Communication method and related device

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a related device, applied to the technical field of communications. In embodiments of the present application, when a first node receives IP address information comprised in an SN Status Transfer message from a second node, an ACL rule can be directly generated on the basis of the IP address information of the second node and first transmission resource information. In this way, not only the process of acquiring the address information of the second node by means of an SGNB modification message is omitted, but also the processing delay for a master or secondary station modification in an NSA mobility management process is optimized, thereby improving the operation and maintenance efficiency.

Description

Communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202411391193.8, filed on September 30, 2024, and entitled "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, in particular to a communication method and related apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0003] In a non-stand alone (NSA) scenario, when a secondary station changes, the terminal needs to forward data from a source secondary node (S-SN) to a target secondary node (T-SN). If the T-SN generates an access control list (ACL) rule, the T-SN can perform rule matching on the received message, and if the received message does not meet the ACL rule, the message is discarded. The ACL rule usually contains a source IP address, a destination IP address, a source port number, a destination port number, and a protocol type. Therefore, an X2-U link needs to be established between the T-SN and the S-SN to carry data forwarding, and an ACL rule needs to be created to match the data sent by the S-SN. Only when the T-SN obtains the source IP address of the S-SN can the ACL rule be successfully created.

[0004] In some solutions, the T-SN configures the ACL rule for receiving the message from the S-SN by manually configuring the ACL. In this way, the T-SN needs to manually configure a large number of ACL rules, resulting in a large amount of operation and maintenance work and a very high maintenance cost.

[0005] In another solution, the T-SN obtains the address information of the S-SN through an SN intra-station change message, which increases the processing delay of the secondary station change, reduces the success rate of the secondary station change, and reduces the operation and maintenance efficiency.

[0006] Therefore, how to reduce the processing delay of the primary station or secondary station change and improve the operation and maintenance efficiency is a hot spot for researchers in the field. SUMMARY

[0007] The present application provides a communication method and related apparatus, which can reduce the processing delay of the primary station or secondary station change and improve the operation and maintenance efficiency.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method applied to a first node, the method comprising: receiving a SN Status Transfer message from a second node, wherein the SN Status Transfer message comprises IP address information of the second node; generating an access control list (ACL) rule according to the IP address information of the second node, first transmission resource information and second transmission resource information, wherein the ACL rule is used for matching a packet from the second node.

[0009] In the present application, after the first node receives the IP address information included in the SN Status Transfer message from the second node, the first node can directly generate an ACL rule according to the IP address information of the second node and the first transmission resource information. In this way, not only the process of obtaining the address information of the second node through an SN NB modification message is saved, but also the processing delay of the master node or secondary node change in the NSA mobility management process is optimized, and the operation and maintenance efficiency is improved.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information are predefined, and the first transmission resource information comprises at least one of a port number and a protocol type of the second node, and the second transmission resource information comprises at least one of a port number of the first node and IP address information of the first node.

[0011] In the above implementation, the first transmission resource information comprises at least one of a port number and a protocol type of the second node, and the second transmission resource information comprises at least one of a port number of the first node and IP address information of the first node, so that the operation of generating an ACL rule by the first node according to the IP address information of the second node, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information can be started comprehensively under the condition that the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information are met, and the transmission resource overhead can be effectively saved.

[0012] In another possible implementation, the first node is a T-SN, and the second node is an S-SN, and the method further comprises: receiving a SN addition request from a master node (MN) or a target master node (T-MN); sending a SN addition request acknowledgement message to the MN or the T-MN; and receiving a SN reconfiguration complete message from the MN or the T-MN.

[0013] In the above embodiments, the MN transfers the context data from the source MN to the target MN, while the context of the SN needs to be transferred from the S-SN to the T-SN. During the change process, the S-SN also needs to forward the data to be sent to the T-SN. Since the existing scheme does not involve that the T-SN needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-SN to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-SN to the T-SN by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information in the scenario of the MN change and the secondary station change at the same time, the selection of the scenario can be more diversified.

[0014] In yet another possible implementation, the first node is a target evolved Node B (T-eNB), and the second node is a source secondary node (S-SN), and the method further includes receiving a handover request from a source master node (S-MN). Sending a handover request acknowledgement message to the S-MN. Receiving a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration complete message from the terminal.

[0015] In the above embodiments, the MN to eNB change process is used to transfer the context data from the S-MN or the S-SN to the target eNB. During the change process, the S-SN needs to forward the data to the T-eNB. Since the existing scheme does not involve that the T-eNB needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-SN to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-SN to the T-eNB by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information in the MN to eNB change process, the selection of the scenario can be more diversified.

[0016] In yet another possible implementation, the first node is a target secondary node (T-SN), and the second node is a source evolved Node B (S-eNB), and the method further includes receiving a SN addition request from a target master node (T-MN). Sending a SN addition request acknowledgement message to the T-MN. Receiving a SN reconfiguration complete message from the T-MN.

[0017] In the above embodiments, the eNB to MN change process is used to transfer the context data from the S-eNB to the T-MN to which the SN is added during the handover. During the change process, the S-eNB needs to forward the data to the T-SN. Since the existing scheme does not involve that the T-SN needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-eNB to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-eNB to the T-SN by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information in the eNB to MN change process, the selection of the scenario can be more diversified.

[0018] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, applied to a second node, the method comprising: sending a state transfer SN Status Transfer message to a first node, wherein the SN Status Transfer message comprises IP address information of the second node, and the IP address information of the second node is used by the first node to generate an access control list ACL rule; and sending a packet to the first node.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the first transmission resource information is predefined, and the first transmission resource information comprises at least one of a port number and a protocol type of the second node.

[0020] In another possible implementation, the first node is a target secondary node T-SN or a target evolved node B (T-eNB), and the second node is a source secondary node S-SN, and the method further comprises: receiving an SN release request from a master node MN or a source master node S-MN; and sending an SN release request acknowledgement message to the MN or the S-MN.

[0021] In another possible implementation, the first node is a target secondary node T-SN, and the second node is a source evolved node B (S-eNB), and the method further comprises: receiving a handover request acknowledgement message from a target master node T-MN; and sending a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration request to a terminal.

[0022] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which can be used for the first node in the first aspect, and can be a radio access network node, a device (for example, a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the radio access network node, or a device capable of being used with the radio access network node, and can also be a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the radio access network node.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the communication apparatus can comprise a module or unit corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect, which can be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0024] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which can be used for the second node in the second aspect, and can be a radio access network node, a device (for example, a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the radio access network node, or a device capable of being used with the radio access network node, and can also be a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the radio access network node.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the communication apparatus can include a module or unit corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect, which can be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0026] In the fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which includes at least one processor and a communication interface; the communication interface is configured to input and / or output information, and the at least one processor is configured to invoke a computer program stored in at least one memory to implement the method described in any of the implementation manners of the first aspect.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the communication apparatus further includes the at least one memory. Optionally, the memory and the processor are integrated together.

[0028] In the sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which includes at least one processor and a communication interface; the communication interface is configured to input and / or output information, and the at least one processor is configured to invoke a computer program stored in at least one memory to implement the method described in any of the implementation manners of the second aspect.

[0029] In a possible implementation, the communication apparatus further includes the at least one memory. Optionally, the memory and the processor are integrated together.

[0030] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which includes a logic circuit and an interface, and the logic circuit and the interface are coupled; the interface is configured to input and / or output information, and the logic circuit is configured to implement the method described in any of the implementation manners of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0031] In a possible implementation of the seventh aspect, the communication apparatus is a chip or a chip system.

[0032] In the eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes a first node and a second node, and the first node and the second node are communicatively connected. The first node is configured to implement the method in any of the implementation manners of the first aspect, and the second node is configured to implement the method in any of the implementation manners of the second aspect.

[0033] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, which is configured to store instructions or a computer program; when the instructions or the computer program are executed, the method in any of the implementation manners of the first aspect to the second aspect is implemented.

