Communication method, related device, and communication system

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of extended reality (XR), and specifically relates to a communication method, a related device, and a communication system. The method comprises: an SMF network element determining whether a target service has been started; when determining that the target service has been started, the SMF network element determining a target user plane function (UPF) network element, wherein the target UPF network element supports a QUIC proxy or has an MoQ relay capability, the target UPF network element is used for establishing a first connection with an intermediate UPF network element, and the intermediate UPF network element is an offloading UPF network element or an anchor UPF network element; and the SMF network element sending first instruction information to the target UPF network element, wherein the first instruction information is used for instructing the target UPF network element to identify data packet set information corresponding to the target service, and to add the data packet set information to a packet header of a second downlink data packet. By means of the embodiments of the present application, a target UPF network element can be selected on the basis of service triggering, such that the solution achieves higher flexibility.

Description

Communication methods, related equipment and communication systems

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411642191.1, filed on November 15, 2024, entitled "Communication Method, Related Devices and Communication System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of extended reality (XR), and more particularly to a communication method, related equipment, and communication system. Background Technology

[0003] In extended reality media (XRM), for real-time media services such as the emerging virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and cloud gaming, end-to-end latency requirements are extremely stringent. Furthermore, during the encoding and transmission of upper-layer media services, the data processing granularity is no longer at the data packet level. For example, encoding at the media layer is performed at the granularity of media frames or fragments; simultaneously, the receiving side decodes and displays the data at the same granularity. Basic data units such as media frames or fragments often contain multiple data packets (e.g., IP data packets, due to size limitations). The standard refers to the basic data unit representing the aforementioned media service layer as a protocol data unit set (PDU Set). A PDU Set is the basic unit that the upper-layer service layer can process independently. If any data packet within it is lost or corrupted, the entire PDU Set may be difficult to decode and display correctly.

[0004] The current standard proposes a quality of service (QoS) processing mechanism at the PDU Set level, which treats all data packets within a PDU Set as a whole for scheduling, processing, and transmission, thereby ensuring the user's service experience.

[0005] To support the aforementioned QoS processing mechanism based on PDU sets, the network side needs to detect and identify the relationships between data packets in downlink data packets to determine PDU set information, such as PDU set sequence number, PDU set importance, PDU set size, PDU sequence number within the PDU set, and / or indication information of the last PDU within the PDU set. However, in actual service deployments, considering user privacy and security, downlink data packets often require deep encryption, making it impossible for the network side to determine the PDU set information in downlink data packets based on the downlink data packet detection and identification methods.

[0006] To address the above problems, existing technologies have proposed two solutions:

[0007] 1. Scheme based on Hypertext Transfer Protocol 3 (HTTP3) tunnel: An N6 tunnel based on HTTP / QUIC is established between the user plane function (UPF) network element and the application server. During transmission, data packets between the UPF network element and the application server are additionally encapsulated as HTTP / QUIC data packets. Subsequently, when the application server sends downlink data packets to the UPF network element, it adds PDU Set information to the HTTP / QUIC tunnel header, such as PDU Set sequence number, PDU Set importance, PDU Set size, sequence number of PDUs in the PDU Set, and / or indication information of the last PDU in the PDU Set, thereby enabling the UPF network element to perceive the PDU Set information of the encrypted data packets.

[0008] 2. MoQ Protocol-Based Solution: In the mobile network, the UPF node can act as a media over QUIC (MoQ) relay, terminating the QUIC connection with the user equipment (UE) and establishing a QUIC connection with the application server (AS). The UE requests the corresponding media content from the MoQ relay UPF, and the relay UPF subscribes to the corresponding media content from the AS on behalf of the UE and performs subsequent distribution. Data transmission between the MoQ relay UPF and the AS is in object transmission format. The object contains specific media content, such as media frames, media slices, or media fragments. In addition to the media content, the object also contains metadata information. The media content is encrypted, but the metadata information of the media content within the object (or the metadata corresponding to the object) is visible to the relay UPF. Therefore, the UPF can perceive the metadata information corresponding to the object, such as the stream information, size, start or end, and importance of the object. In other words, the UPF can perceive and determine the PDU Set information of the encrypted data packet accordingly.

[0009] To identify PDU Set information in encrypted service flows, the UPF network element needs to support HTTP3 tunnel establishment or MoQ Relay capabilities. In other words, the UPF network element must support these capabilities to identify PDU Set information in encrypted service flows. Currently, static configuration is used, meaning that this type of XR service uses specific domain names and slice information. After the XR service starts, it establishes a special data connection session (such as a PDU session; subsequent embodiments will use a PDU session as an example). During the data connection session establishment process, the core network selects a UPF node that supports the above functions for the data connection session required by the XR service. However, relying on DNN / slice configuration means that the selection of UPF nodes supporting MoQ Relay or HTTP tunnel construction capabilities depends on the operator's network deployment, resulting in poor flexibility. Summary of the Invention

[0010] This application provides a communication method, related equipment, and communication system. Using this application is beneficial for selecting the target UPF network element based on the trigger of the service, thereby ensuring the identification of the data packet set information of downlink data packets in encrypted service flow scenarios without affecting service continuity.

[0011] Firstly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method should be applicable to SMF network elements. The method includes:

[0012] The SMF network element determines whether the target service has been started. Upon confirming the target service has been started, the SMF network element identifies the target User Plane Function (UPF) network element, which supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunking capabilities. The target UPF network element establishes a first connection with an intermediate UPF network element, which is either a branching UPF network element or an anchor UPF network element. The SMF network element sends a first indication message to the target UPF network element, instructing the target UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service and add this data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet.

[0013] The second downlink data packet is sent to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection, and the second downlink data packet is determined based on the first data packet. It should be understood that the first downlink data packet based on the QUIC or MoQ protocol can be understood as a first downlink data packet carried by the QUIC or MoQ protocol. Here, the QUIC protocol can refer to the HTTP / 3 tunneling protocol based on QUIC, but this is not limited here. The data packet set includes one or more first downlink data packets.

[0014] The packet set information describes the correlation of downlink packets corresponding to the target service, such as whether a downlink packet belongs to a certain packet set and the importance and size of the packet set to which the downlink packet belongs. The packet set information can also be called PDU set information, such as PDU set sequence number, PDU set importance, PDU set size, PDU sequence number in the PDU set, and indication information of the last PDU in the PDU set. Of course, it can also be called other names, which are not limited here.

[0015] Among them, the target service is a service whose corresponding data packets are processed at the granularity of data packet sets, and the corresponding data packet set information is encrypted; or, the target service is an encrypted service that requires QoS processing at the granularity of data packet sets; or, the target service is an encrypted service, and the data packets of the target service require QoS processing at the granularity of data packet sets.

[0016] The first connection is either a GTP-U tunnel or a MoQ connection, or any other connection, which is not limited here.

[0017] As can be seen, in the scheme of this application, when the SMF network element detects the start of the target service, it selects a target UPF network element that provides services for the target service and supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capabilities. This service-based selection of UPF network elements is more flexible. By establishing a first connection between the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element, the SMF network element instructs the target UPF network element to identify and parse the data packet set information corresponding to the target service from the received first downlink data packet, and adds this data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet carried through the first connection. This enables the target UPF network element that supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capabilities to perceive the data packet set information corresponding to the first downlink data packet in the target service, thereby ensuring the identification of the data packet set information of downlink data packets in encrypted service flow scenarios without affecting service continuity.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in a feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0019] The SMF network element sends indication information to the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element respectively to indicate the establishment of the first connection; the SMF network element receives the first connection information of the target UPF network element from the target UPF network element and the first connection information of the intermediate UPF network element from the intermediate UPF network element; the SMF network element sends the first connection information of the intermediate UPF network element to the target UPF network element and sends the first connection information of the target UPF network element to the intermediate UPF network element.

[0020] It can be seen that the first connection between the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element is created by the SMF network element exchanging the corresponding first connection information between the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in a feasible implementation, the SMF network element determines the target UPF network element based on the capability information of the UPF network element contained in the operations, administration and maintenance (OAM) information, the capability information of the locally configured UPF network element, or the capability information reported by the UPF network element. The capability information reported by the UPF network element is used to indicate whether the UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunking capability, or...

[0022] The SMF network element obtains information about one or more reference UPF network elements from the network repository function (NRF) network element. These one or more reference UPF network elements support QUIC proxy or have MoQ relay capabilities. The SMF network element determines the target UPF network element based on the information from the one or more reference UPF network elements.

[0023] It can be seen that SMF network elements can determine the target UPF network element based on the capability information of UPF network elements contained in OAM information, or the capability information of locally configured UPF network elements or the capability information reported by UPF network elements, or based on the information obtained from NRF network elements. SMF network elements can flexibly determine or select target UPF network elements with QUIC proxy or MoQ trunk capabilities in different ways.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in a feasible implementation, the SMF network element receives the identification information of the target service server from the edge application server discovery function (EASDF) network element, and the target service server is used to provide the target service.

[0025] The identification information of the target service server includes fully qualified domain name (FQDN) information and / or IP address information. It should be understood that a user accessing the target service will initiate a DNS query process, that is, send the FQDN information corresponding to the target service server to the EASDF network element to obtain the IP address information of the target server.

[0026] Among these, multiple reference UPF network elements support QUIC proxy or have MoQ trunking capabilities, and the identification information of one or more reference UPF network elements is the same as the identification information of the target service server. That is, the SMF additionally determines one or more UPF network elements based on the identification information of the target service server.

[0027] The FQDN of the reference UPF network element can be understood as the FQDN of the target service server associated with the UPF network element or the FQDN information of the target service server deployed on the UPF network element.

[0028] Furthermore, when the identification information of the target UPF is the FQDN of the target UPF network element, the SMF network element obtains the IP address information of the target UPF network element and sends the IP address information of the target UPF network element to the EASDF network element. Subsequently, the EASDF network element sends the IP address information of the target UPF network element to the UE, thereby enabling the UE to know which UPF network element or server it is connected to.

[0029] Similarly, the address information of the target UPF network element can be understood as the IP address information of the target service server deployed in the UPF network element or the IP address information of the target server associated with the target UPF network element. Optionally, the IP address information of the target UPF network element can also be the same as the IP address information of the target service server.

[0030] It can be seen that when determining the target UPF network element, the identification information of the server providing the target service is taken into consideration. The UPF network element with the target service server deployed or the UPF network element associated with the target service server is selected as the target UPF network element, so that the target UPF network element can meet the UE's needs for the target service.

[0031] In conjunction with the first aspect, in a feasible implementation, the SMF network element receives capability information or identification information from UPF network elements within the service range of the SMF network element.

[0032] The identification information of the UPF network element is either the identification information of the service server deployed on the UPF network element or the identification information of the service server associated with the UPF network element.

[0033] It can be seen that by reporting the information of the UPF network element to the SMF network element, the SMF network element has a reference basis when selecting the target UPF network element.

[0034] In conjunction with the first aspect, in a feasible implementation, the SMF network element receives first notification information from the anchor UPF network element, which includes the identification information of the first service; if the first service is determined to be the target service based on the identification information of the first service, the SMF network element determines that the target service has been started.

[0035] In conjunction with the first aspect, in a feasible implementation, the SMF network element receives second notification information from the EASDF network element. The second notification message includes identification information of the server used to provide the first service. The second notification message is sent by the EASDF network element when it receives a domain name server (DNS) query request from the UE, or the second notification message is sent by the EASDF network element after receiving the IP address information of the server used to provide the first service. The DNS query request is used to request the IP address information of the target service server. If the identification information of the server used to provide the first service is consistent with the identification information of the server that determines the target service, then the SMF network element determines that the target service has been enabled.

[0036] In conjunction with the first aspect, in a feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0037] The SMF network element obtains the flow description information of the first service; the SMF network element determines whether the first service is the target service based on the flow description information of the first service; if the first service is determined to be the target service, the SMF network element sends a packet detection and reporting rule to the anchor UPF network element. This packet detection and reporting rule includes the flow description information of the first service. The packet detection and reporting rule is used by the anchor UPF network element to determine whether a received packet is a packet of the first service based on the flow description information of the first service, and sends a first notification message to the SMF network element when it determines that the received packet is a packet of the first service. The flow description information of the first service may include IP triples, quintuples, and application identifiers, and may also include additional information indicating the transport protocol used by the first service; optionally, the flow description information of the first service may also indicate that the packets in the first service are encrypted, or that the first service is an encrypted service.

[0038] In conjunction with the first aspect, in a feasible implementation, the SMF network element will also obtain the packet set-level QoS requirements of the first service, meaning that the first service requires packet set-level QoS processing. The SMF network element then determines the first service as the target service based on the packet set-level QoS requirements and flow description information.

[0039] It can be seen that by sending data packet detection and reporting rules to the anchor UPF network element, the anchor UPF network element can report when it detects the data packet of the first service based on the data packet detection and reporting rules. This enables the SMF network element to determine whether the target service has been started based on the first service, and can avoid the situation where the target service is started but not detected by the SMF network element.

[0040] In conjunction with the first aspect, in a feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0041] The SMF network element obtains the identification information of the server used to provide the first service. If the first service is determined to be the target service, the SMF network element sends configuration information to the EASDF network element. This configuration information includes the identification information of the server used to provide the first service. This configuration information is used to check whether the identification information of the server in the DNS request received by the EASDF network element is the same as the identification information of the server used to provide the first service. If they are the same, a second notification message is sent to the SMF network element. Optionally, the SMF network element obtains the identification information of the server for the first service from the AF side or the PCF side.

[0042] It can be seen that by sending configuration information to the EASDF network element, the EASDF network element can report when it detects a DNS request for the IP address of the server requesting the first service based on the configuration information. This enables the SMF network element to determine whether the target service has been started based on the first service, and can avoid the situation where the target service is started but not detected by the SMF network element.

[0043] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method should be applicable to a target UPF network element. The target UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capabilities. The method includes:

[0044] The target UPF network element receives a first downlink data packet sent by the application server AS through a second downlink connection. This first downlink data packet is a data packet based on the QUIC or MoQ protocol and includes data packet set information corresponding to the target service. The data packet set includes the first downlink data packet, and the second connection is the connection between the target UPF network element and the AS. The target UPF network element determines a second downlink data packet based on the first downlink data packet, and the header of the second downlink data packet carries the data packet set information. The target UPF network element sends the second downlink data packet to an intermediate UPF network element through a first downlink connection. The first connection is the connection between the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element. The intermediate UPF network element is a split-through UPF network element or an anchor UPF network element.

[0045] The target service is the corresponding data packet processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is encrypted.

[0046] It should be understood that a first downlink data packet based on the QUIC or MoQ protocol can be interpreted as a first downlink data packet carried by the QUIC or MoQ protocol, meaning that the second connection uses encrypted transmission using the QUIC or MoQ protocol. Here, the QUIC protocol can refer to the HTTP / 3 tunneling protocol based on QUIC, but this is not limited to that. The data packet set includes one or more first downlink data packets.

