Service flow management method, device, function, storage medium, and product

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are a service flow management method, a device, a function, a storage medium, and a product. The method comprises: a first network device receiving first requests sent by at least two terminal devices, summarizing each first request, and sending a second request to a second network device; receiving a first message sent by the second network device, and determining direct communication between the at least two terminal devices on the basis of the first message; sending a second message to the at least two terminal devices, so that the at least two terminal devices establish a first direct link on the basis of the second message; receiving a third request sent by the second network device, and requesting the at least two terminal devices and a first function to provide a QoS parameter of a service flow; sending an integrated service flow QoS parameter to the second network device, so that the second network device can carry out performance information analysis on the integrated service flow QoS parameter; receiving a seventh message sent by a second network function, and adjusting, on the basis of the seventh message and in cooperation with the first function, a network side service flow resource.

Description

Method, device, function, storage medium and product for managing service flow

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] The present disclosure claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411303506.X, filed on September 18, 2024, and entitled "Method, device, function, storage medium and product for managing service flow", the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to, but is not limited to, the field of communication, and in particular to a method for managing service flow, a first network device, a first terminal device, a second network device, a first function, a computer-readable storage medium and a computer program product. BACKGROUND

[0004] Extended Reality (XR) is an important service newly introduced by the 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G)-Advanced (5GA) network, which combines reality and virtuality for immersive service experience of human-computer interaction. XR service belongs to multi-modal service with high data bandwidth and low latency requirement. The definition of XR related capabilities in the relevant standard mainly involves the policy management operation of XR service flow through the network side User Plane Function (UPF). However, there is no solution for the policy management operation of XR service flow that does not go through the UPF. SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for managing service flow, a first network device, a first terminal device, a second network device, a first function, a computer-readable storage medium and a computer program product, and propose a method and system for enabling network to realize multi-modal service flow collaboration, which can realize collaborative management operation between different connections of multi-modal service of industry application.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for managing service flow, applied to a first network device, comprising:

[0007] receive a first request sent by at least two terminal devices; wherein the first request is used to request service flow transmission on a first direct link between the at least two terminal devices; the first request comprises first information; the first information comprises one or more of the following: identification of the at least two terminal devices, multi-modal service identification, identification of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link;

[0008] aggregate the first information in each of the first requests, and send a second request to a second network device corresponding to the first information; wherein the second request is used to request a transmission strategy of a service flow on a direct link; the direct link comprises the first direct link;

[0009] receive a first message sent by the second network device; wherein the first message comprises one or more of the following: whether to allow establishment of a direct link, whether to allow transmission of a service flow on the direct link, identification of each service flow to be transmitted on the direct link, and a control strategy corresponding to the direct link;

[0010] based on the first message, decide direct communication between the at least two terminal devices;

[0011] send a second message to the at least two terminal devices; wherein the second message comprises whether to allow establishment of the first direct link, whether to allow transmission of a first service flow on the first direct link, identification of the first service flow, and a control strategy corresponding to the first direct link.

[0012] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a service flow management method applied to a first terminal device, comprising:

[0013] send a first request to a first network device; wherein the first request is used to request service flow transmission on a first direct link between at least two terminal devices; the first request comprises first information; the first information comprises one or more of the following: identification of the at least two terminal devices, multi-modal service identification, and identification of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link; the at least two terminal devices comprise the first terminal device;

[0014] receive a second message sent by the first network device; wherein the second message comprises whether to allow establishment of the first direct link, whether to allow transmission of a service flow on the first direct link, identification of each service flow to be transmitted on the first direct link, and a control strategy corresponding to the first direct link;

[0015] based on the second message, establish the first direct link.

[0016] In a third aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a service flow management method applied to a second network device, comprising:

[0017] receiving a second request sent by the first network device; wherein the second request is used to request to obtain a transmission policy of a service flow on a direct link between terminals;

[0018] authenticating the terminals to determine whether the terminals have a permission to transmit the service flow on the direct link;

[0019] sending a first message to the first network device; wherein the first message comprises one or more of the following: whether to allow the direct link to be established, whether to allow the service flow to be transmitted on the direct link, an identifier of each service flow to be transmitted on the direct link, and a control policy corresponding to the direct link.

[0020] In a fourth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a service flow management method, applied to a first function, comprising:

[0021] sending a fifth request to the first network device; wherein the fifth request is used to request to obtain a quality of service parameter of a service flow on a communication link; the communication link is a communication link between the network device and the terminal device;

[0022] sending a fifth message to the first network device; wherein the fifth message comprises an identifier of a second service flow transmitted on the communication link and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the second service flow.

[0023] In a fifth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a first network device, comprising:

[0024] a first receiving part configured to receive a first request sent by at least two terminals; wherein the first request is used to request to transmit a service flow on a first direct link between the at least two terminals; the first request comprises first information; the first information comprises one or more of the following: an identifier of the at least two terminals, a multi-modal service identifier, and an identifier of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link;

[0025] a first processing part configured to aggregate the first information in each of the first requests;

[0026] a first sending part configured to send a second request to a second network device corresponding to the first information; wherein the second request is used to request to obtain a transmission policy of a service flow on a direct link; the direct link comprises the first direct link

[0027] a first receiving part configured to receive a first message sent by a second network device; wherein the first message comprises one or more of the following: whether to allow establishment of a direct link, whether to allow transmission of a service flow on the direct link, an identifier of each service flow to be transmitted on the direct link, a control policy corresponding to the direct link;

[0028] a first processing part configured to decide direct communication between the at least two terminal devices based on the first message;

[0029] a first sending part configured to send a second message to the at least two terminal devices; wherein the second message comprises whether to allow establishment of a first direct link, whether to allow transmission of a first service flow on the first direct link, an identifier of the first service flow, and a control policy corresponding to the first direct link.

[0030] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a first terminal device, which comprises:

[0031] a second sending part configured to send a first request to a first network device; wherein the first request is used to request service flow transmission between the at least two terminal devices on a first direct link; the first request comprises first information; the first information comprises one or more of the following: an identifier of the at least two terminal devices, a multi-modal service identifier, and an identifier of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link; and the at least two terminal devices comprise the first terminal device;

[0032] a second receiving part configured to receive a second message sent by the first network device; wherein the second message comprises whether to allow establishment of the first direct link, whether to allow transmission of a service flow on the first direct link, an identifier of each service flow to be transmitted on the first direct link, and a control policy corresponding to the first direct link;

[0033] a second processing part configured to establish the first direct link based on the second message.

[0034] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a second network device, which comprises:

[0035] a third receiving part configured to receive a second request sent by a first network device; wherein the second request is used to request a transmission policy of a service flow on a direct link between terminal devices;

[0036] a third processing part configured to authenticate the terminal devices to determine whether the terminal devices have a right to transmit the service flow on the direct link;

[0037] The third sending part is configured to send a first message to the first network device; wherein the first message comprises one or more of the following: whether to allow establishment of a direct link, whether to allow transmission of a service flow on the direct link, an identification of each service flow to be transmitted on the direct link, and a control policy corresponding to the direct link.

[0038] In an eighth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a first function, which comprises:

[0039] The fourth sending part is configured to send a fifth request to the first network device; wherein the fifth request is used to request acquisition of a quality of service parameter of a service flow on a communication path; and the communication link is a communication link between the network device and the terminal device.

