Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application discloses a communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a terminal sends to a control function network element, information used for indicating a computing power requirement corresponding to a computing task; the terminal receives information about a first computing resource from the control function network element, wherein the first computing resource satisfies the computing power requirement; and the terminal instructs, on the basis of the information about the first computing resource, a computing power node in which the first computing resource is located to use the first computing resource to execute the computing task. In the method, a computing resource can be distributed to a terminal having a computing power requirement, thereby improving the utilization of the computing resource.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410946480.4, filed on July 12, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] With the commercial deployment and rise of industry applications of mobile communication networks, the convergence of computing resources and networks has become an important development trend. Mobile / multi-access edge computing (MEC) technology provides cloud computing capabilities to terminals by deploying one or more edge application servers (EAS) in areas close to the terminal, thus addressing the industry's demands for real-time computing and data security to some extent.

[0004] However, in the current MEC network architecture, the services on EAS are pre-deployed and fixed, and users can only access these pre-deployed services; even if the service is not running, the computing resources corresponding to the service will be continuously occupied, which leads to low utilization efficiency of computing resources. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application discloses a communication method and apparatus, which can improve the utilization rate of computing resources.

[0006] The present application is described below from different aspects. It should be understood that the different implementation methods and beneficial effects described below can be referenced from each other.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application discloses a communication method that can be executed by a terminal or a module (e.g., a chip) in the terminal. The method may include: sending information indicating the computing power requirement corresponding to a computing task; receiving information about a first computing resource that meets the computing power requirement; and instructing the computing node where the first computing resource is located to execute the computing task using the first computing resource based on the information about the first computing resource.

[0008] In this embodiment, the terminal can obtain information about the first computing resource based on the computing power requirement corresponding to the computing task, and complete the above computing task based on the first computing resource. This method can avoid idle computing resources and improve the flexibility of computing resource allocation and the utilization rate of computing resources.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the information of the first computing resource may include: the address information of the computing node where the first computing resource is located; the above-mentioned instructing the computing node where the first computing resource is located to perform a computing task using the first computing resource based on the information of the first computing resource includes: sending the computing task and the information of the first computing resource to the computing node where the first computing resource is located based on the address information.

[0010] In this embodiment, the terminal can quickly determine the computing node using the address information, thereby improving the efficiency of completing computing tasks.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first computing resource includes the computing resources of at least one computing node, and the information of the first computing resource includes the information of the computing resources of each of the at least one computing node.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the information on computing resources includes at least one of the following: the quantity, type, computing power, or video memory of the computing resources.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first computing resource includes a second computing resource of a first computing node and a third computing resource of a second computing node. The method further includes: splitting the computing task into a first subtask and a second subtask; instructing the computing node where the first computing resource is located to execute the computing task using the first computing resource, including: instructing the first computing node to execute the first subtask using the second computing resource; and instructing the second computing node to execute the second subtask using the third computing resource.

[0014] In this application, the first computing resource may include the computing resources of one or more computing nodes. This embodiment takes an example where the first computing resource includes the second computing resources of a first computing node and the third computing resources of a second computing node. The terminal can then divide the computing task into a first subtask and a second subtask, and subsequently instruct the first computing node to execute the first subtask using the second computing resource; and instruct the second computing node to execute the second subtask using the third computing resource. This method can improve the flexibility of computing resource allocation, allowing for the reasonable allocation of computing resources even when the terminal's computing power demand is high.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the computing task is divided into a first subtask and a second subtask, including: dividing the computing task into a first subtask and a second subtask based on information from a second computing resource and information from a third computing resource.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving the execution result of a computing task from the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: sending a message for requesting the release of a third computing resource, the first computing resource including the third computing resource.

[0018] In this embodiment, after obtaining the execution results of some or all of the computing tasks, the terminal can control the functional network element to request the release of the computing resources corresponding to the computing tasks (such as the third computing resource mentioned above). In this method, the control functional network element can release the computing resources in a timely manner, so that the computing resources can be re-allocated when the terminal or other terminals have computing power requirements, thereby improving the utilization rate of computing resources.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a message indicating that the third computing resource has been successfully released.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, sending information indicating the computing power requirement corresponding to the computing task includes: sending a first request message, the first request message being used to request the establishment of a computing session, the first request message including information indicating the computing power requirement corresponding to the computing task; receiving information about a first computing resource includes: receiving a first response message, the first response message being used to indicate that the computing session has been successfully established, the first response message including information about the first computing resource; and instructing the computing node where the first computing resource is located to perform the computing task using the first computing resource based on the information about the first computing resource, including: instructing the computing node where the first computing resource is located to perform the computing task using the first computing resource through the computing session.

[0021] Secondly, this application discloses a communication method that can be executed by a control function network element or a module (e.g., a chip) in the control function network element. The method may include: receiving information from a terminal indicating computing power requirements; and sending information about a first computing resource to the terminal, wherein the first computing resource meets the computing power requirements.

[0022] In this embodiment, the control function network element can allocate first computing resources based on the computing power requirements of the terminal, thereby avoiding idle computing resources and improving the flexibility of computing resource allocation and the utilization rate of computing resources.

[0023] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, before receiving information from the terminal indicating computing power requirements, the method further includes: sending a message to a management node requesting computing resources; and receiving information from the management node about second computing resources, the second computing resources including the first computing resources.

[0024] In this embodiment, the control function network element can request computing resources from the management node in advance (such as sending a message to the management node to request computing resources as described above), and store information about the second computing resources from the management node. Then, when a terminal has the aforementioned computing power requirement, it determines a first computing resource from the second computing resources that meets that requirement, and sends the information of the first computing resource to the terminal. This method can improve the efficiency of allocating computing resources and avoid frequent interactions between the control function network element and the management node when a large number of terminals request computing resources from the control function network element.

[0025] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, after receiving information about the second computing resource from the management node, the method further includes: marking the state of the second computing resource as available; and after sending information about the first computing resource to the terminal, the method further includes: updating the state of the first computing resource from available to unavailable.

[0026] In this embodiment, after the control function network element obtains information about the second computing resource from the management node, it can manage the status of the second computing resource in real time. For example, after receiving information about the second computing resource from the management node, it marks the status of the second computing resource as available; after sending information about the first computing resource to the terminal, it updates the status of the first computing resource from available to unavailable. This method can achieve real-time management of the second computing resource and ensure optimal allocation of computing resources.

[0027] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a message from a terminal requesting the release of a third computing resource, the first computing resource including the third computing resource; and updating the state of the third computing resource from unavailable to available in response to the message requesting the release of the third computing resource.

[0028] In this embodiment, the control function network element can release computing resources (such as the third computing resource mentioned above) in a timely manner and update the status of the third computing resource from unavailable to available. This allows the computing resource to be reissued when the terminal or other terminals have computing power requirements, thereby improving the utilization rate of computing resources.

[0029] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes sending a message to the terminal indicating that the third computing resource has been successfully released.

[0030] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving information from a second terminal indicating a second computing power requirement; if the available computing resources in the second computing resources do not meet the second computing power requirement, sending a message to a management node to request computing resources; receiving a fourth computing resource from the management node; and sending a fifth computing resource to the second terminal, wherein the fifth computing resource meets the second computing power requirement, and at least a portion of the computing resources in the fifth computing resource belongs to the fourth computing resource.

[0031] In this embodiment, the control function network element can release computing resources (such as the third computing resource mentioned above) in a timely manner and update the status of the third computing resource from unavailable to available. This allows the computing resource to be reissued when the terminal or other terminals have computing power requirements, thereby improving the utilization rate of computing resources.

[0032] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the type of the first computing resource is the same as the type of computing resource indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the number of the first computing resources is greater than or equal to the number of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power type of the first computing resource is the same as the computing power type indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power size of the first computing resource is greater than or equal to the computing power size indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the video memory of the first computing resource is the same as the video memory indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the bandwidth of the first computing resource is the same as the bandwidth indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the location identifier of the computing power node where at least one of the first computing resources is located is the same as the location identifier of the computing power node indicated by the computing power requirement.

[0033] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the information of the first computing resource includes: the address information of the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

[0034] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first computing resource includes the computing resources of at least one computing node, and the information of the first computing resource includes the information of the computing resources of each of the at least one computing node.

[0035] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the information on computing resources includes at least one of the following: the quantity, type, computing power, or video memory of the computing resources.

[0036] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, sending the information about the first computing resource to the terminal includes: sending the information about the first computing resource to the terminal when the terminal is allowed to obtain computing resources that meet the computing power requirements.

[0037] In this embodiment, when the terminal is allowed to obtain computing resources that meet the aforementioned computing power requirements, i.e., when the terminal has the authority to obtain computing resources that meet the aforementioned computing power requirements, information about the first computing resource is sent to the terminal. This method can achieve reasonable management of computing resources.

