Feature information determination method, and network-side device

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of communications. Disclosed are a feature information determination method and a network-side device. The feature information determination method in the embodiments of the present application comprises: a serving end receiving first information from a capability storage network element or second information from a client; and on the basis of the first information or the second information, the serving end determining feature information of the client, wherein the feature information of the client is used for determining a target client involved in a VFL task.

Description

Methods for determining feature information and network-side devices

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2024109305206, filed on July 11, 2024, entitled "Method for Determining Feature Information and Network-Side Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application belongs to the field of communication technology, specifically relating to a method for determining feature information and a network-side device. Background Technology

[0004] Vertical Federated Learning (VFL) is essentially the union of features, suitable for scenarios with high terminal overlap and low feature overlap. However, related technologies lack a process for determining feature information. Therefore, the server cannot determine the client's feature information before performing a VFL task, and thus cannot guarantee that the client is a device with different feature information. This can lead to VFL task failure or low processing efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method for determining feature information and a network-side device, which can solve the problem that the server cannot determine the client's feature information before performing VFL tasks.

[0006] In a first aspect, a method for determining feature information is provided, comprising: a server receiving first information from a capability storage network element or second information from a client; the server determining feature information of the client based on the first information or the second information, wherein the feature information of the client is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0007] Secondly, a method for determining feature information is provided, comprising: a capability storage network element sending first information to a server, the first information being used to determine the feature information of a client, the feature information of the client being used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0008] Thirdly, a method for determining feature information is provided, comprising: a client sending second information to a server or sending sixth information to a capability storage network element, wherein the second information or the sixth information is used to determine the feature information of the client, and the feature information of the client is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0009] Fourthly, a device for determining feature information is provided, applied to a server, comprising: a receiving module for receiving first information from a capability storage network element or second information from a client; and a processing module for determining feature information of a client based on the first information or the second information, wherein the feature information of the client is used to determine a target client participating in a VFL task.

[0010] Fifthly, a device for determining feature information is provided, applied to a capability storage network element, comprising: a sending module for sending first information to a server, the first information being used to determine the feature information of a client, the feature information of the client being used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0011] In a sixth aspect, a device for determining feature information is provided, applied to a client, comprising: a sending module, used to send second information to a server or to a capability storage network element, wherein the second information or the sixth information is used to determine the feature information of the client, and the feature information of the client is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0012] In a seventh aspect, an apparatus for determining feature information is provided, the apparatus being configured to perform the steps of the method described in the first aspect, or to implement the steps of the method described in the second aspect, or to implement the steps of the method described in the third aspect.

[0013] Eighthly, a network-side device is provided, the network-side device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions executable on the processor, the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implementing the steps of the method as described in the first aspect, or implementing the steps of the method as described in the second aspect, or implementing the steps of the method as described in the third aspect.

[0014] A ninth aspect provides a network-side device, including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor and the communication interface are configured to perform the steps of the method described in the first aspect, or the steps of the method described in the second aspect, or the steps of the method described in the third aspect.

[0015] In a tenth aspect, a readable storage medium is provided, on which a program or instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method described in the first aspect, or the steps of the method described in the second aspect, or the steps of the method described in the third aspect.

[0016] Eleventhly, a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: a terminal and a network-side device, wherein the network-side device can be used to perform the steps of the method as described in the first, second, or third aspects.

[0017] In a twelfth aspect, a chip is provided, the chip including a processor and a communication interface coupled to the processor, the processor being configured to run a program or instructions to implement the method as described in the first aspect, or the method as described in the second aspect, or the steps of the method as described in the third aspect.

[0018] In a thirteenth aspect, a computer program / program product is provided, the computer program / program product being stored in a storage medium, the computer program / program product being executed by at least one processor to implement the method as described in the first aspect, or the method as described in the second aspect, or the steps of the method as described in the third aspect.

[0019] In this embodiment of the application, before performing a VFL task, the server can determine the client's characteristic information based on the first information from the capability storage network element or the second information from the client, and then determine the target client participating in the VFL task, which is beneficial to completing the VFL task sequentially and improving the processing efficiency of the VFL task. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network-side device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network-side device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first" and "second" are generally of the same class, not limited in number; for example, the first object can be one or more. Furthermore, "or" in this application indicates at least one of the connected objects. For example, the scope of protection for "A or B" covers at least three scenarios: Scenario 1: including A but not B; Scenario 2: including B but not A; Scenario 3: including both A and B. In addition, the terms "A and / or B," "at least one of A and B," and "at least one of A or B" also cover at least the above three scenarios. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0036] The term "instruction" in this application can be either a direct instruction (or explicit instruction) or an indirect instruction (or implicit instruction). A direct instruction can be understood as one in which the sender explicitly informs the receiver of specific information, the operation to be performed, or the requested result, etc., in the instruction sent. An indirect instruction can be understood as one in which the receiver determines the corresponding information based on the instruction sent by the sender, or makes a judgment and determines the operation to be performed or the requested result, etc., based on the judgment result.

[0037] It is worth noting that the technologies described in this application are not limited to Long Term Evolution (LTE) / LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, but can also be used in other wireless communication systems, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single-carrier Frequency-Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), or other systems. The terms "system" and "network" in this application are often used interchangeably, and the described technologies can be used with the systems and radio technologies mentioned above, as well as with other systems and radio technologies. The following description describes New Radio (NR) systems for illustrative purposes, and the term NR is used in most of the following description; however, these technologies can also be applied to systems other than NR systems, such as 6th generation (6G) radio systems. th Generation 6G communication system.

[0038] Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. The wireless communication system includes a terminal 11 and a network-side device 12. The terminal 11 can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld computer, netbook, ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), mobile internet device (MID), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) device, robot, wearable device, flight vehicle, vehicle user equipment (VUE), shipboard equipment, pedestrian user equipment (PUE), smart home (home devices with wireless communication capabilities, such as refrigerators, televisions, washing machines, or furniture), game console, personal computer (PC), ATM, or self-service machine, etc. Wearable devices include: smartwatches, smart bracelets, smart headphones, smart glasses, smart jewelry (smart bracelets, smart chains, smart rings, smart necklaces, smart anklets, smart anklets, etc.), smart wristbands, smart clothing, etc. Among these, in-vehicle devices can also be referred to as in-vehicle terminals, in-vehicle controllers, in-vehicle modules, in-vehicle components, in-vehicle chips, or in-vehicle units, etc. It should be noted that the specific type of terminal 11 is not limited in this application embodiment. Network-side equipment 12 may include access network equipment or core network equipment, wherein access network equipment may also be referred to as Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment, radio access network function, or radio access network unit. Access network equipment may include base stations, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access points (AS), or Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) nodes, etc.The term "base station" can be referred to as Node B (NB), Evolved Node B (eNB), Next Generation Node B (gNB), New Radio Node B (NR Node B), Access Point, Relay Base Station (RBS), Serving Base Station (SBS), Base Transceiver Station (BTS), Radio Base Station, Radio Transceiver, Basic Service Set (BSS), Extended Service Set (ESS), Home Node B (HNB), Home Evolved Node B, Transmit / Receive Point (TRP), or any other suitable term in the relevant field, as long as the same technical effect is achieved. The term "base station" is not limited to any specific technical terminology. It should be noted that this application embodiment only uses a base station in an NR system as an example for description and does not limit the specific type of base station.

[0039] Core network equipment, also known as core network nodes, core network functions, or core network elements, includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: Mobility Management Entity (MME), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), User Plane Function (UPF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), Edge Application Server Discovery Function (EASDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Unified Data Repository (UDR), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Centralized network configuration (CNC), Network Repository Function (NRF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), Local NEF (or L-NEF), and Binding Support. The core network functions include: BSF (Block Network Function), Application Function (AF), Location Management Function (LMF), Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC), and Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF). It should be noted that this application embodiment only uses core network equipment in the NR system as an example and does not limit the specific type of core network equipment. If the name of the core network equipment mentioned in this application embodiment changes in subsequent protocol versions (e.g., 6G), it will still be within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] Optionally, the core network equipment can be implemented by one or more functional modules in a single device, or by multiple devices working together; this application does not specifically limit this. It is understood that the aforementioned functional modules can be network elements in hardware devices, software functional modules running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functional modules instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0041] The method for determining feature information provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through some embodiments and application scenarios.

[0042] The Virtual Functions (VFL) task involves training and inference using samples with different feature information but the same terminal. Therefore, it is necessary to identify samples with different feature information but the same terminal. However, related technologies lack a process for determining this feature information. Consequently, it may be impossible to guarantee that the client device has different features before performing the VFL task, potentially leading to VFL task failure or low efficiency.

