Communication method, and apparatus

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of communications. Provided are a communication method and an apparatus, which are used for reducing sensing delay. The method comprises: receiving a first message, and determining a first user plane network element on the basis of the first message, wherein the first message requests the establishment of a user plane connection for a sensing service of a terminal, the first user plane network element is used for processing user plane data of a communication service, the first user plane network element supports a first sensing function, and the first sensing function is used for processing the user plane data of the sensing service.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411817623.8, filed on December 10, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Fifth-generation (5G) networks can deploy harmonized communication and sensing (HCS) base stations to enhance their sensing capabilities, applying radar sensing capabilities to base stations and enabling them to possess additional sensing functions. For example, base stations can time-division multiplex or space-division multiplex communication and sensing resources to achieve simultaneous communication and perception of the surrounding environment or objects. Specifically, the sensing function of base stations can be used for detection in security scenarios where cameras cannot be installed, such as in specific industrial parks where base station sensing can detect intrusions by drones or other flying objects. In traffic scenarios, base station sensing (such as roadside stations) can perform functions such as traffic flow statistics and vehicle navigation.

[0004] Sensing typically requires a time delay, and excessive delay can lead to the invalidation of sensed data. Therefore, how to reduce the time delay of sensing is a current research problem. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to reduce the latency of perception.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising: receiving a first message and determining a first user plane network element based on the first message. The first message requests the establishment of a user plane connection for a terminal's sensing service, the first user plane network element is used to process user plane data of the communication service, the first user plane network element supports a first sensing function, and the first sensing function is used to process user plane data of the sensing service.

[0008] Optionally, the method described in the first aspect is applied to, or executed by, a session management network element, or applied to the device corresponding to the session management network element, or to the circuits, chips, chip systems, software, or modules within the device. Of course, the above example uses a session management network element; this method can also be applied to any other possible function / network element / entity / device, without limitation. For ease of understanding, the following description uses a session management network element as an example.

[0009] Therefore, if the first message request establishes a user plane connection for the terminal's sensing service, the session management network element can select a user plane network element co-located with the first sensing function, such as the first user plane network element. That is, the first user plane network element is not only used to process user plane data of communication services, but also supports the first sensing function. The user plane data used for sensing services can be processed by the first user plane network element through the user plane connection and fed back to the terminal, which can reduce the sensing latency and meet the higher latency requirements of the sensing service.

[0010] In one possible design, determining the first user plane network element based on the first message includes: determining the first user plane network element based on the sensing service information included in the first message. That is, the session management network element can be triggered to select a user plane network element that supports the first sensing function through the sensing service information, avoiding coupling with the existing processing logic, such as selecting a conventional user plane network element.

[0011] Optionally, the information for sensing services includes one or more of the following: the type of sensing service, the latency requirements of the sensing service, or indication information, wherein the indication information indicates the user plane network element that supports the first sensing function, and is used to implicitly / explicitly indicate the user plane network element that supports the first sensing function, so that the session management network element can determine the first user plane network element, rather than the conventional user plane network element.

[0012] Optionally, determining the first user plane network element includes: determining whether a terminal session has been established; if a terminal session has been established, determining whether the second user plane network element corresponding to the terminal session supports the first sensing function; if the second user plane network element supports the first sensing function, then determining the second user plane network element as the first user plane network element; if the second user plane network element does not support the first sensing function, then determining the first user plane network element that supports the first sensing function; if no terminal session has been established, determining the first user plane network element that supports the first sensing function.

[0013] In other words, the session management network element can prioritize reusing the user plane network element corresponding to the session to avoid the overhead of reselecting the user plane network element. Even when a session has not been established for a terminal or the user plane network element corresponding to the session does not support the first-awareness function, the session management network element can also reselect a user plane network element that supports the first-awareness function to meet the requirements of the sensing service.

[0014] In one possible approach, identifying the first user plane network element supporting the first perception function includes: sending a second message to the network repository function and receiving a third message from the network repository function, the third message including information about the first user plane network element. In other words, the session management network element can find user plane network elements supporting the first perception function by reusing existing network function discovery, which is more compatible with the standards.

[0015] For example, the second message may include one or more of the following: the type of sensing service, or the latency requirements of the sensing service, to indicate that the sensing service has low latency requirements, ensuring that user plane network elements supporting the first sensing function can be discovered.

