Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a communication method and apparatus. The communication method comprises: a first request scheduling server (RRS) acquiring a first content transfer request, wherein the first content transfer request comprises first information, the first information is used for indicating corresponding position information and / or identification information of a first node, the first node is deployed with a content server of a content delivery network (CDN), and an area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage of a wireless network used by a user equipment (UE); and on the basis of the first information, the first RRS sending first redirection address information, wherein the first redirection address information is used for indicating a target node for transferring content to the UE. Therefore, a global RRS can determine the position of a UE by means of corresponding position information and / or identification information of a CDN node, so as to schedule service content in proximity for the UE.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411011197.9, filed on July 25, 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 more specifically, to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] A content delivery network (CDN) is a distributed network architecture used to provide efficient content delivery services. CDNs deploy content servers across different nodes and pre-cache service resources on these servers. When a user sends a service request, the service is prioritized from the geographically nearest content server, allowing the user to access the content faster.

[0004] In current CDNs, RRS typically determines the node for content delivery to a UE based on the UE's geographical location. To obtain the UE's geographical location, it is necessary to use the UE's built-in software for collection. Furthermore, the geographical location IPs used by multiple UEs overlap, resulting in inaccurate target node determination by RRS and the inability to achieve precise scheduling. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that inserts the location and / or identification information of the CDN node during the forwarding process of the content delivery request, so that the RRS can determine the node for the UE to perform content delivery based on the location and / or identification information of the CDN node.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a first RRS. Unless otherwise specified, the "first RRS" in this application can refer to the first RRS itself, a component in the first RRS (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first RRS device.

[0007] The method includes: a first request scheduling server (RRS) obtaining a first content delivery request, the first content delivery request including first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, wherein the first node deploys a content server of a content delivery network (CDN), and the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the terminal device (UE); the first RRS sends first redirection address information according to the first information, the first redirection address information being used to indicate the target node for delivering content to the UE. Thus, the global RRS can determine the UE's location by using the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node, and schedule service content for the UE from the nearest location. It should be understood that, when the first node is an edge CDN node, the "coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the terminal device (UE)" can specifically refer to "the campus where the cellular network equipment is located," "the district / county-level area where the cellular network equipment is located," "the location area where the terminal device is located," "the cell where the terminal device is located," etc., determined according to the actual situation.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first information includes the identification information of the User Plane Function (UPF). The UE and the UPF communicate using a wireless network, and the UPF's identification information is carried in the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) selection field of the first content delivery request. That is, when forwarding the UE's content delivery request, the UPF inserts its own identification information, so that the first RRS can obtain the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node after receiving the first content delivery request.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first information includes the location ID of the first node, which is carried in the node location field of the first content delivery request. That is, when the second RRS sends response information for the third content delivery request, it inserts the location information of the first node into the response information, so that when the UE sends the first content delivery request again, it inserts the location information of the first node into the first content delivery request accordingly.

[0010] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a UPF. Unless otherwise specified, "UPF" in this application can refer to the UPF itself, a component in the UPF (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the UPF device.

[0011] The method includes: a UPF receiving a second content delivery request from a UE; the UPF sending a first content delivery request to a first RRS based on the second content delivery request, the first content delivery request including first information, the first information being used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, wherein the first node deploys a CDN content server, and the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE. When forwarding the UE's content delivery request, the UPF inserts the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node, so that the first RRS can accurately schedule content for the UE based on the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node. It should be understood that the phrase "the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the terminal device UE" in this application, when the first node is an edge CDN node, can specifically refer to "the campus where the cellular network equipment is located," "the district / county-level area where the cellular network equipment is located," "the location area where the terminal device is located," "the cell where the terminal device is located," etc., determined according to the actual situation.

[0012] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first information includes the identification information of the UPF, which is carried in the transmission control protocol selection field of the first content delivery request. That is, when forwarding the UE's content delivery request, the UPF inserts its own device identification information, so that the first RRS can obtain the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node after receiving the first content delivery request.

[0013] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a second RRS. Unless otherwise specified, the "second RRS" in this application can refer to the second RRS itself, a component in the second RRS (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second RRS device.

[0014] The method includes: a second RRS acquiring a third content delivery request; the second RRS sending response information according to the third content delivery request, the response information including second redirection address information, the second redirection address information indicating a first RRS; wherein, the response information further includes second information, the second information used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node, wherein the first node deploys a CDN content server, and the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE. When the second RRS sends response information for the third content delivery request to instruct the UE to send a content delivery request to the first RRS again, it inserts the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node into the response information, so that the first RRS can accurately schedule content for the UE according to the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node. It should be understood that the phrase "the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the terminal device UE" in this application, when the first node is an edge CDN node, "the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the terminal device for communication" can specifically refer to "the campus where the cellular network device is located", "the district / county-level area where the cellular network device is located", "the location area where the terminal device is located", "the cell where the terminal device is located", etc., determined according to the actual situation.

[0015] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the second information includes the location ID of the first node, which is carried in the node location field of the response information. Therefore, when the UE sends the first content delivery request again, it inserts the location information of the first node into the corresponding first content delivery request. That is, when the second RRS sends the response information for the third content delivery request, it inserts the location information of the first node into the response information, so that when the UE sends the first content delivery request again, it inserts the location information of the first node into the corresponding first content delivery request.

[0016] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the third content delivery request is sent by the UPF to the second RRS; before the second RRS sends response information according to the third content delivery request, the method further includes: the second RRS sending request information to the UPF, the request information being used for the second RRS's registration on the UPF. By having the local second RRS of the first node register on the UPF first, the UPF can forward the UE's content delivery request to the local second RRS, thus enabling the UE to schedule service content nearby.

[0017] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the request information also includes third information, which indicates at least one service cached in the CDN's content server. In this case, the UPF can also determine the first forwarding strategy based on the content caching status in the local content server.

[0018] Fourthly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a UPF. Unless otherwise specified, "UPF" in this application can refer to the UPF itself, a component in the UPF (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the UPF device.

[0019] The method includes: the UPF receiving a third content delivery request from the UE; the UPF sending the third content delivery request to a second RRS; the UPF receiving and sending response information from the second RRS to the UE, the response information including second redirection address information indicating a first RRS; wherein the response information further includes second information, the second information used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, wherein the first node deploys the second RRS and a CDN content server, the UE and the UPF communicate using a wireless network, and the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE. Thus, the UPF forwards the content delivery request from the UE and the response information from the second RRS. When the second RRS sends the response information for the third content delivery request to instruct the UE to send the content delivery request to the first RRS again, it inserts the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node into the response information, so that the first RRS can accurately schedule content for the UE based on the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node. It should be understood that the phrase "the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the terminal device UE" in this application, when the first node is an edge CDN node, can specifically refer to "the campus where the cellular network device is located", "the district / county-level area where the cellular network device is located", "the location area where the terminal device is located", "the cell where the terminal device is located", etc., and is determined according to the actual situation.

