Communication methods, communication devices and computer-readable medium

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of communications. Disclosed are communication methods, communication devices, and a computer-readable medium. A communication method of the embodiments of the present application comprises: a network control unit communicates with at least one of an access network device and a terminal by means of a specific service, wherein a plurality of network services independent of each other are deployed in the network control unit, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

Description

Communication method, communication device, and computer readable medium

[0001] Cross-reference

[0002] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 2024108391613, filed on June 26, 2024, and entitled "Communication method, communication device, and computer readable medium", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application belongs to the field of communication technology, and particularly relates to a communication method, a communication device, and a computer readable medium. BACKGROUND

[0004] With the rapid development of mobile communication networks, the core network architecture is continuously evolving under the dual driving of business and technology. In particular, after the introduction of service-based architecture (SBA) in future networks such as 5G and 6G, the core network network functions have experienced explosive growth.

[0005] However, due to the fact that the core network in the related art is implemented based on the method of first dividing services and then dividing network elements, there is a strong dependency between the network elements, and it is anchored by AMF to transfer non-access layer (NAS) messages. Therefore, for communication processes such as user registration and session establishment, complex collaborative interaction between multiple network elements is necessary, resulting in long communication processes and other problems, which affect the performance of the communication system. SUMMARY

[0006] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a communication method, a communication device, and a computer readable medium.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which is performed by a network control unit, and the method comprises: communicating with at least one of an access network device and a terminal through a specific service; wherein a plurality of network services independent of each other are deployed in the network control unit, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0008] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which is performed by an access network device, and the method comprises: communicating with a network control unit through a specific service in the network control unit; wherein a plurality of network services independent of each other are deployed in the network control unit, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0009] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided, which is performed by a terminal, and the method comprises: communicating with a network control element via a specific service in the network control element; wherein the network control element is deployed with a plurality of network services which are independent of each other, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0010] In a fourth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which is applied to a network control element, and the apparatus comprises: a communication module, configured to communicate with at least one of an access network device and a terminal via a specific service; wherein the network control element is deployed with a plurality of network services which are independent of each other, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0011] In a fifth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which is applied to an access network device, and the apparatus comprises: communicating with a network control element via a specific service in the network control element; wherein the network control element is deployed with a plurality of network services which are independent of each other, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0012] In a sixth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which is applied to a terminal, and the apparatus comprises: communicating with a network control element via a specific service in the network control element; wherein the network control element is deployed with a plurality of network services which are independent of each other, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0013] In a seventh aspect, an electronic device is provided, which comprises: a memory, a processor, and computer executable instructions stored in the memory and executable in the processor, and the computer executable instructions are executed by the processor to implement the steps of the method in the first aspect or the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0014] In an eighth aspect, a computer readable storage medium is provided, which is used to store computer executable instructions, and the computer executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the steps of the method in the first aspect or the second aspect or the third aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed in the embodiments or prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments described in the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication network architecture provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a horizontal service split architecture according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a vertical service split architecture according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0020] FIG. 5a is a schematic diagram of an interaction flow of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0021] FIG. 5b is a schematic diagram of an interaction flow of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG. 5c is a schematic diagram of an interaction flow of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0023] FIG. 5d is a schematic diagram of an interaction flow of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0026] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an example embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to enable persons skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by persons skilled in the art without creative labor should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0028] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and some embodiments and application scenarios.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of a communication network architecture provided in the present application is shown, which is a kind of ultra-simple, distributed, autonomous future network structure (may also be referred to as 6G communication network architecture, etc.), which can include but is not limited to one or more of network control unit (NCU), network packet unit (NPU), network data unit (NDU), network intelligent unit (NIU), etc. It can be understood that the naming of each network unit in the communication network architecture provided in the present application can be but is not limited to the aforementioned NCU, NPU, NIU, NDU, etc., that is, the naming of each network unit in the communication network architecture provided in the present application can be flexibly designed according to the communication standard or protocol, etc., which is not limited here.

[0030] Among them: the NCU as the network control center of the communication network architecture, used to provide network control related functions, such as but not limited to mobility management, session management and other extended functions, such as deterministic communication, algorithm network cooperation, integrated sensing, etc.; for example, responsible for driving tasks, completing the cooperation of connection, computing power, intelligence, perception, etc.

[0031] The NPU is used to provide network packet forwarding related functions, such as it can inherit the basic functions of user plane data forwarding in the related communication network architecture (such as 5G network architecture, 4G network architecture, etc.), and introduce user plane programmable function, realize the purpose of flexible definition of user plane processing logic, and evolve to algorithm network service sensing, deterministic communication and fine-grained subnet function characteristics.

[0032] The NDU is used to provide data management related functions, such as unified fusion data plane, on the basis of unified data repository (UDR) / unstructured data storage function (UDSF) in the related communication network architecture (such as 5G network architecture, 4G network architecture, etc.) providing user core data, the present application also adds network data and computing power data, defines a unified data format, to provide data channel to the outside, solve the problem of independent data plane cannot be decoupled between different manufacturers.

[0033] The NIU is used to provide intelligent endogenous related functions, such as providing functions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) task scheduling management, online reasoning, online training, knowledge model warehouse and the like, and realizing cross-layer and cross-domain intelligence between multiple nodes through distributed learning cooperation, realizing network minimalism, flexibility and intelligence internally, and providing flexible AI services externally to applications.

[0034] For the foregoing communication network architecture provided by the present application, please refer to Fig. 1 again, and internal interaction can rely on a double bus architecture. One is a service bus (Sevice Based Interface, SBI) in a related communication network architecture (such as a 5G network architecture, a 4G network architecture, etc.), that is, the range of service is developed from the core network control plane to the user plane, and further extended to the wireless access side, realizing the service of the mobile network field end to end. For example, in the embodiment, the service bus can provide interaction of control messages between network elements.

[0035] The other is the data bus newly added in the present application, that is, the data channel or the data channel bus, so that different network elements (such as NCU, NIU, etc.) can interact with the NDU through the data channel to achieve efficient acquisition and processing of data. For example, in the embodiment, the data channel is used to provide high-speed transmission of data (such as core data, network data, computing power data, etc.).

