Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, which are used for providing a mechanism for identifying a service. The method comprises: sending a first data packet, wherein a header, which corresponds to a first protocol layer, of the first data packet carries first information, and a header and / or load, which correspond(s) to a second protocol layer, of the first data packet carries first service data, the first information indicating that the first data packet corresponds to a first service, the first service data being service data corresponding to the first service, and the header and load of the second protocol layer being located in a load of the first protocol layer. In this way, a first service corresponding to a first data packet can be identified on the basis of first information, a mechanism for identifying a service is provided, and the first service corresponding to the first data packet can be identified without the need to parse all content of the first data packet.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411814144.0, filed on December 10, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] Edge networks can implement services such as content distribution, which primarily provides users with the content they need, such as media over Quick User Datagram Protocol (MoQ) internet connections. Edge networks consist of content servers located in various locations. Content servers closer to users can distribute content efficiently through the access network and core network (such as user plane functions, UPF). To improve service processing efficiency, it is proposed to offload some or all of the functions performed by the edge network through the access network or core network; that is, these functions can be implemented in the access network or core network, without needing to be implemented through the edge network.

[0005] Executing services involves transmitting data packets. If the access network or core network needs to share some or all of the functions of certain services performed by the edge network, it must first identify the service corresponding to the data packet. For example, if the access network or core network needs to implement content distribution, it needs to be able to identify the content distribution service corresponding to the data packet in order to process the content distribution service. However, there is currently no corresponding method for the access network or core network to identify the service corresponding to the data packet. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for providing a mechanism for identifying services.

[0007] Firstly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method can be applied to a terminal device. The terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or it can be the terminal device or a module within the terminal device. A module within the terminal device is, for example, a communication module within the terminal device, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions. The chip may be a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip, etc. The terminal device may be, for example, a mobile phone or a server. For ease of description, the following description uses the execution of this method by a terminal device as an example. The method includes: sending a first data packet, the first data packet corresponding to a header of a first protocol layer carrying first information, and the first data packet corresponding to a header and / or payload of a second protocol layer carrying first service data, the first information indicating that the first data packet corresponds to a first service, the first service data being the service data corresponding to the first service, and the header and payload of the second protocol layer being located within the payload of the first protocol layer.

[0008] When a terminal device generates a data packet, it calls various protocol layers to encapsulate the packet. Therefore, a data packet may correspond to multiple protocol layers; for example, a first data packet may correspond to a first protocol layer and a second protocol layer. Optionally, the first protocol layer may be, for example, a protocol layer in a wireless transmission protocol stack or a fixed access transmission protocol stack; optionally, the second protocol layer may be, for example, a protocol layer in a network protocol stack. The wireless transmission protocol stack may be, for example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocol stack. The header and payload of the second protocol layer are located within the payload of the first protocol layer, or in the first data packet, the information corresponding to the second protocol layer is located within the information corresponding to the first protocol layer.

[0009] In this embodiment, the first service corresponding to the first data packet can be identified based on the first information; that is, this embodiment provides a mechanism for identifying services. In the first data packet, the information of the first protocol layer is located at the outer layer compared to the information of the second protocol layer. When the receiving end of the first data packet parses the first data packet, the general parsing order is to parse the information of the first protocol layer first, and then parse the information of the second protocol layer. Since the first information is not included in the second protocol layer but is included in the first protocol layer, the receiving end of the first data packet does not need to parse the entire first data packet; it only needs to parse the header of the first protocol layer to determine that the first data packet corresponds to the first service. This improves the efficiency of the receiving end in determining the service and facilitates timely determination of the processing strategy for the service.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first information indicates that the first data packet corresponds to a first service, including: the first information includes attribute information of the first service data, or includes attribute information of the target service data of the first service requested by the first service data.

[0011] In this way, the receiving end of the first data packet can not only identify the first service based on the attribute information of the first service data or the target service data, but also clearly define the attribute information of the first service data or the target service data, which is convenient for subsequent determination of a processing strategy that is more in line with the first service data or the target service data based on the first information.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the attribute information of the first service data includes at least one of the following: a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) corresponding to the first service data; a domain name of the first service data; namespace information of the first service data; subject information of the first service data; address information of the host corresponding to the first service data; a Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifier corresponding to the first service data; or, an identifier for the first service data. The identifier of the first service data is used to identify the first service data and may also be referred to as an alias of the first service data. For example, the identifier of the first service data may be predetermined by a protocol or configured by a core network element for a terminal device; no specific limitation is made thereto.

[0013] Thus, multiple possible implementations of the attribute information of the first business data are provided. When the attribute information of the first business data includes at least one of the following: Uniform Resource Identifier, domain name, namespace information, subject information, address information, or Quality of Service Identifier, not only can the first business be identified based on the attribute information of the first business data, but the first business data can also be identified or located based on the attribute information of the first business data, facilitating subsequent processing of the first business. When the attribute information of the first business data includes an identifier for the first business data, it helps to simplify the content of the first information.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the attribute information of the first service data includes at least one of the following: the Uniform Resource Identifier corresponding to the first service data; the domain name of the first service data; the namespace information of the first service data; the subject information of the first service data; the address information of the host corresponding to the first service data; the quality of service flow identifier corresponding to the first service data; or, the identifier of the first service data.

[0015] Thus, the first information includes the identifier of the first service data. The receiving end of the first data packet can identify the first service based on the identifier of the first service data. The first information does not need to include more information such as the second information, which allows for differentiated transmission processing, saving transmission resources. Furthermore, the service can be identified and processed without requiring high-level protocol processing of the first data packet, saving processing resources and reducing latency. Also, if the receiving end of the first data packet cannot clearly determine the correspondence between the second information and the identifier of the first service data, even if it obtains the identifier of the first service data, it cannot perceive the second information corresponding to the identifier of the first service data, thus ensuring the security of the second information to a certain extent.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the attribute information of the target service data includes at least one of the following: a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) corresponding to the target service data; a domain name of the target service data; namespace information of the target service data; subject information of the target service data; address information of the host corresponding to the target service data; a Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifier corresponding to the target service data; or, an identifier for the target service data. The identifier for the target service data is used to identify the target service data and may also be referred to as an alias of the target service data. For example, the identifier for the target service data may be predetermined by a protocol or configured by a core network element for a terminal device; no specific limitation is made in this regard.

[0017] This provides multiple possible implementation methods for the attribute information of the target business data. When the attribute information of the target business data includes at least one of the following: Uniform Resource Identifier, domain name, namespace information, subject information, address information, or Quality of Service Identifier, not only can the first business be identified based on the attribute information of the target business data, but the target business data can also be identified or located based on the attribute information of the target business data, facilitating subsequent processing of the first business. When the attribute information of the target business data includes an identifier for the target business data, it helps to simplify the content of the first information.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the identifier of the target service data is the identifier corresponding to the third information, wherein the third information includes at least one of the following: Uniform Resource Identifier, domain name, namespace information, topic information, address information of the corresponding host, or Quality of Service Flow Identifier.

[0019] Thus, the first information includes the identifier of the target service data. The receiving end of the first data packet can identify the first service based on the identifier of the target service data. The first information does not need to include more information such as the third information, which helps to save transmission resources. Furthermore, if the receiving end of the first data packet cannot clearly determine the correspondence between the third information and the identifier of the target service data, even if it obtains the identifier of the target service data, it cannot perceive the third information corresponding to the identifier of the target service data, which can ensure the security of the third information to a certain extent.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first information is encrypted information. For example, the first information is encrypted information obtained by encrypting it based on a first encryption key. The first encryption key is either predefined by the protocol or configured to the terminal device by a core network element or an access network element; there is no specific limitation on this.

[0021] This increases the security of first-hand information and prevents information leakage.

[0022] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method can be applied to a first network element. The first network element can be the first network element itself, or it can be the first network element or a module within the first network element. A module within the first network element is, for example, a communication module within the first network element, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions. The chip can be a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core, etc. The first network element can be deployed in an access network, such as an access network element. Alternatively, the first network element can be deployed in a core network, such as a core network element, specifically, if the first network element is a user plane network element. For ease of description, the following description uses the execution of this method by a first network element as an example. The method includes: receiving a second data packet, the second data packet corresponding to a header of a third protocol layer carrying fourth information, and the second data packet corresponding to a header and / or payload of a fourth protocol layer carrying second service data, the fourth information indicating that the second service data packet corresponds to a first service, the second service data being the service data corresponding to the first service, and the header and payload of the fourth protocol layer being located within the payload of the third protocol layer.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the fourth information indicates that the second data packet corresponds to the first service, including: the fourth information includes attribute information of the second service data, or includes attribute information of the target service data of the first service requested by the second service data.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the attribute information of the second service data includes at least one of the following: the Uniform Resource Identifier corresponding to the second service data; the domain name of the second service data; the namespace information of the second service data; the subject information of the second service data; the address information of the host corresponding to the second service data; the quality of service flow identifier corresponding to the second service data; or, the identifier of the second service data.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the identifier of the second service data is the identifier corresponding to the fifth information, wherein the fifth information includes at least one of the following: Uniform Resource Identifier, domain name, namespace information, topic information, host address information, or Quality of Service Flow Identifier corresponding to the second service data.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the attribute information of the target service data includes at least one of the following: the Uniform Resource Identifier corresponding to the target service data; the domain name of the target service data; the namespace information of the target service data; the subject information of the target service data; the address information of the host corresponding to the target service data; the quality of service flow identifier corresponding to the target service data; or, the identifier of the target service data.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the identifier of the target service data is the identifier corresponding to the sixth information, wherein the sixth information includes at least one of the following: Uniform Resource Identifier, domain name, namespace information, topic information, address information of the corresponding host, or Quality of Service Flow Identifier.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the fourth information is ciphertext; the method further includes: decrypting the fourth information to obtain plaintext information.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the third protocol layer is a tunneling protocol layer; the fourth protocol layer is a protocol layer of the network protocol stack.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: processing a first service based on fourth information; or sending a third data packet, the third data packet corresponding to a header of a fifth protocol layer carrying seventh information, and the third data packet corresponding to a header and / or payload of a sixth protocol layer carrying third service data, the seventh information indicating that the third data packet corresponds to the first service, the third service data being the service data corresponding to the first service, and the header and payload of the sixth protocol layer being located within the payload of the fifth protocol layer.

[0031] In one possible implementation, before processing the first service based on the fourth information, the method further includes: determining that the first network element is a network element used to process the first service; and / or determining that the first service belongs to at least one service, wherein the at least one service includes services that the first network element can process.

[0032] In one possible implementation, before sending the third data packet, the method further includes: determining that the first network element is a network element used for transmitting data packets; and / or determining that the first service does not belong to at least one service, wherein at least one service includes a service that the first network element can process.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the fifth protocol layer is a tunneling protocol layer; and / or, the sixth protocol layer is a protocol layer in the network protocol stack.

[0034] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method is applied to the access network element side. The access network element side can be the access network element itself, or it can be an access network element or a module within an access network element. A module within an access network element is, for example, a communication module within the access network element, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions. Chips may include modem chips, also known as baseband chips, or SoC chips or SIP chips containing modem cores. Access network elements may include base stations, central unit / control unit (CU), or distributed unit (DU). For ease of description, the following description uses the execution of this method by an access network element as an example. The method includes: receiving a first data packet, wherein the first data packet corresponds to a header of a first protocol layer carrying first information, and the first data packet corresponds to a header and / or payload of a second protocol layer carrying first service data, wherein the first information indicates that the first data packet corresponds to a first service, and the first service data is data corresponding to the first service, and the header and payload of the second protocol layer are located within the payload of the first protocol layer; and sending a fourth data packet, wherein the fourth data packet corresponds to a header of a seventh protocol layer carrying eighth information, and the fourth data packet corresponds to a header and / or payload of an eighth protocol layer carrying fifth service data, wherein the eighth information indicates that the fourth data packet corresponds to the first service, and the fifth service data is service data corresponding to the first service, and the header and payload of the eighth protocol layer are located within the payload of the seventh protocol layer.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the first protocol layer is a protocol layer in a wireless transmission protocol stack or a fixed access transmission protocol stack; and / or, the second protocol layer is a protocol layer in a network protocol stack.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the seventh protocol layer is a tunneling protocol layer; and / or, the eighth protocol layer is a protocol layer in the network protocol stack.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the contents of the first information, the first protocol layer, and the second protocol layer involved in the third aspect or any possible implementation can refer to the contents of the first information, the first protocol layer, and the second protocol layer discussed in the first aspect, and will not be listed here.

