Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application is a communication method. In the method, a first computing node subscribes to a mobility event of a terminal device, and determines, by means of second information, that a device which provides an access service for a first computing service of the terminal device is switched from a first network device to a second network device, such that the first computing node can release a first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node by means of sending third information, thereby mitigating path suboptimality or unreachability caused by the terminal device still attempting to connect to an original computing node, and also facilitating the subsequent connection of the terminal device to an adapted computing node.

Description

Communication method and related apparatus

[0001] The present application claims priority from the Chinese patent application No. 202411340457.7 filed on September 24, 2024, and entitled "A communication method and related apparatus", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and related apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0003] In the future generation of mobile communication systems, cloud edge nodes can be further moved down to network access nodes, so that the access network can further undertake some computing functions. The computing node with the computing function can be a unit inside the base station, or an external independent unit separated from the logical function of the base station. The computing node can be a node that provides access services for the computing services of terminal devices. The computing service can be understood as an independent application process that implements a set or a specific computing function to solve a specific problem.

[0004] The domain name system (DNS) can provide the function of resolving the application domain name to the internet protocol (IP) address. The terminal device can obtain the DNS record by requesting the domain name of the application to the DNS system, and the DNS record contains the IP address of the computing node of the requested application service, so as to obtain the application service from the computing node corresponding to the IP address subsequently. When the DNS record can be cached locally and has a survival time, the terminal device directly obtains the IP address of the corresponding computing node from the DNS record in the local DNS cache when accessing the same application service again within the effective time, so that the terminal device does not have to inquire the computing node again, thereby improving the efficiency of the computing node in processing the computing service.

[0005] However, during the movement of the terminal device, the computing node adapted to the terminal device can change with the change of the location of the terminal device. Since the DNS cache still stays on the historically accessed computing node, the terminal device will still attempt to connect to the original computing node, which can result in a non-optimal path or a path that cannot be reached. SUMMARY

[0006] The application provides a communication method, a first computing node subscribes to a mobility event of a terminal device, and determines, through second information, that a device providing an access service of a first computing service of the terminal device switches from a first network device to a second network device, and then the first computing node can release a first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node by sending third information, thereby reducing a suboptimal or unreachable path caused by the terminal device still attempting to connect to the original computing node, and facilitating the terminal device to subsequently connect to an adapted computing node.

[0007] The first aspect of the application provides a communication method, which is executed by a first computing node, or executed by part of components (such as a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the first computing node, or can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the first computing node. In the first aspect and its possible implementation manners, the method is described by taking the example of being executed by the first computing node. The first computing node first sends first information to a first network element, and the first information is used to subscribe to a mobility event of a terminal device. Second information is received, and the second information is used to indicate that a device providing an access service of a first computing service of the terminal device switches from a first network device to a second network device. After receiving the second information, the first computing node sends third information, and the third information is used to indicate that a first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node is released.

[0008] The first network element is a first network device, a terminal device or a gateway, etc. The gateway can include at least one of the following: an application programming interface (application programming interface, API) gateway, an API agent, a network exposure function (network exposure function, NEF) network element, etc.

[0009] In addition, the first information can also be understood as a subscription request, and the third information can be understood as a connection release request. The first computing node sends the third information, which can be specifically that the first computing node sends the third information to the terminal device. For example, the first computing node can directly send the third information to the terminal device, or the first computing node can send the third information to the terminal device through a gateway, and the specific implementation is not limited here.

[0010] Based on the above scheme, the first computing node subscribes to a mobility event of a terminal device, and determines, through second information, that a device providing an access service of a first computing service of the terminal device switches from a first network device to a second network device, and then the first computing node can release a first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node by sending third information, thereby reducing a suboptimal or unreachable path caused by the terminal device still attempting to connect to the original computing node, and facilitating the terminal device to subsequently connect to an adapted computing node.

[0011] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the third information is further used to instruct to re-initiate the connection request for the first computing service after releasing the first connection.

[0012] In the possible implementation manner, the third information sent by the first computing node is used not only to instruct to release the first connection, but also to re-initiate the connection request for the first computing service. Thus, after receiving the third information, the terminal device can release the first connection with the first computing node, and then re-initiate the connection request for the new computing node through the second network device, so as to reduce the path that is not optimal or unreachable caused by the terminal device still attempting to connect to the original computing node after the terminal device switches from the first network device to the second network device.

[0013] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the third information is further used to instruct to clean up the DNS record of the terminal device.

[0014] In the possible implementation manner, the third information is used to instruct to clean up the DNS record of the terminal device, so as to reduce the probability that the terminal device still attempts to connect to the original computing node, and facilitate the terminal device to reselect a more suitable computing node, and improve the user experience.

[0015] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the first computing node sends the third information if the first computing service ends.

[0016] In the possible implementation manner, the connection is released after the first computing service ends, so as to improve the service effect of the first computing service.

[0017] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the first computing node can receive second information sent by the first network device or the second network device.

[0018] In the possible implementation manner, the first computing node can receive the notification of the mobility event of the terminal device fed back by the first network device or the second network device, so as to facilitate subsequent timely entering of the connection release stage, and improve the efficiency of updating the computing node.

[0019] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the first network element is the first network device, the terminal device, or a gateway, and the gateway is used to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device.

[0020] In this possible implementation, the method can be applied to various subscription scenarios, such as a scenario in which the first computing node initiates a subscription request to the network device, a scenario in which the first computing node initiates a subscription request to the network device through the gateway, or a scenario in which the first computing node initiates a subscription request to the terminal device directly.

[0021] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first information is further used by the first network element to aggregate the first request information of the plurality of computing nodes, and the first request information is used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device.

[0022] In this possible implementation, the first information can also be obtained by the gateway based on the plurality of subscriptions, thereby reducing the complexity of the network device in maintaining the subscriptions.

[0023] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first computing node specifically receives the second information sent by the first network element. The first computing node specifically sends the third information to the first network element.

[0024] In this possible implementation, the method can be applied not only to a scenario in which the first network element is a source base station of the terminal device, but also to a scenario in which the gateway is present.

[0025] The second aspect of the present application provides a communication method, which is executed by a first network device, or executed by part of components (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the first network device, or can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first network device. In the second aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described by taking the example of being executed by the first network device. The first network device receives first information sent by a second network element, and sends second information to the second network element.

[0026] The first information is used by the first computing node to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device, and the first computing node has connected to a service instance of the first computing service. The second information is used to indicate that the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device.

[0027] Based on the above scheme, after the first network device receives the subscription information of the second network element, the first network device feeds back to the second network element that the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device, thereby providing a basis for the first computing node to release the connection with the terminal device in the subsequent process.

[0028] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, when the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service, the first network device sends the second information to the second network element.

[0029] In the possible implementation manner, the second information is fed back to the second network element when it is determined that the instance supporting the first computing service exists. By limiting the condition of feeding back the second information, the feedback timing of the second information can be determined, and the case that there is no adaptive computing node after the connection is released can be reduced.

[0030] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first network device receives second indication information sent by the second network device, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0031] In the possible implementation manner, the first network device can directly determine whether the second network device supports the instance of the first computing service through the second indication information, so that the latency problem or the efficiency problem caused by the self-inquiry of the first network device can be reduced.

[0032] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first network device first determines at least one service instance supported by the second network device, and then determines that the at least one service instance includes the service instance of the first computing service.

[0033] In the possible implementation manner, the first network device can first determine at least one instance supported by the second network device, and then determine whether the at least one instance includes the instance supporting the first computing service, so that the case that there is no adaptive computing node after the connection is released can be reduced.

[0034] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first network device can further send third request information to the second network device, the third request information is used to request the second network device to provide access service for the first computing service, and the first network device receives response information of the third request information sent by the second network device, the response information is used to indicate that the request of switching the first computing service is accepted.

[0035] In the possible implementation manner, the first network device can determine whether there is a connectable service instance of the first computing service according to the response information of the third request information, so that the normal computing of the first computing service can be ensured, and the user experience can be improved.

[0036] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the response information is further used to indicate whether the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0037] In the possible implementation manner, the first network device can further determine whether the second network device supports the instance of the first computing service through the response information, so that when the first network device is switched to the second network device, the normal operation of the first computing service is not affected, and the user experience can be improved.

[0038] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the response information is further used to indicate a service instance identifier of a service instance to which the second network device is connecting.

[0039] In the possible implementation manner, the first network device can learn the instance to which the second network device is connecting through the response information, thereby facilitating subsequent finding of an adapted instance for the first computing service.

[0040] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first network device can determine, according to a service requirement of the first computing service, that the second network device has a service instance of the first computing service that meets the service requirement.

[0041] In the possible implementation manner, when determining the support condition of the instance of the other network device, the first network device can consider the service requirement of the first computing service, thereby guaranteeing the service quality of the first computing service.

[0042] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the second network element is a first computing node or a gateway, and the gateway is used to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to a mobility event of a terminal device.

[0043] In the possible implementation manner, the method can be applied to a plurality of transmission scenarios, for example, a transmission scenario in which the terminal device is directly connected with the network device, and for example, a transmission scenario in which the terminal device is indirectly connected with the network device through the gateway.

[0044] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect, the second information is further used to indicate a service instance of the first computing service that is supported by the second network device.

[0045] In the possible implementation manner, the second network element can find an instance that is adapted to the first computing node through the second information indicating the instance that meets the requirement, thereby improving user experience.

[0046] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect, the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, an identifier of the first computing service, and a transmission requirement of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate the mobility event.

[0047] In the possible implementation manner, the first information that is used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device can further indicate the identifier and the transmission requirement. In this way, the first network device is more convenient to judge whether the second network device is adapted to the related requirement, thereby reducing the service quality decline of the service caused by switching.

[0048] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect, the second information includes at least one of the following: the first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, and an identifier of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate the mobility event.

[0049] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect, the first connection includes at least one of the following: a transport layer connection and an application layer connection.

[0050] In this possible implementation manner, the release and reconstruction can be applied to the transport layer connection or the application layer connection.

[0051] The third aspect of the present application provides a communication method, which is executed by a second network device, or executed by some components (for example, a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the second network device, or the method can also be implemented by a logic module or software which can realize all or part of the functions of the second network device. In the third aspect and possible implementation manners thereof, the method is described by taking the example of being executed by the second network device. The second network device receives third request information sent by a first network device, and the third request information is used to request the second network device to provide access service for a first computing service of a terminal device. The second network device sends response information of the third request information to the first network device, and the response information is used to indicate acceptance of the request of switching the first computing service.

[0052] Based on the above scheme, the second network device can indicate the acceptance of the request of providing access service for the first computing service to the first network device through the response information, so as to improve the understanding of the first network device about the related capabilities of the second network device, and facilitate the terminal device to connect a new computing node subsequently.

[0053] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, if there is a service instance of the first computing service, the second network device sends the response information to the first network device.

[0054] In this possible implementation manner, if the second network device has a corresponding instance, the first network device can be informed through the response information, so as to facilitate the terminal device to find a suitable computing node subsequently.

[0055] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the response information is further used to indicate whether the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0056] In this possible implementation manner, the first network device can quickly understand the support of the second network device for the first computing service according to the response information.

[0057] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the response information is further used to indicate a service instance identifier to which the second network device is connecting.

[0058] In the possible implementation manner, the first network device can learn the instance to which the second network device is connecting through the response information, thereby facilitating subsequent finding of an adapted instance for the first computing service.

[0059] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the second network device can further receive fourth information sent by the terminal device, the fourth information being used to request the first computing service or to transmit user plane data of the first computing service; and the second network device further sends fifth information to the second computing node, the fifth information being used to instruct the second computing node to execute the first computing service.

[0060] In the possible implementation manner, the second network device can establish a corresponding connection request for the terminal device, so as to serve the terminal device by the second computing node.

[0061] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the response information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: a second computing service in the first computing service supported by the second network device, and a third computing service in the first computing service not supported by the second network device.

[0062] In the possible implementation manner, the second network device can inform the first network device of the instance supported by the second network device or the computing service / instance not supported by the second network device, thereby improving the accuracy of subsequent judgment of the first network device on the corresponding instance.

[0063] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the second network device is further used to receive third indication information sent by the first network device, the third indication information being used to instruct sending of second information to the first computing node, the second information being used to instruct switching of a device providing access service for the first computing service of the terminal device from the first network device to the second network device; and the second network device sends the second information to the first computing node after receiving the third indication information.

[0064] In the possible implementation manner, the second network device can make the first network device feed back the subscription notification of the terminal device through the third indication information.

[0065] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the third request information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first computing service, transmission requirement of the first computing service, and notification acceptance address information.

[0066] In the possible implementation manner, the second network device can be made to know which computing node to establish a connection with through the indication of the acceptance address information and the like.

[0067] The fourth aspect of the present application provides a communication method, which is executed by a gateway, or executed by a part of components (such as a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the gateway, or can also be implemented by a logic module or software which can realize all or part of the gateway functions. In the fourth aspect and its possible implementation manners, the method is taken as an example which is executed by the gateway.

[0068] The gateway receives a plurality of first request information sent by a plurality of computing nodes, aggregates the plurality of first request information to obtain first information, and sends the first information to a first network device. Then, the gateway sends second information to the plurality of computing nodes.

[0069] The plurality of first request information are respectively used for subscribing to a mobility event of a terminal device; the first information is used for subscribing to the mobility event of the terminal device, the first computing node has connected a service instance of a first computing service, and the second information is used for indicating that the terminal device switches from the first network device to a second network device.

[0070] Based on the above scheme, by aggregating the plurality of first request information and the distribution of the second information through the gateway, not only the complexity of maintaining a plurality of subscriptions of the network device can be reduced, but also the switching of the network device can be indicated through the second information, so that the second network device selects a new computing node for the terminal device in the future.

[0071] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the gateway sends second request information to a first computing node in the plurality of computing nodes, and the second request information is used for requesting to release a first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node; and the gateway sends third information to the terminal device, and the third information is used for indicating to release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node.

[0072] In this possible implementation manner, the gateway can release the connection between the terminal device and the first computing node through the second request information and the third information, so as to not affect the establishment of the connection between the terminal device and the new computing node, and improve the user experience.

[0073] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the second information is further used for indicating that the second network device supports a service instance of the first computing service.

[0074] In this possible implementation manner, by indicating the required instance through the second information, the second network element can find an instance which is suitable for the first computing node, so as to improve the user experience.

[0075] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the first information comprises at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, an identifier of the first computing service, and transmission requirements of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used for indicating the mobility event.

[0076] In this possible implementation manner, the first information about the mobility event of the terminal device can further indicate the identifier and the transmission requirements. In this way, the second network device can be more conveniently determined by the first network device whether the second network device meets the related requirements, so as to reduce the service quality of the service caused by the switching.

[0077] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the second information comprises at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, and an identifier of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used for indicating the mobility event.

[0078] The fifth aspect of the present application provides a communication method, which is executed by a terminal device, or executed by part components (for example, a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the terminal device, or can also be implemented by a logic module or software which can realize all or part of the terminal device functions. In the fifth aspect and possible implementation manners thereof, the method is described by taking the example of being executed by the terminal device. The terminal device receives third information sent by a second network element, the third information being used for releasing a first connection between the terminal device and a first computing node; and the terminal device sends fourth information to the second network device, the fourth information being used for determining a computing node related to the terminal device.

[0079] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device can determine the connection release request of the second network element through the third information, and make the second network device select an adaptive computing node for the terminal device through the fourth information. In this way, after the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device, the path is not optimal or unreachable caused by the terminal device still trying to connect to the original computing node is reduced, and the terminal device is also facilitated to connect to the adaptive computing node subsequently.

[0080] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the terminal device can further release the first connection and / or re-initiate a connection request for the first computing service.

[0081] In this possible implementation manner, after the terminal device receives the third information, the terminal device can release the first connection with the first computing node and / or re-initiate a connection request for a new computing node. In this way, after the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device, the path is not optimal or unreachable caused by the terminal device still trying to connect to the original computing node is reduced, and the terminal device is also facilitated to connect to the adaptive computing node subsequently.