[0034] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which comprises computer instructions, when the instructions are run on at least one processor, can implement the method in any of the foregoing first aspect to the second aspect or any possible implementation manner. Exemplarily, the computer program product can be a software installation package, when the foregoing method needs to be used, the computer program product can be downloaded and executed on a computing device.

[0035] The technical solutions provided by the second aspect to the tenth aspect of the present application can refer to the beneficial effects of the technical solutions of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0036] The drawings needed to be used in the following embodiment description will be briefly introduced.

[0037] Fig. 1 is a structure schematic diagram of a non-stand-alone network NSA provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Fig. 2 is an architecture schematic diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig. 3a is a structure schematic diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Fig. 3b is a structure schematic diagram of another communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Fig. 3c is a structure schematic diagram of still another communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Fig. 3d is a structure schematic diagram of still another communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Fig. 3e is a structure schematic diagram of a handover scenario between LTE eNBs through an X2 interface provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Fig. 3f is a structure schematic diagram of a handover scenario between LTE gNBs through an Xn interface provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Fig. 4 is a structure schematic diagram of a secondary station change provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Fig. 5 is a flow schematic diagram of a secondary station change provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Fig. 6 is a flow schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Fig. 7a is a flow schematic diagram of sending a SN Status Transfer message provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG. 7b is a flow diagram illustrating another method for sending an SN Status Transfer message according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG. 7c is a flow diagram illustrating another method for sending an SN Status Transfer message according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG. 7d is a flow diagram illustrating another method for sending an SN Status Transfer message according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG. 7e is a flow diagram illustrating another method for sending an SN Status Transfer message according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG. 7f is a flow diagram illustrating another method for sending an SN Status Transfer message according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a communication apparatus 80 according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of another communication apparatus 90 according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of another communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The following describes related names or terms involved in the present application, so as to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0058] 1. ACL

[0059] ACL is a list of instructions applied to the interface of a transmission device. These instruction lists are used to tell the transmission device which data packets can be received and which data packets need to be rejected. As to whether the data packets are received or rejected, specific indication conditions such as source address, destination address, port number, etc. can be used to determine. ACL not only plays a role in controlling network traffic and flow, but also plays a key role in protecting network devices and servers to a great extent. As the first passageway for external networks to enter the internal network of an enterprise, the access control list on the transmission device becomes an effective means to protect the security of the internal network.

[0060] The working principle of ACL is as follows: packet filtering technology is used to filter packets according to pre-defined rules. These rules can be configured based on source IP address, destination IP address, source port, destination port, transport layer protocol, etc. When a data packet passes through an interface, the transmission device checks the packet and makes corresponding processing according to the matched rules, such as allowing to pass or rejecting to pass.

[0061] 2. Non-Stand alone (NSA)

[0062] NSA refers to the deployment of a 5th-generation (5G) network using existing 4th-generation (4G) infrastructure. A 5G carrier based on NSA architecture only carries user data, and its control signaling is still transmitted through a 4G network.

[0063] 3. Master Node (MN)

[0064] The MN is a wireless access node that provides a control plane connection to the core network in the NSA scenario.

[0065] 4. Secondary Node (SN)

[0066] This node in the NSA scenario does not have a control plane connection to the core network and provides additional resources to the UE.

[0067] 5. Target Master Node (T-MN)

[0068] The T-MN is the target master node in the MN handover process.

[0069] 6. Source Master Node (S-MN)

[0070] The S-MN is the source master node in the MN handover process.

[0071] 7. Target eNodeB (T-eNB)

[0072] The NSA user becomes a non-NSA user after switching to the target base station.

[0073] 8. Source Secondary Node (S-SN)

[0074] The S-SN is the source secondary node in the secondary station change process.

[0075] 9. Target Secondary Node (T-SN)

[0076] The T-SN is the target secondary node in the secondary station change process.

[0077] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the present application, the present application will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0078] The system architecture to which the embodiments of the present application are applied is introduced below. It should be noted that the system architecture and business scenarios described in the present application are for more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the present application. Those skilled in the art can know that, with the evolution of system architecture and the appearance of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0079] FIG. 1 illustrates the application scenario of the present application in the non-standalone networking (NSA) structure. Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a structural schematic diagram of the non-standalone networking (NSA) provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, in the NSA, the evolved node B (eNB) provides master node (MN) function, and the terminal establishes control plane link to the 4G core network (EPC) through the eNB. Under the NSA networking architecture of Option 3 series, the 5G base station (en-gNB) connected to the 4G core network provides secondary node (SN) function, and provides gNB side transmission and air interface resource for the terminal. The control plane signaling is anchored on the eNB, and the user plane can be independently served by the eNB or the en-gNB, or simultaneously served by the eNB and the en-gNB.

[0080] The serving gateway (S-GW) is a gateway terminated at the evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) interface. The main functions of the device include: when inter-eNodeB handover is performed, the device can serve as a local anchor point and assist in completing the reordering function of the eNB; when handover between different access systems of 3GPP is performed, the device serves as a mobility anchor point (terminated at the S4 interface, and implements service routing between the 2G / 3G system and the P-GW), and also has a reordering function; performs a lawful interception function; performs routing and forwarding of data packets; performs packet marking at the uplink and downlink transmission layers; in the idle state, the device performs downlink packet buffering and initiates network triggered service request function; and is used for inter-operator charging, etc.

[0081] The mobility management node (MME) is a key control node of the 3GPP protocol long term evolution (LTE) access network, which is responsible for positioning of terminals in the idle mode, paging process, including relays. In simple terms, the MME is responsible for the signaling processing part. It involves bearer activation / closure process, and selects an SGW for a terminal when the terminal initializes and connects to the network.

[0082] The connection relationship between each node is as follows: the eNB and the eNB are connected through an X2 interface (shown by a solid line in FIG. 1), and the en-gNB and the en-gNB are connected through an X2-U interface (shown by a solid line in FIG. 1). Optionally, the MME / S-GW and the eNB are connected through an S1 interface (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1), and the MME / S-GW and the en-gNB are connected through an S1-U interface (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1).

[0083] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminals involved can include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems with wireless communication functions. The terminal, also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., or a device for providing voice or data connectivity to a user, can also be an Internet of Things device. For example, the terminal device includes handheld devices with wireless connection functions, vehicle-mounted devices, etc. At present, the terminal can be: a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a palm computer, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device (such as a smart watch, a smart bracelet, a pedometer, smart glasses, etc.), a vehicle-mounted device (such as a car, a bicycle, an electric vehicle, an airplane, a ship, a train, a high-speed rail, etc.), a satellite terminal, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a smart point of sale (POS) machine, a customer-premises equipment (CPE), a light UE, a reduced capability UE (REDCAP UE), a wireless terminal in industrial control, a smart home device (such as a refrigerator, a television, an air conditioner, an electricity meter, etc.), a smart robot, a mechanical arm, a workshop device, a wireless terminal in unmanned driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical treatment, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, or a wireless terminal in a smart home, a flight device (such as a smart robot, a hot air balloon, a drone, an airplane), etc. The terminal can also be a vehicle device, such as a whole vehicle device, a vehicle-mounted module, a vehicle-mounted chip, an on board unit (OBU) or a telematics box (T-BOX), etc. The terminal can also be other devices with terminal functions, for example, the terminal can also be a device with terminal functions in D2D communication.

[0084] Based on the NSA scenario, please refer to FIG. 2, which is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 2, the communication system includes a first node 201, a second node 202, and a master node 203. The first node 201 is configured to dynamically generate an ACL rule according to information of the first node 201 and a SN Status Transfer message from the second node 202, where the SN Status Transfer message includes IP address information of the second node 202. It should be noted that the master node 203 only forwards the SN Status Transfer message from the second node 202 as a "transit station", and does not store the SN Status Transfer message from the second node 202. Therefore, the master node (including S-MN and / or T-MN) in the subsequent schematic diagrams of FIG. 3a-FIG. 3d only provides a "forwarding" function, which is consistent with the above description. Therefore, the subsequent description of this part will not be repeated.