[0016] For example, the second message also includes the area of ​​the sensing service, and the location of the first user plane network element is matched with the area of ​​the sensing service to further reduce the latency of sensing.

[0017] In another possible approach, identifying the first user plane network element that supports the first sensing function includes: obtaining information about the first user plane network element from the first message, which has less overhead than discovering the first user plane network element through other network elements.

[0018] In another possible approach, identifying a first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function includes: sending a fourth message to a second sensing function and receiving a fifth message from the second sensing function. The fourth message requests information about user plane network elements supporting the first sensing function for sensing services. The second sensing function is used to process control plane data for sensing services. The fifth message includes information about the first user plane network element. In other words, the session management network element can discover user plane network elements supporting the first sensing function through the second sensing function, decoupling from existing network element discovery methods and enabling greater flexibility.

[0019] Furthermore, determining whether to establish a terminal session includes: determining whether to establish a terminal session based on the terminal information included in the first message.

[0020] In one possible design, the method described in the first aspect may further include: sending terminal information to a second sensing function, so that the second sensing function can determine the correspondence between the session management network element and the terminal, thereby being able to find the session management network element based on the correspondence when the terminal requests a sensing service. The second sensing function is used to process control plane data for sensing services.

[0021] Optionally, sending terminal information to the second sensing function includes: sending terminal information to the second sensing function according to the terminal's subscribed sensing service, so as to avoid sending redundant information and wasting overhead.

[0022] In one possible design, the method described in the first aspect may further include: establishing a user plane connection between the access network device and the first user plane network element for sensing services, wherein the terminal accesses the access network device, and the user plane data for sensing services can be sent to the first user plane network element for processing through the user plane connection, and the result is fed back to the terminal through the user plane connection.

[0023] Optionally, establishing a user plane connection between the access network device and the first user plane network element for a sensing service includes: sending first information to the access network device and sending second information to the first user plane network element; the first information includes one or more of the following for establishing the user plane connection: an identifier of the sensing service or information of the first user plane network element; the second information includes one or more of the following for establishing the user plane connection: an identifier of the sensing service or information of the access network device, so that both the access network device and the first user plane network element can obtain each other's information, thereby realizing the establishment of a user plane connection.

[0024] In one possible design, the method described in the first aspect may further include: sending third information to the second sensing function, the terminal accessing the access network device, the third information including one or more of the following for establishing a user plane connection: the identifier of the sensing service, the information of the first user plane network element, or the information of the access network device, so that the second sensing function can send this information to the access network device and the first user plane network element respectively, so that the access network device and the first user plane network element can also obtain each other's information, thereby realizing the establishment of a user plane connection.

[0025] Secondly, a communication method is provided, comprising: receiving service information from a terminal; determining, based on the service information, a user plane network element supporting a first sensing function for a sensing service; and sending a first message to a session management network element serving the terminal. The service information indicates the terminal's sensing service; the user plane network element is used to process user plane data of the communication service; the first sensing function is used to process user plane data of the sensing service; and the first message requests the establishment of a user plane connection for the sensing service, wherein the user plane connection is a connection including a user plane network element supporting the first sensing function.

[0026] Optionally, the method described in the second aspect is applied to the second sensing function, or to the device corresponding to the second sensing function, or to the circuits, chips, chip systems, software, or modules in the device. Of course, the above uses the second sensing function as an example, and the method can also be applied to any other possible function / network element / entity / device, etc., without limitation. For ease of understanding, the following description uses the second sensing function as an example.

[0027] The second sensing function is used to process control plane data for sensing services.

[0028] In one possible design scheme, based on the service information, the user plane network element supporting the first sensing function is determined. This includes: based on the information of the sensing service included in the service information, the user plane network element supporting the first sensing function is determined. That is, the information of the sensing service can be used to trigger the second sensing function instruction to select the user plane network element supporting the first sensing function, avoiding coupling with the existing processing logic, such as selecting an independently configured first sensing function.

[0029] Optionally, the information for sensing services includes one or more of the following: the type of sensing service, the latency requirements of the sensing service, or indication information, wherein the indication information indicates the user plane network element that supports the first sensing function.

[0030] In one possible design, the first message includes information about the perceived business.

[0031] Optionally, the first message may also include terminal information, and the method may further include: determining the session management network element based on the terminal information.

