Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: receiving a first message from a first apparatus, wherein the first message comprises first information; if the first message comprises information for identifying an A-IoT service, sending the first information to a third apparatus, wherein the first information comprises first data related to a first A-IoT service, the first information is sent without passing through a fourth apparatus, the third apparatus is used for transmitting A-IoT data and / or signaling, and the fourth apparatus is used for transmitting non-A-IoT data and / or signaling; and if the first message does not comprise the information for identifying the A-IoT service, sending the first information to the fourth apparatus, wherein the first information comprises second data related to a non-A-IoT service. The first apparatus comprises a terminal device or a chip in the terminal device.

Description

A communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411055188.X, filed on July 31, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, specifically to a communication method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0003] Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) devices can send A-IoT data and / or signaling to user equipment (UE) readers. The UE reader can then send the received A-IoT data and / or signaling to the base station, which in turn sends it to the access and mobility management function (AMF). The AMF then sends the A-IoT data and / or signaling to the core network elements that support or enable A-IoT.

[0004] Alternatively, core network elements that support or enable A-IoT can send A-IoT data and / or signaling to the AMF, which in turn can send the received A-IoT data and / or signaling to the base station, which then sends it to the UEreader, and the UEreader then sends the A-IoT data and / or signaling to the A-IoT device.

[0005] During the aforementioned interaction, there is no direct connection between the base station and the core network elements supporting or enabling A-IoT; the A-IoT data and / or signaling exchanged between them must pass through the AMF (Active Network Filter). When the core network elements supporting or enabling A-IoT are deployed close to the base station, and the AMF is deployed further away from the base station, all A-IoT data and / or signaling exchanged between the core network elements supporting or enabling A-IoT and the base station must pass through the AMF, thus increasing transmission latency. Furthermore, the core network elements supporting or enabling A-IoT and the base station also incur additional power consumption overhead when transmitting A-IoT data and / or signaling to the AMF. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a communication method and a communication device. When an A-IoT device accesses the network through a UEreader, and the network device serving the UEreader can directly communicate with the core network element serving the A-IoT device, or when the network device serving the UEreader and the core network element serving the A-IoT device can communicate through a closer network element, the base station can determine whether to send the received data and / or signaling from the UEreader to the core network element serving the A-IoT device or to the core network element serving the UEreader.

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be performed by a second device. The second device includes an access network device or a component (e.g., a chip, circuit, chip system, or communication module) within the access network device. The aforementioned access network device is an A-IoT-enabled access network device. The A-IoT-enabled access network device may include the following functions: allocating time-frequency resources for communication between the UE reader and the A-IoT device, and transmitting A-IoT service-related data and / or signaling. For ease of understanding, the following description uses the second device as an example. The method includes:

[0008] Receive a first message from the first device, the first message including first information;

[0009] If the first message includes information for identifying an A-IoT service, the first information is sent to the third device. The first information includes first data related to the first A-IoT service. The transmission of the first information does not pass through the fourth device. The third device is used to transmit A-IoT data and / or signaling, and the fourth device is used to transmit non-A-IoT data and / or signaling; and / or,

[0010] If the first message does not include information for identifying the A-IoT service, the first message is sent to the fourth device. The first message includes second data that is not related to the A-IoT service.

[0011] The first device communicates with A-IoT devices.

[0012] Based on the above technical solution, when the first device sends a first message to the second device, if the first information in the first message includes first data related to the first A-IoT service, the first device can carry information for identifying the A-IoT service in the first message, thereby enabling the second device to determine, based on the information for identifying the A-IoT service, to send the first information to the third device instead of the fourth device. Alternatively, if the first message includes second data not related to the A-IoT service, the first device does not carry information for identifying the A-IoT service in the first message, thereby enabling the second device to determine, based on the first message not including information for identifying the A-IoT service, to send the first information to the fourth device instead of the third device.

[0013] The first device includes a terminal device or a chip in a terminal device.

[0014] For example, the first information used to identify an A-IoT service includes one or more of the following: the task ID corresponding to the A-IoT service, the session ID corresponding to the A-IoT service, or the transaction ID corresponding to the A-IoT service.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes, before receiving the first message from the first device:

[0016] Receive a second message from a third device. The second message includes a first identifier and information for identifying the A-IoT service. The first identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on a first interface. The first interface is the interface between the second device and the third device.

[0017] Information for identifying A-IoT services is sent to the first device based on the first identifier.

[0018] Based on the above technical solution, when the third device allocates information for identifying A-IoT services, after the second device receives the first message, if the first message includes information for identifying A-IoT services, the second device can determine to send the first information to the third device instead of the fourth device based on the information for identifying A-IoT services previously received from the third device.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes, before receiving the second message from the third device:

[0020] Receive a third message from a third device, the third message including a first identifier and second information, the second information being used to identify the third device;

[0021] The third device is determined based on the second information;

[0022] A fourth message is sent to the third device. The fourth message includes a second identifier and a first identifier. The second identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface.

[0023] Based on the above technical solution, the second device and the third device can interact to assign a first identifier and a second identifier to the first device. This facilitates the unique identification of the first device on the first interface by using the first identifier and / or the second identifier when the second device and the third device transmit data and / or signaling related to the first device through the first interface. For example, if the second device receives a second message from the third device, and the second message includes a first identifier and information for identifying A-IoT services, the second device can determine, based on the first identifier, to send the information for identifying A-IoT services to the first device.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes, before receiving the second message from the third device:

[0025] Receive a fifth message from the fourth device, the fifth message including second information, the second information being used to identify the third device;

[0026] The third device is determined based on the second information;

[0027] Send a sixth message to the third device. The sixth message includes a second identifier and third information. The third information is used to identify the second device, and the second identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface.

[0028] Receive a seventh message from the third device, the seventh message including a second identifier and a first identifier;

[0029] The fourth device is used to provide services to the first device.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the fifth message is used to instruct or request the second device to assign a second identifier to the first device.

[0031] Based on the above technical solution, the second device and the third device can interact to assign a first identifier and a second identifier to the first device. This facilitates the unique identification of the first device on the first interface by using the first identifier and / or the second identifier when the second device and the third device transmit data and / or signaling related to the first device through the first interface. For example, if the second device receives a second message from the third device, and the second message includes a first identifier and information for identifying A-IoT services, the second device can determine, based on the first identifier, to send the information for identifying A-IoT services to the first device.

[0032] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the fifth message further includes a third identifier and / or a fourth identifier, wherein the third identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the second interface, the fourth identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the second interface, and the second interface is an interface between the second device and the fourth device.

[0033] Before sending the sixth message to the third device, the method further includes:

[0034] The first device is identified based on the third and / or fourth identifier.

[0035] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the fifth message also includes information about the first device, which includes one or more of the following: service area information of the first device or frequency band information supported by the first device;

[0036] Before sending the sixth message to the third device, the method further includes:

[0037] The first device is determined based on the information from the first device.

[0038] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes, before receiving the first message from the first device:

[0039] Receive an eighth message from the fourth device. The eighth message includes a third identifier and fourth information. The fourth information includes third data related to non-A-IoT services. The third identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the second interface. The second interface is the interface between the second device and the fourth device.

[0040] The third data is sent to the first device based on the third identifier.

[0041] It should be noted that the aforementioned third data does not include the authorization information sent by the fourth device to the second device. The authorization information is used to authorize the first device as a reader or to authorize the first device to communicate with A-IoT devices.

[0042] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first information includes first data, and the first information also includes fifth identification information and the identifier of the first A-IoT device. The fifth identification information is used to uniquely identify the first A-IoT device, and the first A-IoT device is used to perform the first A-IoT service.

[0043] For example, the amount of data or number of bits of the fifth identification information is less than the amount of data or number of bits of the identification of the first A-IoT device.

[0044] Based on the above technical solution, compared with the method of carrying the identifier of the first A-IoT device in the first information so that the third device can determine that the first data is data from the first A-IoT device, this application helps to reduce the amount of data in the first information by carrying the fifth identifier information in the first information.

[0045] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0046] Receive a ninth message from a third device. The ninth message includes a first identifier and fifth information. The first identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on a first interface. The first interface is the interface between the second device and the third device. The fifth information includes fourth data and fifth identifier information related to the first A-IoT service.

[0047] The fifth information is sent to the first device according to the first identifier.

[0048] Based on the above technical solution, compared with the method of carrying the identifier of the first A-IoT device in the fifth information so that the first device can determine that the fourth data is data sent to the first A-IoT device, this application helps to reduce the amount of data in the fifth information by carrying the fifth identifier information in the fifth information.

[0049] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information includes first data, and the first information also includes fifth identification information, which is used to uniquely identify the first A-IoT device. The first A-IoT device is used to perform the first A-IoT service. Before receiving the first message from the first device, the method further includes:

[0050] Receive a tenth message from a third device. The tenth message includes a first identifier, a fifth identifier, and an identifier of the first A-IoT device. The first identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on a first interface. The first interface is the interface between the second device and the third device.

[0051] An eleventh message is sent to the first device according to the first identifier. The eleventh message includes the fifth identifier information and the identifier of the first A-IoT device.

[0052] Based on the above technical solution, compared with the method of carrying the identifier of the first A-IoT device in the first information so that the third device can determine that the first data is data from the first A-IoT device, this application helps to reduce the amount of data in the first information by carrying the fifth identifier information in the first information.

[0053] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first device, which includes a terminal device or a component within the terminal device (e.g., a chip, circuit, chip system, or communication module), the terminal device being able to communicate with A-IoT devices. For ease of understanding, the following description uses execution by the first device as an example. The method includes:

[0054] Receive information from the second device for identifying the A-IoT service, the information for identifying the A-IoT service being allocated by the third device;

[0055] Send a first message to the second device. The first message includes first information and information for identifying the A-IoT service. The first information includes first data related to the first A-IoT service.

[0056] The third device is used to transmit A-IoT data and / or signaling.

[0057] The beneficial effects in the second aspect can be referred to the description in the first aspect above.

[0058] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first information also includes fifth identification information and the identifier of the first A-IoT device. The fifth identification information is used to uniquely identify the first A-IoT device, and the first A-IoT device is used to perform the first A-IoT service.

[0059] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes:

[0060] Receive fifth information from the second device, the fifth information including fourth data and fifth identification information related to the first A-IoT service;

[0061] Based on the fifth identification information, the fourth data is sent to the first A-IoT device.

[0062] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first information further includes fifth identification information, wherein the first identification is used to uniquely identify the first A-IoT device, the first A-IoT device is used to perform the first A-IoT service, and the method further includes, before sending the first message to the second device:

[0063] Receive eleventh message from the second device. The eleventh message includes the fifth identification information and the identification of the first A-IoT device.

[0064] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the information used to identify the A-IoT service includes one or more of the following: a task identifier corresponding to the A-IoT service, a session identifier corresponding to the A-IoT service, or a service identifier corresponding to the A-IoT service.

[0065] Thirdly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a third device, which includes a core network element supporting or enabling A-IoT, or components (e.g., chips, circuits, chip systems, or communication modules) within the core network element supporting or enabling A-IoT, wherein the aforementioned core network element supporting or enabling A-IoT is used to transmit data and / or signaling related to A-IoT services. For ease of understanding, the following description uses execution by a third device as an example. The method includes:

[0066] Send a second message to the second device. The second message includes information for identifying the A-IoT service and a first identifier. The first identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on a first interface. The first interface is the interface between the second device and the third device.

[0067] The first device includes a terminal device or a chip in a terminal device, and the first device is used to communicate with A-IoT devices.

[0068] The beneficial effects of the third aspect can be referred to in the description of the first aspect above.

[0069] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes, before sending the second message to the second device:

[0070] Receive a request message, which is used to request the execution of the first A-IoT service;

[0071] Send a twelfth message to the fourth device. The twelfth message includes second information, which is used to identify the third device.

[0072] Receive a sixth message from the second device. The sixth message includes a second identifier and third information. The third information is used to identify the second device, and the second identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface.

[0073] Based on the third information, the second device is determined;

[0074] Send a seventh message to the second device, the seventh message including the first identifier and the second identifier;

[0075] The fourth device is used to transmit non-A-IoT data and / or signaling.