[0038] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device. The communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also called a processing module) and a communication unit (sometimes also called a communication module). The communication unit is used to perform transmit and receive operations, such as functions related to sending and receiving; the communication unit may be called a transceiver unit; optionally, the communication unit includes a receiving unit and a sending unit. The processing unit is used to perform processing operations. Alternatively, the communication unit may be a transmitter and a receiver, or a transmitter and a receiver. Optionally, the communication device also includes a storage unit (sometimes also called a storage module).

[0039] The communication device can be the terminal device side as described in the first aspect above. For example, it can be a terminal device, a module (e.g., a chip system) configured in a terminal device, or a device capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the terminal device. The communication device includes corresponding means or modules for performing the first aspect above or any possible implementation. For example, a communication unit is used to transmit a first data packet.

[0040] Optionally, the communication device may also implement any of the possible implementations in the first aspect described above, which will not be listed one by one here.

[0041] In one possible design, the communication device is a communication chip, the processing unit can be one or more processors or processor cores, and the communication unit can be the input / output circuit or input / output interface of the communication chip.

[0042] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device. For example, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also called a processing module) and a communication unit (sometimes also called a communication module). The communication unit is used to perform transmit and receive operations, such as functions related to sending and receiving; the communication unit may be called a transceiver unit; optionally, the communication unit includes a receiving unit and a sending unit. The processing unit is used to perform processing operations. Alternatively, the communication unit may be a transmitter and a receiver, or a transmitter and a receiver. Optionally, the communication device also includes a storage unit (sometimes also called a storage module).

[0043] The communication device can be the first network element in the second aspect described above. For example, it can be the first network element itself, or a module (e.g., a chip system) configured in the first network element, or a device capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the first network element. The communication device includes corresponding means or modules for performing the second aspect or any possible implementation described above. For example, a communication unit is used to receive a second data packet.

[0044] Optionally, the communication device may also implement any of the possible embodiments in the second aspect described above, which will not be listed one by one here.

[0045] In one possible design, the communication device is a communication chip, the processing unit can be one or more processors or processor cores, and the communication unit can be the input / output circuit or input / output interface of the communication chip.

[0046] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device. For example, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also called a processing module) and a communication unit (sometimes also called a communication module). The communication unit is used to perform transmit and receive operations, such as functions related to sending and receiving; the communication unit may be called a transceiver unit; optionally, the communication unit includes a receiving unit and a sending unit. The processing unit is used to perform processing operations. Alternatively, the communication unit may be a transmitter and a receiver, or a transmitter and a receiver. Optionally, the communication device also includes a storage unit (sometimes also called a storage module).

[0047] The communication device can be an access network element as described in the third aspect above. For example, it can be an access network element, a module (e.g., a chip system) configured in the access network element, or a device capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the access network element. The communication device includes corresponding means or modules for performing the third aspect above or any possible implementation. For example, a communication unit is used to receive a first data packet and send a third data packet.

[0048] Optionally, the communication device may also implement any of the possible implementations in the third aspect described above, which will not be listed one by one here.

[0049] In one possible design, the communication device is a communication chip, the processing unit can be one or more processors or processor cores, and the communication unit can be the input / output circuit or input / output interface of the communication chip.

[0050] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication system. The communication system includes a terminal device and a first network element. The terminal device is, for example, any of the first devices described in the fourth aspect and possible embodiments, and the first network element is, for example, any of the first network elements described in the fifth aspect and possible embodiments. Optionally, the communication system further includes an access network element, which is, for example, any of the access network elements described in the sixth aspect and possible embodiments.

[0051] Optionally, the terminal device may also implement any of the possible implementations in the first aspect described above, the first network element may also implement any of the possible implementations in the second aspect described above, and the access network element may also implement any of the possible implementations in the third aspect described above, which will not be listed one by one here.

[0052] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device. The communication device includes one or more processors. The one or more processors are capable of executing computer programs or instructions stored in a memory, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods described in the first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, any possible implementation of the second aspect, the third aspect, or any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0053] Optionally, the communication device may include a memory, in which case the memory may be coupled to one or more processors, or the memory may be configured relatively independently of one or more processors. Alternatively, the memory may exist independently of the communication device.

[0054] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0055] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal device, or a communication module within a terminal device, or a chip in the terminal responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a SoC or SIP chip containing a modem module. Alternatively, the aforementioned communication device may be an access network device, or a module within an access network device.

[0056] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device. The communication device includes a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices besides the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices besides the communication device. The processor, through logic circuits or executable code instructions, is used to implement methods as described in the first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, any possible implementation of the second aspect, the third aspect, or any possible implementation of the third aspect. The number of processors can be one or more, and is not limited thereto.

[0057] In the specific implementation process, the communication device can be a chip, and the processor can be a transistor, gate circuit, flip-flop, and various logic circuits, etc. The specific implementation method of the processor is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0058] In one implementation, the communication device can be a communication equipment, i.e., a computer device that supports wireless communication functions. Specifically, the communication equipment can be a terminal device such as a smartphone, or a network device such as a wireless access network device (e.g., a base station).

[0059] In another implementation, the communication device can be a component of a communication equipment, such as a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or communication chip, which are integrated circuit products. A SoC can also be called a System-on-a-Chip (SoC). A communication chip may include a baseband processing chip and a radio frequency (RF) processing chip. A baseband processing chip is sometimes called a modem or baseband chip. An RF processing chip is sometimes called an RF transceiver or RF chip. In physical implementation, some or all of the communication chip components can be integrated within the SoC. For example, the baseband processing chip may be integrated into the SoC, while the RF processing chip may not be integrated. The interface circuit can be the RF processing chip in the communication equipment, and the processor can be the baseband processing chip in the communication equipment. The interface circuit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip or chip system. The processor can also be a processing circuit or a logic circuit.

[0060] In another implementation, the communication device can be a chip system, which may consist of chips or include chips and other discrete devices. Chip systems may include, for example, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-a-chip (SoCs), CPUs, network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips.

[0061] Tenthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip system. The chip system includes a processor. Optionally, the chip system may further include an interface (such as a communication interface). The processor can be used to implement methods as described in the first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, any possible implementation of the second aspect, the third aspect, or any possible implementation of the third aspect. Optionally, the chip system also includes a memory. The memory is used to store computer programs (also referred to as code or instructions). The processor is used to call and run the computer program from the memory, causing a device equipped with the chip system to perform methods as described in the first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, any possible implementation of the second aspect, the third aspect, or any possible implementation of the third aspect. Implementation methods of the chip system can be referred to the content of the chip system discussed above, and will not be listed here.

[0062] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program or instructions that, when executed, implement the methods described in the first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, any possible implementation of the second aspect, the third aspect, or any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0063] In a twelfth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product. When the computer program product is executed, it causes a processor to perform a method as described in the first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, any possible implementation of the second aspect, the third aspect, or any possible implementation of the third aspect. The computer program product includes a computer program and / or instructions, etc.

[0064] Regarding the beneficial effects of any of the technical solutions in the second to twelfth aspects mentioned above, please refer to the discussion of the beneficial effects of the corresponding technical solutions in the first aspect, which will not be listed here again. Attached Figure Description

[0065] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a content delivery network;

[0066] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another communication network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another communication network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the fifth-generation communication network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the fifth-generation communication network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the protocol stack of the terminal device, access network element, first network element and service server provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0072] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the user data protocol layer and the MoQ protocol layer;

[0073] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a data packet at the User Datagram Protocol layer;

[0074] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the first data packet provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a process for transmitting a first data packet according to an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figures 16 and 17 are schematic diagrams of the structures of two communication devices provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0081] The following is a description of some of the terms used in the embodiments of this application.

[0082] 1. Edge networking is a cloud-based network that pushes computing and data processing capabilities to the edge of the network, closer to the data source and end user. For example, tasks (such as computing or storage tasks) are moved from the data center to edge nodes (such as edge servers, gateways, or IoT devices), where the actual data processing tasks are handled, thereby reducing the processing burden on the data center and reducing latency in transmitting data to the data center.

[0083] 2. Content distribution refers to the process of distributing content from its source to edge nodes in an edge network by enabling users to access websites from the nearest location and through intelligent analysis of network traffic. This allows users to obtain the content (or resources) they need as quickly as possible from the place closest to them. The core of content distribution lies in establishing a robust middleware layer. By deploying servers (such as content servers that cache content) on the edge network, proximity-based access is achieved, thereby accelerating network data transmission.

[0084] 3. A Content Distribution Network (CDN) is a distributed network architecture based on content distribution. It aims to provide high availability and high performance by distributing services closer to end users. CDNs can be deployed in edge networks.

[0085] CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) enable users in different regions to access the content they need by deploying data centers in various locations. This content typically includes at least one of the following: files, images, videos, audio, or application installation packages. This content is characterized by significant statelessness (i.e., static nature) and rarely changes once published. The basic idea of ​​a CDN is to bypass bottlenecks and points of failure on the internet that may affect data transmission speed and stability, making content delivery faster and more stable. By analyzing the user's location and the connection status of each node in real time, a CDN can direct user requests to the service node closest to the user, thus enabling the user to obtain the content they need more quickly.

[0086] When users request content from a CDN, they can use the content's namespace, track, etc., to identify the content so that the CDN can recognize and provide it. The meanings of the content's namespace, track, etc., are explained below.

[0087] A namespace (also called a name domain) divides accessed media resources into isolated groups. Resource names within the same namespace are unique. A typical (though uncertain) form of identifying a namespace is an ordered N-tuple of bytes, used to identify the namespace, which is called the namespace identifier (ID). For example, "example.com", "meeting=123", "participant=100" and "example.com", "meeting=123", "participant=200" are two namespaces. "example.com" represents the domain name corresponding to the business data, "meeting" represents the service, and "participant" represents the participant in the service.

[0088] A topic, composed of a series of objects, is uniquely identified by its namespace and topic name. It is typically expressed using a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and represents the minimum amount of content a subscriber can subscribe to. Within a namespace, a Track is uniquely identified by its Track ID. For example, a MoQ topic refers to the MoQ namespace and the entirety of that topic. A URI includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). A URI is a string used to identify the name of an internet resource (or content). It can be used not only to locate resources (e.g., a URL) but also as a name to identify resources (e.g., a Uniform Resource Name (URN)). URIs include both URLs and URNs. A URL is a type of URI specifically used to locate the address of a resource, specifying its location on the internet.

[0089] An object is an addressable unit consisting of the smallest sequence of bytes used in business processing. For example, a MoQ object refers to the basic data element transmitted in MoQ, and its content cannot be changed during MoQ transmission and distribution.

[0090] A group is an ordered sequence of objects. One or more groups constitute a track. Topics are similar to video segments, groups are similar to groups of frames in a video, and objects are similar to frames in a video.

[0091] In addition, in the various embodiments of this application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, refers to "singular nouns or plural nouns," that is, "one or more." "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, 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. For example, A / B means: A or B. "At least one 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 of a, b, or c means: 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.

[0092] In the various embodiments of this application, the words "exemplarily," "for example," "e.g.," etc., are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the word "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding / relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0093] CDNs can deliver various types of content, such as MoQ services. MoQ services are used for media aggregation and distribution. MoQ services include live streaming, gaming, and media conferencing. MoQ services can be implemented on both browser and non-browser endpoints. The MoQ transport protocol is the protocol that implements MoQ services. The MoQ transport protocol is designed to enable multiple MoQ streaming formats to work together. These MoQ streaming formats define how content is encoded, packaged, and mapped to MoQ transport objects, as well as the strategies used for discovery and subscription. The MoQ transport protocol uses a publish / subscribe workflow, where producers publish data in response to subscription requests from multiple endpoints.

[0094] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a CDN. Figure 1 illustrates the terminal device, access network element, user plane function (UPF), CDN, and origin server.

[0095] A terminal device is a user-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. Terminal devices can also be called terminal equipment, terminals, user interfaces (UEs), mobile stations, or mobile terminals. They can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, mobile stations (MS), subscriber units, cellular phones, smartphones, wireless data cards, personal digital assistant (PDA) computers, tablet computers, wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, or machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, etc. Terminal devices typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform the corresponding communication functions. They may also be configured with program instructions for performing these functions.