[0038] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the type of computing resources allowed for terminal acquisition includes the type of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the quantity of computing resources allowed for terminal acquisition is greater than or equal to the quantity of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power type of the computing resources allowed for terminal acquisition includes the computing power type indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power size of the computing resources allowed for terminal acquisition is greater than or equal to the computing power size indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the video memory of the computing resources allowed for terminal acquisition includes the video memory indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the bandwidth of the computing resources allowed for terminal acquisition includes the bandwidth indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the location identifier of the computing node where the computing resources allowed for terminal acquisition are located is the same as the location identifier of the computing node indicated by the computing power requirement.

[0039] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: determining, based on the terminal's subscription information, whether to allow the terminal to obtain computing resources that meet its computing power requirements.

[0040] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, receiving information from the terminal indicating computing power requirements includes: receiving a first request message from the terminal, the first request message being used to request the establishment of a computing session, the first request message including information indicating computing power requirements; sending information about the first computing resource to the terminal includes: sending a first response message to the terminal, the first response message being used to indicate that the computing session has been successfully established, the first response message including information about the first computing resource, the computing session being a session between the terminal and the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

[0041] Thirdly, this application discloses a communication method that can be executed by a management node or a module (e.g., a chip) in the management node. The method may include: receiving a message from a control function network element requesting computing resources; and sending information about a first computing resource to the control function network element, wherein the first computing resource is in an available state.

[0042] In this embodiment, when the management node receives a message from the control function network element requesting computing resources, it can send information about the first computing resources to the control function network element. Then, the control function network element can send the information about the first computing resources to the terminal with computing power needs, thereby improving the flexibility of computing resource allocation and the utilization rate of computing resources.

[0043] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one implementation, the information of the first computing resource includes the address information of the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

[0044] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one embodiment, the first computing resource includes the computing resources of at least one computing node, and the information of the first computing resource includes the information of the computing resources of each of the at least one computing node.

[0045] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one embodiment, the information of the computing resources includes at least one of the following: the quantity, type, computing power, or video memory of the computing resources.

[0046] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one embodiment, the computing node where at least a portion of the computing resources of the first computing resource are located is the first computing node. Before sending the information of the first computing resource to the control function network element, the method further includes: receiving a first request message from the first computing node, the first request message being used to request registration, the first request message including information of the computing resources of the first computing node; and storing the information of the computing resources of the first computing node.

[0047] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving a second request message from a first computing power node, the second request message being used to request an update of at least one of the computing resources of the first computing power node; updating at least one of the computing resources of the first computing power node in response to the second request message; and sending information about the at least some computing resources to a control function network element if the state of at least some of the first computing resources changes.

[0048] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving a third request message, the third request message being used to request the deletion of the registration of the first computing power node; in response to the third request message, marking the information of the computing resources of the first computing power node as unavailable, or deleting the information of the computing resources of the first computing power node.

[0049] In this embodiment of the application, the management node can manage the computing resources of one or more computing power nodes (such as the first computing power node mentioned above). For example, it can update the information of the computing resources of the first computing power node in the storage based on the first request message, the second request message and the third request message mentioned above, so as to distribute the available computing resources in the managed computing power nodes to the control function network element, thereby realizing real-time management of the computing resources of the managed computing power nodes and ensuring the optimal distribution of computing resources.

[0050] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device, which may be a terminal or a chip / circuit control function network element therein. The communication device is used to execute the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof. The communication device includes units having the ability to execute the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0051] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device, which may be a control function network element or a chip / circuit therein. The communication device is used to perform the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. The communication device includes units having the ability to perform the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0052] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device, which may be a management node or a chip / circuit control function network element therein. The communication device is used to execute the methods in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof. The communication device includes units having the ability to execute the methods in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0053] In the fourth, fifth, or sixth aspect, the aforementioned communication apparatus may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. Further details regarding the transceiver unit and processing unit can be found in the apparatus embodiments shown below.

[0054] The beneficial effects of the fourth to sixth aspects mentioned above can be referred to the relevant descriptions of the first to third aspects mentioned above, which will not be repeated here.

[0055] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication device that may include a processor and an interface circuit connected together. The interface circuit is used for exchanging (or sending / receiving or inputting / outputting) information or data, and the processor is used to execute program instructions that cause the communication device to perform the methods described in any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, or any of these aspects. The interface circuit may be a communication interface or a transceiver. The transceiver may be a radio frequency module in the communication device, or a combination of a radio frequency module and an antenna, or an input / output interface of a chip or circuit.

[0056] Eighthly, this application provides a readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method described in any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the second aspect, or the third aspect, or any of the aspects described above.

[0057] Ninthly, this application provides a program product containing program instructions that, when executed, cause the method described in any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the second aspect, or the third aspect, or any of the aspects, to be performed.

[0058] Tenthly, this application provides an apparatus, which can be implemented as a chip or as a device, including a processor. The processor is used to read and execute a program stored in a memory to execute one or more of the first, second, or third aspects described above, or one or more of any possible implementations of any of these aspects, providing an information interaction method. Optionally, the apparatus further includes a memory connected to the processor via a circuit. Further optionally, the apparatus includes a communication interface connected to the processor. The communication interface is used to receive information to be processed, the processor obtains the information from the communication interface, processes the information, and outputs the processing result through the communication interface. The communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0059] In one possible implementation, the processor and memory described above can be physically independent units, or the memory can be integrated with the processor.

[0060] Eleventhly, this application provides a communication system comprising a communication device for performing the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, and a communication device for performing the method described in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication system may further include a communication device for performing the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0061] The technical effects achieved in the above aspects can be referred to each other or to the beneficial effects in the method embodiments shown below, which will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0062] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the registration, update, and deregistration process of three computing nodes provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the information carried in the registration request, update request, and deregistration request;

[0066] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 8 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 9 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0071] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0072] In the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish different objects and do not limit the quantity or order of execution, nor do they imply that they are necessarily different. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0073] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or". For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. Furthermore, "at least one item", "one or more of the following", or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a and b and c. Here, a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0074] In the description of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary," "for example," or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the words "exemplary," "for example," or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0075] It is understood that in the description of this application, "when," "if," and "if" all refer to the device performing a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances, and are not time-limited, nor do they require the device to perform a judgment action when it is implemented, nor do they imply any other limitations. The device performing a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances includes: satisfying the objective circumstances, i.e., being able to perform the corresponding action; or satisfying both the objective circumstances and other circumstances, in order to perform the corresponding action.

[0076] In this application, "simultaneously" can be understood as at the same point in time, within a period of time, or within the same cycle; the specific meaning can be determined by considering the context.

[0077] In this application, the use of singular designations for elements is intended to represent "one or more" rather than "one and only one," unless otherwise specified.

[0078] In addition, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this article.

[0079] It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, expressions such as "A corresponds to B", "A and B correspond", "A corresponds to B" or similar expressions indicate that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. Determining B based on A does not mean that B is determined solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0080] To better understand the communication method and related apparatus proposed in this application, the system architecture of the embodiments of this application is described below.

[0081] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: 5th generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, satellite communication systems, future communication systems, or integrated systems of multiple systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0082] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of a communication system disclosed in an embodiment of this application.

[0083] As shown in Figure 1, the network architecture may include a terminal 101, an access network device 102, a control function network element 103, a management node 104, and a computing power node 105.

[0084] In this embodiment, terminal 101 and control function network element 103 can interact via access network device 102, and terminal 101 and computing node 105 can also interact via access network device 102. Specifically, in this embodiment, when terminal 101 sends a message (e.g., a non-access stratum (NAS) message) to control function network element 103, terminal 101 can send the message to access network device 102, and access network device 102 can then forward the message to control function network element 103; similarly, when control function network element 103 sends a message to terminal 101, control function network element 103 can send the message to access network device 102, and access network device 102 can then forward the message to terminal 101.

[0085] The terminal 101 mentioned in this application embodiment can be a device with wireless transceiver function, specifically referring to UE, access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user equipment. Terminals can also be satellite phones, cellular phones, smartphones, wireless data cards, wireless modems, machine-type communication devices, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, communication devices mounted on high-altitude aircraft, wearable devices, drones, robots, terminals in device-to-device (D2D) communication, terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. This application does not limit the scope to wireless terminals in the home (or terminals in communication networks that evolve after 5G).

[0086] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the terminal's functions can be the terminal itself; or it can be a device capable of supporting the terminal in implementing those functions, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete components.

[0087] Access network equipment 102 is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities used to communicate with terminals. Access network equipment can be a node in the RAN, also known as a base station or RAN node. It can be an evolved Node B (eNB) or eNodeB in LTE; or a base station in a 5G network such as gNodeB (gNB); or a base station in a public land mobile network (PLMN) evolved after 5G; a broadband network gateway (BNG); an aggregation switch; or a non-3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) access device, etc. Optionally, the network devices in this application embodiment may include various forms of base stations, such as: macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), mobile switching centers, and devices that perform base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. They may also include network devices in centralized units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs) in cloud radio access networks (C-RAN) systems, and network devices in non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems. This application embodiment does not specifically limit these.