[0040] The fourth sending part is configured to send a fifth message to the first network device; wherein the fifth message comprises an identification of a second service flow transmitted on the communication link and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the second service flow.

[0041] In a ninth aspect, a communication device comprises:

[0042] The memory is configured to store executable instructions;

[0043] The processor is configured to execute the executable instructions stored in the memory to implement the service flow management method described above.

[0044] In a tenth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium configured to store a computer program, which causes a computer to execute the service flow management method described above.

[0045] In an eleventh aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a computer program product comprising computer program instructions, which cause a computer to execute the service flow management method described above.

[0046] The present disclosure, through a first network device, i.e., an enabling network server, implements collaborative management operation between inter-UE multi-modal service flows, provides a unified policy control interface for customers, and supports authorization to specify direct transmission of specific XR multi-modal service flows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0047] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings required to be used in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be briefly introduced. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

[0048] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an XR service capability opening architecture provided in the related art;

[0049] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method for managing a service flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a system for managing a service flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for managing a service flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0052] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method for managing a service flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0053] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a first network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0054] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a first terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0055] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a second network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0056] FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a first function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0057] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] In order to enable persons skilled in the art to better understand the present disclosure, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by persons skilled in the art without creative work fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0059] The terms "first", "second", and the like in the description and claims of the present disclosure and the above drawings are used to distinguish different objects, and are not used to describe a particular order. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but can optionally include other steps or units not listed or can optionally include other steps or units inherent to the process, method, product, or device.

[0060] Reference to“an embodiment” herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase“in an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment, nor are they necessarily mutually exclusive of one another. It is expressly understood that any of the embodiments described herein can be incorporated into any other embodiment.

[0061] Before explaining the present disclosure, the XR multi-modal service in the related art is described herein:

[0062] Currently, 5GA extends the XR multi-modal service on the basis of the capability triangle defined by 5G. The demand of XR multi-modal service is first proposed in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 18 (R18) series of specifications, and the network media plane guarantee capability of multi-modal service Quality of Service (QoS) is enhanced and improved in subsequent specifications. In 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 22.261, the multi-modal communication service demand is defined, the multi-modal service can obtain input from one or more message sources and / or provide output to one or more destinations, and the focus of the multi-modal service is to keep the message synchronization between multimedia streams; in addition, in order to guarantee the quality of service, more customized network capabilities are required to be provided by the 5G network, such as in the game or training scenario, the service data (such as game content rendering, etc.) may need to be directly transmitted between multiple XR devices connected to 5G, to improve transmission efficiency, reduce transmission delay and network load.

[0063] In the latest mobile-led project in 3GPP Stand alone (SA) 6: FS_XRApp, 23.700-23, by defining XR-Enabling Server (XRApp-S) and XR-Enabling Client (XRApp-C), it is used to provide network XR service coordination control capabilities to vertical industry application clients and servers. As shown in FIG. 1, the XRApp-C is deployed on the terminal side, for example, in the vertical application layer (VAL) UE. The XRApp-S can call 5G network capabilities through the N33 / N5 interface. The XRApp-S belongs to one of the functional modules of the Service Enabler Architecture Layer for Verticals (SEALDD) architecture; the Application Server (AS) can uniformly call the underlying network slice-related capabilities through the XRApp-S. The 5G network function communicates with the 3GPP network system through the N6 interface.

[0064] It should be noted that the VAL side in FIG. 1 includes VAL client(s) and VAL server(s). The service enabler architecture layer (SEAL) side includes SEALDD client(s) and SEALDD server(s). The XRApp belongs to the SEALDD client(s) or / and the SEALDD server(s). The VAL client(s) communicates with the SEALDD client(s) through the SEALDD client interface (SEALDD-C); the VAL server(s) communicates with the SEALDD server(s) through the SEALDD server interface (SEALDD-S); the SEALDD servers interact through the SEALDD-E; the VAL client(s) communicates with the VAL server(s) through the VAL-UU interface; the SEALDD client(s) communicates with the SEALDD server(s) through the SEALDD-UU interface. The VAL UE can include the VAL client(s) and the SEALDD client(s).

[0065] 3GPP defines the XR multi-flow QoS guarantee and multi-flow coordination capabilities in the XR-related standards, but compared with other related technical methods, the standards have the following problems:

[0066] In the current 3GPP standard, QoS policy management, network information opening, PDU Set identification and other capabilities are proposed for XR service flows, but mainly involve policy management operations for XR service flows through the network side UPF. The management of the transmission policy of the XR service flow between the multi-modal terminal UE, and the collaborative management between the network side and the multi-modal service flow, have not yet been proposed.

[0067] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a service flow management method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the method is applied to a service flow management system, which includes a first network device, a second network device, a first terminal device, and a first function. The method includes:

[0068] Step 201: At least two terminal devices send a first request to the first network device.

[0069] The first request, also known as a UE-to-UE direct service flow transmission request, is used to request service flow transmission between at least two terminal devices on a first direct link. The first request includes first information. The first information includes one or more of the following: the identity of the at least two terminal devices, the multi-modal service identity, and the identity of the service flow to be transmitted on the first direct link.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first terminal device obtains information of the second terminal device through service discovery. The second terminal device and the first terminal device can be directly connected and can use the same service. The at least two terminal devices include the first terminal device and the second terminal device. Here, service discovery refers to using a registration center to record the information of all services in a distributed system, so that other services can quickly find these registered services.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first direct link can be one direct link or multiple direct links.

[0072] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terminal device can be a mobile terminal device, such as a mobile phone, a computer and a data card, for example, can be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in or vehicle-mounted mobile device, which exchanges voice and / or data with a wireless access network. For example, a personal communication service (PCS) phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a Pad, a computer with wireless transceiver function and the like. The terminal device can also be referred to as a system, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station (MS), a remote station, an access point (AP), a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, a user agent, a subscriber station (SS), customer premises equipment (CPE), a terminal, user equipment (UE), a mobile terminal (MT), a drone and the like. The terminal device can also be a wearable device and a next-generation communication system, for example, a terminal device in a 5G communication system or a terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN) or a terminal device in other communication systems developed from the 5G communication system and the like.

[0073] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first network device includes but is not limited to a single server, a distributed server, and a network server.

[0074] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first network device includes but is not limited to a single server, a distributed server, and a network server.

[0075] Step 202, the first network device receives the first request.

[0076] Step 203, the first network device aggregates the first information in each first request.

[0077] In some embodiments, the first network device aggregates the first information in each first request and determines the second network device; further, the first network device authenticates the second network device to determine whether the second network device has the permission to acquire or adjust the quality of service parameter of the service flow.

[0078] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, aggregating the first information comprises associating the identifier of the terminal device, the identifier of the multi-modal service, and the identifier of the service flow transmitted on the first direct link in each request.

[0079] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first network device determines the second network device providing services for the at least two terminal devices based on the identifier of the multi-modal service.

[0080] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the second network device comprises but is not limited to a single application server, a distributed application server.

[0081] Step 204, the first network device sends a second request to the second network device corresponding to the first information.

[0082] The second request, also referred to as a UE-to-UE direct service flow transmission policy request message, is used to request to acquire the transmission policy of the service flow on the direct link; the direct link comprises the first direct link.

[0083] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmission policy of the service flow comprises but is not limited to a channel allowing the transmission of the service flow, a transmission time of the service flow, and a transmission resource corresponding to the service flow.