[0047] It can be seen that the target UPF network element can identify and parse the data packet set information corresponding to the data packet set to which the first downlink data packet in the target service belongs from the received first downlink data packet, and add this data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet carried through the first connection. In this way, the target UPF network element can perceive the data packet set information corresponding to the data packet set to which the first downlink data packet in the encrypted service belongs, and thus can ensure the identification of the data packet set information of downlink data packets in the encrypted service flow scenario without affecting service continuity.

[0048] In conjunction with the second aspect, in a feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0049] The target UPF network element receives the third indication information sent by the SMF network element. The third indication information is used to instruct the target UPF network element to save the mapping relationship between the first connection and the second connection. The target UPF network element determines the first connection based on the mapping relationship between the first connection and the second connection and the second connection.

[0050] It can be seen that the target UPF network element stores the mapping relationship between the first connection and the second connection, thereby ensuring that the target network element can determine the second downlink data packet based on the first downlink data packet in the second connection, and send it to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection. This ensures that the target UPF network element sends the data packet set information corresponding to the data packet set to which the first downlink data packet of the target service belongs to the intermediate UPF network element through the second connection, thereby enabling the target UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the encrypted target service flow.

[0051] In conjunction with the second aspect, in a feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0052] The target UPF network element receives the address information of the AS sent by the SMF network element; the target UPF network element receives the fourth indication information from the SMF network element; the fourth indication information is used to instruct the target UPF network element to create a second connection between the AS and the target UPF network element; the target UPF network element creates the second connection based on the address information of the AS and saves the correspondence between the second connection and the first connection.

[0053] It can be seen that the target UPF network element creates a second connection with the target server AS based on the fourth indication information, and determines the corresponding data packet set information through the first downlink data packet carried in the second connection, and sends it to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection. This ensures that the target UPF network element sends the data packet set information corresponding to the data packet set to which the first downlink data packet of the target service belongs to the intermediate UPF network element through the second connection, thereby realizing the identification of the data packet set information in the encrypted target service flow by the target UPF network element.

[0054] In conjunction with the second aspect, in a feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0055] The target UPF network element sends a registration request to the Network Repository Function (NRF) network element. This registration request includes the target UPF network element's capability information or identification information. The target UPF network element's capability information indicates whether the target UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunking capabilities. Alternatively, the target UPF network element sends its capability information, IP address information, or FQDN to the SMF network element. The target UPF network element's identification information is either the identification information of the service server deployed on the target UPF network element or the identification information of the service server associated with the target UPF network element.

[0056] The identification information includes IP address information and / or FQDN information.

[0057] By sending a registration request to the NRF network element, which includes the capability information or identification information of the target UPF network element, or by having the target UPF network element report its capability information or identification information to the SMF network element, the SMF network element can subsequently identify the target UPF network element.

[0058] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method should be applicable to anchor point UPF network elements. The method includes:

[0059] The anchor UPF network element receives packet detection and reporting rules from the SMF network element. These rules include flow description information for the first service. When the anchor UPF network element determines that a received packet belongs to the first service based on the flow description information, it sends a first notification message to the SMF network element based on the packet detection and reporting rules. This first notification message includes the identification information of the first service. The anchor UPF network element also receives second indication information from the SMF network element. This second indication information is used to indicate the establishment of a first connection between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element. This second indication information is sent by the SMF network element when it determines that the target service has started based on the identification information of the first service. The proxy UPF network element supports Q... UIC proxy or has MoQ relay capability; the target service is processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is encrypted service; the anchor UPF network element receives the second downlink data packet from the proxy UPF, the second downlink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first connection; the anchor UPF network element receives the second downlink data packet sent by the proxy UPF network element through the first connection, the second downlink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first connection, and the header of the second downlink data packet includes the data packet set information corresponding to the target service; the anchor UPF network element sends the third downlink data packet to the access network device, the third downlink data packet is generated based on the second data packet, and the header of the third data packet includes the data packet set information corresponding to the target service.

[0060] It can be seen that after the target service is initiated based on the service identifier reported by the anchor UPF network element, the SMF network element triggers the selection of a proxy UPF network element that supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capabilities. This service-based selection of the proxy UPF network element is more flexible. Furthermore, the selected proxy UPF network element can send the packet set information corresponding to the packet set to which the downlink data packets of the target service belong to the anchor UPF network element through the packet header of the second downlink data packet in the second connection, thereby enabling the proxy UPF network element to identify the packet set information in the encrypted target service flow.

[0061] In conjunction with the third aspect, in a feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0062] The anchor UPF network element receives the first uplink data packet from the UE. The first uplink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first connection. The anchor UPF network element sends the first uplink data packet to the proxy UPF network element through the first connection, so that the proxy UPF network element converts the first uplink data packet into a second uplink data packet and sends the second uplink data packet to the AS. The second uplink data packet is a data packet based on the QUIC protocol or the MoQ protocol.

[0063] In conjunction with the third aspect, in a feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0064] The anchor UPF network element sends the first connection information of the anchor UPF network element to the SMF; the anchor UPF network element obtains the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element from the second indication information; or, it receives the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element sent by the SMF network element.

[0065] By obtaining the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element and providing the first connection information of the anchor UPF network element to the SMF network element, the SMF network element sends the first connection information of the anchor UPF network element to the proxy UPF network element, thereby establishing the first connection between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element.

[0066] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide an SMF network element, including units or modules for implementing the method provided in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0067] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a target UPF network element, including units or modules for implementing the method provided in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0068] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide an anchor point UPF network element, including units or modules for implementing the method provided in the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0069] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, including a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store program code. The processor is used to invoke the program code stored in the memory to execute the method provided by any of the first to third aspects or any possible implementation of the first to third aspects.

[0070] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer storage medium including computer instructions that, when executed on an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform a method provided by any one of the first to third aspects or any possible implementation of the first to third aspects.

[0071] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform a method as provided in any of the first to third aspects or any possible implementation of the first to third aspects.

[0072] Tenthly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication method applied to a communication system, the communication system including an SMF network element, a target UPF network element, and an intermediate UPF network element, the method comprising:

[0073] The SMF network element sends data packet detection and reporting rules to the anchor UPF network element. The data packet detection and reporting rules include the flow description information of the first service.

[0074] When the anchor UPF network element determines that the received data packet is a data packet of the first service based on the flow description information of the first service, it sends a first notification message to the SMF network element based on the data packet detection and reporting rules. The first notification message includes the identification information of the first service.

[0075] If the identification information of the first service is the same as the identification information of the target network element, the SMF network element determines that the target service has been started. The target service is the corresponding data packet processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is an encrypted service.

[0076] The SMF network element determines the target UPF network element, which supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunking capability; the target UPF network element is used to establish the first connection with the intermediate UPF network element; the intermediate UPF network element is either a branching UPF network element or an anchor UPF network element.

[0077] The SMF network element sends the first instruction information to the target UPF network element;

[0078] The first indication information is used to instruct the target UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service. The first data packet is a data packet based on the QUIC protocol or the MoQ protocol. The data packet set information is added to the header of the second downlink data packet. The second downlink data packet is sent to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection. The second downlink data packet is determined based on the first data packet.

[0079] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication system, which includes an SMF network element, a target UPF network element, and an intermediate UPF network element.

[0080] The SMF network element is used to send data packet detection and reporting rules to the anchor UPF network element. The data packet detection and reporting rules include the flow description information of the first service.

[0081] An anchor UPF network element is used to send a first notification message to the SMF network element based on the packet detection and reporting rules when it is determined that the received data packet is the data packet of the first service based on the flow description information of the first service. The first notification message includes the identification information of the first service.

[0082] The SMF network element is also used to determine that the target service has been started if the identification information of the first service is the same as the identification information of the target network element. The target service is the corresponding data packet processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is an encrypted service. The target UPF network element is determined, which supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunking capability. The target UPF network element is used to establish the first connection with the intermediate UPF network element. The intermediate UPF network element is a splitting UPF network element or an anchor UPF network element.

[0083] The SMF network element is also used to send the first indication information to the target UPF network element;

[0084] The first indication information is used to instruct the target UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service. The first downlink data packet is a data packet based on the QUIC protocol or the MoQ protocol. The data packet set information is added to the header of the second downlink data packet. The second downlink data packet is sent to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection. The second downlink data packet is determined based on the first data packet.

[0085] It is understood that the beneficial effects of the embodiments described in the fourth to eleventh aspects can be referred to the beneficial effects of the methods described in the first to third aspects, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0086] Figure 1a is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0087] Figure 1b is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0088] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0089] Figure 3 illustrates the relationship between the first downlink data packet and the second downlink data packet;

[0090] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0091] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0092] Figure 6 is an interactive flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0093] Figure 7 is an interactive flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0094] Figure 7a illustrates the correspondence between the first connection and the service, and the correspondence between the first connection and the second connection;

[0095] Figure 8 is an interactive flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0096] Figure 9 is an interactive flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0097] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an SMF network element provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0098] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a target UPF network element provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0099] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an anchor point UPF network element provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0100] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0101] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and “fourth,” etc., used in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order.

[0102] "Multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating three possible relationships. For example, A and / or B means: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0103] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0104] Referring to Figure 1a, Figure 1a is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture provided by an embodiment of this application. This communication system is a schematic diagram of the network architecture of 5th Generation Mobile Networks (5G). It includes a radio access network (RAN), which can be represented as two parts: RAN equipment and a core network (CN). The RAN equipment is used to provide network access functionality for authorized user equipment (UE) in a specific area and can use transmission tunnels of different qualities according to the UE's level and service requirements. For example, the RAN equipment can manage radio resources, provide access services to the UE, and thus complete the forwarding of control information and / or data information between the UE and the CN.

[0105] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, an application scenario of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail first with reference to FIG1a.

[0106] 1. User equipment (UE): This can be referred to as terminal equipment, terminal, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. Terminal equipment can also be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, drone, wearable device, terminal equipment in a 5G network, or terminal equipment in an evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0107] 2. Access Network (AN): Provides network access for authorized users in a specific area and can use transmission tunnels of different qualities depending on the user's level and service requirements. Access networks can employ different access technologies. Current access network technologies include: radio access network technologies used in 3G systems, radio access network technologies used in 4G systems, or next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) technologies (such as those used in 5G systems).

[0108] An access network that uses wireless communication technology to implement access network functions can be called a radio access network (RAN). A RAN manages radio resources, provides access services to terminals, and facilitates the forwarding of control signals and user data between terminals and the core network.

[0109] Wireless access network equipment can be, for example, a base station (NodeB), an evolved NodeB (eNB or eNodeB), a next-generation Node base station (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access point (AP) in a Wi-Fi hotspot system. It can also be a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, or it can be a relay station, access point, vehicle-mounted equipment, drone, wearable device, or network equipment in a 5G network or an evolved PLMN. This application does not limit the specific technology or equipment form used in the wireless access network equipment.

[0110] 3. Access Management Network Element: Primarily used for mobility management and access management, responsible for transmitting user policies between user equipment and PCF network elements, etc. It can be used to implement other functions of the Mobile Management Entity (MME) besides session management. For example, access authorization (authentication) function.

[0111] In 5G communication systems, the access management network element can be an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element. In future communication systems, the access management network element can still be an AMF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0112] 4. Session Management Network Element: Primarily used for session management, allocation and management of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for user equipment, selection of manageable user plane functions, policy control and charging function interface endpoints, and downlink data communication.

[0113] In 5G communication systems, the session management network element can be an SMF network element. In future communication systems, the session management network element can still be an SMF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0114] 5. User plane network elements: used for packet routing and forwarding, QoS processing of user plane data, completion of user plane data forwarding, session / flow-level billing statistics, bandwidth limiting functions, etc.

[0115] In the system shown in Figure 1a, the user plane network elements include a first UPF network element, a second UPF network element, and a third UPF network element.

[0116] The first UPF element is used to offload data transmitted in a session; that is, the first UPF element can send uplink data transmitted in a session to different anchor points. For example, the first UPF element can send received data to the second or third UPF element based on offloading rules. The first UPF element is an uplink classifier (UL CL), which offloads data according to the IP address, port number, etc. of the data packet; or, the first UPF element is a brunching point (BP), which offloads data according to the source address of the data packet. The first UPF element can be referred to as UL CL / BP or offloading UPF element.

[0117] The second UPF network element supports the UE's session, which is used for data transmission between the UE and the first DN. Specifically, the second UPF network element forwards service data between the UE and the first DN. This session can be a PDU session. The second UPF network element can implement user plane related functions such as packet routing and transmission, packet inspection, service usage reporting, quality of service (QoS) processing, legality monitoring, uplink packet inspection, and downlink packet storage. For example, during session establishment, the SMF network element selects a UPF network element for the session. This UPF network element can be called the session anchor, such as the PDU session anchor (PSA). It can also be called an anchor UPF network element or a remote session anchor.

[0118] The third UPF element is used to support data transmission between the UE and the second DN. In other words, it supports the UE's access to the second DN and its local access. The third UPF element 131-3 can be referred to as the local anchor point of the session, such as L-PSA. Compared to the first and second UPF elements, the third UPF element is usually closer to the UE, which helps reduce end-to-end latency for data transmission between the UE and the first DN.

[0119] In the system shown in Figure 1b, the user plane network elements include a second UPF network element and a fourth UPF network element. The second UPF network element can be a session anchor UPF network element, and the fourth UPF network element is a proxy UPF network element, independent of the session anchor UPF network element, located between the second UPF network element and the first DN. It acts as a MoQ Relay and establishes a QUIC connection with the AS in the first DN. The UE establishes a connection with the proxy UPF network element and requests the corresponding media content. The proxy UPF subscribes to the corresponding media content from the AS side on behalf of the UE and performs subsequent distribution.

[0120] In 5G communication systems, user plane network elements can be UPF network elements. In future communication systems, user plane network elements can still be UPF network elements, or they can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0121] 6. Data network element: A network used to provide data transmission.

[0122] In 5G communication systems, data network elements can be data network (DN) elements. In future communication systems, data network elements can still be DN elements, or they can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0123] 7. Policy control network element: A unified policy framework used to guide network behavior, providing policy rule information to control plane functional network elements (such as AMF, SMF, etc.).

[0124] In 4G communication systems, this policy control network element can be a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) network element. In 5G communication systems, this policy control network element can be a PCF network element. In future communication systems, this policy control network element can still be a PCF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit its scope.

[0125] 8. Data management network element: used to handle user equipment identification, access authentication, registration and mobility management, etc.

[0126] In 5G communication systems, this data management network element can be a unified data management (UDM) network element; in 4G communication systems, this data management network element can be a home subscriber server (HSS) network element. In future communication systems, the data management network element can still be a UDM network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0127] 9. Network Exposure Function (NEF) Element: Used to securely expose services and capabilities provided by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network functions to the outside world.