[0088] Access network device 102 can communicate and interact with core network devices to provide communication services to terminals. Core network devices, as the bearer network, provide interfaces to the data network (DN), providing terminals with communication connections, authentication, management, policy control, and the ability to carry data services.

[0089] In this embodiment, the apparatus for implementing the functions of the access network device can be the access network device itself; or it can be an apparatus capable of supporting the access network device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. This apparatus can be installed in the access network device or used in conjunction with the access network device. Similarly, the apparatus for implementing the functions of the core network device can be the core network device itself; or it can be an apparatus capable of supporting the core network device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. This apparatus can be installed in the core network device or used in conjunction with the core network device.

[0090] With the commercial deployment and rise of industry applications of mobile communication networks, the integration of computing resources and wireless networks has become an important development trend. MEC technology provides cloud computing capabilities to terminals by deploying one or more edge application servers (EAS) in areas close to the terminal, thus addressing the industry's demands for real-time computing and data security to some extent.

[0091] In some embodiments of this application, the control function network element 103 can be a network element in a mobile communication network, which can be a 5G communication network or a future communication network. When the mobile communication network is a 5G communication network, the control function network element 103 can include the access and mobility management function (AMF) and session management function (SMF) in the 5G core network. The control function network element 103 can also be called a computing network controller. The management node 104 can also be called a management function, a management function network element, or a computing network manager. The computing power node 105 can be an EAS node.

[0092] The AMF (Active Mobile Controller) provides functions such as UE mobility management, registration management, connection management, lawful monitoring, and support for session management (SM) information, access authentication, and access authorization between the transmission terminal and the SMF. The SMF provides functions such as session management and roaming. Session management functions include, for example, session establishment, modification, and release. Roaming functions may include charging data collection and support for signaling transmission for authentication / authorization with external data networks (DNs).

[0093] Optionally, the mobile communication network where the control function network element 103 is located may also include network elements such as policy control function (PCF) and NEF, all of which belong to the control plane.

[0094] The PCF (Pressure Processing Function) includes user subscription information management, policy control, billing policy control, and Quality of Service (QoS) control. The DN (Network Provider) is the network that provides services to the UE (User Equipment); for example, some DNs provide internet access, while others provide SMS (SMS) functionality.

[0095] In this embodiment, the control plane can be referred to as the 3GPP control plane, and the management function can be referred to as the ETSI management plane. For example, the computing node 105 can register with the management function. Correspondingly, after obtaining the registration information of the computing node 105, the management function manages the computing resource information in the registration information, such as updating the status of its computing resource information when the computing node 105 updates. The management function can allocate resources to the control function network element 103 when the control function network element 103 requests computing resources; and the control function network element 103 can allocate computing resources to the terminal when the terminal requests computing resources after obtaining available computing resource information. Specific details can be found in the following embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0096] For example, the computing network controller has functions such as terminal registration management, connection management, legality monitoring, computing session management (CSM) information, access authentication and access authorization, and billing. The computing session management function includes, for example, the establishment, modification, and release of computing sessions. The billing function includes the management of user computing power packages and related contract information, as well as billing policy control functions.

[0097] For example, the computing network manager has the functions of computing power discovery, computing power management, and computing power distribution. For instance, computing power discovery may include the registration, updating, and deregistration of computing power nodes; computing power management may include the management of the quantity, status, and lifecycle of computing resources; computing power distribution may include the interaction and collaboration between the computing network manager and the computing controller to send computing resource block information (such as the number of computing resource blocks, paths, etc.) in batches.

[0098] It should be noted that the names of the devices in the above communication system are only examples. Other devices with the same functions are also within the scope of protection of this application. For example, network controller and network manager can also be other names, and this application does not limit them.

[0099] The network architecture and business scenarios described in this application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0100] Based on the above system architecture, a communication method provided by an embodiment of this application will be described below.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0102] In this embodiment, the functions performed by the control function network element can also be performed by a module (e.g., a chip) in the control function network element, and the functions performed by the terminal can also be performed by a module (e.g., a chip) in the terminal.

[0103] As shown in Figure 2, the communication method may include the following steps:

[0104] S201: The terminal sends information to the control function network element to indicate the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task.

[0105] Correspondingly, the control function network element receives information from the terminal indicating computing power requirements.

[0106] For example, information indicating computing power requirements may include, but is not limited to, the type, quantity, computing power, video memory, bandwidth, or location identifier of computing nodes. For instance, information indicating computing power requirements could be: 100 GPUs with FP32 computing power type, a computing power of 156 floating-point operations per second (TFLOPS), and 80GB of video memory.

[0107] In some embodiments, the terminal may send a first request message to a control function network element. The first request message is used to request the establishment of a computing session and includes information indicating the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task. For example, the control function network element may be a computing network controller, and the terminal may send a first request message to the computing network controller. The first request message is used to request the establishment of a computing session and includes information indicating the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task.

[0108] S202: The control function network element sends information about the first computing resource to the terminal, and the first computing resource meets the computing power requirements.

[0109] Accordingly, the terminal receives information about the first computing resource.

[0110] For example, the information of the first computing resource may include: the address information of the computing node where the first computing resource is located, such as the fully qualified domain name (FQDN), IP address, or data network access identifier (DNAI) of the computing node.

[0111] The first computing resource includes the computing resources of at least one computing node, and the information of the first computing resource includes the information of the computing resources of each of the at least one computing node. Optionally, the information of the computing resource includes at least one of the following: the quantity, type, computing power, or video memory of the computing resource.

[0112] For example, the first computing resource satisfying the computing power requirement includes one or more of the following: the type of the first computing resource is the same as the type of computing resource indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the number of the first computing resources is greater than or equal to the number of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power type of the first computing resource is the same as the computing power type indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power size of the first computing resource is greater than or equal to the computing power size indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the video memory of the first computing resource is the same as the video memory indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the bandwidth of the first computing resource is the same as the bandwidth indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the location identifier of the computing power node where at least one of the first computing resources is located is the same as the location identifier of the computing power node indicated by the computing power requirement.

[0113] In one possible implementation, after receiving the information indicating the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task, the control function network element can determine whether to allow the terminal to obtain computing resources that meet the computing power requirements. When the terminal is allowed to obtain computing resources that meet the computing power requirements, that is, when the terminal has the authority to obtain computing resources that meet the computing power requirements, the control function network element can send the first computing resource information to the terminal.

[0114] For example, allowing a terminal to obtain computing resources that meet its computing power requirements includes one or more of the following: the type of computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain includes the type of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the number of computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain is greater than or equal to the number of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power type of the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain includes the computing power type indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power size of the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain is greater than or equal to the computing power size indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the video memory of the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain includes the video memory indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the bandwidth of the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain includes the bandwidth indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the location identifier of the computing node where the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain are the same as the location identifier of the computing node indicated by the computing power requirement.

[0115] Optionally, the control function network element can determine whether to allow the terminal to obtain computing resources that meet its computing power requirements based on the terminal's subscription information. For example, if the terminal's subscription information indicates that the maximum computing power resources the terminal can obtain (or is allowed to obtain) are five FP32 100TFLOPS cards with 50GB of video memory, and the information indicating the computing power requirements does not exceed the computing power resource range of the subscription information, then the control function network element can determine that the terminal is allowed to obtain computing resources that meet its computing power requirements.

[0116] In some embodiments, the terminal may send a first request message to the control function network element. The first request message is used to request the establishment of a computing session and includes information indicating the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task. Furthermore, the control function network element may send a first response message to the terminal. The first response message is used to indicate that the computing session has been successfully established and includes information about the first computing resources.

[0117] Optionally, before receiving information from the terminal indicating computing power requirements, the control function network element can send a message requesting computing resources to the management node; it can also receive information from the management node about second computing resources, which include the first computing resources. Furthermore, after receiving the information about the second computing resources from the management node, the control function network element can mark the status of the second computing resources as available; and after sending the information about the first computing resources to the terminal, it can update the status of the first computing resources from available to unavailable. Through this method, the control function network element can manage computing resources (such as the second computing resource mentioned above) in real time, ensuring optimal allocation of computing resources.

[0118] S203: The terminal instructs the computing node where the first computing resource is located to use the first computing resource to perform computing tasks based on the information of the first computing resource.

[0119] In some embodiments, the information of the first computing resource includes the address information of the computing node where the first computing resource is located; then, the terminal can send the computing task and the information of the first computing resource to the computing node where the first computing resource is located based on the address information.

[0120] Optionally, the first computing resource may include the computing resources of multiple computing nodes, and the information of the first computing resource includes the information of the computing resources of each of the multiple computing nodes. Then, the terminal can break down the computing task into multiple subtasks, each subtask corresponding to one of the aforementioned multiple computing nodes. The terminal can instruct each computing node to use its computing resources to execute the subtask corresponding to that computing node.