[0036] In addition, the HPMLN in Fig. 1 is a home public land mobile network, and the VPMLN is a visited public land mobile network. That is, the network elements provided by the present application can be one or more, such as a user visited NCU, a user home NCU, and the like. In the present application, the NCU in the foregoing communication network architecture can also support at least one network access mode, and different network access modes (also called multi-modal access) correspond to different network adaptors (Adaptor). For example, please refer to Fig. 1, for multi-modal access on the NCU, such as satellite access, fixed network access, 4G / 5G access, WIFI access and the like, different network adaptors (or adaptors) can be used for access. In the present application, the network adaptor can be realized in the form of a component or a microservice, so as to be plug and play in the NCU, realize adaptation and conversion of different protocols, and ensure communication performance and flexible access.

[0037] Based on the foregoing provided communication network architecture, the technical solutions provided by the present application will be described in combination with the drawings and embodiments, as follows.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a communication method 200 provided by an embodiment of the present application, which can be performed by a network control unit. In other words, the method 200 can be performed by installing software and / or hardware in the network control unit. As shown in FIG. 2, the method 200 can include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0039] In step S210, communication is performed with at least one of an access network device and a terminal via a specific service.

[0040] The network control unit is a core network element, in which a plurality of network services, such as session management services, mobility management services, authentication services, multicast broadcast services, and positioning services, can be deployed independently of each other. The specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0041] In this embodiment, the network service can also be referred to as a network function, a network management function, a network service function, a service function, and the like, and is not limited herein.

[0042] It is worth noting that, in the related art, the core network element needs to use an access and mobility management function (AMF) as an anchor point to transfer NAS messages, that is, when the core network element interacts with an external element (such as an access network device or a terminal), the AMF needs to be used as a non-service interface to transfer the messages, which leads to the problem of complex coordination and interaction between core network elements and long communication process. To this end, based on the concept of full-service architecture of the core network in the present application, on the one hand, a plurality of network services are deployed independently of each other, so that the network services in the network control unit can directly communicate with the access network device or the terminal, that is, the network control unit and the access network device or the terminal can interact based on a service interface, thereby canceling the AMF as an anchor point when the network control unit interacts with the external system (such as the access network device or the terminal), effectively reducing the complexity of the coordinated interaction between network elements, and shortening the communication process.

[0043] On the other hand, compared with the core network element in the related art, the interdependence between network elements is strong due to the division of network elements first and then the division of services, and then the deployment period of new functions or services is long when new functions or services are introduced. For example, when 5G LAN is introduced, not only the UPF needs to be modified, but also the SMF, PCF, UDM and other control plane network elements need to be modified, thereby causing the deployment period of new functions to be long. To this end, in the present application, multiple network services are independently deployed in the network control unit, which can reduce the dependence between network services and shorten the deployment period of new functions or services when new functions or services are introduced.

[0044] In some embodiments, according to the service characteristics of the multiple network services in the network control unit, the multiple network services can include or be divided into a first service and a second service. The first service is a basic service required when the network control unit communicates with external network elements, such as session management service, mobility management service, authentication service, etc. The second service is a new service or an extended service relative to the first service, which is used to provide new services or new functions, such as multicast broadcast service, positioning service, or common sense service, etc. Any new service in the future.

[0045] According to the different service architecture division of the present application, the specific service involved when the network control unit and the access network device or terminal interact can be the first service (i.e. basic service), or the second service (i.e. new service or extended service).

[0046] For example, when the communication process of the second service and the communication process of the first service are independent, i.e. there is no direct dependence between them, according to the different services requested by the access network device or terminal, the specific service can be the first service or the second service, i.e. the service architecture division is a horizontal service division architecture.

[0047] For example, when the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the specific service is the first service regardless of whether the service requested by the access network device or terminal is the first service or the second service. For the case that the service requested by the access network device or terminal is the second service, the communication of the second service can be triggered by the first service, that is, the communication request (or access request) of the second service by the access network device or terminal is implemented through the interaction between the first service and the second service, that is, the service architecture division manner is a vertical service division architecture.

[0048] That is, in this application, two division manners, the horizontal service division architecture and the vertical service division architecture, are proposed for the dependency relationship between the communication process (or access process) of the first service and the second service to meet different communication requirements. The horizontal service division architecture and the vertical service division architecture are described below.

[0049] (1) Horizontal service division architecture

[0050] As shown in FIG. 3, the horizontal service division architecture means that there is no direct dependency relationship or communication dependency relationship between the communication of the first service and the second service in the core network division. In this embodiment, for the horizontal service division architecture, it mainly aims at independent network services with small dependency, such as 5G multicast broadcast service (5G Multicast / Broadcast Service, 5MBS), location service (LoCation Services, LCS) and the like, and the deployment manner thereof in the network control unit is horizontal superposition. That is, under the horizontal service division architecture, the first service, the second service and the first service and the second service are relatively independent, for example, taking the session management service as an example, it can directly interact with the radio access device or terminal, and no longer needs to be connected through the mobility management service as an anchor point as in the related art, so that the radio access network and the core network full-service architecture is more flexible.

[0051] Based on this, for the case that there is no direct dependency relationship between the communication of the first service and the second service, it can be understood that the first service and the second service can directly interact with the external network element (such as the access network device or terminal), or the external network element (such as the access network device or terminal) can directly query and discover the first service and the second service that need to be communicated or accessed.

[0052] For example, as an implementation manner, the external network element (such as an access network device or a terminal) can directly query, based on one or more of slice identification, a data network name (DNN), a location area, and the like, entry address information of a specific service (such as the first service or the second service) that needs to be communicated from a service registration unit or a local configuration, and directly request the specific service based on the entry address information of the specific service. The service registration unit can be, but is not limited to, a network repository function (NRF) or a network assistance function (NAU, etc.). The entry address information can be, but is not limited to, an IP or a uniform resource locator (URL), etc.

[0053] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3 again, under the horizontal service division architecture, the first service and the second service can share data through a network data unit or a data plane, such as a data center, to obtain relevant context information when accessing a service.