[0128] 10. Application Function (AF) Network Element: Provides a specific application layer service to the UE. When providing services to the UE, the AF has requirements for QoS and charging policies and needs to notify the network. Simultaneously, the AF also needs to obtain application-related information from the core network. The AF can possess all the functions defined in the technical specification (TS) 23.901R-15, as well as related functions for application services. That is, in the user plane architecture, the application server (AS) and the UE communicate in the user plane via the UE-RAN-UPF-AF path. The AF can also communicate with other network function (NF) network elements in the 5G core network (5GC) in the control plane architecture via the NEF. For example, it can communicate with the PCF network element via the NEF network element. If the AF is deployed by the 5GC operator, the AF network element can also communicate directly with other NF network elements in the 5GC in the control plane architecture without going through the NEF network element, such as directly communicating with the PCF network element.

[0129] 11. Network Data Analysis Function (NWDAF) Network Element: It can be used to collect data from network elements, AF and operation administration and maintenance (OAM) management system, and analyze the data through machine learning, artificial intelligence and other solutions, and feed it back to network elements, AF, etc. to optimize network or service configuration, thereby providing better network quality and service experience.

[0130] 12. Network Repository Function (NRF) Network Element: This element provides network element discovery functionality, offering network element information corresponding to the network element type based on requests from other network elements. NRF network elements also provide network element management services, such as network element registration, updates, deregistration, and network element status subscription and push notifications.

[0131] 13. Authentication server function (AUSF) network element: mainly responsible for authenticating users to determine whether to allow users or devices to access the network.

[0132] 14. Service Communication Proxy (SCP) element: It can be used for indirect communication between NFs. Service requests from NFs can be proxied by the SCP.

[0133] 15. EASDF network element, used to assist EAS discovery, such as receiving DNS requests from UE, processing DNS requests and sending DNS responses back to UE.

[0134] In Figure 1a or Figure 1b, N1, N2, N3, N4, N6, N9, Nnwdaf, Nnef, Nnrf, Npcf, Nudm, Naf, Nausf, Namf, and Nsmf are interface sequence numbers. The meanings of these interface sequence numbers can be found in the definition of 3GPP TS23.501.

[0135] It should be understood that the network architecture described above for the embodiments of this application is merely an example, and the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any network architecture capable of realizing the functions of the above-described network elements is applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0136] It should also be understood that the AMF, SMF, UPF, NEF, PCF, UDM, NWDAF, NRF, AUSF, and SCP network elements shown in Figure 1a or Figure 1b can be understood as network elements in the core network used to implement different functions, such as network slices that can be combined as needed. These core network elements can be independent devices or integrated into the same device to implement different functions. This application does not limit the specific form of the above network elements.

[0137] It should also be understood that the above naming is defined only for the convenience of distinguishing different functions and should not constitute any limitation on this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of using other naming in 5G networks and other future networks. For example, in 6G networks or future networks, some or all of the above-mentioned network terms may be used, or other names may be used. The interface names between the network elements in Figure 1a or Figure 1b are just examples, and the interface names in specific implementations may be other names, which this application does not specifically limit. In addition, the names of the messages (or signaling) transmitted between the above-mentioned network elements are also just examples and do not constitute any limitation on the function of the messages themselves.

[0138] Referring to Figure 2, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, this method is applied to the SMF network element in the 5G system shown in Figure 1a or Figure 1b. As shown in Figure 2, the method includes:

[0139] S201 and SMF network elements have identified that the target service has been initiated.

[0140] Specifically, the target service refers to a service whose corresponding data packets are processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is encrypted. Alternatively, the target service is an encrypted service that requires data packet set granularity QoS processing; or the target service is an encrypted service, and the data packets of the target service require data packet set granularity QoS processing.

[0141] In one feasible implementation, the SMF network element receives a first notification message from the anchor UPF network element. The first notification message includes the identification information of the first service. When the identification information of the first service is the same as the identification information of the target service, the SMF network element determines that the target service has been started.

[0142] In one feasible implementation, the SMF network element obtains the flow description information of the first service. When it determines that the first service is the target service based on the flow description information, it sends a data packet detection and reporting rule to the anchor UPF network element. The data packet detection and reporting rule includes the flow description information of the first service. The data packet detection and reporting rule is used by the anchor UPF network element to determine whether the received data packet is a data packet of the first service based on the flow description information of the first service. When it determines that the received data packet is a data packet of the first service, it sends a first notification message to the SMF network element.

[0143] Specifically, the SMF network element obtains the flow description information of the first service from the AF network element. If the first service is determined to be the target service, the SMF network element sends a packet detection and reporting rule to the anchor UPF network element based on the flow description information of the first service. This packet detection and reporting rule includes the flow description information of the first service, which includes at least one of the following: IP triplet, IP quintuple, and application identifier. After receiving a packet (including uplink or downlink packets), the anchor UPF network element determines that the received packet is the packet corresponding to the first service based on the flow description information of the first service. If the received packet is determined to be the packet of the first service, the anchor UPF network element sends a first notification message to the SMF network element. This first notification message includes the identification information of the first service. When the identification information of the first service is the same as the identification information of the target service, it indicates that the anchor UPF network element has detected the packet of the target service, and thus the SMF network element determines that the target service has been started. For example, the first notification information may report the QoS flow identification information of the first service. Based on the QoS flow identification information, the SMF network element can know that the target service carried by the QoS flow indicated by the QoS flow identification information has been started or that the data packets of the target service carried by the QoS flow indicated by the QoS flow identification information have been detected.

[0144] In another feasible implementation, the SMF network element receives a second notification message sent by the EASDF network element. This second notification message includes the identification information of the server providing the first service. If the identification information of the server providing the first service is the same as the identification information of the server providing the target service, it indicates that the UE is requesting the target service, and therefore the SMF network element determines that the target service has been initiated. The second notification message can be sent by the EASDF network element upon receiving a DNS query request from the UE, which requests the IP address information of the server providing the first service; or it can be sent by the EASDF network element after receiving a DNS feedback message in response to the DNS query request, which contains the IP address information of the server providing the first service.

[0145] For example, the server's identification information includes the server's IP address information and / or FQDN information. It should be understood that the server's identification information in a DNS query request includes the FQDN information but does not include the corresponding IP address information. The server's identification information in the second notification message includes the server's IP address information and / or FQDN information.

[0146] In a specific example, the SMF network element obtains the FQDN information of the server providing the first service. When it determines that the first service is the target service, the SMF network element sends configuration information to the EASDF network element, which includes the FQDN of the server providing the first service. When the UE requests a certain service, it sends a DNS query request to the EASDF network element. This DNS query request includes the FQDN of the server providing the service. If it is determined that the identification information of the server in the DNS query request is the same as the identification information of the server providing the first service, the EASDF network element sends a second notification message to the SMF network element, which includes the identification information of the server providing the first service. If the identification information of the server providing the first service is the same as the identification information of the server providing the target service, the SMF network element determines that the target service has been started.

[0147] Specifically, the SMF network element can obtain the relevant information after the AF network element provides the core network with the relevant information of the first service. For example, after going online, the AF network element sends the relevant information of the first service to the NEF network element. This information includes identification information of the server providing the first service, such as FQDN information and / or IP address information and / or flow description information of the service flow corresponding to the first service. Optionally, the relevant information of the target service also includes indication information indicating that the first service is an encrypted service. Subsequently, the NEF network element stores the relevant information of the first service in a unified data repository (UDR). Meanwhile, if the SMF network element has previously subscribed to service information from the application from the NEF network element, the NEF network element will proactively notify the SMF side of the relevant information of the first service.

[0148] It should be noted that SMF network elements determine whether the first service is the target service in two ways:

[0149] 1. The flow description information of the first service includes the protocol information used to encapsulate the data packets of the first service. If the protocol is used for encrypting the service, the SMF network element determines that the first service is the target service; if the protocol is not used for encrypting the service, the SMF network element determines that the first service is not the target service.

[0150] 2. The SMF network element determines whether the first service is the target service based on whether the flow description information of the first service includes indication information used to indicate that the first service is an encrypted service. If it does, the first service is determined to be the target service.

[0151] S202, SMF network element determines that the target service has been started, and identifies the target UPF network element.

[0152] Among them, the target UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capability, that is to say, the target UPF network element has the corresponding functions of the UPF network element in the "two schemes" described in the background technology.

[0153] The above-mentioned determination of the target UPF network element can be understood as selecting the target UPF network element, that is, selecting a UPF network element that supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capability.

[0154] A QUIC proxy is a proxy based on the QUIC protocol. Specifically, it can be an HTTP / 3 proxy based on UQIC, such as connect-UDP (RFC 9298).

[0155] It should be noted that QUIC in this application may refer to a Fast User Datagram Protocol (UDP) Internet connection, or other types of protocols, which are not limited here.

[0156] The target UPF network element is used to establish the first connection with the intermediate UPF network element. The intermediate UPF network element is connected to the RAN device and is a UPF network element that receives messages sent by the RAN device and sends messages to the RAN device. The intermediate UPF network element can be a branching UPF network element or an anchor UPF network element. Optionally, the first connection is a GTP-U tunnel or a MoQ connection, and other connections are also possible, which are not limited here.

[0157] In one feasible implementation, the SMF network element determines the target UPF network element based on the capability information of the UPF network element contained in the OAM configuration, the capability information of the UPF network element contained in the local configuration, or the capability information reported by the UPF network element. The capability information is used to indicate whether the UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunking capability, or...

[0158] The SMF network element obtains information about one or more reference UPF network elements from the NRF network element. These one or more reference UPF network elements are network elements that support QUIC proxy or have MoQ trunking capabilities. The SMF network element determines the target UPF network element based on the information from one or more reference UPF network elements.

[0159] In a specific example, the OAM configuration information or the local configuration information of the SMF network element includes relevant information about all UPF network elements connected to the SMF network element. This includes UPF network element capability information, enabling the SMF network element to determine one or more reference UPF network elements based on the UPF network element capability information included in the OAM configuration information, the local configuration information, or the capability information reported by the UPF network element. These one or more reference UPF network elements support QUIC proxy or have MoQ relay capabilities. If only one reference UPF network element is determined, the SMF network element uses that reference UPF network element as the target UPF network element. If multiple reference UPF network elements are determined, the SMF network element determines the target UPF network element based on the information of the multiple reference UPF network elements. Optionally, the target UPF network element is the UPF network element with the shortest distance to the UE or the lowest load among the multiple reference UPF network elements. Optionally, the information referenced for the UPF network element includes one or more of the following: the distance between the UPF network element and the UE, the load information of the UPF network element, the identifier of the UPF network element, or the IP address information of the UPF network element. After going online, the UPF network element will establish a connection with the SMF network element and carry its capability information in the connection request. This capability information indicates whether the UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capabilities.

[0160] Optionally, the SMF network element receives identification information from the target service server of the EASDF network element. The target service server is the server used to provide the target service; that is, the SMF network element also refers to the identification information of the target service server when determining the target UPF network element. This identification information includes FQDN information and / or IP address information.

[0161] One identification information can correspond to one or more UPF network elements. This means that multiple UPF network elements may have the same identification information, such as multiple UPF network elements within a single data center or multiple integrated UPF network elements. The SMF network element stores the correspondence between UPF network elements and their identification information. The SMF network element determines information about one or more first UPF network elements based on the capability information of the UPF network elements contained in the OAM configuration information, the capability information of the UPF network elements contained in the SMF network element's local configuration, or the capability information reported by the UPF network element. These one or more first UPF network elements support QUIC proxy or have MoQ relay capabilities. The SMF determines information about one or more reference UPF network elements from the information of these one or more first UPF network elements based on the stored correspondence between the UPF network element identifiers and the server's identification information. These one or more reference UPF network elements support QUIC proxy or have MoQ relay capabilities, and the identification information of these one or more reference UPF network elements is associated with the identification information of the target service server. For example, the identification information of one or more reference UPF network elements may be the same as the identification information of the target service server. SMF network elements determine the target UPF network element based on information from one or more reference UPF network elements in the manner described above.

[0162] In another specific example, after a UPF network element goes online, it sends a registration request to the NRF network element. This registration request includes the UPF network element's capability information, which indicates whether the UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capabilities. The NRF network element stores the UPF network element's capability information and its identifier. The SMF network element sends a first query request to the NRF network element to request information on UPF network elements that support QUIC proxy or have MoQ relay capabilities. The NRF network element sends a first response message to the SMF network element in response to the first query request. This first response message includes information on one or more first reference UPF network elements. If only one reference UPF network element is identified, the SMF network element uses this first reference UPF network element as the target UPF network element. If multiple first reference UPF network elements are identified, the SMF network element determines the target UPF network element based on the information of the multiple first reference UPF network elements. The target UPF network element is the one with the shortest distance to the UE or the lowest load among the multiple first reference UPF network elements.

[0163] Optionally, the SMF network element obtains the identification information of the target service server, where the target service server is the server used to provide the target service. In other words, the SMF network element also refers to the identification information of the target service server when determining the target UPF network element. This identification information includes FQDN information and / or IP address information. One identification information can correspond to one or more UPF network elements; that is, there may be multiple UPF network elements with the same identification information, such as multiple UPF network elements within a single data center or multiple UPF network elements integrated together having the same identification information.

[0164] It should be noted that SMF network elements obtain the IP address of the target service server in two ways:

[0165] 1. The EASDF network element receives a DNS query request from the UE. This DNS query request includes the FQDN information of the server providing the first service. It should be understood that when the first service is the target service, the FQDN information of the server providing the first service is the FQDN information of the target service server. The EASDF network element sends this DNS query request to the upper-layer DNS server and obtains the corresponding DNS response message. This DNS response message will contain the IP address information corresponding to the FQDN, i.e., the IP address information of the target service server. The EASDF network element then sends the IP address information of the target service server to the SMF network element.

[0166] 2. The EASDF network element receives a DNS query request from the UE. This DNS query request includes the FQDN information of the server providing the first service. It should be understood that when the first service is the target service, the FQDN information of the server providing the first service is the FQDN information of the target service server. The EASDF network element sends the FQDN information of the target service server to the SMF network element. The SMF network element can obtain the FQDN information and corresponding IP address information from the AF network element. Based on this correspondence and the FQDN information of the target service server, the SMF network element can determine the IP address information of the target service server.

[0167] In one example, the SMF network element stores a correspondence between UPF network elements and identification information. Based on this correspondence, the SMF network element determines one or more second reference UPF network elements from one or more first reference UPF network elements. These one or more second reference UPF network elements correspond to the identification information of the target service server. For example, the identification information of the one or more reference UPF network elements is the same as the identification information of the target service server. If only one second reference UPF network element is determined, the SMF network element uses this second reference UPF network element as the target UPF network element. If multiple second reference UPF network elements are determined, the SMF network element determines the target UPF network element based on the information of the multiple second reference UPF network elements. The target UPF network element is the UPF network element among the multiple first reference UPF network elements that has the shortest distance to the UE or the lowest load.