[0121] For example, if the first computing resources include the second computing resources of the first computing node and the third computing resources of the second computing node, then the terminal can split the computing task into a first subtask and a second subtask; then, instruct the first computing node to use the second computing resources to execute the first subtask; and instruct the second computing node to use the third computing resources to execute the second subtask.

[0122] Optionally, the terminal can split the computing task into a first subtask and a second subtask based on the information of the second computing resource and the information of the third computing resource.

[0123] For example, the terminal may split the computing task according to the number of computing resources in the first computing resources. For example, the terminal may split the computing task into multiple sub-tasks, each sub-task corresponding to at least one computing resource, and the complexity of the sub-task is proportional to the computing power of the computing resource corresponding to the sub-task; or, the terminal device may split the computing task according to the specific content of the computing task and the number of computing resources in the first computing resources. For example, the computing task of AR glasses may be split into multiple sub-tasks such as positioning, object tracking and rendering, each sub-task corresponding to at least one computing resource. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the terminal splitting computing tasks.

[0124] In some embodiments, the terminal may receive the execution results of a computing task from the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

[0125] Optionally, after receiving the above execution result, the terminal may send a message to the control function network element requesting the release of the third computing resource, where the first computing resource includes the third computing resource. Correspondingly, the control function network element receives the message from the terminal requesting the release of the third computing resource; furthermore, in response to the message requesting the release of the third computing resource, the control function network element may update the status of the third computing resource from unavailable to available.

[0126] Optionally, after the control function network element updates the status of the third computing resource from unavailable to available, it can send a message to the terminal indicating that the third computing resource has been successfully released.

[0127] In some embodiments, the terminal may send a first request message to the control function network element. The first request message requests the establishment of a computing session and includes information indicating the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task. Furthermore, the control function network element may send a first response message to the terminal, indicating that the computing session has been successfully established. The first response message includes information about a first computing resource. Subsequently, the terminal can use the computing session to instruct the computing node where the first computing resource is located to execute the computing task using the first computing resource.

[0128] In some embodiments of this application, the computing resource information (such as the first computing resource information mentioned above) sent by the control function network element to the terminal is obtained by the control function network element from the management node. The management node manages the computing resources of one or more computing power nodes, and distributes available computing resources (such as the second computing resource mentioned above) to the control function network element, such as sending the second computing resource information to the control function network element. For example, the management node can manage the computing resources of computing power nodes through a process of registering, updating, and deregistering the computing power nodes.

[0129] The following examples, using Figures 3 and 4, illustrate the process of registering, updating, and deregistering computing nodes.

[0130] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the registration, update, and deregistration process of a computing power node provided in this application. Registration may include steps S301a to S301c, updating may include steps S302a to S302c, and deregistration may include steps S303a to S303c. This process includes some or all of the following steps:

[0131] S301a: The computing node sends a registration request to the management node, which includes information about the computing resources of the computing node.

[0132] For example, the registration node may include a computing power node profile, which includes information about the computing resources mentioned above. Specifically, the information about the computing resources may include the model of the graphics processing unit (GPU) and / or neural network processing unit (NPU) in the computing power node, and the available computing power of the GPU / NPU (such as xx TFP16).

[0133] Optionally, the aforementioned computing node file may also include at least one of the following: the identifier ID of the computing node, the node type of the computing node, the status of the computing node, the FQDN, IP, and DNAI of the computing node.

[0134] For example, Figure 4 illustrates the information carried in a registration request, update request, and deregistration request, using the same computing power node as an example. The information carried in the registration request sent by the computing power node may include: computing power node identifier (ID) = 1, node type is computing power node, computing power node status = REIGSTERED, computing power node FQDN = FQDN1, computing power node ID = xx.xx.xx.xx (abbreviated here), computing power node location DNAI, and computing power node computing resources. The computing power node computing resources include: GPU / NPU information: xx GPUs / NPUs of xx model (abbreviated here), available computing power of a1 TFP16, available memory of b1 MB, computing power usage of c1%, and memory usage of d1%. REIGSTERED means registered or available. The values ​​of a1, b1, c1, and d1 are not limited in this embodiment.

[0135] S301b: The management node stores information about the aforementioned computing resources.

[0136] In one implementation, after receiving the registration request, the management node stores the information in the registration request.

[0137] For example, after receiving the registration request, the management node can perform checks on the computing power node based on the information in the registration request (such as the computing power node's ID, node type, FQDN, IP, and DNAI, at least one of these), such as a legality check or a security check. Then, if the check passes, the information in the registration request, such as the computing resource information, is stored. Understandably, if the check fails, the information in the registration request is not stored.

[0138] S301c: The management node sends a registration response to the computing power node.

[0139] In one implementation, the management node sends a registration response to the computing power node after storing the information of the aforementioned computing resources or during the storage of the aforementioned computing resource information.

[0140] For example, the registration response is used to indicate that the computing node is in an available state, or that the computing node is in a registered state, or that the computing node has been successfully registered.

[0141] S302a: The computing node sends an update request to the management node. The update request includes update information, which is used to indicate that at least one of the information of the aforementioned computing resources should be updated.

[0142] Optionally, the update information can be the updated computing power node file, updated parameters in the computing power node file, or update operations (addition / deletion / replacement) on some parameters in the computing power node. This application does not limit this.

[0143] Figure 4 uses the updated computing node file as an example. Figure 4 shows some of the updated parameters in bold: Computing node status = SUSPENDED, available computing power is a2 TFP16, available memory is b2 MB, computing power usage is c2%, and memory usage is d2%. Here, SUSPENDED means suspended or unavailable, a1≠a2, b1≠b2, c1≠c2, and d1≠d2. The update request also carries out parameters that haven't been updated, such as computing node identifier = 1. After receiving the above update information, the management node can update the computing node status from REIGSTERED to SUSPENDED, the available computing power from a1 TFP16 to a2 TFP16, the available memory from b1 MB to b2 MB, the computing power usage from c1% to c2%, and the memory usage from d1% to d2%.

[0144] S302b: The management node updates the information of the stored computing resources based on the update information.

[0145] In one implementation, after receiving the update request, the management node can update the information of the stored computing resources based on the update information.

[0146] S302c: The management node sends an update response to the computing power node.

[0147] For example, after updating the information of the stored computing resources, the management node can send an update response to the computing power node, which indicates that the information of the computing resources of the computing power node has been successfully updated.

[0148] S303a: The computing node sends a registration request to the management node.

[0149] For example, the request may include the identifier (ID) of the computing node for requesting to deregister the computing node. Figure 4 illustrates that the information carried in the deregistration request may be the computing node identifier (ID) = 1.

[0150] S303b: The management node marks the computing node as unavailable.

[0151] For example, the above deregistration request includes the identifier of the computing power node, and after receiving the above deregistration request, the management node marks the computing power node as unavailable.

[0152] For example, the management node can delete the computing node file corresponding to that node.

[0153] S303c: The management node sends a registration response to the computing power node.

[0154] For example, the deregistration response is used to indicate that the computing node is in an unavailable state, or that the computing node is in an unregistered state, or that the computing node has successfully deregistered.

[0155] The method embodiment shown in Figure 2 will be illustrated below with reference to Figures 5 and 6. It should be noted that related concepts, operations or logical relationships not explained in Figures 5 and 6 can be referred to the corresponding descriptions in the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

[0156] In this application, the embodiment shown in FIG5 or FIG6 can be used as a separate embodiment, and the embodiment shown in FIG5 or FIG6 can be independent of the technical solution in FIG2; some steps in the embodiment shown in FIG5 or FIG6 can also be used as separate embodiments.

[0157] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. In Figure 5, dashed boxes represent optional steps, meaning the method may exclude one or more of steps S501, S502, S503, and S508.

[0158] This application uses the control function network elements AMF and SMF, the terminal UE, and the management node as an example, which includes a resource allocation module and a resource management module, to provide a detailed description of the communication method provided in this application.

[0159] In this embodiment, the functions performed by the UE can also be performed by modules (e.g., chips) in the UE. In this embodiment, the functions performed by the control plane can also be performed by modules (e.g., chips) in the control plane. In this embodiment, the functions performed by the management function can also be performed by modules (e.g., chips) in the management function.

[0160] In this embodiment of the application, the information used to indicate the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task is the first computing resource information, and the first computing resource is N computing resources.

[0161] S501: Management functions discover computing resources, including the registration, updating, and deregistration of computing nodes.

[0162] Optionally, step S501 can be performed by the resource management module in the management function.

[0163] In some embodiments, a computing node can send registration messages, update messages, and deregistration messages to the management function. These messages include the computing resource information of the computing node. Upon receiving these messages, the management function manages the node's computing resource information. For details, please refer to the descriptions in Figures 3 and 4 above; they will not be repeated here.