[0054] The data center can be, but is not limited to, an NDU, and can be used to store user data (such as terminal context, etc.), policy data, network data, and the like. In this embodiment, the dynamic data of the first service and the second service can be stored in an NDU or other data center that can realize data sharing, which is not limited herein.

[0055] Based on this, for the case that the access network device or the terminal directly discovers and accesses the first service or the second service, taking the access network device as an example, the process of communicating with at least one of the access network device and the terminal through a specific service in step S210 can include, but is not limited to: receiving a first request from the external network element (such as the access network device and / or the terminal) through the specific service; and sending a first response to the external network element through the specific service.

[0056] The specific service is a first service (such as a terminal registration service, a session management service, etc.) or a second service (such as a multicast service, a location service, etc.) requested by the first request, and the first response is used to indicate a request result of the first service or the second service.

[0057] In this embodiment, the first request can be determined by the access network device, or can be determined by the terminal and then forwarded to the specific service through the access network device.

[0058] As a possible implementation, if the first request is generated by the access network device according to a specific service (such as a first service or a second service) that the access network device needs to communicate or access, the access network device can query the entry address information of the specific service that needs to be communicated according to one or more combinations of a service type, a slice type, user information, DNN information, location information, and the like corresponding to the specific service that needs to be communicated in the service registration unit or local configuration, and then generate and send the first request according to the entry address information of the specific service, so as to realize access to the specific service without needing to take AMF or the like as an anchor point to access the specific service, thereby being able to more flexibly support a full-service architecture of a radio access network (RAN) and a core network.

[0059] As another possible implementation, if the first request is generated by a terminal and forwarded by the access network device, when the access network device receives the first request for accessing a specific service from the terminal, the access network device can query the entry address information of the specific service that the terminal needs to access in the service registration unit or local configuration based on, but not limited to, one or more combinations of a service type, a slice type, user information, DNN information, location information, and the like carried in the first request, and then forward the first request to the specific service according to the entry address information of the specific service, without needing to take AMF or the like as an anchor point to access the specific service, thereby being able to more flexibly support a full-service architecture of a RAN and a core network.

[0060] In some embodiments, if the specific service is a first service (or a second service), and relevant information of the second service (or the first service) needs to be used when accessing the specific service, the specific service can obtain the relevant information of the second service from a network data unit or a data plane, and send a first response based on the relevant information of the second service to at least one of the access network device and the terminal, the first response being used to indicate a request result of the specific service, such as request success, request failure, service content of the request, and the like.

[0061] In addition, for a case where the terminal directly discovers and accesses the specific service (such as a first service or a second service), the terminal can directly query the entry address information of the specific service that needs to be accessed in the service registration unit or local configuration based on one or more combinations of a service type, a slice type, user information, DNN information, location information, and the like corresponding to the specific service that needs to be accessed, and then generate the first request according to the entry address information of the specific service and send the first request to the access network device, and the access network device forwards the first request to the specific service.

[0062] It should be noted that, for the case that the terminal directly discovers and accesses the specific service (such as the first service or the second service), the first request is transmitted to the specific service in the network control unit based on non-access layer signaling or an IP-based service interface, that is, the first request is transparently transmitted to the specific service in the network control unit through the access network device, and the access network device only serves as a forwarding node.

[0063] (2) Vertical service partitioning architecture

[0064] As shown in FIG. 4, the vertical service partitioning architecture refers to that the communication process or the access process of the second service (that is, the new service or the extended service) depends on the triggering of the first service (that is, the basic service). In this embodiment, the vertical service partitioning architecture is mainly used for new functions or new services that are difficult to be independently partitioned, such as a large dependence on the basic service, and usually need to extend the interface parameters of the basic service, for example, 5G LAN (5G Local Area Network, 5G LAN), XR (Extended Reality, XR), etc. It is difficult to completely perform horizontal partitioning, otherwise the redundancy is large. For this scenario, the vertical partitioning manner can be used.

[0065] Based on this, the communication process or the access process of the second service (that is, the new service or the extended service) depending on the triggering of the first service (that is, the basic service) can be understood as that the first service can directly interact with external network elements (such as access network devices or terminals), and all interactions between the second service and external network elements (such as access network devices or terminals) need to be forwarded through the first service.

[0066] In other words, under the vertical service partitioning architecture, the access network device and the terminal can directly discover or access the first service. For the second service, the access network device and the terminal can trigger the access to the second service through the first service that can be directly discovered or accessed. Based on this, when the network control unit communicates with the access network device or the terminal through a specific service in step S210, the specific service is the first service.

[0067] In some embodiments, when the communication of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the first service and the second service can perform data forwarding based on a transparent transmission manner, that is, the first service can transparently forward the parameter information of the second service, such as the parameters of the access network device, the terminal parameters, the subscription information, the policy information, etc. Therefore, the problem that the deployment time of the second service is long due to the need to adaptively modify the first service when the second service is deployed can be avoided.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first service and the second service share or interact data (such as context information, user data, policy data, subscription data, etc.) through a service invocation interface corresponding to the second service. The second service can be implemented based on a microservice or a virtual function, but is not limited thereto. When the second service is implemented based on the microservice, each second service can be implemented through the superimposed microservice.

[0069] When the second service is implemented based on the virtual function, each second service is implemented through a virtual function. For example, a new service business is added, and a virtual function is instantiated, such as 5G LAN, Time Sensitive Networking (TSN), and XR. The virtual function is mainly to define a unified or standard interface in advance, and to implement the logic of the corresponding function when a new function is introduced. In this case, the first service (i.e., the basic service) can call the instantiated virtual function (i.e., the second service) to execute the corresponding business logic through a callback.

[0070] Based on this, according to different deployment modes of the first service and the second service, the data sharing mode between the first service and the second service through the service invocation interface corresponding to the second service can include at least one of the following mode 1 and mode 2.

[0071] Mode 1: In the case where the first service and the second service are combined and deployed on the same physical machine or virtual machine or container, the messages between the first service and the second service can be quickly transmitted through an internal channel, such as the data sharing or communication between the first service and the second service through the callback interface corresponding to the second service.