[0076] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the eleventh message also includes information about the first device, which includes one or more of the following: service area information of the first device or frequency band information supported by the first device.

[0077] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes, before sending the second message to the second device:

[0078] Receive a request message, which is used to request the execution of the first A-IoT service;

[0079] Obtain third information, which is used to determine the second device;

[0080] Send a third message to the second device. The third message includes a first identifier and second information, the second information being used to identify the third device.

[0081] A fourth message is received from the second device. The fourth message includes a second identifier and a first identifier. The second identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface.

[0082] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes:

[0083] The device receives first information from a second device. The first information includes first data related to a first A-IoT service. The first information also includes fifth identification information and the identifier of a first A-IoT device. The fifth identification information is used to uniquely identify the first A-IoT device, and the first A-IoT device is used to perform the first A-IoT service.

[0084] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes:

[0085] Send fifth information to the second device. The fifth information includes fourth data and fifth identification information related to the first A-IoT service.

[0086] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes:

[0087] Send a tenth message to the second device. The tenth message includes a first identifier and fifth information. The fifth information includes fifth identifier information and the identifier of the first A-IoT device. The fifth identifier information is used to uniquely identify the first A-IoT device. The first A-IoT device is used to perform the first A-IoT service.

[0088] Receive first information from the second device, the first information including first data and fifth identification information related to the first A-IoT service.

[0089] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the information used to identify the A-IoT service includes one or more of the following: the task identifier corresponding to the A-IoT service, the session identifier corresponding to the A-IoT service, or the service identifier corresponding to the A-IoT service.

[0090] Fourthly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a third device, which includes a core network element supporting or enabling A-IoT, or components (e.g., chips, circuits, chip systems, or communication modules) within the core network element supporting or enabling A-IoT, wherein the aforementioned core network element supporting or enabling A-IoT is used to transmit data and / or signaling related to A-IoT services. For ease of understanding, the following description uses execution by a third device as an example. The method includes:

[0091] Receive a request message, which is used to request the execution of the first A-IoT service;

[0092] Obtain third information, which is used to determine the second device;

[0093] Send a third message to the second device. The third message includes a first identifier and second information. The second information is used to identify the third device. The first identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface. The first interface is the interface between the third device and the second device.

[0094] A fourth message is received from the second device. The fourth message includes a second identifier and a first identifier. The second identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface.

[0095] The beneficial effects of the fourth aspect can be referred to the description of the first aspect above.

[0096] Fifthly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a second device, which includes an access network device or a component within the access network device (e.g., a chip, circuit, chip system, or communication module). The access network device is an A-IoT-enabled access network device, which may include the following functions: allocating time-frequency resources for communication between the UE reader and the A-IoT device, and transmitting A-IoT service-related data and / or signaling. For ease of understanding, the following description uses the execution by the second device as an example. The method includes:

[0097] Receive a third message from a third device. The third message includes a first identifier and second information. The second information is used to identify the third device. The first identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on a first interface. The first interface is the interface between the second device and the third device.

[0098] Based on the second information, the third device is determined;

[0099] A fourth message is sent to the third device. The fourth message includes a second identifier and a first identifier. The second identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface.

[0100] Sixthly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a second device, which includes an access network device or a component within the access network device (e.g., a chip, circuit, chip system, or communication module). The access network device is an A-IoT-enabled access network device, which may include the following functions: allocating time-frequency resources for communication between the UE reader and the A-IoT device, and transmitting A-IoT service-related data and / or signaling. For ease of understanding, the following description uses the execution by the second device as an example. The method includes:

[0101] Receive a fifth message from the fourth device, the fifth message including second information, the second information being used to identify the third device;

[0102] The third device is determined based on the second information;

[0103] Send a sixth message to the third device. The sixth message includes a second identifier and third information. The third information is used to identify the second device. The second identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface. The first interface is the interface between the second device and the third device.

[0104] Receive a seventh message from a third device, the seventh message including a second identifier and a first identifier, the first identifier being used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface;

[0105] The fourth device is used to provide services to the first device.

[0106] In one possible implementation, the fifth message is used to instruct or request the second device to assign a second identifier to the first device.

[0107] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the fifth message also includes a third identifier and / or a fourth identifier, wherein the third identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the second interface, the fourth identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the second interface, and the second interface is an interface between the second device and the fourth device.

[0108] Before sending the sixth message to the third device, the method further includes:

[0109] The first device is identified based on the third and / or fourth identifier.

[0110] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the fifth message also includes information about the first device, which includes one or more of the following: service area information of the first device or frequency band information supported by the first device;

[0111] The first device is determined based on the information of the first device.

[0112] A seventh aspect provides a communication method. This method can be executed by a third device, which includes a core network element supporting or enabling A-IoT, or components (e.g., chips, circuits, chip systems, or communication modules) within the core network element supporting or enabling A-IoT, wherein the core network element supporting or enabling A-IoT is used to transmit data and / or signaling related to A-IoT services. For ease of understanding, the following description uses execution by a third device as an example. The method includes:

[0113] Receive a request message, which is used to request the execution of the first A-IoT service;

[0114] A twelfth message is sent to the fourth device, the twelfth message including second information used to identify the third device;

[0115] Receive a sixth message from the second device. The sixth message includes a second identifier and third information. The third information is used to identify the second device. The second identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface. The first interface is the interface between the second device and the third device.

[0116] Based on the third information, the second device is determined;

[0117] Send a seventh message to the second device. The seventh message includes a first identifier and a second identifier. The first identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface.

[0118] The fourth device is used to transmit non-A-IoT data and / or signaling.

[0119] In conjunction with the seventh aspect, in some implementations of the seventh aspect, the eleventh message also includes information about the first device, which includes one or more of the following: service area information of the first device or frequency band information supported by the first device.

[0120] Eighthly, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method provided in the first aspect, or for performing the method provided in the fifth aspect, or for performing the method provided in the sixth 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, fifth, or sixth aspects, such as processing units and transceiver units.

[0121] 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.

[0122] 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.

[0123] A ninth aspect provides a communication apparatus 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 a transceiver unit.

[0124] 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.

[0125] 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.

[0126] In a tenth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which is used to perform the method provided in the third aspect, or the method provided in the fourth aspect, or the method provided in the seventh aspect. Specifically, the communication apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in any of the above implementations of the third, fourth, or seventh aspects, such as a processing unit and a transceiver unit.

[0127] 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.

[0128] 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.

[0129] In the eleventh aspect, this application provides a processor for executing the method provided by any of the implementations of the first to seventh aspects described above.

[0130] 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.

[0131] 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 seventh aspects described above.

[0132] 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 seventh aspects described above.

[0133] 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 one of the implementations of the first to seventh aspects.

[0134] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip also includes a memory storing computer programs or instructions, and a processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided by any of the implementations of the first to seventh aspects described above.

[0135] In a fifteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising one or more of the communication devices described in the eighth aspect, the ninth aspect, or the tenth aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0136] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0137] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another communication system applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0138] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0139] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another communication system applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0140] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an open radio access network (O-RAN) system applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0141] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another O-RAN system applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0142] Figure 7 shows a core network architecture related to the communication system shown in Figure 2.

[0143] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the data transmission architecture and corresponding protocol stack provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0144] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 900 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0145] Figure 10 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0146] Figure 11 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 1100 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0147] Figure 12 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 1200 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0148] Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1300 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0149] Figure 14 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device 1400 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0150] Figure 15 is a schematic block diagram of the chip system 1500 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0151] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0152] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: 5th generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, satellite communication systems, future communication systems, or integrated systems of multiple systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0153] The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems such as inter-satellite communication and satellite communication. As an example, a satellite communication system includes a satellite base station and terminal equipment. The satellite base station provides communication services to the terminal equipment. The satellite base station can also communicate with other base stations. A satellite can act as a base station or as a terminal device. Here, "satellite" can refer to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), hot air balloons, low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, medium-Earth orbit (MEO) satellites, high-Earth orbit (HEO) satellites, etc. "Satellite" can also refer to non-terrestrial base stations or non-terrestrial equipment, etc.

[0154] In a communication system, a device can send signals to or receive signals from another device. These signals can include information, signaling, or data. The device can also be replaced by an entity, network entity, communication device, mobile device, network element, communication module, node, communication node, communication apparatus, etc. This disclosure uses a device as an example. For instance, a communication system can include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The network device can send downlink signals to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device can send uplink signals to the network device. It is understood that the terminal device in this disclosure can be replaced by a first communication device, and the network device can be replaced by a second communication device, both performing the corresponding communication methods described in this disclosure. Alternatively, the corresponding communication methods in this disclosure can be applied between network devices or between terminal devices, without limitation herein.

[0155] The terminal device in this application embodiment can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. The terminal device can include various devices with wireless communication capabilities, which can be used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The terminal device can be widely applied in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, D2D, V2X, peer-to-peer, M2M, MTC, IoT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, etc. The terminal device can be a terminal in any of the above scenarios, such as an MTC terminal, an IoT terminal, etc. Terminal equipment can be user equipment (UE), terminal, fixed equipment, mobile station equipment or mobile equipment, subscriber unit, handheld device, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, cellular phone, smartphone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA), computer, tablet computer, laptop computer, wireless modem, handset, laptop computer, computer with wireless transceiver capability, smart book, vehicle, satellite, global positioning system (GPS) device, target tracking device, aircraft (e.g., drone, helicopter, multiple helicopters, four helicopters, or airplanes), ship, remote control device, smart home device, industrial equipment, transportation vehicle with wireless communication capability, communication module, or roadside unit with terminal function, all conforming to the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) standard. The terminal device (RSU) can be a unit or a device built into the aforementioned equipment (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip in the aforementioned equipment), or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. For ease of description, the terminal device will be described below as a terminal or UE.

[0156] It should be understood that in certain scenarios, a UE can also be used as a base station. For example, a UE can act as a scheduling entity, providing sidelink signaling between UEs in scenarios such as V2X, D2D, or end-to-end.

[0157] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or it can be any device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing those functions, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In this embodiment, the chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components. This embodiment only uses the terminal device as an example to illustrate the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device, and does not constitute a limitation on the solutions of this embodiment.

[0158] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device or module with corresponding communication functions. The network device can be a device used to communicate with terminal devices; it can also be called an access network device or a wireless access network device, such as a base station. In this application embodiment, the network device can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to the wireless network. A base station can broadly encompass, or be replaced by, various names including: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitter point, master station, auxiliary station, motor slide retainer (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, micro base station, relay node, donor node, or a combination thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, a device that performs base station functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, or a device that performs base station functions in future communication systems. A base station can support networks using the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the network equipment.

[0159] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move depending on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured as a device to communicate with another base station.

[0160] In some deployments, the network devices mentioned in the embodiments of this application may be devices including CU, DU, or CU and DU, or devices with control plane CU nodes (central unit-control plane (CU-CP)) and user plane CU nodes (central unit-user plane (CU-UP)) and DU nodes. For example, the network devices may include gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU-UP, and gNB-DU.

[0161] In some deployments, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be CUs, DUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, or RUs. CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as RRUs, AAUs, or RRHs.

[0162] In some deployments, the CU (Core Unit) is a logical node that carries the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network equipment. The CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which may be E2 interfaces, etc. Optionally, the CU possesses some core network functions. The CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (e.g., the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which may be F1 interfaces, etc. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., the F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). The F1 application protocol (F1AP) is the application protocol for the F1 interface, and in some examples, it defines the F1 signaling procedures. The F1 interface supports both the control plane (F1-C) and the user plane (F1-U).

[0163] In some deployments, the CU can be split into CU-CP and CU-UP. CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the control plane part of PDCP (PDCP-C) layer, used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function network elements. CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the user plane part of PDCP (PDCP-U) layer, used to implement the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of CU and DU can be configured as needed. For example, CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or CU or DU can be configured to have only partial protocol layer processing functions. For example, some functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layer above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layer below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Another example is that the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements. For instance, based on latency, functions that need to meet low latency requirements can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not need to meet such latency requirements can be placed in the CU.

[0164] In some deployments, the DU (Distributed Unit) is a logical node that carries the RLC (Real-Time Control) layer, the medium access control (MAC) layer, the higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, the DU can control at least one RU (Remote Root). The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes the PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0165] In some deployments, the RU is a logical node that carries both lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a TRP, RRH, or other similar entity. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes portions of the PHY processing, such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs via a radio link.