[0168] In one example, the NRF network element stores the mapping between UPF network elements and identification information. The SMF network element sends a second query request to the NRF network element to request information about UPF network elements that support QUIC proxy or have MoQ relay capabilities and correspond to the identification information of the target service server. The second query request includes the identification information of the target service server. The NRF network element sends a second response message to the SMF network element in response to the second query request. This second response message includes information about one or more second reference UPF network elements that support QUIC proxy or have MoQ relay capabilities and correspond to the identification information of the target service server. For example, the identification information of the second reference UPF network elements is the same as the identification information of the target service server. If there is only one second reference UPF network element, the SMF network element will use the second reference UPF network element as the target UPF network element; if there are multiple second reference UPF network elements, the SMF network element will determine the target UPF network element based on the information of the multiple second reference UPF network elements, wherein the target UPF network element is the UPF network element with the shortest distance to the UE or the smallest load among the multiple first reference UPF network elements.

[0169] It should be noted that when the target UPF network element is a proxy UPF network element, the UPF network elements determined in the above manner must also satisfy the requirement that the anchor UPF network elements are connected or interconnected.

[0170] After identifying the target UPF network element using the above method, the SMF network element obtains the IP address information of the target UPF network element or the IP address information of the target service server associated with the target UPF, and feeds back this IP address information to the EASDF network element. This allows the EASDF network element to then relay this IP address information to the UE, thereby informing the UE which server is providing the service. The target service server may be deployed on top of the target UPF network element, or it may be associated with the target UPF network element.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the SMF network element receives information from UPF network elements within its service range, or from capability information, IP address information, and / or FQDN information reported by UPF network elements connected to the SMF network element. This facilitates the SMF network element in selecting the target UPF network element when determining the target service to be launched. The IP address information and / or FQDN information refers to the IP address information and / or FQDN information of the service server associated with the UPF network element.

[0172] In one possible implementation, the target UPF network element establishes a first connection with the intermediate UPF network element. This first connection can be of various types, such as a GTP-U tunnel, a MoQ connection, or a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection. The creation process differs depending on the type of first connection. For example, when the first connection is a GTP-U tunnel, the creation process includes: upon determining that the target service is starting, the SMF network element sends an instruction to the intermediate UPF network element to indicate the establishment of a first connection between the target and intermediate UPF network elements. Optionally, this instruction includes information about the first connection of the target UPF network element, such as the IP address, port number, and tunnel identifier of the target UPF network element. Alternatively, the SMF network element may send this information to the intermediate UPF network element through other means. Furthermore, the SMF network element receives the information about the first connection of the intermediate UPF network element sent by the intermediate UPF network element, such as the IP address, port number, and tunnel identifier, and then sends this information back to the target UPF network element, thus completing the establishment of the first connection. Optionally, the intermediate UPF network element sends the information about the first connection of the intermediate UPF network element to the SMF network element when the intermediate UPF network element receives the instruction information for instructing the creation of the first connection between the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element, or when it receives the instruction information about the first connection of the target UPF network element sent by the SMF network element.

[0173] For example, when the first connection is a MoQT or TCP connection, its creation process includes: the SMF network element sends the IP address information of the target UPF network element to the intermediate UPF network element, and the intermediate UPF network element establishes the first connection with the target UPF network element based on the IP address information of the target UPF network element.

[0174] It should be noted that when an intermediate UPF network element receives the first connection information from the target UPF network element, if a first connection already exists between the intermediate and target UPF network elements, the intermediate UPF network element can determine that the first connection is at the node level. In other words, data packets sent from the intermediate UPF network element to the target UPF network element are all sent through the first connection. If no first connection exists between the intermediate and target UPF network elements, the intermediate UPF network element can determine that the first connection is at the service level, and the first connection corresponds to the target service. In other words, data packets for the target service sent from the intermediate UPF network element to the target UPF network element are all sent through the first connection.

[0175] Similarly, when the target UPF network element receives the first connection information from the intermediate UPF network element, if a first connection already exists between the intermediate UPF network element and the target UPF network element, the target UPF network element can determine that the first connection is at the node level. That is, data packets sent from the target UPF network element to the intermediate UPF network element are all sent through the first connection. If a first connection does not exist between the intermediate UPF network element and the target UPF network element, the target UPF network element can determine that the first connection is at the service level. The first connection corresponds to the target service. That is, data packets for the target service sent from the target UPF network element to the intermediate UPF network element are all sent through the first connection.

[0176] S203. The SMF network element sends a first indication information to the target UPF network element. The first indication information is used to instruct the target UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service, and to add the data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet sent to the intermediate UPF network element.

[0177] It should be understood that the data packet set information corresponding to the target service refers to the data packet set information corresponding to the data packets in the target service, or the data packet set information corresponding to the data packet set to which the data packets in the target service belong.

[0178] The first downlink data packet is a data packet based on the QUIC or MoQ protocol. The second downlink data packet is sent to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection. The second downlink data packet is determined based on the first data packet.

[0179] In one example, as shown in Figure 3, the connection between the intermediate UPF network element and the target UPF network element is a GTP-U tunnel, and the connection between the target UPF network element and the AS can be a MASQUE tunnel. The first downlink data packet is a data packet based on the QUIC protocol. The header of the first downlink data packet includes data packet set information, which is in encrypted form. The payload of the first downlink data packet includes downlink data, and the data packet set includes the first downlink data packet. The SMF network element sends a first indication message to the target UPF network element, which is used to instruct the target UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet and add the data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet. In the header of the second downlink data packet, the data packet set information is in plaintext form, and the payload of the second downlink data packet includes downlink data. The second downlink data packet is the message corresponding to the GTP-U tunnel.

[0180] As can be seen, in the embodiment, when the SMF network element detects the initiation of a target service, it selects a target UPF network element that provides services to the target service and supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capabilities. This service-based UPF network element selection method is more flexible. By establishing a first connection between the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element, the SMF network element instructs the target UPF network element to identify and parse the data packet set information corresponding to the target service from the received first downlink data packet, and add this data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet carried through the first connection. In this way, the target UPF network element can perceive the data packet set information corresponding to the target service, thereby enabling the identification of the data packet set information of downlink data packets in encrypted service flow scenarios without affecting service continuity.

[0181] Referring to Figure 4, which is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, the method includes:

[0182] S401. The target UPF network element receives the first downlink data packet sent by the AS through the second connection.

[0183] The target UPF network element is either the third UPF network element in Figure 1a (also known as the local UPF network element) or the fourth UPF network element in Figure 1b (also known as the proxy UPF network element). The target UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunking capabilities.

[0184] The second connection is the connection between the target UPF network element and the AS; optionally, the second connection can be a MASQUE tunnel or a MoQ connection. The first downlink data packet includes data packet set information corresponding to the target service, and the data packet set includes one or more first downlink data packets. The target service is the service whose corresponding data packets are processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is an encrypted service. Specifically, the header of the first downlink data packet includes the data packet set information, and the payload of the first downlink data packet includes the downlink data that the AS needs to send. Optionally, the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet exists in encrypted form.

[0185] S402. The target UPF network element determines the second downlink data packet based on the first downlink data packet.

[0186] The header of the second downlink data packet includes data packet set information, and the second downlink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first connection. The first connection is the connection between the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element, such as a GTP-U tunnel or a MoQ connection. The intermediate UPF network element is a UPF network element connected to the RAN device that receives messages sent by the RAN device and sends messages to the RAN device, such as the first UPF network element in Figure 1a (also called the splitting UPF network element), or the second UPF network element in Figure 1b (also called the anchor UPF network element).

[0187] Specifically, after identifying the data packet set information corresponding to the first downlink data packet, the target UPF network element obtains the data packet set information corresponding to the first downlink data packet from the first downlink data packet, that is, the data packet set information corresponding to the data packet set to which the first downlink data packet belongs. If the data packet set information exists in ciphertext form, the target UPF network element decrypts the data packet set information to obtain the data packet set information represented in plaintext. For example, the target UPF network element encapsulates the data packet set information and the payload of the first downlink data packet into a second downlink data packet corresponding to the first connection based on the first connection, and the data packet set information exists in plaintext form in the header of the second downlink data packet.

[0188] In one example, the target UPF element is a local UPF element, and the intermediate UPF elements are offloading UPF elements. In another example, the target UPF element is a proxy UPF element, and the intermediate UPF elements are anchor UPF elements.

[0189] In one feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0190] The target UPF network element receives a second indication message sent by the SMF network element. The second indication message is used to instruct the target UPF network element (i.e., the proxy UPF network element) to save the mapping relationship between the first connection and the second connection. The target UPF network element determines the first connection based on the mapping relationship between the first connection and the second connection and the second connection.

[0191] In other words, when the target UPF network element receives the first downlink data packet carried on the second connection, the target UPF network element determines the first connection based on the mapping relationship between the first connection and the second connection and the second connection. That is, the target UPF network element encapsulates the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet and the payload part of the first downlink data packet into the second downlink data packet corresponding to the first downlink connection based on the first connection.

[0192] It should be noted that the relationship between the first downlink data packet and the second downlink data packet can be found in the relevant description of Figure 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0193] In one feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0194] The target UPF network element receives the address information of the AS service server sent by the SMF network element, and receives fourth indication information from the SMF network element. This fourth indication information instructs the target UPF network element to create a second connection between the AS and the target UPF network element. The target UPF network element creates the second connection based on the AS address information. Specifically, the target UPF network element sends the second connection information of the target UPF network element to the AS based on the AS address information. When the AS receives the second connection information of the target UPF network element, the AS sends its second connection information to the target UPF network element, thereby establishing the second connection. The target UPF network element stores the mapping relationship between the second connection and the first connection.

[0195] Optionally, the target UPF network element sends its address information to the AS, so that the AS can send data to the target UPF network element based on its address information.

[0196] S403. The target UPF network element sends a second downlink data packet to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection.

[0197] In one feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0198] The target UPF network element receives the first uplink data packet sent by the intermediate UPF network element through the first uplink connection. This first uplink data packet corresponds to the target service, and the first uplink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first uplink connection. Based on the mapping relationship between the second connection and the first connection, the target UPF network element converts the first uplink data packet into a second uplink data packet corresponding to the second connection. The target UPF network element then sends the second data packet to the AS through the second connection.

[0199] In one feasible implementation, the target UPF network element receives instruction information from the SMF network element for establishing a first connection between the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element. Optionally, this instruction information includes information about the first connection of the intermediate UPF network element. After receiving this instruction information, the target UPF network element sends the information about its first connection to the SMF network element, causing the SMF network element to send the information about its first connection to the intermediate UPF network element. The target UPF network element receives the information about the first connection of the intermediate UPF network element sent by the SMF network element.

[0200] It should be noted that when an intermediate UPF network element receives the first connection information from the target UPF network element, if a first connection already exists between the intermediate and target UPF network elements, the intermediate UPF network element can determine that the first connection is at the node level. In other words, data packets sent from the intermediate UPF network element to the target UPF network element are all sent through the first connection. If no first connection exists between the intermediate and target UPF network elements, the intermediate UPF network element can determine that the first connection is at the service level, and the first connection corresponds to the target service. In other words, data packets for the target service sent from the intermediate UPF network element to the target UPF network element are all sent through the first connection.

[0201] Similarly, when the target UPF network element receives the first connection information from the intermediate UPF network element, if a first connection already exists between the intermediate UPF network element and the target UPF network element, the target UPF network element can determine that the first connection is at the node level. That is, data packets sent from the target UPF network element to the intermediate UPF network element are all sent through the first connection. If a first connection does not exist between the intermediate UPF network element and the target UPF network element, the target UPF network element can determine that the first connection is at the service level. The first connection corresponds to the target service. That is, data packets for the target service sent from the target UPF network element to the intermediate UPF network element are all sent through the first connection.

[0202] If the first connection is at the node level, after receiving the first downlink data packet, the target UPF network element sends the second downlink data packet to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection based on the information in the first downlink data packet that identifies the service to which the first downlink data packet belongs. If the first connection is at the service level, after receiving the first downlink data packet, the target UPF network element determines the first connection based on the target service corresponding to the first downlink data packet, and sends the second downlink data packet to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection.

[0203] In one feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0204] The target UPF network element sends a registration request to the NRF network element. The registration request includes the target UPF network element's capability information or identification information. The capability information is used to indicate whether the target UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunk capability. The identification information includes IP address information and / or FQDN. The IP address information and / or FQDN information of the target UPF network element are the IP address information and / or FQDN information of the service server associated with the target UPF network element.

[0205] Alternatively, the target UPF network element sends its capability information or identification information to the SMF network element.

[0206] It should be noted that the IP address information or FQDN of the target UPF network element refers to the IP address information or FQDN of the MoQ relay deployed on the target UPF network element, or the IP address information or FQDN of the service server associated with the target UPF network element.

[0207] By sending capability information, IP address information, or FQDN to NRF or SMF network elements, SMF network elements can flexibly select UPF network elements that support QUIC proxy or have MoQ relay capabilities.

[0208] As can be seen, in this embodiment, the target UPF network element can identify and parse the data packet set information corresponding to the target service from the received first downlink data packet, and add this data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet carried through the first connection. In this way, the target UPF network element can perceive the data packet set information corresponding to the data packet set to which the first downlink data packet belongs in the encrypted service, thereby ensuring the identification of the data packet set information of downlink data packets in the encrypted service flow scenario without affecting service continuity.

[0209] Referring to Figure 5, which is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, this method is applied to the second UPF network element (also referred to as the anchor UPF network element) in Figure 1b. As shown in Figure 5, the method includes:

[0210] S501, rules for detecting and reporting data packets received from SMF network elements by anchor UPF network elements.

[0211] Among them, the packet detection and reporting rules include the flow description information of the first service.

[0212] S502. When the anchor UPF network element determines that the received data packet is a data packet of the first service based on the flow description information of the first service, the anchor UPF network element sends a first notification message to the SMF network element. The first notification message includes the identification information of the first service.

[0213] For details of the processes in S501 and S502, please refer to the relevant description in S201, which will not be repeated here.

[0214] S503, the anchor UPF network element receives the second indication information sent from the SMF network element. The second indication information is used to indicate the establishment of a first connection between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element.

[0215] Among them, the proxy UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capability. The second indication information is sent by the SMF network element when it determines the target service to be started based on the identification information of the first service. The target service is the corresponding data packet processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is an encrypted service.