[0085] In a possible implementation, please refer to FIG. 3a, which is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3a, when the secondary station change procedure is initiated by the MN or the SN, the first node 201 is a T-SN, the second node 202 is an S-SN, and the master node 203 is an MN, that is, the communication system includes an MN, an S-SN, and a T-SN. The MN transmits context data from the S-MN to the T-MN, and the context of the SN needs to be transferred from the S-SN to the T-SN. During the change process, the S-SN also needs to forward the data to be sent to the T-SN. Since the existing scheme does not involve that the T-SN needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-SN in the above-mentioned secondary station change scenario, in order to generate an ACL rule of a message sent by the S-SN to the T-SN by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information, the selection of the scenario can be more diversified.

[0086] In another possible implementation, please refer to Fig. 3b, which is a structural schematic diagram of another communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 3b, when the MN switches and initiates the secondary station change at the same time, the first node 201 is a T-SN, the second node 202 is a S-SN, and the master node 203 includes a S-MN and a T-MN, that is, the communication system includes the S-MN, the T-MN, the S-SN and the T-SN. The MN transmits the context data from the S-MN to the T-MN, and the context of the SN needs to be transferred from the S-SN to the T-SN. During the change process, the S-SN also needs to forward the data to be sent to the T-SN. Since the existing scheme does not involve that the T-SN needs to acquire the IP address information of the S-SN to generate the ACL rule of the packet sent by the S-SN to the T-SN by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information in the above-mentioned scenario of the MN switching while the secondary station changes, the selection of the scenario is more diversified.

[0087] In another possible implementation, please refer to Fig. 3c, which is a structural schematic diagram of another communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 3c, when the MN changes to an eNB, the first node 201 is a T-eNB, the second node 202 is a S-SN, and the master node 203 is a S-MN, that is, the communication system includes the S-MN, the T-eNB and the S-SN. The change process of the MN to the eNB is used to transmit the context data from the S-MN or the S-SN to the target eNB. During the change process, the S-SN needs to forward the data to the T-eNB. Since the existing scheme does not involve that the T-eNB needs to acquire the IP address information of the S-SN to generate the ACL rule of the packet sent by the S-SN to the T-eNB by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information in the above-mentioned change process of the MN to the eNB, the selection of the scenario is more diversified.

[0088] In another possible implementation, please refer to Fig. 3d, which is a structural schematic diagram of another communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 3d, when the S-SN changes to a S-eNB, the first node 201 is a T-SN, the second node 202 is a S-eNB, and the master node 203 is a T-MN, that is, the communication system includes the S-eNB, the T-MN and the T-SN. The change process of the eNB to the MN is used to transmit the context data from the S-eNB to the T-MN which adds the SN during the switching. During the change process, the S-eNB needs to forward the data to the T-SN. Since the existing scheme does not involve that the T-SN needs to acquire the IP address information of the S-eNB to generate the ACL rule of the packet sent by the S-eNB to the T-SN by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information in the above-mentioned change process of the eNB to the MN, the selection of the scenario is more diversified.

[0089] It should be understood that the application scenarios shown in FIGS. 2-3d are only examples. In the specific embodiments, the communication system can be applied to various scenarios, and the application scenario is not limited in the present application. For example, referring to FIG. 3e, the present application can also be applied to the structural diagram of the inter-LTE eNB handover scenario through the X2 interface. In the structural diagram of the scenario, the connection relationship between the nodes is as follows: the eNB and the eNB are connected through the X2 interface (shown by a solid line in FIG. 3e). Optionally, the MME / S-GW and the eNB are connected through the S1 interface (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 3e).

[0090] For another example, referring to FIG. 3f, the present application can also be applied to the structural diagram of the inter-LTE gNB handover scenario through the Xn interface. In the structural diagram of the scenario, the access and mobility management (AMF) network element can be used to be responsible for the access and mobility management in the mobile network, such as the registration management of the user, the connection management, the reachability management, the location update of the terminal, the registration network of the terminal, the handover of the terminal, etc. The specific functions are non-access layer signaling termination, registration area management, access authentication, etc.

[0091] The user plane function (UPF) network element is used to be responsible for the forwarding and receiving of data in the terminal.

[0092] In the 5G network architecture, it mainly includes a 5G access network and a 5G core network, wherein the next generation radio access network / 5G radio access network (NG-RAN) represents the 5G access network, and the 5GC represents the 5G core network. The NG-RAN is called next generation (NG) because, compared with 2G, 3G and 4G, the NG-RAN can accommodate a plurality of widely used wireless access technologies to meet the performance requirements of the 5G system in all aspects.

[0093] The connection relationship between the nodes is as follows: the gNB and the gNB are connected through the Xn interface (shown by a solid line in FIG. 3f), and the AMF / UPF and the gNB / ng-eNB are connected through the NG interface (shown by a solid line in FIG. 3f).

[0094] Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a structural schematic diagram of secondary station change provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 4, in the NSA scenario, when the SN changes, the UE needs to forward data from the S-SN to the T-SN. If the T-SN generates an ACL rule, the T-SN can perform rule matching on the received packet, and if the received packet does not meet the ACL rule, the packet is discarded. The ACL rule usually contains the source IP address, the destination IP address, the source port number, the destination port number and the protocol type. Therefore, the X2-U link needs to be established between the T-SN and the S-SN to bear data forwarding, and an ACL rule needs to be created to match the data sent by the S-SN. Only when the T-SN obtains the source IP address of the S-SN, can the ACL rule be successfully created.

[0095] In some schemes, the T-SN configures the ACL rule of the packet received from the S-SN by manually configuring the ACL. In this way, the T-SN needs to manually configure a large number of ACL rules, resulting in a large amount of operation and maintenance work and a very high maintenance cost.

[0096] In another scheme, please refer to FIG. 5, which is a flowchart of secondary station change provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 5, the specific steps are as follows:

[0097] Step 1a: The MN initiates a SN intra-station change request to the S-SN.

[0098] Correspondingly, the S-SN receives the SN intra-station change request.

[0099] Step 1b: The S-SN sends an SN intra-station change request confirmation message to the MN.

[0100] Correspondingly, the MN receives the SN intra-station change request confirmation message.

[0101] Step 2a: The MN initiates an SN addition request to the T-SN.

[0102] Correspondingly, the T-SN receives the SN addition request.

[0103] Step 2b: The T-SN sends an SN addition request confirmation message to the MN.

[0104] Correspondingly, the MN receives the SN addition request confirmation message.

[0105] Step 3a: The MN initiates an SN release request to the S-SN.

[0106] Correspondingly, the S-SN receives the SN release request.

[0107] Step 3b: The S-SN sends an SN release request confirmation message to the MN.

[0108] Accordingly, the MN receives the SN release request acknowledgement message.

[0109] Step 4a: The MN initiates an RRC reconfiguration request to the UE.

[0110] Accordingly, the UE receives the RRC reconfiguration request.

[0111] Step 4b: The UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the MN.

[0112] Accordingly, the MN receives the RRC reconfiguration complete message.

[0113] Step 5: The MN sends an SN reconfiguration complete message to the T-SN.

[0114] Accordingly, the T-SN receives the SN reconfiguration complete message.

[0115] Step 6: The S-SN sends an SN Status Transfer message to the MN.

[0116] Accordingly, the MN receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0117] The SN Status Transfer message includes IP address information of the S-SN.

[0118] Step 7: The MN sends an SN Status Transfer message to the T-SN.

[0119] Accordingly, the T-SN receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0120] In the prior art, for the secondary station change process, the T-SN needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-SN through the MN to dynamically generate an ACL rule. Specifically, in the MN initiates the secondary station change process, the MN first obtains the IP address information of the S-SN through the SN intra-station change process, and then notifies the T-SN through the SN addition request. After the T-SN obtains the IP address information of the S-SN, it dynamically generates an ACL rule for receiving S-SN packets. In this way, the T-SN and the S-SN pass the IP address information of the S-SN through the MN. The MN needs to first obtain the IP address information of the S-SN through the SN intra-station change process before initiating the secondary station change, which increases the processing delay of the secondary station change, reduces the success rate of the secondary station change, and reduces the operation and maintenance efficiency.