[0164] Optionally, the resource management module stores computing resource information for each computing node.

[0165] S502: SMF sends a resource block request to the management function.

[0166] In some embodiments, the SMF may send a resource block request to the resource allocation module in the management function before receiving a computing resource request from the UE. This resource block request may be used to request one or more resource blocks, where each resource block may include one or more computing resources, and a computing resource may refer to the computing resources corresponding to a processor (such as a GPU / NPU).

[0167] In some embodiments, the SMF can first obtain information about available computing resources in the management function, and then send a resource block request to the management function based on the information about available computing resources. This resource block request is used to request some or all of the available computing resources. For example, the SMF can request information about available computing resources from the management module; then, the management module sends the information about available computing resources to the SMF, such as 150 cards with FP32 156TFLOPS computing power and 80GB of video memory, and 50 cards with FP32 80TFLOPS computing power and 40GB of video memory. These cards can be distributed across different computing nodes. Based on the above available computing resource information, the SMF sends a resource block request to the management module. This resource block request includes information about some of the available computing resources, for example, the information about 100 cards with FP32 156TFLOPS computing power and 80GB of video memory.

[0168] S503: The management function sends information about M computing resources to the SMF, where M is a positive integer.

[0169] In some embodiments, after receiving a resource block request from the SMF, the resource allocation module in the management function can determine M computing resources from the computing resources of the computing nodes stored in the resource management module; then, the resource allocation module sends information about the M computing resources to the SMF. Correspondingly, the SMF receives the information about the M computing resources, stores the information about the M computing resources, and marks the status of the M computing resources as available, where available indicates that they are distributable or not occupied.

[0170] Optionally, after the management function sends information about M computing resources to the SMF, it can mark the M computing resources as distributed or unavailable.

[0171] Among them, M computing resources can be considered as a single resource block, or they can be divided into multiple resource blocks; this application does not limit this.

[0172] S504: The UE sends a first computing resource request to the AMF, which includes first computing resource information.

[0173] In some embodiments, after a perception computing task, the UE may determine the computing resources required to complete the computing task; and then send a first computing resource request to the AMF, the request including first computing resource information of the required computing resources.

[0174] For example, the first computing resource information may include one or more of the following: number of GPUs / NPUs, computing power, video memory and bandwidth, and location identifier of computing nodes.

[0175] S505: AMF authenticates the aforementioned first computing resource request.

[0176] In some embodiments, after receiving a first computing resource request from the UE's NAS, the AMF can combine the user's subscription data (i.e., the UE's subscription information) to determine whether the UE has the right to obtain the requested computing resources (i.e., the computing resources requested by the first computing resource request). If authentication is successful, the AMF can send a second computing resource request to the SMF, i.e., execute step S506. If authentication fails, the AMF can send an authentication failure message to the SMF. This message can carry the reason for the failure of the UE's computing resource request authentication, such as indicating that the computing service is not authorized (SERVING_COMPUTING_NOT_AUTHORIZED).

[0177] The authentication process includes, but is not limited to, determining whether the UE has the authority to request computing resources and whether the amount of computing resources requested by the UE exceeds the amount of computing resources in the contracted package.

[0178] S506: Upon successful authentication, the AMF sends a second computing resource request to the SMF, which includes the aforementioned first computing resource information.

[0179] S507: Based on the aforementioned first computing resource information, SMF determines N computing resources, where at least one of the N computing resources belongs to the aforementioned M computing resources, and N is a positive integer.

[0180] In some embodiments, the SMF receives a second computing resource request sent by the AMF; based on the first computing resource information in the second computing resource request, it queries the computing resources that satisfy the first computing resource information from the M computing resources to obtain N computing resources.

[0181] For example, if the amount of computing resources requested by the UE does not exceed the amount of resources in the resource blocks pre-allocated by the control plane (i.e., the aforementioned M computing resources), then the SMF can select a computing node that can guarantee the service level agreement (SLA) requirements based on the status of the computing nodes and the network status accessed by the computing nodes. The status of the computing nodes includes whether they are online or offline, powered on or off, their location, and the parameter information of available computing resources. For instance, the SMF can determine the target computing node as the computing node whose status and network status among the aforementioned M computing resources meet preset conditions and can satisfy the UE's SLA requirements. The target computing node is used to provide the aforementioned N computing resources.

[0182] It should be understood that SLA stands for Service Level Agreement. Operators and industry users commit to network service quality by signing SLAs. In computing, SLA can be reflected in service quality related to computing services, such as computing latency. For example, a UE's SLA requirement is that the computing latency cannot exceed a preset duration when performing a computing task with a preset workload. A computing node that meets the UE's SLA requirement can be defined as one whose conditions and the network status it accesses are sufficient to complete the preset workload within the preset duration.

[0183] As another example, if the amount of computing resources requested by the UE exceeds the amount of resources in the resource blocks (i.e., the aforementioned M computing resources) pre-allocated by the control plane: the control plane needs to calculate the amount of computing resources it still needs to request (referred to as computing resource 1); computing resource 1 can be consolidated into a resource block (referred to as resource block 1); then, computing resources are requested again from the management function, such as the SMF sending a computing resource request to the management function, which is used to request resource block 1. Further, after the SMF receives the computing resource information of the aforementioned resource block 1, it uses the computing resource information of the aforementioned resource block 1 and the computing resource information of the aforementioned M computing resources as the aforementioned N computing resources.

[0184] S508: SMF updates the status of N computing resources to unavailable.

[0185] Optionally, after determining N computing resources, SMF can update the status of the N computing resources to unavailable, where unavailable means that they have been allocated, occupied, or are in an unallocable state.

[0186] S509: The SMF sends a computing resource response message to the UE. This message includes the access addresses of the computing nodes corresponding to the N computing resources and information on the computing resources that each computing node can provide.

[0187] The information on computing resources includes, but is not limited to, computing resource types (e.g., GPUs, NPUs) and computing resource information (e.g., number of GPUs, number of NPUs, computing power type, computing power size, graphics cards, etc.).

[0188] For example, if the above N computing resources are computing resources provided by a computing node, the message may include the running path of the computing resources within the computing node, such as the running path of the FQDN computing task or the running path of the IP+ computing task.

[0189] As another example, if the aforementioned N computing resources are computing resources provided by multiple computing power nodes, then in addition to the running path of the computing resources within each of the multiple computing power nodes, the message may also include information on the computing resources that each computing power node can supply, such as the type of computing resources (e.g., GPU, NPU), the number of GPUs, the number of NPUs, the type of computing power, the size of computing power, graphics cards, etc.

[0190] Optionally, this application does not limit the order of the above steps S508 and S509. The SMF can execute steps S508 and S509 simultaneously, or execute step S508 first and then step S509, or execute step S509 first and then step S508.

[0191] S510: The UE sends computing tasks to the computing nodes corresponding to the N computing resources based on the access addresses of the computing nodes corresponding to the N computing resources.

[0192] In some embodiments, N computing resources correspond to multiple computing nodes. The UE can then split the computing task based on the computing resource information of each computing node and send the split computing task to the corresponding computing node. For example, the UE can split the computing task of AR glasses into multiple sub-tasks such as positioning, object tracking, and rendering, and allocate computing nodes to each sub-task. For instance, positioning requires less computing power, so a computing node with fewer computing resources can be allocated to positioning; rendering requires more computing power, so a computing node with more computing resources or multiple computing nodes can be allocated to rendering. Optionally, the UE can negotiate with network-side devices (such as management functions) to execute the process of splitting computing sub-tasks and allocating computing nodes.

[0193] S511: The computing nodes corresponding to the N computing resources send the calculation results corresponding to the above computing tasks to the UE.

[0194] S512: The UE sends a request to the SMF to release computing resources.

[0195] In some embodiments, after completing a computing task, the UE may request the release of computing resources. For example, the UE may send a computing resource release request to the SMF, which is used to request the release of the aforementioned N computing resources.

[0196] In other embodiments, after receiving the calculation result from any of the computing power nodes corresponding to N computing resources, the UE may send a computing resource release request to the SMF. The computing resource release request is used to request the release of the computing resources corresponding to the computing power node.

[0197] Optionally, the request may include, but is not limited to, the number of computing resources, paths, etc.

[0198] S513: SMF releases N computing resources.

[0199] In some embodiments, after receiving the aforementioned computing resource release request from the UE, the SMF can release N computing resources. For example, the status of the N computing resources can be updated to available. Understandably, when the UE or other UEs request computing resources, the SMF can then reissue the aforementioned N computing resources according to the request, thereby achieving resource reuse and improving resource utilization.

[0200] S514: The SMF sends a computing resource release response message to the UE, which indicates that N computing resources have been released.

[0201] In some embodiments, after releasing N computing resources, the SMF can send a computing resource release response message to the UE, which indicates that the N computing resources have been released.

[0202] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. In Figure 6, dashed boxes represent optional steps, meaning that the method may not include one or more of steps S601, S602, S603, and S608.