[0043] To address the aforementioned technical problems, as shown in Figure 2, this application provides a method 200 for determining feature information. This method can be executed by a server; in other words, it can be executed by software or hardware installed on the server. The method includes the following steps.

[0044] S202: The server receives the first information from the capability storage network element or the second information from the client.

[0045] The capability storage network element mentioned in the various embodiments of this application can be a network repository function network element, such as a network storage function (NF Repository Function, NRF); the capability storage network element can also be other network elements or devices with storage functions. Subsequent embodiments will primarily use NRF as an example to describe the capability storage network element.

[0046] The server mentioned in the various embodiments of this application can also be referred to as a VFL server. This server can execute VFL tasks based on the feature information supported by the client, such as VFL model training, VFL model supervision, VFL model inference, or VFL model management. The client can also be referred to as a VFL client, which can provide supporting feature information, such as the mean opinion score (MoS) for a specific service, network element load, QoS parameters, etc.

[0047] It should be noted that the aforementioned server can also refer to a device with VFL Server capabilities. VFL Server capabilities refer to the ability to aggregate the local training results of multiple local models in VFL training, coordinate VFL training, or search for and select VFL clients, etc.; the aforementioned client can also refer to a device with VFL Client capabilities. VFL Client capabilities refer to the ability to have local datasets, perform local training, or perform local inference, etc.

[0048] In one embodiment, the server and client can be intelligent network elements, such as Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) and Application Function (AF). AF can represent communication devices outside the core network, such as third-party servers; NWDAF(s) represent communication devices in the core network with VFL-related capabilities, such as communication devices with VFL Server capabilities, VFL training capabilities, VFL participant capabilities, and VFL client capabilities, and can also be Model Training Logical Function (MTLF) and Analytics Logical Function (AnLF).

[0049] In one embodiment, the capability storage network element includes client registration information, such as client-supported feature information and information indicating the VFLs supported by the client. Thus, the server can send a network element search request (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request) to the capability storage network element. This search request may include third information (described in detail later). Based on the search request, the capability storage network element returns the search result to the server, for example, by sending first information, which may include the client's feature information, allowing the server to determine the client's feature information. Alternatively, the first information may not include the client's feature information, allowing the server to further interact with the client and receive second information from the client, which may include the client's feature information, thus enabling the server to determine the client's feature information.

[0050] In one embodiment, the server can directly interact with the client and receive second information from the client. The second information may include the client's characteristic information, etc., so that the server can determine the client's characteristic information.

[0051] S204: The server determines the client's characteristic information based on the first information or the second information, and the client's characteristic information is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0052] In one embodiment, after determining the client's characteristic information, the server can determine whether the client can participate in the VFL task. In this embodiment, clients that can participate in the VFL task are referred to as target clients. It is understood that, based on the client's characteristic information, the server may also identify some clients that cannot participate in the VFL task. It is also understood that there are multiple types of VFL tasks, and different VFL tasks require different characteristic information; therefore, the aforementioned determination of target clients participating in a VFL task can refer to determining the target clients participating in this particular VFL task.

[0053] The target client mentioned above can be, for example, a network element / communication device within a communication network, specifically in the core network (CN) domain or the radio access network (RAN) domain. These network elements / communication devices have the same terminals (or service terminals) (i.e., the same samples), but provide different services to the terminals (such as MM and SM services), thus constituting different feature information. Therefore, the target client and the server can perform operations such as VFL training.

[0054] The feature information determination method provided in this application embodiment allows the server to determine the client's feature information based on first information from the capability storage network element or second information from the client before performing a VFL task. This also helps to determine the target client participating in the VFL task, which is beneficial for completing the VFL task sequentially and improving the processing efficiency of the VFL task.

[0055] The feature information determination method provided in this application embodiment enables the server and client to determine the client to participate in the VFL task before performing operations such as VFL tasks. This can be achieved by determining devices with specific feature information through registration and search or through negotiation, thereby completing the VFL task. Optionally, the client registers its supported feature information and feature sharing information, and the server determines the target client by searching the capability storage network element or by directly interacting with the client, thereby completing the VFL task and other operations.

[0056] In one embodiment, before the server receives the first information from the capability storage network element, the method further includes: the server sending third information to the capability storage network element, the third information being related to VFL, and the third information including at least one of the following:

[0057] 1) The first indication information is used to indicate the device information of the server. It can be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate the device information of the server itself. The capability storage network element (e.g., NRF) can also determine whether feature information can be provided based on the device information (similar to a verification process). The device information may be vendor information or device identification information, etc.

[0058] 2) The second indication information indicates that the requested feature information is vendor-specific. This means the requested feature information can be vendor-specific. It's important to note that "vendor-specific" can mean that certain conditions must be met for it to be understood / parsed / used. For example, vendor-specific feature information might be information that can only be parsed / understood / used by devices from certain vendors. For instance, some vendors may encrypt feature information, making it unusable / unrecognizable by devices from other vendors; only devices from the same vendor or affiliated vendors can use / recognize this information. Other vendor-specific information is similar and will not be elaborated further.

[0059] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate the form of feature sharing information for manufacturers.

[0060] 3) The third type of instruction information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is specific to a particular device, or that the characteristic information of the demand can only be obtained or used by a device identified by a particular device.

[0061] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate feature sharing information in the form of device identifiers.

[0062] 4) The fourth instruction information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is token specific; it can be understood that the fourth instruction information is used to indicate the token specificity of the demand.

[0063] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate that the form of feature-sharing information is a token.

[0064] 5) The fifth instruction information is used to indicate the VFL task that needs to be performed.

[0065] 6) The sixth instruction information is used to indicate the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element, or it can be used to request the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element, that is, the message requesting the feedback of the capability storage network element includes the characteristic information of the candidate device.

[0066] 7) The seventh indication information is used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server. The seventh indication information can be used to indicate information that the server can understand or parse feature information, or to indicate device information or device limitation information that the server can understand or parse feature information. That is, the information indicated by the seventh indication information can help NRF screen suitable candidate clients and provide feedback.

[0067] It's important to note that feature sharing aims to inform other devices about their own feature information without directly exposing it. This could involve pre-configuring a vendor list or identifying the features associated with a device identifier. Therefore, feature sharing refers to this indirect feature information. The form of feature sharing information is not limited; it can be a vendor list, a device identifier list (or device instance list), token information, etc. Furthermore, the server-side feature sharing information can be server-supported (or required), such as vendors with shared features supported by the server, device identifiers with shared features supported by the server, or tokens with shared features supported by the server.

[0068] Through the seventh instruction information, NRF can know the feature sharing information supported by the server and match it with the feature sharing information supported by the client, thereby selecting candidate clients.

[0069] It is understandable that feature sharing information can have two meanings: 1. It is used to indicate devices that can share features, that is, to indicate devices that can understand or parse their own feature information. For example, if client A registers its feature sharing information in the NRF as the device identifiers (or manufacturer information, etc.) of devices B and C, it means that it can share its own feature information with devices B and C. In this case, the seventh indication information (used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server) sent by device B as the server to the NRF is the device identifier of device B. Then the NRF can identify client A as a candidate client. At this time, the NRF also needs to send feature information to the server (such as device B), or the client directly sends feature information to the server (such as device B). This feature information can be sent through encryption or containers, etc. Other non-compliant devices (devices other than device B and device C) cannot understand or parse it; 2. It can directly transmit feature information through feature sharing information, that is, the device indicated by the feature sharing information can determine the other party's feature information through pre-configuration or non-3GPP methods. In this case, the NRF or the client does not need to send the client's feature information to the server. For example, if client A registers the feature sharing information in NRF as the device identifiers (or vendor information, etc.) of devices B and C, it means that devices B and C can know the feature information of device A (such as pre-configuration or can be obtained through other methods).

[0070] Therefore, when the capability storage network element determines candidate clients based on the seventh indication information (used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server) sent by the server, it can compare the feature sharing information of the server with the feature sharing information supported by multiple registered clients to determine the candidate clients; or, it can compare the feature sharing information of the server with the device information of multiple registered clients to determine the candidate clients.

[0071] The third information may also include other information, such as network element type information to indicate the type of network element to be searched; area information to indicate the service range of the network element to be searched; and information indicating the required VFL capability type (or role in the VFL, etc.), such as VFL server type and VFL client type. For example, if the third information indicates that the VFL capability type is VFL client, it means that the VFL client is required by the server or that the VFL client is requested by the server.

[0072] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0073] 1) Device information of candidate clients, such as device identifiers.

[0074] 2) The candidate client's characteristic information, which can be sent in plaintext or encrypted.