[0121] Therefore, the embodiment of the present application provides a communication method and related device. After the first node receives the IP address information included in the SN Status Transfer message from the second node, the first node can directly generate the ACL rule according to the IP address information of the second node and the first transmission resource information. In this way, not only the process of obtaining the IP address information of the S-SN through the SN Intra-Change message is saved, but also the processing delay of the master station or the secondary station change in the NSA mobility management process is optimized, and the operation and maintenance efficiency is improved.

[0122] In the communication method shown below (such as FIG. 6), the specific description of the first node and the second node can refer to FIGS. 1-3f, which will not be described in detail here. For the convenience of description, the first node and the second node may be taken as examples in the embodiment of the present application, but this should not be understood as a limitation of the embodiment of the present application.

[0123] The embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0124] Please refer to FIG. 6, which is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The flowchart is described from the perspective of the first node and the second node as the execution subject of interaction. The first node can be a communication module in a stand-alone device or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in a stand-alone device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core). The second node can be a stand-alone device or a component in a stand-alone device, such as a processor, chip or chip system of a stand-alone device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of a stand-alone device. Optionally, the method can be applied to a communication system, such as the communication system shown in FIGS. 1-3f.

[0125] The method shown in FIG. 6 can include multiple steps in steps S601-S603. It should be understood that the present application is described in this order for the convenience of description, and is not intended to limit the execution in the above order. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the execution order, execution time, execution times, etc. of one or more steps.

[0126] Step S601: The second node sends a state transfer SN Status Transfer message to the first node.

[0127] Correspondingly, the first node receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0128] The SN Status Transfer message includes IP address information of the second node.

[0129] Exemplarily, the IP address information of the second node can be 192.168.1.1.

[0130] Optionally, the IP address information of the second node is carried in an information element of the SN Status Transfer message.

[0131] As a possible implementation, in the case that the first node is a T-SN and the second node is an S-SN, the T-SN receives an SN addition request from an MN or a T-MN, sends an SN addition request acknowledgement message to the MN or the T-MN, and receives an SN reconfiguration complete message from the MN or the T-MN.

[0132] Correspondingly, the S-SN receives an SN release request from the MN, sends an SN release request acknowledgement message to the MN, and sends an SN Status Transfer message to the T-SN through the MN. Alternatively, the S-SN sends the SN Status Transfer message to the T-SN through an S-MN and the T-MN.

[0133] In the present solution, the MN transfers the context data from the S-MN to the T-MN, and the context of the SN needs to be transferred from the S-SN to the T-SN. During the change process, the S-SN also needs to forward the data to be sent to the T-SN. Since the existing solution does not involve that the T-SN needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-SN in the above-mentioned scenario of secondary station change, so as to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-SN to the T-SN by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information, the selection of the scenario is more diversified.

[0134] As a possible implementation, in the case that the first node is a T-eNB and the second node is an S-SN, the T-eNB receives a handover request from a source master node S-MN, sends a handover request acknowledgement message to the S-MN, and receives an RRC reconfiguration complete message from a UE.

[0135] Correspondingly, the S-SN receives an SN release request, sends an SN release request acknowledgement message to the S-MN, and sends an SN Status Transfer message to the T-SN through the S-MN.

[0136] In the present solution, the MN to eNB change procedure is used to transfer the context data from S-MN or S-SN to the target eNB. In the change procedure, the S-SN needs to forward the data to the T-eNB. Since the existing solution does not involve that the T-eNB needs to acquire the IP address information of the S-SN in the above MN to eNB change procedure to integrate the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-SN to the T-eNB, the selection of scenarios can be more diversified.

[0137] As a possible implementation, in the case that the first node is a T-SN and the second node is a S-eNB, the T-SN receives a SN addition request from a T-MN, sends a SN addition request acknowledge message to the T-MN, and receives a SN reconfiguration complete message from the T-MN.

[0138] Correspondingly, the S-eNB receives a handover request acknowledge message from the T-MN, sends an RRC reconfiguration request to the UE, and the S-eNB sends a SN Status Transfer message to the T-MN through the S-MN.

[0139] In the present solution, the eNB to MN change procedure is used to transfer the context data from S-eNB to the T-MN which adds SN during the handover. In the change procedure, the S-eNB needs to forward the data to the T-SN. Since the existing solution does not involve that the T-SN needs to acquire the IP address information of the S-eNB in the above eNB to MN change procedure to integrate the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-eNB to the T-SN, the selection of scenarios can be more diversified.

[0140] As a possible implementation, in the case that the first node is a T-eNB and the second node is a S-eNB, the first node receives a handover request from the S-eNB, and sends a handover request acknowledge message to the S-eNB.

[0141] Correspondingly, the S-eNB sends an RRC reconfiguration request to the UE, and the S-eNB sends a SN Status Transfer message to the T-eNB.

[0142] In the present solution, the eNB to eNB change procedure is used to transfer the context data from S-eNB to the T-eNB. In the change procedure, the S-eNB needs to forward the data to the T-eNB. Since the existing solution does not involve that the T-eNB needs to acquire the IP address information of the S-eNB in the above eNB to eNB change procedure to integrate the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-eNB to the T-eNB, the selection of scenarios can be more diversified.

[0143] As a possible implementation, in the case that the first node is a T-gNB and the second node is a S-gNB, the T-gNB receives a handover request from the S-gNB, and sends a handover request acknowledge message to the S-gNB.

[0144] Correspondingly, the S-gNB initiates an RRC reconfiguration request to the UE, and sends an SN Status Transfer message to the T-gNB.

[0145] In the present solution, the gNB to gNB change procedure is used to transfer the context data from the S-gNB to the T-gNB. In the change procedure, the S-gNB needs to forward the data to the T-gNB. Since the existing solution does not involve that the T-gNB needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-gNB in the above-mentioned gNB to gNB change procedure, so as to generate the ACL rule of the packet sent by the S-gNB to the T-gNB by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information, the selection of the scenario can be more diversified.

[0146] Step S602: The first node generates an access control list (ACL) rule according to the IP address information of the second node, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information. The ACL rule is used to match the packet from the second node.

[0147] Optionally, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information are predefined. For example, the first node and the second node agree on the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information in advance, without the need to send them together with the IP address information of the second node.

[0148] The first transmission resource information is an exemplary designation made to distinguish a certain transmission resource information. Optionally, the first transmission resource information can also be referred to as first resource information or first reference information, etc.

[0149] For example, the first transmission resource information includes at least one of the following:

[0150] (1) Port number of the second node. For example, the port number (i.e. source port number) of the second node can be 5000.

[0151] (2) Protocol type. For example, the second node can be a device supporting IP protocol, ICMP protocol, TCP protocol, UDP protocol, SCTP protocol, etc.

[0152] The second transmission resource information is an exemplary designation made to distinguish a certain transmission resource information. Optionally, the second transmission resource information can also be referred to as second resource information or second reference information, etc.

[0153] Exemplarily, the second transmission resource information comprises at least one of the following:

[0154] (1) the port number of the first node. Exemplarily, the port number of the first node (i.e. the target port number) is 80.

[0155] (2) the IP address information of the first node. Exemplarily, the IP address information of the first node can be 121.14.88.76.

[0156] Exemplarily, the ACL rule generated by the first node can allow 192.168.1.1 to access 121.14.88.76, and reject all other hosts to access, i.e. when the device with the IP address information of 192.168.1.1 sends a message to the first node, the first node can judge the message to pass according to the ACL rule, and when the device with the IP address information of 192.168.2.1 sends a message to the first node, the first node can judge the message to be discarded according to the ACL rule.

[0157] Step S603: the second node sends a message to the first node.

[0158] Correspondingly, the first node receives the message.

