the present application, the area associated with the second network element is not limited. In some implementations, the area associated with the second network element can be a service area of the second network element, or in other words, the area associated with the second network element can be a coverage area of the second network element, where the service area (or the coverage area) can refer to an area in which other network elements move without causing the other network elements to disconnect from the second network element. In other implementations, the area associated with the second network element can be determined based on the service area of the second network element. For example, the service area can contain the area associated with the second network element. In other implementations, the area associated with the second network element can include one or more of the following: one or more tracking areas (TAs) associated with the second network element, one or more registration areas (RAs) associated with the second network element, and one or more cells associated with the second network element.

[0151] In some implementations, since the first network element and the second network element are associated with the same data plane, or in other words, the first network element and the second network element can access the same data plane, the first network element and the second network element can maintain the same metadata profile and / or metadata catalogue. The metadata profile is used to indicate data description information when a data source or a data consumer interacts with the data plane, and the metadata catalogue is used to record the generation time of the description information.

[0152] In some implementations, to support the handover of the first device between the first network element and the second network element, the first network element and / or the second network element can be configured to provide one or more of the following service operations: a service operation for creating a context for a successfully registered network element; a service operation for releasing a context for a deregistered network element; and a service operation for migrating a locally stored context to a target network element, the target network element being configured to provide an access service for a data plane. For ease of understanding, the above service operations are described below with reference to Table 1.

[0153] Table 1

[0154] Referring to Table 1, for the service operation for creating a context for a successfully registered network element, the service operation can be denoted as “Ndpac_Communication_CreateContext” with the first network element and / or the second network element as an example of a DPAC. The service operation is configured to create a context for a network element (or a functional entity) that is successfully registered to the DPAC. The network element that is successfully registered to the DPAC can be a consumer of the service operation, such as a UE, an NF, an (R)AN, and the like.

[0155] For the service operation for releasing a context for a deregistered network element, the service operation can be denoted as “Ndpac_Communication_ReleaseContext” with the first network element and / or the second network element as an example of a DPAC. The service operation is configured to release a context for a network element (or a functional entity) that is successfully deregistered from the DPAC. The network element that is successfully deregistered from the DPAC can be a consumer of the service operation, such as a UE, an NF, an (R)AN, and the like.

[0156] For the service operation for migrating a locally stored context to a target network element, the service operation can be denoted as “Ndpac_Communication_ContextTransfer” with the first network element and / or the second network element as an example of a DPAC. The service operation is configured to migrate a context of a network element maintained by a source DPAC to another DPAC (as an example of a target network element). The network element maintained by the source DPAC can include a UE, an NF, an (R)AN, and the like. In addition, a consumer of the service operation can include the target network element, such as a target DPAC.

[0157] In the embodiments of the present application, the context introduced above is not limited. In some implementations, the context includes one or more of the following: information used to indicate a data plane; tracking information of data in the data plane; data description information of data stored in the data plane; information used to indicate a network element associated with the context; location information used to indicate a location of the network element associated with the context when the network element is registered; area information used to indicate an area associated with the network element storing the context; information used to indicate that the network element associated with the context accesses the data plane as a data producer; information used to indicate that the network element associated with the context accesses the data plane as a data consumer; and security parameters of the network element associated with the context.

[0158] Taking the information used to indicate the data plane as an example, or in other words, the information is used to indicate a data plane accessed by a network element associated with the context, where the network element associated with the context can be understood as a network element described by the context. As introduced above, the information can include an identifier of the data plane and / or an address of the data plane.

[0159] In some implementations, the information can be carried in a “data plane identifier field” in the context.

[0160] Taking the tracking information of data in the data plane as an example, the information can also be referred to as “metadata directory”. The information is used to track successfully stored data and record a timestamp generated by data description information associated with the data.

[0161] In some implementations, the information can be carried in a “metadata directory field” in the context.

[0162] Taking the data description information of data stored in the data plane as an example, the information can also be referred to as “metadata configuration file”. The information is used to describe characteristics (for example, power consumption state of a terminal device) of data. Generally, the DPAC can record the information when a data source / data consumer interacts with the data plane based on a specific event.

[0163] In some implementations, the information can be carried in a “metadata configuration file field” in the context.

[0164] Taking the information used to indicate the network element associated with the context as an example, or in other words, the information is used to indicate a functional entity associated with the context, where the functional entity associated with the context can be understood as a functional entity described by the context. For example, the information can include an entity ID. Taking the functional entity as a UE as an example, the information can include a UE ID. Taking the functional entity as an access network element as an example, the information can include an access network element ID. Taking the functional entity as a core network element as an example, the information can include a core network element ID.

[0165] In some implementations, the functional entity associated with the context above can include a functional entity registered to the network element 2 (e.g., the DPAC maintaining the context).

[0166] In the embodiments of the present application, the functional entity identifier is not limited. In some implementations, the functional entity identifier can be assigned by the DPAC (e.g., the source DPAC) maintaining the context to the functional entity, or in other words, the functional entity identifier can be assigned by the DPAC maintaining the context to the functional entity successfully registered to the DPAC. In other implementations, the functional entity identifier can be an identifier used within the core network.

[0167] In some implementations, the information can be carried in the "functional entity identifier field" in the context.

[0168] Taking the context including the location information indicating the location of the network element (also referred to as the "functional entity") associated with the context when registering as an example, or in other words, the information indicating the location of the functional entity when the functional entity is registered to the network element (e.g., the DPAC) maintaining the context. The information can also be referred to as "location information".

[0169] In the embodiments of the present application, the information is not limited. In some implementations, the information can include one or more of the following: information of the cell where the functional entity is located (e.g., a cell identifier), information of the TA where the functional entity is located (e.g., a TAI), information of the RA where the functional entity is located. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the information can include longitude and / or latitude information of the functional entity.

[0170] In some implementations, the information can be carried in the "location information field" in the context.

[0171] Taking the context including the area information indicating the area associated with the network element storing the context as an example, in some implementations, the area associated with the network element can be the service area of the network element, or in other words, the area associated with the network element can be the coverage area of the network element, wherein the service area (or the coverage area) can refer to an area in which other network elements move without causing the connection between the other network elements and the network element to be disconnected. In other implementations, the area associated with the network element can be determined based on the service area of the network element, for example, the service area can contain the area associated with the network element. In other implementations, the area associated with the network element can include one or more of the following: one or more TAs associated with the network element, one or more RAs associated with the network element, and one or more cells associated with the network element.

[0172] In some implementations, the information can be carried in the "service area field" in the context.

[0173] The above context includes information for indicating a network element associated with the context as a data producer accessing a data plane. The information can include a producer ID. The network element associated with the context can be understood as a network element described by the context, for example, a network element successfully registered to the DPAC. The network element registered to the DPAC can include a UE, an NF, an (R)AN, and the like.

[0174] In some implementations, the information can be carried in a "data producer identification field" in the context.

[0175] The above context includes information for indicating a network element associated with the context as a data consumer accessing a data plane. The information can include a consumer ID. The network element associated with the context can be understood as a network element described by the context, for example, a network element successfully registered to the DPAC. The network element registered to the DPAC can include a UE, an NF, an (R)AN, and the like.

[0176] In some implementations, the information can be carried in a "data consumer identification field" in the context.

[0177] The above context includes information for indicating a security parameter of a network element associated with the context. The security parameter is used for one or more of the following for the network element: authentication and authorization, encryption, integrity protection. That is, the security parameter includes a security parameter for authentication and authorization, encryption, integrity protection.