[0096] Access network elements, also known as access network devices or access network equipment, are network-side devices with wireless transceiver capabilities. Access network elements can be devices, equipment, or modules located on the network side of a communication system and possessing corresponding communication functions. Access network elements typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform the corresponding communication functions. They are also configured with program instructions for performing these functions. Access network elements can be devices within a radio access network (RAN) that provide wireless communication functions to terminal devices; these can be referred to as RAN equipment. RAN can be the access network in 3GPP, such as 4G, 5G, or future-oriented communication networks. RAN can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a communication network combining two or more of these.

[0097] RAN equipment can also be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, etc.

[0098] RAN equipment can also be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of a base station. For example, it can be a central unit / control unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or equipment form used in the network device.

[0099] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open (O)-RAN system, CU can also be called an O-RAN central unit (O-CU), DU can also be called an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an O-RAN central unit control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an O-RAN Central Unit User Plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an O-RU. Any of the units 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 and hardware modules. RA equipment can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, or a donor node, etc.

[0100] The UPF is responsible for forwarding and receiving user data in terminal devices. It can receive user data from the data network and transmit it to the terminal device through the access network equipment. The UPF can also receive user data from the terminal device through the access network equipment and forward it to the data network.

[0101] A CDN consists of one or more content servers, or cache servers, used to distribute content to users. The origin server stores the original content for users. The following is a brief introduction to the CDN's working process.

[0102] (1) When a user clicks a link on a website page, the domain name system (DNS) resolves the domain name and ultimately transfers the domain name rights to the CDN's dedicated content server.

[0103] (2) The CDN-dedicated content server returns the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the CDN's global load balancer to the user.

[0104] (3) The user initiates a content access request to the CDN's global load balancer.

[0105] (4) The CDN's global load balancing device selects a load balancing device in the user's region based on the user's IP address and the connection requested by the user, and tells the user to send a request to this device.

[0106] (5) The regional load balancer will select a suitable content server (i.e., the server responsible for caching) to provide services to the user. After a series of analyses, the regional load balancer will return the IP address of a content server to the global load balancer.

[0107] (6) The global load balancer will return the IP address of the content server to the user.

[0108] (7) The user sends a request to the content server. The content server responds to the request and returns the content required by the user to the global load balancer through the upper-level regional load balancer. If the content required by the user is not found, the process of (5)(6)(7) is repeated until it is found.

[0109] As shown in Figure 1, a CDN can select content servers closer to the user to provide content, resulting in high efficiency for the user to access content. However, terminal devices need to pass through the access network and core network to access the edge network where the CDN resides, which results in a long transmission path. Therefore, to improve the efficiency of services (such as content distribution services), the data distribution function involved in MoQ services can be implemented through the core network or access network, leveraging the topology, management, and control capabilities of the access network and core network to improve distribution efficiency. However, how the access network or core network identifies the corresponding service for the various service data packets that need to be transmitted by the network elements in the access network or core network is a problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0110] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. In this method, information indicating a service (such as first information) in a data packet (such as a first data packet) is carried at a first protocol layer, while the service data (such as first service data) in the data packet is carried at a second protocol layer within the payload of the first protocol layer. Thus, the receiving end of the first data packet can identify the service based on the first information in the first protocol layer, providing a mechanism for service identification. Furthermore, since the first protocol layer is at an outermost layer compared to the second protocol layer, the receiving end of the first data packet can identify the service without parsing the first service data in the second protocol layer. That is, the receiving end can identify the service without parsing the complete first data packet, which is beneficial for network elements to quickly and timely identify services, thereby enabling selective processing of services, etc.

[0111] The following describes the communication network (or communication system, network, or system, etc.) used in the embodiments of this application.

[0112] The solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication networks, such as 4th generation (4G) mobile communication networks (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks), 5th generation (5G) mobile communication networks (e.g., New Radio (NR) networks), future mobile communication networks, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), converged networks of one or more of the above communication networks, or other communication networks. NTN, for example, is a satellite communication network. A converged network could be a converged network of satellite communication networks and other communication networks.

[0113] Figure 2 illustrates a communication network provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 illustrates a terminal device, an access network element, at least one first network element, and a data network (DN). The network elements involved in the various embodiments of this application may also be referred to as functions, network functions, devices, equipment, or entities, etc. Any of the first network elements can be deployed in the core network or the access network, or in other words, any first network element is a core network element or an access network element.

[0114] For example, a terminal device can use the services provided by the data network through some or all of the access network elements and at least one first network element. The various devices or network elements are described below.

[0115] The content of the terminal device can be referred to the content of the terminal device discussed above, and will not be listed here again. In addition, in the various embodiments of this application, the means for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be implemented by the terminal device itself, or by a module (such as a chip or modem) in the terminal device, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions.

[0116] The content of the access network element can be referred to the access network element content discussed above, and will not be listed here again. Furthermore, in various embodiments of this application, the function of the access network element can also be implemented by the access network element itself, or by modules (such as chips) within the access network element, or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions, or by a control subsystem containing the access network element function. This control subsystem containing the access network element function can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities.

[0117] Access network elements and terminal devices can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the access network elements and terminal devices.

[0118] Data networks are used to provide services to terminal devices. Data networks can be deployed with services from operators or third parties, such as enterprises or media content generators. For example, a data network may deploy one or more service servers, which can be used to publish media data, such as video or audio data. For instance, for MoQ services, one or more MoQ media servers could be deployed in the data network.

[0119] At least one of the first network elements can include a relay or have relay functionality. For example, a relay enables the forwarding of media content between the data network and professional providers (such as operating content delivery networks, CDNs). A relay can also cache media content. When multiple subscribers request the same track, the relay can aggregate authorized subscriptions for a given subject, cache published content received from forwarding subscription requests, and share it among pending subscribers. Subscribers interact with the relay by sending a SUBSCRIBE control message for the track they are interested in. The relay must ensure that subscribers have access to the content associated with the track. Subscribers are used to subscribe to and receive subjects. In contrast to subscribers, publishers maintain a list of subscribers for each track, and based on congestion response, each new object belonging to a track within the subscription scope is forwarded to each active subscriber.

[0120] Among them, there are multiple possible implementations of at least one of the first network elements, which will be introduced below in conjunction with A1 to A3 respectively.

[0121] A1. The first network element includes access network elements and trunks. Alternatively, it can be described as an access network element with added trunk functionality or a trunk deployed there; in other words, the first network element is an access network element. The content of the access network element can be referred to in the previous discussion of access network elements, and will not be listed here again. In this case, the first network element can be replaced by an access network element. In this case, the first network element can directly interact with the terminal device to exchange service data.

[0122] For example, if the first network element is used to process MoQ services, then the first network element can be called the MoQ access network (MoQ RAN, MRAN).

[0123] A2, the first network element includes user plane network elements and trunks. In other words, a trunk function is added to a user plane network element or a trunk is deployed; or, the first network element is a user plane network element. A user plane network element is such as a UPF.

[0124] Under A2, the first network element can also be replaced by a user plane network element or a UPF, etc. In this case, the first network element can exchange service data with the terminal device through the access network element.

[0125] For example, if the first network element is used to process MoQ-related services (or MoQ services), then the first network element can be called a MoQ processing function (MPF).

[0126] Figure 2 illustrates an example where the first network element includes a UPF and a trunk. In this case, the first network element can directly transmit service data through the access network element.

[0127] A3. The first network element is a core network element other than the UPF in the core network, or in other words, an independent core network element with relay function has been added to the core network, or an independent core network element called a relay has been deployed in the core network. In this case, the first network element can interact with the terminal device through the user plane network element and the access network element in sequence.

[0128] All of the first network elements in the above-mentioned at least one first network element can be implemented by referring to any of the implementation methods in A1 to A3 above, or at least two network elements in the above-mentioned at least one first network element can be implemented by at least two of the implementation methods in A1 to A3 above, and there is no limitation in this regard.

[0129] This application does not specifically limit the implementation method or name of the first network element in the embodiments. Furthermore, Figure 2 illustrates that the number of first network elements is four, but the actual number of first network elements is not limited.

[0130] Based on their functions, first-level network elements can be divided into processing network elements for handling services and transparent transmission network elements for transmitting services. The terms "processing network element" and "transparent transmission network element" can be relative; for example, the same first-level network element might be a processing network element for one terminal device and a transparent transmission network element for another. Whether a first-level network element functions as a processing network element or a transparent transmission network element can be predefined by the protocol or determined by the service control network element (such as MCF), and is not limited in this respect.

[0131] First-level network elements can be categorized into edge relay elements and non-edge relay elements based on their distance from the terminal device. Edge relay elements are closest to the terminal device and provide first-hop relay services, such as handling the establishment of service connections and authenticating the terminal device. Non-edge relay elements do not provide first-hop relay services to the terminal device. For example, they may be the last first-level network element for uplink data packets leaving the operator's network, the first first-level network element for downlink data packets entering the operator's network, or intermediate network elements that provide relay services to other non-edge relay elements. The distinction between edge and non-edge relay elements is relative; the same first-level network element may be an edge relay element for one terminal device but a non-edge relay element for another.

[0132] Figure 3 illustrates another communication network provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 shows a terminal device, a first network element, a user plane network element, and a data network. Unlike Figure 2, Figure 3 shows the first network element as including an access network element and a relay, i.e., the implementation of the first network element is as shown in A2 above. In this case, the first network element can directly interact with the terminal device to exchange service data. The contents of the terminal device, access network element, user plane network element, and data network can be referred to the contents of the terminal device, access network element, user plane network element, and data network discussed separately with reference to Figure 2, and will not be listed here.

[0133] Figure 4 illustrates another communication network provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 shows a terminal device, an access network element, a user plane network element, at least one first network element, and a data network. Unlike Figure 2, the first network element in Figure 4 is an independent network element deployed separately in the core network, that is, the implementation of the first network element is the implementation shown in A3 above. In this case, the first network element can sequentially interact with the terminal device through the user plane network element and the access network element. The contents of the terminal device, access network element, user plane network element, first network element, and data network can be referred to the contents of the terminal device, access network element, user plane network element, first network element, and data network discussed in Figure 2, and will not be listed here.

[0134] Figure 5 illustrates a 5G communication network provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 is illustrated using a UE as the terminal device and (R)AN as the access network element. Figure 5 shows the UE, (R)AN, UPF, first network element, DN, service control network elements (such as MoQ control function (MCF)), policy control function (PCF), session management function (SMF), access and mobility management function (AMF), network slice selection function (NSSF), authentication server function (AUSF), unified data management (UDM) network element, unified data repository (UDR) network element, network exposure function (NEF), and application function (AF), etc.

[0135] Among them, the processing functions adopted by 3GPP or defined by 3GPP in the network have specific functions and interfaces defined by 3GPP. Network functions can be implemented as network elements in the form of dedicated hardware plus software instances, or they can exist as virtualized functional instances on appropriate platforms (such as cloud infrastructure).

[0136] UE, (R)AN, UPF, and DN generally belong to the user plane. These parts are called user layer network function entities. User data traffic can be transmitted through protocol data unit (PDU) sessions established between the UE and DN, and the transmission passes through the (R)AN and UPF network functions (or network elements or entities). The parts other than UE, (R)AN, UPF, and DN belong to the control plane. These parts can be called control layer network functions and entities, mainly responsible for authentication and authorization, registration management, session management, mobility management, and policy control, thereby achieving reliable and stable transmission of user layer traffic. The basic functions of these network elements are introduced below.

[0137] The contents of UE, access network element, UPF, first network element, and DN can be referred to the contents of terminal equipment, access network element, UPF, first network element, and DN discussed in Figure 2 above, and will not be listed here.

[0138] The service control network element, based on external information (media and user information sent by partner media sources) and information within the network, controls the routing, forwarding, and processing management of the first network element, enabling efficient service publishing and distribution within the network. Optionally, the service control network element can be an independent network element, or it can be deployed on other core network elements, such as on the SMF; there is no limitation on this.

[0139] PCF primarily supports providing a unified policy framework to control network behavior, providing policy rules to the control layer network functions, and is also responsible for obtaining user subscription information related to the policy.

[0140] The User Plane Function (SFF) is responsible for user plane function selection, user plane function redirection, IP address allocation, bearer establishment, modification and release, and QoS control. The SFF can also manage and control the transmission resources and scheduling functions that the User Plane Function (UPF) provides to terminal devices.

