Information transmission method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of communications, and provides an information transmission method and apparatus, which can match a sending rate of signaling source data with a transmission rate of a network, thereby alleviating phenomena such as network congestion or resource waste, and improving the user experience. The method comprises: a first device acquires and sends first information, wherein the first information indicates that any one of a first quality of service (QoS) flow, a first radio data bearer (DRB), or a first logical channel (LCH) supports to regulate a sending rate of data, the first QoS flow includes at least one QoS flow, the first DRB includes at least one DRB, and the first LCH includes at least one LCH.

Description

Information transmission method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411731097.3, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 28, 2024, entitled "Information Transmission Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to information transmission methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] In the fifth generation (5 th In 5G communication systems, the network can provide a certain air interface transmission rate guarantee for data transmission. Ideally, the transmission rate of source data (i.e., the rate at which source data is delivered to the network) matches the network's transmission rate, maximizing the utilization efficiency of network resources while ensuring a good user experience.

[0004] However, in reality, network transmission rates fluctuate, varying with factors such as available resources, congestion levels, and channel quality. The transmission rate of the source data, on the other hand, is less affected by these factors and is typically relatively stable. This leads to a mismatch between the network transmission rate and the source data transmission rate. Specifically, when the network transmission rate is lower than the source data transmission rate, data cannot be transmitted in a timely manner, resulting in increased latency or packet loss, impacting user experience. Conversely, when the network transmission rate is higher than the source data transmission rate, network resources may be idle, reducing resource utilization efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to design a method that can match the transmission rate of the source data with the transmission rate of the network. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides an information transmission method and apparatus that can match the transmission rate of source data with the transmission rate of the network, thereby alleviating network congestion or resource waste and improving user experience.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an information transmission method. This method can be executed by a first device. Unless otherwise specified, the "first device" in this application can refer to the first device itself, a component within the first device (e.g., a communication module, processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first device. The method includes: acquiring and transmitting first information, wherein the first information indicates that any one of a first Quality of Service (QoS) stream, a first Radio Data Bearer (DRB), or a first Logical Channel (LCH) supports adjusting the data transmission rate. The first QoS stream includes at least one QoS stream, the first DRB includes at least one DRB, and the first LCH includes at least one LCH.

[0008] Based on this scheme, a device capable of knowing whether the services of a terminal device support rate adjustment (i.e., the first device) informs a device recommending a transmission rate for the terminal device (i.e., the second device) whether the services of the terminal device support rate adjustment. For example, the second device is informed of the QoS flows, DRBs, or LCHs in the terminal device that support rate adjustment (i.e., the second device sends first information indicating that any one of the first QoS flows, first DRBs, or first LCHs supports adjusting the data transmission rate; the first QoS flows include at least one QoS flow, the first DRBs include at least one DRB, and the first LCHs include at least one LCH). This allows the second device to recommend a suitable transmission rate for the terminal device based on the actual situation of the applications in the terminal device, so that the transmission rate of the source data matches the transmission rate of the air interface, thereby alleviating network congestion or resource waste and improving user experience.

[0009] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the range of adjustment for the transmission rate of data supported by any of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0010] Based on this possible design, the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the transmission rate of any of the first QoS flow, the first DRB, or the first LCH that supports adjustment. Thus, the second device can recommend a suitable transmission rate for the terminal device based on the adjustment range, so that the transmission rate of the source data matches the transmission rate of the air interface, thereby alleviating network congestion or resource waste and improving user experience.

[0011] In one possible design, before acquiring the first information, the information transmission method further includes: receiving second information, the second information being used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; acquiring the first information includes: acquiring the first information based on the second information.

[0012] Based on this possible design, the first information is obtained by the first device after receiving the second information and then sent to the second device, avoiding the situation where the second device does not need the first device to send it the first message, thus improving the interaction efficiency between the first device and the second device.

[0013] In one possible design, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first protocol data unit (PDU) session within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein, the first QoS stream belongs to the first PDU session, the first DRB belongs to the first PDU session, or the first LCH belongs to the first PDU session.

[0014] In one possible design, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first DRB in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein, the first QoS stream is carried on the first DRB, or the first LCH is associated with the first DRB.

[0015] In one possible design, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first LCH in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein, the first QoS stream is carried on the first LCH, or the first DRB is associated with the first LCH.

[0016] In one possible design, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first QoS stream within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0017] Based on the four possible designs mentioned above, the second information can be based on the granularity of indicating whether the query terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, it can be queried at the granularity of PDU session, DRB, LCH, or QoS stream to determine whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. Thus, the first device (or terminal device) only needs to determine whether the QoS stream (or DRB, or LCH) within the PDU session (i.e., the first PDU session), DRB (i.e., the first DRB), LCH (i.e., the first LCH), or a specified QoS stream (i.e., the first QoS stream) supports adjusting the data transmission rate, and determine the first information, thereby reducing the complexity of the query and improving the efficiency of determining the first information.

[0018] In one possible design, when the first device is a terminal device, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0019] Based on this possible design, when the first device is a terminal device, the second information is used to query whether the first device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. After receiving the second information, the first device can determine whether it supports adjusting the data transmission rate by querying its own DRB, LCH, or QoS flow, and then inform the second device of the first information, thus providing a possible implementation method for the first device to obtain the first information.

[0020] In one possible design, if the first device includes any one of a central unit CU, a master node MN, or a secondary node SN, obtaining the first information includes: receiving the first information from the terminal device.

[0021] Based on this possible design, the first information can be determined by the terminal device and communicated to the first device, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the first information.

[0022] In one possible design, the first device includes any one of a core network device, a CU, an MN, or an SN; transmitting first information includes transmitting the first information to a second device; wherein, if the first device is a CU, the second device is a distributed unit DU; if the first device is an MN, the second device is an SN; if the first device is an SN, the second device is an MN; if the first device is a core network device, the second device is an access network device.

[0023] Based on this possible design, the information transmission method can be applied in multiple scenarios; for example, it can be applied to Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) (i.e., the first device is CU and the second device is DU), or dual-connectivity scenarios (i.e., the first device is MN and the second device is SN; or, the first device is SN and the second device is MN); or, the first information can be obtained by the core network device, that is, the first device is the core network device, and in this case, the second device is the access network device. This enhances the versatility of the information transmission method.

[0024] In one possible design, where the first device includes any one of a terminal device, a CU, an MN, or an SN, the information transmission method further includes: receiving third information from a second device, the third information indicating a data transmission rate recommended by the second device, the third information being determined based on the first information.

[0025] Based on this possible design, the first device receives the data transmission rate recommended by the second device; for example, the second device can determine the third message based on the first information. This ensures that the transmission rate of the source data matches the air interface transmission rate, thereby alleviating network congestion or resource waste and improving user experience.

[0026] In one possible design, the information transmission method further includes sending a fourth message to a second device, the fourth message indicating whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0027] Based on this possible design, the first device informs the second device whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device. Thus, the second device can determine whether the source data transmission rate matches the air interface transmission rate. When the source data transmission rate matches the air interface transmission rate (i.e., the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device), the second device does not need to take any action and can simply wait to receive service data from the terminal device. When the source data transmission rate does not match the air interface transmission rate (i.e., the terminal device has not applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device), the second device can recommend a transmission rate for other services that support adjusting the data transmission rate, reserving sufficient bandwidth for the terminal device's current transmission service. This alleviates network congestion or resource waste, thereby improving the user experience.

[0028] In one possible design, the first information includes at least one first identifier; wherein the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one QoS flow, indicating that the at least one QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one DRB, indicating that the at least one DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of at least one LCH, indicating that the at least one LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0029] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an information transmission method, which can be executed by a second device. Unless otherwise specified, the "second device" in this application can refer to the second device itself, a component within the second device (e.g., a communication module, processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second device. The method includes: receiving first information, the first information indicating that any one of a first QoS stream, a first DRB, or a first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate; the first QoS stream includes at least one QoS stream, the first DRB includes at least one DRB, and the first LCH includes at least one LCH; and transmitting third information based on the first information, the third information indicating the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0030] Based on this scheme, the device recommending the transmission rate for the terminal device (i.e., the second device) can receive an indication from the device (i.e., the first device) that the terminal device's service supports rate adjustment, such as informing the second device which QoS streams, DRBs, or LCHs in the terminal device support rate adjustment (i.e., sending first information to the second device, indicating that any one of the first QoS stream, first DRB, or first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate; the first QoS stream includes at least one QoS stream, the first DRB includes at least one DRB, and the first LCH includes at least one LCH). This allows the second device to recommend a suitable transmission rate for the terminal device based on the actual application situation in the terminal device, ensuring that the transmission rate of the source data matches the air interface transmission rate, thereby alleviating network congestion or resource waste and improving user experience.

[0031] In one possible design, the information transmission method further includes receiving fourth information, which indicates whether the first device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0032] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the range of adjustment for the transmission rate of data supported by any of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0033] In one possible design, before receiving the first information, the information transmission method further includes sending a second information, which is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0034] In one possible design, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first protocol data unit (PDU) session within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein, the first QoS stream belongs to the first PDU session, the first DRB belongs to the first PDU session, or the first LCH belongs to the first PDU session.

[0035] In one possible design, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including:

[0036] The second information is used to query whether the first DRB in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein, the first QoS stream is carried on the first DRB, or the first LCH is associated with the first DRB.

[0037] In one possible design, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first LCH in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein, the first QoS stream is carried on the first LCH, or the first DRB is associated with the first LCH.

[0038] In one possible design, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first QoS stream within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0039] In one possible design, receiving the first information includes: receiving the first information from a first device; if the first device is a terminal device, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0040] In one possible design, receiving the first information includes: receiving the first information from a first device, the first device including any one of a core network device, a CU, an MN, or an SN; wherein, if the first device is a CU, the second device is a DU; if the first device is an MN, the second device is an SN; if the first device is an SN, the second device is an MN; and if the first device is a core network device, the second device is an access network device.

[0041] In one possible design, the second device is an access network device, and sending the third information includes sending the third information to the terminal device. That is, when the second device is an access network device, it can recommend a suitable transmission rate to the terminal device, so that the transmission rate of the source data matches the transmission rate of the air interface, thereby alleviating network congestion or resource waste and improving user experience.

[0042] In one possible design, the first information includes at least one first identifier; wherein the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one QoS flow, indicating that the at least one QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one DRB, indicating that the at least one DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of at least one LCH, indicating that the at least one LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0043] The technical effects of any design in the second aspect can be referenced from the technical effects of the corresponding design in the first aspect, and will not be elaborated here.