[0082] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the terminal device further cleans up a domain name system (DNS) record of the terminal device.

[0083] In this possible implementation manner, the terminal device can reduce the probability of still attempting to connect to the original computing node by cleaning up the DNS record, and facilitate the network device to reselect a suitable computing node for the terminal device, thereby improving user experience.

[0084] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the second network element is the first computing node or a gateway, and the gateway is configured to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to a mobility event of the terminal device.

[0085] In this possible implementation manner, it can be applied to various transmission scenarios, for example, a transmission scenario in which the terminal device is directly connected to the network device, and for example, a transmission scenario in which the terminal device is indirectly connected to the network device through a gateway.

[0086] The sixth aspect of the present application provides a communication apparatus. The communication apparatus is a first computing node, or the communication apparatus is part of the first computing node (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system), or the communication apparatus is a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the function of the first computing node. Taking the communication apparatus as the first computing node as an example, the first computing node includes a transceiver.

[0087] The transceiver is configured to send first information to a first network element, and the first information is used to subscribe to a mobility event of a terminal device.

[0088] The transceiver is further configured to receive second information, and the second information is used to indicate that a device providing an access service for a first computing service of the terminal device is switched from a first network device to a second network device.

[0089] The transceiver is further configured to send third information, and the third information is used to indicate that a first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node is released.

[0090] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the third information is further used to indicate that a connection request for the first computing service is reinitiated after the first connection is released.

[0091] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the third information is further used to indicate that a DNS record of the terminal device is cleaned up.

[0092] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the transceiver is specifically configured to send the third information if the first computing service is executed.

[0093] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the transceiver is specifically configured to receive the second information sent by the first network device or the second network device.

[0094] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the first network element is a first network device, a terminal device, or a gateway, and the gateway is configured to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to a mobility event of the terminal device.

[0095] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the first information is further used for the first network element to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to a mobility event of the terminal device.

[0096] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the transceiver is specifically configured to receive the second information sent by the first network element; and the transceiver is specifically configured to send third information to the first network element.

[0097] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the second information is further used to indicate that the second network device supports a service instance of the first computing service.

[0098] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, an identifier of the first computing service, and transmission requirements of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate the mobility event.

[0099] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the second information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, and an identifier of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate the mobility event.

[0100] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the first connection includes at least one of the following: a transport layer connection and an application layer connection.

[0101] The seventh aspect of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which is a first network device, or a part of components (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system) in the first network device, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the first network device. Taking the communication apparatus as the first network device as an example, the first network device includes a transceiver, or the first network device includes a transceiver and a processing unit.

[0102] The transceiver is configured to receive first information sent by the second network element, the first information being used to subscribe to a mobility event of the terminal device by the first computing node, and the first computing node being connected to a service instance of the first computing service;

[0103] The transceiver is further configured to send second information to the second network element, the second information being used to indicate that the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device.

[0104] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the transceiver is configured to send the second information to the second network element when the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0105] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the transceiver is further configured to receive second indication information sent by the second network device, the second indication information being used to indicate that the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0106] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the processing unit is configured to determine at least one service instance supported by the second network device, and determine that the at least one service instance includes the service instance of the first computing service.

[0107] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the transceiver is further configured to send third request information to the second network device, the third request information being used to request the second network device to provide access service for the first computing service, and receive response information of the third request information sent by the second network device, the response information being used to indicate that the request for switching the first computing service is accepted.

[0108] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the response information is further used to indicate whether the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0109] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the response information is further used to indicate a service instance identifier being connected by the second network device.

[0110] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the processing unit is further configured to determine, according to a business requirement of the first computing service, that the second network device has a service instance of the first computing service that meets the business requirement.

[0111] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the second network element is the first computing node or a gateway, and the gateway is configured to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to a mobility event of the terminal device.

[0112] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the second information is further used to indicate that the second network device supports a service instance of the first computing service.

[0113] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, an identifier of the first computing service, and transmission requirements of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate a mobility event.

[0114] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the second information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, and an identifier of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate a mobility event.

[0115] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the seventh aspect, the first connection includes at least one of the following: a transport layer connection and an application layer connection.

[0116] The eighth aspect of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which is a second network device, or a part of the second network device (for example, a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the second network device. Taking the communication apparatus as the second network device as an example, the second network device includes a transceiver.

[0117] The transceiver is configured to receive third request information sent by a first network device, the third request information being used to request the second network device to provide access service for a first computing service of a terminal device.

[0118] The transceiver is further configured to send response information of the third request information to the first network device, the response information being used to indicate acceptance of the request to switch the first computing service.

[0119] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the transceiver is specifically configured to send the response information to the first network device if there is a service instance of the first computing service.

[0120] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the response information is further used to indicate whether the second network device supports a service instance of the first computing service.

[0121] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the response information is further used to indicate an identifier of a service instance to which the second network device is connected.

[0122] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the transceiver is further configured to receive fourth information sent by the terminal device, the fourth information being used to request the first computing service or transmit user plane data of the first computing service; and the transceiver is further configured to send fifth information to the second computing node, the fifth information being used to instruct the second computing node to execute the first computing service.

[0123] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the response information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: a second computing service in the first computing service supported by the second network device, or a third computing service in the first computing service not supported by the second network device.

[0124] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the transceiver is further configured to receive third indication information sent by the first network device, the third indication information being used to instruct to send second information to the first computing node, the second information being used to instruct to switch, from the first network device to the second network device, a device providing an access service for the first computing service of the terminal device; and the transceiver is further configured to send the second information to the first computing node.

[0125] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the third request information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first computing service, transmission requirements of the first computing service, or notification acceptance address information.

[0126] The ninth aspect of the present application provides a communication apparatus. The communication apparatus is a gateway, or the communication apparatus is part of the gateway (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system), or the communication apparatus is a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the gateway function. For example, the communication apparatus is a gateway, and the gateway includes a transceiver and a processing unit.

[0127] The transceiver is configured to receive a plurality of first request information sent by a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to a mobility event of a terminal device.

[0128] The processing unit is configured to aggregate the plurality of first request information, and send first information to a first network device, the first information being used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device, and the first computing node having connected a service instance of the first computing service.

[0129] The transceiver is further configured to send second information to the plurality of computing nodes, the second information being used to instruct the terminal device to switch from the first network device to a second network device.

[0130] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the ninth aspect, the transceiver is further configured to send, to a first computing node of the plurality of computing nodes, second request information, the second request information being used to request to release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node; and the transceiver is further configured to send, to the terminal device, third information, the third information being used to instruct to release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node.

[0131] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the ninth aspect, the second information is further used to indicate that the second network device supports a service instance of the first computing service.

[0132] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the ninth aspect, the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, an identifier of the first computing service, and transmission requirements of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate a mobility event.

[0133] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the ninth aspect, the second information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, and an identifier of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate a mobility event.

[0134] The tenth aspect of the present application provides a communication apparatus. The communication apparatus is a terminal device, or the communication apparatus is part of the terminal device (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system), or the communication apparatus is a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device. For example, the communication apparatus is a terminal device, and the terminal device includes a transceiver or includes a transceiver and a processing unit.

[0135] The transceiver is configured to receive third information sent by a second network element, the third information being used to release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node.

[0136] The transceiver is further configured to send, to the second network device, fourth information, the fourth information being used to determine a computing node related to the terminal device.

[0137] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the tenth aspect, the processing unit is configured to release the first connection and / or re-initiate a connection request for the first computing service.

[0138] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the tenth aspect, the processing unit is configured to clean up a domain name system (DNS) record of the terminal device.

[0139] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the tenth aspect, the second network element is a first computing node or a gateway, and the gateway is configured to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information are respectively used for subscribing to the mobility event of the terminal device.

[0140] The eleventh aspect of the present application provides a communication apparatus, comprising at least one processor, and the at least one processor is coupled with at least one memory; the at least one memory is configured to store programs or instructions; and the at least one processor is configured to execute the programs or instructions, so that the apparatus implements the method of any one of the possible implementation manners of any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect.

[0141] The twelfth aspect of the present application provides a communication apparatus, comprising at least one logic circuit and at least one input / output interface; the logic circuit is configured to execute the method as described in any one of the possible implementation manners of any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect.

[0142] The thirteenth aspect of the present application provides a communication system, comprising the communication apparatus of any one of the possible implementation manners of the sixth aspect, the communication apparatus of any one of the possible implementation manners of the seventh aspect, the communication apparatus of any one of the possible implementation manners of the eighth aspect, and the communication apparatus of any one of the possible implementation manners of the tenth aspect.

[0143] Or, comprising the communication apparatus of any one of the possible implementation manners of the sixth aspect, the communication apparatus of any one of the possible implementation manners of the seventh aspect, the communication apparatus of any one of the possible implementation manners of the eighth aspect, the communication apparatus of any one of the possible implementation manners of the ninth aspect, and the communication apparatus of any one of the possible implementation manners of the tenth aspect.

[0144] The fourteenth aspect of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, the storage medium is configured to store one or more computer execution instructions, when the computer execution instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the method as described in any one of the possible implementation manners of any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect.

[0145] The fifteenth aspect of the present application provides a computer program product (or computer program), when the computer program in the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method as described in any one of the possible implementation manners of any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect.

[0146] The sixteenth aspect of the present application provides a chip or a chip system, which comprises at least one processor for supporting the communication device to implement the method in any possible implementation manner of any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect.

[0147] In a possible design, the chip system can further comprise at least one memory for storing necessary program instructions and data of the communication device. The chip system can be composed of a chip, or can comprise the chip and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system further comprises an interface circuit for providing the at least one processor with program instructions and / or data.

[0148] The technical effects brought by the sixth aspect to the sixteenth aspect can be referred to the technical effects brought by the first aspect to the fifth aspect, which will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0149] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only relate to the embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor on the basis of the provided drawings.

[0150] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a communication system related to the present application;

[0151] FIG. 1B is another schematic diagram of a communication system related to the present application;

[0152] FIG. 1C is another schematic diagram of a communication system related to the present application;

[0153] FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a system architecture related to the present application;

[0154] FIG. 2B is another schematic diagram of a system architecture related to the present application;

[0155] FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of a deployment mode related to the present application;

[0156] FIG. 3B is another schematic diagram of a deployment mode related to the present application;

[0157] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a communication method related to the present application;

[0158] FIG. 5 is another schematic diagram of a communication method related to the present application;

[0159] FIG. 6 is another schematic diagram of a communication method related to the present application;

[0160] FIG. 7 is another flow diagram of a communication method according to the present disclosure;

[0161] FIGS. 8-11 are several schematic diagrams of a communication apparatus according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0162] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0163] First, some terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0164] 1. Communication computing node (or simply computing node)

[0165] A communication node is a network device with computing and communication capabilities. The communication capability refers to the ability to provide access services for terminal devices and / or communicate with other network devices.

[0166] 2. Computing unit (or computing node)

[0167] A computing unit is a device with computing capability. In some implementations, the computing unit can also be a computing node.

[0168] 3. Computing service

[0169] The computing service can also be referred to as computing power service. The computing service can be understood as an independent application program process of a group or a specific computing function, which can solve specific problems.

[0170] Optionally, the computing service can use a lightweight application programming interface (API) and communicate with other devices / instances / units through a well-defined interface.

[0171] Generally, one computing service can correspond to one or more computing functions (or computing functions) that provide the same function, that is, multiple different computing functions implement the same function and can provide the same computing service. Generally, the function implemented by one computing function can be packaged as a service and provided to external entities through an API. Among them, the computing function can also be called a computing function, and the computing function can also be understood as a serverless computing model, which is usually composed of a series of configurations and a series of executable code / software packages. The business logic code is a software program code written to support computing processing on input data or events according to a specified algorithm. For example, the above computing processing can include transcoding of video streams, picture rendering, picture detection, artificial intelligence (AI) computing, etc.

[0172] Correspondingly, the computing capability (or computing function) of the computing node or the computing unit can be understood as the capability of providing computing resources for the computing service.

[0173] 4, Service instance of computing service

[0174] The service instance of the computing service can also be called a function instance of the computing service, a computing service instance, a computing function instance, a computing service instance, a computing function instance, etc. The service instance of the computing service can be understood as an application program obtained by installing the computing function code on the computing node or the computing unit.

[0175] One service instance or function instance can be understood as an entity that can provide computing function running, for example, can be carried by a container, the container has the running environment of the computing function, can process the input of the function, and execute the code logic to give the output result.

[0176] 5, Computing task

[0177] The computing task can also be referred to as a computing power task, representing an execution of a computing power function call or a computing power service to obtain a result in order to complete a transaction in business logic. For example, a video transcoding operation on specified data, for a video segment or a video tile, a computing power function call / computing power service can be executed, taking a video segment or a video tile as an input of the computing power function / computing power service, until the computing power function / computing power service runs to obtain a complete transcoded segment or tile, which is referred to as a computing task. For processing of a next different video segment or video tile, a new computing task needs to be executed, i.e., the computing power function / computing power service is called or executed again. That is, different calls / execution of the computing power function / computing power service is referred to as different computing tasks. The same computing power function or computing power logic / transaction can be repeatedly executed multiple times, and the inputs can be the same or different, and the outputs can also be the same or different accordingly.

[0178] 6. Computing service identifier

[0179] The computing service identifier can also be referred to as a computing power service identifier, which is used to uniquely identify a computing service or a computing power service. Alternatively, it can be understood that the computing service identifier is a global identifier for uniquely identifying a computing service or a computing power service.

[0180] Optionally, the computing power service identifier can be an identifier in any of the following formats: (1) a globally unique identifier, e.g., composed of one or more of letters, numbers, and special characters; (2) an identifier in a uniform resource locator (URL) format; (3) a fully qualified domain name (FQDN); (4) an IP address, which can be an IP anycast address or an IP unicast address; (5) an IP address + port number; and (6) an identifier in a URI (uniform resource identifier) format. In this application, unless otherwise specified, computing power service and computing power function can be used interchangeably, and computing power function identifier and computing power service identifier can be used interchangeably.

[0181] 7. Computing power quality of service (QoS)

[0182] The computing power QoS can also be referred to as a computing network QoS, which mainly includes a transmission QoS and a computing QoS. The transmission QoS is used to guarantee parameters of communication (or information transmission). The computing QoS is used to guarantee parameters of computing characteristics.

[0183] Optionally, the computing QoS can include at least one of the following: a transmission resource type, a priority, a packet delay budget, a packet error rate, a packet loss rate, a default maximum data burst volume, a default average window, and the like. It can also include computing resource types such as central processing unit (CPU) resources, graphics processing unit (GPU) resources, neural network processing unit (NPU) resources, tensor processing unit (TPU) resources, deep learning processing unit (DPU) resources, field programmable gate array (FPGA) resources, memory resources, storage resources, and the like. It can also include resource consumption granularity and computing demand such as at least one of floating point operations per second (FLOPS), operations per second (OPS), and the like.

[0184] 8. Service level agreement (SLA) requirement information of the computing service

[0185] The SLA requirement information of the computing service can indicate the computing performance required to be provided by the computing service. For example, the SLA requirement information can indicate the time delay required for a function instance to execute a computing task. If the computing task is a picture rendering task, the time delay required for executing the computing task can be the time length required for rendering one frame of picture. Alternatively, the SLA requirement information can indicate the computing performance and communication performance required to be provided by the computing service. For example, the SLA requirement information can indicate the total time delay from when a computing task request is sent from a terminal device to when the result of executing the computing task is received by the terminal device. If the computing task is a picture rendering task, the total time delay can be the total time length from when a picture rendering request is sent from the terminal device to when the result of picture rendering is received by the terminal device.

[0186] 9. Configuration and pre-configuration

[0187] In the present application, configuration and pre-configuration will be used simultaneously. The configuration refers to that the network device / server sends some parameter configuration information or parameter values to the terminal through messages or signaling, so that the terminal determines the communication parameters or transmission resources according to the values or information. The pre-configuration is similar to the configuration, which can be the parameter information or parameter values agreed by the network device / server and the terminal device in advance, or the parameter information or parameter values adopted by the base station / network device or the terminal device according to the standard protocol, or the parameter information or parameter values pre-stored in the base station / server or the terminal device. The present application does not limit this.