[0203] This application uses the aforementioned control function network element as the computing network controller and the aforementioned management node as the computing network manager, with the computing network manager including a resource allocation module and a resource management module, as an example to provide a detailed description of the communication method provided in this application.

[0204] In this embodiment of the application, the functions performed by the terminal can also be performed by modules (e.g., chips) in the terminal. In this embodiment of the application, the functions performed by the network controller can also be performed by modules (e.g., chips) in the network controller. In this embodiment of the application, the functions performed by the network manager can also be performed by modules (e.g., chips) in the network manager.

[0205] In this embodiment of the application, the information used to indicate the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task is the first computing resource information, the first computing resource is N computing resources, the first request message is a computing session establishment request, and the first response message is a computing session establishment reply message.

[0206] S601: The computing network manager discovers computing resources, including the registration, updating, and deregistration of computing nodes.

[0207] Optionally, step S601 can be specifically executed by the resource management module in the network manager.

[0208] Optionally, the resource management module stores computing resource information for each computing node.

[0209] S602: The network controller sends a resource block request to the network manager.

[0210] S603: The computing network manager sends information about M computing resources to the computing network controller, where M is a positive integer.

[0211] The processes of steps S601 to S603 described above can be exemplified by referring to the relevant content of steps S501 to S503 described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0212] S604: The terminal sends a computing session establishment request to the computing network controller, which includes first computing resource information.

[0213] In some embodiments, after sensing a computing task, the terminal can convert the computing task into computing resources required by the computing task; then, it can send a first computing resource request to the computing network controller, the request including first computing resource information of the required computing resources.

[0214] For example, the first computing resource information may include one or more of the following: number of GPUs / NPUs, computing power, video memory and bandwidth, and location identifier of computing nodes.

[0215] S605: The network controller authenticates the aforementioned first computing resource request.

[0216] For example, the authentication process can be found in the relevant content of step S505 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0217] S606: Upon successful authentication, the network controller determines N computing resources based on the aforementioned first computing resource information, wherein at least one of the N computing resources belongs to the aforementioned M computing resources, and N is a positive integer.

[0218] S607: The computing network controller establishes a computing session between the terminal and the computing power nodes corresponding to N computing resources.

[0219] For example, the determination of N computing resources can be found in the relevant content of step S507 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0220] S608: The computing network controller updates the status of N computing resources to unavailable.

[0221] Optionally, after determining N computing resources, the computing network controller can update the status of the N computing resources to unavailable, where unavailable means that they have been allocated, occupied, or are in an unallocable state.

[0222] S609: The computing network controller sends a computing session establishment reply message to the terminal. This message includes the access addresses of the computing nodes corresponding to the N computing resources and the computing resource information that each computing node can provide.

[0223] The computation session establishment reply message indicates that the computation session has been successfully established.

[0224] In some other embodiments of this application, the computing network controller sends a computing session establishment response message and a computing resource response message to the terminal. The computing session establishment response message indicates that the computing session has been successfully established, and the computing resource response message includes the access addresses of the computing power nodes corresponding to N computing resources and the computing resource information that each computing power node can provide.

[0225] S610: The terminal sends computing tasks to the computing nodes corresponding to the N computing resources through the above computing session based on the access addresses of the computing nodes corresponding to the N computing resources.

[0226] In some embodiments, N computing resources correspond to multiple computing nodes. The terminal can then split the computing task based on the computing resource information of each computing node and send the split computing task to the corresponding computing node. For example, the splitting process can be found in the relevant content of steps S510 or S203 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0227] S611: The computing nodes corresponding to the N computing resources send the computing results corresponding to the above computing tasks to the terminal through the above computing session.

[0228] S612: The terminal sends a request to the computing network controller to release computing resources.

[0229] In some embodiments, after completing a computing task, the terminal may request the release of computing resources. For example, the terminal may send a computing resource release request to the computing network controller, which is used to request the release of the aforementioned N computing resources.

[0230] In other embodiments, after receiving the calculation result from any of the computing power nodes corresponding to N computing resources, the terminal may send a computing resource release request to the computing network controller. The computing resource release request is used to request the release of the computing resources corresponding to the computing power node.

[0231] Optionally, the request may include, but is not limited to, the number of computing resources, paths, etc.

[0232] S613: The network controller releases N computing resources.

[0233] In some embodiments, after receiving the aforementioned computing resource release request from the terminal, the network controller can release N computing resources. For example, the status of the N computing resources can be updated to available. Understandably, when the terminal or other terminals request computing resources, the network controller can then reissue the aforementioned N computing resources according to the request, thereby achieving resource reuse and improving resource utilization.

[0234] S614: The computing network controller sends a computing resource release response message to the terminal, which indicates that N computing resources have been released.

[0235] In some embodiments, after releasing N computing resources, the computing network controller may send a computing resource release response message to the terminal, which indicates that the N computing resources have been released.

[0236] The foregoing details the method provided in this application. To facilitate the implementation of the above-described solutions in the embodiments of this application, corresponding apparatus or devices are also provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0237] This application divides the control function network element and terminal into functional modules according to the above method embodiments. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division; other division methods may be used in actual implementation. The communication device of the embodiment of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 7 to 9.

[0238] Referring to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application, the communication device may include a transceiver unit 10 and a processing unit 20.

[0239] In some embodiments of this application, the communication device may be a terminal as shown above, or a chip or circuit disposed in a terminal. That is, the communication device may be used to perform the steps or functions performed by the terminal in the method embodiments described above.

[0240] In one design, the transceiver unit 10 is used to: send information indicating the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task; receive information about a first computing resource, wherein the first computing resource meets the computing power requirements; and, based on the information about the first computing resource, instruct the computing node where the first computing resource is located to use the first computing resource to execute the computing task.

[0241] In one possible implementation, the information of the first computing resource includes: the address information of the computing node where the first computing resource is located; the transceiver unit 10 is used to: send the computing task and the information of the first computing resource to the computing node where the first computing resource is located according to the address information.

[0242] For example, the first computing resource includes the computing resources of at least one computing node, and the information of the first computing resource includes the information of the computing resources of each computing node in the at least one computing node.

[0243] For example, the information about computing resources includes at least one of the following: the quantity, type, computing power, or video memory of the computing resources.

[0244] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 20 is configured to: split the computing task into a first subtask and a second subtask; specifically, the processing unit 20 is configured to: instruct the first computing node to execute the first subtask using the second computing resources; and instruct the second computing node to execute the second subtask using the third computing resources.

[0245] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 20 is specifically used to: divide the computing task into a first subtask and a second subtask based on the information of the second computing resource and the information of the third computing resource.

[0246] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 10 is configured to: receive the execution result of a computing task from the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

[0247] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 10 is configured to: send a message requesting the release of a third computing resource, wherein the first computing resource includes the third computing resource.

[0248] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 10 is configured to: receive a message indicating that the third computing resource has been successfully released.

[0249] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 10 is configured to: send a first request message, the first request message being used to request the establishment of a computing session, the first request message including information indicating the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task; receive a first response message, the first response message being used to indicate that the computing session has been successfully established, the first response message including information about the first computing resource; and through the computing session, instruct the computing node where the first computing resource is located to use the first computing resource to execute the computing task.

[0250] In this application embodiment, the description of information such as computing tasks, first computing resources and computing power requirements can be referred to the description in the method embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0251] It is understood that the specific descriptions of the transceiver unit 10 and processing unit 20 shown in the embodiments of this application are merely examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver unit 10 and processing unit 20, please refer to the method embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, which will not be described in detail here. In addition, the technical effects of the embodiments of this application are the same as those in the method embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0252] Reusing Figure 7, in some embodiments of this application, the communication device may be the control function network element shown above, or a chip or circuit disposed in the control function network element. That is, the communication device may be used to perform the steps or functions performed by the control function network element in the method embodiments above.

[0253] In one design, the transceiver unit 10 is used to: receive information from the terminal indicating computing power requirements; and send information about a first computing resource to the terminal, wherein the first computing resource satisfies the computing power requirements.

[0254] In one possible implementation, before receiving information from the terminal indicating computing power requirements, the transceiver unit 10 is further configured to: send a message to the management node requesting computing resources; and receive information from the management node regarding second computing resources, the second computing resources including the first computing resources.

[0255] In one possible implementation, after receiving information about the second computing resource from the management node, the processing unit 20 is configured to: mark the status of the second computing resource as available;

[0256] After sending the information of the first computing resource to the terminal, the processing unit 20 is used to update the status of the first computing resource from available to unavailable.

[0257] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 10 is configured to: receive a message from the terminal requesting the release of a third computing resource, wherein the first computing resource includes the third computing resource; and the processing unit 20 is configured to: update the status of the third computing resource from unavailable to available in response to the message requesting the release of the third computing resource.

[0258] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 10 is configured to: send a message to the terminal indicating that the third computing resource has been successfully released.