[0084] Step 205, the second network device receives the second request.

[0085] In some embodiments, after receiving the second request, the second network device authenticates the at least two terminal devices to determine whether the at least two terminal devices have the permission to transmit the service flow on the direct link.

[0086] Step 206, the second network device sends a first message to the first network device.

[0087] The first message comprises one or more of the following: whether to allow the establishment of the direct link, whether to allow the transmission of the service flow on the direct link, the identifier of each service flow to be transmitted on the direct link, and a control policy corresponding to the direct link.

[0088] Step 207, the first network device receives the first message.

[0089] Step 208. The first network device decides the direct communication between the at least two terminal devices based on the first message.

[0090] In some embodiments, if the first message includes the permission of establishing the direct link and the permission of transmitting the service flow over the direct link, it is determined that the direct communication link between the at least two terminal devices is allowed to be established, and the communication between the at least two terminal devices over the direct communication link is allowed to be performed.

[0091] In some embodiments, if the first message includes the disallowance of establishing the direct link and / or the disallowance of transmitting the service flow over the direct link, it is determined that the direct communication link between the at least two terminal devices is not allowed to be established, and the direct communication between the at least two terminal devices is rejected.

[0092] In some embodiments, the decision of the direct communication between the at least two terminal devices includes the decision of whether to establish the direct communication link or the decision of whether to delete the established direct communication link. Obviously, the present disclosure enables the network server to dynamically add the specified UE into the direct communication group and perform the direct communication policy management.

[0093] Step 209. The first network device sends a second message to the at least two terminal devices.

[0094] In the second message, whether to allow the first direct link to be established, whether to allow the first service flow to be transmitted over the first direct link, the identification of the first service flow, and the control policy corresponding to the first direct link are included.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the second message is sent in the following manners: in-band, out-of-band, media, signaling, data, message, control plane, user plane, etc. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the second message is sent based on the existing media channel, so as to better be compatible with the existing system and reduce the cost of system reconstruction. In addition, when the multi-party secure communication is performed, the established media plane communication channel is a one-to-many multicast / broadcast communication channel. Thus, the second message is sent only once through the established multicast / broadcast communication channel, and the other terminal devices can receive the second message, thereby effectively reducing the number of messages to be sent.

[0096] Step 210. The at least two terminal devices receive the second message.

[0097] Step 211. The at least two terminal devices establish the first direct link based on the second message.

[0098] The method for managing a service flow provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes: at least two terminal devices sending a first request to a first network device; the first request is used to request service flow transmission on a first direct link between the at least two terminal devices; the first request includes first information; the first information includes one or more of the following: an identifier of the at least two terminal devices, a multi-modal service identifier, an identifier of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link; the first network device receives the first request; the first network device aggregates the first information in each first request; the first network device sends a second request to a second network device corresponding to the first information; the second request is used to request to obtain a transmission strategy of a service flow on a direct link; the direct link includes the first direct link; the second network device receives the second request; the second network device sends a first message to the first network device; the first message includes one or more of the following: whether to allow the establishment of a direct link, whether to allow the transmission of a service flow on a direct link, an identifier of each service flow to be transmitted on a direct link, a control strategy corresponding to a direct link; the first network device receives the first message; the first network device decides direct communication between the at least two terminal devices based on the first message; the first network device sends a second message to the at least two terminal devices; the at least two terminal devices receive the second message; the at least two terminal devices establish the first direct link based on the second message. That is, the present disclosure realizes the collaborative management operation between multi-modal service flows between UEs through the first network device, i.e., an enabling network server, provides a unified policy control interface for customers, and supports the authorized direct transmission of specific XR multi-modal service flows between UEs.

[0099] In some embodiments, the present disclosure supports the authorized direct transmission of XR service data between specified UEs based on policies such as allowing, operator control, and the like of a trusted XR application server, supports the dynamic addition or deletion of specified UEs from a direct communication group and the management of direct communication strategies (such as the upper limit of the allowed bandwidth), and opens the control capability to the trusted XR application server.

[0100] In some embodiments, the method for managing a service flow to be protected by the present disclosure further includes the following content:

[0101] Step A1, the third message sent by the at least two terminal devices to the first network device.

[0102] Among them, the third message includes whether the first direct link is successfully established.

[0103] Step A2, the first network device receives the third message.

[0104] Step A3, the first network device sends a notification message to the second network device.

[0105] The notification message includes an identifier of the terminal device successfully establishing the direct link and an identifier of the service flow transmitted on the successfully established direct link.

[0106] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first network device sends the notification message to the second network device only if the first direct link is successfully established, and the process is terminated or waits for a third message indicating that the first direct link is successfully established if the first direct link fails to be established.

[0107] In step A4, the second network device receives the notification message.

[0108] In some embodiments, the method for managing the service flow to be protected by the present disclosure further includes the following content:

[0109] In step B1, the second network device sends a third request to the first network device.

[0110] The third request, also referred to as an XR service flow QoS request, is used to request the quality of service (QoS) parameter of the service flow on the direct link and / or the communication link between the network device and the terminal device.

[0111] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the QoS parameter includes one or more of a delay parameter, a jitter parameter, and a reliability parameter.

[0112] In step B2, the first network device receives the third request.

[0113] In step B3, the first network device sends a fourth request to the at least two terminal devices.

[0114] The fourth request, also referred to as an inter-UE direct XR service flow QoS request, is used to request the quality of service parameter of the service flow on the first direct link.

[0115] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, after receiving the third request, the first network device sends the fourth request to the two terminal devices that successfully establish the direct link.

[0116] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the fourth request is sent in the following ways: in-band, out-of-band, media, signaling, data, message, control plane, user plane, etc. The fourth request is sent based on the existing media channel to better compatible with the existing system and reduce the cost of system modification. In addition, when performing multi-party secure communication, the established media plane communication channel is a one-to-many multicast / broadcast communication channel. In this way, the fourth request is sent only once through the established multicast / broadcast communication channel, and other terminals can receive it, effectively reducing the number of messages sent.

[0117] In step B4, the at least two terminal devices receive the fourth request.

[0118] Step B5, at least two terminal devices send a fourth message to the first network device.

[0119] The fourth message includes an identifier of the first service flow transmitted on the first direct link and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the first service flow.

[0120] Step B6, the first network device receives the fourth message.

[0121] Step B7, the first network device sends a fifth request to the first function.

[0122] The fifth request, also referred to as a network connection XR service flow QoS request, is used to request the quality of service parameter of the service flow on the communication path.

[0123] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first function is a function in the 5GC, for example, a session management function (SMF); the first function interacts with the first network device to schedule the QoS parameter of the service flow.

[0124] Step B8, the first function receives the fifth request.

[0125] Step B9, the first function sends a fifth message to the first function.

[0126] The fifth message includes an identifier of the second service flow transmitted on the communication link and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the second service flow.

[0127] Step B10, the first network device receives the fifth message sent by the first function.

[0128] It should be noted that steps B3 to B6, steps B7 to B10 can be executed simultaneously; or steps B7 to B10 can be executed before steps B3 to B6; or steps B3 to B6 can be executed before steps B7 to B10.

[0129] Step B11, the first network device analyzes and integrates the fourth message and the fifth message to obtain the quality of service parameter corresponding to the service flow on the direct link and / or the communication link.

[0130] Step B12, the first network device sends a sixth message to the second network device.