[0178] In some implementations, the information can be carried in a "security context field" in the context.

[0179] The above introduces the context in the embodiments of the present application. In order to facilitate understanding, the following introduces the information content carried by each field in the context, taking the network element maintaining the context as the DPAC and the field carrying each information introduced above as an example. The information content can refer to the introduction above. In order to be brief, the following will not be described again.

[0180] Table 2

[0181] The following introduces a trigger condition (also referred to as "first condition") for triggering the first device to perform handover in the embodiments of the present application. That is, the above step S610 includes: if the first condition is met, the first device is handed over from the first network element to the second network element.

[0182] In some embodiments, the first condition is associated with one or more of: an operating state of the first network element; location information of the first device; and area information of an area to which the first network element belongs.

[0183] Taking the example that the first condition is associated with the operating state of the first network element, in some embodiments, the operating state of the first network element is used to indicate load information of the first network element, or in other words, the state of the first network element is used to indicate the load of the first network element.

[0184] Correspondingly, in some embodiments, the first condition can include that the load of the first network element is higher than a first threshold. That is to say, if the load of the first network element is higher than the first threshold, it can be understood that the load of the first network element is too high, which can result in poor quality of service provided by the first network element to the first device. At this time, the first device can switch from the first network element to the second network element, which helps to avoid the quality of service provided by the first network element to the first device from being degraded due to the high load. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the implementation of the first condition is not limited, for example, the first condition can also include that the load of the first network element is higher than or equal to the first threshold.

[0185] In other embodiments, the operating state of the first network element is used to indicate a time delay required by the first network element to provide service to the first device. For example, the time delay can include a time delay of the first network element interacting with the data plane. For another example, the time delay can include a time delay of the first device interacting with the data plane through the first network element.

[0186] Correspondingly, in some embodiments, the first condition can include that the time delay required by the first network element to provide service to the first device is higher than a second threshold. That is to say, if the time delay required by the first network element to provide service to the first device is higher than the second threshold, the time delay required by the first network element to provide service to the first device is longer, which can result in poor quality of service provided by the first network element to the first device. At this time, the first device can switch from the first network element to the second network element, which helps to avoid the quality of service provided by the first network element to the first device from being degraded due to the first network element continuing to provide service to the first device. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the implementation of the first condition is not limited, for example, the first condition can also include that the time delay required to provide service to the first device is higher than or equal to the second threshold.

[0187] In the embodiments of the present application, the determination manner of the above-mentioned time delay is not limited. For example, the above-mentioned time delay can be a maximum time delay required by the first network element to provide service to the first device within a period of time. For another example, the above-mentioned time delay can be an average time delay required by the first network element to provide service to the first device within a period of time. For another example, the above-mentioned time delay can be a minimum time delay required by the first network element to provide service to the first device within a period of time. For another example, the above-mentioned time delay can be a time delay required by the first network element to provide single service to the first device.

[0188] In some embodiments, the working status of the first network element is used to determine that the first network element is unable to continue to provide service for the first device. In some embodiments, the first network element being unable to continue to provide service for the first device includes the first network element being about to enter a shutdown state due to device failure. In some embodiments, the first network element being unable to continue to provide service for the first device includes the first network element being overloaded and needing to migrate some or all data consumers and / or data sources to a new network element (e.g., the second network element).

[0189] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the first condition includes the first network element being unable to continue to provide service for the first device, and the first device can be switched from the first network element to the second network element to interact with the data plane based on the second network element.

[0190] In some embodiments, the location information of the first device includes a current location of the first device and / or a moving track of the first device.

[0191] In some embodiments, the current location of the first device includes a longitude and / or a latitude of the first device. In some embodiments, the current location of the first device includes a cell in which the first device is located. In some embodiments, the current location of the first device includes a TA in which the first device is located. In some embodiments, the current location of the first device includes an RA in which the first device is located.

[0192] In some embodiments, the location information of the first device is used to determine a location of the first device in a region associated with the first network element, e.g., the location information of the first device is used to determine an edge location of the first device in the region associated with the first network element. For example, the location information of the first device is used to determine whether the first device will move out of the region associated with the first network element.

[0193] In some embodiments, the region associated with the first network element is specified by the first network element, e.g., the TA associated with the first network element is a TA specified by the first network element, the RA associated with the first network element is an RA specified by the first network element, and the cell associated with the first network element is a cell specified by the first network element. In some embodiments, the region associated with the first network element is predefined or preconfigured.

[0194] Correspondingly, in some embodiments, the first condition can include that the first device is located at the edge of the area associated with the first network element, at which time the first device can move out of the area associated with the first network element, or the communication quality between the first device and the first network element is poor, and thus the first device can be handed over from the first network element to the second network element to avoid the communication quality between the first network element and the first device being poor due to the first device being located at the edge of the area associated with the first network element.

[0195] Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the first condition can include that the first device is about to move out of the area associated with the first network element based on the movement trajectory of the first device, wherein the movement trajectory of the first device can be determined based on the location information of the first device. If the first condition is met, the first device can move out of the area associated with the first network element, at which time the first device can be handed over from the first network element to the second network element to avoid the communication quality between the first network element and the first device being poor due to the first device moving out of the area associated with the first network element.

[0196] For example, in some embodiments, the area associated with the first network element can be the service area of the first network element, or in other words, the area associated with the first network element can be the coverage area of the first network element. In other embodiments, the area associated with the first network element can be determined based on the service area of the first network element, for example, the service area can contain the area associated with the first network element. In other embodiments, the area associated with the first network element can include one or more of the following: one or more TAs associated with the first network element, one or more RAs associated with the first network element, and one or more cells associated with the first network element.

[0197] In the embodiments of the present application, the area associated with the first network element described above can be specified by the first network element, for example, the TA associated with the first network element can be a TA specified by the first network element, the RA associated with the first network element can be a RA specified by the first network element, and the cell associated with the first network element can be a cell specified by the first network element. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the area associated with the first network element can also be predefined or preconfigured.

[0198] In the embodiments of the present application, the area information is not limited. For example, if the area associated with the first network element is a TA, the area information can include a TAI. For example, if the area associated with the first network element is a cell, the area information can include a cell identifier. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the area information of the area associated with the first network element can include longitude information and / or latitude information of the area.

[0199] Correspondingly, in some embodiments, the first condition can include that the first device is located at the edge of the area associated with the first network element, at this time, the first device can move out of the area associated with the first network element, or the communication quality between the first device and the first network element is poor, therefore, the first device can be handed over from the first network element to the second network element to avoid that the first device is located at the edge of the area associated with the first network element, and the communication quality between the first network element and the first device is poor.

[0200] It should be noted that the first conditions introduced above can be used alone or in combination with each other. For example, the first condition can be associated with the working state of the first network element, the position information of the first device, and the area information of the area associated with the first network element, that is, the first condition can include that the load of the first network element is higher than the first threshold, and the first device is located at the edge of the area associated with the first network element.

[0201] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for monitoring whether the first condition is met is not limited. In some embodiments, the first device itself can determine whether the first condition is met, that is, if the first device determines that the first condition is met (or the first device monitors that the first condition is met), the first device can be handed over from the first network element to the second network element.

[0202] Taking the first condition associated with the area information of the area associated with the first network element and / or the position information of the first device as an example, if the first device autonomously determines whether the first condition is met, at this time, the first network element can send fourth information to the first device to indicate the area associated with the first network element. In this way, the first device can determine the area associated with the first network element based on the fourth information, and determine whether the first condition is met based on the information.