[0259] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 10 is configured to: receive information from the second terminal indicating a second computing power requirement; if the available computing resources in the second computing resources do not meet the second computing power requirement, send a message to the management node requesting computing resources; receive a fourth computing resource from the management node; and send a fifth computing resource to the second terminal, wherein the fifth computing resource meets the second computing power requirement, and at least a portion of the computing resources in the fifth computing resource belongs to the fourth computing resource.

[0260] For example, the first computing resource satisfying the computing power requirement includes one or more of the following: the type of the first computing resource is the same as the type of computing resource indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the number of the first computing resources is greater than or equal to the number of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power type of the first computing resource is the same as the computing power type indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power size of the first computing resource is greater than or equal to the computing power size indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the video memory of the first computing resource is the same as the video memory indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the bandwidth of the first computing resource is the same as the bandwidth indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the location identifier of the computing power node where at least one of the first computing resources is located is the same as the location identifier of the computing power node indicated by the computing power requirement.

[0261] In one possible implementation, the information of the first computing resource includes: the address information of the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

[0262] In one possible implementation, the first computing resource includes the computing resources of at least one computing node, and the information of the first computing resource includes the information of the computing resources of each of the at least one computing node.

[0263] For example, the information about computing resources includes at least one of the following: the quantity, type, computing power, or video memory of the computing resources.

[0264] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 10 is configured to: when the terminal is allowed to obtain computing resources that meet the computing power requirements, send information about the first computing resources to the terminal.

[0265] For example, allowing a terminal to obtain computing resources that meet its computing power requirements includes one or more of the following: the type of computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain includes the type of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the number of computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain is greater than or equal to the number of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power type of the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain includes the computing power type indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the computing power size of the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain is greater than or equal to the computing power size indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the video memory of the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain includes the video memory indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the bandwidth of the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain includes the bandwidth indicated by the computing power requirement; or, the location identifier of the computing node where the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain are the same as the location identifier of the computing node indicated by the computing power requirement.

[0266] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 20 is used to: determine whether to allow the terminal to obtain computing resources that meet the computing power requirements based on the terminal's subscription information.

[0267] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 10 is specifically configured to: receive a first request message from a terminal, the first request message being used to request the establishment of a computing session, the first request message including information indicating computing power requirements; and send a first response message to the terminal, the first response message being used to indicate that the computing session has been successfully established, the first response message including information about a first computing resource, the computing session being a session between the terminal and the computing power node where the first computing resource is located.

[0268] In this application embodiment, the description of information such as computing tasks, first computing resources and computing power requirements can be referred to the description in the method embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0269] It is understood that the specific descriptions of the transceiver unit 10 and processing unit 20 shown in the embodiments of this application are merely examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver unit 10 and processing unit 20, please refer to the method embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, which will not be described in detail here. In addition, the technical effects of the embodiments of this application are the same as those in the method embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 6 above, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0270] The control function network element and terminal of the embodiments of this application have been described above. The possible product forms of the control function network element and terminal are described below. It should be understood that any product with the functions of the terminal or control function network element described in FIG7 above falls within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. It should also be understood that the following description is merely illustrative and does not limit the product form of the communication device of the embodiments of this application to this.

[0271] In one possible implementation, in the communication device shown in FIG7, the processing unit 20 can be a processing circuit, and the transceiver unit 10 can be a communication circuit. The processing circuit can be one or more processors, or all or part of the control or processing circuitry within one or more processors. When the communication device is a terminal device or network device, the communication circuit can be a transceiver circuit, which can be a transceiver unit. When the communication device is a chip or chip system, the communication circuit can be an interface circuit. When the communication device is a server, the communication circuit can be an interface circuit or a transceiver circuit. The transceiver unit 10 can also be a sending unit and a receiving unit. The sending unit can be a sending circuit, and the receiving unit can be a receiving circuit, integrated into a single device. In this embodiment, the processing circuit and the communication circuit can be coupled, etc., and the connection method between the processing circuit and the communication circuit is not limited in this embodiment. During the execution of the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be understood as the process of the processing circuit outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processing circuit outputs the above information to the communication circuit so that the communication circuit can transmit it. After the aforementioned information is output by the processing circuit, it may require further processing before reaching the communication circuit. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be understood as the process by which the processing circuit receives the input information. When the processing circuit receives the input information, the communication circuit receives the information and inputs it into the processing circuit. Furthermore, after the communication circuit receives the information, it may require further processing before being input into the processing circuit.

[0272] In one possible implementation, in the communication device shown in FIG7, the processing unit 20 can be one or more processors, the transceiver unit 10 can be a transceiver, or the transceiver unit 10 can also be a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit can be a transmitter, and the receiving unit can be a receiver. The transmitting unit and the receiving unit are integrated into one device, such as a transceiver. In the embodiments of this application, the processor and the transceiver can be coupled, etc., and the connection method of the processor and the transceiver is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In the process of executing the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver so that the transceiver can transmit it. After the above information is output by the processor, it may need to undergo other processing before reaching the transceiver. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor receiving the input above information. When the processor receives the input information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information may need to undergo other processing before being input into the processor.

[0273] Referring to Figure 8, which is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the communication device provided in this application embodiment can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments, and the description in the above method embodiments can be referred to. The communication device can be a terminal, a control function network element, or a chip therein. Exemplarily, the communication device includes one or more processors 1001. The communication device may further include a memory 1003. Optionally, the communication device may further include a transceiver 1002. In one implementation, the communication device further includes an input / output device (not shown in Figure 8).

[0274] The processor 1001 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The memory 1003 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1002 may include control circuitry and an antenna. The control circuitry is mainly used for converting baseband signals to radio frequency signals and processing radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0275] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1001 can read the software program in the memory 1003, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1001 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit processes the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1001. The processor 1001 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0276] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be set up independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the communication device.

[0277] The processor 1001, transceiver 1002, and memory 1003 can be connected via a communication bus.

[0278] For example, when the communication device is used to perform the steps, methods or functions of the control function network element in the embodiment shown in FIG2, the transceiver 1002 can be used to perform steps S201 and S202 in FIG2.

[0279] For example, when the communication device is used to perform the steps, methods or functions performed by the terminal in the embodiment shown in FIG2 above, the transceiver 1002 can be used to perform steps S201 and S202 in FIG2, the processor 1001 can be used to perform S203 in FIG2, and / or other processes of the technology described herein.

[0280] In any of the above implementations, the processor 1001 may include a transceiver for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, or an interface circuit. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The aforementioned transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit can be used for reading and writing code / data, or it can be used for transmitting or relaying signals.

[0281] In any of the above implementations, the processor 1001 may store instructions, which may be computer programs. These computer programs, running on the processor 1001, cause the communication device to execute the methods described in the above method embodiments. The computer program may be embedded in the processor 1001; in this case, the processor 1001 may be implemented in hardware.

[0282] In one implementation, the communication device may include circuitry capable of performing the functions of transmitting, receiving, or communicating as described in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor and transceiver described in this application can be implemented on integrated circuits (ICs), analog ICs, radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic devices, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), n-metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS), positive channel metal oxide semiconductors (PMOS), bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0283] It is understood that the communication device shown in the embodiments of this application may have more components than those in FIG8, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this. The methods executed by the processor and transceiver shown above are only examples, and the specific steps executed by the processor and transceiver can be referred to the description of the method embodiments above.

[0284] In another possible implementation, the communication device provided in this application embodiment may include one or more processors and a memory. The processor executes a program stored in the memory, and when the program is executed, the method embodiment described above is performed. Exemplarily, the processor and memory may also be integrated into a single device, i.e., the processor and memory may be integrated together. For further details regarding the processor and memory, please refer to the relevant content of processor 1001 and memory 1003 in Figure 8.

[0285] In another possible implementation, the communication device shown in Figure 8 may further include a processing unit, which may be one or more logic circuits. The transceiver unit 10 may be an input / output interface, or a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 10 may also be a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit may be an output interface, and the receiving unit may be an input interface. The transmitting unit and the receiving unit are integrated into one unit, such as an input / output interface.

[0286] Referring to Figure 9, which is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application, the communication device shown in Figure 9 includes a logic circuit 901 and an interface 902. That is, the processing unit described above can be implemented using the logic circuit 901, and the transceiver unit 10 can be implemented using the interface 902. The logic circuit 901 can be a chip, processing circuit, integrated circuit, or system-on-chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 902 can be a communication interface, input / output interface, pins, etc. For example, Figure 9 illustrates the communication device as a chip, which includes the logic circuit 901 and the interface 902.

[0287] In this embodiment, the logic circuit and the interface can also be coupled to each other. The specific connection method between the logic circuit and the interface is not limited in this embodiment.

[0288] For example, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods or functions executed by the terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG2 above, the interface 902 is used to transmit information for indicating the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task.