[0131] The sixth message includes the quality of service parameter corresponding to the service flow.

[0132] Step B13, the second network device receives the sixth message sent by the first network function.

[0133] Step B14, the second network device analyzes the sixth message to determine whether the service flow resource needs to be reallocated.

[0134] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the quality of service parameter corresponding to the service flow in the sixth message, performance information analysis is performed to determine whether the service flow resource needs to be reallocated.

[0135] Step B15, if the service flow resource needs to be reallocated, the second network device sends a seventh message to the first network device.

[0136] The seventh message is used to adjust the network side service flow resource allocation.

[0137] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, if the service flow resource does not need to be reallocated, the process is terminated or waits until it is determined that the service flow resource needs to be reallocated.

[0138] Step B16, the first network device receives the seventh message.

[0139] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, after the first network device receives the seventh message, the first network device checks whether the second network device, i.e., the application server, is authorized and has the right to initiate the XR service flow QoS request. If the application server is not authorized to do this operation, the first network device replies with a failure response. If the application server is authorized to do this operation, the first network device maps the QoS adjustment request initiated by the application server into network index adjustment parameters and initiates a network side service flow QoS parameter adjustment request to the first function.

[0140] Step B17, the first network device sends an adjustment request to the first function.

[0141] The adjustment request, also referred to as the network side service flow QoS parameter adjustment request, is used to request adjustment of the service quality parameter of the service flow transmitted on the communication link. The adjustment request includes the index adjustment parameters mapped from the seventh message.

[0142] Step B18, the first function receives the adjustment request.

[0143] In some embodiments, the first function adjusts the service quality parameter of the service flow transmitted on the communication link based on the adjustment request.

[0144] Step B19, the first function sends an eighth message to the second network device through the first network device.

[0145] The eighth message includes an adjustment result. The adjustment result indicates whether the first function successfully reallocates the network side service flow resource.

[0146] Step B20, the second network device receives the eighth message.

[0147] The present disclosure supports providing QoS indicators (such as latency, bandwidth, etc. of the multi-modal service flow) of the multi-modal service flow to the XR service provider, providing a global view of performance monitoring of the multi-modal service flow for the same XR service, and meeting the needs of industry users to synchronously manage multi-type modal service flows for the same XR service. When there is a delay jitter inconsistency between the multi-modal service flows connected by the UE direct connection and the network connection, which affects the user experience, the present disclosure realizes the coordination of QoS policy management between the service flows, guarantees the consistency of the arrival time of different service flows of the user, and improves the experience of the XR service.

[0148] In the following, an exemplary application of the embodiments of the present disclosure in one practical application scenario will be described.

[0149] The present disclosure proposes a method and system for enabling network to realize coordination of XR multi-modal service flow, which can realize the coordinated management operation between different connections (including UE direct link and network connection) of multi-modal XR service of industry application, and provide unified service notification and control interface for industry customers.

[0150] FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a service flow management system provided by the present disclosure. Compared with the related architecture, the system adds an inter-UE direct interface: SEALDD-Direct, which is uniformly controlled by an XR enabling server (XRApp-S). The specific modules in FIG. 3 include:

[0151] Application server (VAL server(s)): vertical industry commercial application server, which can provide services to clients.

[0152] XR enabling server (XRApp-S): can act as the role of AF, invoke the network capability of the 5G core network, and provide XR network capability opening function as a unified interface for the application server.

[0153] XR enabling client (XRApp-C): enabling layer client installed in industry terminal, which can be registered to XRApp-S, can report application performance data, location data, etc. to XRApp-S and initiate inter-UE connection request.

[0154] Application client (VAL client(s)): industry application client installed in terminal. Requests to invoke the services of the application server on the network side.

[0155] It should be noted that the VAL side in FIG. 3 includes VAL client(s) and VAL server(s). The SEAL side includes SEALDD client(s) and SEALDD server(s). The XRApp-C is deployed on the terminal side, for example, in VAL UE1 and VAL UE2. The XRApp-S is deployed on the server side. The VAL client(s) communicates with the SEALDD client(s) through the SEALDD-C interface; the VAL server(s) communicates with the SEALDD server(s) through the SEALDD-S interface; the SEALDD servers interact through the SEALDD-E; the VAL client(s) communicates with the VAL server(s) through the VAL-UU interface; the SEALDD client(s) communicates with the SEALDD server(s) through the SEALDD-UU interface. The VAL client(s) and the SEALDD client(s) can be included in the VAL UE. The 5G network function communicates with the 3GPP network system through the N6 interface. The XRApp-S can call the 5G network capability through the N33 / N5 interface.

[0156] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a process for enabling network architecture for XR multi-modal service flow coordination is proposed. The vertical industry customer application performs management and policy distribution for inter-UE direct communication and multi-modal service flow coordination process through the XRApp-S server side.

[0157] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a direct communication management and policy distribution method provided by the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4:

[0158] The UEs (VAL UE1 and VAL UE2) are connected through the 5G network. The VAL UE includes VAL-C and XRApp-C.

[0159] In step 401, service discovery (UE Discovery) is performed between UEs to obtain the information of terminals that can be directly connected and use the same XR service in the surrounding.

[0160] In step 402, the XRApp-C sends a direct UE data transmission request to the XRApp-S.

[0161] The direct UE data transmission request includes UE identification, multi-modal service (Multi-modal Service) ID, and requested direct communication service flow identification.

[0162] Step 403, after receiving the inter-UE direct connection service flow transmission request, the XRApp-S aggregates the information of the received inter-UE direct connection service flow transmission request (UE Direct Connection Request Summary).

[0163] Step 404, the XRApp-S sends a direct UE data transmission policy request message to the application server corresponding to the Multi-modal Service ID (Direct UE Data Transmission Policy Request).

[0164] Step 405, the application server checks whether the UE is authorized and has the right to initiate the direct connection service flow transmission request, and returns a direct UE data transmission policy response to the XRApp-S (Direct UE Data Transmission Policy Response).

[0165] Here, the direct UE data transmission policy response includes whether to allow the inter-UE to establish a direct connection service flow and the corresponding service flow identifier, related direct link policies (such as the upper limit of the bandwidth allowed between UEs), etc.

[0166] Step 406, the XRApp-S makes a direct communication management decision based on the received policy response (UE Direct Connection Decision).

[0167] Step 407, the XRApp-S initiates an inter-UE direct connection service flow transmission and policy distribution request to the specified UE (XRApp-C) according to the received UE identifier.

[0168] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the inter-UE direct connection service flow transmission and policy distribution request includes whether to allow the inter-UE to establish a direct connection service flow and the corresponding service flow identifier, and related direct link policies.

[0169] Step 408, the UE establishes an inter-UE direct connection according to the control instruction and policy sent by the XRApp-S (UE Direct Connection Setup).

[0170] Step 409, the XRApp-C replies to the XRApp-S with a response of the inter-UE direct connection service flow transmission request result, that is, a direct connection service flow transmission indication and policy distribution response.

[0171] Here, the inter-UE direct connection service flow transmission request result response includes whether the direct link is successfully established.

[0172] Step 410, the XRApp-S notifies the application server of the inter-UE direct service flow transmission result notification (Direct UE Data Transmission Result Notification).

[0173] Here, the inter-UE direct service flow transmission result notification includes the UE identifier corresponding to the successfully established direct link, the service flow identifier, etc.