[0075] 3) Feature sharing information of candidate clients. This embodiment can determine device information with feature sharing information through encryption or prior negotiation. If the prior negotiation is agreed upon, the feature sharing information can be used to determine the feature information of the client. This feature sharing information can be referred to the explanation above.

[0076] 4) Limiting information on the feature sharing information of candidate clients. The granularity of this feature sharing information or the aforementioned feature information can be each VFL task, each region, each time interval, etc. The limiting information can be VFL task, time, region, etc.

[0077] It should be noted that when the first or second information includes feature-sharing information, the server can also determine the client's feature information through this feature-sharing information. Therefore, the server can also determine whether the client is a target client participating in the VFL task.

[0078] The aforementioned candidate client is determined based on the third information sent by the server to the capability storage network element, or in other words, the aforementioned candidate client is a device that satisfies the third information, or the information (sixth information) sent by the candidate client to the capability storage network element matches or is the same as the third information, or the sixth information includes the third information.

[0079] For example, the third information includes first indication information, which is used to indicate the device information of the server. The device information is manufacturer information. Then, the capability storage network element determines whether the manufacturer information belongs to the manufacturer information indicated in the feature sharing information registered by the client. If the feature sharing information registered by one or more clients contains the manufacturer information, it can be determined that one or more clients are candidate clients.

[0080] For example, the third information includes the seventh indication information, which is used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server. The feature sharing information is a token. Then the capability storage network element determines whether the token matches the token in the feature sharing information registered by the client. If they match, the client is confirmed as a candidate client.

[0081] For example, the third information includes the second indication information and the third indication information. The second indication information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is vendor-specific, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is specific to a particular device. Then, the capability storage network element determines the above-mentioned vendor-specific and device-specific characteristic information from the information registered by the client, and determines the client that supports the characteristic information as a candidate client.

[0082] It is understood that the third information may include at least one of the first to the seventh indication information, and the capability storage network element may select a candidate client that matches the third information based on the indication information carried by the third information.

[0083] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least the feature information of the candidate client. After the server receives the first information from the capability storage network element, the method further includes: the server determining the target client participating in the VFL task based on the feature information of the candidate client.

[0084] In this embodiment, the capability storage network element can directly feed back the feature information of the candidate client to the server. In this way, the server can parse the feature information of the candidate client and determine the target client to participate in the VFL task without the server needing to interact with the client further, thus reducing the signaling overhead of the server.

[0085] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least the device information of the candidate client. Before the server receives the second information from the client, the method further includes: the server sending fourth information to at least one of the candidate clients, the fourth information being used to request the acquisition of feature information or feature-sharing information supported by the candidate client. It is understood that the ultimate purpose of acquiring the client's feature-sharing information is to acquire the client's feature information. Therefore, in some embodiments, requesting the acquisition of feature information supported by the candidate client also implicitly indicates a request to acquire the candidate client's feature-sharing information.

[0086] In this embodiment, the capability storage network element can send device information of candidate clients back to the server. This allows the server to further interact with the candidate clients and obtain the feature information supported by them. This embodiment eliminates the need for clients to register supported feature information, which helps reduce the storage overhead of the capability storage network element.

[0087] In the above embodiments, the client registers the feature information supported by the client and the client's device information in the capability storage network element. In other embodiments, the feature information supported by the client or feature sharing information can be obtained by the server directly interacting with the client.

[0088] In one embodiment, before the server receives the second information from the client, the method further includes: the server sending a fifth piece of information to the client, the fifth piece of information being used to request the acquisition of feature information or feature sharing information supported by the client.

[0089] In this embodiment, the client does not need to register too much information in the capability storage network element. The server can directly interact with the client to obtain the feature information or feature sharing information supported by the client.

[0090] In one embodiment, when the server sends a fourth message to at least one of the candidate clients, or when the server sends a fifth message to the client, the server receives a second message from the client, the second message including at least the feature information supported by the client or the candidate client. The method further includes: the server determining the target client participating in the VFL task based on the feature information supported by the client or the candidate client.

[0091] In one embodiment, the fourth or fifth information includes at least one of the following:

[0092] 1) Instruction information for requesting feature information, used to indicate a request for feature information or feature sharing information.

[0093] 2) The required feature information can be used to indicate the feature information or feature sharing information required by the server.

[0094] 3) The server-side device information is used to indicate the server's own device information, such as manufacturer identifier, device identifier, token information, etc., so that the client can decide whether to provide feature information, etc.

[0095] 4) The limiting information of the VFL task, such as the specific information of the VFL task, time information, area information, etc.

[0096] To explain in detail the method for determining feature information provided in the embodiments of this application, the following will be described in conjunction with several specific embodiments.

[0097] To enable the server to identify devices with different characteristics as clients in order to complete VFL task training and other processes, the following approach can be adopted:

[0098] Option 1: Registration via NRF. The client registers its supported feature information, such as VFL feature sharing information (hereinafter referred to as feature sharing information), and other feature information. The NRF considers the feature sharing information when filtering clients, and the server, after receiving feedback from the NRF, considers the client's feature information, as shown in Example 1 below; alternatively, after receiving feedback from the NRF, the server interacts with the client to obtain the client's supported feature information, as shown in Example 2.

[0099] Option 2: Direct interaction, such as after the server finds a device with VFL capability, or after the server determines the candidate client through other means (such as pre-configuration), the server and the client exchange feature information, see Example 3 or Example 4.

[0100] Example 1

[0101] In this embodiment, clients register feature sharing information and feature information for the server to search and select, thereby solving the problem that the server cannot identify clients with different feature information and improving the execution efficiency of VFL tasks.

[0102] It should be noted that in the following embodiments, NRF represents a capability storage network element, but it can also be other network elements or devices with storage functions; Network Exposure Function (NEF) represents a network element that exposes the network, that is, a communication device that provides exposed core network internal services to (external) communication devices; it can also be other network elements with similar functions.

[0103] Servers and clients represent intelligent network elements, such as Network Data Analytics Functions (NWDAF) and Application Functions (AF). AF can represent communication devices outside the core network, such as third-party servers; NWDAF(s) represent communication devices in the core network with VFL-related capabilities, such as those with VFL training and VFL participant capabilities, and can also be Model Training Logical Functions (MTLF) and Analytics Logical Functions (AnLF).

[0104] As shown in Figure 3, the corresponding signaling flow is as follows:

[0105] Step 1: The client (intelligent network element) sends a capability reporting message (carrying sixth information) to the NRF, requesting registration of its VFL's relevant capability information. This capability reporting message can be a registration message requesting registration of its data transmission capabilities, such as the Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Request message. Alternatively, the capability reporting message can be used to update the client's VFL's relevant capability information. Specifically, when the client sends a capability reporting message to the NRF, in addition to carrying its own identification information (such as NF instance ID, FQDN, or IP address of NF, network element instance identification information), network function type (NF type), and network element type, it can also carry sixth information, which may include at least one of the following:

[0106] 1) The eighth instruction information is used to indicate feature sharing information. Feature sharing information can be used to indicate information that the client can understand or parse feature information, or device information or device limitation information that the client can understand or parse feature information.

[0107] For example, the shared feature information could be a vendor list, device identification information, or a privately negotiated token. Specifically, devices that meet the criteria for shared feature information can perform VFL tasks with each other and have unique features (e.g., the feature information of each device is determined through pre-configuration and pre-negotiation).

[0108] In one example, the feature sharing information is a list of vendors, which includes multiple vendor IDs. These can be 3GPP operator IDs or non-3GPP vendor IDs, such as Company A, Company B, etc.

[0109] In one example, the feature-sharing information is the device's identification information, which can be the ID information of AF, NWDAF, etc.

[0110] In one example, the feature-sharing information is a privately negotiated token that can identify the device participating in VFL training with the client. For instance, if device A and device B are configured with the same token in a pre-configured manner, then device A or device B can identify the corresponding device as a participant in VFL tasks by registering and / or searching for the same token. This feature-sharing information can also convey information such as supported feature types.

[0111] It should be noted that when the feature sharing information is a token, the sixth piece of information does not need to carry the feature information supported by the client; that is, the token implicitly contains the feature information supported by the client. Subsequently, NRF can use the feature sharing information to filter suitable devices, and the server can also use this feature sharing information to select suitable clients.

[0112] 2) Ninth indication information, used to indicate the feature information (such as feature type) that the client can obtain, or to indicate the feature information supported by the client.

[0113] The form of the ninth instruction is unrestricted; it can be represented by a token, encrypted feature information, a container, etc.

[0114] The ninth instruction information can be vendor specific, meaning that only the same vendor or friendly vendors can understand or use the feature information.

[0115] The ninth instruction information can also be implemented in other ways. For example, when the feature information is vendor-specific, it is characterized by the fact that it can only be parsed / used by the same, friendly, or permitted vendor or device.