[0072] Mode 2: In the case where the first service and the second service are independently deployed on different physical machines or virtual machines or containers, the first service and the second service communicate remotely through a service-based interface (SBI) corresponding to the second service.

[0073] For the case where the data sharing mode between the first service and the second service through the service invocation interface corresponding to the second service includes mode 1 and mode 2, it can be understood that under the same network architecture, different first services and different second services can simultaneously adopt two deployment modes, such as combining and deploying part of the first service and the second service on the same physical machine or virtual machine or container, and independently deploying another part of the first service and the second service on different physical machines or virtual machines or containers, without limitation.

[0074] Based on the description of the longitudinal service division architecture, the communication process of the terminal or the access network device requesting the first service or the second service is described below.

[0075] Please refer to FIG. 4, assuming that the terminal or the access network device requests the first service, the process of communicating with at least one of the access network device and the terminal through a specific service in the foregoing step S210 can include but is not limited to: receiving a first request from an external network element (such as an access network device and / or a terminal) through the specific service; and sending a first response to the external network element through the specific service. The specific service is the first service requested by the first request, and the first response is used to indicate the request result of the specific service.

[0076] In addition, the first request can be determined by the access network device or determined by the terminal and forwarded to the specific service through the access network device.

[0077] As a possible implementation, if the first request is generated by the access network device according to the specific service that needs to be communicated or accessed by itself, and the specific service is the first service, the access network device can query the entry address information of the specific service that needs to be accessed by the terminal in the service registration unit or the local configuration according to one or more combinations of the service type, the slice type, the user information, the DNN information, the location information, etc. of the specific service that needs to be accessed, generate and send the first request according to the entry address information of the specific service, so as to realize the access of the specific service without the need of taking AMF or the like as an anchor point to access the specific service, thereby being able to more flexibly support the RAN and core network full-service architecture.

[0078] As another possible implementation, if the first request is from the terminal and forwarded by the access network device, when the access network device receives the first request for communicating the specific service from the terminal and the specific service is the first service, the access network device can query the entry address information of the specific service that needs to be communicated by the terminal in the service registration unit or the local configuration based on one or more combinations of the service type, the slice type, the user information, the DNN information, the location information, etc. carried in the first request, and then forward the first request to the specific service according to the entry address information of the specific service, without the need of taking AMF or the like as an anchor point to communicate the specific service, thereby being able to more flexibly support the RAN and core network full-service architecture.

[0079] In addition, for the case that the terminal directly discovers and communicates the specific service (such as the first service or the second service), the terminal can directly query the entry address information of the specific service that needs to be communicated in the service registration unit or the local configuration based on one or more combinations of the business type, the slice type, the user information, the DNN information, the location information and the like corresponding to the specific service that needs to be communicated, and then generates the first request according to the entry address information of the specific service and sends the first request to the access network device, and the access network device forwards the first request to the specific service.

[0080] It should be noted that, for the case that the terminal directly discovers and communicates the specific service (such as the first service or the second service), the first request is transmitted to the specific service based on non-access layer signaling or IP-based service interface, that is, the first request is transparently transmitted to the specific service in the network control unit through the access network device, and the access network device only serves as a forwarding node.

[0081] Please refer to FIG. 4, assuming that the terminal or the access network device requests to communicate the second service, the process of communicating with at least one of the access network device and the terminal through the specific service in the foregoing step S210 can include but is not limited to: receiving a first request from an external network element (such as the access network device and / or the terminal) through the specific service; and sending a first response to the external network element through the specific service. Wherein, the specific service is used to trigger the communication process of the second service requested by the first request, and the first response is used to indicate the request result of the second service.

[0082] The first request can be determined by the access network device, or determined by the terminal and then forwarded to the specific service through the access network device.

[0083] As a possible implementation manner, if the first request is generated by the access network device according to the second service that needs to be communicated or accessed by the access network device, the access network device can query the entry address information of the first service corresponding to the second service that needs to be accessed by the terminal in the service registration unit or the local configuration according to one or more combinations of the business type, the slice type, the user information, the DNN information, the location information and the like corresponding to the second service that needs to be accessed, and then sends the first request corresponding to the second service to the first service according to the entry address information of the first service, and the first service triggers the interaction with the second service according to the business type carried in the first request, so that the second service executes the related business logic according to the first request.

[0084] As another possible implementation, if the first request is from a terminal and forwarded by the access network device, the access network device, upon receiving a first request from a terminal for accessing a specific service and the specific service being a second service, can, but is not limited to, query a first service corresponding to the second service in a service registration unit or a local configuration based on one or more combinations of a slice type, user information, DNN information, location information, etc. corresponding to the second service, obtain the entry address information of the first service, and then forward the first request to the first service according to the entry address information of the first service. The first service triggers interaction with the second service according to the service type carried in the first request, so that the second service performs relevant business logic according to the first request.

[0085] In addition, for the case where the terminal directly discovers and accesses the first service but needs to access a second service, the terminal can directly query the entry address information of the first service corresponding to the second service based on one or more combinations of a service type, a slice type, user information, DNN information, location information, etc. corresponding to the second service that needs to be accessed in a service registration unit or a local configuration, and then send the first request corresponding to the second service to the access network device according to the entry address information of the first service. The access network device forwards the first request to the first service, and the first service triggers interaction with the second service according to the service type carried in the first request, so that the second service performs relevant business logic according to the first request.

[0086] It should be noted that for the case where the terminal directly discovers the first service but needs to communicate the second service, the first request is transmitted to the first service based on non-access layer signaling or IP-based service interface, i.e., the first request is transparently transmitted to the first service in the network control unit through the access network device, and the access network device only serves as a forwarding node.

[0087] In some embodiments, for the case where the first service and the second service need to share data, the first service can obtain relevant information of the second service based on a callback interface or a service interface corresponding to the second service, and send a first response to the access network device based on the relevant information of the second service. The first response is used to indicate the request result of the specific service, such as request success or failure or the requested content.