[0044] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an information transmission method, which can be executed by a first device. Unless otherwise specified, the "first device" in this application can refer to the first device itself, a component within the first device (e.g., a communication module, processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first device. The method includes: receiving fifth information, the fifth information indicating a transmission rate recommended by a second device; and sending sixth information, the sixth information indicating whether a terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0045] Based on this scheme, after the terminal device (such as the first device) obtains the recommended transmission rate (i.e., the fifth information) from the second device, it can report back to the second device whether it has applied the recommended data transmission rate. This allows the second device to determine whether the terminal device has applied the recommended data transmission rate and then perform corresponding operations. For example, when the terminal device has applied the recommended data transmission rate, it means that the transmission rate of the source data matches the air interface transmission rate, and the second device does not need to take any action; it can simply wait to receive service data from the terminal device. When the terminal device has not applied the recommended data transmission rate, the second device can recommend a transmission rate for other services that support adjusting the data transmission rate, reserving sufficient bandwidth for the terminal device's current transmission service. This alleviates network congestion or resource waste, thereby improving the user experience.

[0046] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide an information transmission method, which can be executed by a second device. Unless otherwise specified, the "second device" in this application can refer to the second device itself, a component within the second device (e.g., a communication module, processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second device. The method includes: sending fifth information, the fifth information indicating a transmission rate recommended by the second device; and receiving sixth information, the sixth information indicating whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0047] Based on this scheme, the second device can recommend a transmission rate (i.e., the fifth information) to the terminal device (such as the first device). The terminal device (such as the first device) can then report back to the second device whether it has applied the recommended transmission rate. This allows the second device to determine whether the terminal device has applied the recommended transmission rate and perform corresponding operations. For example, when the terminal device has applied the recommended transmission rate, it means that the transmission rate of the source data matches the air interface transmission rate. The second device does not need to take any action and can simply wait to receive service data from the terminal device. When the terminal device has not applied the recommended transmission rate, the second device can recommend a transmission rate for other services that support adjusting the transmission rate, reserving sufficient bandwidth for the terminal device's current transmission service. This alleviates network congestion or resource waste, thereby improving the user experience.

[0048] Fifthly, a communication device is provided for implementing various methods. This communication device can be a first device as described in the first or third aspect, a second device as described in the second or fourth aspect, or a device included in the first or second device, such as a chip or chip system. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the methods, which can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0049] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module, respectively used to implement the receiving function and the transmitting function in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0050] In some possible designs, the transceiver module can consist of transceiver circuits, transceivers, transceivers, or communication interfaces.

[0051] A sixth aspect provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method described in any aspect. The communication device may be a first device as described in the first or third aspect, or a second device as described in the second or fourth aspect, or a device included in the first or second device, such as a chip or chip system. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the method, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the function.

[0052] A seventh aspect provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface being used to communicate with a module outside the communication device; the processor being used to execute computer programs or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any aspect. The communication device may be a first device as described in the first or third aspect, or a second device as described in the second or fourth aspect, or a device included in the first or second device, such as a chip or chip system. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the method, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0053] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; the processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any of the aspects. The communication device may be a first device as described in the first or third aspect, or a second device as described in the second or fourth aspect, or a device included in the first or second device, such as a chip or chip system. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the method, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0054] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data. This memory may be coupled to the processor, or it may be independent of the processor.

[0055] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or contain chips and other discrete components.

[0056] It is understandable that when the communication device provided in any of the fifth to eighth aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as inputting information.

[0057] Ninthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the method described in either aspect.

[0058] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the method described in any one aspect.

[0059] Eleventhly, a communication system is provided, the communication system comprising a first device (or means included in the first device, such as a chip or chip system) in the first or second aspect and a second device (or means included in the second device, such as a chip or chip system) in the second or fourth aspect.

[0060] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects five through eleven can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one, two, three, or four above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0061] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an extended XR service provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a rate control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an exemplary communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another exemplary communication system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0065] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating another information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating another information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating another information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating another information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0074] Before describing the embodiments of this application, the technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0075] 1. Extended Reality (XR):

[0076] XR can refer to a human-computer interaction environment that combines reality and virtuality, realized through various computing technologies and wearable devices. XR can include augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), among other forms.

[0077] XR is one of the key fifth-generation (5G) multimedia applications currently being focused on in the industrial sector. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 17 modeled and analyzed the service characteristics of XR. XR service data frames are typically generated periodically according to a predetermined frame rate. Taking uplink AR services as an example, the following characteristics can be analyzed:

[0078] (1) The frame rate for generating data frames can be 60 frames per second (FPS), or 120 FPS. A frame rate of 60 FPS means that 60 video images can be generated per second, i.e., one video frame is generated every 16.66 milliseconds (ms). A video frame may be transmitted from multiple data packets (such as a set of protocol data units (PDUs)). Specifically, one video frame corresponds to one data burst, and one data burst includes one or more PDU sets (as shown in Figure 1, data burst set #1 includes 4 PDU sets, and data burst set #2 includes 3 PDU sets).

[0079] (2) Data frames may experience jitter during transmission, meaning that the data frame may arrive at the other side earlier or later than the expected arrival time.

[0080] 2. Packet delay budget (PDB):

[0081] PDB refers to the upper limit of transmission delay between the access layer of the terminal device and the N6 interface of the user plane function (UPF) network element.

[0082] XR services have high latency requirements. Taking uplink AR services as an example, the typical PDB is 30ms, meaning the maximum transmission latency between the data packet arriving at the terminal device's access layer and the data packet arriving at the UPF's N6 interface is 30ms. Therefore, if a data packet does not arrive at the UPF's N6 interface from the terminal device's access layer within 30ms, the data packet transmission can be considered timed out and invalid.

[0083] In addition, the upper limit of the transmission delay for a set of data packets (such as a PDU set) is the PDU set delay budget (PSDB). Taking the uplink AR service as an example, PSDB refers to the upper limit of the transmission delay between the arrival of the first data packet in the PDU set at the access layer of the terminal device and the arrival of the last data packet in the PDU set at the N6 interface of the UPF.

[0084] A PDU set is a collection of data packets in the transport layer, representing the smallest granularity of data processing at the application layer. Upon receiving this PDU set, the application layer can parse the data.

[0085] In one example, the application layer receives all the data packets in the PDU set and parses the PDU set from these data packets. In another example, the application layer receives a predetermined proportion of data packets in the PDU set and parses the PDU set from these predetermined proportions.

[0086] 3. Quality of Service (QoS) flow, data radio bearer (DRB), and logical channel (LCH):

[0087] At the air interface layer, application layer service data can be segmented into QoS flows, which can be mapped to DRBs (Data Representation Blocks), and DRBs correspond to LCHs (Local Channels). Multiple QoS flows can be mapped to a single DRB, and one DRB corresponds to one or more LCHs. In other words, at the air interface layer, the granularity of service data segmentation can be QoS flows, DRBs, or LCHs.

[0088] Furthermore, a PDU session can include multiple QoS flows; these multiple QoS flows can be mapped to one or more DRBs, that is, these multiple QoS flows correspond to one or more LCHs; or, these multiple QoS flows are associated with one or more DRBs, that is, these multiple QoS flows are associated with one or more LCHs.

[0089] 4. Dual-connectivity (DC):

[0090] 3GPP introduced Control Center (DC) in 5G New Radio (NR) systems. This means that a terminal device can simultaneously connect to two base stations: one is the master node (MN), and the other is the secondary node (SN). The MN typically serves as the control anchor point, while the SN usually provides additional air interface transmission capabilities to the terminal device. The MN provides air interface resources to the terminal device through at least one cell; this group of at least one cell is called the master cell group (MCG). The SN also provides air interface resources to the terminal device through at least one cell; this group of at least one cell is called the secondary cell group (SCG). In the DC, the terminal device can include two media access control (MAC) entities, corresponding to the MN and SN respectively.

[0091] In 5G NR systems, the DC (Distributed Data Center) can also be called multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC). Under the MR-DC mechanism, the two base stations connected to the terminal device can be base stations under the 4th generation (4G) long term evolution (LTE) system and base stations under the 5G NR system, respectively; or, the two base stations connected to the terminal device can both be base stations under the 5G NR system.

[0092] For example, the MR-DC architecture can include the following four dual connectivity modes: Mode 1, EN-DC: where E represents E-UTRA and N represents NR. E-UTRA refers to evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access, and UMTS refers to universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS). EN-DC refers to dual connectivity under the 4G core network, with the base station under the 4G LTE system as MN and the base station under the 5G NR system as SN. Mode 2, NGEN-DC: where NG represents NG-RAN, E represents E-UTRA, and N represents NR. NG-RAN refers to next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN). NGEN-DC refers to dual connectivity under the 5G core network, with the base station under the 4G LTE system as MN and the base station under the 5G NR system as SN. Mode 3, NE-DC: where N represents NR and E represents E-UTRA. NE-DC refers to dual connectivity under the 5G core network, with the base station under the 5G NR system as MN and the base station under the 4G LTE system as SN. Mode 4, NR-DC: NR-DC refers to dual connectivity under the 5G core network, based on base stations under two 5G NR systems.

[0093] 5. Rate control:

[0094] In 5G communication systems, the network can provide a certain air interface transmission rate guarantee for data transmission. Ideally, the transmission rate of the source data (i.e., the rate at which the application layer generates data or the rate at which the application layer delivers service data to the lower layer, such as the air interface transmission module) matches (e.g., is equal to) the network transmission rate (the transmission rate of the air interface link), thereby maximizing the utilization efficiency of network resources while ensuring user experience.

[0095] However, in reality, network transmission rates fluctuate, varying with factors such as available resources, congestion levels, and channel quality. The transmission rate of the source data, on the other hand, is less affected by these factors and is typically relatively stable. This leads to a mismatch between the network transmission rate and the source data transmission rate. Specifically, when the network transmission rate is lower than the source data transmission rate, data cannot be transmitted in a timely manner, resulting in increased latency or packet loss, impacting user experience. Conversely, when the network transmission rate is higher than the source data transmission rate, network resources may be idle, reducing resource utilization efficiency.

[0096] For ease of description, in the following embodiments, "the transmission rate of the source data" will be simply referred to as "transmission rate" and "the transmission rate of the network" will be simply referred to as "transmission rate". They will be described uniformly here and will not be repeated.

[0097] One readily conceivable approach is to control the transmission rate to match it as closely as possible to the transmission rate, thereby maximizing network resource utilization and improving user experience. Taking XR services as an example, the transmission rate is related to the frame rate and the size of the video frames. When the frame rate or frame resolution decreases, the transmission rate decreases accordingly; when the frame rate or frame resolution increases, the transmission rate increases accordingly. Therefore, to achieve the best possible match between the transmission rate and the transmission rate in XR services, rate control for XR can be considered.

[0098] Specifically, for XR uplink services, the base station can send a Media Access Control-Control Element (MAC-CE) signaling instruction to the user equipment (UE) based on an assessment of network resources and network congestion, indicating the recommended transmission rate. The UE's application layer can then adjust the transmission rate based on the base station's recommendation to match the transmission rate as closely as possible, avoiding packet loss or resource waste.