[0166] The DU and RU can be co-located or not. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a fronthaul link through a lower-layer split-control, user, and synchronization (LLS-CUS) interface. LLS-CUS may include interfaces providing control and user planes respectively. In some examples, the control plane refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via a fronthaul link interface (such as an LLS-M interface), and the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0167] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0168] In one possible design, the processing unit in the BBU used to implement baseband functions is called the baseband high (BBH) unit, and the processing unit in the RRU / AAU / RRH used to implement baseband functions is called the baseband low (BBL) unit.

[0169] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, a radio access network can also be an open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture. In an O-RAN system, CU can also be called an open CU (open CU, O-CU), DU can also be called an open DU (open DU, O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open RU (open RU, O-RU). Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0170] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of a network device can be a network device itself, or a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing those functions, such as a chip system, chip, circuit, or communication module (i.e., a communication module that performs communication functions). This device can be installed within the network device. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. Furthermore, the device can be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions. This embodiment only uses a network device as an example to illustrate the device for implementing the functions of a network device, and does not limit the solution of this embodiment.

[0171] Network devices and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the network devices and terminal devices are located. Furthermore, terminal devices and network devices can be hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or software functions running on general-purpose hardware, such as virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform), or entities that include dedicated or general-purpose hardware devices and software functions. This application does not limit the specific form of the terminal devices and network devices.

[0172] First, a brief introduction to the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application will be given.

[0173] Exemplarily, FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG1, the communication system includes a network device 110 and an ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) terminal 120. The network device 110 and the A-IoT terminal 120 communicate bidirectionally. The communication between the network device 110 and the A-IoT terminal 120 includes ambient Internet of Things data and / or signaling. That is, the network device 110 sends data and / or signaling to the A-IoT terminal 120, and the A-IoT terminal 120 sends data and / or signaling to the network device 110. It can also be understood that the network device 110 and the A-IoT terminal 120 transmit data and / or signaling.

[0174] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 200 applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the communication system includes a network device 210, an intermediate node 220, and an A-IoT terminal 230. The network device 210 and the A-IoT terminal 230 communicate bidirectionally with the intermediate node 220. For example, the network device 210 communicates bidirectionally with the intermediate node 220, and then the intermediate node 220 communicates bidirectionally with the A-IoT terminal 120. That is, the network device 210 transmits data and / or signaling between itself and the intermediate node 220, and the intermediate node 220 transmits data and / or signaling between itself and the A-IoT terminal 120. In this embodiment, the intermediate node 220 can be a repeater, an integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, a UE, etc.

[0175] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 300 applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the communication system includes a network device 310, an auxiliary node 320, and an A-IoT terminal 330. In Figure 3(a), the A-IoT terminal 330 sends data and / or signaling to the network device 310, the network device 310 sends data and / or signaling to the auxiliary node 320 via the Uu interface, and then the A-IoT terminal 330 receives data and / or signaling from the auxiliary node 320. In Figure 3(b), the A-IoT terminal 330 receives data and / or signaling sent by the network device 310 and sends data and / or signaling to the auxiliary node 320, and then the network device 310 receives data and / or signaling from the auxiliary node 320 via the Uu interface. In this embodiment of the application, the intermediate node of the auxiliary node 320 may be a repeater, an IAB node, a UE, etc.

[0176] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 400 applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the communication system includes a terminal device 410 and an A-IoT terminal 420. The terminal device 410 and the A-IoT terminal 420 communicate bidirectionally. The communication between the terminal device 410 and the A-IoT terminal 420 includes environmental IoT data and / or signaling. That is, the terminal device 410 sends data and / or signaling to the A-IoT terminal 420, and the A-IoT terminal 420 sends data and / or signaling to the terminal device 410. It can also be understood that the terminal device 410 and the A-IoT terminal 420 transmit data and / or signaling.

[0177] Figures 1 to 4 are merely schematic diagrams. The communication system to which the embodiments of this application are applicable may also include other devices, such as core network devices, wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figures 1 to 4.

[0178] The embodiments of this application can also be applied to open RAN (O-RAN) system architecture.

[0179] As shown in Figure 5, an O-RAN system can include core network (CN) equipment, access network (RAN) equipment, and user equipment (UE). Access network equipment communicates with core network equipment via a backhaul link and with UE via an air interface. For example, a BBU in the access network equipment communicates with core network equipment via a backhaul link, and an RU in the access network equipment communicates with UE via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link; the BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. The BBU includes at least one CU and at least one DU, and the CU and DU can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0180] Figure 5 is just a schematic diagram. The wireless communication system may also include other devices, which are not shown in Figure 5.

[0181] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the application framework involving the RIC module under the O-RAN architecture. As shown in Figure 6, the communication system includes a RAN intelligent controller (RIC). The RIC includes near-real-time RIC (near-RT RIC) and non-real-time RIC (non-RT RIC). The non-real-time RIC mainly processes non-real-time information, such as data that is not sensitive to latency, with latency in the order of seconds. The real-time RIC mainly processes near-real-time information, such as data that is relatively sensitive to latency, with latency in the order of tens of milliseconds.

[0182] The near real-time RIC and non-real-time RIC can also be configured as separate network elements. Optionally, the near real-time RIC and non-real-time RIC can also be part of other devices. For example, the near real-time RIC is set in the RAN node (e.g., in CU, DU), while the non-real-time RIC is set in the OAM, cloud server, core network device, or other network device.

[0183] Figure 7 illustrates a CN architecture associated with the communication system 200 described above.

[0184] As shown in Figure 7(a), the A-IoT device and the UE reader transmit data and / or signaling through the A-IoT radio interface. The UE reader and the A-IoT-enabled gNB transmit data and / or signaling through the NR Uu interface. The A-IoT-enabled gNB and the access and mobile management function (AMF) serving the UE reader transmit data and / or signaling through the next generation (NG) interface. The AMF and the ambient IoT function (AIoTF) serving the A-IoT device can communicate through the interface between the AMF and AIoTF.

[0185] Among them, the gNB that supports A-IoT can include the following functions: allocating time and frequency resources for communication between UEreader and A-IoT devices, and transmitting data and / or signaling related to A-IoT services.

[0186] As shown in Figure 7(b), the A-IoT device includes one or more of the following protocol layers: an application layer (App layer) for transmitting information between the A-IoT device and the server (AF as shown in the figure); an A-IoT device non-access stratum (NAS layer) for transmitting A-IoT service-related information between the A-IoT device and the AIoTF; and an A-IoT access stratum (AS layer) for transmitting A-IoT service-related information between the A-IoT device and the UE reader.

[0187] The UE reader includes one or more of the following protocol layers: A-IoT AS layer; A-IoT UE NAS layer, used to transmit A-IoT service-related information between the UE reader and the AIoTF; N1 NAS layer, located between the UE reader and the AMF, mainly responsible for registration management, session management, authentication control, and security control; and Uu AS layer, used to transmit information between the UE reader and the gNB that supports A-IoT.

[0188] A gNB that supports A-IoT includes one or more of the following protocol layers: Uu AS layer; Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) to provide signaling services between gNB and AMF; and lower layers, including Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP), Internet Protocol (IP), data link layer, and physical layer (PHY).

[0189] AMF includes one or more of the following protocol layers: N1 NAS layer; NGAP; lower layer; SBI & lower layer, used to transmit information between AMT and AIoTF.

[0190] AIoTF includes one or more of the following protocol layers: A-IoT device NAS layer; A-IoT UE NAS layer; SBI & lower layer; lower layer; application programming interface (API) for transmitting information between AIoTF and AF.

[0191] It should be noted that the AIoTF in this application embodiment can also be replaced by tag management function (TMF) network element, ambient IoT management function (AIoTMF), ambient IoT aware core network (A-IoT aware CN), etc., or AIoTF can be replaced by other core network elements / nodes / devices that support or enable A-IoT.

[0192] As shown in Figure 7, there is no direct connection between the A-IoT-enabled gNB and the AIoTF; the data and / or signaling exchanged between them must pass through the AMF. When the AIoTF is deployed close to the A-IoT-enabled gNB, and the AMF is deployed further away, the AIoT data and / or signaling exchanged between the AIoTF and the A-IoT-enabled gNB must travel through the AMF before being received, thus increasing transmission latency. Furthermore, due to the distance between the AIoTF and the A-IoT-enabled gNB and the AMF, additional power consumption is incurred when transmitting AIoT data and / or signaling to the AMF.

[0193] In view of this, this application provides a data transmission method in which, when an A-IoT device accesses the network through a UEreader, the network device serving the UEreader can communicate directly with the core network element serving the A-IoT device, or the network device serving the UEreader can communicate with the core network element serving the A-IoT device through a closer network element, thereby helping to reduce transmission latency and save power consumption.

[0194] Before introducing the solution provided in this application, we will first describe A-IoT services, A-IoT data and / or signaling.

[0195] For example, A-IoT services include inventory, location, sensing, or command.

[0196] Inventory management involves using readers (e.g., base stations or terminal devices) to access A-IoT terminals (or A-IoT terminal devices) within the coverage area. Successfully connected devices need to send their unique identifier (identifiable by the network, such as the EPC in RFID) to the reader. Inventory management, also known as a tag counting operation, retrieves tag identification information. For example, readers can use query and acknowledge (ACK) commands to obtain tag identification information. To facilitate tag inventory, tags include four session identifiers, each corresponding to two inventory states: A and B. The inventory state is indicated by a sessionInventoried flag. When a reader selects a tag, the selection command sent to it includes a session identifier, which the tag then stores. When the reader performs inventory management on the tag, the query command sent to it includes the session identifier, at which point the tag can flip its inventory state from A to B. If the reader sends a query command to perform inventory operations again, the tag will not respond to the reader because the inventory status of the tag is B, thus avoiding the same tag being inventoried multiple times in the same inventory cycle.

[0197] Positioning is the process of using location signals to pinpoint the location of an A-IoT terminal.

[0198] Sensing involves A-IoT terminals reporting sensor data to the base station, such as temperature data.

[0199] Commands can be operational instructions, such as read, write, kill, disable, or lock. Read operations can read the electronic product code (EPC), tag identifier (TID), content stored in the tag's reserved area, or content stored in the user's storage area from the tag's memory. Write operations can perform write operations on the tag's storage area; for example, a network device (e.g., a base station) can send a downlink command and data to instruct the A-IoT terminal to write data to its own storage area. Kill operations can permanently disable the tag. Lock operations can lock the tag's information, preventing read or write operations on the tag. Alternatively, locking operations can also lock a storage area, preventing or disallowing read or write operations on that area; for example, a network device can send a downlink command to instruct the A-IoT terminal to lock the location at a specified address in the storage area, making the contents of that storage area unchangeable and / or unreadable. Disabling services can temporarily or permanently disable tags, making it impossible to read the tag's memory content or write data to the tag's memory.

[0200] A-IoT data and / or signaling are related to A-IoT services. For example, for inventory services, A-IoT data and / or signaling may include a device ID or an encrypted device ID; for read command services, A-IoT data and / or signaling may include read commands and / or read response data; for write command services, A-IoT data and / or signaling may include write commands and / or write feedback; for other AIoT services, A-IoT data and / or signaling may include the corresponding uplink (UL) data (UL Data) reported by the A-IoT device to the UE Reader.

[0201] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the data transmission architecture and corresponding protocol stack provided in this application.

[0202] As shown in Figure 8(a), the A-IoT device can communicate with the UEreader through the A-IoT radio interface. The UEreader can communicate with the A-IoT-enabled gNB through the NR Uu interface. The A-IoT-enabled gNB can communicate with the AMF through the NG interface, or with the AIoTF through the first interface (the XX interface shown in the figure). For example, the first interface can be the NG interface, or a simplified NG interface (such as the NG interface after removing a certain protocol layer), or the first interface is an interface defined to support communication between the A-IoT gNB and the AIoTF (i.e., a new interface).