[0159] Exemplarily, the second node with the IP address information of 192.168.1.1 connects with the first node with the IP address information of 121.14.88.76 and the port number of 80 through the port number of 5000 to transmit the message.

[0160] In the present application, after the first node receives the IP address information included in the SN Status Transfer message from the second node, the first node can directly generate the ACL rule according to the IP address information of the second node and the first transmission resource information. In this way, not only the process of obtaining the IP address information of the second node through the SGNB Modification message is saved, but also the processing delay of the master station or the secondary station change in the NSA mobility management process is optimized, and the operation and maintenance efficiency is improved.

[0161] The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 explains the main interaction principle between the first node and the second node in detail. In order to facilitate understanding, four specific cases of sending SN Status Transfer message are exemplified below in combination with FIGS. 7a-7d.

[0162] Please refer to Fig. 7a, which is a flowchart of sending an SN Status Transfer message according to an embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that, for the convenience of description, the steps are described in the order of step 11 to step 14, and are not intended to limit the execution in the above order. The present application does not limit the order, time, and number of execution of one or more steps. As shown in Fig. 7a, the specific steps of Case 1 are as follows.

[0163] Step 11: The MN initiates an SN addition request to the T-SN.

[0164] Correspondingly, the T-SN receives the SN addition request.

[0165] Step 12: The T-SN sends an SN addition request acknowledgement message to the MN.

[0166] Correspondingly, the MN receives the SN addition request acknowledgement message.

[0167] Step 13: The MN initiates an SN release request to the S-SN.

[0168] Correspondingly, the S-SN receives the SN release request.

[0169] Step 14: The S-SN sends an SN release request acknowledgement message to the MN.

[0170] Correspondingly, the MN receives the SN release request acknowledgement message.

[0171] Step 15: The MN initiates an RRC reconfiguration request to the UE.

[0172] Correspondingly, the UE receives the RRC reconfiguration request.

[0173] Step 16: The UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the MN.

[0174] Correspondingly, the MN receives the RRC reconfiguration complete message.

[0175] Step 17: The MN sends an SN reconfiguration complete message to the T-SN.

[0176] Correspondingly, the T-SN receives the SN reconfiguration complete message.

[0177] Step 18: The UE initiates a random access procedure at the T-SN.

[0178] Step 19: The S-SN sends an SN Status Transfer message to the MN.

[0179] Correspondingly, the MN receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0180] The SN Status Transfer message includes IP address information of the S-SN.

[0181] Step 20: The MN forwards the SN Status Transfer message to the T-SN.

[0182] Correspondingly, the T-SN receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0183] It should be understood that the MN forwards the SN Status Transfer message only as a "transit station", and does not store the SN Status Transfer message from the S-SN (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 7a).

[0184] Step 21: The T-SN generates an ACL rule according to the IP address information of the S-SN, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information.

[0185] Optionally, the first transmission resource information includes at least one of a port number and a protocol type of the S-SN.

[0186] Optionally, the second transmission resource information includes at least one of a port number of the T-SN and IP address information of the T-SN.

[0187] In the present scheme, the MN transmits context data from the S-MN to the T-MN, and the context of the SN needs to be transferred from the S-SN to the T-SN. During the change process, the S-SN also needs to forward the data to be sent to the T-SN. Since the existing scheme does not involve that the T-SN needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-SN in the above-mentioned scenario of secondary station change, so as to generate an ACL rule of the S-SN sending a packet to the T-SN by comprehensively considering the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information, the selection of the scenario can be more diversified.

[0188] It should be noted that the detailed explanations of steps 11-21 described above can refer to the embodiments described in FIG. 6, which will not be described here again.

[0189] Please refer to FIG. 7b, which is another flowchart of sending the SN Status Transfer message provided by the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are described in the order of steps 31-37 for the convenience of description, and are not intended to limit the execution of the above-mentioned order. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the execution order, execution time and execution times of the above-mentioned one or more steps. As shown in FIG. 7b, the specific steps of case two are as follows:

[0190] Step 31: The S-MN sends a handover request to the T-MN.

[0191] Accordingly, the T-MN receives the handover request.

[0192] Step 32: The T-MN initiates a SN addition request to the T-SN.

[0193] Accordingly, the T-SN receives the SN addition request.

[0194] Step 33: The T-SN sends a SN addition request acknowledge message to the T-MN.

[0195] Accordingly, the T-MN receives the SN addition request acknowledge message.

[0196] Step 34: The T-MN sends a handover request acknowledge message to the S-MN.

[0197] Accordingly, the S-MN receives the handover request acknowledge message.

[0198] Step 35: The S-MN initiates a SN release request to the S-SN.

[0199] Accordingly, the S-SN receives the SN release request.

[0200] Step 36: The S-SN sends a SN release request acknowledge message to the S-MN.

[0201] Accordingly, the S-MN receives the SN release request acknowledge message.

[0202] Step 37: The S-MN initiates a RRC reconfiguration request to the UE.

[0203] Accordingly, the UE receives the RRC reconfiguration request.

[0204] Step 38: The UE initiates a random access procedure at the T-MN.

[0205] Step 39: The UE sends a RRC reconfiguration complete message to the T-MN.

[0206] Accordingly, the T-MN receives the RRC reconfiguration complete message.

[0207] Step 40: The UE initiates a random access procedure at the T-SN.

[0208] Where the UE is configured with a bearer requiring secondary cell group (SCG) radio resources, the UE synchronizes to the T-SN and initiates a random access procedure at the T-SN. Thus, step 40 is shown by a dashed line in Fig. 7b.

[0209] Step 41: The T-MN sends a RRC reconfiguration complete message to the T-SN.

[0210] Accordingly, the T-SN receives the RRC Reconfiguration Complete message.

[0211] Step 42: The S-SN sends a Secondary RAT Data Usage Report to the S-MN.

[0212] Accordingly, the S-MN receives the Secondary RAT Data Usage Report.

[0213] The Secondary RAT Data Usage Report is used for reporting the main station assisted billing.

[0214] Step 43: The S-MN sends the Secondary RAT Data Usage Report to the MME.

[0215] Accordingly, the MME receives the Secondary RAT Data Usage Report.

[0216] Step 44: The S-SN sends an SN Status Transfer message to the S-MN.

[0217] Accordingly, the S-MN receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0218] The SN Status Transfer message includes IP address information of the S-SN.

[0219] Step 45: The S-MN forwards the SN Status Transfer message to the T-MN.

[0220] Accordingly, the T-MN receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0221] Step 46: The T-MN forwards the SN Status Transfer message to the T-SN.

[0222] Accordingly, the T-SN receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0223] It should be understood that the T-MN receiving the SN Status Transfer message means that the T-MN only receives and forwards the SN Status Transfer message as a "transit station", and does not store the SN Status Transfer message from the S-SN (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 7b).

[0224] Step 47: The T-SN generates an ACL rule according to the IP address information of the S-SN, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information.

[0225] Optionally, the first transmission resource information comprises at least one of a port number and a protocol type of the S-SN.

[0226] Optionally, the second transmission resource information comprises at least one of a port number of the T-SN and IP address information of the T-SN.

[0227] In the present solution, the MN transmits the context data from the S-MN to the T-MN, while the context of the SN needs to be transferred from the S-SN to the T-SN. During the change process, the S-SN also needs to forward the data to be sent to the T-SN. Since the existing solution does not involve that the T-SN needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-SN to generate the ACL rule of the packet sent by the S-SN to the T-SN in combination with the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information in the scenario of the MN switching while the secondary station changes, the selection of the scenario can be more diversified.

[0228] It should be noted that the detailed explanations of the steps 31-47 can be referred to the embodiments described in FIG. 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0229] Please refer to FIG. 7c, which is a flowchart of sending the SN Status Transfer message according to another embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that the present application is described in the order of steps 51-57 for the convenience of description, and is not intended to limit the execution of the above-mentioned steps in the above-mentioned order. The present application does not limit the execution order, execution time and execution times of the above-mentioned one or more steps. As shown in FIG. 7c, the specific steps of case three are as follows:

[0230] Step 51: The S-MN sends a handover request to the T-eNB.