[0188] Further, the values and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0189] 10、In the present application, "for indicating" can include direct indication and indirect indication. When describing that some indication information is used to indicate A, it can be understood that the indication information carries A, directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A.

[0190] In the present application, the information indicated by the indication information is referred to as the to-be-indicated information. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the to-be-indicated information, for example, it can be realized by a direct indication method, such as indicating by the to-be-indicated information itself or the index of the to-be-indicated information. It can also be realized by an indirect indication method by indicating other information, wherein the other information and the to-be-indicated information have an association relationship. It can also only indicate part of the to-be-indicated information, and the other part of the to-be-indicated information is known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of a specific information can also be realized by means of the arrangement order of each information agreed in advance (for example, the protocol stipulates), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent.

[0191] The to-be-indicated information can be sent as a whole, or can be sent separately into multiple sub-information, and the sending period and / or sending occasion of the sub-information can be the same or different. The specific sending method is not limited in the present application. The sending period and / or sending occasion of the sub-information can be pre-defined, for example, pre-defined according to the protocol, or configured by the transmitting end device to the receiving end device. The configuration information can include, for example but not limited to, one of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling and physical layer signaling, or a combination of at least two of them. The MAC layer signaling includes, for example, MAC layer control element (CE); the physical layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI).

[0192] 11、In the embodiments of the present application, “sending” and “receiving” represent the direction of signal transmission. In the present application, entity A sending information to entity B can mean that A directly sends information to B, or A indirectly sends information to B through other entities. Similarly, entity B receiving information from entity A can mean that entity B directly receives information sent by entity A, or entity B indirectly receives information sent by entity A through other entities. Here, entity A and entity B can be a radio access network (RAN) node or a terminal, or a module inside a RAN node or a terminal. The sending and receiving of information can be the information exchange between a RAN node and a terminal, for example, the information exchange between a base station and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be the information exchange between two RAN nodes, for example, the information exchange between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be the information exchange between different modules inside one device, for example, the information exchange between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or the information exchange between a base station chip and other modules of the base station. “Sending” can also be understood as the “output” of a chip interface, for example, the baseband chip outputting information to the radio frequency chip; “receiving” can also be understood as the “input” of a chip interface; for example, the baseband part of a device outputting information to the radio frequency part can also be understood as “sending”, and the radio frequency part of a device receiving the information output by the baseband part can also be understood as “receiving”.

[0193] 12、In the embodiments of the present application, the terms “system” and “network” can be used interchangeably. “At least one” means one or more, and “multiple” means two or more. “And / or” describes the association relationship of associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean that A exists alone, A and B exist together, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character “ / ” generally represents an “or” relationship between the associated objects before and after it. “At least one of the following” or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, “at least one of A, B, and C” includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers “first”, “second”, etc. mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the order, time sequence, priority, or importance of the multiple objects.

[0194] Referring to FIG. 1A, an architecture diagram of a communication system 10 to which embodiments of the present application are applied is shown. As shown in FIG. 1A, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 can also include the Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in FIG. 1A, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (e.g., 120a-120j in FIG. 1A, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 can also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG. 1A). The terminal devices 120 are wirelessly connected to the RAN nodes 110, and the RAN nodes 110 are connected to the core network 200 through wireless or wired means. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the RAN nodes 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or can be the same physical device integrated with the logical functions of the core network devices and the logical functions of the RAN nodes. The terminal devices and the terminal devices, and the RAN nodes and the RAN nodes can be connected to each other through wired or wireless means.

[0195] The RAN 100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, an NR system, or a future wireless access system defined by the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). The RAN 100 can also include two or more different wireless access systems described above. The RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0196] The RAN node, also referred to as a radio access network device, a RAN entity, or an access node, is used to help the terminal device access the communication system through wireless means. In addition, the RAN node can also be referred to as a network device, which is a device deployed in the radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. The network device can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also referred to as small stations), relay stations, access points, etc. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of network devices can be different. It can be understood that all or part of the functions of the access network device in the present application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). Embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the radio access network device.

[0197] In one application scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. The RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG. 1A), or a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG. 1A), or a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Of course, the RAN node in a future communication system can also be a wearable device or a vehicle-mounted device, etc.

[0198] In another application scenario, a terminal device can access a wireless network through cooperation of a plurality of RAN nodes, and different RAN nodes implement part of functions of a base station. For example, the RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU implements functions of a radio resource control protocol and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) of a base station, and can also implement functions of a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP); the DU implements functions of a radio link control layer and a medium access control (MAC) layer of a base station, and can also implement part of functions or all functions of a physical layer; for specific descriptions of the above protocol layers, refer to relevant technical specifications of the 3GPP. The RU can be used to implement functions of transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals. The CU and the DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or can be integrated in the same RAN node, for example, integrated in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device, for example, included in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0199] In different systems, the RAN node can have different names, for example, in an O-RAN system, the CU can be referred to as an open CU (O-CU), the DU can be referred to as an open DU (O-DU), and the RU can be referred to as an open RU (O-RU). The RAN node in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. For example, the RAN node can be a server loaded with a corresponding software module. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form of the RAN node.

[0200] The terminal device is a device with wireless transceiving function, which can send signals to the base station or receive signals from the base station. The terminal device can also be referred to as a terminal device, a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a mobile terminal device, etc. The terminal device can be widely applied in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, remote medical treatment, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal device can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiving function, a wearable device, a vehicle, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form of the terminal device.

[0201] For ease of description, the communication system shown in FIG. 1A is described by taking the access network device as a base station as an example. It can be understood that when the communication system includes an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) network, the base station can be an IAB node. It should be noted that the base station and the access network device in the embodiments of the present application can be replaced with each other.

[0202] The base station and the terminal device can be fixed in position or movable. The base station and the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on water; can also be deployed on an airplane, a balloon and a man-made satellite. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the application scenarios of the base station and the terminal device.

[0203] The roles of the base station and the terminal device can be relative, for example, the helicopter or the drone 120i in FIG. 1A can be configured as a mobile base station, and for those terminal devices 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, the terminal device 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, 120i is a terminal device, that is, 110a communicates with 120i through a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate through a base station-to-base station interface protocol, and in this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, the base station and the terminal device can be collectively referred to as a communication device, and 110a and 110b in FIG. 1A can be referred to as a communication device with a base station function, and 120a-120j in FIG. 1A can be referred to as a communication device with a terminal device function.

[0204] The base station and the terminal device, the base station and the base station, and the terminal device and the terminal device can communicate through a licensed frequency spectrum, or through an unlicensed frequency spectrum, or through both the licensed frequency spectrum and the unlicensed frequency spectrum; can communicate through a frequency spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), or through a frequency spectrum above 6 GHz, or through both the frequency spectrum below 6 GHz and the frequency spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the frequency spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0205] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station can also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or by a control subsystem containing base station functions. The control subsystem containing base station functions herein can be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal device can also be performed by a module (such as a chip or a modem) in the terminal device, or by a device containing terminal device functions.

[0206] In the present application, the base station sends a downlink signal or downlink information to the terminal, and the downlink information is carried on a downlink channel; the terminal sends an uplink signal or uplink information to the base station, and the uplink information is carried on an uplink channel. In order for the terminal to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a wireless connection on a cell controlled by the base station. The cell that establishes a wireless connection with the terminal is called the service cell of the terminal.

[0207] It can be understood that the RAN 100 has been described above to include at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in FIG. 1A, collectively referred to as 110), and also includes at least one terminal device (such as 120a-120j in FIG. 1A, collectively referred to as 120).

[0208] In one possible implementation, the communication system shown in FIG. 1A can also be as shown in FIG. 1B, i.e., including one RAN node 110 and multiple terminal devices (e.g., 120A and 120B in FIG. 1B). In this case, the single RAN node can transmit data or control signaling to a single or multiple terminal devices.

[0209] In another possible implementation, the communication system shown in FIG. 1A can also be as shown in FIG. 1C, i.e., including multiple RAN nodes (e.g., 110A, 110B and 110C in FIG. 1C) 110 and one terminal device 120. In this case, the multiple RAN nodes can also transmit data or control signaling to the single terminal device at the same time.

[0210] The technical solutions of the present application can be applied to a 3GPP related cellular communication system. For example, a fourth generation (4G) communication system, a 5G communication system, a communication system after the fifth generation communication system. For example, a future communication system. For example, the fourth generation communication system can include a long term evolution (LTE) communication system. The fifth generation communication system can include a new radio (NR) communication system. The technical solutions of the present application can also be applied to a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, a communication system supporting multiple wireless technology fusion, a device-to-device (D2D) system, or a vehicle to everything (V2X) communication system, etc., without limitation.

[0211] Further, the access network can further undertake some computing functions of the cloud edge node, which can be an internal function of the base station or an external independent function separated from the logical function of the base station. The introduction of the computing function updates the architecture of FIG. 1A, and the following exemplary description is based on the case that the computing function is an external independent function separated from the logical function of the base station.

[0212] FIGS. 2A and 2B show schematic diagrams of system architectures provided by embodiments of the present application. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the system includes a RAN node, a computing node, and a core network. Optionally, the system also includes a terminal. The difference between FIGS. 2A and 2B is that the system shown in FIG. 2A does not include an application programming interface (API) gateway or proxy, and the system shown in FIG. 2B includes an API gateway or proxy. The following briefly describes the system architectures shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0213] In the system architecture shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the RAN node is used to provide access services for terminals (e.g., UEs), and the RAN node has the ability to provide and / or allocate computing resources for the terminal to request scheduling computing services, and the RAN node can be a computing node. The RAN node in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B includes a CU, a DU, and an RU.

[0214] The AI application can be understood as an application deployed on the cloud or the edge, and the data interaction between the AI application and the terminal can be carried in multiple ways. For example, RAN node <-> computing node <-> AI application. For another example, RAN node <-> API gateway <-> computing node <-> AI application. For another example, RAN node <-> UPF <-> general computing server <-> AI application. Wherein, the general computing server can also be regarded as a kind of computing node, which can provide computing services. Wherein, in the embodiments of the present application, <-> represents a bidirectional data interaction path, for example, RAN node <-> computing node <-> AI application can mean the data interaction path between the RNA node and the AI application. It can be that the RAN node transmits data to the AI application through the computing node, or the AI application transmits data to the RAN node through the computing node.

[0215] The computing node can also be called a computing unit, an intelligent node, an intelligent unit, a computing power unit, a computing power node, etc. The computing node can be used to provide computing services, which can provide one or more functions such as connection, calculation, or data storage for users. More specifically, one or more service instances can be loaded on the computing node, and each service instance can be used to provide computing services.

[0216] The computing node has a protocol reference point with the computing power service on the terminal, which can support the computing power service module on the terminal to call the computing power service. The computing node can also have a protocol reference point with the RAN node, which includes control plane signaling and user plane data. The protocol reference point can use IP protocol or tunnel transmission protocol such as GTP. The network connection between the RAN node and the computing node can be based on layer 2 (L2) switch forwarding or layer 3 (L3) IP routing forwarding. Wherein, the RAN node and the computing node can be L2 or L3 direct, that is, there is no other intermediate node on the transmission path between the two nodes. One RAN node or multiple RAN nodes can be connected to the same computing node.

[0217] Optionally, the computing node can only have computing power and the ability to transmit and receive computing service related information and data with the RAN node, but not the ability to provide access services for terminals, that is, the computing node only provides function instances. That is, the computing node and the RAN node can be two independent physical devices.

[0218] Optionally, the computing node can also have computing capability and communication capability, i.e., the computing node is a computing node. That is, the computing node is co-located with the RAN node, integrated in the same physical device. In this case, the interaction between the computing node and the RAN node is the interaction within the device.

[0219] Optionally, the computing node also has a load balance (LB) function. The LB function can select a suitable computing instance for a computing task according to the load of each computing instance on the computing node.

[0220] The LB function can be understood as a module, which can be integrated in the computing node or exist independently of the computing node. The LB function can manage one computing node or multiple computing nodes. The present application does not limit this.

[0221] The core network can communicate with at least one RAN node. The RAN node can communicate with at least one computing node. The core network includes a computing node control entity. The computing node control entity can be used to manage the computing node. The computing node control entity can be a logical functional entity, which can be deployed independently or together with other functional modules, or can be multiple entities distributed in different geographical locations. The present application does not limit this. Corresponding to the name of the computing node, the computing node control entity can also be called a computing unit control entity, an intelligent node control entity, an intelligent unit control entity, or can also be called a computing node control function network element, a computing unit control function network element, an intelligent node control function network element, an intelligent unit control function network element, or simply a computing node control function, a computing unit control function, an intelligent node control function, an intelligent unit control function, etc.

[0222] Exemplarily, the computing node control entity can have the following functions:

[0223] 1. Service registration center function: or computing unit warehouse function, service warehouse function, etc., responsible for managing the computing node, including receiving the registration of the computing node, address allocation, etc. This part of the function can be co-located with the NRF. Among them, the registration of the computing node includes: the computing node can register the configuration information (profile) of the computing node to the computing node control entity, and / or the computing node can register the configuration information of the computing power service on the computing node to the computing node control entity.

[0224] 2. Computing node or computing service configuration function: configure the information of the computing node and the computing service to the RAN node. This part of the function can be co-located with the AMF.

[0225] 3. Functions related to service requirements: decomposition of service requirements, generation of QoS parameters, interaction with a policy control function (PCF) to obtain QoS information. This part of the function can be combined with a session management function (SMF) or a PCF.

[0226] Operation administration and maintenance (OAM) includes a RAN management platform and a computing node management platform. The RAN management platform has a connection relationship with the RAN node, for example, is connected with the CU in the RAN node, and is used for managing the RAN. The computing node management platform has a connection relationship with the computing node, and is used for managing the computing node. For example, the computing node management platform can control the creation, update, or deletion of a computing instance in the computing node.

[0227] In addition, the core network can include an access and mobility management function (AMF), an SMF, and a PCF network exposure function (NEF) network element, and the service module can access the internal data of the core network through the NEF.

[0228] Exemplarily, the terminal device can include any one of the terminal devices 120a-120j shown in FIG. 1A. If the terminal device includes any one of the terminal devices 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120i shown in FIG. 1A, the RAN node can include the RAN node 110a in FIG. 1A, and the computing node can include the RAN node 110b in FIG. 1A; or if the terminal device includes any one of the terminal devices 120f, 120g, and 120h shown in FIG. 1A, the RAN node can include the RAN node 110b in FIG. 1A, and the computing node can include the RAN node 110a in FIG. 1A. The core network can communicate with each network element through a control plane, and the control plane can include one or more control plane function entities in the core network 200.

[0229] Unlike FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B further includes an API gateway or proxy. The API gateway or proxy can provide proxy functions for signaling and data between the RAN node and the computing node (including the service instance deployed thereon), or for signaling and data between the terminal and the computing node (including the service instance deployed thereon). The proxy can be a transparent proxy or a reverse proxy function. The API gateway or proxy can also provide load balancing functions to select a computing node and / or a service instance to serve a terminal.

[0230] In addition, the API gateway or proxy can also provide layer 4 (L4) and layer 7 (L7) proxy functions. The L4 proxy includes proxy functions at the layer of transmission control protocol (TCP) / user datagram protocol (UDP) / quick UDP internet connection (QUIC), etc. The L7 proxy includes application layer proxy functions, such as proxy functions at the layer of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

[0231] In addition, there are various deployment manners (or topological relationships) between the RAN nodes, the computing nodes, and the service instances, which are described as follows.

[0232] FIGS. 3A and 3B show schematic diagrams of the deployment manners provided by the embodiments of the present application. Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the deployment manners involve RAN nodes, computing nodes, and service instances (referred to as instances for short). The difference between FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B is that different RAN nodes in FIG. 3A cannot be connected to the same computing node, while different RAN nodes in FIG. 3B can be connected to the same computing node.