[0088] Based on the foregoing description of the communication method, for the convenience of understanding, the implementation process of the technical solutions provided in the present application is further described below in combination with Examples 1-4, and the contents are as follows.

[0089] Example 1: Terminal service registration

[0090] Considering that the terminal registration service is a basic service, i.e., a first service, the implementation procedure under the horizontal service split architecture and the vertical service split architecture is consistent, therefore, the following is described in combination with FIG. 5a.

[0091] Step S501: The terminal initiates a registration request (i.e., the aforementioned first request). The registration request carries the type of registration, the service type, the slice identifier, the capability supported by the terminal, and the like.

[0092] Step S502: In the case where the access network device receives the registration request from the terminal, the access network device queries a mobility management service (corresponding to the first service) according to the registration request, to obtain the entry address information of the mobility management service, such as IP or URL, and the like.

[0093] The access network device can query the mobility management service from a network assistance unit or local configuration based on one or more of the slice identifier, the service type, a public land mobile network (PLMN), and the like.

[0094] Step S503: The access network device forwards the registration request to the mobility management service according to the entry address of the queried mobility management service.

[0095] Step S504: After the mobility management service receives the registration request, the mobility management service obtains full user data, such as subscription data and policy data, from an NDU.

[0096] Step S505: The NDU provides the full user data, such as subscription data and policy data, to the mobility management service.

[0097] Step S506: The mobility management service triggers authentication of the terminal based on the full user data.

[0098] Step S507: The mobility management service stores relevant data, such as the authentication result, user subscription data, and policy data, in a user context.

[0099] Step S508: The mobility management service returns a registration response (i.e., the aforementioned first response) to the access network device.

[0100] Step S509: The access network device returns the registration response to the terminal.

[0101] Compared with the terminal registration process in the related art, the access network device needs to determine the AMF based on switching or PLMN, and send registration signaling to the AMF network element based on a non-service interface, which causes problems such as complex network element interaction and long process. In the terminal registration process provided in Example 1, the mobility management service can be independently deployed, the access network device can directly query the mobility management service in the service registration unit based on information such as a service type and a slice type, and communicate with the mobility management service through a service interface. Therefore, the interaction flow of the service can be simplified and shortened, and the wireless access network and core network full-service architecture can be more flexibly supported.

[0102] Example 2: Session establishment service

[0103] Considering that the session establishment service is a basic service, that is, a first service, the implementation process under the horizontal service division architecture and the vertical service division architecture is consistent, therefore, the following description is combined with FIG. 5b.

[0104] Step S511: The terminal initiates a session establishment request, that is, a first request.

[0105] Step S512: When the access network device receives the session establishment request, one or more of information such as a slice identifier, a DNN, and a location area in the session establishment request can be used to directly query a session management service from a service registration unit to obtain entry address information such as an IP or a URL of the session management service.

[0106] The service registration unit can be, but is not limited to, NRF or NAU, and the like.

[0107] Step S513: The access network device forwards the session establishment request to the session management service based on the entry address information of the session management service.

[0108] Step S514: The session management service can obtain related context information and the like from a shared data unit, and initiate a session establishment request to an NPU.

[0109] Step S515: The NPU returns a bearer establishment response.

[0110] Step S516: The session management service sends a session establishment response (that is, a first response) to the access network device, where the session establishment response carries quality of service (QoS) policy information and the like.

[0111] Step S517: The access network device applies for a radio resource and establishes a bearer according to a requirement of the QoS policy.

[0112] Compared with the related art, when a session establishment request is initiated, the AMF needs to be used as an anchor point, and the AMF forwards the session establishment request sent by the access network device to a session establishment function. In this example 2, since the session management service is independently deployed, the access network device can directly query and access the session management service through a service interface, and no longer needs to be forwarded through the mobility management service, thereby simplifying and shortening the interaction process of the service.

[0113] Especially, in 5G, the AMF is used as an anchor point of signaling, and when a signaling storm occurs, the AMF is easily impacted, and in this application, the AMF is no longer used as an anchor point, and the mobility management service can be avoided from being impacted.

[0114] Example 3: a horizontal service division architecture-second service, a communication process of the second service is independent of a communication process of the first service, and the second service is a new service service shown in FIG. 5c

[0115] Step S521: As shown in FIG. 5c, the terminal initiates a new service request corresponding to a new service service, that is, the first request described above, for example, 5MBS, positioning, and the like.

[0116] Step S522: When the access network device receives the new service request, one or more of slice identification, DNN, location area, and the like carried in the new service request can be used to directly query the new service service from a service registration unit or local configuration to obtain entry address information of the new service service, such as IP or URL, and the like.

[0117] Step S523: The access network device initiates a new service request to the new service service based on the entry address information of the new service service.

[0118] Step S524: The new service service can obtain related context information and the like from a shared data unit, and if a new bearer establishment request is involved, a session establishment request is initiated to the NPU.

[0119] Step S525: The NPU returns a bearer establishment response.

[0120] Step S526: The new service service returns a new service response (that is, a first response) to the access network device. The new service response can carry QoS policy information and the like.

[0121] Step S527: The access network device applies for a radio resource, establishes a bearer, and the like according to the requirement of the QoS policy.

[0122] In this example 3, a communication process of a second service under a horizontal service division architecture is provided, wherein the access network device can directly query and initiate a request to the second service, and no longer needs to be forwarded through the mobility management service, thereby simplifying and shortening the interaction process of the service.

[0123] In addition, in related technologies such as 5G networks, when a new service is introduced or deployed, existing network elements such as AMF, SMF, PCF, etc. need to be modified, resulting in long service online time and other problems. In this example 3, when deploying the second service, that is, adding a new service or expanding a service, the independent deployment method can reduce the impact on the existing service, and the access network device directly accesses the new service, without modifying the existing session management service or mobility management service, simplifying and shortening the service online time.

[0124] Example 4: Vertical service division architecture-second service, the access process of the second service is triggered by the first service (such as session management service).

[0125] Step S531: The terminal initiates a new service request (i.e. the first request) corresponding to the second service, such as TSN, 5GLAN, etc.