[0099] For example, as shown in Figure 2, when a UE is carrying an uplink XR service, before receiving a MAC-CE signaling message from the base station, the UE transmits data at a rate of X megabits per second (Mbps). If the base station detects network congestion, it can send a MAC-CE signaling message to the UE, indicating that the recommended transmission rate for the UE is Y Mbps. The UE then adjusts the transmission rate of the XR service to Y Mbps based on the MAC-CE signaling message and transmits data at a rate of Y Mbps; where Y < X. This reduces the amount of data transmitted per unit time, alleviates resource congestion, and avoids packet loss and transmission timeouts due to untimely data transmission.

[0100] However, when recommending transmission rates, base stations do not consider whether the UE supports rate adjustment or whether the UE can adjust to the recommended transmission rate. Therefore, when the terminal device cannot support rate adjustment or cannot adjust to the base station's recommended transmission rate, network congestion or resource waste remains unresolved. For example, if X is 30Mbps and the service supports a rate adjustment range of 25Mbps to 35Mbps, meaning the application layer of this service can only adjust within this range, if the base station recommends Y as 20Mbps, the UE, upon receiving the base station's instruction, may not adjust, or may only adjust to 25Mbps, failing to alleviate network congestion. Therefore, a method is needed to match the transmission rate with the data transfer rate.

[0101] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide an information transmission method and apparatus. In this method, a device capable of knowing whether the services of a terminal device support rate adjustment (i.e., a first device) informs a device that recommends a transmission rate for the terminal device (i.e., a second device) whether the services of the terminal device support rate adjustment. For example, the second device is informed of the QoS stream, DRB, or LCH in the terminal device that supports rate adjustment (i.e., a first message is sent to the second device, indicating that any one of the first QoS stream, first DRB, or first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate; the first QoS stream includes at least one QoS stream, the first DRB includes at least one DRB, and the first LCH includes at least one LCH). This enables the second device to recommend a suitable transmission rate for the terminal device based on the actual situation of the applications in the terminal device, so that the transmission rate of the source data matches the transmission rate of the air interface, thereby alleviating network congestion or resource waste and improving user experience.

[0102] The communication method provided in this application embodiment can be used in any communication system, such as a 3GPP communication system, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) system, a 5G mobile communication system, a hybrid LTE and 5G network system, an NR system, an NR vehicle-to-everything (V2X) system, a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT) system, a narrow band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) system, a global system for mobile communications (GSM), an enhanced data rate for GSM evolution (EDGE) system, a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, a code division multiple access (CDMA2000) system, a time division-synchronization code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) system, or an enhanced mobile broadband system. Broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC), enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC), and various types of future communication systems are also included, as well as non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems (such as satellite communication systems), non-3GPP communication systems, etc., without restriction.

[0103] The communication systems described above that are applicable to this application are merely illustrative examples, and the application is not limited to these systems. This will be explained in detail here and will not be repeated below.

[0104] The communication system provided in this application includes at least two devices. These devices can communicate with each other. For example, this application will describe a system with at least two devices, including a first device and a second device.

[0105] Referring to Figure 3, an exemplary communication system is provided in an embodiment of this application. In the communication system shown in Figure 3, the access network device and the core network device can communicate through the NG3 or NG2 interface, the access network device and the terminal device (such as a device with XR function) can communicate over the air (such as through the Uu interface), and the terminal devices can communicate with each other via side link (SL). In addition, the core network device and the data network (DN) can communicate through the NG6 interface.

[0106] In one possible example, the first device can be the terminal device or core network device in Figure 3, and correspondingly, the second device can be the access network device in Figure 3.

[0107] In another possible example, both the first device and the second device can be access network devices (where one access network device is illustrated in Figure 3). In this case, the first device can be MN, and the second device can be SN; or, the first device can be SN, and the second device can be MN.

[0108] The terminal device in Figure 3 can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities or a chip or chip system that can be configured on the device. It allows users to access the network and is used to provide voice and / or data connectivity to users. The terminal device can also be called a UE, subscriber unit, terminal, mobile station (MS), or mobile terminal (MT), etc.

[0109] For example, the terminal device in Figure 3 can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities. Terminal equipment can also be user stations, mobile stations, remote stations, remote terminal equipment, mobile terminal equipment, user terminal equipment, wireless communication equipment, user agents, user devices, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices, processing devices connected to wireless modems, in-vehicle equipment, wearable devices, terminal equipment in the Internet of Things (IoT), home appliances, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in telemedicine, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication capabilities, intelligent connected vehicles, and UAV-to-UAV communication. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with U2U communication capabilities, terminal devices in future networks, or terminal devices in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs) are not subject to restrictions.

[0110] In Figure 3, the access network device can be any device deployed in the access network capable of wireless communication with terminal devices. It can also be a chip or chip system that can be configured within the aforementioned device, a logical node or logical module, or a function implemented in software. Its main responsibilities include air interface-side wireless physical control, resource scheduling, wireless resource management, quality of service management, data compression and encryption, wireless access control, and mobility management. Specifically, the access network device can be either a device supporting wired access or a device supporting wireless access.

[0111] For example, access network equipment can consist of one or more access network (AN) / radio access network (RAN) nodes. AN / RAN nodes can be various types of base stations, such as: satellite base stations, evolved Node Bs (gNBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), evolved Node Bs (eNBs), radio network controllers (RNCs), Node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved Node Bs, or home Node Bs (HNBs), macro base stations, micro base stations, pico base stations, small cells, relay stations, balloon stations, drone stations, wireless backhaul nodes, base band units (BBUs), or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access points (APs), etc. It is understood that access network equipment can be terrestrial equipment or non-terrestrial equipment (such as satellites, drones, high-altitude communication equipment, etc.). Furthermore, in communication systems employing different wireless access technologies, the names of access network devices with base station functions may differ, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0112] In another example, the access network equipment may include a BBU and a remote radio unit (RRU). The BBU and RRU can be located in different locations; for example, the RRU can be deployed remotely to a high-traffic area, while the BBU is located in the central equipment room. Alternatively, the BBU and RRU can be located in the same equipment room. The BBU and RRU can also be different components within the same rack.

[0113] In another example, the access network device can be a device that includes centralized unit (CU) nodes, distributed unit (DU) nodes, or both CU and DU nodes. A CU can be associated with one or more DUs. For example, the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) protocol layer, service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer are located in the CU, while the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, MAC layer, and physical (PHY) layer are located in the DU, with the CU centrally controlling the DU. The CU and DU can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. Furthermore, the centralized unit (CU) can be divided into a control plane (CU-CP) and a user plane (CU-UP). Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the CU-CP communicates with the CU-UP via the E1 interface, the DU communicates with the CU-CP via the F1-C interface, and the DU communicates with the CU-UP via the F1-U interface.

[0114] In another example, the access network device may also be a device that includes a radio unit (RU), or a device that includes a CU, a DU, and a RU. The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as an RRU, an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0115] It is understood that CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN) system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0116] In another possible example, the first device can be a CU, and the corresponding second device can be a DU. Specifically, the implementation of the CU and DU can be found in the relevant descriptions of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0117] The actions, terms, etc., involved in the various embodiments of this application can be referenced interchangeably without limitation. The message names or parameter names in the messages exchanged between the various devices in the embodiments of this application are just examples, and other names may be used in specific implementations without limitation.

[0118] The information transmission method provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the first device and the second device may execute some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also execute other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0119] Referring to Figure 5, which is a flowchart of an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 5, the method may include the following steps:

[0120] S501, The first device acquires the first information.

[0121] The first information indicates that any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate. The first QoS stream includes at least one QoS stream, the first DRB includes at least one DRB, and the first LCH includes at least one LCH.

[0122] For example, the first information indicating that any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate can be understood as: the first information indicating whether the service to which the data in any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH belongs supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0123] S502, the first device sends first information to the second device; correspondingly, the second device receives the first information from the first device.

[0124] Optionally, when the first device is a terminal device and the second device is an access network device, the first information can be carried in any one of RRC signaling, PDCP control PDU signaling, RLC control PDU signaling, MAC-CE signaling, or uplink control information (UCI).

[0125] Optionally, when the first device is a core network device and the second device is an access network device, the first device may send the first information to the second device during the establishment or modification of a PDU session.

[0126] Specifically, the first piece of information can be carried in a PDU session resource setup request message or a PDU session resource modification request message.

[0127] Optionally, when the first device is MN and the second device is SN, the first information can be carried in an SN add request message (S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST) or an SN modify request message (S-NODE MODIFICATION REQUEST).

[0128] Optionally, when the first device is SN and the second device is MN, the first information can be carried in any one of the following: SN Add Request Acknowledgment Message (S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE), SN Modification Request Acknowledgment Message (S-NODE MODIFICATION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE), or SN Modification Request Message (S-NODE MIDIFICATION REQUIRED).

[0129] Specifically, for a split bearer terminated at the MN, the MN can send the first information to the SN, meaning the first device is the MN and the second device is the SN. For a split bearer terminated at the SN, the SN can send the first information to the MN, meaning the first device is the SN and the second device is the MN.

[0130] In this context, "split bearer" refers to the data transport between the terminal device and the MN, as well as between the terminal device and the SN, involving both MCG and SCG air interface resources. A split bearer terminating at the MN can be understood as a base station in the DC that has a user plane connection to the core network, where the MN splits the data from the core network. Part of the data is routed via the MN's RLC entity to the MN's MAC entity, while the other part is routed via the SN's RLC entity and SN's MAC entity, thus enabling the data to be sent to the terminal device via both the MN and SN.

[0131] In this context, the split bearer terminated at SN can be understood as the base station in DC that has a user plane connection with the core network being SN. SN splits the data from the core network, routing part of the data to the MAC entity of MN via the RLC entity of MN, and routing the other part of the data to the MAC entity of SN via the RLC entity of SN, so that the data is sent to the terminal device through MN and SN.

[0132] Optionally, when the first device is a CU and the second device is a DU, the first information can be carried in a UE CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST message or a UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST message.

[0133] It should be noted that the above embodiments exemplify some of the ways in which the first information is sent (i.e. the message carried by the first information) under different implementations of the first device and the second device. In fact, the first information may also include other sending methods besides the above examples. That is, the first information may be carried in any other possible message besides the above examples, and this application does not limit it.

[0134] Optionally, after step S502, based on different implementations of the first device, the information transmission method may further include the following three possible implementations:

[0135] In one possible implementation, the first device is a terminal device. In this case, the second device can be an access network device.