[0116] It should be noted that the feature information mentioned above may refer to VFL-related feature information.

[0117] 3) The tenth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is vendor specific.

[0118] 4) Eleventh indication information, used to indicate that the provided feature information is specific to a particular device, or to indicate that the provided feature information can only be obtained or used by a device identified by a particular device.

[0119] 5) The twelfth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is token specific.

[0120] 6) Thirteenth indication information, used to indicate the area information corresponding to the feature sharing information. Specifically, it may indicate the area information where the feature sharing information can be used, or the area information covered by the feature sharing information.

[0121] It should be noted that feature sharing information can be based on region granularity, meaning that different regions can have different feature sharing information.

[0122] 7) The fourteenth indication information is used to indicate the time information corresponding to the feature sharing information. Specifically, it may be the time information when the feature sharing information is used, or the time information covered by the feature sharing information.

[0123] It should be noted that feature sharing information can be based on time granularity, meaning that different times can have different feature sharing information.

[0124] 8) Supported VFL task information, used to indicate supported VFL tasks, such as analytics ID or specific VFL-related identification information, or VFL tasks can be indicated by event ID or other indication information, such as business experience.

[0125] The aforementioned feature sharing information can be task-granular, meaning that the supported feature sharing information may vary depending on the task.

[0126] The sixth information may also include other information, such as information indicating the type of VFL capability provided, which may include, for example, the VFL client type.

[0127] When the sixth information carries supported VFL task information, the thirteenth instruction information, and the fourteenth instruction information, it can be understood that the above feature information is based on VFL task granularity, region granularity, and / or time granularity.

[0128] When the sixth message does not carry the supported VFL task information, the thirteenth instruction information, or the fourteenth instruction information, the client and server can also negotiate and interact in other ways to determine the granularity of the above-mentioned feature information.

[0129] Step 2: The NRF receives the capability reporting message from the client, saves the relevant capability information of the client's VFL, and sends back a response message indicating successful storage.

[0130] For example, when a client sends VFL-related capability information via a registration message, the NRF, upon receiving the registration message, stores the client's network element registration information and sends a response message (e.g., via the Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister response message) to notify the client of successful registration.

[0131] It should be noted that when the client is AF, in steps 1 and 2, the client may interact through NEF and NRF.

[0132] Step 3: The server sends a network element lookup request (carrying third-party information) to the NRF, requesting to find intelligent network elements (i.e., clients) that meet the conditions; for example, the network element lookup request can be Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request service, etc. The network element lookup request can carry network element type (to indicate the type of network element being searched, such as NWDAF network element, etc.), area information (to indicate the service range of the network element being searched, etc.), and can also carry at least one of the following:

[0133] 1) First indication information, used to indicate the device information of the server. It can be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate the device information of the server itself. The NRF can also determine whether characteristic information can be provided based on the device information (similar to a verification process). The device information can be vendor information or device identification information, etc.

[0134] 2) The second indication information indicates that the requested feature information is vendor-specific. This means the requested feature information can be vendor-specific. It's important to note that "vendor-specific" can mean that certain conditions must be met for it to be understood / parsed / used. For example, vendor-specific feature information might be information that can only be parsed / understood / used by devices from certain vendors. For instance, some vendors may encrypt feature information, making it unusable / unrecognizable by devices from other vendors; only devices from the same vendor or affiliated vendors can use / recognize this information. Other vendor-specific information is similar and will not be elaborated further.

[0135] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate the form of feature sharing information for manufacturers.

[0136] 3) The third type of instruction information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is specific to a particular device, or that the characteristic information of the demand can only be obtained or used by a device identified by a particular device.

[0137] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate feature sharing information in the form of device identifiers.

[0138] 4) The fourth instruction information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is token specific; it can be understood that the fourth instruction information is used to indicate the token specificity of the demand.

[0139] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate that the form of feature-sharing information is a token.

[0140] 5) The fifth instruction information is used to indicate the VFL task that needs to be performed.

[0141] 6) The sixth instruction information is used to indicate the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element, or it can be used to request the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element, that is, the message requesting the feedback of the capability storage network element includes the characteristic information of the candidate device.

[0142] 7) The seventh indication information is used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server. The seventh indication information can be used to indicate information that the server can understand or parse feature information, or to indicate device information or device limitation information that the server can understand or parse feature information. That is, the information indicated by the seventh indication information can help NRF screen suitable candidate clients and provide feedback.

[0143] It's important to note that feature sharing aims to inform other devices about their own characteristics without directly exposing them. This could involve pre-configuring information such as a vendor list or the characteristics of a device identifier. Therefore, feature sharing refers to this indirect feature information. Furthermore, the form of feature sharing is not limited; it can be a vendor list, a device identifier list (or device instance list), token information, etc.

[0144] It should be noted that the aforementioned server-side feature sharing information can also be server-supported feature sharing information, such as the manufacturer of server-supported shareable features, the device identifier of server-supported shareable features, the token of server-supported shareable features, etc.

[0145] Through the seventh instruction information, NRF can know the feature sharing information supported by the server and match it with the feature sharing information supported by the client, thereby selecting candidate clients.

[0146] Step 4: The NRF determines the information of the candidate clients that meet the feedback conditions, such as the network element instance ID (NF instance ID), address information (IP address of NF), or network element domain name (FQDN, Fully qualified domain name), and may also include network element capability information, such as at least one of the sixth information described in Step 1.

[0147] Specifically, this can be achieved through services such as Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request response.

[0148] Specifically, NRF determines candidate clients based on the search request, and the vertical federated learning-related capability information of the candidate clients is matched with the requirement information in the search request.

[0149] For example, the NRF determines suitable candidate clients and provides feedback based on the client's supported feature sharing information and supported feature information in step 1, and the server's own device information in step 3. Specifically, when the network element lookup request in step 3 carries the server's own device information, the NRF matches the server's own device information with the feature sharing information of the clients registered in step 1, that is, it determines whether the server's own device information meets the client's feature sharing information. For example, the following implementation method can be used:

[0150] Implementation Method 1: If the server's own device information is vendor information, then the NRF determines whether this vendor information belongs to the vendor information indicated in the feature sharing information. If it does (the feature sharing information includes the vendor information), then the NRF returns the client's feature information, etc.

[0151] Implementation Method 2: If the server's own device information is a token, then NRF determines whether this token can match the token in the feature information of the client (other registered devices). If they are the same, then a match is confirmed, and the client's feature information is fed back.

[0152] Implementation Method 3: When the network element lookup request in step 3 includes the required feature sharing information, the NRF can match the required feature sharing information with the feature sharing information registered by the client to determine whether the client's feature information can be fed back. It should be noted that the required feature sharing information can be carried together with other information (such as first indication information, second indication information, etc.) to facilitate the NRF lookup.

[0153] Step 5: The server uses the device information of multiple clients fed back by NRF and parses the feature information therein to determine the target clients participating in the VFL task.

[0154] Example 2

[0155] Example 2 is similar to Example 1, except that in Example 2, the client does not register the supported feature information. Instead, the server determines the client's feature information by interacting with the client after finding a client that meets the feature sharing information.

[0156] As shown in Figure 4, the corresponding signaling flowchart is as follows:

[0157] Steps 1-4 are similar to those in Example 1, except that step 1 may not include the ninth instruction information, meaning the client has not registered its supported feature information.

[0158] Step 5: The server sends a feature acquisition request (which may carry fourth information) to at least one of the candidate clients (the devices fed back by the NRF in Step 4), requesting to obtain the feature information supported by the candidate client. Upon obtaining the feature information, the server determines whether the candidate client can participate in the VFL task and whether it can be used as a target client in the VFL task. Specifically, the fourth information may include at least one of the following:

[0159] 1) Instruction information for requesting feature information, used to indicate the request to obtain feature information.

[0160] 2) The required feature information can be used to indicate the feature information required by the server.

[0161] 3) The server-side device information is used to indicate the server's own device information, such as manufacturer identifier, device identifier, token information, etc., so that the client can decide whether to provide feature information, etc.

[0162] 4) The limiting information of the VFL task, such as the specific information of the VFL task, time information, area information, etc.

[0163] It should be noted that the tokens in the various embodiments of this application may also be referred to as VFL feature tokens, etc.

[0164] Step 6: At least one candidate client that meets the conditions sends its supported feature information to the server, including the feature information and / or limitation information supported by the candidate client, which can be carried through the second information.

[0165] Example 3

[0166] Example 3 involves the server obtaining the client's characteristic information through direct interaction when the client has not registered any additional information, thereby determining whether the client can participate in VFL tasks and whether it can be used as a target client for VFL tasks.