[0126] Step S532: The access network device receives the new service request, and according to one or more of the slice identifier, DNN, location area, etc. carried in the new service request, directly queries the session management service from the service registration unit or local configuration to obtain the entry address information of the session management service, such as IP or URL, etc.

[0127] Step S533: The access network device initiates a service establishment request to the session management service (basic service) based on the entry address information of the session management service.

[0128] Step S534: The session management service triggers interaction with the second service (such as microservice) according to the service type, and the second service executes the related service logic according to the received new service request, such as 5G LAN, TSN processing.

[0129] Step S535: The session management service returns a new service response (i.e. the first response) corresponding to the second service to the access network device, etc.

[0130] Step S536: The access network device returns the new service response to the terminal.

[0131] This example 4 provides a second service communication process under a vertical service division architecture, wherein the access network device can directly query and initiate a request to the first service relied on by the second service, but does not need to be forwarded through the mobility management service, simplifying and shortening the service interaction process.

[0132] In addition, for the deployment of the second service, in related technologies such as 5G networks, when a new service is introduced, existing network elements such as AMF, SMF, PCF, etc. need to be modified, resulting in a long online time of the new service. In the present example 4, the new service service, i.e. the second service, is deployed by means of microservices or virtual functions, without modifying the AMF, SMF, etc., which can reduce the impact on existing services, and the RAN directly triggers the second service through the basic service such as the session management service to perform subsequent logic processing, thereby simplifying and shortening the online time of the new service.

[0133] FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram of a communication method 600 provided by an embodiment of the present application. In other words, the method 600 can be performed by installing software and / or hardware in an access network device. As shown in FIG. 6, the method 600 can include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0134] In step S610, a specific service in the network control unit communicates with the network control unit.

[0135] In the network control unit, a plurality of network services independent of each other are deployed, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0136] In some embodiments, the plurality of network services include a first service and a second service; wherein the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, or the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the first service is a basic service required for the network control unit to provide communication with an external network element, the second service is an added service or an extended service relative to the first service, and the external network element includes at least one of the access network device and a terminal.

[0137] In some embodiments, when the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, data sharing is performed between the first service and the second service through a network data unit or a data plane.

[0138] In some embodiments, when the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, data sharing is performed between the first service and the second service through a service call interface corresponding to the second service, or the specific service is the first service.

[0139] In some embodiments, the communicating with the network control element through a specific service in the network control element comprises: determining entry address information of the specific service; sending the first request to the specific service according to the entry address information of the specific service; and receiving a first response from the specific service, wherein the first response is used to indicate a request result of the specific service if the specific service is the first service or the second service requested by the access network device or the terminal, or the first response is used to indicate a request result of the second service if the specific service is used to trigger a communication process of the second service requested by the access network device or the terminal.

[0140] In some embodiments, the entry address information of the specific service is determined according to at least one of a service type, a slice type, user information, data network name information, location information, and the like corresponding to the specific service if the specific service is the first service or the second service requested by the access network device or the terminal, or the entry address information of the specific service is determined according to at least one of a service type, a slice type, user information, data network name information, location information, and the like corresponding to the second service if the specific service is used to trigger a communication process of the second service requested by the access network device or the terminal.

[0141] It can be understood that each implementation of the method embodiment 600 has the same or corresponding technical features as the foregoing method embodiment 200, and therefore, the related description of the method embodiment 200 can be referred to for the implementation of the method embodiment 600, and the same or corresponding technical effects can be achieved. To avoid repetition, the related description is not repeated here.

[0142] FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of a communication method 700 provided by an embodiment of the present application, which can be performed by a terminal. In other words, the method 700 can be performed by installing software and / or hardware in the terminal. As shown in FIG. 7, the method 700 can include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0143] In step S710, a specific service in a network control element is communicated with the network control element.

[0144] In the network control element, a plurality of network services independent of each other are deployed, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0145] In some embodiments, the plurality of network services comprises a first service and a second service; wherein the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, or the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the first service is a basic service required when the network control unit communicates with an external network element, the second service is an added or extended service relative to the first service, and the external network element comprises at least one of the access network device and the terminal.

[0146] In some embodiments, when the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, data sharing is performed between the first service and the second service through a network data unit or a data plane.

[0147] In some embodiments, when the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, data sharing is performed between the first service and the second service through a service invocation interface corresponding to the second service, or the specific service is the first service.

[0148] In some embodiments, the terminal communicates with a specific service in the network control unit based on a non-access stratum signaling or an IP-based service interface.

[0149] In some embodiments, the communication between the specific service in the network control unit and the network control unit comprises: determining entry address information of the specific service; sending a first request to the specific service in the network control unit according to the entry address information of the specific service; and receiving a first response from the specific service in the network control unit; wherein if the specific service is a first service or a second service requested by the first request, the first response is used to indicate a request result of the specific service, or if the specific service is used to trigger a communication process of the second service requested by the first request, the first response is used to indicate a request result of the second service.

[0150] In some embodiments, if the specific service is a first service or a second service requested by the first request, the entry address information of the specific service is determined according to at least one of a service type, a slice type, user information, data network name information, location information, etc. corresponding to the specific service; or if the specific service is used to trigger a communication process of the second service requested by the first request, the entry address information of the specific service is determined according to at least one of a service type, a slice type, user information, data network name information, location information corresponding to the second service.

[0151] It can be understood that each implementation of the method embodiment 700 has the same or corresponding technical features as the foregoing method embodiment 200, and therefore, the related description in the foregoing method embodiment 200 can be referred to for each implementation in the method embodiment 700 and achieve the same or corresponding technical effects. To avoid repetition, the details are not described herein again.

[0152] The application further provides a communication device applied to a network control unit, the device comprising: a communication module configured to communicate with at least one of an access network device and a terminal via a specific service; wherein a plurality of network services are deployed in the network control unit independently of each other, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0153] In some embodiments, the plurality of network services comprises a first service and a second service; wherein the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, or the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the first service is a basic service required when the network control unit communicates with an external network element, and the second service is an added or extended service relative to the first service, and the external network element comprises at least one of the access network device and the terminal.

[0154] In some embodiments, in the case that the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, data sharing is performed between the first service and the second service through a network data unit or a data plane.