[0020] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the second information includes the location ID of the first node, which is carried in the node location field of the response information. That is, when the second RRS sends the response information for the third content delivery request, it inserts the location information of the first node into the response information, so that when the UE sends the first content delivery request again, it inserts the location information of the first node into the first content delivery request accordingly.

[0021] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, before the UPF sends the third content delivery request to the second RRS, the method further includes: the UPF receiving request information from the second RRS, the request information being used for the second RRS's registration on the UPF. By having the local second RRS of the first node register on the UPF first, the UPF can forward the UE's content delivery request to the local second RRS, thus enabling the UE to schedule service content nearby.

[0022] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the request information also includes third information, which indicates at least one service cached in the CDN's content server. In this case, the UPF can also determine a first forwarding strategy based on the content caching status in the local content server.

[0023] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, some implementations of the fourth aspect further include: the UPF determining a first forwarding strategy based on the request information; the UPF sending a third content delivery request to the second RRS, including: the UPF sending the third content delivery request to the second RRS according to the first forwarding strategy. In some implementations, before sending the third content delivery request, the UE requests a CDN domain name from a domain name server. The third content delivery request carries this domain name, which includes the location information of the first RRS (e.g., the IP address of the first RRS). This location information of the first RRS indicates that the target RRS of the third content delivery request is the first RRS. However, after the UPF determines the first forwarding strategy, it still forwards the third content delivery request to the second RRS, which then schedules the service content for the UE from the nearest available RRS.

[0024] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, before the UPF sends the third content delivery request to the second RRS, the method further includes: the UPF obtaining fourth information, which indicates a second forwarding policy, the second forwarding policy being to send any content delivery request from the UE to the second RRS; the UPF sending the third content delivery request to the second RRS includes: the UPF sending the third content delivery request to the second RRS according to the second forwarding policy. By receiving control information through the first node, the UPF can first forward the UE's content delivery request to the local second RRS, allowing for nearby service content scheduling for the UE. In some implementations, before sending the third content delivery request, the UE requests a CDN domain name from a domain name server. The third content delivery request carries this domain name, which includes the location information of the first RRS (e.g., the IP address of the first RRS). This location information of the first RRS indicates that the target RRS of the third content delivery request is the first RRS. However, after the UPF determines the second forwarding policy, it still sends the third content delivery request to the second RRS, allowing the local second RRS to perform nearby service content scheduling for the UE.

[0025] Fifthly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a UE. Unless otherwise specified, "UE" in this application can refer to the UE itself, a component in the UE (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the UE device.

[0026] The method includes: a UE sending a third content delivery request; the UE receiving response information, the response information including second redirection address information, the second redirection address information indicating a first RRS; the UE sending a first content delivery request according to the response information, wherein the response information further includes second information, the second information corresponding to the first information included in the first content delivery request, the first information and the second information being used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE corresponding to the area where the first node is located, and the first node deploying a CDN content server. When the second RRS sends response information for the third content delivery request to instruct the UE to send a content delivery request to the first RRS again, it inserts the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node into the response information, so that the first RRS can accurately schedule content for the UE according to the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node. It should be understood that the phrase "the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the terminal device UE" in this application, when the first node is an edge CDN node, can specifically refer to "the campus where the cellular network device is located", "the district / county-level area where the cellular network device is located", "the location area where the terminal device is located", "the cell where the terminal device is located", etc., and is determined according to the actual situation.

[0027] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, wherein: the first information includes the location ID of the first node, which is carried in the node location field of the first content delivery request; and / or the second information includes the location ID of the first node, which is carried in the node location field of the response information. That is, when the second RRS sends a response to the third content delivery request, it inserts the location information of the first node into the response information, so that when the UE sends the first content delivery request again, it inserts the location information of the first node into the corresponding first content delivery request.

[0028] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, some implementations of the fifth aspect also include: the UE obtaining first redirection address information, which is used to indicate the target node for transmitting content to the UE.

[0029] In a sixth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method provided in the first aspect. Specifically, the communication apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in any of the above implementations of the first aspect, such as a processing unit and an acquisition unit.

[0030] In one implementation, the transceiver unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0031] In another implementation, the transceiver unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0032] In a seventh aspect, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method provided in the second aspect. Specifically, the communication apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in the second aspect, such as a processing unit and an acquisition unit.

[0033] In one implementation, the transceiver unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0034] In another implementation, the transceiver unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0035] Eighthly, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method provided in the third aspect. Specifically, the communication apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in the second aspect, such as a processing unit and an acquisition unit.

[0036] In one implementation, the transceiver unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0037] In another implementation, the transceiver unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0038] A ninth aspect provides a communication apparatus for performing the method provided in the fourth aspect. Specifically, the communication apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in the second aspect, such as a processing unit and an acquisition unit.

[0039] In one implementation, the transceiver unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0040] In another implementation, the transceiver unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0041] In a tenth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method provided in the fifth aspect. Specifically, the communication apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in the second aspect, such as a processing unit and an acquisition unit.

[0042] In one implementation, the transceiver unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0043] In another implementation, the transceiver unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0044] In one aspect, this application provides a processor for executing the method provided by any of the implementations of the first to fifth aspects described above.

[0045] Unless otherwise specified, or if it does not contradict its actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, the transmission and acquisition / reception operations involved in the processor can be understood as processor output and reception, input and other operations, or as transmission and reception operations performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0046] In a twelfth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores program code for execution by a device, the program code including a method for performing any of the implementations of the first to fifth aspects described above.

[0047] In a thirteenth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method provided by any of the implementations of the first to fifth aspects described above.

[0048] In a fourteenth aspect, a chip is provided, the chip including a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executes the method provided by any of the implementations of the first to fifth aspects described above.

[0049] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip also includes a memory storing computer programs or instructions, and a processor for executing the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the processor is used to perform the methods provided by any of the first and second aspects described above.

[0050] In a fifteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the communication apparatus described in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth aspects.