[0233] Optionally, the RAN nodes and the plurality of computing nodes can further include API gateways (not shown in the figures). The API gateways used by different RAN nodes can be the same or different, which is not limited here.

[0234] The RAN node and the connected computing node can be referred to as a RAN node having deployed a computing node, a RAN node having carried a computing node, a RAN node having connected a computing node, a RAN node supporting a computing node, a RAN node having activated a computing node, a RAN node being reachable to a computing node, and a RAN node providing computing services through a computing node, etc.

[0235] Correspondingly, the computing node and the instance on the computing node can be referred to as a computing node having deployed an instance, a computing node having carried an instance, a computing node having connected an instance, a computing node supporting an instance, a computing node having activated, and a computing node providing computing services through an instance.

[0236] For convenience of description, the deployment manner shown in FIG. 3A is referred to as deployment 1, and the deployment manner shown in FIG. 3B is referred to as deployment 2.

[0237] As shown in FIG. 3A, the deployment 1 involves RAN node 1, RAN node 2, computing node 1, computing node 2, and computing node 3.

[0238] For example, RAN node 1 is connected with compute node 1, and RAN node 2 is connected with compute node 2 and compute node 3. Compute node 1 is deployed with instance 1 and instance 2, compute node 2 is deployed with instance 3 and instance 4, and compute node 3 is deployed with instance 5 and instance 6.

[0239] As shown in FIG. 3B, deployment 1 involves RAN node 1, RAN node 2, compute node 1, compute node 2, compute node 3, and compute node 4.

[0240] For example, RAN node 1 is connected with compute node 1 and compute node 2, and RAN node 2 is connected with compute node 2, compute node 3, and compute node 4. Compute node 1 is deployed with instance a and instance b, compute node 2 is deployed with instance c and instance d, compute node 3 is deployed with instance e and instance f, and compute node 4 is not deployed with any instance.

[0241] Any one of the above-mentioned instances 1 to 6 or instances a to f can provide a computing service. Thus, the compute node provides the terminal device connected with the RAN node with the service corresponding to the instance through the corresponding instance. For example, compute node 1 in FIG. 3A can provide the terminal device connected with RAN node 1 with the service corresponding to instance 1 through instance 1.

[0242] It can be understood that the instances deployed on the same compute node can correspond to the same computing service or different computing services, the instances deployed on different compute nodes can be the same or different, and the computing services corresponding to different instances can be the same or different. For example, instance 1 and instance 4 can be the same instance or different instances. For another example, instance 1 and instance 2 both correspond to computing service 1.

[0243] For example, in deployment 1 shown in FIG. 3A, it is assumed that the terminal device performs handover from RAN node 2 (or referred to as a source RAN node) to RAN node 1 (or referred to as a target RAN node). The path between the terminal device and the compute node or instance necessarily passes through RAN node 2. For example, the path between the terminal device and compute node 1 can be terminal device<->RAN node 2<->RAN node 1<->compute node 1.

[0244] For example, in deployment 2 shown in FIG. 3B, it is assumed that the terminal device performs handover from RAN node 2 (or referred to as a source RAN node) to RAN node 1 (or referred to as a target RAN node). The path between the terminal device and the compute node or instance can not necessarily pass through RAN node 2. For example, the path between the terminal device and compute node 2 can be terminal device<->RAN node 2<->compute node 2.

[0245] It can be understood that the number of RAN nodes, the number of computing nodes and the number of instances in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are only examples, and in actual applications, the deployment mode can also involve more RAN nodes, API gateways, computing nodes or instances, which are not limited here.

[0246] In the next generation of mobile communication systems, cloud edge nodes can be further moved down to network access nodes, so the access network can further undertake some computing functions. The computing unit with computing functions can be a unit inside the base station or an external independent unit separated from the logical functions of the base station. The computing unit can be a unit that provides access services for the computing services of terminal devices. The computing service can be understood as an independent application process that implements a set or a specific computing function to solve a specific problem.

[0247] The domain name system (DNS) can provide application domain name to IP address resolution function. The terminal device can obtain the DNS record by requesting the domain name of the application to the DNS system, which contains the IP address of the computing node of the requested application service, so as to obtain the application service from the computing node corresponding to the IP address subsequently. When the DNS record can be cached locally and has a survival time, the terminal device directly obtains the IP address of the corresponding computing node from the DNS record in the local DNS cache when accessing the same application service again within the effective time, so that the terminal device does not have to inquire the computing node again, thereby improving the efficiency of the computing node processing the computing service. However, during the movement of the terminal device, the computing node adapted to the terminal device can change as the location of the terminal device changes. Since the DNS cache still stays on the historically accessed computing node, the terminal device will still try to connect to the original computing node, which can cause suboptimal or unreachable path.

[0248] To solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a communication method, a first computing node subscribes to the mobility event of a terminal device, and determines through second information that the device providing access services for the first computing service of the terminal device is switched from a first network device to a second network device, and then the first computing node can release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node by sending third information, thereby reducing the terminal device still trying to connect to the original computing unit, and facilitating the terminal device to connect to the adapted computing unit subsequently.

[0249] Please refer to FIG. 4, a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown, which includes steps 401 to 412. The steps 401 to 412 can be executed by a communication apparatus, which can refer to the communication apparatus itself (for example, a terminal device and / or a network device), a component in the communication apparatus (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the communication apparatus. The communication apparatus can be a terminal device, an access network device, a computing node, or an API gateway, etc. in the architecture shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 3B. The following is described by taking the execution of the communication apparatus as an example. The processing performed by a single execution subject in the steps 401 to 412 can also be divided into the execution of multiple execution subjects, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, in the case of the communication apparatus being an access network device, the processing performed by the communication apparatus can be divided into the execution of at least one of a CU, a DU, and a RU.

[0250] It should be noted that the first network device in the embodiments of the present application can be understood as a source RAN node of the terminal device, and the second network device can be understood as a target RAN node of the terminal device, i.e., the terminal device can undergo a process of switching from the source RAN node to the target RAN node. The computing node (for example, the first computing node and the second computing node) involved in the present application can include a mobile edge computing (MEC) and / or an application server (AS), etc. The number of the first computing node can be one or more, and the number of the second computing node can be one or more, which are not limited here. The communication method shown in FIG. 4 can be applied not only to the deployment 1 shown in FIG. 3A, but also to the deployment 2 shown in FIG. 3B.

[0251] In addition, there are various cases of the first network element and the second network element. Specifically, the first network element can be a first network device, a gateway, or a terminal device, etc. The gateway can be, for example, an API gateway, an API proxy, a network exposure function network element, a user plane gateway, etc. The second network element can be a first computing node or a gateway. For example, the first network element is a first network device, and the second network element is a first computing node. For another example, the first network element is a terminal device, and the second network element is a first computing node. For yet another example, the first network element and the second network element refer to gateways, etc. which are not limited here. The steps 401 to 412 are described as follows respectively:

[0252] In step 401, the first computing node sends first information to the first network element.

[0253] Before the step 401, the terminal device has established a service connection with the first computing node through the first network device. Alternatively, it is understood that the first network device has provided access services for the first computing service of the terminal device, and interacts with the terminal device through the first computing node for service data.

[0254] The first information in the embodiment of the application is used to subscribe to a mobility event of the terminal device, which can also be referred to as handover (HO) or HO event, and accordingly, the first information can also be referred to as an HO subscription request.

[0255] Alternatively, the first information can include at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device (such as a UE identifier), an identifier of the first computing service, requirement information of the first computing service (such as transmission requirements, computing power service quality, SLA requirement information, etc.), and the like. For example, when subscribing based on a single UE per service granularity (per service per UE), the first information at least includes a UE identifier and an identifier of the first computing service. For another example, when subscribing based on a single service per any UE granularity (per service all UE), the first information at least includes an identifier of the first computing service. For another example, when subscribing based on a UE granularity (per UE all service), the first information at least includes a UE identifier.

[0256] The first indication information is used to indicate a mobility event. Alternatively, it is understood that the first indication information is used to indicate that the event type to be subscribed to by the first computing node is a mobility event.

[0257] The identifier of the terminal device is used to distinguish different terminal devices. The identifier of the terminal device can uniquely identify the terminal device within a certain range, or globally uniquely identify the terminal device, and the like. Of course, the identifier of the terminal device can be individually identified by a certain identifier or address, or jointly identified by combining multiple identifiers or multiple addresses, and the like, which is not limited here.

[0258] For example, the identifier of the terminal device can be represented by a UE identifier (ID), an IP address, a generic public subscription identifier (GPSI), and the like, which is not limited here.

[0259] The identifier of the first computing service is used to distinguish different computing services. Similar to the identifier of the terminal device, the identifier of the first computing service can uniquely identify the computing service within a certain range, or globally uniquely identify the computing service, and the like. Of course, the identifier of the first computing service can be individually identified by a certain identifier or address, or jointly identified by combining multiple identifiers or multiple addresses, and the like, which is not limited here.

[0260] The transmission requirement of the first computing service can be understood as a requirement affecting the transmission of the first computing service related service. For example, it can include at least one of the following: latency requirement, packet loss rate requirement, packet loss rate requirement, etc., which is not limited here.

[0261] In this embodiment, the first computing node sends the first information to the first network element in multiple cases, which are described as follows:

[0262] In the first case, the first network element is a first network device.

[0263] This case can also be understood as the system architecture shown in FIG. 2A, that is, there is no gateway between the network device and the computing node in this case.

[0264] In this case, the step specifically includes that the first computing node sends the first information to the first network device. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the first information sent by the first computing node.

[0265] In the second case, the first network element is a gateway.

[0266] This case can also be understood as the system architecture shown in FIG. 2B, that is, there is a gateway between the network device and the computing node in this case.

[0267] In this case, the step specifically includes that the first computing node sends the first information to the gateway. Correspondingly, the gateway receives the first information sent by the first computing node.

[0268] Optionally, the gateway can receive multiple first request information sent by multiple computing nodes, and the multiple first request information is respectively used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device. After receiving the multiple first request information, the gateway can aggregate the multiple first request information according to the identifier of the terminal device carried in the multiple first request information, and send the aggregated request information to the network device providing access service for the terminal device.

[0269] The aggregated request information can include at least one of the following: first indication information, identifier of the terminal device (or identifier list of multiple terminal devices), identifier of the first computing service (or identifier list of multiple computing services), transmission requirement of the first computing service (or list of multiple transmission requirements), etc.

[0270] It can be understood that the multiple first request information can correspond to the same terminal device or different terminal devices.

[0271] For example, the computing node 1 sends the request information 1 to the gateway, the computing node 2 sends the request information 2 to the gateway, and the computing node 3 sends the request information 4 to the gateway. The request information 1 and the request information 3 are used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device 1, and the request information 2 is used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device 2. The network device serving the terminal device 1 is the network device 1, and the network device serving the terminal device 2 is the network device 2. Then, the gateway can aggregate the request information 1 and the request information 3, send the aggregated request information to the network device 1, and send the request information 2 to the network device 2.

[0272] In a third case, the first network element is a terminal device.

[0273] This case can also be understood as that the computing node can directly subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device.

[0274] In this case, the step specifically includes that the first computing node sends first information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information sent by the first computing node.

[0275] It can be understood that the above three cases are only examples, and the device interacting with the first computing node to send the first information can also be other devices or network elements, and the specific device is not limited here.

[0276] In step 402, the first network device receives the first information.

[0277] The first network device receives the first information in multiple cases, which corresponds to the case in step 401.

[0278] In one possible implementation manner, the first network device receives the first information sent by the first computing node. Correspondingly, the first computing node sends the first information to the first network device.

[0279] In another possible implementation manner, the first network device receives the first information sent by the gateway. Correspondingly, the gateway sends the first information to the first network device.

[0280] In another possible implementation manner, the first network device receives the first information sent by the terminal device. That is, the first computing node first sends the first information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information sent by the first computing node. Then, the terminal device sends the first information to the first network device. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the first information sent by the terminal device.

[0281] Optionally, after receiving the first information, the first network device sends response information to the second network element or the terminal device. Correspondingly, the second network element receives the response information sent by the first network device. The response information can be used to indicate whether the mobility event of the terminal device is successfully subscribed. Of course, after receiving the first information sent by the second network element, the first network device can perform authentication and other operations according to the information carried in the second network element or the request information. After successful authentication, the first network device sends response information to the second network element to indicate that the subscription is successful.

[0282] In step 403, the terminal device performs handover preparation with the first network device.

[0283] The handover preparation can include that the first network device sends a reference signal to the terminal device, the terminal device measures the reference signal, and determines whether the measurement value meets a handover event. If yes, the terminal device performs handover from the first network device to the second network device.

[0284] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the reference signal, the handover event, the type of the handover event, and the threshold of the handover event. For example, the handover event or the type of the handover event can be at least one of the following: A1 event, A2 event, A3 event, A4 event, A5 event, A6 event, B1 event, or B2 event, etc. For another example, the type of the handover event can be an event in the same system or an event between different systems, etc. For another example, the type of the handover event can refer to at least one of the following: same access ring handover, cross access ring handover, cross network segment handover, etc.

[0285] For example, the conditions and meanings corresponding to the above several events are shown in Table 1:

[0286] Table 1

[0287] Optionally, the serving cell can be understood as a cell where the first network device is located, and the neighbor cell can be understood as a cell where the second network device is located.

[0288] In step 404, the first network device or the second network device determines that the second network device has a service instance of the first computing power service.

[0289] In step 405, the first network device or the second network device sends second information to the second network element.

[0290] One possibility is that the second network element is the first computing node. That is, the first network device or the second network device sends the second information to the first computing node. Correspondingly, the first computing node receives the second information sent by the first network device or the second network device.

[0291] In another possible implementation, the second network element is a gateway, i.e., the first network device or the second network device sends the second information to the gateway. Correspondingly, the gateway receives the second information sent by the first network device or the second network device. Further, the gateway can also feed back the second information to the plurality of computing nodes according to the previous aggregation of the plurality of first request information, respectively.

[0292] Optionally, the terminal device performs handover if the handover event is met. The terminal device performing handover can be understood as that the terminal device connects to the second network device. For example, the terminal device switches from the first network device to the second network device. For another example, if the terminal device supports dual-active protocol stack handover, the terminal device can keep connecting to the first network device, i.e., the terminal device simultaneously connects to the first network device and the second network device.

[0293] Step 404 is related to step 405 and there are various cases. Hereinafter, step 404 and step 405 are described together:

[0294] In one possible implementation, the first network device is unaware of the deployment and topology of the computing service on the second network device.

[0295] In step 404, after the handover event is met, the first network device can send third request information (also referred to as handover request HO request) to the second network device, and correspondingly, the second network device receives the third request information sent by the first network device. The third request information is used to request the second network device to provide access service for the first computing service of the terminal device. In addition, the third request information can also be a request for establishing network transmission resources for the first computing service, or can refer to signaling or data corresponding to the first computing service, and the specific implementation is not limited here.

[0296] The third request information can be used to indicate at least one of the following: first computing service information (or the first computing service information to be switched of the terminal device) of the terminal device, context of the terminal device, etc.

[0297] Optionally, the first computing service information can include at least one of the following: the identifier of the first computing service (or the identifier list of the plurality of computing services) described above, the instance identifier related to the computing service, the transmission requirement of the first computing service described above, the first indication information described above, the computing node address for receiving the subscription notification, etc.

[0298] Further, after receiving the switching request information sent by the first network device, the second network device can determine / judge at least one of the following: whether the second network device can provide access service for the first computing service, whether there is an available instance of the first computing service on the second network device, whether there is a connectable instance of the first computing service on the second network device, whether the second network device determines that it can meet the transmission requirements of the first computing service, whether the second network device determines whether the computing node deployed by itself supports the first computing service, whether the second network device determines whether it itself has an instance supporting the first computing service, whether the second network device is within the scope of the instance of the first computing service, etc.