[0216] Specifically, there can be various types of first connections, such as GTP-U tunnels and MoQ connections. The creation process differs for different first connections. For example, when the first connection is a GTP-U tunnel, the creation process includes: the anchor UPF network element receiving second indication information sent by the SMF network element to indicate the creation of a first connection between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element. Optionally, this second indication information includes information about the first connection of the proxy UPF network element, such as the address information of the first connection, or the anchor UPF network element receiving information about the first connection of the proxy UPF network element sent by the SMF network element through other means. The anchor UPF network element then sends its own first connection information to the SMF network element, causing the SMF network element to send its own first connection information to the proxy UPF network element, thus completing the establishment of the first connection. Optionally, the anchor UPF network element sends the information about the first connection of the anchor UPF network element to the SMF network element when the anchor UPF network element receives the instruction information for instructing the creation of the first connection between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element, or when it receives the instruction information about the first connection of the proxy UPF network element sent by the SMF network element.

[0217] For example, when the first connection is a MoQ connection, its creation process includes: the anchor UPF network element receives the IP address information of the proxy UPF network element sent by the SMF network element, and the anchor UPF network element establishes the first connection with the proxy UPF network element based on the IP address information of the proxy UPF network element.

[0218] S504. The anchor UPF network element receives the second downlink data packet sent by the proxy UPF network element through the first connection. The second downlink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first connection. The header of the second downlink data packet includes the data packet set information corresponding to the target service.

[0219] S505, the anchor UPF network element sends a third downlink data packet to the access network device. The third downlink data packet is generated based on the second data packet, and the header of the third data packet includes the data packet set information corresponding to the target service.

[0220] Specifically, the connection information between the anchor UPF network element and the access network device is different from the connection information between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element. For example, the type of connection between the anchor UPF network element and the access network device is different from the type of connection between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element. Or, even if the type of connection between the anchor UPF network element and the access network device is the same as the type of connection between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element, the connection information between the anchor UPF network element and the access network device is different from the connection information between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element, such as different IP address information. Therefore, when the anchor UPF network element receives the second downlink data packet, it encapsulates the second downlink data packet into a third downlink data packet corresponding to the connection between the anchor UPF network element and the access network device. The data packet set information in the second downlink data packet is encapsulated in the header of the third downlink data packet.

[0221] It should be noted that if the first connection is at the service level, the proxy UPF network element, based on the correspondence between the first connection and the service, sends the second downlink data packet to the anchor UPF through the first connection. This service can be its description information, such as IP triples or quintuples. In other words, the proxy UPF determines which data packet to send to the anchor UPF through the first connection based on the IP triple / quintuple information in the downlink data packet, and the second downlink data packet is generated based on this downlink data packet. Subsequently, after receiving the second downlink data packet, the anchor UPF, based on the UE's IP address in the second downlink data packet, sends the third downlink data packet determined by the second downlink data packet to the access network device through the PDU session corresponding to that UE. If the first connection is at the node level, the anchor UPF network element determines the UE to which the second downlink data packet needs to be sent based on the IP address information in the second downlink data packet. Then, the PDU session corresponding to that UE sends the third downlink data packet determined by the second downlink data packet to the access network device.

[0222] Optionally, the anchor UPF network element receives a first uplink data packet from the UE, which is the data packet corresponding to the first connection. The anchor UPF network element sends the first uplink data packet to the proxy UPF network element through the first connection, so that the proxy UPF network element converts the first uplink data packet into a second uplink data packet and sends the second uplink data packet to the AS. The second uplink data packet is a data packet based on the QUIC protocol or the MoQ protocol.

[0223] In one feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0224] The anchor UPF network element determines whether the first uplink data packet is a data packet corresponding to the target service; when it is determined that the first uplink data packet is a data packet corresponding to the target service, the anchor UPF network element determines the first connection based on the target service; there is a correspondence between the target service and the first connection.

[0225] It should be noted that before the anchor UPF network element determines whether the first uplink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the target service, the anchor UPF network element sends a first notification message to the SMF network element to notify that the target service has been started, so that the SMF network element can execute the scheme shown in Figure 2.

[0226] In one feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0227] The anchor UPF network element receives the second downlink data packet sent by the proxy UPF network element through the first connection. The second downlink data packet is the message corresponding to the first downlink connection. The header of the second downlink data packet includes the data packet set information corresponding to the target service. The anchor UPF network element sends the second downlink data packet to the UE.

[0228] In one feasible implementation, the method of this embodiment further includes:

[0229] The anchor UPF network element sends the first connection information of the anchor UPF network element to the SMF; the anchor UPF network element obtains the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element from the second indication information; or, it receives the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element sent by the SMF network element.

[0230] It can be seen that after the target service is initiated based on the service identifier reported by the anchor UPF network element, the SMF network element triggers the selection of a proxy UPF network element that supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capabilities. This service-based selection of the proxy UPF network element is more flexible. Furthermore, the selected proxy UPF network element sends the packet set information corresponding to the packet set to which the downlink data packets of the target service belong to to the anchor UPF network element through the packet header of the second downlink data packet in the second connection, thereby enabling the proxy UPF network element to identify the packet set information in the encrypted target service flow.

[0231] Referring to Figure 6, Figure 6 is an interactive flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method is applied to the system shown in Figure 1a. As shown in Figure 6, the method includes:

[0232] S601, UPF network element sends registration request to NRF network element.

[0233] Specifically, after going online, the UPF network element sends a registration request to the NRF network element. This registration request includes capability information, which indicates that the UPF network element supports QUIC proxy functionality or MoQ relay functionality. Upon receiving the registration request, the NRF network element adds the capability information to its NF configuration. Optionally, the registration request also includes the FQDN and IP address information of the UPF network element. The FQDN and IP address information refer to the FQDN and IP address information of the service server associated with the UPF network element. For a detailed description, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the embodiments corresponding to Figures 2-5, which will not be repeated here.

[0234] S602, SMF network element obtains the capability information of UPF network element.

[0235] Optionally, the capability information is configured by the operator to the SMF network element, or the UPF network element provides the SMF network element with indication information to indicate the capability information during the N4 connection establishment process.

[0236] It should be noted that the UPF network elements in S601 and S602 include anchor UPF network elements, and may also include other UPF network elements.

[0237] It should be noted that S601 and S602 are optional.

[0238] S603 and AF network elements send the flow description information of the first service to PCF network elements.

[0239] The flow description information includes at least one of the following: IP triples, quintuples, or application identifiers. This flow description information is used to identify the service flow corresponding to the first service. Optionally, the AF network element also sends the AS address information to the PCF network element. The AS address information is used to indicate the address of the server accessed by the user, and this AS address information is used to establish a connection between the UPF network element and the AS. It should be noted that in the MoQ relay scenario, the AF network element does not need to send the AS address information to the PCF network element.

[0240] In one example, the interaction between the AF network element and the PCF network element can be performed in the following way:

[0241] AF network elements can interact directly with PCF network elements through the API provided by PCF network elements, or AF network elements can interact with NEF network elements through the API provided by NEF network elements, and then NEF network elements and PCF network elements can interact. That is, AF network elements interact with PCF network elements through NEF network elements.

[0242] S604, PCF network element sends PCC rules to SMF network element.

[0243] Specifically, during the subsequent PDU session establishment or modification process, the PCF network element generates a PCC rule based on the information from the AF network element. This PCC rule is used to indicate the QoS policy for processing the service flow corresponding to the first service. The PCC rule includes the aforementioned flow description information. Optionally, the PCC rule includes the AS's address information.

[0244] S605 and SMF network elements send packet detection and processing rules to anchor UPF network elements based on local configuration and / or PCC rules.

[0245] Specifically, the SMF network element generates packet detection and processing rules based on local configuration and / or PCC rules. These rules can be N4 rules, or any other name, which is not limited here. The SMF network element sends these packet detection and processing rules to the anchor UPF network element. These rules include packet detection and reporting rules for detecting and reporting the service flow corresponding to the first service. These rules include the flow description information of the first service. In other words, the SMF network element sending packet detection and processing rules to the anchor UPF network element can be seen as instructing the anchor UPF network element to perform dynamic detection and reporting based on the packet detection and reporting rules.

[0246] Optionally, before executing S605, the SMF network element determines whether the anchor UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunking capability; if it is determined that the anchor UPF network element does not support QUIC proxy or does not have MoQ trunking capability, then S605 is executed.

[0247] The S606, UE, RAN equipment, AMF network element, SMF network element, PCF network element, NRF network element and anchor point UPF network element complete the subsequent PDU session establishment or modification process.

[0248] S607, the anchor point UPF network element sends the first notification message to the SMF network element.

[0249] It should be noted that the specific implementation process of S607 can be found in the relevant description of the embodiment corresponding to Figure 2, and will not be described again here.

[0250] S608 and SMF network elements determine the local UPF network element.

[0251] Among them, the local UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has the capability of MoQ relay.

[0252] Method 1: Determine the local UPF network element based on the data stored in the NRF network element.

[0253] Method 2: The SMF network element determines the local UPF network element based on the capability information of the UPF network element contained in the OAM configuration information, the capability information of the UPF network element contained in the local configuration information provided by the operator, or the capability information reported by the UPF network element.

[0254] It should be noted that Method 1 corresponds to S601, and Method 2 corresponds to S602. The specific implementation processes of Method 1 and Method 2 can be found in the relevant descriptions of the embodiments corresponding to Figure 2, and will not be repeated here.

[0255] S609 and SMF network elements determine the UPF network element for traffic diversion.

[0256] Among them, the UPF network element that can be a UL / CL split point UPF network element can split a portion of the uplink traffic to the anchor point UPF network element and another portion to the local UPF network element.

[0257] Specifically, the SMF selects a UPF network element as the offloading UPF network element based on information such as the location of the local UPF network element and the location of the UE. Through the N4 session establishment process, it sends the offloading rules to the offloading UPF network element. The offloading rules are used to configure the offloading UPF network element to send part of the uplink service flow to the anchor UPF network element and the other part to the local UPF network element. That is, the offloading rules include the packet detection rules for detecting the service flow and the forwarding rules for forwarding the service flow to the local UPF.

[0258] S610, SMF network element establishes the first connection between the offloading UPF network element and the local UPF network element.

[0259] The SMF network element sends a first indication message to the local UPF network element. This first indication message instructs the local UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service and add this data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet. Optionally, the SMF network element also sends the AS address information to the local UPF network element, and then sends a second indication message to the local UPF network element. This second indication message instructs the local UPF network element to establish a tunnel with the AS, such as a MASQUE tunnel. Optionally, the first and second indication messages can be different or the same.

[0260] S611, The local UPF network element establishes a second connection with the AS.

[0261] In one example, the tunnel between the local UPF network element and the AS can be a MASQUE tunnel or other tunnels, which are not limited here.

[0262] S611 is optional.

[0263] It should be noted that the specific implementation process of S610 and S611 can be found in the relevant description of the corresponding embodiment in Figure 2, and will not be described again here.

[0264] Subsequent uplink data packets from the UE are forwarded to the local UPF element via the offloading UPF element, and then sent to the AS via the tunnel between the local UPF element and the AS. At this time, the AS will save the correspondence between the tunnel, the anchor UPF element, and the UE.

[0265] S612, AS sends the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service to the local UPF network element.

[0266] For the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service issued by the AS, the AS transmits the second connection corresponding to the first downlink data packet to the local UPF network element through at least one of the information such as the triplet, IP 5-tuple, and application identifier of the first downlink data packet. The second connection is the connection between the AS and the local UPF network element. The header of the first downlink data packet includes data packet set information corresponding to the target service. Optionally, the data packet set information in the header of the first downlink data packet is in encrypted form.

[0267] S613, The local UPF network element sends the second downlink data packet to the split-through UPF network element.

[0268] After receiving the first downlink data packet, the local UPF network element identifies the data packet set information in the header of the first downlink data packet and then parses the data packet set information corresponding to the data packet set to which the first downlink data packet belongs. If the data packet set information exists in encrypted form, the local UPF network element decrypts it to obtain the data packet set information represented in plaintext. For example, the target UPF network element encapsulates the data packet set information and the payload of the first downlink data packet into a second downlink data packet based on the first connection, with the data packet set information existing in plaintext in the header of the second downlink data packet. The local UPF network element then sends the second downlink data packet to the UE through a traffic splitter UPF network element.

[0269] S614. The UPF network element sends a third downlink data packet to the RAN device.

[0270] The third downlink data packet is obtained based on the second downlink data packet.

[0271] The connection information between the offloading UPF network element and the RAN device is different from the connection information between the offloading UPF network element and the local UPF network element. For example, the type of connection between the offloading UPF network element and the RAN device is different from the type of connection between the offloading UPF network element and the local UPF network element. Or, even if the type of connection between the offloading UPF network element and the RAN device is the same as the type of connection between the offloading UPF network element and the local UPF network element, the connection information between the offloading UPF network element and the RAN device is different from the connection information between the offloading UPF network element and the local UPF network element, such as different IP address information. Therefore, when the offloading UPF network element receives the second downlink data packet, it encapsulates the second downlink data packet into a third downlink data packet corresponding to the connection between the offloading UPF network element and the RAN device. The data packet set information in the second downlink data packet is encapsulated in the header of the third downlink data packet.

[0272] S615, the RAN device sends a third downlink data packet to the UE.

[0273] Referring to Figure 7, Figure 7 is an interactive flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method is applied to the system shown in Figure 1b. As shown in Figure 7, the method includes:

[0274] S701 and UPF network elements send registration requests to NRF network elements.

[0275] S702, SMF network element obtains the capability information of UPF network element.

[0276] It should be noted that the specific implementation process of S701 and S702 can be found in the relevant descriptions of S601 and S602, and will not be described here.

[0277] S703 and AF network elements send the flow description information of the first service to PCF network elements.

[0278] The service flow description information includes at least one of the following: IP triplet, quintuple, or application identifier. This flow description information is used to identify the service flow corresponding to the first service. Optionally, the AF network element also sends the AS address information to the PCF network element. The AS address information is used to indicate the address of the server accessed by the user, and this AS address information is used to establish a connection between the UPF network element and the AS. It should be noted that in the MoQ relay scenario, the AF network element does not need to send the AS address information to the PCF network element.

[0279] In one example, the interaction between the AF network element and the PCF network element can be performed in the following way:

[0280] AF network elements can interact directly with PCF network elements through the API provided by PCF network elements, or AF network elements can interact with NEF network elements through the API provided by NEF network elements, and then NEF network elements and PCF network elements can interact. That is, AF network elements interact with PCF network elements through NEF network elements.

[0281] S704, PCF network element sends PCC rules to SMF network element.

[0282] S705 and SMF network elements send packet detection and processing rules to anchor UPF network elements based on local configuration and / or PCC rules.

[0283] The S706, UE, RAN, AMF network element, SMF network element, PCF network element, NRF network element and anchor point UPF network element complete the subsequent PDU session establishment or modification process.

[0284] S707, the anchor point UPF network element sends the first notification message to the SMF network element.

[0285] It should be noted that the specific implementation process of S704-S707 can be found in the relevant descriptions of S604-S607, and will not be described here.

[0286] S708 and SMF network elements are designated as proxy UPF network elements.

[0287] Among them, the proxy UPF network element supports the ability of QUIC proxy or MoQ relay, and is able to connect or be connected with the anchor UPF network element.