[0174] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a multi-modal service flow coordination process provided by the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5:

[0175] Step 501, the application server issues an XR service flow QoS request (XR Data Transmission QoS Request) to the XRApp-S.

[0176] Here, the XR service flow QoS request includes the application server identifier, the Multi-modal Service ID, etc.

[0177] Step 502, after receiving the request, the XRApp-S checks whether the application server is authorized (Authentication and Authorization) and has the right to initiate the XR service flow QoS request. If the application server is not authorized to initiate the XR service flow QoS request, the XRApp-S replies with a failure response.

[0178] Step 503, if the application server has been authorized to initiate the XR service flow QoS request, the XRApp-S sends an inter-UE direct XR service flow QoS request to the XRApp-C according to the received Multi-modal Service ID.

[0179] Here, the inter-UE direct XR service flow QoS request is used to obtain the inter-UE direct XR service flow QoS information.

[0180] Step 504, the XRApp-C returns an inter-UE direct XR service flow QoS request response (Direct UE Data Transmission response) to the XRApp-S.

[0181] Here, the inter-UE direct XR service flow QoS request response includes the Multi-modal Service ID, the direct service flow identifier, and the corresponding QoS information such as latency, etc.

[0182] Step 505, XRApp-S sends a network connection XR service flow QoS request to the 5GC according to the received multi-modal service ID (Multi-modal Service ID); wherein the network connection XR service flow QoS request is used to obtain network connection XR service flow QoS information.

[0183] Here, the network connection XR service flow QoS information is for the same service, multiple UEs, and other XR modalities.

[0184] Step 506, the 5GC returns a network connection XR service flow QoS request response to the XRApp-S.

[0185] Here, the network connection XR service flow QoS request response includes the Multi-modal Service ID, service flow identifier, and corresponding QoS information such as latency.

[0186] Step 507, the XRApp-S performs performance information verification, analysis, and consolidation (QoS data verification, analysis and consolidation)

[0187] Here, the consolidated service flow includes direct connection XR service flow and network connection XR service flow.

[0188] Step 508, the XRApp-S sends an XR service flow QoS response (XR Data Transmission QoS Response) to the application server.

[0189] Step 509, the application server performs performance information analysis (QoS Performance analysis) according to the XR service flow QoS request result.

[0190] Step 510, the application server initiates a network side service flow QoS adjustment request (XR Data Transmission Qos Modify Request) to the XRApp-S, dynamically adjusts the network side service flow resource allocation, and guarantees the message synchronization between multimedia streams.

[0191] Step 511, after receiving the network side service flow QoS adjustment request, the XRApp-S checks whether the application server is authorized (Authentication and Authorization) and has the right to initiate the XR service flow QoS request. If the application server is not authorized to do this operation, the XRApp-S replies with a failure response.

[0192] Step 512, if the application server has been authorized to do so, the XRApp-S maps the application server initiated QoS adjustment request into network indicator adjustment parameters, and initiates a network side service flow QoS parameter adjustment request (XR Data Transmission Qos Modify Request) to the 5GC.

[0193] Step 513, the 5GC returns a network side service flow QoS adjustment response (XR Data Transmission QoS Response) to the application server through the XRApp-S.

[0194] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a first network device, which can be used to implement the service flow management method provided by the embodiments corresponding to FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 6, the first network device 600 includes:

[0195] The first receiving part 601 is configured to receive first requests sent by at least two terminal devices; wherein the first request is used to request service flow transmission on a first direct link between the at least two terminal devices; the first request includes first information; the first information includes one or more of the following: an identifier of the at least two terminal devices, a multi-modal service identifier, an identifier of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link;

[0196] The first processing part 602 is configured to aggregate the first information in each first request;

[0197] The first sending part 603 is configured to send a second request to a second network device corresponding to the first information; wherein the second request is used to request to obtain a transmission strategy of a service flow on a direct link; the direct link includes the first direct link

[0198] The first receiving part 601 is configured to receive a first message sent by the second network device; wherein the first message includes whether to allow establishment of a direct link, whether to allow transmission of a service flow on the direct link, an identifier of each service flow to be transmitted on the direct link, and a control strategy corresponding to the direct link;

[0199] The first processing part 602 is configured to decide direct communication between the at least two terminal devices based on the first message;

[0200] The first sending part 603 is configured to send a second message to the at least two terminal devices; wherein the second message includes whether to allow establishment of the first direct link, whether to allow transmission of the first service flow on the first direct link, an identifier of the first service flow, and a control strategy corresponding to the first direct link.

[0201] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first receiving unit 601 is configured to receive a third message sent by the at least two terminal devices; wherein the third message comprises information about whether the first sidelink is successfully established.

[0202] The first sending unit 603 is configured to send a notification message to the second network device; wherein the notification message comprises an identifier of the terminal device that successfully establishes the sidelink, and an identifier of the service flow transmitted on the successfully established sidelink.

[0203] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first receiving unit 601 is configured to receive a third request sent by the second network device; wherein the third request is used to request to obtain the quality of service parameter of the service flow on the sidelink and / or the communication link; the communication link is the communication link between the network device and the terminal device.

[0204] The first sending unit 603 is configured to send a fourth request to the at least two terminal devices; wherein the fourth request is used to request to obtain the quality of service parameter of the service flow on the first sidelink.

[0205] The first sending unit 603 is configured to send a fifth request to the first function; wherein the fifth request is used to request to obtain the quality of service parameter of the service flow on the communication path.

[0206] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first receiving unit 601 is configured to receive a fourth message sent by the at least two terminal devices; wherein the fourth message comprises an identifier of the first service flow and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the first service flow.

[0207] The first receiving unit 601 is configured to receive a fifth message sent by the first function; wherein the fifth message comprises an identifier of the second service flow transmitted on the communication link and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the second service flow.

[0208] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first processing unit 602 is configured to analyze and integrate the fourth message and the fifth message to obtain the quality of service parameter corresponding to the service flow on the sidelink and / or the communication link.

[0209] The first sending unit 603 is configured to send a sixth message to the second network device; wherein the sixth message comprises the quality of service parameter corresponding to the service flow.

[0210] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first receiving unit 601 is configured to receive a seventh message sent by the second network device; wherein the seventh message is used to adjust the network side service flow resource allocation.

[0211] The first sending part 603 is configured to send an adjustment request to the first function, wherein the adjustment request is used to request adjustment of a service quality parameter of a service flow transmitted on a communication link, and the adjustment request comprises an index adjustment parameter mapped by the seventh message;

[0212] The first receiving part 601 is configured to receive an eighth message sent by the first function, wherein the eighth message comprises an adjustment result, and the adjustment result indicates whether the first function succeeds in re-allocating a service flow resource on the network side.

[0213] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first processing part 602 is configured to authenticate the second network device to determine whether the second network device has the permission to acquire or adjust the service quality parameter of the service flow.

[0214] The above description of the device embodiments is similar to the description of the method embodiments, and has similar beneficial effects to the method embodiments. For technical details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present disclosure, please refer to the description of the method embodiments of the present disclosure for understanding.

[0215] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, if the above-mentioned service flow management method is implemented in the form of a software function part and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes a plurality of instructions for causing an end device to execute all or part of the method embodiments of the present disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various media that can store program codes. Thus, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to any specific hardware and software combination.