[0231] Correspondingly, the T-eNB receives the handover request.

[0232] Step 52: The T-eNB sends a handover request acknowledgement message to the S-MN.

[0233] Correspondingly, the S-MN receives the handover request acknowledgement message.

[0234] Step 53: The S-MN initiates a SN release request to the S-SN.

[0235] Correspondingly, the S-SN receives the SN release request.

[0236] Step 54: The S-SN sends a SN release request acknowledgement message to the S-MN.

[0237] Correspondingly, the S-MN receives the SN release request acknowledgement message.

[0238] Step 55: The S-MN initiates an RRC Reconfiguration Request to the UE.

[0239] Accordingly, the UE receives the RRC Reconfiguration Request.

[0240] Step 56: The UE initiates a random access procedure at the T-eNB.

[0241] Step 57: The UE sends an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message to the T-eNB.

[0242] Accordingly, the T-eNB receives the RRC Reconfiguration Complete message.

[0243] Step 58: The S-SN sends an SN Status Transfer message to the S-MN.

[0244] Accordingly, the S-MN receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0245] The SN Status Transfer message includes IP address information of the S-SN.

[0246] Step 59: The S-MN forwards the SN Status Transfer message to the T-eNB.

[0247] Accordingly, the T-eNB receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0248] It should be understood that the S-MN only forwards the SN Status Transfer message as a "transit station" and does not store the SN Status Transfer message from the S-SN (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 7c).

[0249] Step 60: The T-eNB generates an ACL rule according to the IP address information of the S-SN, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information.

[0250] Optionally, the first transmission resource information includes at least one of a port number and a protocol type of the S-SN.

[0251] Optionally, the second transmission resource information includes at least one of a port number of the T-eNB and IP address information of the T-eNB.

[0252] In the present solution, the MN-to-eNB change procedure is used to transfer the context data from the S-MN or S-SN to the target eNB. In the change procedure, the S-SN needs to forward the data to the T-eNB. Since the existing solution does not involve that the T-eNB needs to acquire the IP address information of the S-SN in the MN-to-eNB change procedure described above, to integrate the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-SN to the T-eNB, the selection of the scenario can be made more diverse.

[0253] It should be noted that the detailed explanations of the steps 51-60 can be referred to the embodiments described in FIG. 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0254] Please refer to FIG. 7d, which is a flowchart of another embodiment of sending the SN Status Transfer message. It should be understood that the present application is described in the order of steps 71-82 for convenience, and is not intended to limit the execution of the above-mentioned steps in the above-mentioned order. The present application does not limit the execution order, execution time, execution times, etc. of the above-mentioned one or more steps. As shown in FIG. 7d, the specific steps of Case Four are as follows:

[0255] Step 71: The S-eNB sends a handover request to the T-MN.

[0256] Correspondingly, the T-MN receives the handover request.

[0257] Step 72: The T-MN initiates an SN addition request to the T-SN.

[0258] Correspondingly, the T-SN receives the SN addition request.

[0259] Step 73: The T-SN sends an SN addition request acknowledgement message to the T-MN.

[0260] Correspondingly, the T-MN receives the SN addition request acknowledgement message.

[0261] Step 74: The T-MN sends a handover request acknowledgement message to the S-eNB.

[0262] Correspondingly, the S-eNB receives the handover request acknowledgement message.

[0263] Step 75: The S-eNB initiates an RRC reconfiguration request to the UE.

[0264] Correspondingly, the UE receives the RRC reconfiguration request.

[0265] Step 76: The UE initiates a random access procedure at the T-MN.

[0266] Step 77: The UE sends an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message to the T-MN.

[0267] Correspondingly, the T-MN receives the RRC Reconfiguration Complete message.

[0268] Step 78: The UE initiates a random access procedure at the T-SN.

[0269] Wherein, if the UE is configured with a bearer requiring SCG radio resources, the UE synchronizes to the T-SN and initiates a random access procedure at the T-SN. Therefore, step 78 is shown by a dashed line in FIG. 7d.

[0270] Step 79: The T-MN sends an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message to the T-SN.

[0271] Correspondingly, the T-SN receives the RRC Reconfiguration Complete message.

[0272] Step 80: The S-eNB sends an SN Status Transfer message to the T-MN.

[0273] Wherein, the SN Status Transfer message includes IP address information of the S-eNB.

[0274] Step 81: The T-MN forwards the SN Status Transfer message to the T-SN.

[0275] Correspondingly, the T-SN receives the SN Status Transfer message.

[0276] It should be understood that the T-MN only forwards the SN Status Transfer message as a "transit station", and does not store the SN Status Transfer message from the S-eNB (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 7d).

[0277] Step 82: The T-SN generates an ACL rule according to the IP address information of the S-eNB, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information.

[0278] Optionally, the first transmission resource information includes at least one of a port number and a protocol type of the S-eNB.

[0279] Optionally, the second transmission resource information includes at least one of a port number of the T-SN and IP address information of the T-SN.

[0280] In the solution, the eNB-to-MN change procedure is used to transfer the context data from the S-eNB to the T-MN which adds SN during the handover. In the change procedure, the S-eNB needs to forward the data to the T-SN. Since the existing solution does not involve that the T-SN needs to acquire the IP address information of the S-eNB in the above-mentioned eNB-to-MN change procedure to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-eNB to the T-SN by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information, the selection of the scenario can be made more diverse.

[0281] It should be noted that the detailed explanations of the steps 71-82 can refer to the embodiments described in FIG. 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0282] Please refer to FIG. 7e, which is a flowchart of another embodiment of sending the SN Status Transfer message. It should be understood that the steps 91-96 are described in this order for the convenience of description, and are not intended to limit the execution of the steps in the above-mentioned order. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the execution order, execution time, execution times, etc. of the above-mentioned one or more steps. As shown in FIG. 7e, the specific steps of Case Five are as follows:

[0283] Step 91: The S-eNB sends a handover request to the T-eNB.

[0284] Correspondingly, the T-eNB receives the handover request.

[0285] Step 92: The T-eNB sends a handover request acknowledgement message to the S-eNB.

[0286] Correspondingly, the S-eNB receives the handover request acknowledgement message.

[0287] Step 93: The S-eNB initiates an RRC reconfiguration request to the UE.

[0288] Correspondingly, the UE receives the RRC reconfiguration request.

[0289] Optionally, the UE switches from the S-eNB to the T-eNB through the X2 interface.

[0290] Step 94: The S-eNB sends an SN Status Transfer message to the T-eNB.

[0291] The SN Status Transfer message includes the IP address information of the S-eNB.

[0292] Step 95: The T-eNB generates an ACL rule according to the IP address information of the S-eNB, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information.

[0293] Optionally, the first transmission resource information comprises at least one of a port number of the S-eNB and a protocol type. Optionally, the second transmission resource information comprises at least one of a port number of the T-eNB and IP address information of the T-eNB.

[0294] Step 96: The UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the T-eNB.

[0295] Correspondingly, the T-eNB receives the RRC reconfiguration complete message.

[0296] In the present scheme, the eNB to eNB change procedure is used to transfer the context data from the S-eNB to the T-eNB. In the change procedure, the S-eNB needs to forward the data to the T-eNB. Since the existing scheme does not involve that the T-eNB needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-eNB in the above-mentioned eNB to eNB change procedure to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-eNB to the T-eNB by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information, the selection of the scenario can be made more diverse.

[0297] It should be noted that the detailed explanations of the above steps 91-96 can be referred to the embodiments described in FIG. 6, which will not be described here again.