[0288] Method 1: Determine the proxy UPF network element based on the data stored in the NRF network element.

[0289] Method 2: The SMF network element determines the proxy UPF network element based on the capability information of the UPF network element contained in the OAM configuration information, the capability information of the UPF network element contained in the local configuration information provided by the operator, or the capability information reported by the UPF network element.

[0290] It should be noted that Method 1 corresponds to S701, and Method 2 corresponds to S702. The specific implementation processes of Method 1 and Method 2 can be found in the relevant descriptions of the embodiments corresponding to Figure 2, and will not be repeated here.

[0291] S709, SMF network element obtains the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element.

[0292] In one example, the SMF network element obtains the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element from the proxy UPF network element based on the address information of the proxy UPF network element. The first connection information of the proxy UPF network element includes, but is not limited to, the IP address, port number, and first connection identifier of the proxy UPF network element.

[0293] Optionally, the first connection can be a GTP-U tunnel, a MoQ connection, or other connections, which are not limited here.

[0294] The S710 and SMF network elements send the first instruction information to the agent UPF network element.

[0295] The first indication information is used to instruct the proxy UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service, and to add the data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet. Optionally, the SMF network element also sends the AS address information to the proxy UPF network element, and the SMF network element sends a fourth indication information to the proxy UPF network element. The fourth indication information is used to instruct the proxy UPF network element to establish a second connection with the AS, such as a MASQUE tunnel, or to instruct the proxy UPF network element to establish a regular MoQ connection with the AS. Optionally, the first indication information and the fourth indication information are different information, or they may be the same information.

[0296] S711, the proxy UPF network element establishes a second connection with the AS.

[0297] In one example, the second connection could be a MASQUE tunnel, or other connections, which are not limited here.

[0298] S711 is optional.

[0299] S712, the SMF network element establishes the first connection between the agent UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element.

[0300] Specifically, in one example, the SMF network element sends the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element to the anchor UPF network element, such as the IP address, port number, and tunnel identifier of the proxy UPF network element; the anchor UPF network element sends its own first connection information to the SMF network element, and the SMF network element sends its own first connection information to the proxy UPF network element based on the address information of the proxy UPF network element, thereby establishing the first connection between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element. The first connection information of the anchor UPF network element includes, but is not limited to, the IP address, port number, and tunnel identifier of the anchor UPF network element. Optionally, the SMF network element sends second indication information to the anchor UPF network element to indicate the establishment of the first connection between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element. This second indication information includes the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element.

[0301] In another example, the SMF network element sends the IP address information of the local UPF network element to the offloading UPF network element, and the offloading UPF network element establishes the first connection with the local UPF network element based on the IP address information of the local UPF network element.

[0302] It should be noted that the specific processes of S711 and S712 can be found in the relevant description of the corresponding embodiment in Figure 2, and will not be described again here.

[0303] The SMF network element also sends a fifth indication message to the anchor UPF network element. This fifth indication message instructs the anchor UPF network element to send the first uplink data packet corresponding to the target service to the proxy UPF network element through the first connection information between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element. Whether the first uplink data packet received by the anchor UPF network element corresponds to the target service is determined based on data packet detection rules. Specifically, at least one of the following information in the data packet detection rules—such as the IP triplet, IP quintuple, and application identifier—is used to determine whether the uplink data packet received by the anchor UPF network element corresponds to the target service.

[0304] S713, the anchor point UPF network element stores the correspondence between the target service and the first connection.

[0305] Optionally, there may be multiple connections between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element. The anchor UPF network element needs to determine which service flows correspond to which services and which connections should be used to send them to the proxy UPF network element. Therefore, the anchor UPF network element needs to maintain the correspondence between the target service and the first connection, so that the anchor UPF network element knows that the uplink data packets corresponding to the target service need to be sent to the proxy UPF network element through the first connection. In other words, the SMF network element establishes corresponding connections between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element for different services of each UE, such as a GTP-U tunnel, so that the anchor UPF network element selects the corresponding connection when transmitting data packets to the proxy UPF network element. In this case, the first connection between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element can be regarded as service-level.

[0306] Optionally, the first connection between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element is at the node level. That is, there is only one connection between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element, namely the first connection. Between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element, the first connection needs to carry multiple data packets corresponding to different types of services. However, there are other connections between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element. In this case, the anchor UPF network element binds the service ID corresponding to the data packet carried by the first connection to the first connection.

[0307] S714, the proxy UPF network element stores the correspondence between the first connection and the second connection.

[0308] The second connection is the connection between the proxy UPF network element and the AS. It can be a MASQUE tunnel, or other tunnels or connections, which are not limited here. The proxy UPF network element stores the correspondence between the first and second connections. It should be noted that when a MoQ connection is established between the proxy UPF network element and the AS, the proxy UPF network element stores the correspondence between the first connection and the MoQ connection. In one example, the MoQ connection can be represented by at least one of the following: IP triplet, IP quintuple, etc.

[0309] In one example, as shown in Figure 7a, service flow A1 corresponds to the first service, service flow A2 corresponds to the second service, and service flow A3 corresponds to the third service. There are three tunnels between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element: tunnel B1, tunnel B2, and tunnel B3. Tunnel B1 corresponds to the first service, tunnel B2 to the second service, and tunnel B3 to the third service. There are three connections between the proxy UPF network element and the AS: connection C1, connection C2, and connection C3. Connection C1 corresponds to tunnel B1, connection C2 to tunnel B2, and connection C3 to tunnel B3.

[0310] Among them, tunnels B1, B2, and B3 can be GTP-U tunnels, or other types of tunnels. Connections C1, C2, and C3 can be MASQUE tunnels or MoQ connections, or other types of connections, which are not limited here.

[0311] Optionally, the first connection between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element is at the node level, meaning there is only one connection between them, the first connection. While the first connection may carry multiple different types of services, there are other connections between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element. In this case, the anchor UPF network element binds the service ID corresponding to the data packets carried by the first connection to the first tunnel, and the proxy UPF network element stores the mapping between the first connection, the service ID, and the second tunnel. Alternatively, the first connection between the proxy UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element can be at the session level or the service level, meaning that data packets for services within the same session, or data packets for the same service, are carried through a single connection.

[0312] Steps S715 and S716 below are optional.

[0313] S715, the anchor UPF network element forwards the first uplink data packet corresponding to the target service to the proxy UPF network element.

[0314] Specifically, when the anchor UPF network element receives the first uplink data packet from the UE, it determines whether the first uplink data packet corresponds to the target service according to the data packet detection rules. If it determines that the uplink data packet corresponds to the target service, the anchor UPF network element forwards the first uplink data packet to the proxy UPF network element through the first connection, where the first connection corresponds to the target service. Optionally, the header of the first uplink data packet carries the ID of the target service.

[0315] S716, the proxy UPF network element sends the second uplink data packet to the AS.

[0316] In one example, the proxy UPF network element converts the first uplink data packet into a second uplink data packet based on the correspondence between the first connection and the second connection. The second uplink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the second connection. The proxy UPF network element forwards the second uplink data packet to the AS through the second connection.

[0317] In another example, the header of the first uplink data packet includes the ID of the target service. The proxy UPF network element encapsulates the first uplink data packet into a second uplink data packet based on the ID of the target service, the first connection, and the correspondence between the ID of the target service and the second connection. The second uplink data packet is the message corresponding to the second connection. The proxy UPF network element forwards the second uplink data packet to the AS through the second connection.

[0318] It should be noted that the correspondence between the first connection and the target service ID and the second connection is a two-to-one relationship.

[0319] In scenarios where there is a second connection between the proxy UPF network element and the AS, the AS will save the correspondence between the second connection and the connection between the anchor UPF network element and the UE. This correspondence is the correspondence between connections.

[0320] S717 and AS send the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service to the proxy UPF network element.

[0321] Specifically, the AS sends the downlink service flow to the corresponding second connection based on at least one of the IP triplet, IP 5tuple, and application identifier information in the first downlink data packet. The second connection then sends the downlink service flow to the proxy UPF network element. Simultaneously, the AS adds the data packet set information corresponding to the target service to the second connection. In other words, in one example, for a MASQUE scenario, the first downlink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the MASQUE tunnel, and the header of the first downlink data packet contains the data packet set information corresponding to the target service.

[0322] In another example, for the MoQ scenario, the first downlink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the MoQ connection, and the header of the first downlink data packet contains the data packet set information corresponding to the target service.

[0323] Optionally, the packet set information in the header of the first downlink packet is in ciphertext form.

[0324] S718, the proxy UPF network element sends the second downlink data packet to the anchor UPF network element.

[0325] Specifically, the proxy UPF network element converts the first downlink data packet into a second downlink data packet based on the correspondence between the first and second connections. The second downlink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first connection. It should be noted that the relationship between the first and second downlink data packets can be found in the relevant description in Figure 3, and will not be described further here.

[0326] S719, the anchor point UPF network element sends the third downlink data packet to the RAN device.

[0327] Specifically, the anchor UPF network element sends a third downlink data packet to the RAN device, enabling the RAN device to perform QoS processing at the data packet set granularity level on the second downlink data packet based on the data packet set information. The third downlink data packet is generated based on the second data packet, and its header includes data packet set information corresponding to the target service. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in S504 and S505, which will not be repeated here.

[0328] The S720 and RAN devices send third downlink data packets to the UE based on the data packet set information.

[0329] Referring to Figure 8, which is an interactive flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, the method is applied to the system shown in Figure 1b. As shown in Figure 8, the method includes:

[0330] S801 and UPF network elements send registration requests to NRF network elements.

[0331] It should be noted that the specific implementation process of S801 can be found in the relevant description of S601, and will not be described here.

[0332] S802. The SMF network element determines the UPF network elements within the service range of the SMF network element and their corresponding FQND information.

[0333] Specifically, the SMF network element determines the reference UPF network elements and their corresponding FQND information within its service range based on OAM configuration information or operator local configuration information; wherein, the reference UPF network element is a UPF network element within the service range of the SMF network element that supports QUIC proxy or MoQ trunking capabilities. The FQND information is used to identify the domain name information of the service that the user wishes to access.

[0334] It should be noted that the FQDN of a UPF network element is the FQDN of the service server associated with that UPF network element. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in Figures 2-5, which will not be repeated here.

[0335] S803 and SMF network elements send configuration information to EASDF network elements.

[0336] The configuration information includes the FQDN information and reporting rules corresponding to the server providing the first service. These reporting rules are used by the EASDF network element to report information to the SMF network element.

[0337] S804, UE obtains FQDN information of EASDF network element.

[0338] It should be noted that the UE obtains the FQDN information of the EASDF network element from the SMF network element during the PDU session creation or modification process.

[0339] S805, the UE sends a DNS query request to the EASDF network element.

[0340] Specifically, after the service is started, the UE sends a DNS query request to the EASDF network element to obtain the IP address information of the server providing the service. The DNS query request includes the FQDN information of the server providing the service.

[0341] S806 and EASDF network elements report the second notification message to SMF network elements.

[0342] Specifically, the ESADF network element determines whether the FQDN information in the DNS request message is the same as the FQDN information of the server providing the first service. If they are the same, the ESADF network element reports a second notification message to the SMF network element. The second notification message includes the FQDN information of the server providing the first service.

[0343] The S807 and EASDF network elements obtain the IP address information of the server used to provide the primary service.

[0344] Specifically, the EASDF network element sends the DNS request message from the UE to the upper-layer application DNS server and receives the DNS response message from the DNS server in response to the DNS request message. The DNS response message includes the FQDN information and IP address information of the server providing the first service.

[0345] The S808 and EASDF network elements report the IP address information of the server used to provide the first service to the SMF network element.

[0346] Optionally, the EASDF network element also reports the FQDN information of the server providing the first service to the SMF network element.

[0347] S809, SMF network element determines the local UPF network element.

[0348] Specifically, the SMF network element determines whether the IP address information of the server providing the first service is the same as the IP address information of the server providing the target service. If they are the same, the SMF network element determines that the target service has been started. The SMF network element then determines the local UPF network element based on the IP address information of the server providing the target service (i.e., the target service server).

[0349] The IP address information of the local UPF network element is the same as that of the target service server, and the local UPF network element supports the ability of QUIC proxy or MoQ relay.

[0350] For details on the implementation of S809, please refer to the relevant description of the embodiment corresponding to Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0351] The S810 and SMF network elements obtain the IP address information of the local UPF network element from the NRF network element.

[0352] S811 and SMF network elements determine the local UPF network element from the OAM configuration information or local operator configuration information based on the IP address information of the target service server.

[0353] The S812 and SMF network elements send the IP address information of the local UPF network element to the EASDF network element.

[0354] It should be noted that S810-S812 can only be executed if S807 and S808 have already been executed.

[0355] S813, SMF network elements determine the local UPF network element based on the FQDN of the server providing the first service.

[0356] Specifically, the SMF network element determines whether the FQDN of the server providing the first service is the same as the FQDN of the server providing the target service. If they are the same, the SMF network element determines that the target service has been started. The SMF network element determines the local UPF network element based on the FQDN of the server providing the target service (i.e., the target service server). For details, please refer to the relevant description of the embodiment corresponding to Figure 2, which will not be described here.

[0357] Optionally, the SMF network element sends a query request to the NRF network element based on the SMF network element. The query request includes the FQDN of the local UPF network element and is used to request the IP address information of the local UPF network element. The SMF network element receives a response message from the NRF network element in response to the query request. The response message includes the IP address information of the local UPF network element.

[0358] After obtaining the IP address information of the local UPF network element, the SMF network element sends the IP address information of the local UPF network element to the EASDF network element.

[0359] It should be noted that the relationship between the IP address information and FQDN of the target service server and the IP address information and FQDN of the local UPF network element can be found in the relevant descriptions of the corresponding embodiments in Figures 2-5, and will not be repeated here.

[0360] The S814 and EASDF network elements send DNS response messages to the UE.

[0361] The DNS response message is used to respond to DNS query requests from the UE. The DNS response message includes the FQDN of the target service server and the IP address information of the local UPF network element.

[0362] It should be noted that S813-S814 are executed on the premise that S807 and S808 are not executed.

[0363] S815 and SMF network elements determine the UPF network element for traffic diversion.

[0364] Among them, the UPF network element that can be a UL / CL split point UPF network element can split a portion of the uplink traffic to the anchor point UPF network element and another portion to the local UPF network element.

[0365] Specifically, the SMF selects a UPF network element as the offloading UPF network element based on information such as the location of the local UPF network element and the location of the UE. Through the N4 session establishment process, it sends the offloading rules to the offloading UPF network element. The offloading rules are used to configure the offloading UPF network element to send part of the uplink service flow to the anchor UPF network element and the other part to the local UPF network element. That is, the offloading rules include the packet detection rules for detecting the service flow and the forwarding rules for forwarding the service flow to the local UPF.