[0216] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a first terminal device, which can be configured to implement the service flow management method provided by the embodiments corresponding to FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 7, the first terminal device 700 comprises:

[0217] The second sending part 701 is configured to send a first request to the first network device, wherein the first request is used to request service flow transmission on a first direct link between the first terminal device and a second terminal device, and the first request comprises first information, and the first information comprises one or more of the following: an identifier of at least two terminal devices, a multi-modal service identifier, and an identifier of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link.

[0218] The second receiving part 702 is configured to receive a second message sent by the first network device; wherein the second message comprises whether to allow establishing the first direct link, whether to allow transmitting a service flow on the first direct link, an identifier of each service flow to be transmitted on the first direct link, and a control policy corresponding to the first direct link.

[0219] The second processing part 703 is configured to establish the first direct link based on the second message.

[0220] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the second sending part 701 is configured to send a third message to the first network device; wherein the third message comprises whether the first direct link is successfully established.

[0221] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the second receiving part 702 is configured to receive a fourth request sent by the first network device; wherein the fourth request is used to request obtaining a quality of service parameter of a service flow on the first direct link.

[0222] The second sending part 701 is configured to send a fourth message to the first network device; wherein the fourth message comprises an identifier of a first service flow transmitted on the first direct link and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the first service flow.

[0223] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the second obtaining part 704 is configured to obtain information of a second terminal device through service discovery; wherein the second terminal device and the first terminal device can be directly connected and can use the same service.

[0224] The above device embodiments are similar to the descriptions of the above method embodiments, and have similar beneficial effects to the method embodiments. For technical details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present disclosure, please refer to the descriptions of the method embodiments of the present disclosure for understanding.

[0225] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, if the service flow management method is realized in the form of a software function module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a plurality of instructions for causing a network device to execute all or part of the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The storage medium mentioned above includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various storage media that can store program codes. Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to any specific hardware and software combination.

[0226] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a second network device, which can be used to implement a method for managing a service flow provided by the embodiments corresponding to FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 8, the second network device 800 includes:

[0227] A third receiving part 801 configured to receive a second request sent by the first network device; wherein the second request is used to request to obtain a transmission policy of the service flow on the direct link between the terminal devices;

[0228] A third sending part 802 configured to send a first message to the first network device; wherein the first message includes whether to allow to establish the direct link, whether to allow to transmit the service flow on the direct link, an identifier of each service flow to be transmitted on the direct link, and a control policy corresponding to the direct link.

[0229] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the third receiving part 801 is configured to receive a notification message sent by the first network device; wherein the notification message includes an identifier of the terminal device successfully establishing the direct link and an identifier of the service flow transmitted on the successfully established direct link.

[0230] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the third sending part 802 is configured to send a third request to the first network device; wherein the third request is used to request to obtain a quality of service parameter of the service flow on the direct link and / or the communication link; the communication link is a communication link between the network device and the terminal device.

[0231] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the third receiving part 801 is configured to receive a sixth message sent by the first network device; wherein the sixth message includes a quality of service parameter corresponding to the service flow.

[0232] A third processing part 803 configured to analyze the sixth message and determine whether to need to re-allocate the service flow resource.

[0233] The third sending part 802 is configured to send a seventh message to the first network device if the service flow resource needs to be re-allocated; wherein the seventh message is used to adjust the network side service flow resource allocation.

[0234] The third receiving part 801 is configured to receive an eighth message sent by the first network device; wherein the eighth message includes an adjustment result; the adjustment result represents whether the first function re-allocates the network side service flow resource.

[0235] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the third processing part 803 is configured to authenticate the terminal device to determine whether the terminal device has the permission to transmit the service flow on the direct link.

[0236] The description of the above device embodiments is similar to the description of the above method embodiments, and has similar beneficial effects as the method embodiments. For technical details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present disclosure, please refer to the description of the method embodiments of the present disclosure for understanding.

[0237] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, if the above-mentioned service flow management method is implemented in the form of a software function part and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes a plurality of instructions for causing a network device to execute all or part of the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various media that can store program codes. Thus, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to any specific hardware and software combination.

[0238] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a first function, which can be used to implement the service flow management method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 9, the first function 900 includes:

[0239] The fourth sending part 901 is configured to send a fifth request to the first network device; wherein the fifth request is used to request to obtain the quality of service parameter of the service flow on the communication path; the communication link is the communication link between the network device and the terminal device;

[0240] The fourth sending part 901 is configured to send a fifth message to the first network device; wherein the fifth message includes the identification of the second service flow transmitted on the communication link and the quality of service parameter corresponding to the second service flow.

[0241] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the fourth receiving part 902 is configured to receive an adjustment request sent by the first network device; the adjustment request is used to request to adjust the quality of service parameter of the service flow transmitted on the communication link; the adjustment request includes the index adjustment parameter mapped by the seventh message; the seventh message is sent by the second network device to the first network device and is used to adjust the network side service flow resource allocation;

[0242] The fourth sending part 901 is configured to send an eighth message to the second network device through the first network device; wherein the eighth message includes an adjustment result; the adjustment result represents whether the first function successfully reallocates the network side service flow resource.

[0243] The description of the above device embodiments is similar to the description of the above method embodiments, and has similar beneficial effects as the method embodiments. For technical details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present disclosure, please refer to the description of the method embodiments of the present disclosure for understanding.

[0244] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, if the above-mentioned service flow management method is implemented in the form of a software function module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for causing a network device to execute all or part of the methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various media that can store program codes. Thus, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

[0245] FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1000 provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication device can be a first network device, a first terminal device, a second network device, or a first function. The communication device 1000 shown in FIG. 10 includes a processor 1010. The processor 1010 can call and run a computer program from a memory to implement the method in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0246] Optionally, as shown in FIG. 10, the communication device 1000 can further include a memory 1020. The processor 1010 can call and run a computer program from the memory 1020 to implement the method in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0247] The memory 1020 can be a separate device independent of the processor 1010, or can be integrated in the processor 1010.

[0248] Optionally, as shown in FIG. 10, the communication device 1000 can further include a transceiver 1030. The processor 1010 can control the transceiver 1030 to communicate with other devices, specifically, to send information or data to other devices, or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0249] The transceiver 1030 can include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 1030 can further include an antenna, and the number of antennas can be one or more.

[0250] Optionally, the communication device 1000 can be specifically a first network device of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the communication device 1000 can implement the corresponding procedures implemented by the first network device in various methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For brevity, details are not described herein.

[0251] Optionally, the communication device 1000 can be specifically a second network device of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the communication device 1000 can implement the corresponding procedures implemented by the second network device in various methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For brevity, details are not described herein.

[0252] Optionally, the communication device 1000 can be specifically a first terminal device of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the communication device 1000 can implement the corresponding procedures implemented by the first terminal device in various methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For brevity, details are not described herein.

[0253] Optionally, the communication device 1000 can be specifically a first function of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the communication device 1000 can implement the corresponding procedures implemented by the first function device in various methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For brevity, details are not described herein.

[0254] Exemplarily, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer program product, comprising a computer program executable by the processor 1010 of the communication device 1000 to complete the steps of any of the preceding methods.