[0051] In a sixteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, including a UPF and a first RRS, wherein: the UPF is used to receive a second content delivery request from a UE, and send a first content delivery request to the first RRS according to the second content delivery request, the first content delivery request including first information, the first information being used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, wherein the first node is equipped with a CDN content server, and the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE; the first RRS is used to obtain the first content delivery request, and send first redirection address information according to the first information, the first redirection address information being used to indicate the target node for delivering content to the UE. That is, when the UPF forwards the UE's content delivery request, it inserts the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node, so that the first RRS can accurately schedule content for the UE according to the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node.

[0052] In a seventeenth aspect, a communication system is provided, including a UPF, a first RRS, and a second RRS, wherein: the UPF is configured to receive a third content delivery request from a UE and send the third content delivery request to the second RRS; the second RRS is configured to acquire the third content delivery request and send response information according to the third content delivery request, the response information including second redirection address information, the second redirection address information indicating the first RRS, and the response information further including second information; the UPF is further configured to receive a first content delivery request from a UE and send the first content delivery request to the first RRS, wherein the first content delivery request includes first information corresponding to the second information, the first information being used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, wherein the first node is equipped with a CDN content server, and the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE; the first RRS is configured to acquire the first content delivery request and send first redirection address information according to the first information, the first redirection address information being used to indicate the target node for delivering content to the UE. That is, when the second RRS sends a response message to the third content delivery request to instruct the UE to send the content delivery request to the first RRS again, it inserts the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node into the response message, so that the first RRS can accurately schedule content for the UE based on the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node. Attached Figure Description

[0053] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a network structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0054] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0056] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0059] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0060] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0061] Figure 9 is a schematic structural block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0062] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0063] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a chip system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0064] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0065] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various cellular network systems and wireless local area network systems. These cellular network systems can include Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems, 5th Generation (5G) systems, New Radio (NR) systems, Future Network systems, Internet of Things (IoT) networks, or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) networks, etc.

[0066] Wireless local area network systems can be WLAN communication systems, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, etc. WLAN scenarios can specifically refer to systems that support IEEE 802.11 related standards, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn / UHR, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, and UWB standards 802.15 series and 802.11bf series.

[0067] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the various aspects involved in the embodiments of this application can be extended to other networks employing various standards or protocols, such as BLUETOOTH networks, high-performance radio local area networks (HIPERLANs), wireless wide area networks (WWANs), wireless personal area networks (WPANs), or other networks now known or developed in the future. Therefore, regardless of the coverage area and wireless access protocol used, the various aspects provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to any suitable wireless network.

[0068] The communication systems described above that are applicable to this application are merely illustrative examples, and the communication systems applicable to this application are not limited to these. They will be uniformly described here and will not be repeated below.

[0069] A content delivery network (CDN) is a distributed network architecture used to provide efficient content delivery services. CDNs deploy content servers across different nodes and pre-cache service resources on these servers. When a user sends a service request, the service is prioritized from the geographically nearest content server, allowing the user to access the content faster.

[0070] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a network structure provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the structure may include a central node (point of presence, POP) and edge nodes.

[0071] As shown in Figure 1, CDN network elements are deployed in the central node and edge nodes. The central node deploys a global request routing server (RRS) and a first content server. The edge nodes deploy a second content server. In some implementations, edge RRS can also be deployed in the edge nodes. In addition, wireless network elements, namely the user plane function (UPF) in Figure 1, are deployed in the edge nodes.

[0072] When the user equipment (UE) is within the coverage area of ​​the wireless network provided by the access network equipment, the UE can establish a user plane connection with the access network equipment through the wireless network, thereby establishing communication between the UE and the UPF. The UE can obtain cached resources from the CDN by forwarding content delivery requests and response information to the content delivery requests through the UPF. When no edge RRS is deployed in the edge nodes, the UPF can forward the UE's content delivery requests to the global RRS of the central node, and the global RRS will perform content scheduling for the UE. When edge RRS is deployed in the edge nodes, the UPF can determine how to forward content delivery requests according to its own forwarding policy, and the global RRS or the edge RRS will perform content scheduling for the UE.

[0073] In this application embodiment, the terminal device may refer to an access terminal, user equipment, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile terminal, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. The access terminal may be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle device, wearable device, terminal device in the Internet of Things, virtual reality device, terminal device in a future network, or terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc.

[0074] The access network equipment can be a base station or a base station controller, etc. Optionally, the access network equipment can provide wireless access services to terminal devices. For example, the access network equipment can be an evolved Node B (eNodeB), a wireless fidelity access point (WiFi AP), a worldwide interoperability for microwave access base station (WiMAX BS), a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a network device in a 5G network or a future public land mobile network (PLMN), etc. The access network equipment can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with UEs located within that coverage area (cell). The access network equipment can support different communication protocols or different communication modes.

[0075] The UPF (User-Defined Forwarding Module) is responsible for message processing and forwarding, which can specifically refer to content delivery requests, response information, etc. The UPF can be the forwarding plane function of a packet data network gateway, the forwarding plane function of a serving network gateway, or a physical or virtual forwarding device such as a router or switch. Global RRS and edge RRS can communicate with the UPF through interfaces. Furthermore, in some implementations, edge nodes can also be configured with a control plane function, which can be used to send control information to the UPF to instruct the UPF on forwarding policies.

[0076] Content servers (also known as media servers) in a CDN network can cache the following service content: multimedia services, voice calls, video calls, call anomaly alerts, and information, file, and video sharing. Global RRS and edge RRS are used for service content scheduling. The global RRS deployed at the central node can obtain relevant cache information and health status information from multiple edge nodes to determine the target node for content delivery to the UE. The RRS deployed at the edge nodes can obtain relevant cache information and health status information within the node to determine whether the edge node can provide content delivery to the UE.

[0077] It should be understood that the central node and edge node provided in the embodiments of this application can be understood as physical nodes. The central node and edge node can be distinguished based on geographical location. In some implementations, the central node is located in a provincial / municipal level region, and the edge node is located in a district / county level region. In some implementations, the central node is a central campus, and the edge node is an edge campus. Alternatively, the central node and edge node can be distinguished in other ways, and this application does not impose any limitations on this. Furthermore, since CDN content servers are deployed in the central node and edge node, the central node and edge node can be understood as a first CDN node and a second CDN node. Because the CDN is deployed on a wireless network architecture, the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used for terminal device communication corresponds to the area where the second CDN node is located, or it can also be understood that the coverage area of ​​the wireless network overlaps with the area where the second CDN node is located. For example, the CDN can be deployed on a cellular network structure, that is, the CDN content server can be deployed on cellular network devices. In this case, the phrase "the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the terminal device UE" in this application, when the first node is an edge CDN node, "the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the terminal device for communication" can specifically refer to "the park where the cellular network device is located", "the district / county-level area where the cellular network device is located", "the location area where the terminal device is located", "the cell where the terminal device is located", etc., and is determined according to the actual situation.