[0366] S816, the SMF network element establishes the first connection between the offloading UPF network element and the local UPF network element.

[0367] The SMF network element sends a first indication message to the local UPF network element. This first indication message instructs the local UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service and add this data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet. Optionally, the SMF network element also sends the AS address information to the local UPF network element, and then sends a second indication message to the local UPF network element. This second indication message instructs the local UPF network element to establish a tunnel with the AS, such as a MASQUE tunnel. Optionally, the first and second indication messages can be different or the same.

[0368] S817, the local UPF network element establishes a second connection with the AS.

[0369] In one example, the tunnel between the local UPF network element and the AS can be a MASQUE tunnel or other tunnels, which are not limited here.

[0370] S817 is optional.

[0371] It should be noted that the specific implementation process of S816 and S817 can be found in the relevant description of the corresponding embodiment in Figure 2, and will not be described again here.

[0372] Subsequent uplink data packets from the UE are forwarded to the local UPF element via the offloading UPF element, and then sent to the AS via the tunnel between the local UPF element and the AS. At this time, the AS will save the correspondence between the tunnel, the anchor UPF element, and the UE.

[0373] S818 and AS send the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service to the local UPF network element.

[0374] For the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service issued by the AS, the AS transmits the second connection corresponding to the first downlink data packet to the local UPF network element through at least one of the information such as the triplet, IP 5-tuple, and application identifier of the first downlink data packet. The second connection is the connection between the AS and the local UPF network element. The header of the first downlink data packet includes data packet set information corresponding to the target service. Optionally, the data packet set information in the header of the first downlink data packet is in encrypted form.

[0375] S819, The local UPF network element sends the second downlink data packet to the split-through UPF network element.

[0376] After receiving the first downlink data packet, the local UPF network element identifies the data packet set information in the header of the first downlink data packet and parses it to obtain the data packet set information corresponding to the data packet set to which the first downlink data packet belongs. If the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet is in ciphertext, the local UPF network element decrypts it to obtain the data packet set information in plaintext. For example, the target UPF network element encapsulates the data packet set information and downlink data into a second downlink data packet based on the first connection. The data packet set information exists in plaintext in the header of the second downlink data packet. The local UPF network element then sends the second downlink data packet to the UE through a traffic splitter UPF network element.

[0377] S820, the offloading UPF network element sends the third downlink data packet to the RAN device.

[0378] S821, the RAN device sends a third downlink data packet to the UE.

[0379] It should be noted that the specific processes of S820-S821 can be found in the relevant descriptions of S614 and S615, and will not be described again here.

[0380] Referring to Figure 9, which is an interactive flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, the method is applied to the system shown in Figure 1b. As shown in Figure 9, the method includes:

[0381] S901 and UPF network elements send registration requests to NRF network elements.

[0382] It should be noted that the specific implementation process of S901 can be found in the relevant description of S501, and will not be described here.

[0383] S902. The SMF network element determines the UPF network elements within the service range of the SMF network element and their corresponding FQND information.

[0384] S903 and SMF network elements send configuration information to EASDF network elements.

[0385] S904, UE obtains FQDN information of EASDF network element.

[0386] S905, the UE sends a DNS query request to the EASDF network element.

[0387] S906, EASDF network element reports the second notification message to SMF network element.

[0388] The S907 and EASDF network elements obtain the IP address information of the server used to provide the primary service.

[0389] The S908 and EASDF network elements report the IP address information of the server used to provide the first service to the SMF network element.

[0390] S909 and SMF network elements are designated as proxy UPF network elements.

[0391] The S910 and SMF network elements obtain the IP address information of the proxy UPF network elements from the NRF network elements.

[0392] The S911 and SMF network elements determine the proxy UPF network element from the OAM or local operator configuration based on the IP address information of the target service server.

[0393] The S912 and SMF network elements send the IP address information of the proxy UPF network elements to the EASDF network elements.

[0394] It should be noted that S910-S912 can be executed only if S907 and S908 have already been executed.

[0395] S913 and SMF network elements determine the proxy UPF network element based on the FQDN of the server used to provide the first service.

[0396] The S914 and EASDF network elements send DNS response messages to the UE.

[0397] It should be noted that the specific implementation process of S901-S914 can be found in the relevant descriptions of S701-S714, and will not be repeated here. It should also be noted that the execution of S913-S914 is contingent upon the non-execution of S907 and S908.

[0398] The S915 and SMF network elements obtain the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element from the proxy UPF network element.

[0399] In one example, the SMF network element obtains the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element from the proxy UPF network element based on the address information of the proxy UPF network element. The first connection information of the proxy UPF network element includes, but is not limited to, the IP address, port number, and first connection identifier of the proxy UPF network element. Optionally, the first connection is a GTP-U tunnel or other connection, which is not limited here.

[0400] S916, SMF network element sends first instruction information to agent UPF network element.

[0401] S917, the proxy UPF network element establishes a second connection with the AS.

[0402] In one example, the second connection could be a MASQUE tunnel, or other connections, which are not limited here.

[0403] S917 is an optional legal entity.

[0404] S918, SMF network element establishes the first connection between proxy UPF network element and anchor UPF network element.

[0405] S919, the anchor point UPF network element stores the correspondence between the target service and the first connection.

[0406] S920, the proxy UPF network element stores the correspondence between the first connection and the second connection.

[0407] S921, the anchor UPF network element forwards the first uplink data packet corresponding to the target service to the proxy UPF network element.

[0408] S922, the proxy UPF network element sends the second uplink data packet to the AS.

[0409] S923, AS sends the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service to the proxy UPF network element.

[0410] S924, the proxy UPF network element sends the second downlink data packet to the anchor UPF network element.

[0411] S925, the anchor point UPF network element sends the third downlink data packet to the RAN device.

[0412] S926, the RAN device sends a third downlink data packet to the UE based on the data packet set information.

[0413] It should be noted that the specific implementation process of S916-S926 can be found in the relevant descriptions of S710-S720, and will not be described here.

[0414] It should be noted that the specific implementation process and beneficial effects of the embodiments corresponding to Figures 6-9 can be found in the relevant descriptions of the embodiments corresponding to Figures 2-5, and will not be repeated here.

[0415] Referring to Figure 10, which is a structural schematic diagram of an SMF network element provided in an embodiment of this application, the SMF network element 1000 includes:

[0416] The determination unit 1001 is used to determine whether the target service has been started; the target service is the corresponding data packet processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is an encrypted service; after determining that the target service has been started, the target user plane function UPF network element is determined, and the target UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunking capability; the target UPF network element is used to establish the first connection with the intermediate UPF network element; the intermediate UPF network element is a splitting UPF network element or an anchor UPF network element;

[0417] The transceiver unit 1002 is used to send first indication information to the target UPF network element. The first indication information is used to instruct the target UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service, and add the data packet set information to the header of the second downlink data packet.

[0418] The first downlink data packet is a data packet based on the QUIC or MoQ protocol. The second downlink data packet is sent to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection. The second downlink data packet is determined based on the first data packet.

[0419] The first connection is either a GTP-U tunnel or a MoQ connection, or any other connection, which is not limited here.

[0420] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1002 is further used for:

[0421] Send indication information for establishing the first connection to the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element respectively; receive the first connection information of the target UPF network element from the target UPF network element and receive the first connection information of the intermediate UPF network element from the intermediate UPF network element; send the first connection information of the intermediate UPF network element to the target UPF network element and send the first connection information of the target UPF network element to the intermediate UPF network element.

[0422] In one feasible implementation, in determining the target UPF network element, the determining unit 1001 is specifically used for:

[0423] The target UPF network element is determined based on the capability information of the UPF network element contained in the OAM configuration information, the capability information of the UPF network element contained in the local configuration information, or the capability information reported by the UPF network element. The capability information reported by the UPF network element is used to indicate whether the UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ trunk capability, or...

[0424] Obtain information about one or more reference UPF network elements from the NRF network element, wherein the one or more reference UPF network elements support the capability of QUIC proxy or local MoQ trunk; determine the target UPF network element based on the information of one or more reference UPF network elements.

[0425] In one feasible implementation, the SMF network element receives the FQDN of the target service server from the EASDF network element; the target service server is used to provide the target service; wherein, multiple reference UPF network elements support QUIC proxy or have MoQ trunking capability, and the identification information of one or more reference UPF network elements is the same as the identification of the target service server.

[0426] In one feasible implementation, the identification information includes FQDN information and / or IP address information.

[0427] In one feasible implementation, the determining unit 1001 is further configured to obtain the IP address information of the target UPF network element when the identification information of the target UPF network element is the FQDN information of the target UPF network element;

[0428] The transceiver unit 1002 is also used to send the IP address information of the target UPF network element to the EASDF network element.

[0429] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1002 is also used to receive capability information or identification information from UPF network elements within the service range of the SMF network element.

[0430] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1002 is further configured to receive first notification information from the anchor point UPF network element, the first notification information including the identification information of the first service;

[0431] The determining unit 1001 is also used to determine that the target service has been started if the identification information of the first service is the same as the identification information of the target service.

[0432] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1002 is further configured to receive second notification information from the EASDF network element. The second notification message includes the identification information of the server providing the first service. The second notification message is sent by the EASDF network element when it receives a DNS query request from the UE. The DNS query request is used to request the IP address information of the server providing the first service. The determining unit 1001 is further configured to determine that the target service has been enabled if the identification information of the server providing the first service is the same as the identification information of the server providing the target service.

[0433] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1002 is also used to obtain the flow description information of the first service;

[0434] The determining unit 1001 is also used to determine whether the first service is the target service based on the flow description information of the first service;

[0435] The transceiver unit 1002 is further configured to send a data packet detection and reporting rule to the anchor UPF network element if the first service is determined to be the target service. The data packet detection and reporting rule includes the flow description information of the first service. The data packet detection and reporting rule is used by the anchor UPF network element to determine whether the received data packet is a data packet of the first service based on the flow description information of the first service, and to send a first notification message to the SMF network element when it is determined that the received data packet is a data packet of the first service.

[0436] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1002 is further configured to obtain the identification information of the server used to provide the first service; if the first service is determined to be the target service, configuration information is sent to the EASDF network element, the configuration information including the identification information of the server used to provide the first service, the configuration information being used to determine whether the identification information of the server in the DNS request received by the EASDF network element is the same as the identification information of the server used to provide the first service, and if they are the same, a second notification message is sent to the SMF network element.

[0437] It is worth noting that the specific functional implementation of the SMF network element 1000 is described in the specific description of the embodiment shown in Figure 2. Each unit or module in the SMF network element 1000 can be individually or entirely merged into one or more other units or modules, or some of these units or modules can be further divided into multiple functionally smaller units or modules. This achieves the same operation without affecting the technical effects of the embodiments of this application. The aforementioned units or modules are based on logical functional division. In practical applications, the function of one unit (or module) is implemented by multiple units (or modules), or the function of multiple units (or modules) is implemented by one unit (or module).

[0438] Referring to Figure 11, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a target UPF network element provided in an embodiment of this application, the target UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capability. As shown in Figure 11, the target UPF network element 1100 includes:

[0439] The transceiver unit 1101 is used to receive a first downlink data packet sent by the AS through a second downlink connection. The first downlink data packet is a data packet based on the QUIC protocol or the MoQ protocol. The first downlink data packet includes data packet set information corresponding to the target service. The data packet set includes the first downlink data packet. The second connection is the connection between the target UPF network element and the AS.

[0440] The determining unit 1102 is used to determine the second downlink data packet based on the first downlink data packet, wherein the header of the second downlink data packet carries data packet set information;

[0441] The transceiver unit 1101 is also used to send a second downlink data packet to an intermediate UPF network element through a first downlink connection. The first connection is a connection between the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element. The intermediate UPF network element is a split-through UPF network element or an anchor UPF network element.

[0442] The target service is the corresponding data packet processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is encrypted.

[0443] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1101 is further configured to receive third indication information sent by the SMF network element from the target UPF network element. The third indication information is used to instruct the target UPF network element to save the mapping relationship between the first connection and the second connection.

[0444] The determining unit 1102 is also used to determine the first connection based on the mapping relationship between the first connection and the second connection and the second connection.

[0445] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1101 is further configured to receive the address information of the AS sent by the SMF network element; receive fourth indication information from the SMF network element; the fourth indication information is used to instruct the target UPF network element to create a second connection between the AS and the target UPF network element.

[0446] The creation unit 1103 is used to create a second connection for the target UPF network element based on the address information of the AS, and to save the correspondence between the second connection and the first connection.

[0447] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1101 is further configured to receive a first uplink data packet sent by the intermediate UPF network element through the first uplink connection, wherein the first uplink data packet is the uplink data packet corresponding to the target service; the first uplink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first uplink connection.

[0448] The determining unit 1102 is further configured to convert the first uplink data packet into the second uplink data packet corresponding to the uplink second connection based on the correspondence between the second connection and the first connection;

[0449] The transceiver unit 1101 is also used to send a second uplink data packet to the AS via the second uplink connection.

[0450] In conjunction with the second aspect, in a feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1101 is further configured to send a registration request to the Network Repository Function (NRF) network element. The registration request includes the capability information or identification information of the target UPF network element. The capability information of the target UPF network element is used to indicate whether the target UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capability. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 1101 is further configured to send the capability information or identification information of the target UPF network element to the SMF network element.

[0451] The identification information of the target UPF network element includes IP address information and / or FQDN information.

[0452] It is worth noting that the specific functional implementation of the target UPF network element 1100 is described in the specific description of the embodiment shown in Figure 4. Each unit or module in the target UPF network element 1100 can be individually or entirely merged into one or more other units or modules, or some of the units or modules can be further divided into multiple functionally smaller units or modules. This achieves the same operation without affecting the technical effects of the embodiments of this application. The aforementioned units or modules are based on logical functional division. In practical applications, the function of one unit (or module) is implemented by multiple units (or modules), or the function of multiple units (or modules) is implemented by one unit (or module).

[0453] Referring to Figure 12, which is a structural schematic diagram of an anchor point UPF network element provided in an embodiment of this application, the anchor point UPF network element 1200 includes:

[0454] The transceiver unit 1201 is used to receive data packet detection and reporting rules from SMF network elements; the data packet detection and reporting rules include flow description information of the first service;

[0455] When the determining unit 1202 determines that the received data packet is a data packet of the first service based on the flow description information of the first service, the transceiver unit 1201 is used to send a first notification message to the SMF network element based on the data packet detection and reporting rules. The first notification message includes the identification information of the first service.

[0456] The transceiver unit 1201 is also used to receive second indication information from the SMF network element; the second indication information is used to indicate the establishment of a first connection between the anchor UPF network element and the proxy UPF network element; the second indication information is sent by the SMF network element when the target service is determined to be started based on the identification information of the first service; the proxy UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capability; the target service is the corresponding data packet processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is an encrypted service; receiving a second downlink data packet from the proxy UPF, the second downlink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first connection; receiving a second downlink data packet sent by the proxy UPF network element through the first connection, the second downlink data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first connection, and the header of the second downlink data packet includes the data packet set information corresponding to the target service; and sending a third downlink data packet to the access network device, the third downlink data packet is generated based on the second data packet, and the header of the third data packet includes the data packet set information corresponding to the target service.