[0255] It should be understood that the processor of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be an integrated circuit chip having a signal processing capability. In the implementation process, each step of the method embodiments described above can be completed by the integrated logic circuit or the instruction in the form of software in the processor. The processor described above can be a general processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component. The disclosed methods, steps and logic block diagrams in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented or executed. The general processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in combination with the embodiments of the present disclosure can be directly embodied as a hardware code processor for execution, or a combination of hardware and software modules in the code processor for execution. The software module can be located in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read only memory, a programmable read only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register or other mature storage medium in the art. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory, and combines the hardware to complete the steps of the above method.

[0256] As an embodiment, the processor can include one or more general central processing units (CPUs). Each of the processors can be a single-CPU processor or a multi-CPU processor. The processor herein can refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer-executable instructions).

[0257] It can be appreciated that the memory in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a ROM, a Programmable ROM (PROM), an Erasable PROM (EPROM), an Electrically EPROM (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a Random Access Memory (RAM) used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM can be used, such as Static RAM (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the system and method described herein is intended to include, but not be limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0258] It should be understood that the above-mentioned memory is exemplary but not limiting, for example, the memory in the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synch link DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM), etc. That is, the memory in the embodiments of the present disclosure is intended to include, but not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0259] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program.

[0260] The computer readable storage medium can be applied to the first network device in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the corresponding procedures implemented by the first network device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For brevity, details are not repeated here.

[0261] The computer readable storage medium can be applied to the second network device in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the corresponding procedures implemented by the second network device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For brevity, details are not repeated here.

[0262] The computer readable storage medium can be applied to the first terminal device in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the corresponding procedures implemented by the first terminal device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For brevity, details are not repeated here.

[0263] The computer readable storage medium can be applied to the first function in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the corresponding procedures implemented by the first function in the various methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For brevity, details are not repeated here.

[0264] In the above embodiments, all or part can be realized by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When realized by software, all or part can be realized in the form of a computer program product.

[0265] The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When loaded and executed on a computer, all or part generates the procedures or functions according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. Computer instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transferred from one computer readable storage medium to another, for example, computer instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server or data center to another through wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode. The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium that the computer can store or be integrated into a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. containing one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (for example, floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), optical media (for example, DVD), or semiconductor media (for example, solid state disk (SSD)) and the like.

[0266] The management method of the service flow, the first network device, the first terminal device, the second network device, the first function, the computer readable storage medium and the computer program product provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail above, the principles and implementation manners of the present disclosure are described by applying specific examples in this paper, and the above embodiment description is only used to help understand the method and core idea of the present disclosure; meanwhile, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present disclosure, the specific implementation manners and application ranges can be changed, and the above description should not be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure.

[0267] It should be understood that the "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "the embodiments of the present disclosure" or "the foregoing embodiment" or "some embodiments" or "some embodiments" mentioned throughout the specification means that the specific features, structures or characteristics related to the embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" or "the embodiments of the present disclosure" or "the foregoing embodiment" or "some embodiments" or "some embodiments" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily mean the same embodiment. In addition, these specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. It should be understood that in various embodiments of the present disclosure, the size of the sequence number of each process does not mean the execution order, and the execution order of each process should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The sequence number of the above embodiments of the present disclosure is only for description, not representing the advantages and disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0268] Unless otherwise specified, the first network device / first terminal device / second network device / first function executes any step in the embodiments of the present disclosure, which can be executed by the processor of the first network device / first terminal device / second network device / first function. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the execution order of the steps executed by the first network device / first terminal device / second network device / first function. In addition, the way of processing data in different embodiments can be the same method or different method.

[0269] In several embodiments provided by the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed device and method can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There can be another division for actual implementation. For example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the various components shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, and can be electrical, mechanical or in other forms.

[0270] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units; they can be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units; and some or all of the units can be selected as needed to achieve the purposes of the embodiments.

[0271] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present disclosure can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be a separate unit, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit; the integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0272] The methods disclosed in several method embodiments provided by the present disclosure can be combined arbitrarily without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0273] The features disclosed in several product embodiments provided by the present disclosure can be combined arbitrarily without conflict to obtain new product embodiments.

[0274] The features disclosed in several method or device embodiments provided by the present disclosure can be combined arbitrarily without conflict to obtain new method or device embodiments.

[0275] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned method embodiments can be completed by program instruction-related hardware, and the aforementioned program can be stored in a computer storage medium, and the program executes the steps including the above-mentioned method embodiments when executed; and the aforementioned storage medium includes mobile storage devices, ROM, magnetic discs or optical discs, and various media that can store program codes.

[0276] Alternatively, the integrated units of the present disclosure, if implemented in the form of software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, can also be stored in a computer storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of software products, and the computer software products are stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions to make a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) execute all or part of the methods described in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes mobile storage devices, ROM, magnetic discs or optical discs, and various media that can store program codes.

[0277] As used in the embodiments of the disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0278] It should be noted that in each of the embodiments of the present disclosure, all steps can be performed or part of the steps can be performed, as long as a complete technical solution can be formed.