[0032] For example, the method described in the second aspect may further include: upon receiving information from a terminal in a session management network element, determining that the session management network element corresponds to the terminal; and determining the session management network element based on the terminal information, including: determining the session management network element corresponding to the terminal based on the terminal information.

[0033] In one possible design, the method described in the second aspect may further include: receiving a fourth message from a session management network element; determining a first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function based on the fourth message; and sending a fifth message to the session management network element. The fourth message requests information about a user plane network element used for sensing services and supporting the first sensing function, and the fifth message includes information about the first user plane network element.

[0034] Optionally, determining the first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function according to the fourth message includes: determining at least one user plane network element supporting the first sensing function according to the fourth message, and determining a first user plane network element that matches the type and / or region of the sensing service from the at least one user plane network element to meet the low latency requirements of the sensing service.

[0035] In one possible design, the first message includes information about a first user plane network element that supports the first sensing function.

[0036] In one possible design, the method described in the second aspect may further include: establishing a user plane connection between the access network device and the first user plane network element for sensing services, the terminal accessing the access network device, and the first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function.

[0037] Optionally, establishing a user plane connection between the access network device and the first user plane network element for the sensing service includes: receiving third information from the session management network element, sending first information to the access network device, and sending second information to the first user plane network element. The first information includes one or more of the following for establishing the user plane connection: an identifier of the sensing service, or information of the first user plane network element; the second information includes one or more of the following for establishing the user plane connection: an identifier of the sensing service, or information of the access network device; and the third information includes one or more of the following for establishing the user plane connection: an identifier of the sensing service, information of the first user plane network element, or information of the access network device.

[0038] It is understood that other technical effects of the method described in the second aspect can also refer to the relevant introduction of the method described in the first aspect above, and will not be repeated here.

[0039] Thirdly, a communication device is provided. This communication device is used to perform the communication method described in either the first or second aspect.

[0040] In this application, the communication device described in the third aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0041] It should be understood that the communication apparatus described in the third aspect includes modules, units, or means that implement the communication method described in either the first or second aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units for performing the functions involved in the aforementioned communication method.

[0042] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor configured to execute the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0043] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fourth aspect and other communication devices.

[0044] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a memory. This memory may be integrated with the processor or disposed separately. The memory may be used to store computer programs and / or data related to the communication method described in either the first or second aspect.

[0045] In this application, the communication device described in the fourth aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0046] Fifthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor executing a computer program stored in the memory, such that the communication device performs the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0047] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fifth aspect and other communication devices.

[0048] In this application, the communication device described in the fifth aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0049] A sixth aspect provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the communication device to perform the communication method described in either the first or second aspect.

[0050] In one possible design, the communication device described in the sixth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the sixth aspect and other communication devices.

[0051] In this application, the communication device described in the sixth aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0052] A seventh aspect provides a communication device comprising: a processor; the processor being configured to be coupled to a memory, and after reading a computer program from the memory, to execute a communication method as described in any implementation of the first or second aspect according to the computer program.

[0053] In one possible design, the communication device described in the seventh aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the seventh aspect and other communication devices.

[0054] In this application, the communication device described in the seventh aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0055] Eighthly, a processor is provided. The processor is configured to execute the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0056] Ninthly, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes one or more terminal devices and one or more network devices.

[0057] A tenth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium comprising: a computer program or instructions; which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0058] Eleventhly, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0059] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication devices described in the third to eleventh aspects above can be referred to the technical effects of the communication methods described in the first or second aspects above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0060] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the application scenarios of sensing;

[0061] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the sensing transmission and reception;

[0062] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the 5GS architecture;

[0063] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in the embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0069] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as Wi-Fi systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as long-term evolution (LTE) systems, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems.

[0070] The technical terms and related technical solutions in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0071] 1. Wireless Sensing:

[0072] Existing wireless signals in the environment (sound, light, radio frequency signals, etc.) can be used "additionally" to sense the environment while fulfilling their primary functions (lighting, communication, etc.). Taking radio frequency signals as an example, radio waves generated by a transmitter undergo physical phenomena such as direct propagation, reflection, and scattering during propagation, thus forming multiple propagation paths. As a result, the multipath superposition signal formed at the receiver carries information reflecting the signal propagation space. Wireless sensing technology (or sensorless scene sensing technology) utilizes this characteristic to analyze changes in wireless signals during propagation, obtaining the characteristics of the signal propagation space (channel) to achieve scene perception. During wireless communication, electromagnetic waves transmit signals while propagating through space, also carrying environmental information. For example, if a mobile phone receives a weak Wi-Fi signal, it may be because the phone is far from the wireless router; conversely, if the Wi-Fi signal strength drops sharply, it may be because the phone has entered a specific enclosed space such as an elevator. In this example, the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is used as a characteristic to infer the phone's location and its environment. The selection of signal features has a crucial impact on sensing accuracy, reliability, and model generalization ability.