[0155] In some embodiments, in the case that the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the specific service is the first service, or data sharing is performed between the first service and the second service through a service invocation interface corresponding to the second service.

[0156] In some embodiments, the second service is implemented based on a microservice or a virtual function, and data sharing is performed between the first service and the second service through a service invocation interface corresponding to the second service, including at least one of the following: in the case that the first service and the second service are deployed in the same physical machine or virtual machine or container, data sharing or communication is performed between the first service and the second service through a callback interface corresponding to the second service; in the case that the first service and the second service are independently deployed in different physical machines or virtual machines or containers, remote communication is performed between the first service and the second service through a service interface corresponding to the second service.

[0157] In some embodiments, data forwarding is performed between the first service and the second service in a transparent transmission manner.

[0158] In some embodiments, the specific service in the network control unit communicates with the terminal based on non-access stratum signaling or IP-based service interface in the case of communicating with the terminal through the specific service.

[0159] In some embodiments, the communicating with at least one of the access network device and the terminal through the specific service comprises: receiving a first request from the external network element through the specific service; and sending a first response to the external network element through the specific service; wherein if the specific service is a first service or a second service requested by the first request, the first response is used to indicate a request result of the specific service, or if the specific service is used to trigger a communication process of the second service requested by the first request, the first response is used to indicate a request result of the second service.

[0160] The foregoing device provided by the embodiments of the present application can perform the methods described in the foregoing method embodiment 200 and realize the functions and beneficial effects of the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here again.

[0161] The embodiments of the present application further provide a communication device applied to an access network device, comprising: a communication module configured to communicate with a network control unit through a specific service in the network control unit; wherein a plurality of network services independent of each other are deployed in the network control unit, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0162] In some embodiments, the plurality of network services comprises a first service and a second service; wherein the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, or the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the first service is a basic service required for the network control unit to provide communication with an external network element, the second service is an added service or an extended service relative to the first service, and the external network element comprises at least one of the access network device and a terminal.

[0163] In some embodiments, in the case that the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, the first service and the second service share data through a network data unit or a data plane.

[0164] In some embodiments, in the case that the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the first service and the second service share data through a service invocation interface corresponding to the second service, or the specific service is the first service.

[0165] In some embodiments, the communicating between the specific service in the network control unit and the network control unit comprises: determining entry address information of the specific service; sending the first request to the specific service according to the entry address information of the specific service; and receiving a first response from the specific service; wherein, if the specific service is the first service or the second service requested by the access network device or the terminal, the first response is used to indicate a request result of the specific service, or if the specific service is used to trigger a communication process of the second service requested by the access network device or the terminal, the first response is used to indicate a request result of the second service.

[0166] The foregoing device provided by the embodiments of the present application can perform the methods described in the foregoing method embodiment 600 and realize the functions and advantages of the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here again.

[0167] The embodiments of the present application further provide a communication device applied to a terminal, comprising: a communication module configured to communicate with a network control unit through a specific service in the network control unit; wherein, a plurality of network services independent of each other are deployed in the network control unit, and the specific service is any one of the plurality of network services.

[0168] In some embodiments, the plurality of network services comprises a first service and a second service; wherein, the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, or the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the first service is a basic service required when the network control unit communicates with an external network element, the second service is an added service or an extended service relative to the first service, and the external network element comprises at least one of the access network device and the terminal.

[0169] In some embodiments, in the case that the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the second service, data sharing is performed between the first service and the second service through a network data unit or a data plane.

[0170] In some embodiments, in the case that the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, data sharing is performed between the first service and the second service through a service invocation interface corresponding to the second service, or the specific service is the first service.

[0171] In some embodiments, the communication between the terminal and the specific service in the network control unit is based on a non-access stratum signaling or an IP-based service interface.

[0172] In some embodiments, the communicating with the specific service in the network control unit comprises: determining the entry address information of the specific service; sending a first request to the specific service in the network control unit according to the entry address information of the specific service; and receiving a first response from the specific service in the network control unit; wherein, if the specific service is a first service or a second service requested by the first request, the first response is used to indicate the request result of the specific service, or if the specific service is used to trigger a communication process of the second service requested by the first request, the first response is used to indicate the request result of the second service.

[0173] The foregoing device provided by the embodiments of the present application can execute the methods described in the foregoing method embodiment 700, and realize the functions and beneficial effects of the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here again.

[0174] FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of a hardware structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to the figure, at the hardware level, the electronic device includes a processor, which in an embodiment includes an internal bus, a network interface, and a memory. The memory can include a memory such as a random-access memory (RAM), and can also include a non-volatile memory such as at least one disk memory. Of course, the electronic device can also include other hardware required by other services.

[0175] The processor, the network interface, and the memory can be connected to each other through the internal bus, which can be an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus, a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, only one bidirectional arrow is used in the figure, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0176] The memory is used to store programs. Specifically, the programs can include program codes, and the program codes include computer operation instructions. The memory can include a memory and a non-volatile memory, and provides instructions and data to the processor.

[0177] The processor reads the corresponding computer program from the non-volatile memory into the memory and then runs, and forms a device for positioning the designated user at a logical level. The processor executes the program stored in the memory, and is specifically configured to execute the method disclosed in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-7 and achieve the functions and advantages of the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0178] The method disclosed in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-7 of the present application can be applied to or implemented by a processor. The processor can be an integrated circuit chip having a processing capability of signals. In the implementation process, each step of the method can be completed by integrated logic circuits or instructions in the form of software in the processor. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc.; or can be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component. Each method, step and logic block diagram disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in combination with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware code processor for execution, or a combination of hardware and software modules in the code processor for execution. The software module can be located in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium in the memory is read by the processor, and the hardware thereof is combined to complete the steps of the method.

[0179] The electronic device can also execute the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments, and achieve the functions and advantages of the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0180] Of course, in addition to the software implementation, the electronic device of the present application does not exclude other implementation manners, such as logic devices or a combination of software and hardware, etc. That is, the execution subject of the following processing flow is not limited to each logic unit, but can also be hardware or a logic device.