[0299] Optionally, after determining its own support situation according to the switching request information, the second network device can feed back response information to the first network device. The response information can be used to indicate that the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service. In addition, the response information can also be used to indicate at least one of the following: computing services or instances supported by the second network device, computing services or instances not supported by the second network device, computing services or instances accepted by the second network device, computing services or instances rejected by the second network device, and instances being connected by the second network device. Thus, the first network device determines the computing service deployment and topology situation on the second network device according to the response information fed back by the second network device.

[0300] For example, the switching request information is used to indicate that the computing service 1 of the terminal device is expected to be switched to the computing service 2. For example, the second network device supports the computing service 1 and does not support the computing service 2. Or it is understood that the computing service 1 has a connectable instance on the second network device, and the computing service 2 does not have a connectable instance on the second network device.

[0301] For example, the switching request information is used to indicate that the instance 1 of the computing service 1 of the terminal device is expected to be switched to the instance 2. For example, the second network device does not support the instance 1 of the computing service 1 and supports the instance 2 of the computing service 1. Or it is understood that the computing service 1 does not have a connectable instance 1 on the second network device, and the computing service 1 has a connectable instance 2 on the second network device.

[0302] In step 405, after determining the computing service deployment and topology situation on the second network device according to the feedback of the second network device, the first network device can directly send second information to the second network element (i.e., the first computing node or gateway). Correspondingly, the second network element receives the second information sent by the first network device. The second information is used to indicate that the first computing service / instance of the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device, or the device providing access service for the first computing service / instance is switched from the first network device to the second network device.

[0303] Optionally, the second information further indicates at least one of the following: the second network device can provide access service for the first computing service, the first computing service has available instances on the second network device, the first computing service has connectable instances on the second network device, the second network device can meet the transmission requirement of the first computing service, a computing node of the second network device supports the first computing service, the second network device has instances supporting the first computing service, the second network device is within the range of instances of the first computing service, the first indication information, the identity of the terminal device, the identity of the first computing service, and the like.

[0304] On the other hand, the first network device can send third indication information to the second network device, and the second network device sends the second information to the second network element according to the third indication information after receiving the third indication information sent by the first network device. Correspondingly, the second network element receives the second information sent by the second network device. The third indication information is used to indicate that the second network device sends the second information to the second network element. Optionally, the third indication information can further indicate at least one of the following: the identity of the first computing service, the instance identity related to the computing service, the computing node address receiving the subscription notification, and the like. Thus, the second network device can send the second information to the second network element according to the third indication information after receiving the third indication information sent by the first network device.

[0305] On the other hand, if the switching request information or the first computing service information sent by the first network device to the second network device has indicated the information indicated by the third indication information (for example, the computing node address receiving the subscription notification), the second network device can directly send the second information to the second network element according to the computing node address. Correspondingly, the second network element receives the second information sent by the second network device.

[0306] In another possible implementation manner, the first network device perceives the computing service deployment and topology on the second network device.

[0307] In step 404, after the switching event is met, if the first network device perceives the computing service deployment and topology on the second network device, the first network device can determine / judge at least one of the following: whether the second network device can provide access service for the first computing service, whether the first computing service has available instances on the second network device, whether the first computing service has connectable instances on the second network device, whether the second network device can meet the transmission requirement of the first computing service, whether a computing node deployed by the second network device supports the first computing service, whether the second network device has instances supporting the first computing service, and whether the second network device is within the range of instances of the first computing service, and the like.

[0308] Optionally, the first network device determines at least one computing service or at least one instance supported by the second network device, the at least one computing service including the first computing service, or the at least one instance including an instance of the first computing service. Then the first network device determines at least one of the above.

[0309] Optionally, the first network determines, according to a service requirement of the first computing service, that the second network device has a service instance of the first computing service that meets the service requirement. For example, when the second network device is located on the same access ring or the same network segment as the first network device, it is determined that the second network device has a service instance of the first computing service that meets the service requirement, and when the second network device is located on a different access ring or a different network segment from the first network device, it is determined that the service instance of the first computing service corresponding to the second network device cannot meet the service requirement of the first computing service.

[0310] In step 405, the first network device determines the computing service deployment and topology on the second network device according to the feedback of the second network device. On one hand, the first network device can directly send second information to the second network element (i.e., the first computing node or the gateway). Correspondingly, the second network element receives the second information sent by the first network device. The second information is used to instruct the terminal device to switch from the first network device to the second network device.

[0311] On the other hand, the first network device can send third indication information to the second network device. After the second network device receives the third indication information sent by the first network device, the second network device sends the second information to the second network element according to the third indication information. The third indication information is used to instruct the second network device to send the second information to the second network element. Optionally, the third indication information can also be used to indicate at least one of the following: the identity of the first computing service, the identity of the instance related to the computing service, the address of the computing node receiving the subscription notification, etc. Thus, after the second network device receives the third indication information sent by the first network device, the second network device can send the second information to the second network element according to the third indication information.

[0312] On the other hand, if the switching request information or the first computing service information sent by the first network device to the second network device has already indicated the information indicated by the third indication information (e.g., the address of the computing node receiving the subscription notification), the second network device can directly send the second information to the second network element according to the address of the computing node. Correspondingly, the second network element receives the second information sent by the first network device.

[0313] In step 406, the first computing node receives the second information sent by the first network element or the second network device.

[0314] Corresponding to the foregoing step 405, the present step can be that the first computing node receives the second information sent by the first network device, or that the first computing node receives the second information sent by the gateway, or that the first computing node receives the second information sent by the second network device, or that the first computing node receives the second information sent by the terminal device. Corresponding descriptions can be referred to the foregoing descriptions about step 405, and details are not described herein.

[0315] Step 407: The first computing node sends third information.

[0316] Step 408: The terminal device receives the third information sent by the second network element.

[0317] The first computing node sends the third information in multiple cases. For example, after the first computing node receives the second information, the first computing node determines that the device providing the access service for the first computing service is switched from the first network device to the second network device according to the second information. Then, the first computing node sends the third information. For another example, the first computing node can determine to send the third information without the second information sent by the network device (e.g., the first network device or the second network device). For example, after the terminal device occurs a mobility event, the terminal device sends a mobility indication to the first computing node, and the first computing node determines to send the third information according to the mobility indication. The mobility indication is used to indicate one or more of the following: the terminal device occurs a mobility event, the terminal device is preparing to switch or has performed a network device switching, and the like.

[0318] Optionally, in the case that the first computing node receives the second information, the case is further divided into multiple cases. For example, the foregoing second information received by the first computing node includes first indication information, and the first computing node determines to send the third information according to the first indication information. That is, the network device (the first network device or the second network device) judges whether the terminal device occurs a mobility event or needs to reconnect, and the network device indicates the first computing node whether the terminal device occurs a mobility event or needs to reconnect through the first indication information. For another example, the foregoing second information received by the first computing node does not include the first indication information, that is, the first computing node itself judges whether the terminal device occurs a mobility event or needs to reconnect. In the case that the terminal device occurs a mobility event or needs to reconnect, the first computing node sends the third information.

[0319] The third information in the embodiments of the present application is used to indicate releasing the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node. The first connection can include at least one of the following: a transport layer (L4) connection, an application layer (L7) connection. In addition, the third information can include at least one of the following: an identifier of the first connection, an identifier of the terminal device, an indication value, etc. The indication value is used to indicate whether the edge application server (EAS) needs to be redirected / DNS redirected / refreshed, etc.

[0320] It can be understood that the third information in the embodiments of the present application can have various names, such as a connection release request, a reconnection indication, a connection redirection request, EAS redirection, DNS redirection, refresh connection, etc., which are not limited specifically herein.

[0321] Optionally, the third information is also used to indicate reinitiating a connection request for the first computing service after releasing the first connection. In this way, the terminal device can release the L4 connection or the L7 connection with the first network device after switching the network device, so as not to affect the terminal device to reinitiate the connection request for the first computing service.

[0322] Optionally, the third information is also used to indicate cleaning up a DNS record of the terminal device. The DNS record includes a domain name cached by the terminal device and a corresponding IP address, etc. In this way, the terminal device can clean up the DNS record after switching the network device, so as not only to connect to the original computing node according to the DNS record when reinitiating the connection of the computing node subsequently, but also to trigger the second network device to select a more optimal computing node for the computing service of the terminal device.

[0323] Step 407 is related to step 408 and has various cases, which are described together as follows:

[0324] In one possible implementation manner, the first computing node directly sends the third information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third information sent by the first computing node.

[0325] In another possible implementation manner, the first computing node sends the third information to the gateway. Correspondingly, the gateway receives the third information sent by the first computing node. After receiving the third information, the gateway sends the third information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third information sent by the gateway.

[0326] It can be understood that there can be slight differences in the third information transmitted between different devices / network elements, such as addition, deletion or modification of a header / tail, etc.

[0327] Optionally, the triggering of step 407 can also increase the preset condition, i.e., step 407 is specifically: if the preset condition is met, the first computing node sends the third information.

[0328] For example, the preset condition is that the execution of a computing task of the first computing service ends, or there is no computing task of the first computing service currently being performed. That is, if the execution of a computing task of the first computing service ends, or there is no computing task of the first computing service currently being performed, the first computing node sends the third information.

[0329] Step 409, the terminal device releases the first connection. This step is optional.

[0330] Step 410, the terminal device sends fourth information to the second network device, and this step is optional.

[0331] Step 411, the second network device interacts with the second computing node to send fifth information, and this step is optional.

[0332] Step 412, the terminal device interacts with the second computing node to perform a computing task, and this step is optional.

[0333] Optionally, after the terminal device receives the second network element (i.e., the first computing node or the gateway), on the one hand, the terminal device can release the first connection as shown in step 409. On the other hand, the terminal device can send fourth information to the second network device as shown in step 410. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the fourth information sent by the terminal device. The fourth information is used to request the first computing service or transmit user plane data of the first computing service.

[0334] Optionally, step 410 can be understood as a process in which the terminal device reinitiates a connection request for the first computing service. It can also be understood that the fourth information refers to a new service connection establishment request or an application server (AS) scheduling request, etc.

[0335] Optionally, the fourth information is used to indicate at least one of the following: a service identifier (such as an anycast address or a virtual IP address), a port number, a reinitiated service discovery, an acquisition of a new edge application server (EAS) address, etc. For example, the fourth information is also used to determine a computing node related to the terminal device or the first computing service.

[0336] Further, after receiving the fourth information, the second network device can determine the second computing node according to the fourth information. For example, the second network device selects a new second computing node according to the identifier or address of the first computing service in the service connection establishment request. For another example, the second network device selects a new second computing node according to the identifier of the first computing service in the AS scheduling request. For another example, the second network device selects a second computing node that is closest to the terminal device according to the current location of the terminal device. For another example, the second network device selects a second computing node that is optimal according to the requirement information of the first computing service.

[0337] Optionally, after receiving the fourth information, the second network device can allocate a corresponding computing node for the instance of the first computing service of the terminal device according to the fourth information in step 411. For example, the second network device sends fifth information to the second computing node. Correspondingly, the second computing node receives the fifth information sent by the second network device. The fifth information is used to instruct the second computing node to execute the first computing service, that is, to start a new computing task of the first computing service.

[0338] Optionally, after the terminal device sends the fourth information or after the second computing node receives the fifth information, the terminal device can interact with the second computing node for the first computing task in step 412.

[0339] In addition, if the second computing node has established a connection with the terminal device, the second computing node can also send new subscription information to the second network device, and the new subscription information is used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device. Thus, it is convenient for the network device to allocate a new computing node for the terminal device again after the terminal device occurs a mobility event again.

[0340] The method provided in this embodiment has multiple cases. For example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 401 to 408. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 401 to 409. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 401 to 408 and step 410. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 401 to 410. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 401 to 409 and step 411. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 401 to 408, step 410 and step 411.

[0341] In the embodiment of the present application, the first computing node subscribes to the mobility event of the terminal device, and determines, through the second information, that the device providing the access service of the first computing service of the terminal device switches from the first network device to the second network device, and then the first computing node can release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node by sending the third information, thereby reducing the path that is not optimal or unreachable caused by the terminal device still trying to connect to the original first computing node, and facilitating the terminal device to connect to the second computing node for subsequent adaptation, so that the service data of the terminal device after moving can still be processed through the adapted second computing node, to improve the user experience.

[0342] The above briefly describes the general idea and scheme provided by the embodiment of the present application through FIG. 4. The method provided by the embodiment of the present application is divided into different cases according to various situations of the gateway. First, the system architecture does not involve the interaction of the gateway. Second, the system architecture involves the interaction of the gateway, and the control plane signaling passes through the gateway, but the user plane data does not pass through the gateway. Third, the system architecture involves the interaction of the gateway, and both the control plane signaling and the user plane data need to pass through the gateway. The above several cases will be further described in combination with the accompanying drawings.

[0343] First, the system architecture to which the embodiment of the present application is applicable does not include a gateway. That is, the method provided by the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 adopts the system architecture shown in FIG. 2A.

[0344] Please refer to FIG. 5, which is another communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application. The communication method includes steps 501 to 515. Steps 501 to 515 can be executed by a communication apparatus. The "communication apparatus" can refer to the communication apparatus itself (for example, a terminal device and / or a network device), a component in the communication apparatus (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the communication apparatus. The communication apparatus can be a terminal device, an access network device, or a computing node in the architecture shown in FIGS. 1A to 3B. The following will be described by taking the execution of the communication apparatus as an example. The processing executed by a single execution subject in steps 501 to 515 can also be divided into execution by multiple execution subjects, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, in the case where the communication apparatus is an access network device, the processing executed by the communication apparatus can be divided into execution by at least one of the CU, the DU, and the RU.

[0345] It should be noted that the first network device in this embodiment can be understood as the source RAN node of the terminal device, and the second network device can be understood as the destination RAN node of the terminal device, that is, the terminal device can undergo a process of switching from the source RAN node to the destination RAN node. The computing node (for example, the first computing node and the second computing node) involved in this application can include MEC or AS, etc. The number of the first computing node can be one or more, and the number of the second computing node can be one or more, which is not limited here. The communication method shown in FIG. 5 can not only be applied to the deployment 1 shown in FIG. 3A, but also be applied to the deployment 2 shown in FIG. 3B.

[0346] In addition, in the communication method shown in FIG. 5, from the application layer perspective: the intermediate node between the terminal device and the computing node does not process the application layer protocol data packet. Before switching, from the network side perspective: the uplink and downlink transmission of the application layer data packet between the terminal device and the computing node is transmitted through the first network device, and the description after switching will be described after step 508. Steps 501 to 515 are described below respectively:

[0347] Step 501: The first computing node sends a subscription request to the first network device.

[0348] Similar to the description in the foregoing step 401, the terminal device has established a service connection with the first computing node through the first network device. Alternatively, it can be understood that the first network device has provided access services for the first computing service of the terminal device, and interacts with the terminal device through the first computing node.

[0349] The first computing node sends a subscription request to the first network device. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the subscription request sent by the first computing node. The subscription request is used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device.

[0350] The subscription request can refer to the description of the first information in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 4, which will not be described here.

[0351] Step 502: The first network device sends a subscription response to the first computing node, and this step is optional.

[0352] Optionally, the first network device sends a subscription response to the first computing node after receiving the subscription request. Correspondingly, the first computing node receives the subscription response sent by the first network device.

[0353] The subscription response can refer to the description of the response information in the foregoing step 402, which will not be described here.

[0354] Step 503: The terminal device and the first network device perform switching preparation.

[0355] Wherein, the step 503 can refer to the description of the step 403 in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 4, which will not be repeated here.

[0356] After the step 503, there are two branches, one branch includes the step 504, and the other branch includes the steps 505 to 508. Alternatively, it is understood that one branch is that the first network device sends the subscription notification to the first computing node. The other branch is that the second network device sends the subscription notification to the first computing node.

[0357] The step 504 is that the first network device sends the subscription notification to the first computing node, which is optional.

[0358] Optionally, the first network device sends the subscription notification to the first computing node after the terminal device occurs the mobility event. Correspondingly, the first computing node receives the subscription notification sent by the first network device.

[0359] Wherein, the step 504 can refer to the description of the step 403 in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 4, which will not be repeated here.