[0136] For example, in this possible implementation, as shown in FIG6, the information transmission method may further include step S503:

[0137] S503, the second device sends third information to the first device based on the first information, and correspondingly, the first device receives the third information from the second device. The third information indicates the transmission rate recommended by the second device and is determined based on the first information.

[0138] Optionally, after receiving the first information, the second device can determine, based on the first information, whether the QoS stream, DRB, or LCH to which the data of the terminal device's current transmission service belongs supports adjusting the data transmission rate. If it does, the second device can combine the first information with an assessment of network resources and network congestion to determine the third information. If it does not support the first information, the second device can recommend a transmission rate for other services that support adjusting the data transmission rate, reserving sufficient bandwidth for the terminal device's current transmission service to avoid network congestion or resource waste during transmission.

[0139] In other words, the third information determined by the second device is the transmission rate it recommends for any one of the first QoS flow, the first DRB, or the first LCH indicated by the first information; in short, the third information indicates the transmission rate recommended by the second device for any one of the first QoS flow, the first DRB, or the first LCH. Therefore, step S503 can also be replaced by: the second device sending the third information to the first device; wherein the third information indicates the transmission rate recommended by the second device for any one of the first QoS flow, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0140] Optionally, after step S503, as shown in Figure 6, the information transmission method may further include step S504:

[0141] S504. The first device sends the fourth information to the second device, and correspondingly, the second device receives the fourth information from the first device.

[0142] The fourth piece of information indicates whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0143] For example, if the first information indicates that any of the first QoS flow, the first DRB, or the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the data transmission rate recommended by the second device may exceed the adjustment range of the service being transmitted by the first device. Therefore, the first device still cannot transmit service data based on the transmission rate recommended by the second device. In this case, the fourth information can indicate that the terminal device (i.e., the first device) has not applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device. Furthermore, the second device can recommend transmission rates for other services that support adjusting the data transmission rate, reserving sufficient bandwidth for the terminal device's current service transmission to avoid network congestion or resource waste during transmission.

[0144] If the data transmission rate recommended by the second device does not exceed the adjustment range of the service transmitted by the first device, the first device can adjust its transmission rate based on the third information, enabling it to transmit service data at the transmission rate recommended by the second device, thus matching the transmission rate with the data transmission rate. At this time, the fourth information can indicate that the terminal device (i.e., the first device) has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0145] In another possible implementation, the first device is a core network device. In this case, the second device can be an access network device.

[0146] For example, in this possible implementation, as shown in FIG7, the information transmission method may further include step S505:

[0147] S505, the second device sends third information to the terminal device based on the first information, and the terminal device receives the third information from the second device accordingly.

[0148] For example, as described above, the third information determined by the second device is the transmission rate it recommends for any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH indicated by the first information; in short, the third information indicates the transmission rate recommended by the second device for any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH. Therefore, step S505 can also be replaced by: the second device sending the third information to the terminal device; wherein the third information indicates the transmission rate recommended by the second device for any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0149] The implementation of the third information can be found in the relevant description in step S503 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0150] Optionally, after step S505, as shown in Figure 7, the information transmission method may further include step S506:

[0151] S506. The terminal device sends the fourth information to the second device, and correspondingly, the second device receives the fourth information from the terminal device.

[0152] The fourth piece of information indicates whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0153] For example, if the first information indicates that any of the first QoS flow, the first DRB, or the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the data transmission rate recommended by the second device may exceed the adjustment range of the service being transmitted by the terminal device. Therefore, the terminal device may still be unable to transmit service data based on the transmission rate recommended by the second device. In this case, the fourth information can indicate that the terminal device has not applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device. Furthermore, the second device can recommend transmission rates for other services that support adjusting the data transmission rate, reserving sufficient bandwidth for the terminal device's current service transmission to avoid network congestion or resource waste during transmission.

[0154] If the data transmission rate recommended by the second device does not exceed the adjustment range of the terminal device's current transmission service, the terminal device can adjust its current transmission service transmission rate based on the third information, enabling it to transmit service data at the transmission rate recommended by the second device, thus matching the transmission rate with the data transmission rate. At this point, the fourth information can indicate that the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0155] In another possible implementation, the first device is a CU, or the first device is an access network device (such as an MN or SN) to which the terminal device belongs. Specifically, when the first device is a CU, the second device is a DU; when the first device is an MN, the second device is an SN; and when the first device is an SN, the second device is an MN.

[0156] For example, in this possible implementation, as shown in FIG8, the information transmission method may further include steps S507 to S508:

[0157] S507. The second device sends third information to the first device based on the first information, and correspondingly, the first device receives the third information from the second device.

[0158] S508, the first device sends third information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives third information from the second device.

[0159] The implementation of the third information can be found in the relevant description in step S503 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0160] Furthermore, in steps S507-S508, after receiving the third information from the second device, the first device can forward the third information transparently to the terminal device. Alternatively, the first device can re-encapsulate the third information so that the format of the encapsulated information is suitable for transmission between the first device and the terminal device; wherein, the essence of the information remains unchanged before and after the first device re-encapsulates the third information, that is, the encapsulated information is still used to indicate the transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0161] Optionally, after step S508, as shown in Figure 8, the information transmission method may further include steps S509 to S510:

[0162] S509. The terminal device sends fourth information to the first device, and correspondingly, the first device receives the fourth information from the terminal device.

[0163] S510, the first device sends the fourth information to the second device, and correspondingly, the second device receives the fourth information from the first device.

[0164] The implementation of the fourth information can be found in the relevant description in step S506 above. The implementation of "the fourth information is sent to the second terminal device via the first device" in steps S509 to S510 is similar to the implementation of "the third information is transmitted to the terminal device via the first device" above. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0165] It should be noted that Figures 6 to 8 above all use the example of the terminal device feeding back to the second device whether the data transmission rate recommended by the second device has been applied (i.e., the fourth information). In fact, the terminal device and the second device can also agree in advance, such as agreeing in advance that if the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device, then no feedback will be given; or agreeing in advance that if the terminal device has not applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device, then no feedback will be given; this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0166] The information transmission method provided in this application embodiment involves a device (i.e., a first device) capable of knowing whether the services of a terminal device support rate adjustment informing a device (i.e., a second device) that recommends a transmission rate for the terminal device whether the services of the terminal device support rate adjustment. This includes informing the second device of the QoS stream, DRB, or LCH in the terminal device that supports rate adjustment (i.e., sending first information to the second device, indicating that any one of the first QoS stream, first DRB, or first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate; the first QoS stream includes at least one QoS stream, the first DRB includes at least one DRB, and the first LCH includes at least one LCH). This allows the second device to recommend a suitable transmission rate for the terminal device based on the actual situation of the applications in the terminal device, ensuring that the transmission rate of the source data matches the transmission rate of the air interface, thereby alleviating network congestion or resource waste and improving user experience.

[0167] The above is an overall description of the information transmission method provided in this application. The "first information" involved in the above embodiments will be described in detail below.

[0168] Optionally, the first information may also indicate the range of adjustment for the transmission rate of data supported by any of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0169] For example, the first information may further indicate that the first QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate and the adjustment range of the transmission rate; or, the first information may indicate that the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate and the adjustment range of the transmission rate; or, the first information may indicate that the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate and the adjustment range of the transmission rate.

[0170] Specifically, the first information can implicitly indicate that the first QoS stream supports the adjusted data transmission rate by indicating the adjustment range of the data transmission rate supported by the first QoS stream; similarly, the first information can implicitly indicate that the first DRB supports the adjusted data transmission rate by indicating the adjustment range of the data transmission rate supported by the first DRB; similarly, the first information can implicitly indicate that the first LCH supports the adjusted data transmission rate by indicating the adjustment range of the data transmission rate supported by the first LCH.

[0171] In other words, if the first information indicates a range of adjustable data transmission rates for a QoS stream (such as the first QoS stream), it means that the QoS stream supports adjustable data transmission rates; conversely, if the first information does not indicate a range of adjustable data transmission rates for a QoS stream, it means that the QoS stream does not support adjustable data transmission rates. Similarly, if the first information indicates a range of adjustable data transmission rates for a DRB stream (such as the first DRB), it means that the DRB supports adjustable data transmission rates; conversely, if the first information does not indicate a range of adjustable data transmission rates for a DRB, it means that the DRB does not support adjustable data transmission rates. If the first information indicates a range of adjustable data transmission rates for an LCH (such as the first LCH), it means that the LCH supports adjustable data transmission rates; conversely, if the first information does not indicate a range of adjustable data transmission rates for an LCH, it means that the LCH does not support adjustable data transmission rates. For ease of description, the phrase "the first information also indicates the adjustment range of the data transmission rate supported by any one of the first QoS flow, the first DRB, or the first LCH" will be referred to as "the first information also indicates the adjustment range" for short. This will be explained uniformly here and will not be elaborated on further.

[0172] Specifically, the adjustment range can be the upper and lower limits, or the median, of the rate range; or it can be several candidate rate levels. Specifically, the rate within the adjustment range can be represented by a rate value in Mbps or Kbps, or by the index number corresponding to the rate value. Alternatively, it can be represented in any other possible form, which is not limited in this application.

[0173] The first information indicates the implementation of the adjustment range of the data transmission rate supported by any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH. Please refer to the relevant description in the following embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0174] Optionally, the first device may acquire the first information based on the following three scenarios:

[0175] Scenario 1: The first device is a terminal device. In Scenario 1, the first device determines the first information by querying any one of its own QoS flow, DRB, or LCH; that is, in this case, the first device obtains the first information, including: the first device determines the first information.

[0176] Scenario 2: The first device is a core network device. In Scenario 2, the first device can obtain from the application server whether the QoS flow corresponding to different applications supports adjusting the data transmission rate, thereby determining the first information; that is, at this time, the first device obtaining the first information includes: the first device determining the first information.

[0177] In Scenario 3, the first device is an access network device (such as MN or SN) or a CU. In Scenario 3, the first device can obtain the first information from a terminal device or a core network device; that is, in this case, the first device obtaining the first information includes: the first device receiving the first information. For example, the first device receives the first information from a terminal device, or the first device receives the first information from a core network device.

[0178] Based on the above three scenarios, it can be seen that in this embodiment of the application, the first information is determined by the terminal device or the core network device.

[0179] Optionally, the first information can be acquired by the first device actively or passively.

[0180] In one possible implementation, the first information can be actively acquired by the first device and then communicated to the second device.

[0181] Optionally, in this possible implementation, the first QoS flow indicated by the first information may be part or all of the QoS flows that support adjusting the data transmission rate among all QoS flows within the terminal device. Similarly, the first DRB indicated by the first information may be part or all of the DRBs that support adjusting the data transmission rate among all DRBs within the terminal device. Similarly, the first LCH indicated by the first information may be part or all of the LCHs that support adjusting the data transmission rate among all LCHs within the terminal device.