[0203] For example, if an A-IoT device sends A-IoT data and / or signaling to the UE reader via the A-IoT radio interface, the UE reader then sends the A-IoT data and / or signaling from the A-IoT device to an A-IoT-enabled gNB via the NR Uu interface. The A-IoT-enabled gNB then sends the A-IoT data and / or signaling from the UE reader to the AIoTF via the first interface. If the AIoTF sends A-IoT data and / or signaling to an A-IoT-enabled gNB via the first interface, the A-IoT-enabled gNB sends the A-IoT data and / or signaling from the AIoTF to the UE reader via the NR Uu interface. The UE reader then sends the A-IoT data and / or signaling from the A-IoT-enabled gNB to the A-IoT device via the A-IoT radio interface.

[0204] For another example, if the UEreader sends non-A-IoT data and / or signaling to an A-IoT-enabled gNB via the NR Uu interface, the A-IoT-enabled gNB will then forward the non-A-IoT data and / or signaling from the UEreader to the AMF via the NG interface. Conversely, if the AMF sends non-A-IoT data and / or signaling to an A-IoT-enabled gNB via the NG interface, the A-IoT-enabled gNB will then forward the non-A-IoT data and / or signaling from the AMF to the UEreader via the NR Uu interface.

[0205] Based on the data transmission architecture shown in Figure 8(a), this application provides two data transmission methods.

[0206] Method 1, a data transmission method based on a first protocol, where the first protocol resides between the UEreader and the AIoTF and is used to transmit information related to A-IoT services. The gNB supporting A-IoT can only transparently transmit information sent by the UEreader to the AIoTF based on the first protocol, or transparently transmit information sent by the AIoTF to the UEreader based on the first protocol. The gNB supporting A-IoT cannot recognize or modify the information sent by the UEreader or AIoTF based on the first protocol. For example, the first protocol is NAS, and the information sent by the UEreader or AIoTF based on the first protocol is a NAS protocol data unit (PDU).

[0207] Method 2, data transmission method of UEreader RRC layer.

[0208] For example, the first protocol is NAS, and the protocol stack architecture corresponding to Mode 1 is shown in Figure 8(b). As shown in Figure 8(b), there is a NAS layer between the UE Reader and the AIoTF for transmitting A-IoT data and / or signaling. When the AIoTF knows about the UE Reader and the gNB that supports A-IoT, A-IoT data and / or signaling (e.g., service requests or upper layer data) can be directly transmitted through the NAS between the UE Reader and the AIoTF. The upper layer data includes A-IoT data and / or signaling.

[0209] For example, if an A-IoT device sends A-IoT data and / or signaling to the UE reader via the A-IoT radio interface, the UE reader sends a NAS packet to the A-IoT-enabled gNB via the NR Uu interface (if the first protocol is not NAS, the NAS packet should be replaced with the information or signaling corresponding to the first protocol). The NAS packet includes A-IoT data and / or signaling from the A-IoT device. The A-IoT-enabled gNB then transmits / sends / forwards the NAS packet to the AIoTF via the first interface. As another example, the AIoTF can send a NAS packet to the A-IoT-enabled gNB via the first interface. The NAS packet carries A-IoT data and / or signaling. The A-IoT-enabled gNB then transmits the NAS packet from the AIoTF to the UE reader via the NR Uu interface. The UE reader then sends the A-IoT data and / or signaling from the NAS packet in the A-IoT-enabled gNB to the A-IoT device via the A-IoT radio interface.

[0210] The protocol stack architecture corresponding to Method 2 above is shown in Figure 8(c). As shown in Figure 8(c), when AIoTF knows the UE Reader and the gNB that supports A-IoT, A-IoT data and / or signaling can be forwarded via NR Uu RRC between the UE Reader and the gNB that supports A-IoT.

[0211] For example, the AIoTF can send a service request to the A-IoT-enabled gNB through a first interface protocol (such as the XX application protocol (XXAP), which provides signaling services between the AIoTF and the A-IoT-enabled gNB). The A-IoT-enabled gNB then sends or forwards the service request to the UE Reader via NR Uu RRC. After the A-IoT device(s) completes the A-IoT service (such as inventory / command / location / sensing A-IoT services), it reports UL Data to the UE Reader through the A-IoT Radio interface. The UE Reader then sends or forwards the UL Data to the A-IoT-enabled gNB via NR Uu RRC, and the A-IoT-enabled gNB then directly reports the UL Data to the AIOTF via XXAP.

[0212] It should be noted that the protocol stack architectures in Figure 8(b) or Figure 8(c) are merely examples, and this application does not limit the protocol stacks included in A-IoT devices, A-IoT-enabled gNBs, UE readers, or AIoTFs. For example, an A-IoT device may or may not include an application layer, and this application does not limit this. Similarly, an AIoTF may or may not include SCTP, IP, layer 1 (L1), or layer 2 (L2), and this application does not limit this.

[0213] Based on the data transmission architecture shown in Figure 8, compared to the distance between the AMF and the base station, if the AIoTF is deployed closer to the base station, the base station and the AIoTF can directly interact with A-IoT data and / or signaling through the first interface protocol without needing to go through the AMF for forwarding. This reduces the latency of A-IoT signaling and / or data transmission, as well as the transmission power consumption or overhead of the base station and / or the AIoTF.

[0214] It should be noted that the AIoTF in this application embodiment cannot serve ordinary terminal devices. In other words, the AIoTF is used to transmit A-IoT data and / or signaling.

[0215] It should also be noted that the essential difference between the data transmission method provided in this application and existing data transmission methods is that this application does not limit the A-IoT data and / or signaling exchanged between the base station and the AIoTF to necessarily be forwarded through the AMF. Although the base station and the AIoTF communicate through a direct connection in the data transmission architecture shown in Figure 8, this application does not limit the base station and the AIoTF to communicating through a direct connection. For example, the base station and the AIoTF can communicate through network element #A. This network element #A is different from the AMF, and compared to the distance between the AMF and the base station and / or the AIoTF, the location of network element #A is closer to the base station and / or the AIoTF. Therefore, the base station and the AIoTF can still achieve the goal of reducing the latency of A-IoT signaling and / or data transmission, as well as the transmission power consumption or overhead of the base station and / or the AIoTF, by communicating through network element #A.

[0216] Based on the data transmission method provided in this application, the base station can directly communicate with at least the AMF and AIoTF, or the base station can communicate with at least the AMF and network element #A. However, when the base station can directly communicate with at least two network elements, after receiving data from the UE, the base station does not know which of the at least two network elements to send the data to.

[0217] In view of this, this application also provides a communication method that, when a base station can communicate directly with at least two network elements, it can determine which of the at least two network elements to send the received data from the UE to.

[0218] Before introducing the scheme of this application, the following points should be noted.

[0219] (1) In this application, “instruction” may include direct instruction, indirect instruction, explicit instruction, and implicit instruction. When describing a certain instruction information for the purpose of instructing A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly instructs A, or indirectly instructs A.

[0220] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. Furthermore, the information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information pieces, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information pieces can be the same or different.

[0221] (2) In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include direct reception from YY via the air interface or indirect reception from YY via the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0222] (3) In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0223] (4) In this application, "first" and "second" are used for descriptive convenience only to distinguish objects and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. They are not used to describe the order or sequence of features. It should be understood that the objects described in this way can be interchanged where appropriate so as to describe solutions other than those in the embodiments of this application.

[0224] (5) In this application, “predefined” may mean a standard protocol predefined, or it may mean that the devices have agreed or negotiated in advance.

[0225] (6) In this application, the words “exemplary,” “for example,” etc., are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an “example” in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the word “example” is intended to present the concept in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, “of,” “corresponding, relevant,” and “corresponding” may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0226] (7) In this document, "at least one" means one or more. "More than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of this application, the character " / " indicates that the related objects before and after are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0227] The method provided by the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments provided by this application can be applied to the communication system shown in FIG1 above, and are not limited thereto.

[0228] For ease of description, the following embodiments use the interaction between devices as an example for illustrative purposes.

[0229] In this context, the first device may refer to a terminal device or a component within a terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module). A terminal device refers to a terminal device with reader / writer functionality.

[0230] The second device mentioned below can refer to a network device or a component within a network device (e.g., a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module). A network device refers to an A-IoT-enabled network device or a network device that supports A-IoT. An A-IoT-enabled network device may include the function of providing resource allocation; that is, an A-IoT-enabled network device can allocate resources to terminal devices to support communication between terminal devices and A-IoT devices.

[0231] The third device mentioned below can refer to a first core network element or a component of the first core network element (e.g., a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module). The first core network element is used to transmit A-IoT data and / or signaling; in other words, it is a core network element that provides services to A-IoT devices. The first core network element can be AIoTF, TMF, AIoTMF, A-IoT aware CN, or other core network elements that support or enable A-IoT. The first core network element is not used to transmit non-A-IoT data and / or signaling.

[0232] The fourth device mentioned below may refer to a second core network element or a component of a second core network element (e.g., a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module). The second core network element is used to transmit non-A-IoT data and / or signaling, and is a core network element that provides services to terminal devices.

[0233] Furthermore, the steps described below as being performed by a single execution entity can also be divided into being performed by multiple execution entities, which may be logically and / or physically separate.

[0234] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 900 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 900 shown in Figure 9 may include the following steps:

[0235] S901, the third device sends the second message.

[0236] Correspondingly, the second device receives the second message.

[0237] The second message includes the first identifier and information used to identify the A-IoT service.

[0238] Optionally, the second message may also include a second identifier.

[0239] Here, the first identifier is an identifier assigned by the third device to the first device, used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface. The first interface is the interface between the third device and the second device. Since the first identifier is assigned by the third device to the first device, the third device can directly and uniquely identify the first device on the first interface based on the first identifier. Therefore, it can be said that the first identifier is used by the third device to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface. Of course, the first identifier is not only used by the third device to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface, but it can also be used by the second device to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface. For example, after receiving the first identifier, the second device can index the second identifier based on the first identifier, that is, the first identifier and the second identifier have a one-to-one correspondence, and thus the second device can identify the first device based on the second identifier.

[0240] For example, the first identifier may be named TMF UE XXAP identifier (identity, ID), or named by other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0241] The second identifier is an identifier assigned by the second device to the first device, used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface. Since the second identifier is assigned by the second device to the first device, the second device can directly and uniquely identify the first device on the first interface based on the second identifier. Therefore, it can be said that the second identifier is used by the second device to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface. Of course, the second identifier is not only used by the second device to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface; it can also be used by a third device to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface. For example, after receiving the second identifier, the third device can index the first identifier based on the second identifier, and thus the third device can identify the first device based on the first identifier.

[0242] For example, the second identifier may be named RAN UE XXAP ID, or named by other names, which is not limited in this application.

[0243] It should be noted that before executing method S901, the second device and the third device have already exchanged the first identifier and the second identifier. The following will describe the way in which the second device and the third device exchange the second identifier and the first identifier with reference to Figures 11 and 12. For ease of understanding, it will not be described in detail here.

[0244] The information used to identify the A-IoT service is information allocated by the third device. The information used to identify the A-IoT service can be information used to identify the A-IoT service itself, or information used to identify the first A-IoT service; this application does not limit this.

[0245] For example, the information used to identify A-IoT services includes one or more of the following: A-IoT service-related task ID, A-IoT service-related session ID, or A-IoT service-related transaction ID.

[0246] S902, the second device sends information to identify the A-IoT service.

[0247] Accordingly, the first device receives information used to identify the A-IoT service.

[0248] As described in S901, the second device can identify the first device based on the first identifier, and then the second device can send information for identifying the A-IoT service to the first device.

[0249] It should be noted that steps S901 and S902 are optional. For example, if, before executing method 900, the third device sends information identifying the A-IoT service to the second device, and the second device sends the received information identifying the A-IoT service to the first device, then method 900 may not include S901 and S902. As another example, if the information identifying the A-IoT service is allocated by the first device, then method 900 may not include S901 and S902. Yet another example, if the fourth device sends information identifying a non-A-IoT service to the second device, and the second device sends the received information identifying the non-A-IoT service to the first device, then method 900 may not include S901 and S902.

[0250] Optionally, method 900 further includes: the fourth device sending an eighth message to the second device, the eighth message including a third identifier and fourth information, the fourth information including third data related to non-A-IoT services. The third identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the second interface, which is the interface between the second device and the fourth device. Optionally, the eighth message also includes information for identifying non-A-IoT services. It should be noted that the third data does not include authorization information sent by the fourth device to the second device, which is used to authorize the first device as a reader / writer, or to authorize the first device to communicate with A-IoT devices.