[0203] In other embodiments, the target device can determine whether the first condition is met, that is, if the target device determines that the first condition is met, the target device can send a handover indication (as an example of the first information) to the first device, and correspondingly, if the first device receives the handover indication, the first device can be handed over from the first network element to the second network element.

[0204] In the embodiments of the present application, the target device is not limited. In some embodiments, the target device can be the first network element or a core network element.

[0205] Taking the target device as the first network element as an example, if the first network element determines that the first condition is met, the first network element can instruct the first device to be handed over from the first network element to the second network element. This will be introduced below in combination with FIG. 7.

[0206] As described above, the first condition can be associated with the location information of the first device, and in this case, the first network element can obtain the mobility information from a mobility management network element (e.g., an AMF for managing the mobility of the first device) to determine the location information of the first device. Then, based on the location information of the first device, it can be determined whether the first condition is met. That is, if the target device is the first network element, the above method further includes that the target device receives the mobility information sent by the mobility management network element.

[0207] In some implementations, the mobility information is used to indicate the location information of the first device, and / or the identifier of the device located at the edge of the area associated with the first network element. For example, the mobility information is used to indicate the location information of the first device, which can be referred to as the description above. For example, the mobility information is used to indicate the identifier of the device located at the edge of the area associated with the first network element, in some implementations, the device can be a device with data plane capability, or a device with the ability to interact with the data plane. The device can include the first device, or the identifier can include the identifier of the first device.

[0208] In some implementations, the mobility information can be requested by the target network element from the mobility management network element. That is, the above method further includes that the target device sends a first request to the mobility management network element, and the first request is used to request the mobility information. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the mobility information can be actively sent by the mobility management network element to the target device.

[0209] In some scenarios, the first request can be a subscription request, and accordingly, the first request is used to request to subscribe to the mobility information from the mobility management network element. Accordingly, if the mobility information changes, the mobility management network element will actively send the mobility information to the target device to reduce the number of times of transmitting the first request. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the mobility information can be requested from the mobility management network element by the first request when the target device needs the mobility information, that is, each transmission of the mobility information corresponds to a transmission of the first request, which helps to improve the rationality of transmitting the mobility information, so as to avoid the mobility information being sent to the target device when the target device does not need to obtain the mobility information, resulting in resource waste.

[0210] In some implementations, subscribing to the mobility information can be understood as subscribing to a terminal device mobility event, and accordingly, the first request is used to request to subscribe to the terminal device mobility event. For example, the first network element is a DPAC, which can call the event reporting service (also known as Namf_EventExposure service) provided by the AMF to subscribe to the terminal device mobility event.

[0211] In some embodiments, the first request comprises information for indicating a region associated with the first network element; and / or information for indicating a device associated with the mobility information of the first request, the device associated with the mobility information comprising the first device.

[0212] For example, the first request comprises information for indicating a region associated with the first network element, wherein the information for indicating the region associated with the first network element can be understood as a region of interest to the target device, for example, the target device is interested in whether a device in the region needs to be handed over. For another example, the target device is interested in the location information of the device in the region. The information for indicating the region associated with the first network element can be referred to the foregoing description.

[0213] As described above, the subscription of the mobility information can be understood as the subscription of a terminal device mobility event, and accordingly, the event ID of the subscription is used to indicate the subscribed event comprises the terminal device entering or leaving a “region of interest”, wherein the region of interest can be the first network element associated region indicated by the first request.

[0214] For example, the first request comprises information for indicating a device associated with the mobility information of the first request, the device associated with the mobility information comprising the first device, wherein the device associated with the mobility information can be understood as the mobility information of the device associated in the mobility information, or in other words, the device associated with the mobility information can comprise a device whose location information the target device wants to obtain. For example, the target device is a DPAC, the device associated with the mobility information can comprise a device registered to the DPAC.

[0215] For example, the first device is a terminal device, and accordingly, the information for indicating the device associated with the mobility information can comprise a terminal device identifier. The identifier can be an identifier used in the core network, for example, SUPI, SUCI, IMSI, etc. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the identifier can comprise an identifier used by the terminal device in the data plane. Accordingly, the AMF can convert the identifier of the terminal device used in the data plane to the identifier used in the core network. For example, the UDM can store a mapping relationship between the identifier of the terminal device used in the data plane and the identifier of the terminal device used in the core network, and accordingly, the AMF can determine the identifier of the terminal device used in the core network by querying the mapping relationship.

[0216] For the case that the first condition is associated with the working state of the first network element, the first network element can obtain its own working state, and therefore, the first network element can autonomously determine whether the first condition is met. The following will be described in combination with FIG. 10.

[0217] For example, the mobility management network element is an AMF. The AMF can detect the location information of the first device, and determine whether the first condition is met based on the location information of the first device. If the first condition is met, the AMF can send a switching indication to the first device to instruct the first device to switch from the first network element to the second network element.

[0218] For example, the mobility management network element is an AMF. The AMF can detect the location information of the first device, and determine whether the first condition is met based on the location information of the first device. If the first condition is met, the AMF can send a switching indication to the first device to instruct the first device to switch from the first network element to the second network element.

[0219] The above describes the device for determining whether the first condition is met in the embodiments of the present application. The following describes a scheme in which the target device sends first information to the first device to assist the first device in switching from the first network element to the second network element in the embodiments of the present application.

[0220] That is, the above method further includes: the target device sends first information to the first device, and the first information is used to determine switching from the first network element to the second network element. The target device can refer to the description above.

[0221] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following: information used to indicate the second network element; information used to indicate a data plane that provides services for the first device; information used to indicate that the first device is deregistered from the first network element; information used to indicate a reason why the first device is deregistered from the first network element; and information used to indicate that the first device switches from the first network element to the second network element.

[0222] For example, the first information includes information used to indicate the second network element. The information used to indicate the second network element can include an address (for example, an IP address) of the second network element and / or identification information (for example, an FQDN) of the second network element.

[0223] For example, the first information includes information used to indicate a data plane that provides services for the first device. The information can include identification information of the data plane and / or an address of the data plane. The identification information can be an FQDN, for example.

[0224] For example, the first information includes information used to indicate that the first device is deregistered from the first network element. Alternatively, the first information is carried in a deregistration message, where the deregistration message is used to indicate that the first device is deregistered from the first network element.

[0225] For example, the first information includes information used to indicate a reason for the first device to deregister from the first network element, the embodiments of the present application do not limit the reason (also referred to as "deregistration reason"). In some implementations, the reason is used to indicate that the first network element cannot continue to provide services for the first device, and the related description can be referred to in the above. In other implementations, the reason is used to indicate that the first device is located at the edge of the area associated with the first network element.

[0226] For example, the first information includes information used to indicate that the first device switches to the second network element from the first network element, which can also be referred to as "switching indication".

[0227] As described above, the target device can indicate the second network element to the first device. Therefore, the embodiments of the present application propose a scheme for the target device to discover the second network element.

[0228] In some implementations, the above method further includes: the target device sends a discovery request to the third network element, the discovery request being used to request to discover a network element providing access services for a data plane; and / or the target device receives a response message for the discovery request sent by the third network element, the response message being used to indicate a network element providing access services for a data plane, wherein the network element providing access services for a data plane includes the second network element. The related description can be referred to in FIG. 8.