[0182] Furthermore, when the first information also indicates an adjustment range, for the first QoS flow, the first information may include the adjustment range corresponding to each QoS flow among at least one QoS flow included in the first QoS flow; similarly, for the first DRB, the first information may include the adjustment range corresponding to each DRB among at least one DRB included in the first DRB; similarly, for the first LCH, the first information may include the adjustment range corresponding to each LCH among at least one LCH included in the first LCH.

[0183] For example, the first information includes at least one first identifier; wherein the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one QoS flow, indicating that the at least one QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one DRB, indicating that the at least one DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of at least one LCH, indicating that the at least one LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate. Further, the first information may also include adjustment ranges corresponding to each of the at least one first identifier.

[0184] In another possible implementation, the first information can be triggered based on the second information from the second device. In this case, step S501 can be replaced by: the first device acquiring the first information based on the second information. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, before step S501, the information transmission method further includes step S500:

[0185] S500, the second device sends second information to the first device; correspondingly, the second device receives the second information from the second device.

[0186] The second piece of information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0187] For example, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, which can be understood as: the second information is used to query whether the service to be transmitted by the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0188] Optionally, when the first device is a terminal device, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. This can also be understood as: the second information is used to query whether the first device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. In other words, the second information used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate includes: the second information used to query whether the first device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0189] Optionally, when the first device is a terminal device and the second device is an access network device, the second information can be carried in any one of RRC signaling, PDCP control PDU signaling, RLC control PDU signaling, MAC-CE signaling, or downlink control information (DCI).

[0190] (i) When the first information is determined by the terminal device:

[0191] For example, if the first device is a terminal device, after receiving the second information from the second device, the first device can determine the first information based on the second information and then inform the second device of the first information. If the first device is a non-terminal device (such as any one of SN, MN, CU), after receiving the second information from the second device, the first device can send the second information to the terminal device, which will then determine the first information and inform the first device.

[0192] Specifically, if the first device is not a terminal device, after receiving the second information from the second device, the first device can forward the second information transparently to the terminal device. Alternatively, the first device can re-encapsulate the second information so that the format of the encapsulated information is suitable for transmission between the first device and the terminal device; wherein, the essence of the information remains unchanged before and after the first device re-encapsulates the second information, that is, the encapsulated information is still used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0193] Optionally, based on the query granularity indicated by the second information, the first information can be implemented based on the following five cases:

[0194] In case one, the query granularity of the second information indication is the terminal device granularity.

[0195] Optionally, in one case, the second information is used to query whether any one of the QoS flows, DRBs, or LCHs within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, the second information can be represented by 1 bit, which can be 1 or 0, to instruct the first device to query whether any one of the QoS flows, DRBs, or LCHs within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0196] As an example, the first device can determine the first information by querying which QoS flows within the terminal device support adjusting the data transmission rate and which do not, based on the second information. For instance, the first QoS flow indicated by the first information may be some or all of the QoS flows within the terminal device that support adjusting the data transmission rate. Furthermore, the first device can also query the adjustment range of the QoS flows that support adjusting the data transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first QoS flow.

[0197] As another example, the first device can determine the first information by querying which DRBs among all DRBs in the terminal device support adjusting the data transmission rate and which DRBs do not support adjusting the data transmission rate, based on the second information. For example, the first DRB indicated by the first information can be some or all of the DRBs in the terminal device that support adjusting the data transmission rate. Furthermore, the first device can also query the adjustment range of the DRBs that support adjusting the data transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first DRB.

[0198] As another example, the first device can determine the first information by querying which LCHs (Local Chronicles) within the terminal device support adjusting the data transmission rate and which LCHs do not support adjusting the data transmission rate, based on the second information. For example, the first LCH can be some or all of the LCHs within the terminal device that support adjusting the data transmission rate. Furthermore, the first device can also query the adjustment range of the LCHs that support adjusting the data transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first LCH.

[0199] Combining the three examples above, when all QoS flows within the terminal device support adjusting the data transmission rate, or when all DRBs within the terminal device support adjusting the data transmission rate, or when all LCHs within the terminal device support adjusting the data transmission rate, it indicates that the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. In other words, the first QoS flow is all QoS flows within the terminal device, the first DRB is all DRBs within the terminal device, and the first LCH is all LCHs within the terminal device.

[0200] In one possible implementation, when the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information can be represented by 1 bit. The value of this 1 bit can be 1 or 0; that is, when the value of this 1 bit is 0 or 1, it indicates that the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. Alternatively, the terminal device and the second device can pre-agree that when the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it is not necessary to send the first information to the second device. In other words, steps S501 to S502 can also be omitted. That is, when the terminal device determines that it supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it can choose not to determine the first information and not to send the first information to the first device. Consequently, the first device neither acquires nor sends the first information to the second device. Therefore, if the second device does not receive the first information within a preset time period, it can determine that the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0201] In another possible implementation, when some or all QoS flows (or DRBs, or LCHs) within the terminal device support adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information includes at least one first identifier; wherein the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one QoS flow, indicating that the at least one QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one DRB, indicating that the at least one DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of at least one LCH, indicating that the at least one LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate. In this case, the at least one QoS flow is a QoS flow within the terminal device that supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the at least one DRB is a DRB within the terminal device that supports adjusting the data transmission rate, or the at least one LCH is an LCH within the terminal device that supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0202] Combining the two possible implementations mentioned above, optionally, when the terminal device determines the first information, the first information may also include the adjustment range of the transmission rate of the data supported by any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0203] It is understandable that the example in Case 1 above describes the implementation of the first information as "the terminal device has a QoS stream (or DRB, or LCH) that supports adjusting the data transmission rate"; when the terminal device does not have a QoS stream (or DRB, or LCH) that supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it can also be considered that the terminal device does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. In other words, all QoS streams in the terminal device do not support adjusting the data transmission rate, or all DRBs in the terminal device do not support adjusting the data transmission rate, or all LCHs in the terminal device do not support adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0204] At this point, the terminal device does not need to determine the first information, and therefore does not need to execute the above steps S501-S502. Instead, it sends information #1 to the second device to indicate that the terminal device does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. This information #1 can be represented by 1 bit. The value of this 1 bit can be 1 or 0; that is, when the value of this 1 bit is 0 or 1, it indicates that the terminal device does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, the terminal device determines the information #1 and sends it to the first device, which then sends it to the second device. Specifically, the implementation of transmitting information #1 from the first device to the second device is similar to the implementation of "the second information being transmitted from the first device to the terminal device" described above. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0205] Alternatively, the terminal device and the second device can pre-agree that when the terminal device does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, there is no need to provide feedback on the second information. That is, when the terminal device determines that it does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, it will not send information #1 to the second device. Thus, if the second device does not receive information #1 within a preset time period, it can determine that the terminal device does not support adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0206] Scenario 2: The query granularity indicated by the second information is the PDU session granularity.

[0207] Optionally, in scenario two, the second information is used to query whether a specific PDU session within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, the second information may include the identifier (ID) of the first PDU session, used to query whether the first PDU session within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0208] As an example, the first device can query, based on the second information, which QoS flows within the first PDU session support adjusting the data transmission rate and which do not, thereby determining the first information. For instance, the first QoS flow indicated by the first information may be some or all of the QoS flows within the first PDU session that support adjusting the data transmission rate; that is, the first QoS flow belongs to the first PDU session. Furthermore, the first device can also query the adjustment range of the QoS flows that support adjusting the data transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first QoS flow.

[0209] As another example, the first device can query, based on the second information, which DRBs within the first PDU session support adjusting the data transmission rate and which DRBs do not, thereby determining the first information. For example, the first DRB indicated by the first information can be some or all of the DRBs within the first PDU session that support adjusting the data transmission rate; that is, the first DRB belongs to the first PDU session. Furthermore, the first device can also query the adjustment range of the DRBs that support adjusting the data transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first DRB.

[0210] As another example, the first device can query, based on the second information, which LCHs within the first PDU session support adjusting the data transmission rate and which LCHs do not, thereby determining the first information. For example, the first LCH can be some or all of the LCHs within the first PDU session that support adjusting the data transmission rate; that is, the first LCH belongs to the first PDU session. Furthermore, the first device can also query the adjustment range of the LCHs that support adjusting the data transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first LCH.

[0211] Combining the three examples above, if all QoS flows within the first PDU session support adjusting the data transmission rate, or if all DRBs within the first PDU session support adjusting the data transmission rate, or if all LCHs within the first PDU session support adjusting the data transmission rate, then the first PDU session supports adjusting the data transmission rate. In other words, the first QoS flow is all QoS flows within the first PDU session, the first DRB is all DRBs within the first PDU session, and the first LCH is all LCHs within the first PDU session.

[0212] In one possible implementation, when the first PDU session supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information can be represented by 1 bit. For example, this 1 bit can be 1 or 0. That is, when the value of this 1 bit is 0 or 1, it indicates that the first PDU session supports adjusting the data transmission rate. Alternatively, the terminal device and the second device can pre-agree that when the first PDU session supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it is not necessary to send the first information to the second device. In other words, the above steps S501 to S502 can also be omitted. That is, when the terminal device determines that the first PDU session supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it can be uncertain about the first information and not send the first information to the first device. Consequently, the first device does not obtain the first information and does not send the first information to the second device. Thus, if the second device does not receive the first information within a preset time period, it can determine that the first PDU session supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0213] In another possible implementation, when some or all QoS flows (or DRBs, or LCHs) within the first PDU session support adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information includes at least one first identifier; wherein the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one QoS flow, indicating that the at least one QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one DRB, indicating that the at least one DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of at least one LCH, indicating that the at least one LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate. In this case, the at least one QoS flow is a QoS flow within the first PDU session that supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the at least one DRB is a DRB within the first PDU session that supports adjusting the data transmission rate, or the at least one LCH is an LCH within the first PDU session that supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0214] Combining the two possible implementations mentioned above, optionally, when the terminal device determines the first information, the first information may also include the adjustment range of the transmission rate of the data supported by any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0215] It is understandable that the example in Case 2 above describes the implementation of the first information as "the first PDU session contains a QoS flow (or DRB, or LCH) that supports adjusting the data transmission rate." When the first PDU session does not contain a QoS flow (or DRB, or LCH) that supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it can also be considered that the first PDU session does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. In other words, all QoS flows within the first PDU session do not support adjusting the data transmission rate, or all DRBs within the first PDU session do not support adjusting the data transmission rate, or all LCHs within the first PDU session do not support adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0216] At this point, the terminal device does not need to determine the first information, and therefore does not need to execute the above steps S501-S502. Instead, it sends information #2 to the second device to indicate that the first PDU session does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. This information #2 can be represented by 1 bit. The value of this 1 bit can be 1 or 0; that is, when the value of this 1 bit is 0 or 1, it indicates that the first PDU session does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, the terminal device determines the information #2 and sends it to the first device, which then sends it to the second device. Specifically, the implementation of transmitting information #2 from the first device to the second device is similar to the implementation of "the second information being transmitted from the first device to the terminal device" described above. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0217] Alternatively, the terminal device and the second device can pre-agree that when the first PDU session does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, there is no need to provide feedback on the second information. That is, when the terminal device determines that the first PDU session does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, it will not send information #2 to the second device. Thus, if the second device does not receive information #2 within a preset time period, it can determine that the first PDU session does not support adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0218] Case 3: The query granularity indicated by the second information is the DRB granularity.