[0141] AMF (Access Controller Function) is a core network function primarily responsible for signaling processing, such as access control, mobility management, attach and detach, and gateway selection. When AMF provides services to a session in a terminal device, it provides control plane storage resources for that session, as well as storing the session identifier and the SMF identifier associated with the session identifier.

[0142] NSSF allows you to select slice instances for networks serving specific devices.

[0143] AUSF primarily provides authentication functions, supporting authentication for both 3GPP access and Non-3GPP access. For details, please refer to 3G...

[0144] UDM is responsible for the management of user identifiers, contract data, authentication data, and user service element registration management.

[0145] UDR is primarily responsible for storing structured data, including contract data, policy data, externally exposed structured data, and application-related data.

[0146] NEF primarily supports secure interaction between 3GPP networks and third-party applications. NEF can securely expose network capabilities and events to third parties to enhance or improve application service quality. Similarly, 3GPP networks can securely obtain relevant data from third parties to enhance network intelligent decision-making. At the same time, this network function supports recovering structured data from a unified database or storing structured data in a unified database.

[0147] AF primarily supports interaction with the 3GPP core network to provide services, such as influencing data routing decisions, policy control functions, or providing third-party services to the network side.

[0148] As standards continue to evolve, more network elements may emerge, and the names of these network elements may change; this is not limited.

[0149] Figure 6 illustrates a 5G communication network provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 is illustrated with the terminal device being UE, the access network element being (R)AN, the first network element including MRAN and MPF, the service control network element including MCF, and the DN including a service server as an example.

[0150] Figure 6 illustrates the terminal device, access network element, MRAN, at least one MPF, service server, and core network element of part of the control plane.

[0151] The content of terminal devices, access network elements, and MRAN can be referred to the content of terminal devices, access network elements, and MRAN discussed above, and will not be listed here again. At least one MPF includes, for example, a first MPF, a second MPF, and a third MPF. Service servers may include, for example, content source servers and content servers (i.e., CDN servers, etc.). Content source servers store the original content, and content servers can be deployed close to the user side to provide content to the user. Core network elements of the control plane include, for example, AMF, SMF, PCF, MCF, and NEF, etc. The content of PCF and NEF can be referred to the content of PCF and NEF discussed above, respectively.

[0152] For example, the terminal device can obtain content from the service server sequentially through the access network element, the first MPF, the second MPF, and the third MPF. Alternatively, the service server can also provide content to the terminal device sequentially through the third MPF, the second MPF, the first MPF, and the access network element. Here, the first MPF acts as a transparent transmission network element, the second MPF acts as an edge relay network element, and the third MPF can act as a non-edge relay network element. Optionally, the terminal device includes an application layer, a network protocol stack, and a communication module. The protocol stack can be understood as a collection of network communication protocols, and the protocol stack can include at least one protocol layer, each with its own function and protocol. The network protocol stack can be deployed in the terminal device's operating system (OS) or implemented in the application layer. The communication module includes, for example, the terminal device's modem.

[0153] The AMF (Automatic Mobility Management) can manage the mobility of the MRAN, access network elements, and terminal devices. The SMF (Supply Flow Management) can collaboratively establish sessions, such as PDU (Power Distribution Unit) sessions, thereby controlling parameters such as the data transmission rate of the second and third MPFs through these sessions. The MCF (Multi-Functional Communication) can control the MRAN, second MPF, and third MPF to perform data transmission or service processing.

[0154] Figure 7 illustrates a protocol stack for a terminal device, an access network element, and a first network element. As shown in Figure 7, the terminal device includes a network protocol stack and a wireless transmission protocol stack. The protocol stack can also be called a protocol library. The access network element includes a wireless transmission protocol stack and a tunneling protocol layer (such as the General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) layer). The first network element includes a tunneling protocol layer, such as the GTP layer. The structure of the protocol stack for an edge relay element can differ from that of a non-edge relay element. For example, the first network element, acting as an edge relay element, may include a GTP layer. The structure of the protocol stack for a non-edge relay element depends on the device it connects to. For instance, if a non-edge relay element connects to a service server, then the non-edge relay element may include a GTP layer and a network protocol stack. Optionally, the service server may include a network protocol stack.

[0155] Optionally, the wireless transmission protocol stack in the terminal device can also be replaced with a fixed access transmission protocol stack. For example, when the terminal device and the access network element transmit via Ethernet, the terminal device can include a fixed access transmission protocol stack. The wireless transmission protocol stack can be, for example, a 3GPP protocol stack.

[0156] A network protocol stack typically includes an application layer, a transport layer, and a network layer. The application layer is responsible for processing data specific to the application. The transport layer provides the communication protocol. The network layer is responsible for routing data packets. Optionally, all layers of the network protocol stack in a terminal device, except for the application layer, can be deployed within the terminal device's operating system.

[0157] The wireless transmission protocol stack includes the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, the Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and the Physical (PHY) layer. Optionally, the wireless transmission protocol stack in the terminal device can be deployed in the terminal device's modem.

[0158] The SDAP layer maps data into Quality of Service (QoS) streams. The PDCP layer provides data encryption protection. The RLC layer provides data segmentation and reassembly services. The MAC layer is responsible for channel mapping. The PHY layer is responsible for signal demodulation, modulation, encoding, and decoding.

[0159] GTP can be divided into the GTP-control plane (control, C) and the GTP-user plane (user, U), or the GTP layer includes the GTP-U layer or the GTP-C layer. GTP-C is used to transmit signaling data, and GTP-U is used to transmit user data.

[0160] Figure 7 illustrates the protocol stacks of the terminal device, access network element, and first network element, but in practice, the protocol stacks of the terminal device, access network element, and first network element are not limited. For example, if the first network element includes access network element and relay, then the protocol stack of the first network element may include a wireless transmission protocol stack and a GTP layer.

[0161] Any protocol layer in the aforementioned wireless transmission protocol stack or network protocol stack can support the corresponding protocol. The transport layer is used as an example below. The transport layer supports the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Correspondingly, the UDP protocol layer is one implementation of the transport layer. UDP is a connectionless protocol, meaning that a connection does not need to be established between the sender and receiver before data transmission. A Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC) protocol layer is introduced on top of the UDP layer. The QUIC protocol layer has functions such as error handling, reliability, flow control, and built-in security. Services implemented based on the QUIC layer or the QUIC protocol can be called QUIC services.

[0162] For example, consider a client communicating with a server. The client is the one requesting the service, and the server is the one providing the service. The client's initial data packet includes all or the beginning of its first encrypted handshake message, which the server interprets as a ClientHello. The server may need to parse the complete ClientHello before deciding whether to accept the new QUIC connection. However, the enhanced security of the QUIC protocol layer requires that the header of the QUIC packets exchanged between the client and server be encrypted. Neither the server, the client, nor any intermediate node in between can determine the information the client is requesting without parsing the complete data packet.

[0163] In addition to the QUIC protocol layer, a MoQ-bearing protocol layer (or MoQ protocol layer, or MoQ transport) was introduced. The MoQ protocol layer is a media transport protocol layer designed to run on the QUIC protocol layer or the Web Transport protocol layer.

[0164] In various embodiments of this application, the network protocol stack may include the corresponding protocol stacks such as QUIC protocol, transport control protocol (TCP), real-time transport protocol (RTP), real-time transport control protocol (RTCP), MoQ transport protocol (MoQT), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), or session initiation protocol (SIP), without specific limitations.

[0165] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the UDP layer and the MoQ protocol layer. As shown in Figure 8, the web page transport protocol layer is built on the basis of the QUIC protocol layer, and the MoQ protocol layer is built on the basis of either the web page transport protocol layer or the QUIC protocol layer.

[0166] Figure 9 shows a UDP layer data packet. Or, Figure 9 illustrates the encapsulation structure of the data packet corresponding to the UDP layer.

[0167] As shown in Figure 9(1), a UDP layer data packet includes a UDP layer header and a UDP layer payload. The UDP layer payload includes the QUIC protocol layer header and payload. The QUIC protocol layer payload includes the web page transport protocol layer header and payload. The web page transport protocol layer payload includes the MoQ protocol layer header and payload. The header represents the header corresponding to the protocol layer; some headers may also be called frame headers, etc., and their names are not limited. The header is generally used to carry control information for the data packet, while the payload is generally used to carry the actual data to be transmitted. In other words, the header carries the metadata of the data packet, used to control the transmission and processing of the data packet, while the payload carries the actual valid data to be transmitted in the data packet. Figure 9(1) illustrates the establishment of the MoQ protocol layer on top of the web page transport protocol layer.

[0168] As shown in Figure 9(2), the UDP layer data packet includes the UDP layer header and the UDP layer payload. The UDP layer payload includes the QUIC protocol layer header and the QUIC protocol layer payload. The QUIC protocol layer payload includes the MoQ protocol layer header and the MoQ protocol layer payload. The contents of the header and payload can be referred to the header and payload contents discussed above, and will not be listed here. Figure 9(2) illustrates the establishment of the MoQ protocol layer on the QUIC protocol layer.

[0169] The network architecture and business scenarios described in this application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0170] The method provided by the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings corresponding to the various embodiments of this application, all steps indicated by dashed lines are optional steps. Furthermore, the terminal device involved in the embodiments of this application can be, for example, any of the terminal devices shown in Figures 1 to 4, the UE involved in Figure 5, or the terminal devices involved in Figures 6 to 7; the access network element can be, for example, any of the access network elements involved in Figures 1 to 4, the (R)AN involved in Figure 5, or the access network element involved in Figure 6 or 7; the first network element, first MPF, or second MPF can be, for example, any of the first network elements shown in Figures 2 to 5, any MPF or MRAN involved in Figure 6, or the first network element involved in Figure 7; the service server can be, for example, a server in any of the DNs involved in Figures 2 to 5, or a service server involved in Figure 6 or 7, etc. The names of the devices or network elements involved here can also be various, and there is no limitation thereto. Furthermore, if the technical solutions provided in the various embodiments of this application are applied to other communication systems or as standards continue to evolve, the name and / or functions of the devices may change, but this is not a limitation.

[0171] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an embodiment of this application, and the various steps illustrated in Figure 10 will be described below.

[0172] S1001, The terminal device sends the first data packet.

[0173] For example, the first data packet corresponds to the header of the first protocol layer carrying (or carrying) first information, and the first data packet corresponds to the header and / or payload of the second protocol layer carrying (or carrying) first service data. The first information indicates that the first data packet corresponds to the first service, and the first service data is the service data corresponding to the first service. The header and payload of the second protocol layer are located within the payload of the first protocol layer.

[0174] Optionally, the terminal device can transmit data packets corresponding to multiple services in a single session, such as MoQ service, QUIC service, etc. This embodiment takes the service corresponding to the first data packet as the first service as an example. The first service can be, for example, a content distribution service or other services, specifically such as MoQ service, QUIC service, etc., without specific limitations. In this example where the service is the first service, the terminal device can encapsulate the first service data and first information corresponding to the first service to be sent layer by layer (or layer by layer) to obtain the first data packet.

[0175] For example, the terminal device sequentially calls the network protocol stack and the wireless protocol stack to encapsulate the first service data and the first information to obtain the first data packet. Since the first data packet is formed by encapsulation through multiple protocol layers, it corresponds to (or corresponds to) multiple protocol layers. Each of these multiple protocol layers may include a header (or packet header) and a payload. For example, the multiple protocol layers may include a first protocol layer and a second protocol layer. For instance, the first service data in the first data packet may be carried in the packet header and / or payload of the second protocol layer. Specifically, for example, the first service data may be carried in both the payload and the payload of the second protocol layer, or a portion of the first service data may be carried in the payload of the second protocol layer, and another portion may be carried in the packet header of the second protocol layer.

[0176] Optionally, the first service data can be service data that the terminal device expects to send, such as service data that the terminal device expects to store, or service data that it expects to be stored by a service server. Alternatively, the first service data can be target service data used to request the first service. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the content of the first service data.

[0177] The first information is carried in the header of the first protocol layer. For example, the application layer of the terminal device can transmit the first information, along with a data packet encapsulating the first service data, to the communication module (e.g., a modem) of the terminal device through the terminal device's operating system. The modem of the terminal device carries the first information in the header of the first protocol layer. The first information indicates the first service.