[0073] Radar sensing is a common wireless sensing technology. By analyzing the characteristics of received target echoes, it extracts and discovers the target's position, shape, motion characteristics, and trajectory, and can further infer the characteristics of the target and its environment. Radar sensing has several advantages compared to other sensors. For example, compared to visual sensors, radar sensing is unaffected by lighting conditions, has the ability to penetrate obstructions, and can better protect personal privacy; compared to ultrasonic technology, radar sensing has a longer range and does not harm people or animals. As shown in Figure 1, radar sensing can support a wide range of applications. For instance, millimeter-wave radar is already widely used in automotive driver assistance systems to detect pedestrians and vehicles ahead, enabling collision avoidance warnings. Furthermore, radar sensing has many potential applications in homes, smart buildings, autonomous driving, and wearable devices. Currently, with the continuous development of new low-power, small radar sensors, radar sensing has been applied to many smart devices and electronic products.

[0074] The technological advantage of radar sensing lies in its ability to detect motion. It observes and interprets the target's motion state, such as direction and speed, through the Doppler effect of the target's echo. When using multi-channel sensors, radar sensing can also observe the target's motion from different perspectives. By acquiring the target's motion state from various angles and combining instantaneous and historical information for analysis, it can distinguish complex motions. The following is a simple explanation of existing sensing methods and algorithms using the detection of the presence and direction of a target object:

[0075] Device A sends a sensing signal, and device B detects the sensing signal.

[0076] Device B determines whether a target has passed through the detection area based on changes in the intensity of the wireless received signal from the sensed signal. This method is primarily used for line-of-sight (LOS) detection. Alternatively, Device B performs filtering and noise reduction on the amplitude and phase information in the channel state information of the sensed signal, and analyzes the processed channel state information to obtain the target's direction of movement within the monitoring area. This method can replace the method of detecting the intensity of the wireless received signal, improving target detection accuracy, and is mainly used for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) detection.

[0077] With the development of 5G networks, the demand for new network capabilities based on sensing is gradually emerging. For example, in certain scenarios of smart cities and smart transportation, the need to acquire relative positions and angles between objects, as well as to sense the distance, speed, and shape of target objects, is becoming increasingly apparent. To meet these business needs, 5G networks should be further enhanced to have the ability to assist wireless networks in sensing, that is, to apply radar sensing technology to 5G networks, and even future networks, or future communication systems. For example, 5G networks can deploy integrated sensing and communication base stations to enhance the sensing capabilities of base stations, applying radar sensing capabilities to base stations, enabling base stations to also have sensing functions. For example, base stations can perform time-division multiplexing or space-division multiplexing of communication resources and sensing resources to achieve communication while simultaneously sensing the surrounding environment or objects. Specifically, the sensing function of base stations can be used for detection in security scenarios where cameras cannot be installed, such as in specific industrial parks where the sensing function of base stations can detect intrusions by flying objects such as drones, or in traffic scenarios, the sensing function of base stations (such as roadside stations) can perform functions such as traffic flow statistics and vehicle navigation.

[0078] Furthermore, terminals in 5G networks can also possess sensing capabilities to perceive their surrounding environment or objects. For example, as shown in Figure 2(a), a terminal sends a sensing measurement signal and collects sensing signals reflected onto other objects in the surrounding environment to achieve perception of the surrounding environment or objects; this is also known as self-transmission and self-reception. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2(b), terminal A sends a sensing measurement signal, and terminal B transmits and collects sensing signals reflected onto other objects in the surrounding environment to achieve perception of the surrounding environment or objects; this is also known as A transmits and B receives.

[0079] 2.5G network architecture:

[0080] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system (5GS).

[0081] As shown in Figure 3, 5GS includes: access network (AN) and core network (CN), and may also include: terminals.