[0219] Optionally, in case three, the second information is used to query whether a certain DRB within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, the second information may include the ID of the first DRB, used to query whether the first DRB within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0220] As an example, the terminal device can determine the first information by querying which QoS flows within the first DRB support adjusting the data transmission rate and which do not, based on the second information. For instance, the first QoS flow indicated by the first information may be some or all of the QoS flows within the first DRB that support adjusting the data transmission rate; that is, the first QoS flow is carried in the first DRB. Furthermore, the terminal device can also query the adjustment range of the QoS flows that support adjusting the data transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first QoS flow.

[0221] Specifically, when some QoS flows in the first DRB support adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information may include at least one first identifier. The implementation of the at least one first identifier can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0222] As another example, the terminal device can determine the first information by querying whether the first DRB or the first LCH associated with the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate. Furthermore, if the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the terminal device can also query the adjustment range of the first DRB's transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first DRB. If the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the terminal device can also query the adjustment range of the first LCH's transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first LCH.

[0223] Combining the two examples above, the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate when all QoS flows within the first DRB support adjusting the data transmission rate, or when the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate, or when all LCHs associated with the first DRB support adjusting the data transmission rate. In other words, the first QoS flows are all QoS flows within the first DRB, and the first LCHs are all LCHs associated with the first DRB.

[0224] In one possible implementation, when the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information can be represented by 1 bit. For example, this 1 bit can be 1 or 0. That is, when the value of this 1 bit is 0 or 1, it indicates that the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate. Alternatively, the terminal device and the second device can pre-agree that when the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it is not necessary to send the first information to the second device. In other words, the above steps S501 to S502 can also be omitted. That is, when the terminal device determines that the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it can be uncertain about the first information and not send the first information to the first device. Consequently, the first device does not obtain the first information and does not send the first information to the second device. Thus, if the second device does not receive the first information within a preset time period, it can determine that the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0225] In another possible implementation, when some or all QoS flows (or DRBs, or LCHs) within a first DRB support adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information includes at least one first identifier; wherein the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one QoS flow, indicating that the at least one QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one DRB, indicating that the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of at least one LCH, indicating that the at least one LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate. In this case, the at least one QoS flow is a QoS flow within the first DRB that supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the at least one DRB is the first DRB, or the at least one LCH is an LCH associated with the first DRB that supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0226] Combining the two possible implementations mentioned above, optionally, when the terminal device determines the first information, the first information may also include the adjustment range of the transmission rate of the data supported by any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0227] It is understandable that the example in Case 3 above describes the implementation of the first information as "the first DRB contains a QoS flow (or DRB, or LCH) that supports adjusting the data transmission rate." When the first DRB does not contain a QoS flow (or DRB, or LCH) that supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it can also be considered that the first DRB does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. In other words, all QoS flows within the first DRB do not support adjusting the data transmission rate, or the first DRB does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, or all LCHs associated with the first DRB do not support adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0228] At this point, the terminal device does not need to determine the first information, and therefore does not need to execute the above steps S501-S502. Instead, it sends information #3 to the second device to indicate that the first DRB does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. This information #3 can be represented by 1 bit. The value of this 1 bit can be 1 or 0; that is, when the value of this 1 bit is 0 or 1, it indicates that the first DRB does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, the terminal device determines the information #3 and sends it to the first device, which then sends it to the second device. Specifically, the implementation of information #3 being transmitted from the first device to the second device is similar to the implementation of "the second information being transmitted from the first device to the terminal device" described above. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0229] Alternatively, the terminal device and the second device can pre-agree that when the first DRB does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, there is no need to provide feedback on the second information. That is, when the terminal device determines that the first DRB does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, it will not send information #3 to the second device. Thus, if the second device does not receive information #3 within a preset time period, it can determine that the first DRB does not support adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0230] Case 4: The query granularity indicated by the second information is LCH granularity.

[0231] Optionally, in case four, the second information is used to query whether a certain LCH within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, the second information may include the ID of the first LCH, used to query whether the first LCH within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0232] As an example, the terminal device can determine the first information by querying which QoS flows within the first LCH support adjusting the data transmission rate and which do not, based on the second information. For instance, the first QoS flow indicated by the first information could be some or all of the QoS flows within the first LCH that support adjusting the data transmission rate; that is, the first QoS flow is carried on the first LCH. Furthermore, the terminal device can also query the adjustment range of the QoS flows that support adjusting the data transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first QoS flow.

[0233] As another example, the terminal device can determine the first information by querying whether the first LCH or the first DRB associated with the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate based on the second information. Furthermore, if the first DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the terminal device can also query the adjustment range of the first DRB's transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first DRB. If the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the terminal device can also query the adjustment range of the first LCH's transmission rate, so that the first information can also indicate the adjustment range of the first LCH.

[0234] Specifically, the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate when all QoS flows within the first LCH support adjusting the data transmission rate, or when the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate, or when all DRBs associated with the first LCH support adjusting the data transmission rate. In other words, the first QoS flow is all QoS flows within the first LCH, and the first DRB is all DRBs associated with the first LCH.

[0235] In one possible implementation, when the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information can be represented by 1 bit. For example, this 1 bit can be 1 or 0. That is, when the value of this 1 bit is 0 or 1, it indicates that the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate. Alternatively, the terminal device and the second device can pre-agree that when the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it is not necessary to send the first information to the second device. In other words, the above steps S501 to S502 can also be omitted. That is, when the terminal device determines that the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it can be uncertain about the first information and not send the first information to the first device. Consequently, the first device does not obtain the first information and does not send the first information to the second device. Thus, if the second device does not receive the first information within a preset time period, it can determine that the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0236] In another possible implementation, when some or all QoS flows (or DRBs, or LCHs) within the first LCH support adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information may include at least one first identifier. Specifically, the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one QoS flow, indicating that the at least one QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier includes an identifier of at least one DRB, indicating that the first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of at least one DRB, indicating that the at least one DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate. In this case, the at least one QoS flow is a QoS flow within the first LCH that supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the at least one LCH is the first LCH, or the at least one DRB is some or all of the DRBs associated with the first LCH that support adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0237] Combining the two possible implementations mentioned above, optionally, when the terminal device determines the first information, the first information may also include the adjustment range of the transmission rate of the data supported by any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0238] It is understandable that the example in Case 4 above describes the implementation of the first information as "the first LCH contains a QoS flow (or DRB, or LCH) that supports adjusting the data transmission rate"; when the first LCH does not contain a QoS flow (or DRB, or LCH) that supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it can also be considered that the first LCH does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. In other words, all QoS flows within the first LCH do not support adjusting the data transmission rate, or the first LCH does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, or all DRBs associated with the first LCH do not support adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0239] At this point, the terminal device does not need to determine the first information, and therefore does not need to execute the above steps S501-S502. Instead, it sends information #4 to the second device to indicate that the first LCH does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. This information #4 can be represented by 1 bit, which can be either 0 or 1. That is, when the value of this 1 bit is 0 or 1, it indicates that the first LCH does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, the terminal device determines this information #4 and sends it to the first device, which then sends it to the second device. Specifically, the implementation of transmitting information #4 from the first device to the second device is similar to the implementation of "transmitting the second information from the first device to the terminal device" described above. Please refer to the relevant description in the above embodiments for details, which will not be repeated here. Alternatively, the terminal device and the second device can pre-agree that when the first LCH does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, there is no need to provide feedback on the second information. That is, when the terminal device determines that the first LCH does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, it does not send information #4 to the second device. Therefore, if the second device does not receive information #4 within a preset time period, it can determine that the first LCH does not support adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0240] Case 5: The query granularity indicated by the second information is the QoS flow granularity.

[0241] Optionally, in case five, the second information is used to query whether a certain QoS stream within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, the second information may include the ID of the first QoS stream, used to query whether the first QoS stream within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0242] For example, the terminal device can query whether the first QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate based on the second information. When the first QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information can be determined. Furthermore, the terminal device can also query the adjustment range of the QoS stream that supports adjusting the data transmission rate. That is, in case five, the first information indicates that the first QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate, and further, it can also indicate the adjustment range of the first QoS stream.

[0243] Specifically, when the first QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information can be represented by 1 bit, which can be either 1 or 0. For example, when the value of the 1 bit is 0 or 1, it indicates that the first QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate. Alternatively, when the first QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first information can include at least one first identifier. The at least one first identifier is an identifier for at least one QoS stream, indicating that the at least one QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate. In this case, the at least one QoS stream is the first QoS stream. Furthermore, the first information can also include the adjustment range of the data transmission rate that the first QoS stream supports adjusting.

[0244] Alternatively, the terminal device and the second device can pre-agree that when the first QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it is not necessary to send the first information to the second device. That is, the above steps S501 to S502 can also be omitted. That is, when the terminal device determines that the first QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate, it can choose not to obtain the first information and not to send the first information to the first device. Consequently, the first device does not obtain the first information and does not send the first information to the second device. Thus, if the second device does not receive the first information within a preset time period, it can determine that the first QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0245] It is understandable that the example in Case 5 above describes the implementation of the first information as "the first QoS stream supports adjusting the data transmission rate". When the first QoS stream does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, the terminal device does not need to determine the first information, and therefore the first device does not need to execute the above steps S501 to S502. Instead, it sends information #5 to the second device to indicate that the first QoS stream does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. This information #5 can be represented by 1 bit, which can be 0 or 1. That is, when the value of this 1 bit is 0 or 1, it indicates that the first QoS stream does not support adjusting the data transmission rate. For example, the terminal device determines the information #5 and sends it to the first device, which then sends it to the second device. Specifically, the implementation of information #5 being transmitted from the first device to the second device is similar to the implementation of "the second information being transmitted from the first device to the terminal device" described above. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here. Alternatively, the terminal device and the second device can pre-agree that when the first QoS stream does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, there is no need to provide feedback on the second information. That is, when the terminal device determines that the first QoS stream does not support adjusting the data transmission rate, it does not send information #5 to the second device. Therefore, if the second device does not receive information #5 within a preset time period, it can determine that the first QoS stream does not support adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0246] (ii) When the first information is determined by the core network equipment:

[0247] For example, if the first device is a core network device, after receiving the second information from the second device, the first device can determine the first information based on the second information and inform the second device of the first information. If the first device is a non-core network device (such as any one of SN, MN, and CU), after receiving the second information from the second device, the first device can send the second information to the core network device, which will then determine the first information and inform the first device.