[0298] Please refer to FIG. 7f, which is a flow diagram of another embodiment provided by the present application for sending the SN Status Transfer message. It should be understood that the present application is described in the order of steps 101-106 for the convenience of description, and is not intended to limit the execution of the above-mentioned steps in the above-mentioned order. The present application does not limit the execution order, execution time and execution times of the above-mentioned one or more steps. As shown in FIG. 7f, the specific steps of case six are as follows:

[0299] Step 101: The S-gNB sends a handover request to the T-gNB.

[0300] Correspondingly, the T-gNB receives the handover request.

[0301] Step 102: The T-gNB sends a handover request acknowledgement message to the S-gNB.

[0302] Correspondingly, the S-gNB receives the handover request acknowledgement message.

[0303] Step 103: The S-gNB initiates an RRC reconfiguration request to the UE.

[0304] Correspondingly, the UE receives the RRC reconfiguration request.

[0305] Optionally, the UE switches from the S-gNB to the T-gNB through the Xn interface.

[0306] Step 104: The S-gNB sends an SN Status Transfer message to the T-gNB.

[0307] The SN Status Transfer message includes IP address information of the S-gNB.

[0308] Step 105: The T-gNB generates an ACL rule according to the IP address information of the S-gNB, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information.

[0309] Optionally, the first transmission resource information includes at least one of a port number and a protocol type of the S-gNB.

[0310] Optionally, the second transmission resource information includes at least one of a port number of the T-gNB and IP address information of the T-gNB.

[0311] Step 106: The UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the T-gNB.

[0312] Correspondingly, the T-gNB receives the RRC reconfiguration complete message.

[0313] In the present scheme, the gNB to gNB change procedure is used to transfer the context data from the S-gNB to the T-gNB. In the change procedure, the S-gNB needs to forward the data to the T-gNB. Since the existing scheme does not involve that the T-gNB needs to obtain the IP address information of the S-gNB in the above-mentioned gNB to gNB change procedure to generate the ACL rule of the message sent by the S-gNB to the T-gNB by integrating the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information, the selection of the scenario can be more diversified.

[0314] It should be noted that the detailed explanations of steps 101-106 above can be referred to the embodiments described in FIG. 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0315] The above describes the method of the embodiments of the present application in detail, and the device of the embodiments of the present application is provided below.

[0316] It should be understood that the division of units in the apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present application is only a logical functional division, and all or part of the units can be integrated into a physical entity or physically separated when actually implemented. In addition, the units in the apparatus can be implemented in the form of processor calling software. For example, the apparatus includes a processor, the processor is connected with a memory, the memory stores instructions, and the processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any one of the above methods or to realize the functions of each unit of the apparatus, wherein the processor is, for example, a general processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is an internal memory of the apparatus or an external memory of the apparatus.

[0317] Alternatively, the units in the apparatus can be implemented in the form of hardware circuit, and the functions of part or all of the units can be realized by the design of the hardware circuit, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the functions of part or all of the units are realized by the design of the logical relationship of elements in the circuit. For another example, in another implementation, the hardware circuit is a programmable logic device (PLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) is taken as an example, which can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by a configuration file, so as to realize the functions of part or all of the units.

[0318] In the embodiments of the present application, each unit in the apparatus can be one or more processors (or processing circuits) configured to implement the above methods, such as CPU, (graphics processing unit, GPU), neural network processing unit (NPU), tensor processing unit (TPU), deep learning processing unit (DPU), microprocessor unit (MPU), digital signal processor (DSP), ASIC, FPGA, or a combination of at least two of these processor forms.

[0319] In addition, all or some of the units in the above apparatus can be integrated or can be independent. In one implementation, the units are integrated together to be implemented in the form of a system on a chip (SOC, or system-level chip). The SOC can include at least one processor for implementing the functions of the above any method or implementing the units of the apparatus. The at least one processor can be of different types, such as including a CPU and an FPGA, or including a CPU and an artificial intelligence processor, or including a CPU and a GPU, etc. The following lists several possible apparatuses.

[0320] Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a structural schematic diagram of a communication apparatus 80 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the communication apparatus 80 can be a first node, and the communication apparatus 80 can be a standalone device or one device in a standalone device, such as a chip or an integrated circuit, etc. The communication apparatus 80 is used to implement the foregoing communication method, such as the communication method shown in FIG. 6.

[0321] In a possible design, the communication apparatus 80 includes a communication unit 801 and a processing unit 802, and the communication apparatus 80 is used to implement the foregoing communication method, such as the communication method shown in FIG. 6. For example, the communication apparatus is used to execute the method performed by the first node.

[0322] In a possible implementation, the communication unit 801 is configured to receive a SN Status Transfer message from a second node, where the SN Status Transfer message includes IP address information of the second node. The processing unit 802 is configured to generate an access control list (ACL) rule according to the IP address information of the second node, first transmission resource information, and second transmission resource information, where the ACL rule is used to match a packet from the second node.

[0323] In another possible implementation, the first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information are predefined, and the first transmission resource information includes at least one of a port number and a protocol type of the second node, and the second transmission resource information includes at least one of a port number of the first node and IP address information of the first node.

[0324] In another possible implementation, the first node is a target secondary node (T-SN), and the second node is a source secondary node (S-SN). The communication unit 801 is further configured to receive a SN addition request from a master node (MN) or a target master node (T-MN), send a SN addition request acknowledgement message to the MN or the T-MN, and receive a SN reconfiguration complete message from the MN or the T-MN.

[0325] In yet another possible implementation, the first node is a target evolved Node B (T-eNB), and the second node is a source secondary node (S-SN). The communication unit 801 is further configured to receive a handover request from a source master node (S-MN), and send a handover request acknowledge message to the S-MN, and receive a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration complete message from the terminal.

[0326] In yet another possible implementation, the first node is a target secondary node (T-SN), and the second node is a source evolved Node B (S-eNB). The communication unit 801 is further configured to receive a SN addition request from a target master node (T-MN), and send a SN addition request acknowledge message to the T-MN, and receive a SN reconfiguration complete message from the T-MN.

[0327] Embodiments of the present application and the above-mentioned method embodiments are based on the same concept and bring the same technical effects. For specific principles, refer to the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0328] Please refer to FIG. 9, which is a structural schematic diagram of another communication apparatus 90 provided by an embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the communication apparatus 90 can be a second node. The communication apparatus 90 can be a standalone device, or one device in a standalone device, such as a chip or an integrated circuit, etc. The communication apparatus 90 is configured to implement the above-mentioned communication method, such as the communication method shown in FIG. 6.

[0329] In a possible design, the communication apparatus 90 includes a communication unit 901 and a processing unit 902, and is configured to implement the above-mentioned communication method, such as the communication method shown in FIG. 6. For example, the communication apparatus is configured to execute the method performed by the second node.

[0330] In a possible implementation, the communication unit 901 is configured to send a SN Status Transfer message to the first node, where the SN Status Transfer message includes IP address information of the second node, and the IP address information of the second node is used by the first node to generate an access control list (ACL) rule. The communication unit 901 is further configured to send a packet to the first node. The processing unit 902 is configured to process the data received and sent.

[0331] In yet another possible implementation, the first transmission resource information is predefined, and the first transmission resource information includes at least one of the following: a port number and a protocol type of the second node.

[0332] In yet another possible implementation, the first node is a target secondary node T-SN or a target evolved Node B (T-eNB), and the second node is a source secondary node S-SN. The communication unit 901 is further configured to receive an SN release request from a master node MN or a source master node S-MN, and send an SN release request acknowledgement message to the MN or the S-MN.

[0333] In yet another possible implementation, the first node is a target secondary node T-SN, and the second node is a source evolved Node B (S-eNB). The communication unit 901 is further configured to receive a handover request acknowledgement message from a target master node T-MN, and send a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration request to the terminal.

[0334] The embodiments of the application and the above-mentioned method embodiments are based on the same concept, and bring the same technical effects. For specific principles, refer to the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0335] Referring to FIG. 10, FIG. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of another communication apparatus 100 provided by an embodiment of the application. The communication apparatus 100 can be a stand-alone device, such as a first node or a second node, or a component included in a stand-alone device, such as a chip, a software module, or an integrated circuit. The communication apparatus 100 can include at least one processor 1001 and a communication interface 1002. Optionally, it can also include at least one memory 1003. Further optionally, it can also include a connection line 1004, wherein the processor 1001, the communication interface 1002, and / or the memory 1003 are connected through the connection line 1004, and / or communicate with each other through the connection line 1004 to transfer control signals and / or data signals.