[0229] Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the third network element can actively indicate the second network element to the target device, at this time, the target device can not need to send the discovery request to the third network element.

[0230] In some implementations, the discovery request can include one or more of the following: information used to indicate a data plane, and / or location information of the first device. For example, the information used to indicate a data plane can be a data plane identifier, which can be used by the third network element to determine the data plane accessed by the first device, so as to discover the second network element associated with the data plane. The location information of the first device can be used to select a second network element close to the first device, so as to reduce the transmission delay required for communication between the first device and the second network element.

[0231] In the embodiments of the present application, the way for the target device to obtain the information used to indicate a data plane is not limited. For example, the target device is a mobility management network element, and the first device is a terminal device, the mobility management network element can determine the data plane accessed by the terminal device by querying the subscription message of the terminal device. For another example, the target device is a DPAC, and the DPAC can determine the data plane accessed by the first device based on local information.

[0232] In some implementations, the third network element can be a network element having a function of discovering the second network element. For example, the third network element can be a data plane discovery function (DPDF), which is used to assist the first device (e.g., a terminal device) to interact with a DNS server to determine relevant information of the data plane (e.g., address information of the data plane). For another example, the third network element can be a network function repository function (NRF). For yet another example, the third network element can be a domain name system (DNS) server, in which case, the communication between the target device and the DNS server can be performed through the DPDF and / or the NRF. For example, the target device can send a discovery request to the DNS server through the DPDF and / or the NRF. For another example, the target device can receive a response message sent by the DNS server through the DPDF and / or the NRF.

[0233] For ease of understanding, the scheme in which the first device performs switching in the embodiments of the present application is described below in combination with FIGS. 7-10. In the methods shown in FIGS. 7-10, the first device is taken as a terminal device 1, the first network element is taken as a DPAC 1, the second network element is taken as a DPAC 2, and the mobility management network element is taken as an AMF.

[0234] In the method shown in FIG. 7, the DPAC 1 can trigger the terminal device to switch from the DPAC 1 to the DPAC 2 based on the location information of the terminal device subscribed from the AMF. The method shown in FIG. 7 includes steps S710-S740.

[0235] In step S710, the DPAC 1 sends a first request to the AMF.

[0236] In some implementations, the first request is used to request to subscribe to a terminal device mobility event. For example, the DPAC can invoke an event reporting service (also referred to as a Namf_EventExposure service) provided by the AMF, where the event ID of the subscription indicates that the subscribed event includes the terminal device entering or leaving a “area of interest” of the subscription.

[0237] In some implementations, the first request can include the identity of one or a group of terminal devices and / or the information of the area of interest. The identity of one or a group of terminal devices includes the identity of the terminal device 1.

[0238] In some embodiments, the identity of the terminal device or the group of terminal devices can comprise an identity of the terminal device registered to the DPAC 1. The identity can be an identity used within the core network, such as a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI), an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), etc. Of course, in embodiments of the present disclosure, the identity can comprise an identity used by the terminal device in the data plane. Accordingly, the AMF can convert the identity of the terminal device used in the data plane to the identity used within the core network. For example, the UDM can store a mapping relationship between the identity of the terminal device used in the data plane and the identity of the terminal device used within the core network, and accordingly, the AMF can determine the identity of the terminal device used within the core network by querying the mapping relationship.

[0239] In some embodiments, the area of interest can comprise a service area of the DPAC 1 and / or an area designated by the DPAC. The service area and / or the designated area can be indicated by one or a group of TAs, one or a group of RAs, one or a group of cells, or a combination thereof. Accordingly, the information of the area of interest can comprise one or a group of TAIs, one or a group of RA identifiers, and one or a group of cell IDs. Of course, in embodiments of the present disclosure, the information of the area of interest can also comprise longitude and / or latitude information of the area of interest. In this case, the AMF can map the longitude and / or latitude information of the area of interest to a location information identifiable within the core network, such as a TAI, a cell identifier, etc.

[0240] In step S720, if the AMF detects a subscription-compliant terminal device mobility event, the AMF sends a response message to the first request to the DPAC 1.

[0241] In some embodiments, the subscription-compliant terminal device mobility event can comprise a terminal device 1 leaving the area of interest, or a terminal device with data plane capability (e.g., the terminal device 1) leaving the area of interest. The terminal device with data plane capability can be understood as a terminal device capable of communicating with the data plane.

[0242] In some embodiments, the response message can comprise one or more of the following: an identity of the terminal device leaving the area of interest (e.g., the identity of the terminal device 1); and current location information of the terminal device 1. The location information can be as described above.

[0243] In step S730, the DPAC 1 sends the terminal device 1 de-registration information to indicate that the terminal device 1 is de-registered from the DPAC 1.

[0244] In some implementations, the de-registration information contains one or more of the following information: information indicating a de-registration reason and a DP ID. The de-registration reason includes that the terminal device 1 leaves the service area of the DPAC 1. The DP ID is used to indicate the data plane that the terminal device 1 hopes to access.

[0245] In some implementations, the DP ID can be the ID of the data plane allocated by the DPAC 1 for the terminal device 1, and accordingly, the terminal device 1 can use the ID for data services of the data plane.

[0246] In step S740, the terminal device 1 sends a registration request to the DPAC 2 to request registration to the DPAC 2.

[0247] In some implementations, the registration request carries the DP ID allocated by the DPAC 1. Accordingly, if the DPAC 2 can provide access services for the data plane corresponding to the DP ID, the DPAC 2 can authorize the terminal device 2, and the terminal device 1 after authorization success can register to the DPAC 2, so as to continue to use data services of the data plane through the DPAC 2.

[0248] In some implementations, the DPAC 2 can be discovered by the terminal device. For example, the terminal device can discover the DPAC 2 through the DPDN or the NRF, wherein the discovery process is similar to the scheme of discovering the second network element by the AMF as described above. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can determine the DPAC 2 from a set of pre-configured equivalent network elements associated with the DPAC 1.

[0249] In some implementations, the distance between the DPAC 1 and the terminal device 1 is greater than the distance between the DPAC 2 and the terminal device 1.

[0250] In the embodiments of the present application, after the DPAC 1 discovers that the terminal device 1 leaves its service area, the terminal device 1 can be triggered to switch to the DPAC 2 which is closer to the terminal device. Accordingly, the terminal device 1 can continue to interact through the DPAC 2 with the original data plane (i.e. the data plane accessed by the terminal device 1 through the DPAC 1), so as to avoid the service time delay being too long or the service being unavailable due to the terminal device 1 being far away from the DPAC 1.

[0251] In the method shown in FIG. 8, the AMF can determine whether the first condition is met, and select the DPAC 2 for the terminal device 1 to complete the handover. The method shown in FIG. 8 includes steps S810 to S880.

[0252] In step S810, if the terminal device 1 is located at the edge of the service area of the DPAC 1 (i.e., the first condition is met), the AMF sends a discovery request to the DPDF / NRF.

[0253] In some implementations, the discovery request includes a data plane identifier and / or location information of the terminal device 1. The data plane identifier is used to indicate the data plane accessed by the terminal device 1, which can be the FQDN of the data plane, for example. The data plane identifier and / or the location information of the terminal device 1 can be referred to the above.

[0254] In some implementations, the AMF can determine the data plane accessed by the terminal device 1 by querying the subscription message of the terminal device 1.

[0255] In step S820, the DPDF / NRF selects a target DPAC, i.e., the DPAC 2, for the terminal device based on the data plane identifier and the location information of the terminal device 1.