[0251] For example, the third identifier could be the AMF UE NGAP ID.

[0252] Optionally, method 900 further includes: the second device sending third data to the first device based on a third identifier. Optionally, if the eighth message further includes information for identifying a non-A-IoT service, the second device also sends the information for identifying the non-A-IoT service to the first device.

[0253] S903, the third device sends the tenth message.

[0254] Correspondingly, the second device receives the tenth message.

[0255] The tenth message includes the first identifier, the fifth identifier information, and the identifier (device ID) of the first A-IoT device.

[0256] The first A-IoT device can be identified by an electronic product code (EPC).

[0257] The fifth identification information is used to identify the first A-IoT device, and the data volume (or number of bits) of the fifth identification information is less than the data volume (or number of bits) of the identifier of the first A-IoT device. The fifth identification information is a temporary identifier assigned to the first A-IoT device by the third device. For example, the third device can assign a temporary identifier to the first A-IoT device each time an A-IoT service is executed.

[0258] S904, the second device sends the eleventh message.

[0259] Correspondingly, the first device receives the eleventh message.

[0260] The eleventh message includes the fifth identification information and the identifier of the first A-IoT device.

[0261] It should be understood that the second device can identify the first device based on the first identifier in the tenth message, and then send the eleventh message to the first device.

[0262] It should be noted that steps S903 and S904 are optional. For example, if the fifth identification information is assigned by the first device to the first A-IoT device, then method 900 may not execute steps S903 and S904.

[0263] S905, the first device sends the first message.

[0264] Correspondingly, the second device receives the first message.

[0265] The first message includes the first piece of information.

[0266] In one possible implementation, after S905, method 900 continues to execute S906a.

[0267] S906a, the second device sends the first information.

[0268] Correspondingly, the third device receives the first information.

[0269] For example, if the first message includes information for identifying an A-IoT service, the second device sends the first information to the third device. The first information includes first data related to the first A-IoT service, and / or includes signaling related to the first A-IoT service.

[0270] For example, if the first message does not include information for identifying non-A-IoT services, the second device sends first information to the third device, the first information including first data related to the first A-IoT service, and / or including signaling related to the first A-IoT service.

[0271] It should be noted that the transmission of the first information does not pass through the fourth device. For example, the second device sends the first information to the third device through the first interface, or the second device sends the first information to the fifth device through the interface between the second device and the fifth device, and then the fifth device forwards the first information to the third device.

[0272] Optionally, if method 900 executes S903 and S904, the first information may also include the fifth identification information.

[0273] It is understood that if the first information includes the fifth identification information, and the fifth identification information is assigned to the first A-IoT device by the third device, then the third device can determine that the first data included in the first information is data from the first A-IoT device based on the fifth identification information. Furthermore, since the amount of data in the fifth identification information is less than the amount of data in the identifier of the first A-IoT device, compared to carrying the identifier of the first A-IoT device in the first information to enable the third device to determine that the first data is data from the first A-IoT device, this application can reduce the amount of data in the first information by carrying the fifth identification information in the first information.

[0274] Optionally, if the fifth identification information is assigned to the first A-IoT device by the first device, the first information may also include the fifth identification information and the identification of the first A-IoT device.

[0275] It is understood that if the first information includes the fifth identification information and the identifier of the first A-IoT device, the third device can determine that the fifth identification information is a temporary identifier assigned by the first device to the first A-IoT device. Furthermore, if the third device needs to send A-IoT data and / or signaling to the first A-IoT device, it can carry the fifth identification information in the fifth information mentioned below, thereby enabling the first device to identify that the A-IoT data and / or signaling included in the fifth information is intended for the first A-IoT device.

[0276] In one possible implementation, after S905, method 900 continues to execute S906b.

[0277] S906b, the second device sends the first information.

[0278] Correspondingly, the fourth device receives the first information.

[0279] For example, if the first message does not include information for identifying A-IoT services, the second device sends the first information to the fourth device. The first information includes second data related to non-A-IoT services, and / or includes signaling related to non-A-IoT services.

[0280] For example, if the first message includes information for identifying non-A-IoT services, the second device sends the first information to the fourth device, the first information including second data related to the non-A-IoT services, and / or including signaling related to the non-A-IoT services.

[0281] In this embodiment of the application, when the first device sends a first message to the second device, if the first information in the first message includes first data related to the first A-IoT service, and / or includes signaling related to the first A-IoT service, then the first device may carry information for identifying the A-IoT service in the first message, thereby enabling the second device to determine to send the first information to the third device based on the information for identifying the A-IoT service.

[0282] Optionally, method 900 also includes S907 and S908.

[0283] S907, the third device sends the ninth message.

[0284] Correspondingly, the second device receives the ninth message.

[0285] The ninth message includes the first identifier and the fifth information. The fifth information includes the fifth identifier information and the fourth data related to the first A-IoT business.

[0286] S908, the second device sends the fifth message.

[0287] Correspondingly, the first device receives the fifth information.

[0288] The second device can identify the first device based on the first identifier in the ninth message, and then send the fifth message to the first device.

[0289] It is understandable that after receiving the fifth information, the first device can identify the first A-IoT device based on the fifth identification information, and then send the fourth data related to the first A-IoT service to the first A-IoT device.

[0290] It should be understood that since the amount of data in the fifth identification information is less than the amount of data in the identification of the first A-IoT device, this application can reduce the amount of data in the fifth information by carrying the fifth identification information in the fifth information, compared to the method of carrying the identification of the first A-IoT device in the fifth information so that the first device can determine that the fourth data is data sent to the first A-IoT device.

[0291] The method 900 shown in Figure 9 will be described below with reference to Figure 10, taking the first device as UEreader, the second device as gNB, and the third device as TMF as an example.

[0292] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 1000 shown in Figure 10 may include the following steps:

[0293] S1001, TMF sends the second message.

[0294] Correspondingly, the gNB receives the second message.

[0295] For example, the second message is an XXAP message.

[0296] The second message includes a first identifier, information for identifying the A-IoT service, and service request #A. Service request #A is used to request the execution of an inventory service. For example, the information for identifying the A-IoT service is the same information used to identify the inventory service.

[0297] In one possible implementation, the second message includes a first identifier and a service request #A, whereby the service request #A includes information for identifying the A-IoT service.

[0298] For a more detailed description of S1001, please refer to S901 in Method 900 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0299] S1002, gNB sends information to identify A-IoT services.

[0300] Correspondingly, the UEreader receives information used to identify A-IoT services.

[0301] For example, the gNB sends information identifying A-IoT services to the UEreader via RRC messages.

[0302] S1003, UEreader sends signaling #A.

[0303] Correspondingly, A-IoT device #1 receives signaling #A.

[0304] For example, signaling #A is either paging signaling or select signaling.

[0305] Paging signaling can be used to instruct A-IoT device #1 to access the UEreader.

[0306] Paging signaling can also be used to trigger / instruct A-IoT device #1 to send uplink data (i.e., data sent by A-IoT device #1 to the UEreader), or to trigger / instruct / request A-IoT device #1 to perform inventory management.

[0307] Paging signaling can also be called (initial) trigger message.

[0308] Optionally, method 1000 also includes S1004.

[0309] S1004, A-IoT device #1 performs random access.

[0310] The A-IoT device #1 may perform the random access procedure as follows:

[0311] (1) UEreader sends a query command to A-IoT device #1, and A-IoT device #1 receives the query command from UEreader.

[0312] This query command is used to initialize a storage cycle. For example, the query command carries a Q value, storage session, and flag bits. For instance, the query command carries session S0 and flag bit A. A-IoT device #1 determines if the flag bit of its session S0 is A; if it is A, the two are considered to match; A-IoT device #1 can respond to the query command. Furthermore, A-IoT device #1 can generate a random number between [0, 2Q-1] based on the Q value, and use this random number as the initial value of a counter. For example, if Q = 3, the random number generated by A-IoT device #1 will be one of [0, 15]. For example, if A-IoT device #1 generates a random number of 10, the initial value of the counter will be 10.

[0313] A-IoT device #1 can determine whether the initial value of the counter is 0. If the initial value of the counter is 0, A-IoT device #1 can send a 16-bit random number (RN16) to the UE reader. This 16-bit random number is used to trigger the random access procedure and can be used as a random access request message. Alternatively, if the initial value of the counter is not 0, A-IoT device #1 may not send RN16 to the UE reader. Correspondingly, if the UEreader does not receive RN16 from A-IoT device #1 within a preset time after sending the query command, the UEreader continues to send a repeat query (Query Rep) command to A-IoT device #1. When A-IoT device #1 receives this repeat query command, it decrements the current value of the counter by 1, i.e., A-IoT device #1 executes: counter = counter - 1. If the counter value is still not 0 after the above process, A-IoT device #1 may not send RN16 to the UEreader, and the UEreader continues to send repeat query commands to A-IoT device #1 until the counter value is 0. When the counter value is 0, A-IoT device #1 may send RN16 to the UEreader.

[0314] (2) A-IoT device #1 sends a first random access request message to UEreader, and UEreader receives the first random access request message from A-IoT device #1.

[0315] For example, the first random access request message could be the RN16 generated by A-IoT device #1 mentioned earlier. Alternatively, A-IoT device #1 could also generate random numbers of other lengths, such as random numbers of length 8.

[0316] (3) The UE reader sends an acknowledgment (ACK) to the A-IoT device #1, and the A-IoT device #1 receives the ACK from the UE reader.

[0317] For example, A-IoT device #1 can use the first time-frequency resource to send RN16 to the UE reader. The UE reader can determine whether only one RN16 is received on the first time-frequency resource. If only one RN16 is received, it can be considered that no collision has occurred, and the UE reader sends an ACK to A-IoT device #1, which includes the aforementioned RN16. This ACK can also be called a random access response message or a collision resolution message, etc. Alternatively, if the UE reader receives multiple RN16s on the first time-frequency resource, it can be considered that a collision has occurred, and the UE reader will no longer send an ACK to A-IoT device #1. Correspondingly, when A-IoT device #1 receives an ACK, it can obtain RN16 from the ACK; A-IoT device #1 can determine whether this RN16 is the same as the sent RN16; if they are the same, it is considered that the access is successful; step S1005 is executed; otherwise, A-IoT device #1 can continue to access.

[0318] Further description of steps (1)-(2) above can be found in existing schemes, protocols or standards, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0319] S1005, A-IoT device #1 sends the fifth data.

[0320] Correspondingly, the UEreader receives the fifth data.

[0321] The fifth piece of data includes the ID of A-IoT device #1, or an encrypted ID of A-IoT device #1. For example, the encrypted ID of A-IoT device #1 can be represented as function{device ID, group key}. Device ID represents the ID of A-IoT device #1.

[0322] Optionally, the fifth data may also include EPC, sensor data collected by A-IoT device #1, or data stored in the storage area of ​​A-IoT device #1, etc., which are not limited in this application.

[0323] The group key is sent by TMF to A-IoT device #1.

[0324] Function{} represents an encryption algorithm or integrity protection algorithm. This encryption algorithm or integrity protection algorithm can be a pre-configured or pre-defined algorithm, or an algorithm that is pre-aligned between TMF and A-IoT device #1. For example, the encryption algorithm or integrity protection algorithm can be any of the following algorithms: 128-NR encryption algorithm (NEA)1 (e.g., 128-bit Snow3rd generation (SNOW 3G) encryption algorithm); 128-NEA2 (e.g., 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm); 128-NEA3 (e.g., 128-bit Zu Chongzhi algorithm); 128-Evolved Packet System Encryption Algorithm (EEA)1 (e.g., 128-bit SNOW 3G algorithm); 128-EEA2 (e.g., 128-bit AES algorithm); 128-EEA3 (e.g., 128-bit Zu Chongzhi algorithm).

[0325] S1006, UEreader sends the first message.

[0326] Accordingly, the gNB receives the first message.

[0327] The first message includes information for identifying the A-IoT service and first information. The first information includes first data related to the first A-IoT service. The first A-IoT service is an inventory service, and the first data includes the ID of A-IoT device #1, or includes an encrypted ID of A-IoT device #1.