[0167] As shown in Figure 5, the corresponding signaling flowchart is as follows:

[0168] Before step 1, the server can use NRF to find devices with VFL capabilities, such as devices with VFL client capabilities, thus completing the initial selection. Of course, the server can also use other methods, such as based on pre-configured or historical information, to find devices with VFL capabilities.

[0169] Step 1: The server sends a feature acquisition request (fifth message) to at least one of the eligible clients (devices providing NRF feedback), requesting the acquisition of the features supported by that client. Upon obtaining the feature information, the server determines whether the client can participate in the VFL task and whether it can be used as a target client in the VFL task. Specifically, the fifth message may carry at least one of the following:

[0170] 1) Instruction information for requesting feature information, used to indicate the request to obtain feature information.

[0171] 2) Indicative information of required feature information, which can be used to indicate the feature information required or demanded by the server. In this article, "requirement" and "need" have similar meanings and can be used interchangeably.

[0172] 3) The server-side device information is used to indicate the server's own device information, such as manufacturer identifier, device identifier, token information, etc., so that the client can decide whether to provide feature information, etc.

[0173] 4) The limiting information of the VFL task, such as the specific information of the VFL task, time information, area information, etc.

[0174] Step 2: The client determines whether it can provide feature information to the server based on the server's own device information. Specifically, the client determines whether it can provide feature information to the server based on the server's own device information and its own information, such as feature sharing information or other configuration information. For example, if the server's device information includes the server's manufacturer information, the client determines whether it can send feature information supported by the client based on this manufacturer information.

[0175] If the client determines that it can provide feature information, it will provide the supported feature information (refer to the supported feature information in Implementation Example 1).

[0176] If the client determines that it cannot provide the feature information, it will send a rejection message.

[0177] Step 3: At least one client sends its supported feature information to the server, including the features and / or limiting information supported by the client, which can be carried through the second information.

[0178] Step 4: When the client's device information does not meet the requirements, the client can send a rejection message to the server. For example, the server's device information might be vendor information. After receiving this vendor information, if the client determines that the vendor is not the same as or a friendly vendor, the client may refuse to provide the feature information. Specifically, the rejection message includes at least one of the following:

[0179] 1) Information indicating that the client cannot provide feature information to the server.

[0180] 2) Reasons why the client cannot provide feature information to the server, such as not being from the same manufacturer, not being from a friendly manufacturer, or being unable to identify device information (e.g., when the device information is token information).

[0181] Example 4

[0182] This embodiment is similar to Embodiment 3, except that in this scheme, the server sends the characteristic information of the requirement to the client, and the client provides feedback on whether the requirement can be met.

[0183] As shown in Figure 6, the corresponding signaling flowchart is as follows:

[0184] Before step 1, the server can use NRF to find devices with VFL capabilities, such as devices with VFL client capabilities, thus completing the initial selection. Of course, the server can also use other methods, such as based on pre-configured or historical information, to find devices with VFL capabilities.

[0185] Step 1: The server sends a feature acquisition request (fifth information) to at least one of the eligible clients (devices providing NRF feedback), requesting the client to provide feedback on whether it possesses the required feature information to determine whether the client can participate in the VFL task and whether it can be used as a target client for the VFL task. Specifically, it may carry at least one of the following:

[0186] 1) Instruction information for requesting feature information, used to indicate the request to obtain feature information.

[0187] 2) The required feature information can be used to indicate the feature information required by the server.

[0188] 3) The server-side device information is used to indicate the server's own device information, such as manufacturer identifier, device identifier, token information, etc., so that the client can decide whether to provide feature information, etc.

[0189] 4) The limiting information of the VFL task, such as the specific information of the VFL task, time information, area information, etc.

[0190] Step 2: The client determines whether it has the features required by the server.

[0191] The client determines whether it can provide feature information to the server based on the server's own device information.

[0192] Specifically, the client determines whether it can provide feature information to the server based on the server's own device information and its own information, such as feature sharing information or other configuration information. For example, the server's own device information includes the server's manufacturer information, and the client determines whether it can send feature information supported by the client based on this manufacturer information.

[0193] If the client determines that it meets the feature information required by the server, it will provide feedback: an indication that the required features are met, which instructs the client to satisfy the required feature information. Optionally, it can also provide feedback on the feature information supported by the client.

[0194] If the client determines that it cannot meet the feature information required by the server, it will provide feedback: an indication that the required feature is not met, indicating that the client does not meet the required feature information. Alternatively, it may provide information explaining why the client cannot provide the feature information to the server, such as not being from the same manufacturer, not being from a friendly manufacturer, or being unable to identify device information (e.g., when the device information is token information).

[0195] The method for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application has been described in detail above with reference to FIG2. The method for determining feature information according to several other embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. It is understood that the descriptions from the capability storage network element and the client side are the same as or correspond to the descriptions from the server side in the method shown in FIG2; to avoid repetition, relevant descriptions are appropriately omitted.

[0196] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart illustrating the method for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application, which can be applied to capability storage network elements. As shown in Figure 7, the method 700 includes the following steps.

[0197] S702: The capability storage network element sends first information to the server, the first information being used to determine the characteristic information of the client, and the characteristic information of the client being used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0198] The method for determining feature information provided in this application embodiment involves a capability storage network element sending first information to a server. The first information is used to determine the feature information of a client. The feature information of the client is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task. This method is beneficial for the server to determine the feature information of the client, and further can also determine the target client participating in the VFL task. This is beneficial for completing the VFL task sequentially and improving the processing efficiency of the VFL task.

[0199] In one embodiment, before the capability storage network element sends the first information to the server, the method further includes: the capability storage network element receiving third information from the server, the third information including at least one of the following:

[0200] 1) First indication information, used to indicate the device information of the server. It can be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate the device information of the server itself. The NRF can also determine whether characteristic information can be provided based on the device information (similar to a verification process). The device information can be vendor information or device identification information, etc.

[0201] 2) The second indication information indicates that the requested feature information is vendor-specific. This means the requested feature information can be vendor-specific. It's important to note that "vendor-specific" can mean that certain conditions must be met for it to be understood / parsed / used. For example, vendor-specific feature information might be information that can only be parsed / understood / used by devices from certain vendors. For instance, some vendors may encrypt feature information, making it unusable / unrecognizable by devices from other vendors; only devices from the same vendor or affiliated vendors can use / recognize this information. Other vendor-specific information is similar and will not be elaborated further.

[0202] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate the form of feature sharing information for manufacturers.

[0203] 3) The third type of instruction information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is specific to a particular device, or that the characteristic information of the demand can only be obtained or used by a device identified by a particular device.

[0204] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate feature sharing information in the form of device identifiers.

[0205] 4) The fourth instruction information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is token specific; it can be understood that the fourth instruction information is used to indicate the token specificity of the demand.

[0206] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate that the form of feature-sharing information is a token.

[0207] 5) The fifth instruction information is used to indicate the VFL task that needs to be performed.

[0208] 6) The sixth instruction information is used to indicate the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element, or it can be used to request the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element, that is, the message requesting the feedback of the capability storage network element includes the characteristic information of the candidate device.

[0209] 7) The seventh indication information is used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server. The seventh indication information can be used to indicate information that the server can understand or parse feature information, or to indicate device information or device limitation information that the server can understand or parse feature information. That is, the information indicated by the seventh indication information can help NRF screen suitable candidate clients and provide feedback.

[0210] It's important to note that feature sharing aims to inform other devices about their own characteristics without directly exposing them. This could involve pre-configuring information such as a vendor list or the characteristics of a device identifier. Therefore, feature sharing refers to this indirect feature information. Furthermore, the form of feature sharing is not limited; it can be a vendor list, a device identifier list (or device instance list), token information, etc.

[0211] It should be noted that the aforementioned server-side feature sharing information can also be server-supported feature sharing information, such as the manufacturer of server-supported shareable features, the device identifier of server-supported shareable features, the token of server-supported shareable features, etc.

[0212] Through the seventh instruction information, NRF can know the feature sharing information supported by the server and match it with the feature sharing information supported by the client, thereby selecting candidate clients.

[0213] In one embodiment, before the capability storage network element sends the first information to the server, the method further includes: the capability storage network element receiving sixth information from the client, the sixth information including at least one of the following:

[0214] 1) The eighth indication information is used to indicate feature sharing information.

[0215] 2) Ninth indication information, used to indicate the feature information that the client can obtain.

[0216] 3) The tenth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is manufacturer-specific.

[0217] 4) Eleventh indication information, used to indicate that the provided feature information is specific to a particular device.

[0218] 5) The twelfth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is token-specific.

[0219] 6) Thirteenth indication information, used to indicate the area information corresponding to the feature sharing information.