[0256] In some implementations, if there is suitable DPAC information stored in the DPDF / NRF that can be used as the DPAC 2, steps S830-S850 can be skipped. Conversely, if there is no DPAC information stored in the DPDF / NRF that can be used as the DPAC 2, step S830 can be performed.

[0257] In step S830, the DPDF / NRF sends the discovery request to the DNS server.

[0258] In step S840, the DNS server determines the DPAC 2 according to the data plane identifier and the location information of the terminal device 1.

[0259] In some implementations, the DPAC 2 can have a DPAC that provides access services for the data plane corresponding to the data plane identifier, and the DPAC 2 can be the DPAC with the smallest distance between the terminal device 1 among the multiple DPACs recorded by the DNS server.

[0260] In step S850, the DNS server sends information 1 to the DPDF / NRF to indicate the DPAC 2.

[0261] In some implementations, the information 1 can carry the address of the DPAC 2.

[0262] In step S860, if the DPDF / NRF determines that the DPAC 2 can support the data plane accessed by the terminal device 1 through the DPAC 1, the DPDF / NRF sends the information 1 carrying the address of the DPAC 2 to the AMF.

[0263] In step S870, the AMF sends the above information 1 carrying the address of the DPAC 2 to the terminal device 1 through the access network element.

[0264] In step S880, the terminal device 1 registers with the DPAC 2 based on the DPAC 2 address and continues to access the data plane through the DPAC 2.

[0265] In the embodiment of the present application, if the AMF monitors that the terminal device 1 is located at the edge of the service area of the DPAC 1 (i.e., the first condition is met), the AMF can allocate a target DPAC (DPAC 2) for the terminal device 1. Then, the terminal device 1 can register with the target DPAC and continue to access the data plane through the DPAC 2, thereby avoiding the long service delay or service unavailability of the terminal device 1 due to the distance from the DPAC 1.

[0266] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the DPAC 1 can also subscribe to the location information of the terminal device 1 from the AMF, and after the terminal device 1 is located at the edge of the service area of the DPAC 1 (i.e., the first condition is met), the DPAC 1 can send a discovery request to the DPDF / NRF to request a target DPAC address (e.g., the address of the DPAC 2) and send the address of the DPAC 2 to the terminal device 1. The specific process is similar to the method shown in FIG. 8, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be described again.

[0267] In the method shown in FIG. 9, the terminal device 1 can autonomously determine whether the first condition is met and determine whether to perform switching. The method shown in FIG. 9 includes steps S910 to S940.

[0268] In step S910, the terminal device 1 sends a registration request to the DPAC 1 to request registration with the DPAC 1.

[0269] In some implementations, the registration request can be understood as a request to access the data plane through the DPAC 1, and therefore, the registration request can also be referred to as an access registration request.

[0270] In step S920, if the DPAC 1 completes the authentication and authorization of the terminal device 1, a response message of the registration request is sent to the terminal device 1.

[0271] In some implementations, the response message of the registration request can include a DP ID and a service area of the DPAC 1. The response message can be directly sent to the terminal device 1 through a signaling message, and of course, the response message can also be sent to the terminal device 1 through user plane and data plane interaction.

[0272] In step S930, if the terminal device 1 determines that the first condition is met, the terminal device 1 sends a deregistration request to the DPAC 1 to trigger a deregistration process.

[0273] In some implementations, the terminal device 1 can request the DPAC 1 to release the context of the terminal device 1 by sending a deregistration request. For example, the terminal device 1 can request the DPAC 1 to release the context of the terminal device 1 by invoking the Ndpac_Communication_ReleaseContext service operation.

[0274] In some implementations, the first condition can include that the terminal device 1 detects that the location where the terminal device 1 is located is at the edge of the service area of the DPAC 1, and / or the terminal device 1 detects that the latency of the terminal device 1 interacting with the data plane through the DPAC 1 exceeds a threshold 1.

[0275] In step S940, the terminal device 1 sends a registration request to the DPAC 2 to trigger a registration procedure of registering with the DPAC 2.

[0276] In some implementations, the terminal device 1 is in the service area of the DPAC 2, and the terminal device 1 can request the DPAC 2 to create a context of the terminal device 2 during the procedure of the terminal device 1 registering with the DPAC 2. For example, the terminal device 1 can request the DPAC 2 to create the context by invoking the Ndpac_Communication_CreateContext service operation.

[0277] In some implementations, the terminal device 1 discovers the DPAC 2 through the DPDF / NRF, and the procedure of discovering the DPAC 2 is similar to the procedure of the AMF discovering the DPAC 2 through the DPDF / NRF in the scheme shown in FIG. 8, which will not be described herein again for brevity.

[0278] It should be noted that in the method shown in FIG. 9, the terminal device 1 can perform a hard handover, i.e., performing step S930 first and then performing step S940. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device 1 can perform a soft handover, i.e., performing step S940 first and then performing step S930, which helps to improve the continuity of the terminal device 1 communicating with the data plane. In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device 1 can flexibly select different DPAC switching modes from the soft handover or the hard handover based on application scenarios.

[0279] In the method shown in FIG. 10, the DPAC 1 can autonomously determine whether the first condition is met based on its working state, and instruct the terminal device 1, the access network element, and the access network element to perform switching when it is determined that the first condition is met. The method shown in FIG. 10 includes steps S1010 to S1040.

[0280] In step S1010, the DPAC 1 determines whether the first condition is met based on its current working state.

[0281] In some implementations, if the load of the DPAC1 is higher than a threshold, or the DPAC1 encounters a failure and needs to be closed, the DPAC1 determines that the first condition is met.

[0282] In step S1020, if the first condition is met, the DPAC1 sends a deregistration message to the core network element, the access network element, and the terminal device 1.

[0283] In some implementations, the above-mentioned deregistration message can contain one or more of the following parameters: DP ID, used to indicate the data plane currently accessed by the core network element; the reason for deregistration (such as load balancing); the address of the DPAC2.

[0284] In some implementations, the DPAC2 can be pre-configured in the DPAC1. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the DPAC2 can be discovered by the DPAC1 through the DPDF / NRF. The process of discovering the DPAC2 by the DPAC1 through the DPDF / NRF can refer to the method shown in FIG. 8.

[0285] In some implementations, the DPAC2 can belong to the same equivalent DPAC set as the DPAC1.

[0286] In some implementations, the service area of the DPAC2 and the service area of the DPAC1 overlap or are consistent with each other.

[0287] In step S1030, the DPAC1 sends the context of the core network element, the context of the access network element, and the context of the terminal device 1 to the DPAC2.

[0288] That is to say, the DPAC1 can migrate the contexts of the registered terminal device 1, the access network element, and the core network element to the DPAC2. For example, the DPAC1 can call the Ndpac_Communication_ContextTransfer service operation to migrate the contexts. The related introduction of the contexts can refer to the above.

[0289] It should be noted that the target DPACs allocated by the DPAC1 to different functional entities (such as different terminal devices, different access network elements, or different core network elements) can be different. In the process of allocating the target DPAC, it is only necessary to ensure that the functional entity is in the service area of the target DPAC and that the target DPAC can support the DP ID accessed by the functional entity before the handover.

[0290] It should be further explained that if a functional entity (e.g., the terminal device 1, the access network element, the core network element) receives the deregistration message and the target DPAC is carried in the deregistration message, the functional entity can register to the target DPAC. Of course, in the embodiment of the present application, if the target DPAC is not carried in the deregistration message, the functional entity can discover the target DPAC through the DPDF / NRF, and the process of discovering the target DPAC can refer to the method shown in FIG. 8.