[0328] Optionally, the first data also includes fifth identification information, which is a temporary identifier assigned by the UEreader to the ID of A-IoT device #1, and the amount of data in the fifth identification information is less than the amount of data in the ID of A-IoT device #1.

[0329] For example, the first message is an RRC message.

[0330] S1007, gNB sends the first message.

[0331] Correspondingly, the TMF receives the first information.

[0332] Based on the information in the first message used to identify the A-IoT service, the gNB determines to send the first message to the TMF.

[0333] For example, gNB sends the first information to TMF via XXAP message.

[0334] S1008, TMF sends the ninth message.

[0335] Correspondingly, the gNB receives the ninth message.

[0336] The ninth message includes a first identifier and fifth information, the fifth information including fourth data related to the first A-IoT service. This first A-IoT service is a command service, and the fourth data includes the command. Optionally, if the command included in the fourth data is a write command, then the fourth data also includes data to be written to A-IoT device #1.

[0337] Optionally, the ninth message may also include information for identifying the A-IoT service. For example, this information for identifying the A-IoT service may be information for identifying a command service.

[0338] Optionally, if the first data includes the fifth identification information, then the fifth information also includes the fifth identification information; if the first data does not include the fifth identification information, then the fifth information includes the ID of A-IoT device #1, or includes the encrypted ID of A-IoT device #1.

[0339] For example, the ninth message is an XXAP message.

[0340] S1009, gNB sends the fifth message.

[0341] Correspondingly, the UEreader receives the fifth message.

[0342] The gNB can identify the UEreader based on the first identifier in the ninth message, and then send the fifth message to the UEreader.

[0343] For example, the gNB sends the fifth information to the UE reader via an RRC message.

[0344] S1010, UEreader sends the fourth data.

[0345] Correspondingly, A-IoT device #1 receives the fourth data.

[0346] The UEreader can identify A-IoT device #1 based on the fifth identification information in the fifth information or the ID of A-IoT device #1, and then send the fourth information to A-IoT device #1.

[0347] S1011, A-IoT device #1 sends the sixth data.

[0348] Correspondingly, UEreader receives the sixth data.

[0349] The sixth data is data related to the command service. For example, the sixth data includes feedback or response information to indicate whether the A-IoT device #1 has executed the command service.

[0350] S1012, UEreader sends message #A.

[0351] Correspondingly, the gNB receives message #A.

[0352] The first message includes information for identifying the A-IoT service and information #A. Information #A includes seventh data, which in turn includes sixth data. For example, the information for identifying the A-IoT service could be information for identifying a command service.

[0353] Optionally, the seventh data includes the fifth identification information, or includes the ID of A-IoT device #1 or an encrypted ID of A-IoT device #1.

[0354] For example, message #A is an RRC message.

[0355] S1013, gNB sends message #A.

[0356] Correspondingly, TMF receives information #A.

[0357] Based on the information in message #A used to identify the A-IoT service, gNB determines which message to send to TMF.

[0358] For example, gNB sends information #A to TMF via XXAP message.

[0359] After receiving information #A, TMF can determine that the sixth data is data sent by A-IoT device #1 based on the fifth identification information in information #A or the ID of A-IoT device #1.

[0360] The following description, in conjunction with Figures 11 and 12, describes the manner in which the second device and the third device interact with the first and second identifiers.

[0361] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 1100 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 1100 shown in Figure 11 may include the following steps:

[0362] S1101, AF sends a request message.

[0363] Accordingly, the third device receives the request message.

[0364] The request message is used to request the execution of a first A-IoT service. For example, the first A-IoT service is an inventory service, a command service, a location service, or a sensing service.

[0365] For example, the request message is a service request.

[0366] Optionally, the request message includes first region information, which is the region where the AF requests to execute the first A-IoT service.

[0367] Optionally, the request message includes information about the first A-IoT device, such as the ID of the first A-IoT device and / or information about the frequency bands supported by the first A-IoT device. This first A-IoT device is the A-IoT device for which the AF requests the execution of the first A-IoT service.

[0368] Optionally, the request message includes information about at least one first device. For example, the information about the first device may include one or more of the following: service area information of the first device or information about the frequency bands supported by the first device.

[0369] S1102, the third device sends the twelfth message.

[0370] Accordingly, the fourth device #A (an example of the fourth device) receives the twelfth message.

[0371] The twelfth message includes second information used to identify the third device. For example, the second information is the ID of the third device. For instance, if the third device is a TMF (Technology, Manufacturing, and Software), then the second information could be the TMF ID.

[0372] Optionally, the twelfth message may also include information about the first region.

[0373] Optionally, the twelfth message may also include information about the first A-IoT device.

[0374] Optionally, the twelfth message may also include information about at least one of the first devices.

[0375] For example, the twelfth message could be a first link association establishment request or a first link association indication. The first link is a link between a first device, a second device, and a third device. For example, the first link is a link between the UE, the gNB, and the TMF. Alternatively, the first link is a link between the second device and the third device. For example, the first link is a link between the gNB and the TMF.

[0376] Alternatively, the twelfth message may be used to request the establishment of a first association. This first association is an association between the first device, the second device, and the third device. For example, the first association is an association between the UE, the gNB, and the TMF. Alternatively, the first association is an association between the second device and the third device. For example, the first association is an association between the gNB and the TMF.

[0377] Establishing the first link or the first association includes the third device assigning a first identifier to the first device #A and / or the second device assigning a second identifier to the first device #A. Therefore, it can be understood that the twelfth message is used to request the third device to assign a first identifier to the first device #A, and / or to request the second device to assign a second identifier to the first device #A, so that the third device and / or the second device can uniquely identify the first device #A on the first interface.

[0378] It should be noted that if there are multiple fourth devices in the network, the third device can select fourth device #A from the multiple fourth devices and send the twelfth message to the selected fourth device #A.

[0379] For example, if the request message received by the third device includes information about the first region, then the third device can select the fourth device #A that provides services to the first region.

[0380] For example, a third device can send information about the first region to a data management network element (such as unified data management (UDM)); subsequently, the data management network element can send information about a fourth device #A that provides services to the first region to the third device. The fact that the fourth device #A provides services to the first region is equivalent to the service area of ​​the first device #A associated with the fourth device #A including the first region.

[0381] Taking at least one of the first devices, first device #1, as an example, first device #1 can report its information to a fourth device #1 that provides services to first device #1. The fourth device #1 can then forward the information of first device #1 to a data management network element, allowing the data management network element to associate the information of first device #1 with that of the fourth device #1. Furthermore, if the data management network element receives information from a first area of ​​a third device, it can determine, based on previously stored information of the first devices, that a first device #A whose service area includes the first area. Then, based on the association between the information of first device #A and the fourth device #A, it can determine the fourth device #A that provides services to the first area.

[0382] For example, if the request message received by the third device includes information about at least one first device, then the third device can select a fourth device #A to provide services to one or more of the at least one first device.

[0383] For example, a third device can send information about at least one first device to a data management network element; subsequently, the data management network element can send information about a fourth device #A that provides services to one or more of the at least one first device to the third device. The data management network element can determine the fourth device #A that provides services to one or more first devices based on previously stored associations between the fourth device and the first devices.

[0384] S1103, the fourth device #A sends the fifth message.

[0385] Correspondingly, the second device receives the fifth message.

[0386] The fifth message includes the second message.

[0387] For example, the fifth message may be a first link association establishment request or a first link association indication, or the fifth message may be used to request the second device to assign a second identifier to the first device #A.

[0388] For example, the fifth message is an NGAP message.

[0389] In one possible implementation, if the fourth device #A selects the first device #A from a plurality of first devices (example of the first device), the fifth message further includes a third identifier and / or a fourth identifier.

[0390] The third identifier is assigned by the fourth device #A to the first device #A. This third identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on the second interface. The second interface is the interface between the fourth device #A and the second device. Since the third identifier is assigned by the fourth device #A to the first device #A, the fourth device #A can directly and uniquely identify the first device #A on the second interface based on the third identifier. Therefore, it can be said that the third identifier is used by the fourth device #A to uniquely identify the first device #A on the second interface. Of course, the third identifier is not only used by the fourth device #A to uniquely identify the first device #A on the first interface, but it can also be used by the second device to uniquely identify the first device #A on the second interface. For example, after receiving the third identifier, the second device can index the fourth identifier based on the second identifier; that is, the third identifier and the fourth identifier have a one-to-one correspondence. Therefore, the second device can identify the first device #A based on the fourth identifier.

[0391] For example, the third identifier could be the AMF UE NGAP ID.

[0392] The fourth identifier is an identifier assigned by the second device to the first device #A. This fourth identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device #A on the first interface. Since the fourth identifier is assigned by the second device to the first device #A, the second device can directly and uniquely identify the first device #A on the second interface based on the fourth identifier. Therefore, it can be said that the fourth identifier is used by the second device to uniquely identify the first device #A on the second interface. Of course, the fourth identifier is not only used by the second device to uniquely identify the first device #A on the second interface, but also by the fourth device #A to uniquely identify the first device #A on the second interface. For example, after receiving the fourth identifier, the fourth device #A can index the third identifier based on the fourth identifier, and thus the fourth device #A can identify the first device #A based on the third identifier.

[0393] For example, the fourth identifier can be RAN UE NGAP ID.

[0394] Optionally, if the fourth device #A selects the first device #A, the fifth message may also include authorization instruction information, which is used to indicate that the first device #A can act as a reader / writer. In other words, the authorization instruction information is used to indicate that the first device #A can communicate with the first A-IoT device.

[0395] The following describes the manner in which the fourth device #A selected the first device #A from a plurality of first devices.

[0396] For example, if the twelfth message includes information about the first region, then the fourth device #A can select the first device #A to serve the first region from among the multiple first devices based on the service area information reported by the multiple first devices.

[0397] Optionally, the twelfth message may also include information about the first A-IoT device, such as information about the frequency bands supported by the first A-IoT device. Then, the fourth device #A may select the first device #A from among the multiple first devices based on the information about the frequency bands supported by the first devices reported by the multiple first devices. The frequency bands supported by the first device #A include the frequency bands supported by the first A-IoT device.

[0398] Optionally, the twelfth message may also include information about at least one first device, in which case the fourth device #A may select the first device #A from the at least one first device. For example, the first device #A selected by the fourth device may be the first device among the at least one first device that provides services to the first area.

[0399] In one possible implementation, if the fourth device #A does not select the first device #A, the fifth message may also include one or more of the following: information about the first region, information about the first A-IoT device, or information about at least one of the first devices.

[0400] S1104, the second device determines the third device based on the second information.

[0401] After receiving the fifth message, the second device can determine the third device based on the second information included in the fifth message.

[0402] It should be noted that S1104 is an optional step. For example, if in S1105, the second device sends a sixth message to the third device through the fourth device #A, then method 1100 may not execute S1104.

[0403] S1105, the second device sends the sixth message.

[0404] Correspondingly, the third device receives the sixth message.

[0405] The sixth message includes a second identifier and a third message. The second identifier is the identifier assigned by the second device to the first device #A. For a more detailed description of the second identifier, please refer to S901 in method 900 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0406] The third information is used to identify the second device. For example, the third information includes one or more of the following: user location information, cell ID, NR cell global identifier (NR CGI), or the identifier of the second device.

[0407] In one possible implementation, if the fifth message includes a third identifier and / or a fourth identifier, the second device can identify the first device #A based on the third identifier and / or the fourth identifier, and then assign a second identifier to the first device #A.

[0408] In one possible implementation, if the fifth message includes one or more of the following: information about the first region, information about the first A-IoT device, or information about at least one first device, then the second device can select the first device #A from the plurality of first devices based on the above information.

[0409] The method by which the second device selects the first device #A can be referenced from the method by which the fourth device #A selects the first device #A. For the sake of brevity, this application will not elaborate further.

[0410] The following describes how the second device sends the sixth message.

[0411] In one possible implementation, the second device sends a sixth message through the fourth device #A. That is, the second device sends the sixth message to the fourth device #A, and then the fourth device #A forwards the sixth message to the third device. In this implementation, the sixth message also includes second information. Accordingly, the fourth device #A can determine the third device based on the second information and forward the sixth message to the third device.