[0078] In current CDNs, RRS typically determines the node for content delivery to a UE based on the UE's geographical location. To obtain the UE's geographical location, it is necessary to use the UE's built-in software for collection. Furthermore, the geographical location IPs used by multiple UEs overlap, resulting in inaccurate target node determination by RRS and the inability to achieve precise scheduling.

[0079] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and apparatus, which inserts the location and / or identification information corresponding to the CDN node during the forwarding process of the content delivery request, so that the RRS can determine the node for the UE to perform content delivery based on the location and / or identification information corresponding to the CDN node.

[0080] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method shown in Figure 2 can be executed by a UE, a UPF, and a first RRS. The UE and UPF communicate using a wireless network, the coverage of which corresponds to the area where the first node is located. The first node can specifically refer to an edge node of the CDN, and the UPF and the CDN's content server can be deployed in the first node. The first RRS is deployed on a second node different from the first node. The second node can specifically refer to a central node of the CDN, and the second RRS can specifically refer to a global RRS. The method includes steps S210-S230.

[0081] S210, the UE sends a second content delivery request. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the second content delivery request from the UE.

[0082] S220, the UPF sends a first content delivery request to the first RRS according to the second content delivery request. Correspondingly, the first RRS receives the first content delivery request.

[0083] The first content transmission request includes first information, which is used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node.

[0084] In some implementations, the first information includes the UPF's identification information, which is carried in the transmission control protocol selection field of the first content delivery request. That is, the UPF inserts its own identification information when forwarding the UE's content delivery request, so that the first RRS can obtain the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node after receiving the first content delivery request.

[0085] S230, the first RRS sends first redirection address information according to the first information. The first redirection address information is used to indicate the target node for transmitting content to the UE. Correspondingly, the UPF can receive and send the first redirection address information to the UE. Correspondingly, the UE receives the first redirection address information.

[0086] In some implementations, when the first information includes the identification information of the UPF, the first RRS can obtain a mapping relationship between at least one UPF and at least one CDN node, thereby determining the target node based on the mapping relationship and the first information. In some implementations, another device sends control information indicating the mapping relationship, so that the first RRS can obtain the mapping relationship. In other implementations, the mapping relationship is pre-configured in the first RRS.

[0087] The method by which the first RRS determines the target node depends on the actual situation. In some implementations, the target node determined by the first RRS is the first node, so that the UE can obtain service content transmission from the nearest node. In some implementations, the first RRS also determines the target node based on relevant cache information, health status information, and other information within the node. In this case, the target node can also be a second node, or a node adjacent to the first node, or the first node can be any other node; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0088] In the method shown in Figure 2, the UPF inserts the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node when forwarding the UE's content delivery request, so that the first RRS can accurately schedule content for the UE based on the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node.

[0089] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method shown in Figure 3 can be executed by a UE, a UPF, a first RRS, and a second RRS. The UE and UPF communicate using a wireless network, the coverage of which corresponds to the area where the first node is located. The first node can specifically refer to an edge node of the CDN, and the first node can deploy the UPF, the CDN's content server, and the second RSS. The second RRS can specifically refer to an edge RRS. The first RRS is deployed on a second node different from the first node. The second node can specifically refer to a central node of the CDN, and the second RRS can specifically refer to a global RRS. This method includes steps S310-S340.

[0090] S310, the UE sends a third content delivery request. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the third content delivery request from the UE and sends the third content delivery request to the second RRS. Correspondingly, the second RRS acquires the third content delivery request.

[0091] S320, the second RRS sends response information based on the third content delivery request. This response information is used by the UE to send the first content delivery request. The UPF obtains and sends this response information to the UE. Correspondingly, the UE receives this response information.

[0092] This response information can also be understood as instructing the UE to resend the content delivery request, with the target address of the resent content delivery request being the first RSS. The response information includes second redirection address information, which indicates the first RSS. Furthermore, the response information also includes second information, which corresponds to the first information included in the first content delivery request. This second information indicates the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node.

[0093] In some implementations, the second information includes the location ID of the first node, which is carried in the node location field of the response information. That is, when the second RRS sends the response information for the third content delivery request, it inserts the location information of the first node into the response information, so that when the UE sends the first content delivery request again, it inserts the location information of the first node into the first content delivery request accordingly.

[0094] S330, the UE sends a first content delivery request based on the response information, wherein the response information further includes second information, which corresponds to the first information included in the first content delivery request. That is, the second information and the first information may contain the same content. The first and second information are used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node, the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE corresponds to the area where the first node is located, and the first node has a CDN content server deployed. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the first content delivery request and forwards it to the first RRS. Correspondingly, the first RRS obtains the first content delivery request.

[0095] S340, the first RRS sends first redirection address information based on the first information of the first content delivery request. The first redirection address information is used to indicate the target node for the content delivery. Correspondingly, the UPF can receive and send the first redirection address information to the UE. Correspondingly, the UE receives the first redirection address information.

[0096] The method for determining the target node in the first RRS is similar to that in Figure 2 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0097] In the method shown in Figure 3, when the second RRS sends a response message to the third content delivery request to instruct the UE to send the content delivery request to the first RRS again, it inserts the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node into the response message, so that the first RRS can accurately schedule content for the UE based on the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the CDN node.

[0098] In addition, in some implementations, the first node can determine the hot content based on the content delivery request sent by the UE and cache the hot content to the content server, thereby improving the hit rate of content delivery requests at the edge node and further reducing the service latency of business content.

[0099] Furthermore, before step S320 in the method shown in Figure 3 is executed, the UPF can first determine the forwarding strategy for the content delivery request, and then determine whether to send the content delivery request from the UE to the first RRS or the second RRS based on the forwarding strategy. The following explanation, in conjunction with Figures 4 and 5, illustrates how the forwarding strategy is determined.

[0100] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the method includes steps S410-S420.

[0101] S410, the second RRS sends a request message to the UPF, which is used for the second RRS to register with the UPF. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the request message from the second RRS.

[0102] S420, UPF determines the first forwarding strategy based on the request information.

[0103] After the UPF determines the first forwarding strategy, as shown in Figure 3, the UPF sends a third content delivery request to the second RRS, which may include: the UPF sending a third content delivery request to the second RRS according to the first forwarding strategy.