[0220] 7) Fourteenth indication information, used to indicate the time information corresponding to the feature sharing information.

[0221] The feature sharing information is used to indicate the feature information that can be shared.

[0222] In one embodiment, before the capability storage network element sends the first information to the server, the method further includes: the capability storage network element determining a client that meets the query conditions of the server based on the sixth information and the third information from the server.

[0223] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0224] 1) Device information of candidate clients, such as device identifiers.

[0225] 2) The candidate client's characteristic information, which can be sent in plaintext or encrypted.

[0226] 3) Feature sharing information of candidate clients. This embodiment can determine device information with feature sharing information through encryption or prior negotiation. If the prior negotiation is agreed upon, the feature information of the client can be determined through this feature sharing information.

[0227] 4) Limiting information on the feature sharing information of candidate clients. The granularity of this feature sharing information or the aforementioned feature information can be each VFL task, each region, each time interval, etc.

[0228] The aforementioned candidate clients are determined based on the third information sent by the server to the capability storage network element.

[0229] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart illustrating the method for determining feature information according to an embodiment of this application, which can be applied to a client. As shown in Figure 8, the method 800 includes the following steps.

[0230] S802: The client sends a second message to the server or a sixth message to the capability storage network element. The second message or the sixth message is used to determine the client's characteristic information. The client's characteristic information is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0231] The method for determining feature information provided in this application embodiment involves the client sending second information to the server or sending sixth information to the capability storage network element. The second information or the sixth information is used to determine the feature information of the client. The feature information of the client is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task. This method is beneficial for the server to determine the feature information of the client, and can further determine the target client participating in the VFL task. This is beneficial for completing the VFL task sequentially and improving the processing efficiency of the VFL task.

[0232] In one embodiment, before the client sends the second information to the server, the method further includes: the client receiving a fourth or fifth piece of information from the server, wherein the fourth or fifth piece of information is used to request the acquisition of feature information supported by the client.

[0233] In one embodiment, the second information includes at least one of the following: information indicating that the client is capable of providing feature information to the server; feature information supported by the client.

[0234] In one embodiment, the second information includes at least one of the following: information indicating that the client cannot provide feature information to the server; and information explaining why the client cannot provide feature information to the server.

[0235] In one embodiment, the fourth or fifth information includes at least one of the following:

[0236] 1) Instruction information for requesting feature information, used to indicate the request to obtain feature information.

[0237] 2) The required feature information can be used to indicate the feature information required by the server.

[0238] 3) The server-side device information is used to indicate the server's own device information, such as manufacturer identifier, device identifier, token information, etc., so that the client can decide whether to provide feature information, etc.

[0239] 4) The limiting information of the VFL task, such as the specific information of the VFL task, time information, area information, etc.

[0240] In one embodiment, the sixth information includes at least one of the following:

[0241] 1) The eighth indication information is used to indicate feature sharing information.

[0242] 2) Ninth indication information, used to indicate the feature information that the client can obtain.

[0243] 3) The tenth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is manufacturer-specific.

[0244] 4) Eleventh indication information, used to indicate that the provided feature information is specific to a particular device.

[0245] 5) The twelfth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is token-specific.

[0246] 6) Thirteenth indication information, used to indicate the area information corresponding to the feature sharing information.

[0247] 7) Fourteenth indication information, used to indicate the time information corresponding to the feature sharing information.

[0248] The feature sharing information is used to indicate the feature information that can be shared.

[0249] The feature information determination method provided in this application can be executed by a feature information determination device. This application uses an example of a feature information determination device executing the feature information determination method to illustrate the feature information determination device provided in this application.

[0250] This application provides a device for determining feature information. As an example, the device for determining feature information may be a communication device or a component in a communication device, such as a chip. The communication device may be a network-side device or a server, etc. Exemplarily, the network-side device may include, but is not limited to, the types of network-side devices 12 listed above, and this application does not specifically limit it.

[0251] The device for determining feature information includes a receiving module, a transmitting module, and a processing module. These modules can be implemented in software or hardware. When implemented in hardware, the processing module can be implemented by a processor. For example, the processor can include general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), microprocessor, Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Artificial Intelligence (AI) processor, Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Network Processor (NP), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, gate circuits, transistors, discrete hardware components, etc. The receiving and transmitting modules can be implemented by a communication interface, which can include one or more of the following: transceiver, pins, circuits, bus, radio frequency unit, etc.

[0252] Specifically, referring to Figure 9, when the feature information determining device is a server or a component within a server, the feature information determining device 900 includes:

[0253] The receiving module 902 is used to receive first information from the capability storage network element or second information from the client.

[0254] Processing module 904 is used to determine the client's characteristic information based on the first information or the second information, wherein the client's characteristic information is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0255] The feature information determination apparatus provided in this application embodiment allows the server to determine the client's feature information based on first information from the capability storage network element or second information from the client before performing a VFL task. This further helps to identify the target client participating in the VFL task, facilitating the sequential completion of the VFL task and improving its processing efficiency. In one embodiment, it also includes a sending module for sending third information to the capability storage network element, the third information including at least one of the following:

[0256] 1) First indication information, used to indicate the device information of the server. It can be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate the device information of the server itself. The NRF can also determine whether characteristic information can be provided based on the device information (similar to a verification process). The device information can be vendor information or device identification information, etc.

[0257] 2) The second indication information indicates that the requested feature information is vendor-specific. This means the requested feature information can be vendor-specific. It's important to note that "vendor-specific" can mean that certain conditions must be met for it to be understood / parsed / used. For example, vendor-specific feature information might be information that can only be parsed / understood / used by devices from certain vendors. For instance, some vendors may encrypt feature information, making it unusable / unrecognizable by devices from other vendors; only devices from the same vendor or affiliated vendors can use / recognize this information. Other vendor-specific information is similar and will not be elaborated further.

[0258] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate the form of feature sharing information for manufacturers.

[0259] 3) The third type of instruction information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is specific to a particular device, or that the characteristic information of the demand can only be obtained or used by a device identified by a particular device.

[0260] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate feature sharing information in the form of device identifiers.

[0261] 4) The fourth instruction information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is token specific; it can be understood that the fourth instruction information is used to indicate the token specificity of the demand.

[0262] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate that the form of feature-sharing information is a token.

[0263] 5) The fifth instruction information is used to indicate the VFL task that needs to be performed.

[0264] 6) The sixth instruction information is used to indicate the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element, or it can be used to request the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element, that is, the message requesting the feedback of the capability storage network element includes the characteristic information of the candidate device.

[0265] 7) The seventh indication information is used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server. The seventh indication information can be used to indicate information that the server can understand or parse feature information, or to indicate device information or device limitation information that the server can understand or parse feature information. That is, the information indicated by the seventh indication information can help NRF screen suitable candidate clients and provide feedback.

[0266] It's important to note that feature sharing aims to inform other devices about their own characteristics without directly exposing them. This could involve pre-configuring information such as a vendor list or the characteristics of a device identifier. Therefore, feature sharing refers to this indirect feature information. Furthermore, the form of feature sharing is not limited; it can be a vendor list, a device identifier list (or device instance list), token information, etc.

[0267] It should be noted that the aforementioned server-side feature sharing information can also be server-supported feature sharing information, such as the manufacturer of server-supported shareable features, the device identifier of server-supported shareable features, the token of server-supported shareable features, etc.

[0268] Through the seventh instruction information, NRF can know the feature sharing information supported by the server and match it with the feature sharing information supported by the client, thereby selecting candidate clients.

[0269] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0270] 1) Device information of candidate clients, such as device identifiers.

[0271] 2) The candidate client's characteristic information, which can be sent in plaintext or encrypted.

[0272] 3) Feature sharing information of candidate clients. This embodiment can determine device information with feature sharing information through encryption or prior negotiation. If the prior negotiation is agreed upon, the feature information of the client can be determined through this feature sharing information.

[0273] 4) Limiting information on the feature sharing information of candidate clients. The granularity of this feature sharing information or the aforementioned feature information can be each VFL task, each region, each time interval, etc.

[0274] The aforementioned candidate clients are determined based on the third information sent by the server to the capability storage network element.

[0275] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least the feature information of the candidate client, and the processing module 904 is further configured to determine the target client participating in the VFL task based on the feature information of the candidate client.

[0276] In one embodiment, the first information includes at least the device information of the candidate client, and the apparatus further includes a sending module for sending fourth information to at least one of the candidate clients, the fourth information being used to request the acquisition of feature information supported by the candidate client.

[0277] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a sending module for sending fifth information to the client, the fifth information being used to request the acquisition of feature information supported by the client.