[0082] A terminal can be a terminal that supports transmission, reception, and sensing functions, or it can be a chip or chip system installed in the terminal, or a device containing the terminal. The terminal can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station (MS), mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user equipment. The terminals in the embodiments of this application may be mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, tablets, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, smart home devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), intelligent robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicle-mounted terminals, and roadside units with terminal functions. The terminal in this application can also be an onboard module, onboard unit, onboard component, onboard chip, or onboard unit that is built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The terminal device can also be other devices with terminal functions; for example, it can be a device that functions as a terminal in D2D communication.

[0083] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device that supports the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete components.

[0084] The aforementioned Access Network (AN) is used to implement access-related functions. It can provide network access functionality for authorized users in a specific area and determine transmission links of different quality based on user level and service requirements to transmit user data. The AN forwards control signals and user data between the terminal and the Network Access Network (CN). The AN may include access network equipment, also known as radio access network (RAN) equipment. The CN is primarily responsible for maintaining the mobile network's subscription data and providing terminals with functions such as session management, mobility management, policy management, and security authentication. The CN network mainly includes the following network elements: User Plane Function (UPF) network elements, Authentication Server Function (AUSF) network elements, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network elements, Session Management Function (SMF) network elements, Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) network elements, Network Exposure Function (NEF) network elements, Network Function Repository Function (NRF) network elements, Policy Control Function (PCF) network elements, Unified Data Management (UDM) network elements, Unified Data Repository (UDR) network elements, Sensing Function (SF) network elements, and Application Function (AF) network elements.

[0085] RAN equipment can also be called access network equipment or network equipment. Access network equipment or network equipment can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, or it can be a chip or chip system embedded in the device, or a device containing access network equipment. Access network equipment is located in the access network (AN) of a communication system and is used to provide access services to terminals. Access network equipment or network equipment can be non-terrestrial equipment, such as satellites, drones, high-altitude balloons, etc. Access network equipment or network devices can be, or include, 5G, such as a future node B (gNB) in a new radio (NR) system, or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a 5G base station. They can also be network nodes constituting a gNB, transmission and reception point (TRP) or transmission point (TP), or transmission measurement function (TMF), such as a central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), CU-control plane (CP), CU-user plane (UP), or radio unit (RU), RSU with base station functionality, or wired access gateway, or 5G core network elements, etc. Alternatively, access network devices can also include: access points (APs) in Wi-Fi systems, wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small cells), relay stations, access points, wearable devices, vehicle-mounted equipment, etc. In future communication systems, access network devices may have other naming methods, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0086] CU and DU can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). It is understood that network equipment can also be CU nodes, DU nodes, or devices comprising both CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, a CU can be classified as a network device within an AN or a network device within a CN; no restrictions are placed here.

[0087] 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 radio access network (ORAN) system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0088] UPF network elements are primarily responsible for user data processing (forwarding, receiving, billing, etc.). For example, a UPF network element can receive user data from a data network (DN) and forward that data to the terminal through access network equipment. A UPF network element can also receive user data from a terminal through access network equipment and forward that data to the DN. DN network elements refer to the operator's network that provides data transmission services to users. Examples include Internet Protocol (IP), IP Multimedia Service (IMS), and the Internet.

[0089] A DN can be an external network of an operator or a network controlled by the operator, used to provide services to terminal devices.

[0090] The AUSF network element is mainly used to perform security authentication for terminals.

[0091] AMF network elements are primarily used for mobility management in mobile networks. Examples include user location updates, user network registration, and user handover.

[0092] SMF network elements are primarily used for session management in mobile networks. This includes tasks such as session establishment, modification, and release. Specific functions include assigning Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to users and selecting UPF network elements that provide packet forwarding capabilities.

[0093] The PCF network element 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 acquiring user subscription information related to policy decisions. The PCF network element can provide policies to the AMF and SMF network elements, such as Quality of Service (QoS) policies and slice selection policies.

[0094] NSSF network elements are mainly used to select network slices for terminals.

[0095] NEF network elements are primarily used to support the opening of capabilities and events.

[0096] UDM network elements are mainly used to store user data, such as subscription data and authentication / authorization data.

[0097] UDR network elements are mainly used to store structured data, including contract data, policy data, externally exposed structured data, and application-related data.

[0098] AF primarily supports interaction with CN to provide services, such as influencing data routing decisions, policy control functions, or providing third-party services to the network side.