[0104] In some implementations, the third information is used to indicate at least one service cached in the CDN's content server. In this case, the UPF can also determine the first forwarding policy based on the content caching status in the local content server. Furthermore, in addition to the information mentioned above, the UPF can also determine the first forwarding policy based on IP address, domain name, blacklists, whitelists, etc.

[0105] In the method shown in Figure 4, the second local RRS of the first node first registers with the UPF, allowing the UPF to forward the UE's content delivery request to the local second RRS for service content scheduling for the UE. In some implementations, before sending the third content delivery request, the UE requests a CDN domain name from a domain name server (DNS). This domain name is carried in the third content delivery request and includes the location information of the first RRS (e.g., the IP address of the first RRS). This location information indicates that the target RRS for the third content delivery request is the first RRS. However, after the UPF determines the first forwarding strategy, it still forwards the third content delivery request to the second RRS, which then schedules the service content for the UE for the nearest RRS.

[0106] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the method includes steps S510-S520.

[0107] S510, the first device obtains fourth information from the UPF. The fourth information indicates a second forwarding strategy, which is to send any content delivery request from the UE to the second RRS. Correspondingly, the UPF obtains the fourth information.

[0108] In this case, as shown in Figure 3, the UPF sending the third content delivery request to the second RRS may include: the UPF sending the third content delivery request to the second RRS according to the second forwarding policy.

[0109] In some implementations, the first device is a control plane function, which can be used to send control information to the UPF to instruct the UPF forwarding strategy.

[0110] In the method shown in Figure 5, the UPF receives control information through the first node, allowing it to forward the UE's content delivery request to the local second RRS for service content scheduling for the UE. In some implementations, before sending the third content delivery request, the UE requests a CDN domain name from a domain name server. This domain name is carried in the third content delivery request and includes the location information of the first RRS (e.g., the IP address of the first RRS). This location information indicates that the target RRS for the third content delivery request is the first RRS. However, after the UPF determines the second forwarding strategy, it still sends the third content delivery request to the second RRS, which then schedules the service content for the UE for the nearest RRS.

[0111] Furthermore, the communication methods in Figures 4 and 5 can be executed independently, and are not limited to being executed before step S320 in the method shown in Figure 3, so that the UPF can determine the forwarding strategy for arbitrary information.

[0112] The foregoing section, in conjunction with Figures 2 to 5, describes the two methods of inserting the corresponding position information and / or identification information of the first node during the forwarding process of the content delivery request in this application. The following section describes the message header structure provided in the embodiments of this application. In the embodiments of this application, the aforementioned content delivery request and response information can use formats such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), and this application does not impose any limitations on these formats.

[0113] Table 1 shows the option fields of a message header structure provided in an embodiment of this application. The option field structure shown in Table 1 can be applied to the communication interface agreed upon between the UPF and the first RRS, or to the communication interface agreed upon between the UPF and the second RRS. The message header can be in TCP format.

[0114] Table 1

[0115] The following is an illustrative explanation of the contents of Table 1:

[0116] kind (1 byte): The type of the option field, occupying 1 byte, represented by encoding 7 to 0.

[0117] length (1 byte): The total length of the option field, which includes the kind and length fields themselves, occupies 1 byte and is represented by the encoding 7 to 0.

[0118] ExID (2 bytes): Extended field, occupying 2 bytes. ExID is used to indicate the first field, represented in hexadecimal 0x8888.

[0119] Flags (1 byte): Includes seq (sequence number), frag (fragment), p (reserved bit), and t (type). The sequence number field identifies the order of the data byte stream sent from the source, represented by encodings 7-5. The fragmentation field indicates whether the data packet has been fragmented and provides further fragmentation information, represented by encodings 4-2. The protocol type field indicates the type of the upper-layer protocol.

[0120] length (1 byte): The length field indicates the length of the first field that follows, represented by the code 7 to 0, and occupies 1 byte.

[0121] First field (4 bytes): This first field can be an XAI field, also known as the Extended Address and Information field, represented by encoding 31-0, occupying 4 bytes. The first field can indicate the UPF's identification information, such as the UPF's ID.

[0122] padding: The padding field is used to ensure that the length of the message header is an integer multiple of 4 bytes. The length is not fixed and is represented by the encoding 7 to 0.

[0123] As a specific indication method for the option fields shown in Table 1, when the kind field is encoded with the first value (e.g., 253), the ExID field is encoded with the second value (e.g., 0x88888888) to indicate the ID of the UPF.

[0124] In addition, a locationPOP field can be added to the header of a message in a format such as HTTP. The value of this locationPOP field can be used to indicate the identification information of the first node, such as the ID of the first node.

[0125] Table 2 illustrates a method for a UPF to receive and send messages according to a forwarding policy, provided in an embodiment of this application. The message can be in HTTP format; in this case, the content delivery request can also be called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and the response information to the content delivery request can also be called a response code.

[0126] Table 2

[0127] As shown in Table 2, content delivery requests can use the POST request format. The POST request format includes the protocol, domain name, port number, resource path, and parameters. Parameters include “cdnForwardRuleId”, “cdnDomainName”, “ipAddressType”, and “cdnForwardIp”, whose specific meanings have been explained with reference to Table 2. These parameters can be represented as strings.

[0128] The content delivery request can specifically refer to the "second content delivery request" as described in Figure 2 or the "third content delivery request" as described in Figure 3. The second and third content delivery requests can be generated by the UE after resolving the CDN domain name sent by DNS following a request for CDN domain name distribution to DNS. Among the parameters mentioned above, "cdnDomainName" can specifically indicate the corresponding service content requested by the UE, and "cdnForwardIp" can specifically indicate the first RRS.

[0129] The following description, in conjunction with Figures 6-8, explains how to specifically implement the communication method provided in this application.

[0130] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method shown in Figure 6 can be executed by a UE, DNS, UPF, a first RRS, and a second RRS. The UE and UPF communicate using a wireless network, the coverage of which corresponds to the area where the first node is located. The first node can specifically refer to an edge node of the CDN, and the first node can deploy the UPF, the CDN's content server, and the second RSS. The second RRS can specifically refer to an edge RRS. The first RRS is deployed on a second node different from the first node. The second node can specifically refer to a central node of the CDN, and the second RRS can specifically refer to a global RRS. This method includes steps S610-S660.

[0131] S610, the UE sends a domain name distribution request to the DNS. Correspondingly, the DNS receives the domain name distribution request.