[0360] The step 505 is that the first network device sends the handover request to the second network device, which is optional.

[0361] Optionally, the first network device sends the handover request to the second network device. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the handover request sent by the first network device.

[0362] The step 506 is that the second network device sends the handover response to the first network device, which is optional.

[0363] Optionally, the second network device sends the handover response to the first network device after receiving the handover request sent by the first network device. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the handover response sent by the second network device.

[0364] The step 507 is that the second network device determines that the second network device exists the service instance of the first computing power service, which is optional.

[0365] Optionally, the second network device can determine whether the second network device exists the service instance of the first computing power service according to the handover request after receiving the handover request.

[0366] The step 508 is that the second network device sends the subscription notification to the first computing node, which is optional.

[0367] Optionally, the second network device sends a subscription notification to the first computing node after the terminal device has the mobility event. Correspondingly, the first computing node receives the subscription notification sent by the second network device.

[0368] In step 505 to step 508, the second network device sends the second information to the second network element, which can refer to the description of the above-mentioned embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

[0369] In addition, there are various cases of the transmission path of the application layer data. Before the terminal device has the mobility event, the transmission path of the application layer data is: terminal device<->first network device<->first computing node. After the terminal device has the mobility event, there are two cases (corresponding to deployment 1 and deployment 2 in FIG. 5), which are described as follows.

[0370] For example, for deployment 1, after the terminal device has the mobility event, the transmission path of the application layer data is: terminal device<->second network device<->first network device<->first computing node. For example, for deployment 2, after the terminal device has the mobility event, the transmission path of the application layer data is: terminal device<->second network device<->first computing node.

[0371] In step 509, the first computing node sends a connection release request to the terminal device.

[0372] After the first computing node receives the subscription notification, the first computing node sends the connection release request to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the connection release request sent by the first computing node.

[0373] The connection release request can refer to the description of the third information in the above-mentioned step 402, and details are not described herein.

[0374] In step 510, the terminal device releases the first connection. This step is optional.

[0375] In step 511, the terminal device sends a connection request to the second network device, and this step is optional.

[0376] Optionally, the terminal device sends the connection request to the second network device. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the connection request sent by the terminal device.

[0377] In step 510 and step 511, the connection request can refer to the description of the fourth information in the above-mentioned embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and details are not described herein.

[0378] In step 512, the second network device determines the second computing node, and this step is optional.

[0379] Optionally, after the second network device receives the connection request sent by the terminal device, the second network device can determine the second computing node according to the connection request.

[0380] In the step 512, the second network device can determine the second computing node according to the fourth information. The step 512 can refer to the description of the step of determining the second computing node according to the fourth information in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, which will not be repeated here.

[0381] In the step 513, the second network device establishes a connection with the second computing node. The step 513 is optional.

[0382] Optionally, after the second network device determines the second computing node, the second network device establishes a connection with the second computing node.

[0383] In the step of establishing a connection, the description of establishing a connection can refer to the description of the fifth information in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, which will not be repeated here.

[0384] In the step 514, the terminal device interacts with the second computing node to perform a computing task. The step 514 is optional.

[0385] Optionally, after the second network device establishes a connection with the second computing node, the terminal device accessing the second network device can interact with the second computing node to perform a first computing task, so that the second computing node processes the first computing task of the terminal device.

[0386] In the step 515, the second computing node sends a new subscription request to the second network device. The step 515 is optional.

[0387] Optionally, after the second computing node establishes a connection with the terminal device, or it is understood that the terminal device has established a service connection with the second computing node through the second network device. Or it is understood that the second network device has provided an access service for the first computing service of the terminal device, and interacts with the terminal device to perform service data through the second computing node. The second computing node can send a new subscription request to the second network device. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the new subscription request sent by the second computing node. The new subscription request is used to subscribe to a mobility event of the terminal device. Thus, it is convenient for the network device to allocate a new computing node for the terminal device after the terminal device occurs a mobility event again.

[0388] It can be understood that the step 515 can be regarded as a new round of communication method, or it is understood that the step 515 is similar to the step 501, and the difference between the step 515 and the step 501 is that the computing node connected by the computing service of the terminal device is different from the network device.

[0389] The method provided in the embodiment has multiple cases. For example, the method provided in the embodiment includes steps 501, 503, 504, and 509. For another example, the method provided in the embodiment includes steps 501, 503, 505-509. For another example, the method provided in the embodiment includes steps 501-504 and 509. For another example, the method provided in the embodiment includes steps 501-503 and 505-509. For another example, the method provided in the embodiment includes steps 501, 503, 504, and 509-514. For another example, the method provided in the embodiment includes steps 501, 503, 505-514. For another example, the method provided in the embodiment includes steps 501, 503, 504, and 509-515. For another example, the method provided in the embodiment includes steps 501, 503, 505-515, and the like, and the specific embodiments are not limited herein.

[0390] In the embodiment of the application, the first computing node subscribes to the mobility event of the terminal device, and determines, through the second information, that the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device by the device providing the access service of the first computing service, and then the first computing node can release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node by sending the third information, thereby reducing the path that is not optimal or unreachable caused by the terminal device still attempting to connect the original first computing node, facilitating the subsequent connection of the terminal device to the second computing node adapted, and enabling the service data of the terminal device after movement to still be processed through the second computing node adapted, so as to improve the user experience.

[0391] Secondly, the system architecture to which the embodiment of the application is applicable includes a gateway, and the control plane signaling passes through the gateway, and the user plane signaling does not pass through the gateway. That is, the method provided in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 adopts the system architecture shown in FIG. 2B.

[0392] Referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is another communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application, which includes steps 601 to 620. The steps 601 to 620 can be executed by a communication apparatus, which can refer to the communication apparatus itself (for example, a terminal device and / or a network device), a component in the communication apparatus (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the communication apparatus. The communication apparatus can be a terminal device, an access network device, a computing node or a gateway, etc. in the architecture shown in FIGS. 1A to 3B. The following is described by taking the execution of the communication apparatus as an example. The processes executed by a single execution subject in the steps 601 to 620 can also be divided into processes executed by multiple execution subjects, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, in the case of the communication apparatus being an access network device, the processes executed by the communication apparatus can be divided into processes executed by at least one of the CU, the DU and the RU.

[0393] It should be noted that the first network device in the embodiments can be understood as a source RAN node of the terminal device, and the second network device can be understood as a target RAN node of the terminal device, i.e. the terminal device can undergo a process of switching from the source RAN node to the target RAN node. The first network element and the second network element refer to the gateway. The computing node (for example, the first computing node and the second computing node) involved in the present application can include MEC or AS, etc. The number of the first computing node can be one or more, and the number of the second computing node can be one or more, which are not limited here. The communication method shown in FIG. 6 can be applied not only to the deployment 1 shown in FIG. 3A, but also to the deployment 2 shown in FIG. 3B.

[0394] In addition, in the communication method shown in FIG. 6, specifically, from the perspective of the application layer: the intermediate node between the terminal device and the computing node does not process the application layer protocol data packet. Before the switching, from the perspective of the network side: the uplink and downlink transmission of the application layer data packet between the terminal device and the computing node is transmitted through the first network device, and the description after the switching will be described after step 611. The steps 601 to 620 are described as follows:

[0395] In step 601, the first computing node sends first request information to the gateway.

[0396] The first computing node sends the first request information to the gateway, and correspondingly, the gateway receives the first request information sent by the first computing node. The first request information can also be referred to as a subscription request, which is used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device.

[0397] In the embodiments of the present application, the number of the first computing node can be one or more, which is not limited here.

[0398] Optionally, the number of the first computing nodes is multiple, and the multiple first computing nodes respectively send first request information to the network element. Correspondingly, the gateway receives multiple first request information sent by the multiple first computing nodes, and the multiple first request information are respectively used for subscribing to the mobility event of the terminal device.

[0399] In the embodiment, the description of the first request information can refer to the related description of the “first information” or “subscription request” in the foregoing embodiments, and details are not described herein again.

[0400] In step 602, the gateway aggregates the multiple first request information. This step is optional.

[0401] Optionally, if the gateway receives multiple first request information sent by multiple computing nodes, the multiple first request information can be aggregated. Correspondingly,

[0402] Further, the gateway can determine the access network device serving each terminal device according to the terminal device identifier carried in the multiple first request information, so as to aggregate according to the access network device. Thus, only one subscription between the gateway and one access network device can be realized, which is convenient for subsequent maintenance, reduces the number of interactions, and the like.

[0403] For example, the gateway receives the subscription request 1 sent by the computing node 1, the gateway receives the subscription request 2 sent by the computing node 2, and the gateway receives the subscription request 3 sent by the computing node 3. The subscription request 1 is used for subscribing to the mobility event of UE1, the subscription request 2 is used for subscribing to the mobility event of UE2, and the subscription request 3 is used for subscribing to the mobility event of UE1. The base station serving UE1 is xNB1, and the base station serving UE1 is xNB2. Then, the gateway can aggregate the subscription request sent by the computing node 1 and the subscription request sent by the computing node 3, that is, the gateway can aggregate the subscription request 1 and the subscription request 3.

[0404] Optionally, if the gateway receives one first request information sent by one computing node, the “aggregation” process of this step can not be performed. Alternatively, the gateway can receive one first request information sent by one computing node and perform step 603.

[0405] In step 603, the gateway sends first information (a subscription request) to the first network device.

[0406] After the gateway receives at least one first request information, the gateway can send first information to the first network device. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the first information sent by the gateway.

[0407] Optionally, in the case that the at least one first request information is one first request information, after the gateway receives the first request information, the gateway can send the first information to the first network device.

[0408] Optionally, in the case of two or more first request information, the gateway can aggregate the multiple first request information to obtain the first information and send the first information to the first network device after receiving the at least two first request information.

[0409] The first information can be equivalent to the first request information, or can be obtained by processing the at least one request information. The processing can include at least one of modification, adjustment, deletion, addition or aggregation of header or tail information, and the like, and the specific implementation is not limited herein. Alternatively, it is understood that the subscription requests exchanged between different network elements can be the same or different.

[0410] For example, continuing the above example, the gateway sends the subscription request 1 to the xNB1, and the gateway sends the subscription request 2 to the xNB2. The subscription request 1 is obtained by aggregating the subscription request 1 and the subscription request 3.

[0411] In step 604, the first network device sends a subscription response to the gateway. This step is optional.

[0412] Optionally, after receiving the subscription request, the first network device sends a subscription response to the first computing node. Correspondingly, the first computing node receives the subscription response sent by the first network device.

[0413] The subscription response can refer to the description of the response information in the foregoing step 402, and details are not repeated here.

[0414] For example, continuing the above example, after the gateway sends the subscription request 1 to the xNB1, the xNB1 sends the subscription response 1 corresponding to the subscription request 1 to the gateway. Similarly, after the gateway sends the subscription request 2 to the xNB2, the xNB2 sends the subscription response 2 corresponding to the subscription request 2 to the gateway.

[0415] In step 605, the gateway distributes the subscription response according to the subscription. This step is optional.

[0416] Optionally, after receiving the subscription response, the gateway can send the subscription response to the first computing node according to the subscription. Correspondingly, the first computing node receives the subscription response sent by the gateway.

[0417] Further, if the subscription request sent by the gateway is the aggregated multiple subscription requests, the gateway can also determine how to distribute the subscription response to the multiple computing nodes according to the previous aggregation rule after receiving the subscription response.

[0418] For example, continuing the above example, the gateway receives the subscription response 1 corresponding to the subscription request 1 sent by the xNB1. The gateway receives the subscription response 2 corresponding to the subscription request 2 sent by the xNB2. Further, the gateway sends the subscription response 1 to the computing node 1, the subscription response 1 to the computing node 3, and the subscription response 2 to the computing node 2 according to the subscription conditions or the aggregation rule of the plurality of computing nodes.

[0419] At step 606, the terminal device performs handover preparation with the first network device.

[0420] In this step 603, reference can be made to the description of step 403 in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 4, which will not be repeated here.

[0421] After step 606, there are two branches, one branch includes step 607, and the other branch includes steps 608 to 611. Alternatively, it is understood that one branch is that the first network device sends a subscription notification to the gateway. The other branch is that the second network device sends a subscription notification to the gateway.

[0422] At step 607, the first network device sends a subscription notification to the gateway. This step is optional.

[0423] Alternatively, after the terminal device has a mobility event, the first network device sends a subscription notification to the gateway. Correspondingly, the gateway receives the subscription notification sent by the first network device.

[0424] In this step 607, reference can be made to the description related to “the first network device sends the second information to the second network element” in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 4, which will not be repeated here.

[0425] At step 608, the first network device sends a handover request to the second network device. This step is optional.

[0426] At step 609, the second network device sends a handover response to the first network device. This step is optional.

[0427] At step 610, the second network device determines that the second network device has a service instance of the first computing power service. This step is optional.

[0428] At step 611, the second network device sends a subscription notification to the gateway. This step is optional.

[0429] Alternatively, after the terminal device has a mobility event, the second network device sends a subscription notification to the gateway. Correspondingly, the gateway receives the subscription notification sent by the second network device.

[0430] In step 608 to step 611, reference can be made to the description of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 in relation to the "second network device sends second information to the second network element", which will not be repeated here.

[0431] In addition, the control plane signaling of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 passes through the gateway, and the user plane signaling does not pass through the gateway. There are various cases for the transmission path of the application layer data. Before the mobility event occurs in the terminal device, the transmission path of the application layer data is: terminal device<->first network device<->first computing node. After the mobility event occurs in the terminal device, there are two cases (corresponding to deployment 1 and deployment 2 in FIG. 6), which will be described below.

[0432] For example, for deployment 1, after the mobility event occurs in the terminal device, the transmission path of the application layer data is: terminal device<->second network device<->first network device<->first computing node. For example, for deployment 2, after the mobility event occurs in the terminal device, the transmission path of the application layer data is: terminal device<->second network device<->first computing node.

[0433] In step 612, the gateway distributes the subscription notification according to the subscription.

[0434] After the gateway receives the subscription notification sent by the first network device or the second network device, the gateway can distribute the subscription notification to the first computing node. The distribution process can refer to the distribution process in step 605, which will not be repeated here.

[0435] In step 613, the first computing node determines to initiate a connection release request.

[0436] After the first computing node receives the subscription notification sent by the gateway, the first computing node can determine whether to initiate a connection release request according to the subscription notification. If it is determined to initiate a connection release request, step 614 is triggered.

[0437] Optionally, some restrictions can be added to this step. For example, after the first computing service of this time is completed, it is determined to initiate a connection release request.

[0438] In addition, interaction can be added to the control plane to enable the gateway to determine to initiate a connection release request, which will not be limited here.

[0439] In step 614, the first computing node sends a connection release request to the terminal device.

[0440] In step 615, the terminal device releases the first connection. This step is optional.

[0441] In step 616, the terminal device sends a connection request to the second network device. This step is optional.

[0442] Step 617, the second network device determines the second computing node, and this step is optional.

[0443] The steps 614 to 617 can refer to the descriptions of the steps 509 to 512 in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 5, or refer to the descriptions of the steps 407 to 410 in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 4, which are not described here again.

[0444] Step 618, the second network device establishes a connection with the second computing node through the gateway, and this step is optional.

[0445] Optionally, after the second network device determines the second computing node, the second network device establishes a connection with the second computing node through the gateway, because the control plane signaling of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 needs to pass through the gateway. The description of establishing the connection can refer to the description of the “fifth information” in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 4, which is not described here again.

[0446] It should be noted that the gateway connected by the second computing node and the gateway connected by the first computing node can be the same or different, which is not limited here.

[0447] Step 619, the terminal device and the second computing node perform computing task interaction, and this step is optional.

[0448] Step 620, the second computing node sends a new subscription request to the second network device, and this step is optional.

[0449] The steps 619 and 620 can refer to the descriptions of the steps 514 and 515 in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 5, or the step 619 can refer to the description of the step 412 in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 4, which is not described here again.