[0457] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1201 is further configured to: receive a first uplink data packet from the UE, the first uplink data packet being a data packet corresponding to the first connection; send the first uplink data packet to the proxy UPF network element through the first connection, so that the proxy UPF network element converts the first uplink data packet into a second uplink data packet and sends the second uplink data packet to the AS, the second uplink data packet being a data packet based on the QUIC protocol or the MoQ protocol.

[0458] In one feasible implementation, the determining unit 1202 is further used for:

[0459] When the first uplink data packet is determined to be the uplink data packet corresponding to the target service, the first connection is determined based on the target service, and there is a correspondence between the first connection and the target service.

[0460] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1201 is further configured to receive a second downlink data packet sent by the proxy UPF network element through the first connection. The second downlink data packet is a data packet corresponding to the first connection, and the header of the second downlink data packet includes information about the data packet set corresponding to the target service. The anchor UPF network element sends the second downlink data packet to the UE.

[0461] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver unit 1201 is also used to send the first connection information of the anchor UPF network element to the SMF;

[0462] The determining unit 1202 is further configured to obtain the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element from the second indication information; or,

[0463] The transceiver unit 1201 is also used to receive the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element sent by the SMF network element.

[0464] It is worth noting that the specific functional implementation of the anchor UPF network element 1200 is described in the specific description of the embodiment shown in Figure 5. Each unit or module in the anchor UPF network element 1200 can be individually or entirely merged into one or more other units or modules, or some of the units or modules can be further divided into multiple functionally smaller units or modules. This achieves the same operation without affecting the technical effects of the embodiments of this application. The above-mentioned units or modules are based on logical functional division. In practical applications, the function of one unit (or module) is implemented by multiple units (or modules), or the function of multiple units (or modules) is implemented by one unit (or module).

[0465] Based on the description of the above method embodiments and related device embodiments, please refer to FIG13, which is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device 1300 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1300 shown in FIG13 includes a memory 1301, a processor 1302, a communication interface 1303, and a bus 1304. The memory 1301, the processor 1302, and the communication interface 1303 are interconnected through the bus 1304.

[0466] Optionally, the memory 1301 may be a read-only memory (ROM), a static storage device, a dynamic storage device, or a random access memory (RAM).

[0467] The memory 1301 is capable of storing programs. When the program stored in the memory 1301 is executed by the processor 1302, the processor 1302 and the communication interface 1303 are used to execute the various steps of the communication method of the embodiments shown in FIG2, FIG4 and FIG5.

[0468] The processor 1302 employs a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), graphics processing unit (GPU), or one or more integrated circuits to execute relevant programs to achieve the functions required by the units in the SMF network element 1000, target UPF network element 1100, or anchor UPF network element 1200 of this application embodiment, or to execute the communication methods of the embodiments shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5 of this application.

[0469] Processor 1302 can also be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the communication method shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5 of this application can be completed through integrated logic circuits in the hardware of processor 1302 or instructions in software form. Optionally, processor 1302 can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. Processor 1302 can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor is a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. Optionally, the software modules are located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. The storage medium is located in the memory 1301. The processor 1302 reads the information in the memory 1301 and, in conjunction with its hardware, performs the functions required by the units included in the SMF network element 1000, the target UPF network element 1100, or the anchor UPF network element 1200 in the embodiments of this application, or executes the communication method of the embodiments shown in FIG2, FIG4 and FIG5.

[0470] The communication interface 1303 uses transceiver devices, such as, but not limited to, transceivers, to enable communication between the communication device 1300 and other devices or communication networks.

[0471] Bus 1304 may include a pathway for transmitting information between various components of communication device 1300 (e.g., memory 1301, processor 1302, communication interface 1303).

[0472] It should be noted that although the communication device 1300 shown in Figure 13 only illustrates the memory, processor, and communication interface, those skilled in the art should understand that in specific implementations, the communication device 1300 may also include other devices necessary for normal operation. Furthermore, depending on specific needs, those skilled in the art should understand that the communication device 1300 may also include hardware devices for implementing other additional functions. In addition, those skilled in the art should understand that the communication device 1300 may only include the devices necessary for implementing the embodiments of this application, and not necessarily all the devices shown in Figure 13.

[0473] This application also provides a chip, which includes a processor and a data interface. The processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the data interface to implement the communication method of this application.

[0474] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip further includes a memory storing instructions, and the processor is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory. When the instructions are executed, the processor is used to execute the communication method.

[0475] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer or processor, cause the computer or processor to perform one or more steps of any of the above methods.

[0476] This application also provides a computer program product containing instructions. When the computer program product is run on a computer or processor, it causes the computer or processor to perform one or more steps of any of the methods described above.

[0477] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the functionality described in conjunction with the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and algorithmic steps disclosed herein can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality described by the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and steps can be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium and executed by a hardware-based processing unit. The computer-readable medium may comprise a computer-readable storage medium, which corresponds to a tangible medium, such as a data storage medium, or a communication medium that includes any medium facilitating the transfer of a computer program from one place to another (e.g., based on a communication protocol). In this way, the computer-readable medium may substantially correspond to (1) a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium, or (2) a communication medium, such as a signal or carrier wave. The data storage medium may be any available medium accessible by one or more computers or one or more processors to retrieve instructions, code, and / or data structures for implementing the techniques described herein. A computer program product may comprise a computer-readable medium.

[0478] By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable storage media includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or any other media that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible by a computer. Furthermore, any connection is properly referred to as computer-readable media. For example, if instructions are transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of media. However, it should be understood that the computer-readable storage media and data storage media do not include connections, carrier waves, signals, or other temporary media, but are specifically referring to non-temporary tangible storage media. As used herein, disks and optical discs include Compact Discs (CDs), Laser Discs, Optical Discs, Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs), and Blu-ray Discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of these should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0479] Instructions can be executed by one or more processors, such as one or more DSPs, general-purpose microprocessors, ASICs, FPGAs, or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits. Therefore, the term "processor" as used herein can refer to any of the foregoing structures or any other structures suitable for implementing the techniques described herein. Furthermore, in some aspects, the functions described in the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and steps described herein are provided within dedicated hardware and / or software modules configured for encoding and decoding, or incorporated into combined codecs. Moreover, the techniques can be fully implemented within one or more circuit or logic elements.

[0480] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the division of units is merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For instance, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Optionally, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection shown or discussed between them may be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, such as electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0481] Optionally, the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, i.e., located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0482] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When these computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions according to the embodiments of this application are generated.

[0483] The above description is merely a specific implementation of the embodiments of this application, but the protection scope of the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be covered within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of the embodiments of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to the Session Management Function (SMF) network element, and the method includes: It is determined whether the identification information of the server providing the first service is the same as the identification information of the target service server. The target service server is used to provide the target service. The target service is the corresponding data packet processed at the data packet set granularity, and the corresponding data packet set information is an encrypted service. The identification information of the server providing the first service is sent to the SMF network element by the Edge Application Server Discovery Function (EASDF) network element when it receives a Domain Name Service (DNS) query request from the UE. The DNS query request is used to request the IP address information of the server providing the first service. When it is determined that the identification information of the server providing the first service is the same as the identification information of the target service server, a target User Plane Function (UPF) network element is determined. The target UPF network element supports Fast User Datagram Protocol (UDP) Internet Connection QUIC proxy or has the capability of media MoQ relay based on QUIC. The target UPF network element is used to establish a first connection with an intermediate UPF network element. The intermediate UPF network element is a splitting UPF network element or an anchor UPF network element. A first indication message is sent to the target UPF network element. The first indication message is used to instruct the target UPF network element to identify the data packet set information in the first downlink data packet corresponding to the target service. The first downlink data packet is a data packet based on the QUIC protocol or the MoQ protocol. The data packet set information is added to the header of the second downlink data packet. The second downlink data packet is sent to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection. The second downlink data packet is determined based on the first data packet. The method of claim 1, wherein The first connection is either a User Plane General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol GTP-U tunnel or a QUIC-based Media Transmission (MoQ) connection. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The method further includes: Instruction information for instructing the creation of the first connection is sent to the target UPF network element and the intermediate UPF network element respectively; Receive information about the first connection from the target UPF network element, and receive information about the first connection from the intermediate UPF network element; Send the information of the first connection of the intermediate UPF network element to the target UPF network element, and send the information of the first connection of the target UPF network element to the intermediate UPF network element. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The determination of the target UPF network element includes: The target UPF network element is determined based on the capability information of the UPF network element contained in the OAM information of operation and maintenance management, or the capability information of the locally configured UPF network element, or the capability information reported by the UPF network element; the capability information is used to indicate whether the UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capability, or, obtaining information of one or more reference UPF network elements from a network repository function (NRF) network element, the one or more reference UPF network elements being UPF network elements that support a QUIC proxy or have a MoQ relay capability; determining the target UPF network element based on the information of the one or more reference UPF network elements. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving identification information of a target service server from the EASDF network element. The method of claim 1, wherein The identification information includes FQDN information and / or IP address information. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: when the identification information of the target UPF network element is FQDN information of the target UPF network element, obtaining IP address information of the target UPF network element; sending the IP address information of the target UPF network element to the EASDF network element. The method according to any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving capability information or identification information of a UPF network element within a service range of the SMF network element. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving second notification information from the EASDF network element, the second notification information including identification information of a server providing the first service, the second notification information being sent by the EASDF network element when the EASDF network element receives a domain name service (DNS) query request from a UE. The method of claim 9, wherein The method further comprises: obtaining identification information of a server providing a first service; if it is determined that the first service is the target service, sending configuration information to the EASDF network element, the configuration information including the identification information of the server providing the first service, the configuration information being used by the EASDF network element to determine whether the identification information of a server in a received DNS request is the same as the identification information of the server providing the first service, and when the identification information is the same, sending the second notification information to the SMF network element. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to an anchor user plane function (UPF) network element, and the method comprises: receiving packet detection and reporting rules from a session management function (SMF) network element, the packet detection and reporting rules including flow description information of a first service, when it is determined based on the flow description information of the first service that a received packet is a packet of the first service, sending a first notification message to the SMF network element based on the packet detection and reporting rules, the first notification information including identification information of the first service; receiving second indication information from the SMF network element; the second indication information is used to instruct to establish a first connection between the anchor UPF network element and a proxy UPF network element; the second indication information is sent by the SMF network element when it is determined that a target service is started based on the identification information of the first service, the proxy UPF network element supporting a quick user datagram protocol (UDP) internet connection (QUIC) proxy or having a media over QUIC (MoQ) relay capability; the target service is a service corresponding to a data packet set, and information of the data packet set is encrypted. receive a second downlink data packet sent by the proxy UPF network element through the first connection, the second downlink data packet being a data packet corresponding to the first connection, and a header of the second downlink data packet including data packet set information corresponding to a target service; send a third downlink data packet to an access network device, the third downlink data packet being generated according to the second data packet, and a header of the third data packet including information of the data packet set. The method of claim 11, wherein The method further includes: receive a first uplink data packet from a user equipment (UE), the first uplink data packet being a data packet corresponding to the first connection; send the first uplink data packet to the proxy UPF network element through the first connection, so that the proxy UPF network element converts the first uplink data packet into a second uplink data packet, and sends the second uplink data packet to an application server (AS), the second uplink data packet being a data packet based on a QUIC protocol or a MoQ protocol. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The method further includes: send first connection information of an anchor UPF network element to the SMF; obtain the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element from the second indication information, or receive the first connection information of the proxy UPF network element sent by the SMF network element. A session management function, SMF, network element, characterized in that, The SMF network element includes units or modules for implementing any of claims 1-10. An anchor user plane function (UPF) network element, comprising: The anchor UPF network element includes units or modules for implementing any of claims 11-13. A communication device characterized by comprising: include a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store program code, and the processor is configured to execute the program code to implement the method of any of claims 1-13. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to a communication system including a session management function (SMF) network element, a target user plane function (UPF) network element, and an intermediate UPF network element, and includes: The SMF network element sends a data packet detection and reporting rule to an anchor UPF network element, the data packet detection and reporting rule including flow description information of a first service; When the anchor UPF network element determines that a received data packet is a data packet of the first service based on the flow description information of the first service, the anchor UPF network element sends a first notification message to the SMF network element based on the data packet detection and reporting rule, the first notification information including identification information of the first service; If the identification information of the first service is the same as identification information of a target network element, the SMF network element determines the target UPF network element, the target service is a corresponding data packet processed at a data packet set granularity, and corresponding data packet set information is encrypted service; the target UPF network element supports a QUIC proxy or has a MoQ relay capability; the target UPF network element is configured to establish a first connection with the intermediate UPF network element; and the intermediate UPF network element is a split UPF network element or the anchor UPF network element; The SMF network element sends first indication information to the target UPF network element, The first indication information is used to instruct the target UPF network element to identify data packet set information in a first downlink data packet corresponding to a target service, the first downlink data packet is a data packet based on a QUIC protocol or a MoQ protocol, and the data packet set information is added to a packet header of a second downlink data packet, the second downlink data packet is sent to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection, and the second downlink data packet is determined based on the first data packet. A communication system characterized by The communication system comprises a session management function (SMF) network element, a target user plane function (UPF) network element, and an intermediate UPF network element, The SMF network element is configured to send a data packet detection and reporting rule to an anchor UPF network element, wherein the data packet detection and reporting rule comprises flow description information of a first service. The anchor UPF network element is configured to, when determining that a received data packet is a data packet of the first service based on the flow description information of the first service, send a first notification message to the SMF network element based on the data packet detection and reporting rule, wherein the first notification information comprises identification information of the first service. The SMF network element is configured to, if the identification information of the first service is the same as identification information of a target network element, determine that the target UPF network element processes corresponding data packets at a data packet set granularity, and that corresponding data packet set information is encrypted service, and that the target UPF network element supports QUIC proxy or has MoQ relay capability. The target UPF network element is configured to establish a first connection with the intermediate UPF network element, wherein the intermediate UPF network element is a split UPF network element or an anchor UPF network element. The SMF network element is further configured to send first indication information to the target UPF network element, The first indication information is used to instruct the target UPF network element to identify data packet set information in a first downlink data packet corresponding to a target service, the first downlink data packet is a data packet based on a QUIC protocol or a MoQ protocol, and the data packet set information is added to a packet header of a second downlink data packet, the second downlink data packet is sent to the intermediate UPF network element through the first connection, and the second downlink data packet is determined based on the first data packet. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized by, The computer readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the method of any one of claims 1-13. A computer program product, characterized in that When the computer program product is running on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method of any one of claims 1-13.

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