[0181] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium, which stores one or more programs, and the one or more programs, when executed by an electronic device comprising a plurality of application programs, cause the electronic device to perform the method disclosed in the embodiments shown in FIG. 2-7 and achieve the functions and advantages of each method described in the foregoing method embodiments. Details are not described herein again.

[0182] The computer readable storage medium comprises a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0183] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product, which comprises a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The computer program comprises program instructions, and when the program instructions are executed by a computer, the following processes are implemented: the method disclosed in the embodiments shown in FIG. 1-3 and the functions and advantages of each method described in the foregoing method embodiments. Details are not described herein again.

[0184] In summary, the above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application, and is not used to limit the protection scope of the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

[0185] The system, device, module or unit disclosed in the above embodiments can be specifically implemented by a computer chip or entity, or by a product with certain function. A typical implementation device is a computer. Specifically, the computer may, for example, be a personal computer, a laptop computer, a cellular phone, a camera phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, a tablet computer, a wearable device, or a combination of any of these devices.

[0186] Computer-readable media includes permanent and non-permanent, movable and non-movable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. The information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmission medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. According to the definition herein, computer-readable media does not include transitory media such as modulated data signals and carriers.

[0187] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising", "containing", or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, so that a process, method, article or apparatus that includes a list of elements does not only include those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or inherent to such a process, method, article or apparatus. Without more limitations, the element defined by the statement "comprising a" does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or apparatus that includes the element.

[0188] Each of the embodiments in the specification is described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on the difference from other embodiments. In particular, for system embodiments, since they are basically similar to method embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the part of the method embodiment.

Claims

1. A communication method, wherein, Performed by the network control unit, the method includes: Communicating with at least one of the access network devices and terminals through a specific service; The network control unit is equipped with multiple independent network services, and the specific service is any one of the multiple network services.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, The multiple network services include a first service and a second service; Wherein, the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, or the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the first service is a basic service required for the network control unit to communicate with external network elements, the second service is a new service or extended service relative to the first service, and the external network elements include at least one of the access network devices and terminals.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein, When the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, the first service and the second service share data through network data units or data planes.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, When the communication process of the second service is triggered by the first service, the specific service is the first service, or the first service and the second service share data through the service call interface corresponding to the second service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The second service is implemented based on microservices or virtual functions. The first service and the second service share data through the service call interface corresponding to the second service, including at least one of the following: When the first service and the second service are deployed together on the same physical machine, virtual machine or container, the first service and the second service share data or communicate with each other through the callback interface corresponding to the second service. When the first service and the second service are deployed independently on different physical machines, virtual machines, or containers, the first service and the second service communicate remotely through the service-oriented interface corresponding to the second service.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, The first service and the second service forward data to each other using a transparent transmission method.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, When communicating with the terminal through a specific service, the specific service in the network control unit communicates with the terminal based on non-access stratum signaling or an IP-based service interface.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2-6, wherein, The communication with at least one of the access network devices and terminals through a specific service includes: Receive a first request from the external network element through the specific service; Send a first response to the external network element through the specific service; Wherein, if the specific service is the first service or the second service requested by the first request, the first response is used to indicate the request result of the specific service; or, if the specific service is used to trigger the communication process of the second service requested by the first request, the first response is used to indicate the request result of the second service.

9. A communication method, wherein, Performed by an access network device, the method includes: Communicating with the network control unit through specific services in the network control unit; The network control unit is equipped with multiple independent network services, and the specific service is any one of the multiple network services.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The multiple network services include a first service and a second service; Wherein, the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, or the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the first service is a basic service required for the network control unit to communicate with external network elements, the second service is a new service or extended service relative to the first service, and the external network elements include at least one of the access network devices and terminals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The communication with the network control unit via a specific service in the network control unit includes: Determine the entry address information for the specific service; A first request is sent to the specific service based on the entry address information of the specific service; Receive the first response from the specific service; Wherein, if the specific service is a first service or a second service requested by the access network device or terminal, the first response is used to indicate the request result of the specific service; or, if the specific service is used to trigger the communication process of a second service requested by the access network device or terminal, the first response is used to indicate the request result of the second service.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, If the specific service is the first service or the second service requested by the access network device or terminal, the entry address information of the specific service is determined based on at least one of the service type, slice type, user information, data network name information, and location information corresponding to the specific service. Alternatively, if the specific service is used to trigger the communication process of the second service requested by the access network device or terminal, the entry address information of the specific service is determined based on at least one of the service type, slice type, user information, data network name information, and location information corresponding to the second service.

13. A communication method, wherein, The method, executed by a terminal, includes: Communicating with the network control unit through specific services in the network control unit; The network control unit is equipped with multiple independent network services, and the specific service is any one of the multiple network services.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The multiple network services include a first service and a second service; Wherein, the communication process of the second service is independent of the communication process of the first service, or the communication process of the second service is triggered based on the first service, the first service is a basic service required for the network control unit to communicate with external network elements, the second service is a new service or extended service relative to the first service, and the external network elements include at least one of the access network device and the terminal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, The terminal communicates with a specific service in the network control unit based on non-access stratum signaling or an IP-based service interface.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13-15, wherein, The communication with the network control unit via a specific service in the network control unit includes: Determine the entry address information for the specific service; A first request is sent to the specific service in the network control unit based on the entry address information of the specific service. Receive a first response from a specific service in the network control unit; Wherein, if the specific service is the first service or the second service requested by the first request, the first response is used to indicate the request result of the specific service; or, if the specific service is used to trigger the communication process of the second service requested by the first request, the first response is used to indicate the request result of the second service.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, If the specific service is the first service or the second service requested by the first request, then the entry address information of the specific service is determined based on at least one of the service type, slice type, user information, data network name information, and location information corresponding to the specific service. Alternatively, if the specific service is used to trigger the communication process of the second service requested by the first request, the entry address information of the specific service is determined based on at least one of the service type, slice type, user information, data network name information, and location information corresponding to the second service.

18. A communication device, wherein, It includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, implements the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 1-17.

19. A computer-readable medium, wherein, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 1-17.

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