[0248] Specifically, if the first device is a non-core network device, after receiving the second information from the second device, the first device can forward the second information transparently to the core network device. Alternatively, the first device can re-encapsulate the second information so that the format of the encapsulated information is suitable for transmission between the first device and the core network device; wherein, the essence of the information remains unchanged before and after the first device re-encapsulates the second information, that is, the encapsulated information is still used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0249] Optionally, the first information determined by the core network equipment indicates that the first QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate. Further, the first information may also indicate the adjustment range of the first QoS flow.

[0250] For example, the first information may indicate at least one first identifier; the first identifier is a QFI. Further, it may also indicate the adjustment range of a first QoS flow. For instance, the first information may indicate at least one QFI list; wherein each QFI list includes one or more first identifiers, and each QFI list is associated with an adjustment range.

[0251] Referring to Figure 10, another information transmission method provided by an embodiment of this application is shown. As shown in Figure 10, the information transmission method may include the following steps:

[0252] S1001, the second device sends the fifth information to the first device; correspondingly, the first device receives the fifth information from the second device.

[0253] The fifth piece of information indicates the transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0254] For example, the fifth piece of information may be determined by the second device based on an assessment of network resources and network congestion.

[0255] Optionally, the first device can be a terminal device, and the corresponding second device can be an access network device; or, the first device can be a CU, and the corresponding second device can be a DU; or, the first device can be an MN, and the corresponding second device can be an SN; or, the first device can be an SN, and the corresponding second device can be an MN.

[0256] When the first device is any one of CU, MN, or SN, upon receiving the fifth information from the second device, the first device can send the fifth information to the terminal device. Specifically, the implementation of "the fifth information being sent to the terminal device via the first device" is similar to the implementation of "the second information being transmitted to the terminal device via the first device" described above. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0257] S1002, the first device sends the sixth information to the second device; correspondingly, the second device receives the sixth information from the first device.

[0258] The sixth piece of information indicates whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0259] Optionally, when the first device is any one of CU, MN, or SN, the sixth information can be obtained by the first device from the terminal device. That is, the terminal device sends the sixth information to the first device, thereby enabling the first device to send the sixth information to the second device.

[0260] For example, the implementation of "sixth information is sent to the second device via the first device" is similar to the implementation of "first information is transmitted to the second device via the first device" described above. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0261] Optionally, the sixth information indicates whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device, including: the sixth information indicates that the current transmission rate of any one of the QoS stream, DRB, or LCH in which the data of the current transmission service is located is the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0262] For example, the sixth piece of information can use 1 bit to indicate whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device. For instance, when the 1 bit is 1, it indicates that the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device; correspondingly, when the 1 bit is 0, it indicates that the terminal device has not applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device. Alternatively, when the 1 bit is 0, it indicates that the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device; correspondingly, when the 1 bit is 1, it indicates that the terminal device has not applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0263] Alternatively, the sixth information may include the current transmission rate of any one of the QoS stream, DRB, or LCH in which the data of the current transmission service of the terminal device is located. After receiving the sixth information, the second device can determine whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device by comparing it with the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0264] Optionally, the sixth piece of information may include the identifier of the QoS stream, DRB, or LCH in which the data of the current transmission service of the terminal device is located, to indicate whether the QoS stream, DRB, or LCH applies the transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0265] Optionally, the sixth piece of information can indicate that the terminal device has not applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device; then the second device can recommend a transmission rate for other services that support adjusting the data transmission rate, reserving sufficient bandwidth for the terminal device's current transmission service to avoid network congestion or resource waste during the transmission process. In other words, after step S1002, the terminal device can transmit the data for its current transmission service based on its original transmission rate.

[0266] If the sixth information indicates that the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device, then the terminal device can send the data for its current transmission service based on the data transmission rate recommended by the second device, so that the transmission rate matches the transmission rate.

[0267] Optionally, to avoid frequent information transmission by the terminal device, after the terminal device sends the sixth message once, it can start a disable timer. During the duration of the disable timer, the terminal device will not send the sixth message again. The disable timer can be maintained for DRB, LCH, or QoS flows, or it can be maintained at the terminal device level. The duration of the disable timer can be configured by the network or predefined by the protocol.

[0268] It should be noted that, in Figure 10 above, the example of the terminal device feeding back to the second device whether the data transmission rate recommended by the second device has been applied (i.e., the sixth information) is actually that the terminal device and the second device can also agree in advance, such as agreeing in advance that if the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device, then no feedback will be given; or agreeing in advance that if the terminal device has not applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device, then no feedback will be given; this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0269] The information transmission method provided in this application embodiment allows a terminal device (such as a first device) to receive a recommended transmission rate (i.e., the fifth information) from a second device and then report back to the second device whether it has applied the recommended data transmission rate. This enables the second device to determine whether the terminal device has applied the recommended data transmission rate and perform corresponding operations. For example, when the terminal device has applied the recommended data transmission rate, it indicates that the transmission rate of the source data matches the air interface transmission rate, and the second device does not need to take any action but simply waits to receive service data from the terminal device. When the terminal device has not applied the recommended data transmission rate, the second device can recommend a transmission rate for other services that support adjusting the data transmission rate, reserving sufficient bandwidth for the terminal device's current transmission service. This alleviates network congestion or resource waste, thereby improving the user experience.

[0270] The various embodiments of this application can be implemented independently or in combination, without limitation. Unless otherwise specified or in conflict of logic, the terminology and / or descriptions between the different embodiments provided in this application are consistent and can be referenced mutually. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0271] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the executing entity may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also perform other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the various steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessarily necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0272] The foregoing primarily describes the solutions provided in this application from the perspective of device-to-device interaction. It is understood that each device, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that, in conjunction with the algorithm steps of the examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0273] This application embodiment can divide each device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. The module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0274] Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram of a communication device 1100. The communication device 1100 includes a processing module 1101 and a transceiver module 1102. This communication device can be used to implement the functions of the first device or the second device described above.

[0275] In some embodiments, the communication device 1100 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG11) for storing programs, instructions and / or data.

[0276] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1102, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement sending and / or receiving functions. The transceiver module 1102 may consist of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0277] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1102 may include a receiving module and / or a sending module, respectively configured to perform receiving and sending steps performed by the first or second device in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein; the processing module 1101 may be configured to perform processing steps (e.g., determining) performed by the first or second device in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein.

[0278] When the communication device 1100 is used to perform the functions of the first device described above:

[0279] In some embodiments, the processing module 1101 is configured to acquire first information, the first information indicating that any one of a first QoS stream, a first DRB, or a first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first QoS stream including at least one QoS stream, the first DRB including at least one DRB, and the first LCH including at least one LCH; the transceiver module 1102 is configured to transmit the first information.

[0280] Optionally, the first information may also indicate the range of adjustment for the transmission rate of data supported by any of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0281] Optionally, the transceiver module 1102 is further configured to receive second information, which is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; the processing module 1101 is further configured to obtain first information based on the second information.

[0282] Optionally, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first PDU session within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein, the first QoS flow belongs to the first PDU session, the first DRB belongs to the first PDU session, or the first LCH belongs to the first PDU session.

[0283] Optionally, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first DRB in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein the first QoS stream is carried on the first DRB, or the first LCH is associated with the first DRB.

[0284] Optionally, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first LCH in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein, the first QoS flow is carried on the first LCH, or the first DRB is associated with the first LCH.

[0285] Optionally, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first QoS stream within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0286] Optionally, if the first device includes any one of CU, MN, or SN, the transceiver module 1102 is further configured to receive first information from the terminal device.

[0287] Optionally, when the first device is a terminal device, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0288] Optionally, the first device includes any one of a core network device, a CU, an MN, or an SN; the transceiver module 1102 is further configured to send the first information to the second device; wherein, when the first device is a CU, the second device is a DU; when the first device is an MN, the second device is an SN; and when the first device is an SN, the second device is an MN.

[0289] Optionally, the transceiver module 1102 is also configured to receive third information from the second device, the third information indicating the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0290] Optionally, the transceiver module 1102 is also used to send a fourth message to the second device, the fourth message indicating whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0291] Optionally, the first information includes at least one first identifier; wherein the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one QoS flow, indicating that the at least one QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one DRB, indicating that the at least one DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of at least one LCH, indicating that the at least one LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0292] When the communication device 1100 is used to implement the functions of the second device described above:

[0293] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1102 is configured to receive first information, the first information indicating that any one of a first QoS stream, a first DRB, or a first LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first QoS stream including at least one QoS stream, the first DRB including at least one DRB, and the first LCH including at least one LCH; and to transmit third information based on the first information, the third information indicating the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0294] Optionally, the transceiver module 1102 is also used to receive fourth information, which indicates whether the first device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

[0295] Optionally, the first information may also indicate the range of adjustment for the transmission rate of data supported by any of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

[0296] Optionally, the transceiver module 1102 is also used to send a second message, which is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0297] Optionally, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first PDU session within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein, the first QoS stream belongs to the first PDU session, the first DRB belongs to the first PDU session, and the first LCH belongs to the first PDU session.

[0298] Optionally, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first DRB in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein the first QoS stream is carried in the first LCH of the DRB and associated with the DRB.

[0299] Optionally, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first LCH in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; wherein, the first QoS stream is carried on the first LCH, and the first DRB is associated with the first LCH.

[0300] Optionally, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first QoS stream within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0301] Optionally, the transceiver module 1102 is further configured to receive the first information from the first device; when the first device is a terminal device, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: the second information is used to query whether the first device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0302] Optionally, the transceiver module 1102 is further configured to receive first information from the first device; wherein the first device includes any one of a core network device, a CU, an MN, or an SN; if the first device is a CU, the second device is a DU; if the first device is an MN, the second device is an SN; if the first device is an SN, the second device is an MN.

[0303] Optionally, the first information includes at least one first identifier; wherein the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one QoS flow, indicating that the at least one QoS flow supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is an identifier of at least one DRB, indicating that the at least one DRB supports adjusting the data transmission rate; or, the at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of at least one LCH, indicating that the at least one LCH supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

[0304] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0305] In this application, the communication device (i.e., the first device or the second device) 1100 is presented in an integrated manner, divided into various functional modules. Here, "module" may refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuits, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0306] In some embodiments, when the communication device 1100 in FIG11 is a chip or chip system, the function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1102 can be implemented through the input / output interface (or communication interface) of the chip or chip system, and the function / implementation process of the processing module 1101 can be implemented through the processor (or processing circuit) of the chip or chip system.