[0336] The processor 1001 is a module for performing arithmetic operations and / or logical operations, and can specifically include one or more of the following modules: a filter, a modem, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier (LNA), a baseband processor, a radio frequency processor, a radio frequency circuit, a CPU, an AP, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an electronic control unit (ECU), a GPU, an MPU, an ASIC, an image signal processor (ISP), a DSP, an FPGA, a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), or a co-processor, etc.

[0337] The communication interface 1002 can be configured to provide information input or output for at least one processor, or to receive a signal transmitted from outside and / or transmit a signal to outside.

[0338] For example, the communication interface 1002 can include an interface circuit such as an input / output interface, a chip pin, and the like.

[0339] For example, the communication interface 1002 can include a wired link interface such as an Ethernet cable, and can also be a wireless link (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, general wireless transmission, vehicle short-range communication technology, and other short-range wireless communication technologies) interface.

[0340] Optionally, the communication interface 1002 can further include a radio frequency transmitter, an antenna, and the like. In the case where the communication interface 1002 includes an antenna, the number of antennas can be one or more.

[0341] As a possible design, if the communication device 100 is a stand-alone device, the communication interface 1002 can include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver and the transmitter can be the same component, or different components. When the receiver and the transmitter are the same component, the component can be referred to as a transceiver.

[0342] As another possible design, if the communication device 100 is a chip or a circuit, the communication interface 1002 can include an input interface and an output interface. The input interface and the output interface can be the same interface, or can be different interfaces.

[0343] Optionally, the functions of the communication interface 1002 can be implemented by a transceiver circuit or a dedicated chip of the transceiver.

[0344] The memory 1003 is configured to provide a storage space, in which data such as an operating system and a computer program can be stored. The memory 1003 can be one or a combination of a cache, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), and the like. The memory is any medium capable of storing and carrying desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited to this. The memory in the embodiments of the present application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of storing functions, used to store computer programs or instructions, and / or data.

[0345] The functions and actions of the modules or units in the communication device 100 listed above are only exemplary.

[0346] The functional units in the communication device 100 can be used to implement the communication method described above, such as the communication method shown in FIGS. 6-7f, for example, to perform the method performed by the first node, or to perform the method performed by the second node.

[0347] Optionally, the processor 1001 can be a processor specially used to execute the method described above (conveniently distinguished as a special-purpose processor), or a processor that executes the method described above by calling a computer program (conveniently distinguished as a special-purpose processor). Optionally, the at least one processor can include both a special-purpose processor and a general-purpose processor.

[0348] Optionally, in the case where the communication device 100 includes at least one memory 1003, if the processor 1001 implements the communication method described above by calling a computer program, the computer program can be stored in the memory 1003.

[0349] The chip includes a logic circuit and a communication interface. The communication interface is configured to receive or send a signal. The logic circuit is configured to receive or send the signal through the communication interface. The chip is configured to implement the communication method described above, such as the communication method shown in FIGS. 6-7f, for example, the method performed by the first node, or the method performed by the second node.

[0350] The computer readable storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on at least one processor (or communication device), the communication method described above, such as the communication method shown in FIGS. 6-7f, for example, the method performed by the first node, or the method performed by the second node, is implemented.

[0351] The computer program product includes computer instructions. The computer instructions are configured to implement the communication method described above, such as the communication method shown in FIGS. 6-7f, for example, the method performed by the first node, or the method performed by the second node.

[0352] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to represent an example, illustration or description. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in the present application should not be interpreted as more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Rather, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to present the relevant concept in a specific manner.

[0353] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "At least one" or the like refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items.

[0354] For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent a, b, c, (a and b), (a and c), (b and c), or (a and b and c), where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. "And / or" describes the association between the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B 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.

[0355] Also, unless otherwise stated, the use of "first", "second", etc. adjectives in the embodiments herein is used to distinguish multiple objects, and is not intended to denote order, time sequence, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. For example, a first node and a second node are merely used to facilitate the description of fresh parameters in different embodiments, and do not indicate that the operations, importance, structure, etc. of the nodes are different.

[0356] In the above embodiments, according to the context, the term "when" can be interpreted as meaning "if", "before", "determine", or "detect". The above is only an optional embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. within the concept and principle of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

[0357] A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be completed by hardware, or by a program instructing relevant hardware, and the program can be stored in a computer readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

Claims

A communication method characterized by comprising: The method applied to a first node comprises: receiving a state transfer SN Status Transfer message from a second node, wherein the SN Status Transfer message comprises IP address information of the second node; generating an access control list ACL rule according to the IP address information of the second node, first transmission resource information and second transmission resource information, wherein the ACL rule is used for matching a packet from the second node. The method of claim 1, wherein The first transmission resource information and the second transmission resource information are predefined, and the first transmission resource information comprises at least one of: a port number and a protocol type of the second node. The second transmission resource information comprises at least one of: a port number of the first node and IP address information of the first node. The method of claim 1, wherein The first node is a target secondary node T-SN, and the second node is a source secondary node S-SN, and the method further comprises: receiving a SN addition request from a master node MN or a target master node T-MN; sending a SN addition request acknowledgement message to the MN or the T-MN; receiving a SN reconfiguration complete message from the MN or the T-MN. The method of claim 1, wherein The first node is a target evolved node B (T-eNB), and the second node is a source secondary node S-SN, and the method further comprises: receiving a handover request from a source master node S-MN; sending a handover request acknowledgement message to the S-MN; receiving a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration complete message from a terminal. The method of claim 1, wherein The first node is a target secondary node T-SN, and the second node is a source evolved node B (S-eNB), and the method further comprises: receiving a SN addition request from a target master node T-MN; sending a SN addition request acknowledgement message to the T-MN; receiving a SN reconfiguration complete message from the T-MN. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method applied to a second node comprises: sending a state transfer SN Status Transfer message to a first node, wherein the SN Status Transfer message comprises IP address information of the second node, and the IP address information of the second node is used for the first node to generate an access control list ACL rule; sending a packet to the first node. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The first transmission resource information is predefined, and the first transmission resource information comprises at least one of: a port number and a protocol type of the second node. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that The first node is a target secondary node T-SN or a target evolved node B (T-eNB), and the second node is a source secondary node S-SN, and the method further comprises: receiving a SN release request from a master node MN or a source master node S-MN; sending a SN release request acknowledgement message to the MN or the S-MN. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that The first node is a target secondary node T-SN, and the second node is a source evolved node B (S-eNB), and the method further comprises: receiving a handover request acknowledgement message from a target master node T-MN; sending a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration request to a terminal. A communication device characterized by comprising: The communication device comprises a communication unit and a processing unit for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-5. A communication device, characterized by The communication device comprises a communication unit and a processing unit for performing the method according to any one of claims 6-9. A communication device characterized by comprising: The communication device comprises a processor; The communication device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-5 when the processor invokes a computer program or instructions in a memory. A communication device, characterized by The communication device comprises a processor; The communication device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 6-9 when the processor invokes a computer program or instructions in a memory. A communication device characterized by comprising: comprises a logic circuit and an interface, the logic circuit and the interface being coupled; The interface is for inputting and / or outputting information, and the logic circuit is for causing the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-9. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein The communication device is a chip or a chip system. A communication system characterized by The communication system comprises the communication device according to claim 10, and the communication device according to claim 11; or The communication system comprises the communication device according to claim 12, and the communication device according to claim 13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized by The computer readable storage medium is for storing instructions or a computer program; The instructions or the computer program are executed to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-9. A computer program product, characterized in that comprises: instructions or a computer program; The instructions or the computer program are executed to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-9.

Images