[0412] In one possible implementation, the second device directly sends the sixth message to the third device. That is, the second device can determine the third device based on the second information in the fifth message and send the sixth message to the third device. For example, the sixth message is an XXAP message.

[0413] S1106, the third device sends the seventh message.

[0414] Correspondingly, the second device receives the seventh message.

[0415] The seventh message includes a first identifier and a second identifier. The first identifier is the identifier assigned by the third device to the first device #A. For a more detailed description of the first identifier, please refer to S901 in method 900 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0416] It should be noted that after the third device receives the sixth message, it can determine that the second identifier is the identifier assigned by the second device to the first device #A. Then, the third device assigns the first identifier to the first device #A and saves the association between the first identifier and the second identifier.

[0417] Correspondingly, after receiving the seventh message, the second device can save the association between the first identifier and the second identifier.

[0418] It should also be noted that the third device can determine the second device based on the third information in the sixth message, and then send the seventh message to the second device.

[0419] For example, the seventh message is an XXAP message. Optionally, the seventh message may also include a service request received by the third device in S1101.

[0420] For example, the seventh message is a service request message, that is, the seventh message is used to request the execution of the first A-IoT service.

[0421] In this embodiment, the second device and the third device can interact to assign a first identifier and a second identifier to the first device #A. This facilitates the unique identification of the first device #A on the first interface by using the first identifier and / or the second identifier when the second device and the third device transmit data and / or signaling related to the first device #A through the first interface. For example, if the second device receives a message #1 from the third device, and the message #1 includes a first identifier and data #1, the second device can determine, based on the first identifier, that the data #1 should be sent to the first device #A. As another example, if the third device receives a message #2 from the second device, and the message #2 includes a second identifier and data #2, the third device can determine, based on the second identifier, that the data #2 is data from the first device #A.

[0422] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 1200 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 1200 shown in Figure 12 may include the following steps:

[0423] S1201, AF sends a request message.

[0424] Accordingly, the third device receives the request message.

[0425] For a more detailed description of S1201, please refer to S1101 in Method 1100 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0426] Furthermore, method 1200 executes S1202 and S1203, or method 1200 executes S1204.

[0427] S1202, the third device sends the twelfth message.

[0428] Accordingly, the fourth device #A (an example of the fourth device) receives the twelfth message.

[0429] For a more detailed description of S1202, please refer to S1102 in Method 1100 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0430] S1203, Fourth device #A sends message #B.

[0431] Correspondingly, the third device receives message #B.

[0432] Message #B includes third information, which is used to identify the second device. Further description of the third information can be found in S1105 of method 1100 above.

[0433] The third device is used to provide services to the first device #A, which is selected by the fourth device #A from at least one first device. The method by which the fourth device #A selects the first device #A can be referred to the description in S1103 of method 1100 above.

[0434] S1204, the third device acquires the third information.

[0435] For example, in S1204, the third device selects a fourth device #A from at least one fourth device, and then selects a first device #A from at least one first device associated with the fourth device #A. The third device may then determine to obtain third information, which is used to determine a second device to provide services to the first device #A.

[0436] The method by which the third device selects the fourth device #A can be referred to the description in S1102 of method 1100 above. The method by which the third device selects the first device #A can be referred to the method by which the fourth device selects the first device #A as described in S1103 of method 1100 above.

[0437] S1205, the third device sends the third message.

[0438] Correspondingly, the second device receives the third message.

[0439] The third message includes a first identifier and a second message. The first identifier is an identifier assigned by the third device to the first device #A. For a more detailed description of the first identifier, please refer to S901 in method 900 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0440] The second information is used to identify the second device. For example, the second information includes an identifier of the third device.

[0441] For example, the third message is an XXAP message.

[0442] For example, the third message could be a first link association establishment request or a first link association indication. The first link is a link between a first device, a second device, and a third device. For example, the first link is a link between the UE, gNB, and TMF. Alternatively, the first link is a link between the second device and the third device. For example, the first link is a link between the gNB and the TMF.

[0443] S1206, the second device sends the fourth message.

[0444] Correspondingly, the third device receives the fourth message.

[0445] The fourth message includes a first identifier and a second identifier. The second identifier is the identifier assigned by the second device to the first device #A. For a more detailed description of the second identifier, please refer to S901 in method 900 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0446] It should be noted that after the second device receives the third message, it can determine that the first identifier is the identifier assigned by the third device to the first device #A. Then, the second device assigns the second identifier to the first device #A and saves the association between the first identifier and the second identifier.

[0447] Correspondingly, after receiving the fourth message, the third device can save the association between the first identifier and the second identifier.

[0448] It should also be noted that the second device can determine the third device based on the second information in the third message, and then send the fourth message to the third device.

[0449] For example, the fourth message is an XXAP message.

[0450] For example, the fourth message could be a first link association establishment response or a first link association indication.

[0451] In this embodiment, the second device and the third device can interact to assign a first identifier and a second identifier to the first device #A. This facilitates the unique identification of the first device #A on the first interface by using the first identifier and / or the second identifier when the second device and the third device transmit data and / or signaling related to the first device #A through the first interface. For example, if the second device receives a message #1 from the third device, and the message #1 includes a first identifier and data #1, the second device can determine, based on the first identifier, that the data #1 should be sent to the first device #A. As another example, if the third device receives a message #2 from the second device, and the message #2 includes a second identifier and data #2, the third device can determine, based on the second identifier, that the data #2 is data from the first device #A.

[0452] As mentioned above, the second device involved in this embodiment can be an ORAN architecture. The following is a brief description of the application of the communication methods shown in Figures 9 to 12 under the ORAN architecture, using a gNB as an example. Under the ORAN architecture, "gNB" in the communication method steps shown in Figures 9 to 12 can be extended to "gNB-CU" and "gNB-DU".

[0453] For example, in the communication methods shown in Figures 9 to 12 above, the gNB receiving a message (e.g., a second message) from the third device can be replaced by the gNB-CU receiving a message from the third device, and the gNB sending a message (e.g., a sixth message) or information (e.g., a first message) to the third device can be replaced by the gNB-CU sending a message or information to the third device.

[0454] For example, in the communication methods shown in Figures 9 to 12 above, the gNB receiving a message from the fourth device (e.g., the twelfth message) can be replaced by the gNB-CU receiving a message from the fourth device, and the gNB sending a message or information (e.g., the first information) to the fourth device can be replaced by the gNB-CU sending a message or information to the fourth device.

[0455] For example, in the communication methods shown in Figures 9 to 12 above, the gNB receiving a message (e.g., a first message) from the first device can be replaced by the gNB-DU receiving a message from the first device, and the gNB sending a message or information (e.g., a fifth message) to the first device can be replaced by the gNB-DU sending a message or information to the first device.

[0456] For example, in method 900 shown in Figure 9 above, in S901, the third device sends a second message to the gNB-CU, and the gNB-CU sends the second message to the gNB-DU through the F1 interface between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU. Then, in S902, the gNB-DU sends information for identifying the A-IoT service to the first device. In S903, the third device sends a tenth message to the gNB-CU, and the gNB-CU sends the tenth message to the gNB-DU through the F1 interface between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU. Then, in S904, the gNB-DU sends an eleventh message to the first device. In S905, the first device sends a first message to the gNB-DU, and the gNB-DU sends the first message to the gNB-DU through the F1 interface between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU. Then, in S906a, the gNB-CU sends first information to the third device, or, in S906b, the gNB-CU sends first information to the fourth device. In S907, the third device sends the ninth message to the gNB-CU, and the gNB-CU sends the ninth message to the gNB-DU through the F1 interface between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU. Then, in S908, the gNB-DU sends the fifth message to the first device.

[0457] For example, in method 1000 shown in Figure 10 above, in S1001, the TMF sends a second message to the gNB-CU, and the gNB-CU sends the second message to the gNB-DU through the F1 interface between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU. Then, in S1002, the gNB-DU sends information for identifying the A-IoT service to the UE reader. In S1006, the UE reader sends a first message to the gNB-DU, and the gNB-DU sends the first message to the gNB-DU through the F1 interface between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU. Then, in S1007, the gNB-CU sends first information to the TMF. In S1008, the third device sends a ninth message to the gNB-CU, and the gNB-CU sends the ninth message to the gNB-DU through the F1 interface between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU. Then, in S1009, the gNB-DU sends fifth information to the UE reader. In S1012, the UEreader sends message #A to the gNB-DU, and the gNB-DU sends message #A to the gNB-DU through the F1 interface between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU. Then, in S1013, the gNB-CU sends information #A to the TMF.

[0458] For example, in method 1000 shown in Figure 11 above, in S1003, the fourth device #A sends a fifth message to the gNB-CU. In S1105, the gNB-CU sends a sixth message to the third device. In S1106, the third device sends a seventh message to the gNB-CU.

[0459] For example, in method 1000 shown in Figure 12 above, in S1205, the third device sends a third message to the gNB-CU. In S1206, the gNB-CU sends a fourth message to the third device.

[0460] It should be understood that the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0461] It should also be understood that, in the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0462] It should also be understood that in some of the above embodiments, exemplary descriptions are mainly based on devices in existing network architectures (such as A-IoT devices or core network elements). It should be understood that the specific form of the device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. For example, any device that can achieve the same function in the future is applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0463] Those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0464] The communication device provided in this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 13 to 15. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments. Therefore, for details not described in detail, please refer to the method embodiments above; for brevity, some details will not be repeated.

[0465] This application embodiment can divide the transmitting or receiving device into functional modules according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the division of functional modules according to each function as an example.

[0466] Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1300 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 1300 includes a transceiver module 1310 and a processing module 1320. The transceiver module 1310 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 1320 is used for data processing. In other words, the transceiver module 1310 is used to perform operations related to receiving and sending, and the processing module 1320 is used to perform other operations besides receiving and sending. The transceiver module 1310 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0467] Optionally, the device 1300 may further include a storage module 1330, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 1320 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the device can perform the actions in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0468] In one design, the device 1300 may correspond to the first device in the above method embodiment.

[0469] The device 1300 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the first device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 1310 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the first device in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 1320 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the first device in the above method embodiments.

[0470] In one possible implementation, transceiver module 1310 is configured to receive information from a second device for identifying an A-IoT service, wherein the information for identifying the A-IoT service is allocated by a third device. Transceiver module 1310 is also configured to send a first message, the first message including first information and information for identifying the A-IoT service, the first message including first data related to the first A-IoT service.

[0471] When the device 1300 is used to execute the method in FIG9, the transceiver module 1310 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as S902, S904, S905 or S908. The processing module 1320 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0472] When the device 1300 is used to execute the method in FIG10, the transceiver module 1310 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as S1002, S1003, S1004, S1005, S1006, S1009, S1010, S1011 or S1012. The processing module 1320 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0473] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0474] In another design, the device 1300 may correspond to the second device in the above method embodiment.

[0475] The device 1300 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the second device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 1310 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the second device in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 1320 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the second device in the above method embodiments.

[0476] In one possible implementation, transceiver module 1310 is configured to receive a first message from a first device, the first message including first information. Transceiver module 1310 is further configured to send the first information to a third device when the first message includes information for identifying an A-IoT service, the first information including first data related to the first A-IoT service, the transmission of the first information not via a fourth device. Transceiver module 1310 is further configured to send the first information to a fourth device when the first message does not include information for identifying an A-IoT service, the first information including second data not related to the A-IoT service.

[0477] When the device 1300 is used to execute the method in FIG9, the transceiver module 1310 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as S901 to S908. The processing module 1320 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0478] When the device 1300 is used to execute the method in FIG10, the transceiver module 1310 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as S1001, S1002, S1006, S1007, S1008, S1009, S1012 or S1013. The processing module 1320 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0479] When the device 1300 is used to execute the method in FIG11, the transceiver module 1310 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as S1103, S1105 or S1106. The processing module 1320 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as S1104.

[0480] When the device 1300 is used to execute the method in FIG12, the transceiver module 1310 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as S1205 or S1206. The processing module 1320 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0481] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0482] In another design, the device 1300 may correspond to the third device in the above method embodiment.

[0483] The device 1300 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to the third device in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver module 1310 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the third device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 1320 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the third device in the above method embodiment.