[0450] The method provided in this embodiment has various cases, for example, the method provided in this embodiment includes the steps 601 to 603, the step 606, the step 607, and the steps 612 to 614. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes the steps 601 to 603, the step 606, the steps 608 to 614. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes the steps 601 to 614. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes the steps 601 to 619. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes the steps 601 to 620, and the like, which is not limited here.

[0451] In the embodiments of the present application, on the one hand, the gateway is configured to aggregate the subscriptions of the mobility events of the terminal device from the plurality of computing nodes, and send the aggregated subscription to the corresponding network device, thereby reducing the complexity of the network device in maintaining the subscription. On the other hand, the first computing node can determine, through the second information, that the device providing the access service of the first computing service of the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device, and then the first computing node can release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node by sending the third information, thereby reducing the path that is not optimal or unreachable caused by the terminal device still trying to connect to the original first computing node, and facilitating the terminal device to connect to the second computing node for adaptation in the future, so that the service data of the terminal device after moving can still be processed through the adapted second computing node, thereby improving the user experience.

[0452] Thirdly, the system architecture to which the embodiments of the present application are applicable includes a gateway, and both the control plane signaling and the user plane data need to pass through the gateway. That is, the system architecture shown in FIG. 2B is adopted. That is, the method provided in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 adopts the system architecture shown in FIG. 2B.

[0453] Please refer to FIG. 7, which is another communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication method includes steps 701 to 722. The steps 701 to 722 can be executed by a communication apparatus. The “communication apparatus” can refer to the communication apparatus itself (for example, a terminal device and / or a network device), a component in the communication apparatus (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the communication apparatus. The communication apparatus can be a terminal device, an access network device, a computing node, or a gateway, etc. in the architectures shown in FIGS. 1A to 3B. The following will be described by taking the execution of the communication apparatus as an example. The processing executed by a single execution subject in the steps 701 to 722 can also be divided into the execution of a plurality of execution subjects, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, in the case where the communication apparatus is an access network device, the processing executed by the communication apparatus can be divided into the execution of at least one of the CU, the DU, and the RU.

[0454] It should be noted that the first network device in this embodiment can be understood as the source RAN node of the terminal device, and the second network device can be understood as the destination RAN node of the terminal device, that is, the terminal device may undergo a process of switching from the source RAN node to the destination RAN node. The first network element and the second network element refer to the gateway. The computing nodes (for example, the first computing node and the second computing node) involved in this application can include MEC or AS, etc. The number of the first computing nodes can be one or more, and the number of the second computing nodes can be one or more, which are not limited here. The communication method shown in FIG. 7 can not only be applied to the deployment 1 shown in FIG. 3A, but also be applied to the deployment 2 shown in FIG. 3B.

[0455] In addition, in the communication method shown in FIG. 7, specifically, from the application layer perspective: the intermediate node between the terminal device and the computing node does not process the application layer protocol data packet. Before switching, from the network side perspective: the uplink and downlink transmission of the application layer data packet between the terminal device and the computing node is transmitted through the first network device, and the description after switching will be described after step 711. Steps 701 to 722 are described below respectively:

[0456] Step 701: The first computing node sends first request information to the gateway.

[0457] Step 702: The gateway aggregates multiple first request information, and this step is optional.

[0458] Step 703: The gateway sends first information (subscription request) to the first network device.

[0459] Step 704: The first network device sends a subscription response to the gateway, and this step is optional.

[0460] Step 705: The gateway distributes the subscription response according to the subscription, and this step is optional.

[0461] Step 706: The terminal device performs switching preparation with the first network device.

[0462] Step 707: The first network device sends a subscription notification to the gateway, and this step is optional.

[0463] Step 708: The first network device sends a switching request to the second network device, and this step is optional.

[0464] Step 709: The second network device sends a switching response to the first network device, and this step is optional.

[0465] Step 710: The second network device determines that the second network device exists a service instance of the first computing power service, and this step is optional.

[0466] Step 711, the second network device sends a subscription notification to the gateway, and this step is optional.

[0467] Step 712, the gateway distributes the subscription notification according to the subscription, and this step is optional.

[0468] The steps 701 to 712 can refer to the descriptions of the steps 601 to 612 in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 6, and details are not described here again.

[0469] The main difference between the embodiment and the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is that, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the control plane signaling passes through the gateway, and the user plane signaling does not pass through the gateway. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, both the control plane signaling and the user plane data need to pass through the gateway.

[0470] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, before the terminal device has a mobility event, the transmission path of the application layer data is: terminal device<->first network device<->gateway<->first computing node. After the terminal device has a mobility event, there are two cases (corresponding to deployment 1 and deployment 2 in FIG. 7), which are described as follows.

[0471] For example, for deployment 1, after the terminal device has a mobility event, the transmission path of the application layer data is: terminal device<->second network device<->first network device<->gateway<->first computing node. For example, for deployment 2, after the terminal device has a mobility event, the transmission path of the application layer data is: terminal device<->second network device<->gateway<->first computing node.

[0472] Step 713, the gateway determines to initiate a connection release request.

[0473] After the gateway receives the subscription notification sent by the first network device or the second network device, it can determine whether to initiate a connection release request according to the subscription notification. If it is determined to initiate a connection release request, step 714 or step 716 is triggered.

[0474] It can be understood that, since both the control plane signaling and the user plane data in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 need to pass through the gateway, the gateway can determine which computing node the terminal device is connected to, and thus can determine to initiate a corresponding connection release request.

[0475] Optionally, some restriction conditions can be added to this step. For example, after the first computing service in this time has been completed, it is determined to initiate a connection release request.

[0476] Step 714, the gateway sends a connection release request to the first computing node, and this step is optional.

[0477] Optionally, after determining to initiate the connection release request, the network element can send the connection release request to the first computing node. Correspondingly, the first computing node receives the connection release request sent by the network element. The connection release request is used to request to release the first connection between the first computing node and the terminal device.

[0478] The connection release request can carry at least one of the following: an identifier of the first connection

[0479] The "connection release request" can refer to the description of the "third information" in the foregoing embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

[0480] Further, the "connection release requests" transmitted between different network elements / devices have an association relationship. For example, the connection release requests corresponding to steps 714, 715 or 716 can have an association relationship.

[0481] For example, the connection release request in step 715 has an association relationship with the connection release request in step 714. For example, the association relationship can be used to indicate that the connection release request in step 715 is obtained by processing the connection release request in step 714. The processing can include at least one of the following: modification, adjustment, deletion, addition or aggregation of header or tail information, and the like, which is not limited here. Alternatively, it is understood that the connection release requests exchanged between different network elements can be the same or different.

[0482] In step 715, the first computing node sends a connection release request / response to the gateway. This step is optional.

[0483] Optionally, after the first computing node receives the connection release request sent by the gateway, if the connection can be released at present, the first computing node can send a response message (i.e., a connection release response) of the connection release request 714 to the gateway. Correspondingly, the gateway receives the connection release response sent by the first computing node. If the condition for releasing the connection is not met at present, the first computing node actively sends a connection release request to the gateway when the condition for releasing the connection is met again. Correspondingly, the gateway receives the connection release request sent by the first computing node.

[0484] In step 716, the gateway sends a connection release request to the terminal device.

[0485] The triggering condition of this step can be that the gateway determines to initiate the connection release, or that the gateway receives the connection release request sent by the first computing node, or that the first computing service in this time has been completed, and the like, which is not limited here.

[0486] For example, after step 713, this step 716 can be triggered. For another example, after step 714, this step 716 can be triggered. For another example, after step 715, this step 716 can be triggered.

[0487] After the trigger condition is met, the gateway sends a connection release request to the terminal device.

[0488] Step 717, the terminal device releases the first connection. This step is optional.

[0489] Step 718, the terminal device sends a connection request to the second network device, and this step is optional.

[0490] Step 719, the second network device determines the second computing node, and this step is optional.

[0491] Step 720, the terminal device and the second computing node establish a connection through the gateway, and this step is optional.

[0492] Steps 717 to 720 can refer to the related description of steps 615 to 618 in the embodiment shown in the foregoing FIG. 6, and details are not described here.

[0493] It should be noted that the gateway connected by the second computing node and the gateway connected by the first computing node can be the same or different, and details are not limited here.

[0494] Step 721, the terminal device and the second computing node interact the first computing task through the gateway, and this step is optional.

[0495] Optionally, after the second network device and the second computing node establish a connection through the gateway, the terminal device accessing the second network device can interact the first computing task with the second computing node through the gateway, so that the second computing node processes the first computing task of the terminal device.

[0496] Step 722, the second computing node sends a new subscription request to the second network device, and this step is optional.

[0497] Optionally, after the second computing node establishes a connection with the terminal device, or it is understood that the terminal device has established a service connection with the second computing node through the network element and the second network device. Or it is understood that the second network device has provided access services for the first computing service of the terminal device, and interacts with the terminal device through the second computing node and the gateway. The second computing node can send a new subscription request to the second network device through the gateway. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the new subscription request sent by the gateway. The new subscription request is used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device. Thus, after the terminal device occurs a mobility event again, the network device can allocate a new computing node for the terminal device without affecting the network device.

[0498] The method provided in this embodiment has various cases. For example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 701 to 703, step 706, step 707, and steps 712 to 716. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 701 to 703, step 706, steps 708 to 716. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 701 to 716. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 701 to 720. For another example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 701 to 722, and the like. The specific embodiments are not limited herein.

[0499] In the embodiments of the present application, on the one hand, the gateway is configured to aggregate the subscriptions of the plurality of computing nodes to the mobility event of the terminal device, and send the aggregated subscription to the corresponding network device, thereby reducing the complexity of the network device in maintaining the subscription. On the other hand, the first computing node can determine, through the second information, that the device providing the access service of the first computing service of the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device, and then the first computing node can release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node by sending the third information, thereby reducing the path that is not optimal or unreachable caused by the terminal device still attempting to connect to the original first computing node, and facilitating the terminal device to connect to the second computing node for adaptation in the future, so that the service data of the terminal device after moving can still be processed through the adapted second computing node, to improve the user experience.

[0500] The communication method in the embodiments of the present application is described above, and the communication apparatus in the embodiments of the present application is described below. Referring to FIG. 8, one embodiment of the communication apparatus 800 in the embodiments of the present application can implement the functions of the first computing node / first network device / second network device / gateway / terminal device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also implement the beneficial effects possessed by the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication apparatus 800 can be a communication apparatus, or an integrated circuit or element inside the communication apparatus, such as a chip. The communication apparatus 800 includes a transceiver unit 801. Alternatively, the communication apparatus 800 includes the transceiver unit 801 and a processing unit 802.

[0501] In one possible implementation manner, the communication apparatus 800 is the first computing node in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A to 7, and in this case, the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0502] The transceiver unit 801 is configured to send first information to the first network element, the first information being used to subscribe to a mobility event of a terminal device.

[0503] The transceiver 801 is further configured to receive second information, the second information being used to indicate that a device providing an access service for the first computing service of the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device.

[0504] The transceiver 801 is further configured to send third information, the third information being used to indicate that the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node is released.

[0505] Optionally, the third information is further used to indicate that a connection request for the first computing service is re-initiated after the first connection is released.

[0506] Optionally, the third information is further used to indicate that a DNS record of the terminal device is cleaned up.

[0507] Optionally, the transceiver 801 is specifically configured to send the third information if execution of the first computing service ends.

[0508] Optionally, the transceiver 801 is specifically configured to receive the second information sent by the first network device or the second network device.

[0509] Optionally, the first network element is the first network device, the terminal device, or a gateway, and the gateway is used to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to a mobility event of the terminal device.

[0510] Optionally, the first information is further used for the first network element to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to a mobility event of the terminal device.

[0511] Optionally, the transceiver 801 is specifically configured to receive the second information sent by the first network element, and the transceiver 801 is specifically configured to send the third information to the first network element.

[0512] Optionally, the second information is further used to indicate that the second network device supports a service instance of the first computing service.

[0513] Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, an identifier of the first computing service, and transmission requirements of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate the mobility event.

[0514] Optionally, the second information includes at least one of the following: the first indication information, the identifier of the terminal device, and the identifier of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate the mobility event.

[0515] Optionally, the first connection includes at least one of the following: a transport layer connection and an application layer connection.

[0516] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication apparatus are similar to the description of the first computing node in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A to 7, and will not be described here.

[0517] In this embodiment, the transceiver unit 801 subscribes to the mobility event of the terminal device by sending the first information, and determines that the device providing access service for the first computing service of the terminal device is switched from the first network device to the second network device through the second information. Then, the first computing node can release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node by sending the third information, so as to reduce the path that is not optimal or unreachable caused by the terminal device still trying to connect to the original first computing node, and facilitate the terminal device to connect to the second computing node for subsequent adaptation, so that the service data of the terminal device after moving can still be processed through the adapted second computing node, thereby improving the user experience.

[0518] In another possible implementation manner, the communication apparatus 800 is the first network device in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A to 7. In this case, the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0519] The transceiver unit 801 is configured to receive first information sent by a second network element. The first information is used for a first computing node to subscribe to a mobility event of a terminal device. The first computing node has connected a service instance of a first computing service.

[0520] The transceiver unit 801 is further configured to send second information to the second network element. The second information is used to indicate that the terminal device is switched from the first network device to a second network device.

[0521] Optionally, the transceiver unit 801 is specifically configured to send the second information to the second network element when the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0522] Optionally, the transceiver unit 801 is further configured to receive second indication information sent by the second network device. The second indication information is used to indicate that the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0523] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is configured to determine at least one service instance supported by the second network device. The processing unit 802 is further configured to determine that the at least one service instance includes the service instance of the first computing service.

[0524] Optionally, the transceiver unit 801 is further configured to send third request information to the second network device. The third request information is used to request the second network device to provide access service for the first computing service. The transceiver unit 801 is further configured to receive response information of the third request information sent by the second network device. The response information is used to indicate acceptance of the request to switch the first computing service.

[0525] Optionally, the response information is further used to indicate whether the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0526] Optionally, the response information is further used to indicate the service instance identification that the second network device is connecting.

[0527] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is further configured to determine, according to a service requirement of the first computing service, that the second network device has the service instance of the first computing service that meets the service requirement.

[0528] Optionally, the second network element is a first computing node or a gateway, and the gateway is configured to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device.

[0529] Optionally, the second information is further used to indicate that the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0530] Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, identification of the terminal device, identification of the first computing service, and transmission requirement of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate the mobility event.

[0531] Optionally, the second information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, identification of the terminal device, and identification of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used to indicate the mobility event.

[0532] Optionally, the first connection includes at least one of the following: a transport layer connection and an application layer connection.

[0533] In the embodiment, the operations performed by the units in the communication apparatus are similar to the description of the first network device in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A to 7, which will not be repeated here.

[0534] In the embodiment, after the transceiver unit 801 receives the subscription information of the second network element, the feedback is fed back to the second network element that the terminal device switches from the first network device to the second network device, so as to provide a judgment basis for subsequent release of the connection between the first computing node and the terminal device.

[0535] In another possible implementation manner, the communication apparatus 800 is the second network device in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A to 7, in which case the functions of the units are as follows:

[0536] The transceiver unit 801 is configured to receive third request information sent by the first network device, and the third request information is used to request the second network device to provide access service for the first computing service of the terminal device.

[0537] The transceiver 801 is further configured to send, to the first network device, response information of the third request information, the response information being used to indicate acceptance of the request to switch the first computing service.

[0538] Optionally, the transceiver 801 is specifically configured to send, to the first network device, the response information if there is a service instance of the first computing service.

[0539] Optionally, the response information is further used to indicate whether the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0540] Optionally, the response information is further used to indicate a service instance identifier that the second network device is connecting to.

[0541] Optionally, the transceiver 801 is further configured to receive fourth information sent by a terminal device, the fourth information being used to request the first computing service or transmit user plane data of the first computing service; and the transceiver 801 is further configured to send, to a second computing node, fifth information used to instruct the second computing node to execute the first computing service.

[0542] Optionally, the response information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: a second computing service of the first computing service supported by the second network device, and a third computing service of the first computing service not supported by the second network device.