[0178] The content of the first business data is different, so the content of the first information is also different, or the way the first information indicates the first business is also different. The following will introduce them in conjunction with the situations shown in B1 or B2.

[0179] B1. The first service data is the service data that the terminal device expects to send.

[0180] Under B1, the first information includes the attribute information of the first service data, or in other words, the first information indicates the first service through the attribute information of the first service data. Optionally, the attribute information of the first service data includes at least one of the following C1 to C7.

[0181] C1. The URI corresponding to the first business data. The purpose of the URI is to identify the first business data used for storage, in order to help locate the first business data, but the URI does not provide a detailed description of the first business data.

[0182] C2, the domain name of the first business data, for example, the domain name of the host corresponding to the request to store the first business data.

[0183] C3. Namespace information for the first business data, such as the namespace information corresponding to the requested storage of the first business data. The content of the namespace can be referenced from the previously discussed content of namespaces, and will not be listed here again. Namespace information may include, for example, a namespace identifier.

[0184] C4. Subject information for the first business data, such as subject information corresponding to the requested storage of the first business data. The content of the subject can refer to the subject content discussed above, and will not be listed here.

[0185] C5. The address information of the host corresponding to the first business data, such as the address information of the host corresponding to the requested storage of the first business data, such as the host's Internet Protocol (IP) address or domain name.

[0186] C6. The quality flow identifier (QFI) corresponding to the first service data, for example, the QFI corresponding to the quality flow used to transmit the first service data.

[0187] At least one of the information items C1 to C6 mentioned above may be pre-stored in the terminal device or obtained by the terminal device from other core network elements, such as UDM or UDR, and there is no limitation on this.

[0188] C7. The identifier of the first business data, such as an identifier used to uniquely identify the first business data. Optionally, the identifier of the first business data may be an alias of the first business data, or QFI, etc., and its specific form is not limited.

[0189] The identifier for the first service data can be predefined by the protocol, configured by other network elements (such as service control network elements) to the terminal device, or determined by the terminal device itself; there are no restrictions on this.

[0190] For example, a service control network element (such as MCF) sends information about a first mapping relationship to the terminal device. Optionally, the service control network element can send the information about the first mapping relationship to the terminal device via an AON-access stratum (NAS) message or a user plane message. For example, the information about the first mapping relationship can be carried in the user route selection policy (URSP). The first mapping relationship indicates the correspondence between second information and the identifier corresponding to the second information, and the second information includes, for example, at least one of the information C1 to C6 mentioned above. Alternatively, the terminal device may pre-store the first mapping relationship. In this way, the terminal device can determine the identifier of the first service data based on the first mapping relationship and the second information.

[0191] In addition, the first information may also include other attribute information of the first business data, which is not limited.

[0192] B2. The first business data is used to request the target business data of the first business.

[0193] Under B2, the first information includes the attribute information of the target business data, or in other words, the first information indicates the first business through the attribute information of the target business data. Optionally, the attribute information of the target business data includes at least one of the following D1 to D7.

[0194] D1. The URI corresponding to the target business data. The URI corresponding to the target business data can be referred to the URI corresponding to the first business data discussed in section B1 above; it will not be listed here again.

[0195] D2. Domain name of the target business data. The domain name of the target business data can be referred to the domain name of the first business data discussed in B1 above, and will not be listed here.

[0196] D3. Namespace information of the target business data. The namespace information of the target business data can be found in section B1 above, which discusses the namespace information of the first business data; it will not be listed here again.

[0197] D4. Subject Information of Target Business Data. The subject information of the target business data can be referred to the subject information of the first business data discussed in B1 above, and will not be listed here.

[0198] D5. Address information of the host corresponding to the target service data. The address information of the host corresponding to the target service data can be referred to the content of the address information of the host corresponding to the first service data discussed in B1 above, and will not be listed here one by one.

[0199] D6. Service Quality Flow Identifier corresponding to the target business data. The service quality flow identifier corresponding to the target business data can be referred to the content of the service quality flow identifier corresponding to the first business data discussed in B1 above, and will not be listed one by one here.

[0200] At least one of the information items D1 to D6 mentioned above may be pre-stored in the terminal device or obtained by the terminal device from other core network elements, such as UDM or UDR, and there is no limitation on this.

[0201] D7. Identification of Target Business Data. The identification of target business data can refer to the identification of the first business data discussed in B1 above, and will not be listed one by one here.

[0202] The identifier of the target service data can be predefined by the protocol, or it can be configured by other network elements (such as service control network elements) to the terminal device, or it can be determined by the terminal device itself. There are no restrictions on this.

[0203] For example, a service control network element (such as MCF) sends a second mapping relationship to the terminal device. This second mapping relationship indicates the correspondence between third information and its corresponding identifier. The third information may include at least one of the information items D1 to D6 mentioned above. The method by which the service control network element sends the second mapping relationship to the terminal device can refer to the previous section on the service control network element sending the first mapping relationship to the terminal device, and will not be listed here. Alternatively, the terminal device may pre-store the second mapping relationship. In this way, the terminal device determines the identifier of the target service data based on the second mapping relationship and the third information.

[0204] To enhance information security, optionally, the first information carried in the packet header of the first protocol layer may be ciphertext information obtained by the terminal device based on encryption. For example, the terminal device encrypts the plaintext information corresponding to the first information based on the first encryption key to obtain the first information. The first encryption key may be predefined by the protocol or configured to the terminal device by a service control network element (such as MCF), and there is no limitation on this. For example, the service control network element may obtain the first encryption key from a certification authority (CA) or operator. The first encryption key may be a public or private key used to provide media distribution services within the network, such as the public key used to encrypt the media source. The service control network element may configure the first encryption key to the terminal device through NAS messages or user plane messages. For example, the first encryption key may be carried in the URSP. This improves the security of the first information. Alternatively, the first information may also be unencrypted plaintext information.

[0205] The first protocol layer used to carry the first information is a lower or outer protocol layer than the second protocol layer used to carry the first service data. Here, "lower" refers to the direction in which the terminal device invokes each protocol layer when encapsulating data packets. In other words, the second protocol layer is located within the first protocol layer. Alternatively, the header and payload of the second protocol layer are both located within the payload of the first protocol layer. For example, the first protocol stack can be a protocol layer in a wireless transmission protocol stack or a fixed access transmission protocol stack, such as the SDAP layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, or MAC layer. The SDAP layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, and MAC layer are, for example, the SDAP layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, and MAC layer in the terminal device shown in Figure 7. The second protocol layer can be a protocol layer in a network protocol stack, such as a transport layer or a network layer, specifically such as the QUIC protocol layer, TCP layer, RTP layer, RTCP layer, MoQ transport protocol layer, HTTP layer, or SIP layer, etc., without limitation. The network protocol stack is, for example, the network protocol stack in the terminal device shown in Figure 7.

[0206] Please refer to Figure 11, which is a schematic diagram of the first and second protocol layers provided in this application embodiment. Figure 11 uses SDAP as the first protocol layer and MoQ as the second protocol layer as an example. As shown in Figure 11 (1), the header of the SDAP layer carries the first information, and the payload of the SDAP layer includes the header and payload of the IP layer. The payload of the IP layer includes the header and payload of the UDP layer. The payload of the UDP layer includes the header and payload of the QUIC protocol layer. The payload of the QUIC protocol layer includes the header and payload of the web page transport protocol layer. The payload of the web page transport protocol layer includes the header and payload of the MoQ protocol layer. The payload of the MoQ protocol layer carries the first service data.

[0207] As shown in Figure 11(2), the SDAP layer header carries the first information, and the SDAP layer payload includes the IP layer header and the IP layer payload. The IP layer payload includes the UDP layer header and the UDP layer payload. The UDP layer payload includes the QUIC protocol layer header and the QUIC protocol layer payload. The QUIC protocol layer payload includes the MoQ protocol layer header and the MoQ protocol layer payload. The MoQ protocol layer payload carries the first service data.

[0208] Optionally, before the terminal device sends the first data packet, the service control network element may also send information about the first network element used to process the first service to the terminal device, so that the terminal device can send the first data packet. Alternatively, the information about the first network element used to process the first service may be predefined by a protocol, and there are no restrictions on this.

[0209] S1002, the first network element receives the second data packet.

[0210] For example, the second data packet corresponds to a header of the third protocol layer carrying fourth information, and the second data packet corresponds to a header and / or payload of the fourth protocol layer carrying second service data. The fourth information indicates that the second service data packet corresponds to the first service, and the second service data is the service data corresponding to the first service. The header and payload of the fourth protocol layer are located within the payload of the third protocol layer. The content of the second service data and the content of the fourth information can be referred to the content of the first service data and the content of the first information mentioned above, respectively, and will not be listed here.

[0211] The third protocol layer is a protocol layer in the wireless transmission protocol stack or the fixed access transmission protocol stack, such as the SDAP layer or the PDCP layer, and the fourth protocol layer is, for example, a protocol layer in the network protocol stack, such as the transport layer or the network layer. Alternatively, the third protocol layer is, for example, a tunneling protocol layer, such as the GTP layer, such as the GTP layer in any of the first network elements shown in Figure 7, specifically the GTP-U layer, and the fourth protocol layer is, for example, a protocol layer in the network protocol stack.

[0212] The implementation method of the first network element is different, so the first network element receives the second data packet in different ways. The following will introduce cases E1 to E3.

[0213] In scenario E1, the first network element is implemented as shown in A1 above, meaning it includes both access network elements and trunks. In this case, the first network element can directly receive the second data packet from the terminal device.

[0214] S1001 and S1002 can be alternatively described as follows: The terminal device sends a first data packet to the first network element. Correspondingly, the first network element receives the first data packet from the terminal device. In case E1, the second data packet is the same as the first data packet. Specifically, the first information and the fourth information are the same, the third protocol layer is the same as the first protocol layer, the fourth protocol layer is the same as the second protocol layer, and the first service data is the same as the second service data.

[0215] In scenario E2, the first network element is implemented as shown in A2 above, meaning it includes a user plane network element and a trunk. In this case, the first network element can receive the second data packet from the access network element.

[0216] In scenario E2, the specific steps shown in S1001 and S1002 may include: the terminal device sending a first data packet to an access network element, and the access network element sending a second data packet to the first network element. Alternatively, the specific steps shown in S1001 and S1002 may include: the terminal device sending a first data packet to an access network element, the access network element sending a fourth data packet to other first network elements, and other first network elements sending a second data packet to the first network element. Here, the other first network elements are one or more first network elements other than the first network element in the communication network, and these other first network elements are equivalent to transparent transmission network elements.

[0217] The fourth data packet corresponds to the header of the seventh protocol layer carrying the eighth information, and the fourth data packet corresponds to the header and / or payload of the eighth protocol layer carrying the fifth service data. The eighth information indicates that the fourth data packet corresponds to the first service, and the fifth service data is the service data corresponding to the first service. The header and payload of the eighth protocol layer are located within the payload of the seventh protocol layer. The fourth data packet may be the same as or different from the second data packet. The content of the eighth information can refer to the content of the fourth information, and will not be listed here. The content of the seventh protocol layer can refer to the content of the third protocol layer, and the content of the eighth protocol layer can refer to the content of the fourth protocol layer, and will not be listed here.

[0218] In scenario E2, the second data packet differs from the first data packet. For example, the third protocol layer differs from the first protocol layer, while the fourth protocol layer may be the same as the second protocol layer. For instance, the third protocol stack might be a tunneling protocol layer, and the fourth protocol stack might be either a wireless transmission protocol stack or a fixed access transmission protocol stack. The content of the second service data and the content of the fourth information can be referenced respectively to the content of the first service data and the first information discussed earlier, and will not be listed here.

[0219] In scenario E3, the first network element is implemented as shown in A3 above, meaning it is a core network element other than the UPF. In this case, the first network element can receive the second data packet from the UPF.

[0220] In scenario E3, the specific steps shown in S1001 and S1002 may include: the terminal device sending a first data packet to the access network element, the access network element sending a fourth data packet to the user plane network element, and the user plane network element sending a second data packet to the first network element.

[0221] In this case, the second data packet differs from the first data packet. The contents of the second data packet and the fourth data packet can be referred to in E2 above, respectively, and will not be listed here.