[0484] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 1310 is used to send a second message to the second device. The second message includes information for identifying the A-IoT service and a first identifier. The first identifier is used to uniquely identify the first device on a first interface, which is an interface between the second device and the third device.

[0485] When the device 1300 is used to execute the method in FIG9, the transceiver module 1310 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as S901, S903, S906a or S907. The processing module 1320 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0486] When the device 1300 is used to execute the method in FIG10, the transceiver module 1310 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as S1001, S1007, S1008 or S1013. The processing module 1320 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0487] When the device 1300 is used to execute the method in FIG11, the transceiver module 1310 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as S1101, S1102, S1105 or S1106. The processing module 1320 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0488] When the device 1300 is used to execute the method in FIG12, the transceiver module 1310 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as S1201 to S1206. The processing module 1320 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0489] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0490] It should also be understood that the device 1300 here is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" here can refer to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, processors (e.g., shared processors, proprietary processors, or group processors, etc.) and memories for executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuits, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 1300 may specifically be a mobility management network element in the above embodiments, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the mobility management network element in the above method embodiments; or, the device 1300 may specifically be a terminal device in the above embodiments, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device in the above method embodiments. To avoid repetition, further details are omitted here.

[0491] The apparatus 1300 of each of the above-described schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the apparatus (such as the first apparatus, the second apparatus, or the third apparatus) in the above-described methods. This function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions; for example, the transceiver module can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the transmitting unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as processing modules, can be replaced by processors, which respectively execute the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0492] In addition, the transceiver module 1310 can also be a transceiver circuit (for example, it may include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing module 1320 can be a processing circuit.

[0493] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 1400 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 1400 includes a processor 1410, which executes computer programs or instructions stored in a memory 1430, or reads data / signaling stored in the memory 1430, to perform the methods in the above-described method embodiments. Optionally, there may be one or more processors 1410.

[0494] Optionally, as shown in FIG14, the device 1400 further includes a memory 1430 for storing computer programs or instructions and / or data. The memory 1430 may be integrated with the processor 1410 or may be disposed separately. Optionally, there may be one or more memories 1430.

[0495] Optionally, as shown in FIG14, the device 1400 further includes a transceiver 1420 for receiving and / or transmitting signals. For example, a processor 1410 is used to control the transceiver 1420 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0496] As one option, the device 1400 is used to implement the operations performed by the first device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0497] As an alternative, the device 1400 is used to perform the operations performed by the second device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0498] As an alternative, the device 1400 is used to perform the operations performed by the third device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0499] 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.

[0500] 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).

[0501] 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.

[0502] 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.

[0503] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 1500 provided in an embodiment of this application. The chip system 1500 (or may also be called a processing system) includes logic circuitry 1510 and an input / output interface 1520.

[0504] The logic circuit 1510 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 1500. The logic circuit 1510 can be coupled to a memory unit, calling instructions from the memory unit, enabling the chip system 1500 to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application. The input / output interface 1520 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 1500, outputting processed information from the chip system 1500, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 1500 for processing.

[0505] As one option, the chip system 1500 is used to implement the operations performed by the first device, the second device, or the third device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0506] For example, logic circuit 1510 is used to implement processing-related operations performed by the first device, second device, or third device in the above method embodiments; input / output interface 1520 is used to implement sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the first device, second device, or third device in the above method embodiments.

[0507] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the first device, the second device, or the third device in the above-described method embodiments.

[0508] For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, it enables the computer to implement the methods performed by the first device, the second device, or the third device in the various embodiments of the above methods.

[0509] This application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the first device, the second device, or the third device in the above-described method embodiments.

[0510] This application also provides a communication system, including one or more of the aforementioned first device, second device, or third device.

[0511] 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.

[0512] 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.

[0513] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0514] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0515] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0516] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0517] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0518] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0519] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, the method being applied to a second device, characterized in that, Comprising: receiving a first message from a first device, the first message comprising first information; if the first message comprises information for identifying an Ambient Internet of Things, A-IoT, service, sending the first information to a third device, the first information comprising first data related to a first A-IoT service, the sending of the first information not being via a fourth device, wherein the third device is for transmitting A-IoT data and / or signaling, and the fourth device is for transmitting non-A-IoT data and / or signaling; and, if the first message does not comprise information for identifying an A-IoT service, sending the first information to a fourth device, the first information comprising second data related to a non-A-IoT service; wherein the first device is in communication with an A-IoT device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to receiving the first message from the first device, the method further comprises: receiving a second message from a third device, the second message comprising the first identification and the information for identifying an A-IoT service, the first identification being for uniquely identifying the first device on a first interface, the first interface being an interface between the second device and the third device; sending the information for identifying an A-IoT service to the first device according to the first identification.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, prior to receiving the second message from the third device, the method further comprises: receiving a third message from the third device, the third message comprising the first identification and second information, the second information being for determining the third device; determining the third device according to the second information; sending a fourth message to the third device, the fourth message comprising a second identification and the first identification, the second identification being for uniquely identifying the first device on the first interface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, prior to receiving the second message from the third device, the method further comprises: receiving a fifth message from a fourth device, the fifth message comprising second information, the second information being for determining the third device; determining the third device according to the second information; sending a sixth message to the third device, the sixth message comprising a second identification and third information, the third information being for determining the second device, the second identification being for uniquely identifying the first device on the first interface; receiving a seventh message from the third device, the seventh message comprising the second identification and the first identification.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, the fifth message further comprises a third identification and / or a fourth identification, wherein the third identification is for uniquely identifying the first device on a second interface, and the fourth identification is for uniquely identifying the first device on the second interface, the second interface being an interface between the second device and the fourth device; prior to sending the sixth message to the third device, the method further comprises: determining the first device according to the third identification and / or the fourth identification.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the fifth message further comprises information of the first device, the information of the first device comprising one or more of: service area information of the first device, frequency band information supported by the first device. Before sending a sixth message to the third device, the method further comprises: determining the first device according to the information of the first device.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein before receiving the first message from the first device, the method further comprises: receiving an eighth message from a fourth device, the eighth message comprising a third identity and fourth information, the fourth information comprising third data related to the non-A-IoT service, the third identity being used to uniquely identify the first device on a second interface, the second interface being an interface between the second device and the fourth device; sending the third data to the first device according to the third identity. The first information comprises the first data, and the first information further comprises fifth identity information and an identity of a first A-IoT device, the fifth identity information being used to uniquely identify the first A-IoT device, the first A-IoT device being used to perform the first A-IoT service. The method further comprises:

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, receiving a ninth message from the third device, the ninth message comprising a first identity and fifth information, the first identity being used to uniquely identify the first device on a first interface, the first interface being an interface between the second device and the third device, the fifth information comprising fourth data related to the first A-IoT service and the fifth identity information; 9. The method of claim 8, wherein, sending the fifth information to the first device according to the first identity.

10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first information comprises the first data, and the first information further comprises fifth identity information, the fifth identity information being used to uniquely identify a first A-IoT device, the first A-IoT device being used to perform the first A-IoT service, before receiving the first message from the first device, the method further comprises: receiving a tenth message from the third device, the tenth message comprising a first identity, the fifth identity information, and an identity of the first A-IoT device, the first identity being used to uniquely identify the first device on a first interface, the first interface being an interface between the second device and the third device; sending an eleventh message to the first device according to the first identity, the eleventh message comprising the fifth identity information and the identity of the first A-IoT device. The information used to identify the A-IoT service comprises one or more of: a task identity corresponding to the A-IoT service, a session identity corresponding to the A-IoT service, or a service identity corresponding to the A-IoT service. The first device comprises a terminal device or a chip in a terminal device. comprises:

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, ​ 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, ​ 13. A communication method, the method being applied to a first apparatus, characterized by, ​ receive, from a second device, information for identifying an ambient Internet of Things, A-IoT, service, the information for identifying the A-IoT service being assigned by a third device; send, to the second device, a first message, the first message comprising first information and the information for identifying the A-IoT service, the first information comprising first data related to a first A-IoT service; wherein the first device comprises a terminal device or a chip in a terminal device, and the third device is configured to transmit A-IoT data and / or signaling.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The first information further comprises fifth identification information and an identification of a first A-IoT device, the fifth identification information being used to uniquely identify the first A-IoT device, and the first A-IoT device being configured to perform the first A-IoT service.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving, from the second device, fifth information, the fifth information comprising fourth data related to the first A-IoT service and the fifth identification information; sending, to the first A-IoT device, the fourth data according to the fifth identification information.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first information further comprises fifth identification information, the fifth identification information being used to uniquely identify a first A-IoT device, and the first A-IoT device being configured to perform the first A-IoT service, before sending the first message to the second device, the method further comprises: receiving, from the second device, an eleventh message, the eleventh message comprising the fifth identification information and an identification of the first A-IoT device.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that, The information for identifying the A-IoT service comprises one or more of: a task identification corresponding to the A-IoT service, a session identification corresponding to the A-IoT service, or a service identification corresponding to the A-IoT service.

18. A communication method, the method being applied to a third device, the method comprising: comprising: sending, to a second device, a second message, the second message comprising information for identifying an ambient Internet of Things, A-IoT, service and a first identification, the first identification being used to uniquely identify the first device on a first interface, the first interface being an interface between the second device and a third device; wherein the first device comprises a terminal device or a chip in a terminal device, and the third device is configured to transmit A-IoT data and / or signaling.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein before sending the second message to the second device, the method further comprises: receiving a request message, the request message being used to request to perform a first A-IoT service; sending, to a fourth device, a twelfth message, the twelfth message comprising second information, the second information being used to determine the third device; receiving, from the second device, a sixth message, the sixth message comprising a second identification and third information, the third information being used to determine the second device, and the second identification being used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface; determining the second device according to the third information; sending, to the second device, a seventh message, the seventh message comprising the first identification and the second identification; The fourth device is configured to transmit non-A-IoT data and / or signaling.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The twelfth message further comprises information of the first device, and the information of the first device comprises one or more of the following: service area information of the first device or frequency band information supported by the first device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein, Before sending the second message to the second device, the method further comprises: receiving a request message, the request message being used to request to perform a first A-IoT service; obtaining third information, the third information being used to determine the second device; sending a third message to the second device, the third message comprising the first identifier and second information, the second information being used to determine the third device; receiving a fourth message from the second device, the fourth message comprising a second identifier and the first identifier, the second identifier being used to uniquely identify the first device on the first interface.

22. The method of any one of claims 18-21, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving first information from the second device, the first information comprising first data related to a first A-IoT service, the first information further comprising fifth identifier information and an identifier of a first A-IoT device, the fifth identifier information being used to uniquely identify the first A-IoT device, the first A-IoT device being used to perform the first A-IoT service.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, The method further comprises: sending fifth information to the second device, the fifth information comprising fourth data related to the first A-IoT service and the fifth identifier information.

24. The method of any one of claims 18-21, wherein, The method further comprises: sending a tenth message to the second device, the tenth message comprising the first identifier and fifth information, the fifth information comprising fifth identifier information and an identifier of a first A-IoT device, the fifth identifier information being used to uniquely identify the first A-IoT device, the first A-IoT device being used to perform a first A-IoT service; first information from the second device, the first information comprising first data related to the first A-IoT service and the fifth identifier information.

25. The method of any one of claims 18-24, wherein, The information used to identify the A-IoT service comprises one or more of the following: a task identifier corresponding to the A-IoT service, a session identifier corresponding to the A-IoT service, or a service identifier corresponding to the A-IoT service.

26. A communication apparatus, the communication apparatus being a second apparatus, characterized by: The communication device comprises an access network device or a chip in an access network device.

27. The communication apparatus according to claim 26, wherein The communication device comprises an access network device or a chip in an access network device.

28. A communication device, the communication device being a first device, characterized by The communication device comprises an access network device or a chip in an access network device.

29. The communication apparatus according to claim 28, wherein The communication device comprises an access network device or a chip in an access network device.

30. A communication apparatus, the communication apparatus being a third apparatus, characterized by: The communication device comprises an access network device or a chip in an access network device.

31. The communication apparatus according to claim 30, wherein The computer readable storage medium stores computer instructions, which when executed, cause the method of any of claims 1-25 to be implemented.

32. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising: The computer program product, when executed, causes the method of any of claims 1-25 to be implemented.

33. A computer program product, characterised in that, ​

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