[0099] The sensing function (SF) mainly receives sensing data sent from the RAN or UE and determines the sensing results.

[0100] Therefore, 5G network sensing (or sensing services) utilizes NR RF capabilities to acquire sensing data of the environment or objects within it, and then transmits this data to SF network elements via the control plane for processing to obtain sensing results for the objects, such as size, speed, or location. Compared to other 5G network services (e.g., positioning), sensing services generate significantly more data. Simply transmitting sensing data to SF network elements via the control plane may not meet latency requirements; therefore, reducing sensing latency is a current research challenge.

[0101] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application proposes the following technical solutions. The technical solutions in this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0102] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0103] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being better or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "example" is intended to present the concept in a specific manner.

[0104] First, in this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing "information" for indicating A, it can include whether the information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the information carries A.

[0105] The information indicated by a given piece of information is called the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or its index. It can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be indicated. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing the indication overhead to some extent. Simultaneously, the common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by individually indicating the same information. Furthermore, the specific indication method can also be any existing indication method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations. Specific details of various indication methods can be found in existing technologies, and will not be elaborated upon here. As can be seen from the above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In the specific implementation process, the required instruction method can be selected according to specific needs. This application embodiment does not limit the selected instruction method. Therefore, the instruction methods involved in this application embodiment should be understood to cover various methods that can enable the party to be instructed to know the information to be instructed.

[0106] The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. This configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling, and physical layer signaling. MAC layer signaling includes, for example, a MAC control element (CE); physical (PHY) layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI).

[0107] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the first, second, and various numerical designations are merely distinctions for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, to distinguish different indication information.

[0108] Third, "pre-set," "predefined," or "pre-configured" can be achieved by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other means of indicating relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices), or by pre-defining them in a protocol. This application does not limit the specific implementation method. "Saving" can refer to saving in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into the encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others are integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not specifically limit this either.

[0109] Fourth, the “protocol” involved in the embodiments of this application may refer to standard protocols in the field of communication, such as 3GPP’s LTE protocols (such as technical specification (TS) 36, i.e., the TS36 series of technical specifications), NR protocols (such as the TS38 series of technical specifications), and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not make any specific limitations on this.

[0110] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating 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.

[0111] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating 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.

[0112] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application will be described in detail first using the communication system shown in FIG4 as an example. Exemplarily, FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system to which the method provided in the embodiments of this application is applicable.

[0113] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the communication system architecture, which mainly includes: session management network element and sensing function.

[0114] The session management network element can be the SMF mentioned above, or in future communication systems, the SMF can be replaced by a network element / entity that implements the functions in the embodiments of this application, and the specific naming is not limited.

[0115] The sensing function can adopt a split architecture, such as separating it into a first sensing function and a second sensing function.

[0116] The first sensing function can be used to process user plane data for sensing services. For example, it can receive user plane data (i.e., sensing data) from sensing services through a sensing user plane connection, perform calculations on the sensing data, and feed back the calculated sensing results through the sensing user plane connection to meet the requirements of low-latency sensing. Since the control plane and user plane are separate, the first sensing function can also be deployed independently, such as within a campus, to ensure that sensing data does not leave the campus and to guarantee data privacy and security. The first sensing function can also be called a sensing user plane function (SF-U / SF-UP), or a sensing function user plane entity, or any other possible name; there are no specific restrictions. The second sensing function can be used to process control plane data for sensing services, or to implement the functions of the sensing control plane, such as sensing capability registration and establishing sensing user plane connections for sensing services. The second sensing function can also be called a sensing control plane function (SF-C / SF-CP), or a sensing function control plane entity, or any other possible name; there are no specific restrictions.

[0117] As shown in Figure 5, the first sensing function can be co-located with the user plane network element. The user plane network element can be the aforementioned UPF, or in future communication systems, the UPF can be replaced with a network element / entity that implements the same function as in the embodiments of this application; the specific naming is not limited. In other words, the user plane network element can not only process user plane data for communication services, such as user plane data for audio and video services in communication scenarios, but also support the first sensing function, thus also processing user plane data for sensing services. Compared to the method where the first sensing function establishes a sensing user plane connection with the terminal separately, when the first sensing function is co-located with the user plane network element, the first sensing function can reuse the connection of the user plane network element, further reducing latency.