[0222] Regardless of which of the E1 to E3 scenarios is described above, since multiple service-related data packets may be transmitted through a single session, optionally, the first network element needs to identify the service corresponding to the second data packet, or in other words, the first network element needs to identify the first service and determine the processing strategy for that first service. Corresponding operations can be performed, which will be described below in conjunction with scenarios F1 or F2.

[0223] F1. The first network element can process the first service based on the second data packet.

[0224] For example, the first network element can parse the second data packet to obtain the fourth information. Based on the fourth information and the second service data, the first network element processes the first service. For instance, if the second service data is used to request storage of the second service data, the first network element can send the second service data to the corresponding service server, so that the service server stores the second service data. Alternatively, if the second service data is used to request the target service data of the first service, the first network element can obtain the target service data from the service server and send a data packet carrying the target service data back to the terminal device.

[0225] Optionally, before processing the second data packet, the first network element determines itself as the network element used for processing services.

[0226] For example, if the first network element is a network element used for processing services or a network element used for transmitting data, and this is predefined by the protocol, then the first network element can directly determine whether it is a network element used for processing services. Alternatively, the first network element can determine whether it is a network element used for processing services based on the indication of a service control network element (such as MCF).

[0227] Optionally, before processing the second data packet, the first network element determines that the first service is one of at least one services. Wherein, at least one service is a service that the first network element is capable of or supports processing, or in other words, the first network element has the capability to process at least one service.

[0228] For example, a service control network element can send information about at least one service to a first network element. This service information may indicate attribute information of the service data, including the URI corresponding to the service data, the domain name of the service data, the namespace information of the service data, the subject information of the service data, the address information of the host corresponding to the service data, or the quality of service flow identifier corresponding to the service data. The content of the service information can refer to the content of the second information discussed above, and will not be listed here. If the first network element determines that the fourth information matches the information of one of the at least one services, then it determines that the first service is one of the at least one services.

[0229] If the fourth information is ciphertext information obtained based on the first encryption key, for ease of matching, the first network element may optionally decrypt the fourth information based on the first decryption key, and then match the decrypted fourth information with information from at least one service. The first decryption key is either predefined by the protocol or configured by the service control network element for the first network element; there is no limitation on this. Optionally, the service control network element may obtain the first decryption key from a CA or the operator. The first decryption key and the first encryption key can be symmetric keys or asymmetric keys; there is no limitation on this. For example, the first encryption key is a private key, and the first decryption key is a public key. Optionally, the service control network element may send the first decryption key information to the first network element via NAS messages or user plane messages.

[0230] Optionally, if the fourth information is the identifier of the second service data, the first network element can also determine the fifth information based on the third mapping relationship and the fourth information. The fifth information indicates at least one of the following: the URI, domain name, namespace information, topic information, corresponding host address information, or corresponding Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifier of the second service data. The third mapping relationship indicates the correspondence between the identifier of the second service data and the fifth information. The third mapping relationship can be predefined by the protocol or configured by the service control network element for the first network element. This facilitates the first network element in matching the fifth information with information from at least one service. Optionally, the service control network element can send the third mapping relationship information to the first network element via NAS messages or user plane messages.

[0231] Alternatively, if the fourth information is the identifier of the target service data, then the first network element can also determine the sixth information based on the fourth mapping relationship and the fourth information. The sixth information indicates at least one of the following: the URI, domain name, namespace information, subject information, corresponding host address information, or corresponding Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifier of the target service data. The fourth mapping relationship indicates the correspondence between the identifier of the target service data and the sixth information. The fourth mapping relationship can be predefined by the protocol or configured by the service control network element for the first network element. This facilitates the first network element in matching the sixth information with the information of at least one service. The method by which the first network element obtains the fourth mapping relationship can refer to the method by which the service control network element obtains the third mapping relationship, as described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0232] Optionally, before processing the second data packet, the first network element can determine that it is a network element used for processing services, and determine that the first service is a service among at least one service. The content of determining that the first network element is a network element used for processing services, and the content of determining that the first service is a service among at least one service, can be referred to the content of determining that the first network element is a network element used for processing services, and the content of determining that the first service is a service among at least one service, respectively, as discussed above, and will not be listed here.

[0233] F2. After receiving the second data packet, the first network element sends the third data packet. In other words, the first network element does not process the second data packet but instead sends the third data packet. This is equivalent to the first network element not processing the first service.

[0234] The third data packet corresponds to the fifth protocol layer's header carrying seventh information, and the third data packet corresponds to the sixth protocol layer's header and / or payload carrying third service data. The seventh information indicates that the third data packet corresponds to the first service, and the third service data is the service data corresponding to the first service. The sixth protocol layer's header and payload are located within the fifth protocol layer's payload. The content of the third service data can be referred to as the content of the first service data mentioned earlier, and will not be listed here. Similarly, the content of the seventh information can be referred to as the content of the first information, and will not be listed here. The fifth protocol stack is, for example, the tunneling protocol layer, and the sixth protocol stack is a protocol layer in the network protocol stack.

[0235] Optionally, before sending the third data packet for processing, the first network element determines that it is a network element used for data transmission and / or determines that the first service is not a service among at least one service. The determination that the first network element is a network element used for data transmission can refer to the previous discussion on determining that the first network element is a network element used for service processing, and will not be repeated here. Similarly, the determination that the first service is not a service among at least one service can refer to the previous discussion on determining that the first service is a service among at least one service, and will not be repeated here.

[0236] In this embodiment, first information is carried at the first protocol layer, enabling the network side (such as the first network element) to identify the first service based on the first information. This allows the network side to selectively participate in the service processing flow, which is beneficial for optimizing data packet transmission. Furthermore, the network side can identify the first service without parsing the entire data packet, reducing the latency of identifying the first service and improving the efficiency of the communication network in processing services. Additionally, the terminal device can encrypt the first information to ensure its security.

[0237] The following example illustrates the communication method described in Figure 10, using at least one first network element in a communication network, including MRAN, first MPF, and second MPF, as an example. The first MPF is a transparent network element, and the second MPF is a processing network element. The example also illustrates a scenario where multiple service flows of a terminal device are mixed and transmitted in the same session, and the MPF needs to identify the data packet corresponding to the first service (e.g., MoQ service data packet) and perform corresponding processing.

[0238] Please refer to Figure 12, which is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The steps shown in Figure 12 will be described below.

[0239] S1201, The terminal device collaborates with other network elements to establish a session, and the session supports the transmission of data packets for multiple services.

[0240] For example, the terminal device can collaboratively establish a session with network elements such as MRAN and SMF. This session may be a PDU session.

[0241] S1202, the MCF sends information about at least one service to the second MPF. Correspondingly, the second MPF receives information about at least one service from the MCF. The information about at least one service can be referred to in Figure 10 above, and will not be listed here again.

[0242] S1203, The terminal device sends a first data packet to the MRAN. Correspondingly, the MRAN receives the first data packet from the terminal device.

[0243] Optionally, before the terminal device sends the first data packet, the MCF may also send second MPF information to the terminal device for processing the first service, so that the terminal device can send the first data packet. Alternatively, the second MPF information may be predefined by the protocol, and there are no restrictions on this.

[0244] For example, Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of the process of transmitting the first data packet. Figure 13 uses SDAP as the first protocol layer as an example. Oct in Figure 13 is an abbreviation for octal.

[0245] As shown in Figure 13(1), the application layer of the terminal device initiates a first service, such as the MoQ service, by calling the network protocol stack. The application layer can transmit the first service data and first information to the modem through the operating system. The modem of the terminal device can encapsulate the first information into the header of the first protocol layer, such as the SDAP layer, thereby obtaining the first data packet. Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the following: the URI, domain name, or namespace identifier of the first service data.

[0246] The contents of the SDAP layer encapsulated in the terminal device are shown in Figure 13(2). Oct1 includes data / control (D / C), reserve (R), and QFI. One or more Octs from Oct2 to OctN can carry the first information, and the remaining Octs can carry the first service data, where N is a positive integer, such as 2, 3, or an integer greater than 3. For example, Oct2 carries the first information, and Qoc3 to OctN carry the first service data.

[0247] The Data / Catch (D / C) indicator identifies whether the data packet belongs to the control or data class. The D / C length can be 1 bit. For example, a value of 0 indicates a control class data packet, and a value of 1 indicates a data class data packet. R indicates that the data packet carries service-related information, such as primary information. The QFI indicator identifies the QoS flow corresponding to the data packet.

[0248] As shown in Figure 13(3), the terminal device calls the SDAP layer to map the QoS flow carrying the first data packet to the data radio bearer (DRB), and the terminal device adds the first information to the SDAP header. Optionally, the terminal device can first determine whether the SDAP header is configured. If the SDAP header is not configured, the first information is added to the SDAP header. If the SDAP header is configured, the first data packet is sent to the MRAN.

[0249] S1204, MRAN extracts the first information and generates the fourth data packet.

[0250] The MRAN can receive the first data packet through a radio interface (such as a Uu interface or a PC5 interface), extract first information from the first protocol layer (such as the SDAP layer) of the first data packet according to instructions, and generate a fourth data packet based on the first information. For example, the MRAN carries eighth information in the header of the seventh protocol layer and fifth service data in the eighth protocol layer to generate the fourth data packet. The contents of the fourth data packet, the seventh protocol layer, the eighth protocol layer, the eighth information, and the fifth service data can be referred to the contents of the fourth data packet, the seventh protocol layer, the eighth protocol layer, the eighth information, and the fifth service data discussed above, and will not be listed here. Optionally, before executing S1004, the MRAN can determine that the MRAN is a network element used for data transmission, rather than a network element used for processing the first service.

[0251] For example, as shown in Figure 13(4), after the MRAN receives the first data packet, it can demap the DRB to the QoS flow, extract the SDAP layer header, parse the SDAP layer header, and obtain the first information. The content of the SDAP layer header is shown in Figure 13(5). The content of the SDAP layer header can be seen in Figure 13(2), and will not be listed here.

[0252] Taking the seventh protocol layer as the GTP-U layer as an example, the content of the GTP-U layer header can be seen in Figure 13 (6). The GTP-U layer extension header (or packet header) includes multiple Octs.

[0253] For example, Qct1 indicates the GTP-U layer's protocol version (V) (abbreviated as V), protocol type (PT), (*) (representing a GTP-U layer extension header or optional field, etc.), extension header flag (E), sequence number flag (S), and network layer protocol data unit number flag (N-PDU number flag, abbreviated as PN). N-PDU refers to the PDU in the network layer.

[0254] Qct2 indicates the message type. Qct3 indicates the length of the message in the first Oct. Qct4 indicates the length of the message in the second Oct. Qot5 indicates the tunnel endpoint indenter in the first Oct. Qot6 indicates the tunnel endpoint indenter in the second Oct. Oct7 indicates the tunnel endpoint indenter in the third Oct. Oct8 indicates the tunnel endpoint indenter in the fourth Oct. Oct9 indicates the number of sequences of the corresponding message in the first Oct. Oct10 indicates the number of sequences of the corresponding message in the second Oct. Oct11 indicates the number of N-PDUs. Oct12 indicates the next extension header type, such as indicating the eighth message. Further, Oct1 indicates the extension header length, Oct(2-m) indicates the content of the extension header, such as the content carrying the eighth message. Oct(m+1) can indicate other types of extension headers, etc.

[0255] After encapsulating the eighth information at the seventh protocol layer, MRAN obtains the fourth data packet and then sends the fourth data packet to the first MPF.

[0256] S1205, MRAN sends the fourth data packet to the first MPF. Correspondingly, the first MPF receives the fourth data packet from MRAN.

[0257] MRAN can determine the next node, such as the first MPF, based on the routing policy corresponding to the fourth data packet, and then send the fourth data packet to the first MPF.

[0258] S1206. If the first MPF transmits the network element, the first MPF generates the second data packet.

[0259] If the first MPF is a transparent network element, then the first MPF can determine the eighth information based on the fourth data packet, and carry the fourth information in the header of the third protocol layer, and carry the second service data in the header of the fourth protocol layer. The content of the fourth information can refer to the content of the fourth information discussed in Figure 10 above, and the content of the second service data can refer to the content of the second service data discussed in Figure 10 above.

[0260] For example, if both the third and seventh protocol layers are GTP-U layers, then the first MPF can, after receiving the eighth information of the fourth data packet in the extension header of the GTP-U layer, carry the fourth information in the extension header of the GTP-U layer when sending the data packet downstream, so as to generate the second data packet.