[0132] S620, the DNS sends a response message to the UE based on the distribution domain name request. The response message includes the corresponding domain name of the service content and the identification information of the first RRS (e.g., the IP address of the first RRS), and the response message is used by the UE to send a second content delivery request.

[0133] S630, the UE sends a second content delivery request. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the second content delivery request. The second content delivery request includes the corresponding domain name of the service content and the identification information of the first RRS.

[0134] S640, the UPF sends a first content delivery request based on the second content delivery request. Correspondingly, the first RRS receives the first content delivery request. The first content delivery request includes the UPF's identification information. The remaining information included in the first content delivery request is similar to that in the second content delivery request.

[0135] Furthermore, before sending the second content delivery request, the UPF can first determine the forwarding strategy for the second content delivery request. In some implementations, the UPF can determine whether its own device stores the registration information of the second RRS, and / or whether the content server of the first node stores the service content requested by the UE.

[0136] S650, the first RRS sends first redirection address information according to the first information, the first redirection address information being used to indicate the target node for transmitting content. Correspondingly, the UPF can receive and send the first redirection address information to the UE. Correspondingly, the UE receives the first redirection address information.

[0137] S660, the UE obtains service content from the content server of the target node based on the first redirect address information.

[0138] Steps S630-S650 of the method shown in Figure 6 correspond to steps S210-S230 in Figure 2. For details not described in detail, please refer to steps S210-S230 in Figure 2. In the method described in Figure 6, the UPF determines that the UE's content transmission request needs to be forwarded to the first RRS (Global RRS). The UPF inserts its own device identifier, so the first RRS schedules service content for the UE based on the UPF's identifier.

[0139] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method shown in Figure 7 can be executed by a UE, DNS, UPF, a first RRS, and a second RRS. The UE and UPF communicate using a wireless network, the coverage of which corresponds to the area where the first node is located. The first node can specifically refer to an edge node of the CDN, and the first node can deploy the UPF, the CDN's content server, and the second RRS. The second RRS can specifically refer to an edge RRS. The first RRS is deployed on a second node different from the first node. The second node can specifically refer to a central node of the CDN, and the second RRS can specifically refer to a global RRS. This method includes steps S710-S760.

[0140] S710, the second RRS sends a request message to the UPF, which is used for the second RRS to register with the UPF. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the request message from the second RRS. The UPF determines a first forwarding strategy based on the request message.

[0141] S720, the UE sends a domain name distribution request to the DNS. Correspondingly, the DNS receives the domain name distribution request.

[0142] S730, the DNS sends a response message to the UE in response to the distribution domain name request. The response message includes the corresponding domain name of the service content and the identification information of the first RRS (e.g., the IP address of the first RRS), and this response message is used by the UE to send a third content delivery request.

[0143] S730, the UE sends a third content delivery request. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the third content delivery request and sends it to the second RRS. The third content delivery request includes the corresponding domain name of the service content and the identification information of the first RRS.

[0144] S740, the second RRS determines, based on the third content delivery request, that the content buffer of the first node can deliver content to the UE.

[0145] S750, the second RRS sends third redirection address information, which indicates the first node. Correspondingly, the UPF can receive and send this third redirection address information to the UE. Correspondingly, the UE receives the third redirection address information.

[0146] S760, the UE obtains service content from the content server of the first node based on the third redirection address information.

[0147] Step S710 of the method shown in Figure 7 corresponds to step S410 in Figure 4. For details not described in detail, please refer to step S410 in Figure 4. In the method shown in Figure 7, the second RRS directly schedules service content for the UE locally, enabling the UE to obtain the corresponding service content more quickly.

[0148] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method shown in Figure 8 can be executed by a UE, DNS, UPF, a first RRS, and a second RRS. The UE and UPF communicate using a wireless network, the coverage of which corresponds to the area where the first node is located. The first node can specifically refer to an edge node of the CDN, and the first node can deploy the UPF, the CDN's content server, and the second RRS. The second RRS can specifically refer to an edge RRS. The first RRS is deployed on a second node different from the first node. The second node can specifically refer to a central node of the CDN, and the second RRS can specifically refer to a global RRS. This method includes steps S810-S880.

[0149] S810, the second RRS sends a request message to the UPF, which is used for the second RRS to register with the UPF. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the request message from the second RRS. The UPF determines a first forwarding strategy based on the request message.

[0150] S820, the UE sends a domain name distribution request to the DNS. Correspondingly, the DNS receives the domain name distribution request.

[0151] S830, the DNS sends a response message to the UE in response to the distribution domain name request. The response message includes the corresponding domain name of the service content and the identification information of the first RRS (e.g., the IP address of the first RRS), and this response message is used by the UE to send a third content delivery request.

[0152] S840, the UE sends a third content delivery request. Correspondingly, the UPF receives the third content delivery request and sends it to the second RRS. The third content delivery request includes the corresponding domain name of the service content and the identification information of the first RRS.

[0153] S850, the second RRS sends a response message based on the third content transmission request. Correspondingly, the UPF obtains and sends the response message to the UE. Correspondingly, the UE receives the response message.

[0154] S860, the UE sends a first content delivery request based on the response information. The first content delivery request includes the ID of the first node.

[0155] S870, the first RRS sends first redirect address information according to the first information of the first content transmission request. The first redirect address information is used to indicate the target node of the transmitted content.

[0156] S880, the UE obtains service content from the content server of the target node based on the first redirect address information.

[0157] Step S810 of the method shown in Figure 8 corresponds to step S410 in Figure 4. For details not described in detail, please refer to the description of step S410 in Figure 4. Steps S840-870 correspond to steps S310-S340 in Figure 3. For details not described in detail, please refer to the description of steps S310-S340 in Figure 3. In the method shown in Figure 8, the second RRS (edge ​​RRS) instructs the UE to resend the content delivery request, and through response information, causes the UE to insert the identifier of the first node when sending the content delivery request, thereby allowing the first RRS (global RRS) to schedule service content for the UE based on the identifier of the first node.

[0158] It should be understood that the term "information" in this application can also be replaced with "message". "Content delivery request" can also be replaced with "request information", "request message", "scheduling request", "content delivery request", etc. "Forwarding strategy" can be replaced with "split strategy" or "strategy", etc., depending on the actual situation. It should be understood that "obtaining from..." as referred to in this application can mean receiving information directly from the corresponding device, or obtaining information after forwarding through one or more devices, depending on the actual situation.