[0278] In one embodiment, the second information includes at least the feature information supported by the client or the candidate client, and the processing module is further configured to determine the target client participating in the VFL task based on the feature information supported by the client or the candidate client.

[0279] Referring to Figure 10, when the feature information determination device is a capability storage network element or a component in a capability storage network element, the feature information determination device 1000 includes: a sending module 1002, used to send first information to the server, the first information being used to determine the feature information of the client, and the feature information of the client being used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0280] The feature information determination device provided in this application embodiment allows the capability storage network element to send first information to the server. The first information is used to determine the feature information of the client. The feature information of the client is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task. This is beneficial for the server to determine the feature information of the client, and further can also determine the target client participating in the VFL task, which is beneficial for completing the VFL task sequentially and improving the processing efficiency of the VFL task.

[0281] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a receiving module for receiving third information from the server, the third information including at least one of the following:

[0282] 1) First indication information, used to indicate the device information of the server. It can be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate the device information of the server itself. The NRF can also determine whether characteristic information can be provided based on the device information (similar to a verification process). The device information can be vendor information or device identification information, etc.

[0283] 2) The second indication information indicates that the requested feature information is vendor-specific. This means the requested feature information can be vendor-specific. It's important to note that "vendor-specific" can mean that certain conditions must be met for it to be understood / parsed / used. For example, vendor-specific feature information might be information that can only be parsed / understood / used by devices from certain vendors. For instance, some vendors may encrypt feature information, making it unusable / unrecognizable by devices from other vendors; only devices from the same vendor or affiliated vendors can use / recognize this information. Other vendor-specific information is similar and will not be elaborated further.

[0284] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate the form of feature sharing information for manufacturers.

[0285] 3) The third type of instruction information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is specific to a particular device, or that the characteristic information of the demand can only be obtained or used by a device identified by a particular device.

[0286] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate feature sharing information in the form of device identifiers.

[0287] 4) The fourth instruction information is used to indicate that the characteristic information of the demand is token specific; it can be understood that the fourth instruction information is used to indicate the token specificity of the demand.

[0288] It should be noted that this indication information can also be used to indicate that the form of feature-sharing information is a token.

[0289] 5) The fifth instruction information is used to indicate the VFL task that needs to be performed.

[0290] 6) The sixth instruction information is used to indicate the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element, or it can be used to request the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element, that is, the message requesting the feedback of the capability storage network element includes the characteristic information of the candidate device.

[0291] 7) The seventh indication information is used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server. The seventh indication information can be used to indicate information that the server can understand or parse feature information, or to indicate device information or device limitation information that the server can understand or parse feature information. That is, the information indicated by the seventh indication information can help NRF screen suitable candidate clients and provide feedback.

[0292] It's important to note that feature sharing aims to inform other devices about their own characteristics without directly exposing them. This could involve pre-configuring information such as a vendor list or the characteristics of a device identifier. Therefore, feature sharing refers to this indirect feature information. Furthermore, the form of feature sharing is not limited; it can be a vendor list, a device identifier list (or device instance list), token information, etc.

[0293] It should be noted that the aforementioned server-side feature sharing information can also be server-supported feature sharing information, such as the manufacturer of server-supported shareable features, the device identifier of server-supported shareable features, the token of server-supported shareable features, etc.

[0294] Through the seventh instruction information, NRF can know the feature sharing information supported by the server and match it with the feature sharing information supported by the client, thereby selecting candidate clients.

[0295] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a receiving module for receiving sixth information from the client, the sixth information including at least one of the following:

[0296] 1) The eighth indication information is used to indicate feature sharing information.

[0297] 2) Ninth indication information, used to indicate the feature information that the client can obtain.

[0298] 3) The tenth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is manufacturer-specific.

[0299] 4) Eleventh indication information, used to indicate that the provided feature information is specific to a particular device.

[0300] 5) The twelfth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is token-specific.

[0301] 6) Thirteenth indication information, used to indicate the area information corresponding to the feature sharing information.

[0302] 7) Fourteenth indication information, used to indicate the time information corresponding to the feature sharing information.

[0303] The feature sharing information is used to indicate the feature information that can be shared.

[0304] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a processing module for determining, based on the sixth information and the third information from the server, a client that satisfies the query conditions of the server.

[0305] Referring to Figure 11, when the feature information determination device is a client or a component in the client, the feature information determination device 1100 includes: a sending module 1102, used to send second information to the server or send sixth information to the capability storage network element, wherein the second information or the sixth information is used to determine the feature information of the client, and the feature information of the client is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

[0306] The feature information determination device provided in this application embodiment allows the client to send second information to the server or sixth information to the capability storage network element. The second information or the sixth information is used to determine the feature information of the client. The feature information of the client is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task. This is beneficial for the server to determine the feature information of the client, and further can also determine the target client participating in the VFL task, which is beneficial for completing the VFL task sequentially and improving the processing efficiency of the VFL task.

[0307] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a receiving module for receiving fourth or fifth information from the server, the fourth or fifth information being used to request the acquisition of feature information supported by the client.

[0308] In one embodiment, the second information includes at least one of the following: information indicating that the client is capable of providing feature information to the server; feature information supported by the client.

[0309] In one embodiment, the second information includes at least one of the following: information indicating that the client cannot provide feature information to the server; and information explaining why the client cannot provide feature information to the server.

[0310] The feature information determination device provided in this application embodiment can implement the various processes implemented in the method embodiments of Figures 2 to 8 and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0311] As shown in Figure 12, this application embodiment also provides a communication device 1200, including a processor 1201 and a memory 1202. The memory 1202 stores a program or instructions that can be executed on the processor 1201. For example, when the communication device 1200 is a network-side device, when the program or instructions are executed by the processor 1201, they implement the various steps of the above-mentioned method embodiment for determining feature information and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0312] This application also provides a network-side device, including a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement the steps of the method embodiments shown in FIG2, FIG7, or FIG8. This network-side device embodiment corresponds to the above-described network-side device method embodiments. All implementation processes and methods of the above-described method embodiments can be applied to this network-side device embodiment and can achieve the same technical effects.

[0313] Specifically, this application embodiment also provides a network-side device, which may be the feature information determination device shown in FIG9, FIG10 or FIG11. As shown in FIG13, the network-side device 1300 includes: an antenna 131, a radio frequency device 132, a baseband device 133, a processor 134 and a memory 135. The antenna 131 is connected to the radio frequency device 132. In the uplink direction, the radio frequency device 132 receives information through the antenna 131 and sends the received information to the baseband device 133 for processing. In the downlink direction, the baseband device 133 processes the information to be transmitted and sends it to the radio frequency device 132. The radio frequency device 132 processes the received information and transmits it through the antenna 131.

[0314] The method executed by the network-side device in the above embodiments can be implemented in the baseband device 133, which includes a baseband processor.

[0315] The baseband device 133 may include at least one baseband board, on which multiple chips are disposed, as shown in FIG13. One of the chips is, for example, a baseband processor, which is connected to the memory 135 via a bus interface to call the program in the memory 135 and execute the network device operation shown in the above method embodiment.

[0316] The network-side device may also include a network interface 136, such as a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI).

[0317] Specifically, the network-side device 1300 in this application embodiment further includes: instructions or programs stored in memory 135 and executable on processor 134. Processor 134 calls the instructions or programs in memory 135 to execute the methods executed by the modules shown in FIG9, FIG10 or FIG11 and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0318] Specifically, this application embodiment also provides a network-side device. As shown in FIG14, the network-side device 1400 includes: a processor 1401, a network interface 1402, and a memory 1403. The network-side device may be a feature information determination device as shown in FIG9, FIG10, or FIG11. The network interface 1402 is, for example, a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI).

[0319] Specifically, the network-side device 1400 in this application embodiment further includes: instructions or programs stored in memory 1403 and executable on processor 1401. Processor 1401 calls the instructions or programs in memory 1403 to execute the methods executed by the modules shown in FIG9, FIG10 or FIG11 and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, they will not be described in detail here.

[0320] This application also provides a readable storage medium storing a program or instructions. When the program or instructions are executed by a processor, they implement the various processes of the above-described method embodiment for determining feature information and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0321] The processor mentioned above is the processor in the terminal described in the above embodiments. The readable storage medium includes computer-readable storage media, such as computer read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk. In some examples, the readable storage medium may be a non-transient readable storage medium.

[0322] This application embodiment also provides a chip, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface is coupled to the processor. The processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement the various processes of the above-mentioned method embodiment for determining feature information, and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0323] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0324] This application also provides a computer program / program product, which is stored in a storage medium and executed by at least one processor to implement the various processes of the above-described method embodiment for determining feature information, and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0325] This application also provides a feature information determination system, including: a terminal and a network-side device, wherein the network-side device can be used to perform the steps of the feature information determination method described above.