[0118] As shown in Figure 5, the interfaces between various network elements / functions / devices are also illustrated. For example, the interface between the terminal and the RAN device is an air interface (Uu interface); the interface between the RAN device and the AMF network element is the N2 interface; the interface between the AMF network element and the UDM network element is the N8 interface; and the interface between the PCF network element and the NEF network element is the N5 interface. In some examples, the interface between the SF-C and these network elements may be referred to as the NSx interface, or other names. One example is given below, without limitation: the interface between the UDM network element and the SF-C may be NS3; the interface between the PCF network element and the SF-C may be NS5; the interface between the NEF network element and the SF-C may be NS2; and the interface between the SF-C and the UPF network element may be NS6.

[0119] Based on this, if the second sensing function requests to establish a user plane connection for the terminal's sensing service, the session management network element can select a user plane network element co-located with the sensing function, such as the first user plane network element. In this case, the first user plane network element not only processes the user plane data of the communication service, but also supports the first sensing function. The user plane data used for sensing services can be processed by the first user plane network element through the user plane connection and fed back to the terminal, which can reduce the sensing latency and meet the higher latency requirements of the sensing service.

[0120] It should be understood that the communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to the network / entity / function shown in Figures 4-5. Specific implementations can be found in the following method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. The solutions in this application embodiment can also be applied to other communication systems, and the corresponding names can be replaced with the names of the corresponding functions in other communication systems.

[0121] It should also be understood that Figures 4-5 are simplified schematic diagrams for ease of understanding only, and the communication system may also include other network devices and / or other terminal devices, which are not shown in Figures 4-5.

[0122] The interaction flow between various networks / entities / functions in the above-described communication system will be specifically described below with reference to Figure 6 through method embodiments. The communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to the above-described communication system, specifically to session management network elements, or devices corresponding to session management network elements, or circuits, chips, chip systems, software, or modules in such devices, as well as to the second sensing function, or devices corresponding to the second sensing function, or circuits, chips, chip systems, software, or modules in such devices. Of course, the above uses session management network elements and the second sensing function as examples; this method can also be applied to any other possible functions / network elements / entities / devices, etc., without limitation. For ease of understanding, the following description uses session management network elements and the second sensing function as examples.

[0123] As shown in Figure 6, the flow of this communication method is as follows:

[0124] S601, the second sensing function receives service information from the terminal.

[0125] The service information indicates the terminal's perceived service. The service information can be carried in a service request message or any other possible message. The service request message is an example name, and it can also be replaced with service message, perception message, or first message, etc., without any specific limitation.

[0126] Business information may include terminal information, which may include one or more of the following: terminal identifier or terminal session information, which will be described below.

[0127] a) The terminal identifier can be used to uniquely identify the terminal. The terminal identifier may include one or more of the following: such as a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI), or a generic public subscription identifier (GPSI), or any possible identifier that can be used to identify the terminal as defined in the future.

[0128] (b) A terminal session can be a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session, or any other possible type of session in the future, without limitation. Taking a PDU session as an example, the session information can include one or more of the following: a session identifier or a terminal address. The session identifier can be a PDU session ID, and the terminal address can be the address used by the terminal to transmit data within the terminal's session, such as the terminal's IP address, or any other possible address, without limitation.

[0129] It should be understood that the terminal can also send the terminal's session information to the second sensing function through other messages, decoupling it from the sensing service request, allowing for more flexible information transmission. It should also be understood that if the terminal does not request to establish a session, or if the terminal requests to establish a session but the session has not yet been established, the terminal's information may not include the session information; or if the session has been established, the terminal may choose not to provide the session information. This is entirely up to the terminal, and the embodiments in this application do not impose any restrictions.

[0130] Business information may also include information about sensing services, such as one or more of the following: the identifier of the sensing service, the type of sensing service, the sensing requirements of the sensing service, the area of ​​the sensing service, or instruction information (denoted as instruction information #1), which will be introduced below.

[0131] 1) The identifier of a sensing service can be used to indicate a sensing service, or to indicate a similar sensing service. For example, Sensing service ID #1 can identify a traffic sensing service, and Sensing service ID #2 can identify a weather sensing service.