[0279] The above description is merely illustrative of the embodiments of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present disclosure, and all should be covered within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for managing a service flow, applied to a first network device, the method comprising: receiving a first request sent by at least two terminal devices, wherein the first request is used to request transmission of a service flow on a first direct link between the at least two terminal devices, and the first request comprises first information, and the first information comprises one or more of the following: an identifier of the at least two terminal devices, a multi-modal service identifier, an identifier of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link; aggregating the first information in each of the first requests, and sending a second request to a second network device corresponding to the first information, wherein the second request is used to request a transmission policy of a service flow on a direct link, and the direct link comprises the first direct link; receiving a first message sent by the second network device, wherein the first message comprises one or more of the following: whether to allow establishment of a direct link, whether to allow transmission of a service flow on the direct link, an identifier of each service flow to be transmitted on a direct link, and a control policy corresponding to the direct link; deciding direct communication between the at least two terminal devices based on the first message; and sending a second message to the at least two terminal devices, wherein the second message comprises whether to allow establishment of the first direct link, whether to allow transmission of a first service flow on the first direct link, an identifier of the first service flow, and a control policy corresponding to the first direct link. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a third message sent by the at least two terminal devices, wherein the third message comprises whether the first direct link is successfully established; and sending a notification message to the second network device, wherein the notification message comprises an identifier of a terminal device that successfully establishes a direct link, and an identifier of a service flow transmitted on the successfully established direct link. 3.The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a third request sent by the second network device, wherein the third request is used to request a quality of service parameter of a service flow on a direct link and / or a communication link, and the communication link is a communication link between a network device and a terminal device; sending a fourth request to the at least two terminal devices, wherein the fourth request is used to request a quality of service parameter of a service flow on the first direct link; and sending a fifth request to a first function, wherein the fifth request is used to request a quality of service parameter of a service flow on the communication path. 4.The method of claim 3, further comprising: receiving a fourth message sent by the at least two terminal devices, wherein the fourth message comprises an identifier of the first service flow and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the first service flow; and receiving a fifth message sent by the first function, wherein the fifth message comprises an identifier of a second service flow transmitted on the communication link and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the second service flow. 5.The method of claim 4, further comprising: analyzing and integrating the fourth message and the fifth message to obtain a quality of service parameter corresponding to a service flow on a direct link and / or a communication link. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ sending a sixth message to the second network device; wherein the sixth message comprises a quality of service parameter corresponding to the service flow. 6.The method of claim 5, further comprising: receiving a seventh message sent by the second network device; wherein the seventh message is used to adjust the network-side service flow resource allocation; sending an adjustment request to the first function; the adjustment request is used to request adjustment of the service flow quality of service parameter transmitted on the communication link; the adjustment request comprises the index adjustment parameter mapped by the seventh message; receiving an eighth message sent by the first function; wherein the eighth message comprises an adjustment result; the adjustment result indicates whether the first function successfully reallocates the network-side service flow resource. 7.The method of claim 3 or 6, further comprising: authenticating the second network device to determine whether the second network device has the permission to obtain or adjust the quality of service parameter of the service flow. 8.A service flow management method applied to a first terminal device, the method comprising: sending a first request to a first network device; wherein the first request is used to request service flow transmission on a first direct link between at least two terminal devices; the first request comprises first information; the first information comprises one or more of the following: an identifier of the at least two terminal devices, a multi-modal service identifier, an identifier of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link; the at least two terminal devices comprise the first terminal device; receiving a second message sent by the first network device; wherein the second message comprises whether to allow establishment of the first direct link, whether to allow transmission of the service flow on the first direct link, an identifier of each service flow to be transmitted on the first direct link, and a control policy corresponding to the first direct link; establishing the first direct link based on the second message. 9.The method of claim 8, further comprising: sending a third message to the first network device; wherein the third message comprises whether the first direct link is successfully established. 10.The method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving a fourth request sent by the first network device; wherein the fourth request is used to request obtaining of a quality of service parameter of a service flow on the first direct link; sending a fourth message to the first network device; wherein the fourth message comprises an identifier of a first service flow transmitted on the first direct link and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the first service flow. 11.The method of claim 8, further comprising: obtaining information of a second terminal device through service discovery; wherein the second terminal device and the first terminal device are directly connectable and can use the same service. 12.A service flow management method applied to a second network device, the method comprising: receiving a second request sent by a first network device; wherein the second request is used to request obtaining of a transmission policy of a service flow on a direct link between terminal devices. sending a first message to a first network device; wherein the first message comprises one or more of the following: whether to allow establishment of a direct link, whether to allow transmission of a service flow over the direct link, an identity of each service flow to be transmitted over the direct link, and a control policy corresponding to the direct link. 13.The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving a notification message sent by the first network device; wherein the notification message comprises an identity of a terminal device that successfully establishes a direct link and an identity of a service flow transmitted over the successfully established direct link. 14.The method of claim 12, further comprising: sending a third request to the first network device; wherein the third request is used to request obtaining a quality of service parameter of a service flow over a direct link and / or a communication link; the communication link is a communication link between the network device and the terminal device. 15.The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving a sixth message sent by the first network device; wherein the sixth message comprises a quality of service parameter corresponding to a service flow; analyzing the sixth message to determine whether to re-allocate service flow resources; if the service flow resources need to be re-allocated, sending a seventh message to the first network device; wherein the seventh message is used to adjust network-side service flow resource allocation; receiving an eighth message sent by the first network device; wherein the eighth message comprises an adjustment result; the adjustment result indicates whether the first function re-allocates network-side service flow resources. 16.The method of claim 12, further comprising: authenticating the terminal device to determine whether the terminal device has permission to transmit a service flow over a direct link. 17.A method for managing a service flow, applied to a first function, the method comprising: sending a fifth request to a first network device; wherein the fifth request is used to request obtaining a quality of service parameter of a service flow over a communication link; the communication link is a communication link between the network device and the terminal device; sending a fifth message to the first network device; wherein the fifth message comprises an identity of a second service flow transmitted over the communication link and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the second service flow. 18.The method of claim 17, further comprising: receiving an adjustment request sent by the first network device; the adjustment request is used to request adjusting a quality of service parameter of a service flow transmitted over a communication link; the adjustment request comprises an index adjustment parameter mapped by a seventh message; the seventh message is sent by a second network device to the first network device and is used to adjust network-side service flow resource allocation; sending an eighth message to the second network device through the first network device; wherein the eighth message comprises an adjustment result; the adjustment result indicates whether the first function re-allocates network-side service flow resources successfully. 19.A first network device, comprising: a first receiving part configured to receive a first request sent by at least two terminal devices; wherein the first request is used to request a service flow transmission between the at least two terminal devices on a first direct link; the first request comprises first information; the first information comprises one or more of the following: an identity of the at least two terminal devices, an identity of a multi-modal service, an identity of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link; a first processing part configured to aggregate the first information in each of the first requests; a first sending part configured to send a second request to a second network device corresponding to the first information; wherein the second request is used to request a transmission policy of a service flow on a direct link; the direct link comprises the first direct link the first receiving part is configured to receive a first message sent by the second network device; wherein the first message comprises one or more of the following: whether to allow the establishment of a direct link, whether to allow the transmission of a service flow on the direct link, an identity of each service flow to be transmitted on the direct link, a control policy corresponding to the direct link; the first processing part is configured to decide the direct communication between the at least two terminal devices based on the first message; the first sending part is configured to send a second message to the at least two terminal devices; wherein the second message comprises whether to allow the establishment of the first direct link, whether to allow the transmission of a first service flow on the first direct link, an identity of the first service flow, a control policy corresponding to the first direct link.

20. A first terminal device, the first terminal device comprising: a second sending part configured to send a first request to a first network device; wherein the first request is used to request a service flow transmission between at least two terminal devices on a first direct link; the first request comprises first information; the first information comprises one or more of the following: an identity of the at least two terminal devices, an identity of a multi-modal service, an identity of a service flow requested to be transmitted on the first direct link; the at least two terminal devices comprise the first terminal device; a second receiving part configured to receive a second message sent by the first network device; wherein the second message comprises whether to allow the establishment of the first direct link, whether to allow the transmission of a service flow on the first direct link, an identity of each service flow to be transmitted on the first direct link, a control policy corresponding to the first direct link; a second processing part configured to establish the first direct link based on the second message.

21. A second network device, the second network device comprising: a third receiving part configured to receive a second request sent by a first network device; wherein the second request is used to request a transmission policy of a service flow on a direct link between terminal devices; a third processing part configured to authenticate the terminal devices to determine whether the terminal devices have a right to transmit a service flow on the direct link; The third sending part is configured to send a first message to the first network device; wherein the first message comprises one or more of the following: whether to allow establishment of a direct link, whether to allow transmission of traffic flows over the direct link, an identification of each traffic flow to be transmitted over the direct link, and a control policy corresponding to the direct link.

22. A first function, the first function comprising: The fourth sending part is configured to send a fifth request to the first network device; wherein the fifth request is used to request acquisition of a quality of service parameter of a traffic flow on a communication path; the communication path is a communication path between the network device and the terminal device; The fourth sending part is configured to send a fifth message to the first network device; wherein the fifth message comprises an identification of a second traffic flow transmitted over the communication path and a quality of service parameter corresponding to the second traffic flow.

23. A communication device, the communication device comprising: a memory configured to store executable instructions; a processor configured to execute the executable instructions stored in the memory to implement the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 1 to 7, or to implement the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 8 to 11, or to implement the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 12 to 16, or to implement the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 17 to 18.

24. A computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs being executable by one or more processors to implement the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 1 to 7, or to implement the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 8 to 11, or to implement the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 12 to 16, or to implement the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 17 to 18.

25. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 1 to 7, or implements the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 8 to 11, or implements the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 12 to 16, or implements the traffic flow management method of any one of claims 17 to 18.

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