[0326] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0327] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of computer software products plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, they can also be implemented by hardware. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM, RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc.) and includes several instructions to cause the terminal or network-side device to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0328] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other implementations under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these implementations are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for determining feature information, comprising: The server receives first information from the capability storage network element or second information from the client. The server determines the client's characteristic information based on the first information or the second information, and the client's characteristic information is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before the server receives the first information from the capability storage network element, the method further includes: the server sending third information to the capability storage network element, the third information including at least one of the following: The first indication information is used to indicate the device information of the server; The second instruction information, which indicates the characteristics of the demand, is manufacturer-specific. The third instruction information, which indicates the characteristic information of the demand, is specific to a particular device; The fourth instruction information, which indicates the characteristic information of the demand, is token-specific; The fifth instruction information is used to indicate the VFL task that needs to be performed; The sixth indication information is used to indicate the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element; The seventh instruction information is used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: Device information of candidate clients; Feature information of candidate clients; Candidate clients share characteristic information; Limiting information on the sharing of feature information among candidate clients; The candidate client is determined based on the third information sent by the server to the capability storage network element.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The first information includes at least the feature information of the candidate client. After the server receives the first information from the capability storage network element, the method further includes: The server determines the target client to participate in the VFL task based on the feature information of the candidate client.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The first information includes at least the device information of the candidate client. Before the server receives the second information from the client, the method further includes: The server sends a fourth message to at least one of the candidate clients, the fourth message being used to request the feature information supported by the candidate client.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before the server receives the second information from the client, the method further includes: The server sends a fifth message to the client, which is used to request the feature information supported by the client.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The second information includes at least the feature information supported by the client or the candidate client. After the server receives the second information from the client, the method further includes: The server determines the target client to participate in the VFL task based on the feature information supported by the client or the candidate client.

8. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The fourth or fifth information includes at least one of the following: Instructions requesting feature information; Indicator information for required feature information; The server's device information; The limiting information of the VFL task.

9. A method for determining feature information, comprising: The capability storage network element sends first information to the server. The first information is used to determine the characteristic information of the client. The characteristic information of the client is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, Before the capability storage network element sends the first information to the server, the method further includes: the capability storage network element receiving third information from the server, the third information including at least one of the following: The first indication information is used to indicate the device information of the server; The second instruction information, which indicates the characteristics of the demand, is manufacturer-specific. The third instruction information, which indicates the characteristic information of the demand, is specific to a particular device; The fourth instruction information, which indicates the characteristic information of the demand, is token-specific; The fifth instruction information is used to indicate the VFL task that needs to be performed; The sixth indication information is used to indicate the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element; The seventh instruction information is used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein, Before the capability storage network element sends the first information to the server, the method further includes: the capability storage network element receiving sixth information from the client, the sixth information including at least one of the following: The eighth indication information is used to indicate feature sharing information; The ninth instruction information is used to indicate the feature information that the client can obtain; The tenth instruction is used to indicate that the provided feature information is manufacturer-specific; The eleventh instruction is used to indicate that the provided feature information is specific to a particular device; The twelfth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is token-specific; The thirteenth instruction information is used to indicate the area information corresponding to the feature sharing information; The fourteenth instruction information is used to indicate the time information corresponding to the feature sharing information; The feature sharing information is used to indicate the feature information that can be shared.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Before the capability storage network element sends the first information to the server, the method further includes: The capability storage network element determines the client that meets the query conditions of the server based on the sixth information and the third information from the server.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: Device information of candidate clients Feature information of candidate clients; Candidate clients share characteristic information; Limiting information on the sharing of feature information among candidate clients; The candidate client is determined based on the third information sent by the server to the capability storage network element.

14. A method for determining feature information, comprising: The client sends a second message to the server or a sixth message to the capability storage network element. The second message or the sixth message is used to determine the client's characteristic information, which is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, Before the client sends the second information to the server, the method further includes: The client receives a fourth or fifth piece of information from the server, which is used to request the acquisition of feature information supported by the client.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: Information indicating that the client can provide feature information to the server; The feature information supported by the client.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: This indicates that the client is unable to provide feature information to the server. The reason why the client cannot provide feature information to the server.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, The fourth or fifth information includes at least one of the following: Instructions requesting feature information; Indicator information for required feature information; The server's device information; The limiting information of the VFL task.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein, The sixth piece of information includes at least one of the following: The eighth indication information is used to indicate feature sharing information; The ninth instruction information is used to indicate the feature information that the client can obtain; The tenth instruction is used to indicate that the provided feature information is manufacturer-specific; The eleventh instruction is used to indicate that the provided feature information is specific to a particular device; The twelfth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is token-specific; The thirteenth instruction information is used to indicate the area information corresponding to the feature sharing information; The fourteenth instruction information is used to indicate the time information corresponding to the feature sharing information; The feature sharing information is used to indicate the feature information that can be shared.

20. A device for determining feature information, applied to a server, comprising: The receiving module is used to receive first information from the capability storage network element or second information from the client. The processing module is used to determine the client's characteristic information based on the first information or the second information, and the client's characteristic information is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, It also includes a sending module for sending third information to the capability storage network element, the third information including at least one of the following: The first indication information is used to indicate the device information of the server; The second instruction information, which indicates the characteristics of the demand, is manufacturer-specific. The third instruction information, which indicates the characteristic information of the demand, is specific to a particular device; The fourth instruction information, which indicates the characteristic information of the demand, is token-specific; The fifth instruction information is used to indicate the VFL task that needs to be performed; The sixth indication information is used to indicate the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element; The seventh instruction information is used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20 or 21, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: Device information of candidate clients Feature information of candidate clients; Candidate clients share characteristic information; Limiting information on the sharing of feature information among candidate clients; The candidate client is determined based on the third information sent by the server to the capability storage network element.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, The first information includes at least the feature information of the candidate client, and the processing module is further configured to determine the target client participating in the VFL task based on the feature information of the candidate client.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, The first information includes at least the device information of the candidate client, and the device further includes a sending module for sending fourth information to at least one of the candidate clients, the fourth information being used to request the acquisition of feature information supported by the candidate client.

25. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The device further includes a sending module for sending fifth information to the client, the fifth information being used to request the acquisition of feature information supported by the client.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24 or 25, wherein, The second information includes at least the feature information supported by the client or the candidate client. The processing module is further configured to determine the target client participating in the VFL task based on the feature information supported by the client or the candidate client.

27. A device for determining feature information, applied to a capacity storage network element, comprising: The sending module is used to send first information to the server, the first information being used to determine the characteristic information of the client, and the characteristic information of the client being used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein, The device further includes a receiving module for receiving third information from the server, the third information including at least one of the following: The first indication information is used to indicate the device information of the server; The second instruction information, which indicates the characteristics of the demand, is manufacturer-specific. The third instruction information, which indicates the characteristic information of the demand, is specific to a particular device; The fourth instruction information, which indicates the characteristic information of the demand, is token-specific; The fifth instruction information is used to indicate the VFL task that needs to be performed; The sixth indication information is used to indicate the feedback characteristic information of the capability storage network element; The seventh instruction information is used to indicate the feature sharing information of the server.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27 or 28, wherein, The device further includes a receiving module for receiving sixth information from the client, the sixth information including at least one of the following: The eighth indication information is used to indicate feature sharing information; The ninth instruction information is used to indicate the feature information that the client can obtain; The tenth instruction is used to indicate that the provided feature information is manufacturer-specific; The eleventh instruction is used to indicate that the provided feature information is specific to a particular device; The twelfth instruction information is used to indicate that the provided feature information is token-specific; The thirteenth instruction information is used to indicate the area information corresponding to the feature sharing information; The fourteenth instruction information is used to indicate the time information corresponding to the feature sharing information; The feature sharing information is used to indicate the feature information that can be shared.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein, The device further includes a processing module for determining, based on the sixth information and the third information from the server, a client that meets the query conditions of the server.

31. A device for determining feature information, applied to a client, comprising: The sending module is used to send second information to the server or sixth information to the capability storage network element. The second information or the sixth information is used to determine the characteristic information of the client. The characteristic information of the client is used to determine the target client participating in the VFL task.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein, The device further includes a receiving module for receiving fourth or fifth information from the server, wherein the fourth or fifth information is used to request the acquisition of feature information supported by the client.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: Information indicating that the client can provide feature information to the server; The feature information supported by the client.

34. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: This indicates that the client is unable to provide feature information to the server. The reason why the client cannot provide feature information to the server.

35. A network-side device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions executable on the processor, the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implementing the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19.

36. A readable storage medium on which a program or instructions are stored, wherein the program or instructions, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-19.

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