[0291] In the embodiment of the present application, the DPAC1 can actively offload the registered functional entity (e.g., the terminal device 1, the access network element, the core network element) to other DPACs, which is helpful for load balancing between multiple DPACs. Of course, the scheme of the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to other scenarios where the first condition is met. For example, it can be applied to the scenario where the DPAC1 detects that the terminal device 1 is located at the edge of the service area thereof.

[0292] The method embodiments of the present application are described in detail above in combination with FIGS. 1 to 10, and the device embodiments of the present application are described in detail below in combination with FIGS. 11 to 13. It should be understood that the description of the method embodiments and the description of the device embodiments correspond to each other, and therefore, the parts not described in detail can refer to the method embodiments.

[0293] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1100 shown in FIG. 11 is a first device, and the communication device 1100 includes a processing unit 1110.

[0294] The processing unit 1110 is configured to switch from a first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide an access service for a data plane.

[0295] In some implementations, the processing unit is configured to switch from the first network element to the second network element if a first condition is met, wherein the first condition is associated with one or more of: an operating state of the first network element; location information of the first device; and area information of an area associated with the first network element.

[0296] In some implementations, the operating state of the first network element is configured to indicate one or more of: load information of the first network element; and a required latency for the first network element to provide a service for the first device.

[0297] In some implementations, the first condition includes one or more of: the first device is located at an edge of the area associated with the first network element; the load of the first network element is higher than a first threshold; the required latency for the first network element to provide a service for the first device is higher than a second threshold; and the first network element is unable to continue to provide a service for the first device.

[0298] In some embodiments, the communication device further comprises a first receiving unit, configured to receive first information sent by the target device, wherein the first information is used to determine the handover of the first device from the first network element to the second network element.

[0299] In some embodiments, the first information comprises one or more of the following: information used to indicate the second network element; information used to indicate the data plane that provides service for the first device; information used to indicate the de-registration of the first device from the first network element; information used to indicate the reason for the de-registration of the first device from the first network element; information used to indicate the handover of the first device from the first network element to the second network element.

[0300] In some embodiments, the target device comprises a mobility management network element associated with the first device, and / or the first network element.

[0301] In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to monitor the satisfaction of the first condition.

[0302] In some embodiments, the communication device further comprises a first sending unit, configured to send second information to the first network element, wherein the second information is used to indicate the de-registration of the first device from the first network element; and / or a second sending unit, configured to send third information to the second network element, wherein the third information is used to indicate the registration request of the first device to the second network element.

[0303] In some embodiments, the third information carries information used to indicate the data plane.

[0304] In some embodiments, the communication device further comprises a second receiving unit, configured to receive fourth information sent by the first network element, wherein the fourth information is used to indicate an area associated with the first network element.

[0305] In some embodiments, the first network element and the second network element satisfy one or more of the following: the first network element and the second network element are equivalent network elements; the area associated with the first network element and the area associated with the second network element partially or entirely overlap.

[0306] In some embodiments, the first device comprises one or more of the following: a terminal device; an access network element; a core network element.

[0307] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1200 shown in FIG. 12 is a target device, and the communication device 1200 comprises a sending unit 1210.

[0308] The sending unit 1210 is configured to send first information to a first device, the first information being used to determine handover of the first device from a first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are used to provide an access service for a data plane.

[0309] In some implementations, the handover of the first device from the first network element to the second network element is triggered based on a first condition, wherein the first condition is associated with one or more of the following: an operating state of the first network element; location information of the first device; area information of an area associated with the first network element.

[0310] In some implementations, the operating state of the first network element is used to indicate one or more of the following: load information of the first network element; a required latency for the first network element to provide a service for the first device.

[0311] In some implementations, the first condition comprises one or more of the following: the first device is located at an edge of an area associated with the first network element; a load of the first network element is higher than a first threshold; a required latency for the first network element to provide a service for the first device is higher than a second threshold; the first network element is unable to continue to provide the service for the first device.

[0312] In some implementations, the first information comprises one or more of the following: information used to indicate the second network element; information used to indicate the data plane for providing the service for the first device; information used to indicate de-registration of the first device from the first network element;

[0313] information used to indicate a reason for the de-registration of the first device from the first network element; information used to indicate the handover of the first device from the first network element to the second network element.

[0314] In some implementations, the target device comprises a mobility management network element associated with the first device and / or the first network element.

[0315] In some implementations, the target device is the first network element, and the communication device further comprises a first receiving unit configured to receive mobility information sent by a mobility management network element, wherein the mobility information is used to indicate one or more of the following: location information of the first device; an identifier of a device located at an edge of an area associated with the first network element, the device comprising the first device.

[0316] In some implementations, the communication device further comprises a first sending unit configured to send a first request to the mobility management network element, the first request being used to request the mobility information.

[0317] In some embodiments, the first request comprises one or more of: information indicating a region associated with the first network element; information indicating a device associated with the mobility information of the first request, the device associated with the mobility information comprising the first device.

[0318] In some embodiments, the target device comprises a mobility management network element associated with the first device, and the communication device further comprises: a second sending unit, configured to send a discovery request to a third network element, the discovery request being used to request discovery of a network element providing access service for the data plane; and / or a second receiving unit, configured to receive a response message sent by the third network element for the discovery request, the response message being used to indicate the network element providing access service for the data plane, wherein the network element providing access service for the data plane comprises the second network element.

[0319] In some embodiments, the first network element and the second network element satisfy one or more of: the first network element and the second network element are equivalent network elements; a region associated with the first network element and a region associated with the second network element partially or entirely overlap.

[0320] In some embodiments, the first network element and / or the second network element are used to provide one or more of: a service operation used to create a context for a network element that is successfully registered; a service operation used to release a context for a network element that is deregistered; a service operation used to migrate a locally stored context to a target network element, the target network element being used to provide access service for the data plane.

[0321] In some embodiments, the context comprises one or more of: information indicating the data plane; tracking information of data in the data plane; data description information of data stored in the data plane; information indicating a network element associated with the context; location information indicating a location of the network element associated with the context when the network element is registered; region information indicating a region associated with the network element storing the context; information indicating that the network element associated with the context accesses the data plane as a data producer; information indicating that the network element associated with the context accesses the data plane as a data consumer; security parameters of the network element associated with the context, the security parameters being used for one or more of: authentication and authorization, encryption, integrity protection of the network element.

[0322] In some embodiments, the first device comprises one or more of: a terminal device; an access network element; a core network element.

[0323] In an optional embodiment, the processing unit 1110 can be a processor 1310. The communication device 1100 can further include a transceiver 1330 and a memory 1320, as shown in FIG. 13.

[0324] In an optional embodiment, the sending unit 1210 can be a transceiver 1330. The communication device 1200 can further include a processor 1310 and a memory 1320, as shown in FIG. 13.

[0325] FIG. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed line in FIG. 13 indicates that the unit or module is optional. The device 1300 can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiments. The device 1300 can be a chip, a terminal device or a network device.

[0326] The device 1300 can include one or more processors 1310. The processor 1310 can support the device 1300 to implement the method described in the above method embodiments. The processor 1310 can be a general purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor can also be other general purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, etc. The general purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor.