[0159] It should be understood that the communication methods shown in Figures 2 to 8 can be combined, and the resulting embodiments should still be within the protection scope of this application. It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the words "S210" are merely identifiers for ease of description and do not limit the order of execution steps.

[0160] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 2 to 8. The communication device provided by this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 9 to 11. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments. Therefore, for content not described in detail, please refer to the above method embodiments; for the sake of brevity, some content will not be repeated.

[0161] Figure 9 is a schematic structural block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 900 may include a transceiver module 910 and a processing module 920.

[0162] The communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 can be a first communication device, which can be a first RRS or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) within the first RRS. Alternatively, the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 can be a second communication device, which can be a UPF or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) within the UPF. Alternatively, the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 can be a third communication device, which can be a second RRS or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) within the second RRS. Alternatively, the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 can be a fourth communication device, which can be a UPF or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) within the UPF. Alternatively, the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 can be a fifth communication device, which can be a UE or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) within the UE.

[0163] First communication device

[0164] The transceiver module 910 is used to acquire a first content transmission request. The first content transmission request includes first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node, wherein the first node is equipped with a content server of a content delivery network (CDN), and the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the terminal device (UE).

[0165] The transceiver module 910 is also used to send first redirection address information according to the first information, the first redirection address information being used to indicate the target node for transmitting content to the UE.

[0166] The processing module 920 can be used to parse the first content transmission request, and can also be used to generate the first redirect address information based on the first information.

[0167] Second communication device

[0168] The transceiver module 910 is used to receive a second content transmission request from the UE.

[0169] The transceiver module 910 is also configured to send a first content transmission request to the first RRS according to the second content transmission request. The first content transmission request includes first information, which is used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node. The first node is equipped with a CDN content server, and the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE.

[0170] The processing module 920 can be used to parse the second content delivery request, or it can be used to generate a first content delivery request based on the second content delivery request.

[0171] Third communication device

[0172] The transceiver module 910 is used to obtain third-party content transmission requests.

[0173] The transceiver module 910 is also used to send response information according to the third content delivery request. The response information includes second redirection address information, which indicates the first RRS. The response information also includes second information, which indicates the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node. The first node is equipped with a CDN content server, and the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE.

[0174] In some implementations, the transceiver module 910 is also used to send request information to the UPF, which is used for the registration of the second RRS on the UPF.

[0175] The processing module 920 can be used to parse third-party content delivery requests, or to generate response information based on third-party content delivery requests.

[0176] Fourth communication device

[0177] The transceiver module 910 is used to receive third content transmission requests from the UE.

[0178] The transceiver module 910 is also used to send a third content delivery request to the second RRS.

[0179] The transceiver module 910 is also used to receive and send response information from the second RRS to the UE. The response information includes second redirection address information, which indicates the first RRS. The response information also includes second information, which indicates the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node. The first node deploys the second RRS and a CDN content server. The UE communicates with the UPF using a wireless network, and the area where the first node is located corresponds to the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE.

[0180] Fifth communication device

[0181] The transceiver module 910 is used to send third-party content transmission requests.

[0182] The transceiver module 910 is also used to receive response information, which includes second redirection address information indicating the first RRS.

[0183] The transceiver module 910 is also used to send a first content transmission request according to the response information, wherein the response information further includes second information, the second information corresponds to the first information included in the first content transmission request, the first information and the second information are used to indicate the corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node, the coverage area of ​​the wireless network used by the UE corresponds to the area where the first node is located, and the first node is equipped with a CDN content server.

[0184] In some implementations, the transceiver module 910 is also used to obtain first redirection address information, which is used to indicate the target node for transmitting content to the UE.

[0185] It should be understood that the communication device shown in Figure 9 is embodied in the form of functional modules. The term "module" here may refer to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, processors (e.g., shared processors, proprietary processors, or group processors) and memories for executing one or more software or firmware programs, combined logic circuits, and / or other suitable components that support the described functions.

[0186] The communication device shown in Figure 9 implements the functions of the corresponding steps performed by the device in the above method. This function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions; for example, the transmitting module can be replaced by a transmitter, the receiving module can be replaced by a receiver, and other modules, such as the processing module, can be replaced by a processor, each performing the transmitting and receiving operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0187] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the communication device 1000 includes a processor 1001, which executes computer programs or instructions stored in a memory 1002, or reads data / signaling stored in the memory 1002, to perform the methods in the above-described method embodiments. Optionally, there may be one or more processors 1001.

[0188] Optionally, as shown in FIG10, the communication device 1000 further includes a memory 1002 for storing computer programs or instructions and / or data. The memory 1002 may be integrated with the processor 1001 or may be separately configured. Optionally, there may be one or more memories 1002.

[0189] Optionally, as shown in FIG10, the communication device 1000 further includes a transceiver 1003, which is used for receiving and / or transmitting signals. For example, the processor 1001 is used to control the transceiver 1003 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0190] The communication device 1000 is used to implement the operations performed by the first AP, the second AP, the third AP, and the STA in the various method embodiments described above.

[0191] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0192] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0193] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0194] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0195] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a chip system provided in an embodiment of this application. The chip system 1100 (or may also be called a processing system) includes logic circuits 1101 and input / output interface 1102.

[0196] The logic circuit 1101 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 1100. The logic circuit 1101 can be coupled to a memory unit, calling instructions from the memory unit, enabling the chip system 1100 to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application. The input / output interface 1102 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 1100, outputting processed information from the chip system 1100, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 1100 for processing.

[0197] As one approach, the chip system 1100 is used to implement the operations performed by the first RRS, UPF, second RRS, UPF and UE in the various method embodiments described above.

[0198] For example, logic circuit 1101 is used to implement the related operations processed by the first RRS, UPF, second RRS, UPF and UE in the above method embodiment; input / output interface 1102 is used to implement the transmission and / or reception related operations performed by the first RRS, UPF, second RRS, UPF and UE in the above method embodiment.

[0199] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the first RRS, UPF, second RRS, UPF and UE in the above-described method embodiments.

[0200] For example, when the computer program is executed by the computer, it enables the computer to implement the methods performed by the first RRS, UPF, second RRS, UPF and UE in the various embodiments of the above methods.

[0201] This application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the first RRS, UPF, second RRS, UPF, and UE in the above-described method embodiments.

[0202] This application also provides a communication system, including the aforementioned first RRS, UPF, second RRS, UPF, and UE execution. The communication system may further include one or more nodes, a content server, control plane functions, etc.