[0261] S1207. The first MPF sends the second data packet to the second MPF. Correspondingly, the second MPF receives the second data packet from the first MPF. Similarly, the first MPF can determine whether to send the second data packet to the second MPF based on the routing information corresponding to the fourth data packet.

[0262] S1208. If the first service is a service in at least one of the services, and the second MPF is a processing network element, the second MPF processes the first service.

[0263] If the second MPF is a network element used for processing services and the first service belongs to at least one service, then after receiving the fourth information of the second data packet at the third protocol layer (such as the extended header of the GTP-U layer), the second MPF can parse and process the second data packet. Furthermore, it can also process the first service. The processing of the first service can be referred to the content discussed in Figure 10 above, and will not be listed here. For example, the second MPF can determine whether the fourth information matches the information of one of the at least one services based on the fourth information. If the fourth information matches the information of one of the at least one services, then the first service is determined to be one of the at least one services.

[0264] The steps S1201, S1202, S1204 to S1206 and S1208 mentioned above are all optional steps, and are shown as dashed lines in Figure 12.

[0265] In this embodiment, the MRAN can identify the first service based on the first information, providing a mechanism for service identification. Furthermore, the network side (such as the MRAN, the first MPF, or the second MPF) can selectively process the first service, which is beneficial for optimizing data packet transmission. Additionally, the access network elements, such as the first MPF or the second MPF, can identify the first service without parsing the entire data packet, which helps reduce the latency of identifying the first service and improves the efficiency of the communication network in processing services.

[0266] The following example illustrates the communication method described in Figure 10, using at least one first network element in a communication network, including MRAN, first MPF, and second MPF, as an example. The first MPF is a transparent network element, and the second MPF is a processing network element. The example also illustrates a scenario where the first information includes the identifier of the target service data, multiple service flows of the terminal device are mixed and transmitted in the same session, and the MPF needs to identify the data packet corresponding to the first service (e.g., MoQ service data packet) and perform corresponding processing, and the MRAN cannot obtain the third information corresponding to the identifier of the target service data.

[0267] Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The steps shown in Figure 14 will be described below.

[0268] S1401, The terminal device collaborates with other network elements to establish a session, and the session supports the transmission of data packets for multiple services. The establishment of the session and the content of the session can be referred to the discussion of session establishment and session content in Figure 10 above.

[0269] S1402, the MCF sends the second mapping relationship information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second mapping relationship information from the MCF. The content of the second mapping relationship can be referred to the content of the second mapping relationship discussed in Figure 10 above.

[0270] Optionally, the MCF can also send second MPF information to the terminal device for processing the first service, so that the terminal device can send the first data packet. Alternatively, the second MPF information can be predefined by the protocol, and there are no restrictions on this.

[0271] S1403, the MCF sends information about at least one service and information about the fourth mapping relationship to the second MPF. Correspondingly, the second MPF receives information about at least one service and information about the fourth mapping relationship from the MCF. The content of the information about at least one service and the fourth mapping relationship can be referred to the content of the information about at least one service and the fourth mapping relationship discussed in Figure 10 above, and will not be listed here again. The MCF can send information about at least one service and information about the fourth mapping relationship to the second MPF simultaneously, or it can send the information about at least one service and information about the fourth mapping relationship separately; there is no limitation on this.

[0272] S1404, The terminal device sends a first data packet to the MRAN. Correspondingly, the MRAN receives the first data packet from the terminal device.

[0273] The content of the first data packet generated by the terminal device can be referred to the content of the first data packet generated by the terminal device as described in Figure 12 above, and will not be listed here. Optionally, the terminal device can obtain third information and determine the identifier of the target service data based on the third information and the second mapping relationship. In this embodiment of the application, the first information in the first data packet includes the identifier of the target service data as an example.

[0274] S1405, MRAN extracts the first information and generates the fourth data packet.

[0275] The content of the first information, the content of the fourth data packet, the content of the first information extracted by MRAN, and the content of the fourth data packet generated can be referred to the content of the first information, the content of the fourth data packet, the content of the first information extracted by MRAN, and the content of the fourth data packet generated in Figure 10 above, respectively, and will not be listed here.

[0276] S1406, MRAN sends a fourth data packet to the first MPF. Correspondingly, the first MPF receives the fourth data packet from MRAN. Optionally, in the embodiment shown in Figure 14, the process of transmitting data packets between the terminal device and MRAN can also refer to the process of transmitting data packets shown in Figure 13 above. In addition, optionally, the terminal device can interact with a service control network element (such as MCF) to obtain information on the second mapping relationship in order to determine the identifier of the target service data.

[0277] S1407. If the first MPF is a transparent network element, the first MPF generates the second data packet.

[0278] The contents of the second data packet, the contents of the first MPF determining it as a transparent network element, and the contents of generating the second data packet can be referred to the contents of the second data packet, the contents of the first MPF determining it as a transparent network element, and the contents of generating the second data packet discussed in Figure 10 above, and will not be listed here.

[0279] S1408, the first MPF sends a second data packet to the second MPF. Correspondingly, the second MPF receives the second data packet from the first MPF.

[0280] S1409. If the first service is a service in at least one service, and the second MPF is a processing network element, the second MPF processes the first service.

[0281] Optionally, the second MPF can obtain the identifier of the target service data based on the fourth information in the second data packet, and obtain the sixth information based on the identifier of the target service data and the fourth mapping relationship. The first MPF can then match the sixth information with the information of at least one service. If the sixth information matches the information of one of the at least one services, the first service is determined to be one of the at least one services. The processing of the first service can refer to the processing of the first service described in Figure 10 above, and will not be listed here.

[0282] The steps S1401 to S1403, S1405 to S1407 and S1409 mentioned above are all optional and are shown as dashed lines in Figure 14.

[0283] In this embodiment, the first information can carry the identifier of the target service data. Compared with carrying the third information, this reduces the number of bits occupied by the first information. While ensuring that the network side can identify the first service based on the first information, it can also minimize the resources required for the transmission of the first data packet. Furthermore, the terminal device can transmit necessary information, such as the fourth information, to the network processing node (e.g., the second MPF) without encrypting the first information. This is equivalent to the terminal device achieving information pass-through to the access network element, but the access network element cannot perceive the content of the target service data based on the identifier of the target service data, thus ensuring that the privacy of user service information is not perceived by the access network element.

[0284] The following example illustrates the communication method described in Figure 10, using at least one first network element in a communication network, including MRAN, first MPF, and second MPF, as an example. The first MPF is a transparent network element, and the second MPF is a processing network element. The example also illustrates the scenario where the first information is encrypted information, and multiple service flows of the terminal device are mixed and transmitted in the same session, and the MPF needs to identify the data packet corresponding to the first service (e.g., MoQ service data packet) and perform corresponding processing, and the MRAN cannot decrypt the first information.

[0285] Please refer to Figure 15, which is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The steps shown in Figure 15 will be described below.

[0286] S1501, the terminal device collaborates with other network elements to establish a session, and the session supports the transmission of data packets for multiple services. The establishment of the session and the content of the session can be referred to the discussion of session establishment and session content in Figure 12 above.

[0287] S1502, the MCF sends the first encryption key to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first encryption key from the MCF. The content of the first encryption key can be referred to in Figure 12 above.

[0288] Optionally, the MCF can also send second MPF information to the terminal device for processing the first service, so that the terminal device can send the first data packet. Alternatively, the second MPF information can be predefined by the protocol, and there are no restrictions on this.

[0289] S1503, the MCF sends information about at least one service and a first decryption key to the second MPF. Correspondingly, the second MPF receives information about at least one service and a first decryption key from the MCF. The content of the information about at least one service and the first decryption key can be referred to in Figure 12 above, and will not be listed here again. The MCF can send information about at least one service and the first decryption key to the second MPF simultaneously, or it can send them separately; there is no limitation on this.

[0290] S1504, The terminal device sends a first data packet to the MRAN. Correspondingly, the MRAN receives the first data packet from the terminal device.

[0291] The content of the first data packet generated by the terminal device can be referred to the content of the first data packet generated by the terminal device as described in Figure 12 above, and will not be listed here. Optionally, the terminal device can obtain the encrypted ciphertext information, i.e., the first information, based on the first encryption key. In this embodiment of the application, the first information is used as the encrypted ciphertext information as an example. The terminal device's modem encrypts based on the first encryption key, or the terminal device's application layer encrypts based on the first encryption key, without specific limitations.

[0292] S1505 and MRAN extract the first information and generate the fourth data packet.

[0293] The content of the first information, the content of the fourth data packet, the content of the first information extracted by MRAN, and the content of the fourth data packet generated can be referred to the content of the first information, the content of the fourth data packet, the content of the first information extracted by MRAN, and the content of the fourth data packet generated in Figure 12 above, respectively, and will not be listed here.

[0294] S1506, MRAN sends a fourth data packet to the first MPF. Correspondingly, the first MPF receives the fourth data packet from MRAN. Optionally, in the embodiment shown in Figure 15, the process of transmitting data packets between the terminal device and MRAN can also refer to the process of transmitting data packets shown in Figure 13 above. In addition, optionally, the terminal device can interact with a service control network element (such as MCF) to obtain information about the first encryption key.

[0295] S1507. If the first MPF is a transparent network element, the first MPF generates the second data packet.

[0296] The contents of the second data packet, the contents of the first MPF determining it as a transparent network element, and the contents of generating the second data packet can be referred to the contents of the second data packet, the contents of the first MPF determining it as a transparent network element, and the contents of generating the second data packet discussed in Figure 12 above, and will not be listed here.

[0297] S1508, the first MPF sends a second data packet to the second MPF. Correspondingly, the second MPF receives the second data packet from the first MPF.

[0298] S1509. If the first service is a service in at least one of the services, and the second MPF is a processing network element, the second MPF processes the first service.

[0299] Optionally, the second MPF can obtain the fourth information in the second data packet, and based on the first decryption key, obtain the decrypted fourth information. The first MPF can then match the decrypted fourth information with the information of at least one service. If the decrypted fourth information matches the information of one of the at least one services, then the first service is determined to be one of the at least one services. The processing of the first service can refer to the processing of the first service described in Figure 12 above, and will not be listed here.

[0300] The steps S1501 to S1503, S1505 to S1507 and S1509 mentioned above are all optional and are shown as dashed lines in Figure 15.

[0301] In this embodiment, the terminal device encrypts and the second MPF decrypts the information related to the first service sent with the data packet. This allows the terminal device to transmit necessary service information to the network processing node (such as the second MPF), while also enabling information pass-through to the access network elements. This ensures that the privacy of user service information is not perceived by the access network elements, and eliminates the need for the MCF to send mapping relationship information to the terminal device or the second MPF, thus reducing processing complexity and increasing the flexibility of the solution implementation.

[0302] Based on the same inventive concept, this application provides a communication device. The following describes any of the communication devices illustrated in Figures 16 and 17. These communication devices may be, for example, any of the terminal devices shown in Figures 1 to 4, the UE involved in Figure 5, the terminal devices involved in Figures 6 and 7, any of the access network elements involved in Figures 1 to 4, the (R)AN involved in Figure 5, the access network element involved in Figure 6 or 7, or any of the first network elements shown in Figures 2 to 5, any of the MPF or MRAN involved in Figure 6, the first network element involved in Figure 7, etc., or may be modules in these devices, etc., without specific limitation.

[0303] As shown in Figure 16, the communication device 1600 may include modules or units for implementing the methods described in the embodiments above. In one possible design, the communication device 1600 includes a processing unit 1610 and a communication unit 1620. The communication unit 1620 is used to perform transmit and receive operations, such as functions related to sending and receiving; the communication unit 1620 may be referred to as a transceiver unit; optionally, the communication unit 1620 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The processing unit 1610 is used to perform processing operations. Alternatively, the communication unit 1620 may be a transmitter and a receiver, or a transmitter and a receiver. Optionally, the communication device 1600 may also include a storage unit 1630. The storage unit 1630 is used to store the device's program code or data.

[0304] In the first embodiment, the communication device 1600 may be a terminal device in the method embodiments shown in FIG10, FIG12, FIG14 or FIG15, a module (such as a communication module, circuit or chip) in the terminal device in the method embodiments shown in FIG10, FIG12, FIG14 or FIG15, or a device for implementing the functions of the terminal device.

[0305] In the above embodiment, the communication unit 1620 is used to send the first data packet.