[0289] For example, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods, or functions of the control function network element in the method embodiment shown in FIG2 above, the interface 902 is used to transmit information about the first computing resource.

[0290] In this embodiment, the description of information such as the computing power requirement corresponding to the computing task can be found in the method embodiment shown in Figure 2 above, and will not be described in detail here. It is understood that a detailed description of the logic circuit 901 and the interface 902 can also be found in the description of the processing unit and transceiver unit shown in Figure 7, and will not be repeated here.

[0291] It is understood that the communication device shown in the embodiments of this application can implement the method provided in the embodiments of this application in hardware form or in software form, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit it in this way.

[0292] For specific implementation methods of the various embodiments shown in Figure 9, please refer to the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0293] This application embodiment also provides a communication system, which includes a control function network element and a management node. Optionally, the communication system further includes a terminal. The control function network element can be used to execute the steps executed by the control function network element in the method shown in FIG2, the management node can be used to execute the steps executed by the management node in the method shown in FIG2, the management node can also be used to execute the steps executed by the management node in the method shown in FIG3, and the terminal can be used to execute the steps executed by the terminal in the method shown in FIG2; or, the control function network element can be used to execute the steps executed by the control plane in the method shown in FIG5, the management node can be used to execute the steps executed by the management function in the method shown in FIG5, and the terminal can be used to execute the steps executed by the UE in the method shown in FIG5; or, the control function network element can be used to execute the steps executed by the computing network controller in the method shown in FIG6, the management node can be used to execute the steps executed by the computing network manager in the method shown in FIG6, and the terminal can be used to execute the steps executed by the terminal in the method shown in FIG6.

[0294] In addition, this application also provides a computer program for implementing the operations and / or processes performed by communication devices (such as the control function network element and terminal described above) in the method provided in this application.

[0295] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer code that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the operations and / or processes performed by communication devices (such as the control function network element and terminal described above) in the method provided in this application.

[0296] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the operations and / or processes performed by communication devices (such as the control function network element and terminal described above) in the method provided in this application to be executed.

[0297] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices, or units, or it may be an electrical, mechanical, or other form of connection.

[0298] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0299] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0300] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned readable storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0301] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send information indicating the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task; Receive information about a first computing resource, wherein the first computing resource satisfies the computing power requirement; Based on the information of the first computing resource, the computing node where the first computing resource is located is instructed to use the first computing resource to execute the computing task.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The information of the first computing resource includes: the address information of the computing node where the first computing resource is located; The step of instructing the computing node where the first computing resource is located to execute the computing task using the first computing resource, based on the information of the first computing resource, includes: Based on the address information, the computing task and the information of the first computing resource are sent to the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first computing resource includes the computing resources of at least one computing node, and the information of the first computing resource includes the information of the computing resources of each of the at least one computing node.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The information of the computing resources includes at least one of the following: the quantity, type, computing power, or video memory of the computing resources.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The first computing resource includes the second computing resource of the first computing node and the third computing resource of the second computing node. The method further includes: The computation task is divided into a first subtask and a second subtask; The instruction to the computing node where the first computing resource is located to execute the computing task using the first computing resource includes: Instruct the first computing node to use the second computing resources to execute the first subtask; The second computing node is instructed to use the third computing resources to execute the second subtask.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of splitting the computation task into a first subtask and a second subtask includes: Based on the information of the second computing resource and the information of the third computing resource, the computing task is divided into a first subtask and a second subtask.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the execution result of the computing task from the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a message requesting the release of a third computing resource, the first computing resource including the third computing resource.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The sending of information indicating the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task includes: Send a first request message, the first request message being used to request the establishment of a computing session, the first request message including the information used to indicate the computing power requirements corresponding to the computing task; The receipt of information about the first computing resource includes: Receive a first response message, the first response message being used to indicate that the computing session has been successfully established, the first response message including information about the first computing resource; The step of instructing the computing node where the first computing resource is located to execute the computing task using the first computing resource, based on the information of the first computing resource, includes: The computing session instructs the computing node where the first computing resource is located to use the first computing resource to execute the computing task.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive information from the terminal indicating computing power requirements; Information about a first computing resource is sent to the terminal, wherein the first computing resource satisfies the computing power requirement.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, Before receiving information from the terminal indicating computing power requirements, the method further includes: Send a message to the management node requesting computing resources; Receive information about a second computing resource from the management node, the second computing resource including the first computing resource.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, After receiving information about the second computing resource from the management node, the method further includes: The status of the second computing resource is marked as available; After sending the information about the first computing resources to the terminal, the method further includes: Update the status of the first computing resource from available to unavailable.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a message from the terminal requesting the release of a third computing resource, wherein the first computing resource includes the third computing resource; In response to the message requesting the release of the third computing resource, the status of the third computing resource is updated from unavailable to available.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that, The first computing resource satisfies the computing power requirement by one or more of the following: The type of the first computing resource is the same as the type of computing resource indicated by the computing power requirement; or, The quantity of the first computing resources is greater than or equal to the quantity of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, The computing power type of the first computing resource is the same as the computing power type indicated by the computing power demand; or, The computing power of the first computing resource is greater than or equal to the computing power indicated by the computing power demand; or, The video memory of the first computing resource is the same as the video memory indicated by the computing power requirement; or, The bandwidth of the first computing resource is the same as the bandwidth indicated by the computing power requirement; or, The location identifier of the computing node where at least one of the computing resources is located is the same as the location identifier of the computing node indicated by the computing power demand.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10-14, characterized in that, The information of the first computing resource includes: the address information of the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first computing resource includes the computing resources of at least one computing node, and the information of the first computing resource includes the information of the computing resources of each of the at least one computing node.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The information of the computing resources includes at least one of the following: the quantity, type, computing power, or video memory of the computing resources.

18. The method according to any one of claims 10-17, characterized in that, Sending information about the first computing resources to the terminal includes: When the terminal is allowed to obtain computing resources that meet the computing power requirements, information about the first computing resources is sent to the terminal.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The provision allowing the terminal to obtain computing resources that meet the computing power requirements includes one or more of the following: The types of computing resources that the terminal is allowed to acquire include the types of computing resources indicated by the computing power requirement; or, The amount of computing resources that the terminal is allowed to acquire is greater than or equal to the amount of computing resources indicated by the computing power demand; or, The computing power type of computing resources that the terminal is allowed to obtain includes the computing power type indicated by the computing power demand; or, The computing power of the computing resources that the terminal is allowed to acquire is greater than or equal to the computing power indicated by the computing power demand; or, The video memory that the terminal is allowed to access for computing resources includes the video memory indicated by the computing power requirement; or, The bandwidth of computing resources that the terminal is allowed to access includes the bandwidth indicated by the computing power requirement; or, The location identifier of the computing node where the computing resources obtained by the terminal are located is the same as the location identifier of the computing node indicated by the computing power demand.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the terminal's subscription information, determine whether the terminal is allowed to obtain computing resources that meet the computing power requirements.

21. The method according to any one of claims 10-20, characterized in that, The receiving of information from the terminal indicating computing power requirements includes: Receive a first request message from the terminal, the first request message being used to request the establishment of a computing session, the first request message including the information indicating computing power requirements; Sending information about the first computing resources to the terminal includes: A first response message is sent to the terminal. The first response message is used to indicate that the computing session has been successfully established. The first response message includes information about the first computing resource. The computing session is a session between the terminal and the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

22. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive messages that request computing resources; Send information about the first computing resource, whose status is available.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The information of the first computing resource includes the address information of the computing node where the first computing resource is located.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that, The first computing resource includes the computing resources of at least one computing node, and the information of the first computing resource includes the information of the computing resources of each of the at least one computing node.

25. The method according to any one of claims 22-24, characterized in that, The information of the first computing resource includes at least one of the following: the quantity, type, computing power, or video memory of the computing resource.

26. The method according to any one of claims 22-25, characterized in that, The method further includes: at least a portion of the computing resources are located on a computing node that is a first computing node. Receive a first request message from the first computing power node, the first request message being used to request registration, the first request message including information about the computing resources of the first computing power node; Store information about the computing resources of the first computing node.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a second request message from the first computing power node, the second request message being used to request an update of at least one of the computing resources of the first computing power node; In response to the second request message, at least one of the computing resources of the first computing node is updated; If the state of at least some of the first computing resources changes, information about the at least some computing resources is sent.

28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a third request message, the third request message being used to request the deletion of the registration of the first computing power node; In response to the third request message, the information of the computing resources of the first computing node is marked as unavailable, or the information of the computing resources of the first computing node is deleted.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules or units for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

30. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor, which implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28 via logic circuitry or executable code instructions.

31. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, The device is used to store a program, which is executed by one or more processors, such that a device including the one or more processors performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

32. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer program code or computer instructions, which, when executed, implement the method described in any one of claims 1-28.

33. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes at least one of the following: a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 10 to 21, or a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 22 to 28.

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