[0327] The device 1300 can further include one or more memories 1320. The memory 1320 stores a program, which can be executed by the processor 1310, so that the processor 1310 performs the method described in the above method embodiments. The memory 1320 can be independent of the processor 1310 or integrated in the processor 1310.

[0328] The device 1300 can further include a transceiver 1330. The processor 1310 can communicate with other devices or chips through the transceiver 1330. For example, the processor 1310 can perform data transceiving with other devices or chips through the transceiver 1330.

[0329] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer readable storage medium can be applied to the terminal or network device provided by the embodiments of the present application, and the program causes the computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in the embodiments of the present application.

[0330] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product. The computer program product comprises a program. The computer program product can be applied to the terminal or the network device provided by the embodiment of the present application, and the program causes the computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or the network device in the various embodiments of the present application.

[0331] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program. The computer program can be applied to the terminal or the network device provided by the embodiment of the present application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or the network device in the various embodiments of the present application.

[0332] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" can be used interchangeably in the present application. In addition, the terms used in the present application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application. The terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" and the like in the specification and claims of the present application and the drawings are used to distinguish different objects, and are not used to describe a particular order. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0333] In the embodiments of the present application, the "indication" mentioned can be direct indication, or indirect indication, or can be an indication of an associated relationship. For example, A indicates B, which can mean that B can be obtained by A, for example, B can be obtained by A; or it can mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained by C; or it can mean that A and B have an associated relationship.

[0334] In the embodiments of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined according to A. However, it should also be understood that determining B according to A does not mean that B is determined only according to A, but B can also be determined according to A and / or other information.

[0335] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" can mean that there is a direct or indirect corresponding relationship between the two, or it can mean that there is an associated relationship between the two, or it can mean an indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0336] In the embodiments of the present application, "predefined" or "preconfigured" can be realized by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables or other means for indicating related information in devices (for example, including terminal devices and network devices), and the present application does not limit the specific implementation manner. For example, predefinition can mean definition in a protocol.

[0337] In the embodiments of the present application, the "protocol" can refer to a standard protocol in the communication field, for example, it can include the LTE protocol, the NR protocol and the related protocol applied to the future communication system, and the present application does not limit this.

[0338] The term "and / or" in the embodiments of the present application is merely an association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in the present application generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects.

[0339] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence number of each process described above does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0340] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and actual implementation can have another division manner, for example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the units shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interface, device or unit, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0341] The units described as separate components can or can not be physically separated, and the components shown as units can or can not be physical units, that is, they can be located in one place, or can be distributed on a plurality of network units. According to actual needs, part or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of the present application.

[0342] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically independently, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0343] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented 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 the present application are generated. The computer can be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center through wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode. The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center and the like integrated with one or more available media sets. The available media can be magnetic media (for example, floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), optical media (for example, digital video disc (DVD)) or semiconductor media (for example, solid state disk (SSD)) and the like.

[0344] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed in the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising: The method comprises: switching, by a first device, from a first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide access services for a data plane.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method comprises: switching, by the first device, from the first network element to the second network element, if a first condition is met, wherein the first condition is associated with one or more of the following: an operating state of the first network element; location information of the first device; area information of an area associated with the first network element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The operating state of the first network element is configured to indicate one or more of the following: load information of the first network element; a latency required by the first network element to provide services for the first device.

4. The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein, The first condition comprises one or more of the following: the first device is located at an edge of the area associated with the first network element; the load of the first network element is higher than a first threshold; the latency required by the first network element to provide services for the first device is higher than a second threshold; the first network element is unable to continue to provide services for the first device.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving, by the first device, first information sent by a target device, wherein the first information is configured to determine switching from the first network element to the second network element.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The first information comprises one or more of the following: information configured to indicate the second network element; information configured to indicate the data plane for providing services for the first device; information configured to indicate deregistration of the first device from the first network element; information configured to indicate a reason for deregistration of the first device from the first network element; information configured to indicate switching of the first device from the first network element to the second network element.

7. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein, The target device comprises a mobility management network element associated with the first device, and / or the first network element.

8. The method of any one of claims 2-4, wherein, The method further comprises: monitoring, by the first device, the first condition.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The method further comprises: sending, by the first device, second information to the first network element, wherein the second information is configured to indicate deregistration of the first device from the first network element; and / or sending, by the first device, third information to the second network element, wherein the third information is configured to indicate a request of the first device for registration with the second network element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The third information carries information configured to indicate the data plane.

11. The method of any one of claims 8-10, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving, by the first device, fourth information sent by the first network element, wherein the fourth information is configured to indicate an area associated with the first network element.

12. The method of any one of claims 1-11, wherein, The first network element and the second network element satisfy one or more of the following: the first network element and the second network element are equivalent network elements; an area associated with the first network element and an area associated with the second network element partially or entirely overlap.

13. The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein, The first device comprises one or more of the following: a terminal device; an access network element; a core network element.

14. A method of wireless communication, comprising: The method comprises: sending, by a target device, first information to a first device, wherein the first information is configured to determine switching of the first device from a first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide access services for a data plane.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The first device switching from the first network element to the second network element is triggered based on a first condition, wherein the first condition is associated with one or more of the following: an operation state of the first network element; location information of the first device; area information of an area associated with the first network element.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The operation state of the first network element is used to indicate one or more of the following: load information of the first network element; a latency required by the first network element to provide service for the first device.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, wherein, The first condition comprises one or more of the following: the first device is located at an edge of the area associated with the first network element; the load of the first network element is higher than a first threshold; the latency required by the first network element to provide service for the first device is higher than a second threshold; the first network element is unable to continue to provide service for the first device.

18. The method of any one of claims 14-17, wherein, The first information comprises one or more of the following: information used to indicate the second network element; information used to indicate the data plane providing service for the first device; information used to indicate the first device deregistering from the first network element; information used to indicate a reason for the first device deregistering from the first network element; information used to indicate the first device switching from the first network element to the second network element.

19. The method of any one of claims 14-18, wherein, The target device comprises a mobility management network element associated with the first device, and / or the first network element.

20. The method of any one of claims 14-19, wherein, The target device is the first network element, and the method further comprises: The target device receiving mobility information sent by a mobility management network element, wherein the mobility information is used to indicate one or more of the following: location information of the first device; an identity of a device located at an edge of an area associated with the first network element, the device comprising the first device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, The method further comprises: The target device sending a first request to the mobility management network element, the first request being used to request the mobility information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, The first request comprises one or more of the following: information used to indicate an area associated with the first network element; information used to indicate a device associated with mobility information of the first request, the device associated with the mobility information comprising the first device.

23. The method of any one of claims 14-19, wherein, The target device comprises a mobility management network element associated with the first device, and the method further comprises: The target device sending a discovery request to a third network element, the discovery request being used to request discovery of a network element providing access service for the data plane; and / or The target device receiving a response message sent by the third network element for the discovery request, the response message being used to indicate the network element providing access service for the data plane, wherein the network element providing access service for the data plane comprises the second network element.

24. The method of any one of claims 14-23, wherein, The first network element and the second network element satisfy one or more of the following: The first network element and the second network element are equivalent network elements; An area associated with the first network element and an area associated with the second network element partially or entirely overlap.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein, The first network element and / or the second network element are used to provide one or more of the following service operations: used to create a context for a network element that is successfully registered; used to release a context for a network element that is deregistered; The context is migrated to a target network element for providing an access service for a data plane.