[0203] The explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant contents in any of the devices provided above can be found in the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0204] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of apparatus or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0205] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs). For example, the aforementioned available media include, but are not limited to, USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks, and other media capable of storing program code.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: A first request scheduling server (RRS) acquires a first content transmission request, the first content transmission request comprising first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, wherein the first node is deployed with a content server of a content distribution network (CDN), and a region where the first node is located corresponds to a coverage range of a wireless network used by a terminal device (UE); The first RRS sends first redirection address information according to the first information, wherein the first redirection address information is used to indicate a target node for transmitting content for the UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first information comprises identification information of a user plane function (UPF), and the UE communicates with the UPF using the wireless network, wherein the identification information of the UPF is carried in a transmission control protocol selection field of the first content transmission request.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first information comprises a location ID of the first node, and the location ID of the first node is carried in a node location field of the first content transmission request.

4. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: A UPF receives a second content transmission request from a UE; The UPF sends a first content transmission request to a first RRS according to the second content transmission request, wherein the first content transmission request comprises first information, and the first information is used to indicate corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, wherein the first node is deployed with a content server of a CDN, and a region where the first node is located corresponds to a coverage range of a wireless network used by the UE.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The first information comprises identification information of the UPF, and the identification information of the UPF is carried in a transmission control protocol selection field of the first content transmission request.

6. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: A second RRS acquires a third content transmission request; The second RRS sends response information according to the third content transmission request, wherein the response information comprises second redirection address information, and the second redirection address information indicates a first RRS; The response information further comprises second information, and the second information is used to indicate corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, wherein the first node is deployed with a content server of a CDN, and a region where the first node is located corresponds to a coverage range of a wireless network used by a UE.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The second information comprises a location ID of the first node, and the location ID of the first node is carried in a node location field of the response information.

8. The method of claim 6 or 7, wherein: The third content transmission request is sent by a UPF to the second RRS; Before the second RRS sends the response information according to the third content transmission request, the method further comprises: the second RRS sends request information to the UPF, wherein the request information is used for registration of the second RRS on the UPF.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The request information further comprises third information, and the third information is used to indicate at least one service cached in a content server of a CDN.

10. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: A UPF receives a third content transmission request from a UE; The UPF sends the third content transmission request to a second RRS; The UPF receives and sends response information from the second RRS to the UE, the response information including second redirection address information, the second redirection address information indicating the first RRS; The response information further includes second information, the second information being used to indicate corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node, wherein the first node is deployed with the second RRS and a content server of the CDN, the UE and the UPF communicate using a wireless network, and an area where the first node is located corresponds to a coverage range of the wireless network used by the UE.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The second information includes a location ID of the first node, and the location ID of the first node is carried in a node location field of the response information.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, Before the UPF sends the third content transmission request to the second RRS, the method further includes: The UPF receives request information from the second RRS, the request information being used for registration of the second RRS on the UPF.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The request information further includes third information, the third information being used to indicate at least one service cached in the content server of the CDN.

14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein The method further includes: the UPF determining a first forwarding policy according to the request information; The UPF sends the third content transmission request to the second RRS, including: the UPF sends the third content transmission request to the second RRS according to the first forwarding policy.

15. The method of any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein Before the UPF sends the third content transmission request to the second RRS, the method further includes: the UPF acquires fourth information, the fourth information indicating a second forwarding policy, the second forwarding policy being used to send any content transmission request from the UE to the second RRS; The UPF sends the third content transmission request to the second RRS, including: the UPF sends the third content transmission request to the second RRS according to the second forwarding policy.

16. A method of communication, comprising: including: The UE sends a third content transmission request; The UE receives response information, the response information including second redirection address information, the second redirection address information indicating the first RRS; The UE sends a first content transmission request according to the response information, wherein the response information further includes second information, the second information corresponding to first information included in the first content transmission request, the first information and the second information being used to indicate corresponding location information and / or identification information of the first node, a coverage range of a wireless network used by the UE corresponding to an area where the first node is located, and the first node being deployed with a content server of the CDN.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, wherein: The first information includes a location ID of the first node, and the location ID of the first node is carried in a node location field of the first content transmission request; and / or The second information includes a location ID of the first node, and the location ID of the first node is carried in a node location field of the response information.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein, further including: The UE acquires first redirection address information, the first redirection address information being used for indicating a target node for transmitting content for the UE.

19. A communication system, characterized by The method comprises the following steps: The UPF is configured to receive a second content transmission request from a UE, and send a first content transmission request to the first RRS according to the second content transmission request, the first content transmission request comprising first information, the first information being used for indicating corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, wherein the first node is deployed with a content server of a CDN, and a region where the first node is located corresponds to a coverage range of a wireless network used by the UE; The first RRS is configured to acquire the first content transmission request, and send first redirection address information according to the first information, the first redirection address information being used for indicating a target node for transmitting content for the UE.

20. A communication system, characterized by The method comprises the following steps: The UPF is configured to receive a third content transmission request from a UE, and send the third content transmission request to the second RRS; The second RRS is configured to acquire the third content transmission request, and send response information according to the third content transmission request, the response information comprising second redirection address information, the second redirection address information indicating the first RRS, and the response information further comprising second information; The UPF is further configured to receive a first content transmission request from a UE, and send the first content transmission request to the first RRS, wherein the first content transmission request comprises first information corresponding to the second information, the first information being used for indicating corresponding location information and / or identification information of a first node, wherein the first node is deployed with a content server of a CDN, and a region where the first node is located corresponds to a coverage range of a wireless network used by the UE; The first RRS is configured to acquire the first content transmission request, and send first redirection address information according to the first information, the first redirection address information being used for indicating a target node for transmitting content for the UE.

21. A communications device, characterized by The method comprises the following steps: The module or unit for performing the method in any of claims 1 to 3, or the module or unit for performing the method in any of claims 4 to 5, or the module or unit for performing the method in any of claims 6 to 9, or the module or unit for performing the method in any of claims 10 to 15, or the module or unit for performing the method in any of claims 16 to 18.

22. A communications device, characterized by An apparatus comprising a memory for storing a computer program; and one or more processors for executing the computer program in the memory to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1-3, or to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 4-5, or to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 6-9, or to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 10-15, or to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 16-18.

23. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises instructions for performing the method of any one of claims 1-18.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising: An apparatus comprising: The computer readable storage medium stores a computer program; the computer program, when running on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1-18.

25. A chip, characterized by The chip is installed in a communication device, the chip comprises a processor and a communication interface, the processor reads instructions through the communication interface and runs, so that the communication device performs the method of any one of claims 1-18.

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