[0307] Since the communication device 1100 provided in this embodiment can execute the above method, the technical effects it can achieve can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0308] As another possible product form, the first device or the second device described in the embodiments of this application can adopt the composition structure shown in FIG12, or include the components shown in FIG12. FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device 1200 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1200 can be the first device or a chip or system-on-a-chip in the first device; it can also be the second device or a chip or system-on-a-chip in the second device. As shown in FIG12, the communication device 1200 includes a processor 1201, a transceiver 1202, and a communication line 1203.

[0309] Furthermore, the communication device 1200 may also include a memory 1204. The processor 1201, the memory 1204, and the transceiver 1202 can be connected via a communication line 1203.

[0310] The processor 1201 can be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. The processor 1201 can also be other devices with processing capabilities, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0311] Transceiver 1202 is used to communicate with other devices or other communication networks. These other communication networks can be Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), etc. Transceiver 1202 can be a module, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of enabling communication.

[0312] Communication line 1203 is used to connect different components in communication device 1200, enabling communication between them. Communication line 1203 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 12, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0313] The memory 1204 may be a device with storage function, used to store instructions and / or data. The instructions may be computer programs.

[0314] For example, the memory 1204 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and / or instructions; it may also be a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and / or instructions; it may also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0315] It should be noted that the memory 1204 can exist independently of the processor 1201 or can be integrated with the processor 1201. The memory 1204 can be used to store instructions, program code, or some data, etc. The memory 1204 can be located inside or outside the communication device 1200, without limitation. The processor 1201 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 1204 to implement the random access method provided in the following embodiments of this application.

[0316] In one example, processor 1201 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in Figure 12.

[0317] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the communication device 1200 can take the form of the communication device 1200 shown in FIG12 in terms of hardware implementation.

[0318] As an example, the function / implementation of the processing module 1101 in Figure 11 can be achieved by the processor 1201 in the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 calling computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1204. The function / implementation of the transceiver module 1102 in Figure 11 can be achieved by the transceiver 1202 in the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12.

[0319] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1200 may include multiple processors, for example, in addition to the processor 1201 in FIG12, it may also include a processor 1207.

[0320] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1200 also includes an output device 1205 and an input device 1206. Exemplarily, the input device 1206 is a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector, etc. For example, the input device 1206 can be a keyboard, mouse, microphone, joystick, touchscreen device, or sensing device, etc. The output device 1205 is a display screen, a speaker, etc.

[0321] It should be noted that the communication device 1200 may be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a web server, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal, an embedded device, a chip system, or a device with a similar structure to that shown in Figure 12. Furthermore, the composition shown in Figure 12 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. In addition to the components shown in Figure 12, the communication device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0322] In this embodiment of the application, the chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0323] As another possible product form, the first or second device described in this application embodiment can be implemented using a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, refer to FIG13, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1300 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1300 includes a processor 1301 and a transceiver 1302. The communication device 1300 can be a first device, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 1300 can be a second device, or a chip or module therein. FIG13 only shows the main components of the communication device 1300. In addition to the processor 1301 and transceiver 1302, the communication device may further include a memory 1303.

[0324] Optionally, the processor 1301 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The memory 1303 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1302 may include radio frequency (RF) circuitry and an antenna. The RF circuitry is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves.

[0325] Optionally, the processor 1301, transceiver 1302, and memory 1303 can be connected via a communication bus.

[0326] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1301 can read the software program in the memory 1303, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1301 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1301. The processor 1301 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0327] In some embodiments, transceiver 1302 may include a transmitter and / or a receiver, wherein the transmitter is used to implement the transmission operation in the above method embodiments; and the receiver is used to implement the reception operation in the above method embodiments.

[0328] For example, when the communication device is a chip, the chip may not include the memory 1303; that is, the communication device includes a processor 1301 and a transceiver 1302. In this case, the transceiver 1302 is the input / output interface of the chip, wherein the transmitter in the transceiver corresponds to the output interface of the chip, and the receiver in the transceiver corresponds to the input interface of the chip.

[0329] In some embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, which includes a processor for implementing the methods in any of the above method embodiments.

[0330] As one possible implementation, the communication device also includes a memory. This memory stores necessary computer programs or instructions. The processor can invoke the computer programs or instructions in the memory to cause the communication device to execute the methods in any of the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory may be external and not located within the communication device.

[0331] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes an interface circuit, which is a code / data read / write interface circuit, used to receive computer execution instructions (which are stored in memory and may be read directly from memory or may be transmitted through other devices) and transmit them to the processor.

[0332] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes a communication interface for communicating with modules outside the communication device.

[0333] It is understood that the communication device can be a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0334] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0335] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, can implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0336] This application also provides a computer program that, when executed by a computer, can implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0337] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. This program can be stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the above method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be an internal storage unit of the first or second device (including a data transmitter and / or data receiver) in any of the foregoing embodiments, such as a hard disk or memory of the first or second device. The computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the first or second device, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on the first or second device. Further, the computer-readable storage medium can include both internal storage units and external storage devices of the first or second device. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the first or second device. The computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0338] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. "First" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0339] Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0340] It should be understood that in this application, "at least one (item)" means one or more. "More than one" means two or more. "At least two (items)" means two or three or more. "And / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Both "...when" and "if" indicate that a corresponding action will be taken under certain objective circumstances. They are not time limits, nor do they require a judgment action to be taken when the action is taken, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0341] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0342] In this application, "sending information to...(second device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the second device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to the second device. "Receiving information from...(first device)" can be understood as the source of the information being the first device, and can include receiving information directly or indirectly from the first device. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source.

[0343] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0344] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0345] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0346] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0347] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application embodiment, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. An information transmission method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a first device, and the method includes: Obtain first information, the first information indicating that any one of a first Quality of Service (QoS) stream, a first Radio Data Bearer (DRB), or a first Logical Channel (LCH) supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first QoS stream includes at least one QoS stream, the first DRB includes at least one DRB, and the first LCH includes at least one LCH. Send the first message.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information also indicates the range of adjustment for the transmission rate of data supported by any of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before obtaining the first information, the method further includes: Receive second information, which is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; The acquisition of the first information includes: acquiring the first information based on the second information.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: The second information is used to query whether the first protocol data unit (PDU) session within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; Wherein, the first QoS flow belongs to the first PDU session, the first DRB belongs to the first PDU session, or the first LCH belongs to the first PDU session.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: The second information is used to query whether the first DRB in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; The first QoS flow is carried on the first DRB, or the first LCH is associated with the first DRB.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: The second information is used to query whether the first LCH in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; The first QoS flow is carried on the first LCH, or the first DRB is associated with the first LCH.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: The second information is used to query whether the first QoS stream in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

8. The method according to any one of claims 3-7, characterized in that, When the first device is the terminal device, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: The second information is used to query whether the first device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, If the first device includes any one of a centralized unit CU, a master node MN, or a secondary node SN. The step of obtaining the first information includes: receiving the first information from the terminal device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, If the first device includes any one of core network equipment, CU, MN, or SN. Sending the first information includes: sending the first information to the second device; Wherein, if the first device is the CU, the second device is the distribution unit DU; In the case that the first device is the MN, the second device is the SN; If the first device is the SN, the second device is the MN; If the first device is the core network device, the second device is the access network device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, If the first device includes any one of a terminal device, a CU, an MN, or a SN, the method further includes: Receive third information from the second device, the third information indicating the data transmission rate recommended by the second device, the third information being determined based on the first information.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: A fourth message is sent to the second device, indicating whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one first identifier; Wherein, the at least one first identifier is the identifier of the at least one QoS flow; or, The at least one first identifier is the identifier of the at least one DRB; or, The at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of the at least one LCH.

14. An information transmission method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a second device, and the method includes: Receive first information, the first information indicating that any one of a first Quality of Service (QoS) stream, a first Radio Data Bearer (DRB), or a first Logical Channel (LCH) supports adjusting the data transmission rate, the first QoS stream includes at least one QoS stream, the first DRB includes at least one DRB, and the first LCH includes at least one LCH. Send a third message indicating the recommended data transmission rate for the second device for any one of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fourth information, which indicates whether the terminal device has applied the data transmission rate recommended by the second device.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, The first information also indicates the range of adjustment for the transmission rate of data supported by any of the first QoS stream, the first DRB, or the first LCH.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14-16, characterized in that, Before receiving the first information, the method further includes: Send a second message, which is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: The second information is used to query whether the first protocol data unit (PDU) session within the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; Wherein, the first QoS flow belongs to the first PDU session, the first DRB belongs to the first PDU session, or the first LCH belongs to the first PDU session.

19. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: The second information is used to query whether the first DRB in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; The first QoS flow is carried on the first DRB, or the first LCH is associated with the first DRB.

20. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: The second information is used to query whether the first LCH in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate; The first QoS flow is carried on the first LCH, or the first DRB is associated with the first LCH.

21. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: The second information is used to query whether the first QoS stream in the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17-21, characterized in that, Sending the second information includes: sending the second information to the first device; When the first device is the terminal device, the second information is used to query whether the terminal device supports adjusting the data transmission rate, including: The second information is used to query whether the first device supports adjusting the data transmission rate.

23. The method according to any one of claims 14-21, characterized in that, The receiving of the first information includes: receiving the first information from a first device, wherein the first device includes any one of a core network device, a centralized unit (CU), a master node (MN), or a secondary node (SN); Wherein, if the first device is the CU, the second device is the distribution unit DU; In the case that the first device is the MN, the second device is the SN; If the first device is the SN, the second device is the MN; If the first device is the core network device, the second device is the access network device.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The second device is an access network device, and sending the third information includes sending the third information to the terminal device.

25. The method according to any one of claims 14-24, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one first identifier; Wherein, the at least one first identifier is the identifier of the at least one QoS flow; or, The at least one first identifier is the identifier of the at least one DRB; or, The at least one first identifier is any one of the identifiers of the at least one LCH.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module is configured to perform the receiving or sending behavior in the method as described in any one of claims 1-13, or to perform the receiving or sending behavior in the method as described in any one of claims 14-25; The processing module is configured to perform the processing behavior in the method as described in any one of claims 1-13, or to perform the processing behavior in the method as described in any one of claims 14-25.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor; the processor is configured to run a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-13, or to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 14-25.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26, characterized in that, The communication device further includes a memory for storing computer programs or instructions required for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-13, or for storing computer programs or instructions required for performing the method as described in any one of claims 14-25.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed on a computer, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-13 to be performed, or cause the method described in any one of claims 14-25 to be performed.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions; when some or all of the computer program or instructions are run on a computer, the method as described in any one of claims 1-13 is performed, or the method as described in any one of claims 14-25 is performed.

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