26. The method of any one of claims 14-25, wherein, The context comprises one or more of: information indicating the data plane; tracking information of data in the data plane; data description information of data stored in the data plane; information indicating a network element associated with the context; location information indicating a registration of the network element associated with the context; area information indicating an area associated with the network element storing the context; information indicating that the network element associated with the context accesses the data plane as a data producer; information indicating that the network element associated with the context accesses the data plane as a data consumer; security parameters of the network element associated with the context, the security parameters being used for one or more of: authentication, encryption, integrity protection of the network element.

27. The method of any one of claims 14-26, wherein, The first device comprises one or more of: a terminal device; an access network element; a core network element.

28. A communications device, characterized by The communication device is a first device, comprising: a processing unit configured to handover from a first network element to a second network element, wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to provide an access service for a data plane.

29. The communications device of claim 28, wherein, The processing unit is configured to: handover from the first network element to the second network element if a first condition is met, wherein the first condition is associated with one or more of: an operating state of the first network element; location information of the first device; area information of an area associated with the first network element.

30. The communications device of claim 29, wherein, The operating state of the first network element is configured to indicate one or more of: load information of the first network element; a latency required by the first network element to provide a service for the first device.

31. The communication device of claim 29 or 30, wherein, The first condition comprises one or more of: the first device is located at an edge of the area associated with the first network element; a load of the first network element is higher than a first threshold; the latency required by the first network element to provide the service for the first device is higher than a second threshold; the first network element is unable to continue to provide the service for the first device.

32. The communication device of any one of claims 28-31, wherein, The communication device further comprises: a first receiving unit configured to receive first information sent by a target device, the first information being used to determine the handover from the first network element to the second network element.

33. The communications device of claim 32, wherein, The first information comprises one or more of: information indicating the second network element; information indicating the data plane providing the service for the first device; information indicating a deregistration of the first device from the first network element; information indicating a reason of the deregistration of the first device from the first network element; information indicating the handover of the first device from the first network element to the second network element.

34. The communication device of claim 32 or 33, wherein, The target device comprises a mobility management network element associated with the first device, and / or the first network element.

35. The communication device of any one of claims 29-31, wherein, The processing unit is further configured to monitor the first condition.

36. The communications device of claim 35, wherein, The communication device further comprises: a first sending unit configured to send second information to the first network element, the second information being used to indicate the deregistration of the first device from the first network element; and / or The second sending unit is configured to send third information to the second network element, where the third information is used to indicate that the first device requests to register with the second network element.

37. The communications device of claim 36, wherein, The third information carries information used to indicate the data plane.

38. The communication device of any one of claims 35-37, wherein, The communication device further includes: The second receiving unit is configured to receive fourth information sent by the first network element, where the fourth information is used to indicate an area associated with the first network element.

39. The communication device of any one of claims 28-38, wherein, The first network element and the second network element satisfy one or more of the following conditions: The first network element and the second network element are equivalent network elements. The area associated with the first network element and the area associated with the second network element partially or entirely overlap.

40. The communication device of any one of claims 28-39, wherein, The first device includes one or more of the following: a terminal device; an access network element; a core network element.

41. A communications device, characterized by The communication device is a target device, including: The sending unit is configured to send first information to a first device, where the first information is used to determine that the first device switches from a first network element to a second network element, The first network element and the second network element are used to provide access services for a data plane.

42. The communications device of claim 41, wherein, The first device switches from the first network element to the second network element based on a first condition, where the first condition is associated with one or more of the following: An operating state of the first network element; Position information of the first device; Area information of an area associated with the first network element.

43. The communications device of claim 42, wherein, The operating state of the first network element is used to indicate one or more of the following: Load information of the first network element; Latency required for the first network element to provide services for the first device.

44. The communication device of claim 42 or 43, wherein, The first condition includes one or more of the following: The first device is located at an edge of the area associated with the first network element; The load of the first network element is higher than a first threshold value; The latency required for the first network element to provide services for the first device is higher than a second threshold value; The first network element cannot continue to provide services for the first device.

45. The communication device of any of claims 41-44, wherein, The first information includes one or more of the following: Information used to indicate the second network element; Information used to indicate the data plane that provides services for the first device; Information used to indicate that the first device deregisters from the first network element; Information used to indicate a reason for the first device to deregister from the first network element; Information used to indicate that the first device switches from the first network element to the second network element.

46. The communication device of any of claims 41-45, wherein, The target device includes a mobility management network element associated with the first device, and / or the first network element.

47. The communication device of any of claims 41-46, wherein, The target device is the first network element, and the communication device further includes: The first receiving unit is configured to receive mobility information sent by a mobility management network element, where the mobility information is used to indicate one or more of the following: Position information of the first device; An identifier of a device located at an edge of an area associated with the first network element, where the device includes the first device.

48. The communications device of claim 47, wherein, The communication device further includes: The first sending unit is configured to send a first request to the mobility management network element, where the first request is used to request the mobility information.

49. The communications device of claim 48, wherein, The first request includes one or more of the following: Information used to indicate the area associated with the first network element; information used for indicating a device associated with the mobility information of the first request, the device associated with the mobility information comprising the first device.

50. The communication device of any one of claims 41-46, wherein, The target device comprises a mobility management network element associated with the first device, and the communication device further comprises: a second sending unit, configured to send a discovery request to a third network element, the discovery request being used for requesting to discover a network element providing an access service for the data plane; and / or a second receiving unit, configured to receive a response message for the discovery request sent by the third network element, the response message being used for indicating the network element providing the access service for the data plane, wherein the network element providing the access service for the data plane comprises the second network element.

51. The communication device of any of claims 41-50, wherein, The first network element and the second network element satisfy one or more of the following conditions: The first network element and the second network element are equivalent network elements. An area associated with the first network element and an area associated with the second network element partially or entirely overlap.

52. The communications device of claim 51, wherein, The first network element and / or the second network element are used to provide one or more of the following service operations: used for creating a context for a network element registered successfully; used for releasing a context for a network element deregistered; used for migrating a locally stored context to a target network element, the target network element being used to provide an access service for a data plane.

53. The communication device of any of claims 41-52, wherein, The context comprises one or more of the following: information used for indicating the data plane; tracking information of data in the data plane; data description information of data stored in the data plane; information used for indicating a network element associated with the context; location information of the network element associated with the context when the network element is registered; area information of an area associated with the network element storing the context; information used for indicating that the network element associated with the context accesses the data plane as a data producer; information used for indicating that the network element associated with the context accesses the data plane as a data consumer; security parameters of the network element associated with the context, the security parameters being used for one or more of the following for the network element: authentication and authorization, encryption, integrity protection.

54. The communication device of any of claims 41-53, wherein, The first device comprises one or more of the following: a terminal device; an access network element; a core network element.

55. A communications device, characterized by comprises a transceiver, a memory and a processor, the memory being used to store a program, the processor being used to invoke the program in the memory and control the transceiver to receive or send a signal, so that the communication device executes the method in any one of claims 1-13 or executes the method in any one of claims 14-27.

56. An apparatus comprising: comprises a processor used to invoke a program from a memory, so that the apparatus executes the method in any one of claims 1-13 or executes the method in any one of claims 14-27.

57. A chip, comprising: comprises a processor used to invoke a program from a memory, so that the apparatus executes the method in any one of claims 1-13 or executes the method in any one of claims 14-27.

58. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer 59. A computer program product, characterised in that, a computer program comprising program code 60. A computer program, characterized in that, the computer program code causes a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1-13, or the method of any one of claims 14-27.

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