[0306] The communication device 1600 can also perform other steps executed by the terminal device in the method embodiments shown in Figures 10, 12, 14 or 15 above, which will not be listed here one by one.

[0307] In the second embodiment, the communication device 1600 may be the first network element involved in FIG10, the second MPF shown in FIG10, FIG12, FIG14 or FIG15, a module (such as a communication module, circuit or chip) in the first network element or the second MPF, or implement the functions of the first network element or the second MPF.

[0308] In the above embodiment, the communication unit 1620 is used to receive the second data packet. Optionally, the processing module 1610 is used to process the first service.

[0309] The communication device 1600 can also perform other steps performed by the first network element involved in Figure 10 above, and other steps performed by the second MPF shown in Figures 10, 12, 14 or 15, which will not be listed here one by one.

[0310] In the third embodiment, the communication device 1600 may be the access network element involved in FIG10, the second MRAN shown in FIG12, FIG14 or FIG15, a module (such as a communication module, circuit or chip) in the access network element or MRAN, or implement the functions of the access network element or MRAN.

[0311] In the above embodiments, the communication unit 1620 is used to receive the first data packet and send the fourth data packet, etc.

[0312] The communication device 1600 can also perform other steps performed by the access network element involved in Figure 10 above, and other steps performed by the MRAN shown in Figures 12, 14 or 15, which will not be listed here one by one.

[0313] In the fourth embodiment, the communication device 1600 may be the first network element involved in FIG10, the first MPF shown in FIG12, FIG14 or FIG15, the module (such as communication module, circuit or chip) in the first network element or the first MPF, or implement the function of the first network element or the first MPF.

[0314] In the above embodiment, the communication unit 1620 is used to receive a second data packet and send a third data packet, etc.

[0315] The communication device 1600 can also perform other steps performed by the first network element involved in Figure 10 above, and other steps performed by the first MPF shown in Figures 10, 12, 14 or 15, which will not be listed here one by one.

[0316] In one possible design, when the communication device 1600 is a terminal device, a communication module within a terminal device, an access network element, or a communication module within an access network element, the function of the processing unit 1610 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core. The function of the communication unit 1620 can be implemented by a transceiver circuit.

[0317] In one possible design, when the communication device 1600 is a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in a terminal device, or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in an access network element, such as a modem chip or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing unit 1610 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 1620 can be implemented by the interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the aforementioned chip.

[0318] It is understood that the division of units in the above-described device is merely a logical functional division. Each function can correspond to a functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the aforementioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Whether a function is executed in hardware or software 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.

[0319] In one example, the functional unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as: one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more DSPs, or one or more FPGAs, or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms.

[0320] In one example, storage unit 1630 may include random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory or electrically erasable programmable memory and / or registers, etc.

[0321] The communication device shown in Figure 17 will now be described. As shown in Figure 17, the communication device 1700 includes a processor 1710. Optionally, the communication device 1700 also includes an interface circuit 1720 and a memory 1730. The processor 1710 and the interface circuit 1720 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 1720 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. The memory 1730 is used to store instructions executed by the processor 1710, or to store input data required by the processor 1710 to execute instructions, or to store data generated after the processor 1710 executes instructions. The interface circuit 1720 and the memory 1730 are optional modules and are shown in Figure 17 with dashed boxes. In addition, Figure 17 shows an example with one processor 1710 and one memory 1730, but the number of processors 1710 and memory 1730 is not actually limited.

[0322] The communication device 1700 is used to implement other steps performed by the terminal device in the method embodiments shown in Figures 10, 12, 14, or 15 above, which will not be listed here individually. Alternatively, the communication device 1700 is used to implement other steps performed by the access network element involved in the method embodiment shown in Figure 10 above, or by the MRAN involved in the method embodiments shown in Figures 10, 12, 14, or 15 above, which will not be listed here individually. Alternatively, the communication device 1700 is used to implement other steps performed by the first network element in the method embodiment shown in Figure 10 above, or by the second MPF involved in the method embodiments shown in Figures 10, 12, 14, or 15 above, which will not be listed here individually. Alternatively, the communication device 1700 is used to implement other steps performed by the first MPF involved in the method embodiments shown in Figures 10, 12, 14, or 15 above, which will not be listed here individually.

[0323] Optionally, the processor 1710 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1610, and the interface circuit 1720 is used to implement the functions of the communication unit 1620.

[0324] When the aforementioned communication device 1700 is a chip applied to a device (such as the terminal device or access network element mentioned above), the device chip implements the functions of the device in the above method embodiments. The device chip receives information from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) within the device, the information being sent to the device by other devices; or, the device chip sends information to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) within the device, the information being sent to other devices by the device. Here, the communication device 1700 can be a baseband chip of a device, or a DU or other module. The DU here can be a DU under an open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture.

[0325] The processor 1710 can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. Furthermore, the memory involved in the various embodiments of this application can include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM). The memory can also include non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drives (HDDs), or solid-state drives (SSDs).

[0326] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application provide a communication system. The communication system includes a terminal device and a first network element. Optionally, the system further includes an access network element and other first network elements.

[0327] The terminal device can implement the functions of the terminal device shown in the method embodiments of Figures 10, 12, 14, or 15. The first network element can implement the functions of the first network element shown in Figure 10, or the functions of the second MPF shown in the method embodiments of Figures 12, 14, or 15. The access network element can implement the functions of the access network element involved in Figure 10, or the functions of the MRAN shown in the method embodiments of Figures 12, 14, or 15. Other first network elements can, for example, implement the functions of the first MPF shown in the method embodiments of Figures 12, 14, or 15.

[0328] Based on the same inventive concept, this application provides a chip system comprising a processor and an interface. The processor is used to call and execute instructions from the interface, and when the processor executes the instructions, it implements the method embodiments shown in Figures 10, 12, 14, or 15.

[0329] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer programs or instructions that, when run, implement the method embodiments shown in Figures 10, 12, 14, or 15.

[0330] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application provide a program product that, when executed, enables a processor to implement the method embodiments shown in Figures 10, 12, 14, or 15. This program product is, for example, a computer program product, specifically, a computer program and / or instructions. The processor is, for example, a processor running in a computer, or the program product may be referred to as a computer program product.

[0331] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0332] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0333] The various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be based on its function and internal logic.

Claims

A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a first data packet, the first data packet corresponding to the header of the first protocol layer carrying first information, and the first data packet corresponding to the header and / or payload of the second protocol layer carrying first service data, the first information indicating that the first data packet corresponds to the first service, the first service data being the service data corresponding to the first service, and the header and payload of the second protocol layer being located within the payload of the first protocol layer. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information indicates that the first data packet corresponds to the first service, including: The first information includes attribute information of the first service data, or attribute information of the target service data of the first service requested by the first service data. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The attribute information of the first business data includes at least one of the following: The Uniform Resource Identifier corresponding to the first business data; The domain name of the first business data; Namespace information of the first business data; Thematic information of the first business data; The address information of the host corresponding to the first service data; The service quality flow identifier corresponding to the first service data; or, The identifier of the first business data. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The identifier of the first service data is the identifier corresponding to the second information, wherein the second information includes at least one of the following: Uniform Resource Identifier, domain name, namespace information, topic information, host address information, or Quality of Service Flow Identifier corresponding to the first service data. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The attribute information of the target business data includes at least one of the following: The Uniform Resource Identifier corresponding to the target business data; The domain name of the target business data; Namespace information of the target business data; The subject information of the target business data; The address information of the host corresponding to the target service data; The service quality flow identifier corresponding to the target service data; or, The identifier of the target business data. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The identifier of the target business data is the identifier corresponding to the third information, wherein the third information includes at least one of the following: Uniform Resource Identifier, domain name, namespace information, topic information, host address information, or Quality of Service Flow Identifier corresponding to the target business data. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first piece of information is encrypted information. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The first protocol layer is a protocol layer in a wireless transmission protocol stack or a fixed access transmission protocol stack; and / or, The second protocol layer is a protocol layer in the network protocol stack. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The second data packet is received. The second data packet carries fourth information in the header of the third protocol layer, and the second data packet carries second service data in the header and / or payload of the fourth protocol layer. The fourth information indicates that the second service data packet corresponds to the first service, and the second service data is the service data corresponding to the first service. The header and payload of the fourth protocol layer are located within the payload of the third protocol layer. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The fourth information indicates that the second data packet corresponds to the first service, including: The fourth information includes attribute information of the second business data, or attribute information of the target business data of the first business requested by the second business data. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The attribute information of the second business data includes at least one of the following: The Uniform Resource Identifier corresponding to the second business data; The domain name of the second business data; The namespace information of the second business data; The subject information of the second business data; The address information of the host corresponding to the second service data; The service quality flow identifier corresponding to the second business data; or, The identifier of the second business data. The method according to claim 10 or 11 is characterized in that, The identifier of the second business data is the identifier corresponding to the fifth information, wherein the fifth information includes at least one of the following: Uniform Resource Identifier, domain name, namespace information, topic information, host address information, or Quality of Service Flow Identifier corresponding to the second business data. The method according to claim 10 or 11 is characterized in that, The attribute information of the target business data includes at least one of the following: The Uniform Resource Identifier corresponding to the target business data; The domain name of the target business data; Namespace information of the target business data; The subject information of the target business data; The address information of the host corresponding to the target service data; The service quality flow identifier corresponding to the target service data; or, The identifier of the target business data. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The identifier of the target business data is the identifier corresponding to the sixth information, wherein the sixth information includes at least one of the following: Uniform Resource Identifier, domain name, namespace information, topic information, host address information, or Quality of Service Flow Identifier corresponding to the target business data. The method according to any one of claims 9-14, characterized in that, The fourth piece of information is encrypted information; the method further includes: The fourth piece of information is decrypted to obtain plaintext information. The method according to any one of claims 9-15, characterized in that, The third protocol layer is a tunneling protocol layer; The fourth protocol layer is a protocol layer in the network protocol stack. The method according to any one of claims 9-16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the fourth information, process the first service; or... A third data packet is sent, the third data packet corresponding to the header of the fifth protocol layer carrying seventh information, and the third data packet corresponding to the header and / or payload of the sixth protocol layer carrying third service data, the seventh information indicating that the third data packet corresponds to the first service, the third service data being the service data corresponding to the first service, and the header and payload of the sixth protocol layer being located within the payload of the fifth protocol layer. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, Before processing the first service based on the fourth information, the method further includes: The first network element is determined to be a network element used to process the first service; and / or, The first service is determined to belong to at least one service, wherein the at least one service includes services that the first network element can process. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, Before sending the third data packet, the method further includes: The first network element is determined to be the network element used for transmitting data packets; and / or, It is determined that the first service does not belong to at least one service, wherein the at least one service includes services that the first network element can process. The method according to claim 17 or 19, characterized in that, The fifth protocol layer is a tunneling protocol layer; and / or, The sixth protocol layer is a protocol layer in the network protocol stack. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive a first data packet, the first data packet corresponding to the header of the first protocol layer carrying first information, and the first data packet corresponding to the header and / or payload of the second protocol layer carrying first service data, the first information indicating that the first data packet corresponds to the first service, the first service data being the data corresponding to the first service, and the header and payload of the second protocol layer being located within the payload of the first protocol layer; A fourth data packet is sent, the fourth data packet corresponding to the header of the seventh protocol layer carrying eighth information, and the fourth data packet corresponding to the header and / or payload of the eighth protocol layer carrying fifth service data, the eighth information indicating that the fourth data packet corresponds to the first service, the fifth service data being the service data corresponding to the first service, and the header and payload of the eighth protocol layer being located within the payload of the seventh protocol layer. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The first protocol layer is a protocol layer in a wireless transmission protocol stack or a fixed access transmission protocol stack; and / or, The second protocol layer is a protocol layer in the network protocol stack. The method according to claim 21 or 22 is characterized in that, The seventh protocol layer is a tunneling protocol layer; and / or, The eighth protocol layer is a protocol layer in the network protocol stack. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Modules or units for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1-8; A module or unit for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 9-20; or, A module or unit for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 21-23. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes one or more processors, which are configured to execute computer programs or instructions in memory such that the communication device implements the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-8, the method as claimed in any one of claims 9-20, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 21-23. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is executed, it causes the processor to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-8, the method as claimed in any one of claims 9-20, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 21-23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-8, the method as described in any one of claims 9-20, or the method as described in any one of claims 21-23.

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