[0543] Optionally, the transceiver 801 is further configured to receive third indication information sent by the first network device, the third indication information being used to instruct to send, to the first computing node, second information used to instruct a device providing access service for the first computing service of the terminal device to switch from the first network device to the second network device; and the transceiver 801 is further configured to send, to the first computing node, the second information.

[0544] Optionally, the third request information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first computing service, transmission requirements of the first computing service, and notification acceptance address information.

[0545] In this embodiment, the operations performed by the units in the communication apparatus are similar to the description of the second network device in the foregoing embodiments of FIGS. 1A-7, which will not be repeated here.

[0546] In this embodiment, the transceiver 801 can indicate, to the first network device, acceptance of the request to provide access service for the first computing service through the response information, so as to improve the understanding of the first network device about the related capabilities of the second network device, and facilitate subsequent finding of a suitable computing node for the terminal device.

[0547] In another possible implementation manner, the communication apparatus 800 is the gateway in the foregoing embodiments of FIGS. 2B, 4-7, in which case the functions of the units are as follows:

[0548] The transceiver 801 is configured to receive a plurality of first request information sent by a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used for subscribing to a mobility event of a terminal device.

[0549] The processing unit 802 is configured to aggregate the plurality of first request information, and send first information to a first network device, where the first information is used for subscribing to the mobility event of the terminal device, and the first computing node has connected a service instance of a first computing service.

[0550] The transceiver 801 is further configured to send second information to the plurality of computing nodes, where the second information is used for indicating that the terminal device is switched from the first network device to a second network device.

[0551] Optionally, the transceiver 801 is further configured to send second request information to a first computing node in the plurality of computing nodes, where the second request information is used for requesting to release a first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node; and the transceiver 801 is further configured to send third information to the terminal device, where the third information is used for indicating to release the first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node.

[0552] Optionally, the second information is further used for indicating that the second network device supports the service instance of the first computing service.

[0553] Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, an identifier of the first computing service, and transmission requirements of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used for indicating the mobility event.

[0554] Optionally, the second information includes at least one of the following: the first indication information, the identifier of the terminal device, and the identifier of the first computing service; and the first indication information is used for indicating the mobility event.

[0555] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication apparatus are similar to the description of the first network device in the foregoing embodiments shown in FIG. 2B and FIGS. 4 to 7, which will not be described herein again.

[0556] In this embodiment, by aggregating the plurality of first request information and distributing the second information through the processing unit 802, the complexity of maintaining a plurality of subscriptions of the network device can be reduced, and the subsequent terminal device can be reconnected to a new computing node according to the second information.

[0557] In another possible implementation manner, the communication apparatus 800 is the terminal device in the foregoing embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A to 7, and the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0558] The transceiver 801 is configured to receive third information sent by a second network element, where the third information is used for releasing a first connection between the terminal device and a first computing node.

[0559] The transceiver 801 is further configured to send fourth information to the second network device, the fourth information being used to determine a computing node related to the terminal device.

[0560] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is configured to release the first connection and / or re-initiate a connection request for the first computing service.

[0561] Optionally, the processing unit 802 is configured to clean up a domain name system (DNS) record of the terminal device.

[0562] Optionally, the second network element is the first computing node or a gateway, and the gateway is configured to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, and the plurality of first request information is respectively used to subscribe to a mobility event of the terminal device.

[0563] In the embodiment, the operations performed by the units in the communication apparatus are similar to the description of the terminal device in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A to 7, and thus will not be described here.

[0564] In the embodiment, the transceiver 801 can obtain the connection release request of the second network element through the received third information, and cause the second network device to select a suitable computing node for the terminal device through the fourth information. Thus, after the terminal device switches from the first network device to the second network device, the path is not optimal or unreachable caused by the terminal device still attempting to connect to the original computing node is reduced, and the terminal device is facilitated to connect to the suitable computing node in the future.

[0565] Referring to FIG. 9, another schematic structural diagram of a communication apparatus 900 provided by the present application is shown, the communication apparatus 900 includes a logic circuit 901 and an input / output interface 902. The communication apparatus 900 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0566] The transceiver 801 shown in FIG. 8 can be a communication interface, which can be the input / output interface 902 in FIG. 9, and the input / output interface 902 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit. The processing unit 802 shown in FIG. 8 can be the logic circuit 901 in FIG. 9.

[0567] The logic circuit 901 and the input / output interface 902 can also perform other steps and achieve corresponding beneficial effects performed by the first computing node, the first network device, the second network device, the gateway, or the terminal device in any embodiment, which will not be described here.

[0568] Optionally, the logic circuit 901 can be a processing device, and the functions of the processing device can be partially or entirely implemented by software.

[0569] Optionally, the processing apparatus can include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to read and execute the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any one of the method embodiments.

[0570] Optionally, the processing apparatus can only include the processor. The memory for storing the computer program is located outside the processing apparatus, and the processor is connected with the memory through the circuit / wire to read and execute the computer program stored in the memory. The memory and the processor can be integrated together, or can be physically independent of each other.

[0571] Optionally, the processing apparatus can be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing apparatus can be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), system on chips (SoC), central processor units (CPU), network processors (NP), digital signal processors (DSP), micro controller units (MCU), programmable logic devices (PLD) or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0572] Please refer to FIG. 10, which shows a communication apparatus 1000 provided by the embodiments of the present application and related to the above embodiments. The communication apparatus 1000 can be the communication apparatus as the first computing node, the gateway or the terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0573] Optionally, the communication apparatus 1000 can include but is not limited to at least one processor 1001 and a communication port 1002.

[0574] Optionally, the transceiver unit 801 shown in FIG. 8 can be a communication interface, which can be the communication port 1002 in FIG. 10. The communication port 1002 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 1002 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0575] Further, the apparatus can further include at least one of a memory 1003, a bus, and the at least one processor 1001 is configured to control processing of actions of the communication apparatus 1000 in the embodiments of the present application.

[0576] Further, the processor 1001 can be a central processing unit, a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, transistor logic, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logical blocks, modules and circuits described in connection with the present disclosure. The processor can also be a combination of computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, and the like. For the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described system, apparatus and unit can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0577] It can be understood that the number of each component shown in FIG. 10 is not limited in the present application. For example, the number of the processor 1001, the number of the communication port 1002 and the number of the memory 1003 can be one or more, respectively, which are not limited here.

[0578] It should be noted that the communication apparatus 1000 shown in FIG. 10 can be specifically used to implement the steps implemented by the first computing node, the gateway or the terminal device in the foregoing method embodiments, and achieve the corresponding technical effects. The specific implementation mode of the communication apparatus shown in FIG. 10 can be referred to the description in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0579] Please refer to FIG. 11, which is a structural schematic diagram of a communication apparatus 1100 involved in the foregoing embodiments provided by the embodiments of the present application, which can be specifically the communication apparatus as the first network device or the second network device in the foregoing embodiments, wherein the structure of the communication apparatus can refer to the structure shown in FIG. 11.

[0580] The communication device 1100 comprises at least one processor 1111 and at least one network interface 1114. Further optionally, the communication device further comprises at least one memory 1112, at least one transceiver 1113 and one or more antennas 1115. The processor 1111, the memory 1112, the transceiver 1113 and the network interface 1114 are connected, for example, through a bus, which can comprise various kinds of interfaces, transmission lines or buses in the embodiments of the present application, and the present embodiments do not limit the connection. The antenna 1115 is connected to the transceiver 1113. The network interface 1114 is configured to enable the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 1114 can comprise a network interface between the communication device and a core network device, such as an S1 interface, and the network interface can comprise a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (such as other network devices or core network devices), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0581] The transceiver unit 801 shown in FIG. 8 can be a communication interface, which can be the network interface 1114 in FIG. 11, and the network interface 1114 can comprise an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 1114 can be a transceiver circuit, which can comprise an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0582] The processor 1111 is mainly configured to process communication protocols and communication data, and control the whole communication device, execute software programs, process data of the software programs, for example, to support the communication device to perform the actions described in the embodiments. The communication device can comprise a baseband processor and a central processor, the baseband processor is mainly configured to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processor is mainly configured to control the whole communication device, execute software programs, process data of the software programs. The processor 1111 in FIG. 11 can integrate the functions of the baseband processor and the central processor, and those skilled in the art can understand that the baseband processor and the central processor can also be independent processors interconnected through a bus. Those skilled in the art can understand that the communication device can comprise multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network modes, and the communication device can comprise multiple central processors to enhance the processing capability, and various components of the communication device can be connected through various buses. The baseband processor can also be referred to as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processor can also be referred to as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built in the processor, or stored in the memory in the form of software programs, and the processor executes the software programs to realize the baseband processing function.

[0583] The memory is mainly used for storing software programs and data. The memory 1112 can exist independently and be connected to the processor 1111. Alternatively, the memory 1112 can be integrated with the processor 1111, for example, integrated in a chip. The memory 1112 can store program codes for implementing the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application and be controlled to execute by the processor 1111. Various computer programs executed can also be regarded as a driver of the processor 1111.

[0584] FIG. 11 only shows one memory and one processor. In actual communication devices, there can be multiple processors and multiple memories. The memory can also be referred to as a storage medium or a storage device, etc. The memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or an independent storage element, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0585] The transceiver 1113 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency signals between the communication device and the terminal. The transceiver 1113 can be connected to the antenna 1115. The transceiver 1113 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1115 can receive radio frequency signals, the receiver Rx of the transceiver 1113 is used to receive the radio frequency signals from the antenna and convert the radio frequency signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals to the processor 1111 for further processing of the digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals by the processor 1111, such as demodulation processing and decoding processing. In addition, the transmitter Tx in the transceiver 1113 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals from the processor 1111, and convert the modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals into radio frequency signals, and transmit the radio frequency signals through one or more antennas 1115. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more levels of down-mixing and analog-to-digital conversion to obtain digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals, and the order of the down-mixing and analog-to-digital conversion can be adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more levels of up-mixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals to obtain radio frequency signals, and the order of the up-mixing and digital-to-analog conversion can be adjustable. The digital baseband signals and the digital intermediate frequency signals can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0586] The transceiver 1113 can also be referred to as a transceiving unit, a transceiver, a transceiving device, etc. Optionally, a device in the transceiving unit for implementing a receiving function can be regarded as a receiving unit, and a device in the transceiving unit for implementing a sending function can be regarded as a sending unit, that is, the transceiving unit includes the receiving unit and the sending unit, the receiving unit can also be referred to as a receiver, an input port, a receiving circuit, etc., and the sending unit can be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.

[0587] It should be noted that the communication apparatus 1100 shown in FIG. 11 can be specifically used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the foregoing method embodiments, and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. The specific implementation of the communication apparatus 1100 shown in FIG. 11 can be referred to the description in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0588] When the communication apparatus is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the foregoing method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal, and the information is sent by the base station to the terminal; or the terminal chip sends information to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal, and the information is sent by the terminal to the base station. For example, in the case where the first device is a terminal, the process that the terminal sends the indication information can be understood as the process that the chip of the terminal outputs the indication information.

[0589] When the communication apparatus is a module applied to a base station, the base station module implements the functions of the base station in the foregoing method embodiments. The base station module receives information from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the base station, and the information is sent by the terminal to the base station; or the base station module sends information to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the base station, and the information is sent by the base station to the terminal. The base station module here can be a baseband chip of the base station, or a DU or other module, and the DU here can be a DU under an open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture. For example, in the case where the first device is a base station, the process that the base station sends the indication information can be understood as the process that the chip of the base station outputs the indication information.

[0590] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor, so that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. The processor and the storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a base station or a terminal.

[0591] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments are performed. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable apparatus. The computer programs or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer programs or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center through a wired or wireless manner. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disc; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state disk. The computer-readable storage medium can be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or can include both volatile and non-volatile storage media.

[0592] In various embodiments of the present application, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referred to if there is no special description and no logical conflict. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to a first computing node, and the method comprises: sending first information to a first network element, the first information being used for subscribing to a mobility event of a terminal device; receiving second information, the second information being used for indicating switching from the first network device to a second network device by a device providing access service for a first computing service of the terminal device; sending third information, the third information being used for indicating releasing a first connection between the terminal device and the first computing node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The third information is also used for indicating reinitiating a connection request for the first computing service after releasing the first connection.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The third information is also used for indicating cleaning up a DNS record of the terminal device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The receiving second information comprises: receiving the second information sent by the first network device or the second network device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The receiving second information comprises: receiving the second information sent by the first network element; The sending third information comprises: sending the third information to the first network element.

6. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to a first network device, and the method comprises: receiving first information sent by a second network element, the first information being used for a first computing node subscribing to a mobility event of a terminal device, the first computing node having connected a service instance of a first computing service; sending second information to the second network element, the second information being used for indicating switching the terminal device from the first network device to the second network device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The sending second information to the second network element comprises: sending second information to the second network element when the second network device supports a service instance of the first computing service.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving second indication information sent by the second network device, the second indication information being used for indicating that the second network device supports a service instance of the first computing service.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending third request information to the second network device, the third request information being used for requesting the second network device to provide access service for the first computing service; receiving response information of the third request information sent by the second network device, the response information being used for indicating accepting the request of switching the first computing service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The response information is also used for indicating a service instance identifier being connected by the second network device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that, The method further comprises: determining, according to a business requirement of the first computing service, that the second network device exists a service instance of the first computing service satisfying the business requirement.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The first information comprises at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, an identifier of the first computing service, and a transmission requirement of the first computing service; the first indication information is used for indicating the mobility event.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The second information comprises at least one of the following: first indication information, an identifier of the terminal device, and an identifier of the first computing service; the first indication information is used for indicating the mobility event.

14. A communication method, comprising: The method is applied to a second network device, and the method comprises: receive third request information sent by the first network device, the third request information being used to request the second network device to provide access service for the first computing service of the terminal device; send response information of the third request information to the first network device, the response information being used to indicate acceptance of the request to switch the first computing service.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The sending of the response information to the first network device comprises: If there is a service instance of the first computing service, the response information is sent to the first network device.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The response information is further used to indicate whether the second network device supports a service instance of the first computing service.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that, The response information is further used to indicate a service instance identifier being connected by the second network device.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receive fourth information sent by the terminal device, the fourth information being used to request the first computing service or transmit user plane data of the first computing service; send fifth information to the second computing node, the fifth information being used to instruct the second computing node to execute the first computing service.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that, The response information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: a second computing service in the first computing service supported by the second network device, and a third computing service in the first computing service not supported by the second network device.

20. The method of any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein, The method further comprises: receive third indication information sent by the first network device, the third indication information being used to instruct to send second information to a first computing node, the second information being used to indicate switching from the first network device to a second network device for the device providing access service for the first computing service of the terminal device; send the second information to the first computing node.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that, The third request information comprises at least one of the following: an identifier of the first computing service, transmission requirements of the first computing service, and notification acceptance address information.

22. A method of communication, comprising: The method is applied to a terminal device, and the method comprises: receive third information sent by a second network element, the third information being used to release a first connection between the terminal device and a first computing node; send fourth information to a second network device, the fourth information being used to determine a computing node related to the terminal device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, The method further comprises: release the first connection and / or reinitiate a connection request for the first computing service.

24. The method of claim 22 or 23, wherein, The method further comprises: clean up a domain name system (DNS) record of the terminal device.

25. The method of any one of claims 22-24, wherein, The second network element is the first computing node or a gateway, and the gateway is used to aggregate a plurality of first request information of a plurality of computing nodes, the plurality of first request information being respectively used to subscribe to the mobility event of the terminal device.

26. A communications device, characterized by The chip or chip system is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

27. A chip or chip system, characterized by The chip or chip system is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

28. A communication system, characterized by at least one of the communication devices for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 5, 12 or 13, the communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 6 to 13, the communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 14 to 21, and the communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 22 to 25.

29. A readable storage medium, characterized by, The storage medium has stored therein a computer program or instructions which, when executed by a communication device, implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 25.

30. A computer program product, characterised in that, comprising instructions which, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 25.

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