[0132] 2) The types of sensing services can include sensing services with low latency requirements or sensing services without low latency requirements. For example, the type of sensing service can indicate the broad category of the sensing service, such as indicating type A or type B. Type A represents sensing services with low latency requirements, such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) services / intelligent transportation, or sensing services where both the requester and the participant are terminals, requiring real-time knowledge of the state of the sensed object and having high requirements for sensing response latency. Type B represents sensing services without low latency requirements, such as weather / air quality sensing services, which have lower requirements for sensing response latency than type A. Furthermore, the type of sensing service can also indicate specific sensing services, such as indicating sensing services like traffic flow analysis, target tracking, and ranging in V2X / intelligent transportation scenarios, implicitly representing sensing services with low latency requirements, or indicating sensing services like weather and air quality, implicitly representing sensing services without low latency requirements. Alternatively, the type of perceived service can also be represented by slice information, such as the data network name (DNN) or single network slice selection assistance.

[0133] Information (S-NSSAI), different DNNs / S-NSSAIs can represent different types of sensing services.

[0134] 3) The sensing requirements of a sensing service may include one or more of the following: the accuracy of the sensing service, the resolution of the sensing service, or the latency requirements of the sensing service. The accuracy of the sensing service indicates the granularity / degree of precision required in sensing the object being sensed. For example, the unit of distance accuracy could be xx meters, and the unit of speed accuracy could be xx meters per second. The resolution of the sensing service is similar to the accuracy and can be understood by referring to it; it will not be elaborated further. The latency requirements of the sensing service indicate the latency that the sensing service needs to meet. This latency can be the sensing response latency, such as the latency between sending a sensing signal and responding (e.g., providing feedback on the sensing result), such as xx milliseconds (ms).

[0135] 4) The sensing service area indicates the region where the sensing service needs to be executed, i.e., the sensing area, which can specifically be information about that area. This information can be represented by geometric (geographical) location information, such as province, city, district, or coordinate values, latitude and longitude ranges, etc., or it may be represented by topological (network) location information that can be identified by network elements within the core network, such as data network access identifier (DNAI), track area identifier (TAI), TAI list, area identifier (ID), area ID list, cell ID, or cell ID list, etc.

[0136] 5) Indication information #1 can indicate the user plane network element that supports the first sensing function, or in other words, the user plane network element co-located with the first sensing function. The user plane network element can be used to process user plane data for communication services, such as a UPF network element. For details, please refer to the relevant introduction in the above communication system; it will not be repeated here. The first sensing function can be used to process user plane data for sensing services. Indication information #1 can be explicit information, such as newly defined / added information elements in the service information. Alternatively, indication information #1 can be implicit information; for example, the sensing service type indicates a high-latency-requirement type of sensing service, meaning that a user plane network element supporting the first sensing function needs to be determined to reduce latency and meet the high-latency requirement; another example is that the latency requirement of the sensing service indicates that the sensing service needs to meet a relatively small latency, such as less than or equal to a certain latency threshold, indicating that the sensing service has a high-latency requirement, meaning that a user plane network element supporting the first sensing function needs to be determined to reduce latency and meet the high-latency requirement; yet another example is that the message carrying service information, such as the first message, can be a new message type, so that the user plane network element supporting the first sensing function can be determined through the new message type.

[0137] In this embodiment, the terminal can send service information to the second sensing function when it needs to perform sensing services (such as sensing initiated by the terminal's application layer). The service information can be sent directly by the terminal to the second sensing function, such as through the air interface, or through other 5GC network elements (such as AMF network elements and / or SMF network elements), such as first sending it to other 5GC network elements through the air interface and then having them forward it to the second sensing function. There are no specific restrictions on the specific method.

[0138] S602, the second sensing function determines, based on the service information, the user plane network element that supports the first sensing function for the sensing service.

[0139] The second sensing function can determine, based on the sensing service information included in the service information, the user plane network element that supports the first sensing function for the sensing service, or in other words, the user plane network element that is co-located with the first sensing function for the sensing service.

[0140] S603, the second sensing function sends a first message to the session management network element serving the terminal. The session management network element receives the first message.

[0141] The first message requests the establishment of a user plane connection for the terminal's sensing services. The user plane connection includes a connection of user plane network elements that support the first sensing function. The first message can be a sensing request message or any other possible message. The sensing request message is an example name, and it can also be replaced with sensing request message, sensing user plane request message, etc., without any specific limitation.

[0142] The first message may include terminal information, which can be referred to in the relevant description of S601 above, and will not be repeated here. That is, when the second sensing function receives service information, it can encapsulate the terminal information carried by the service information into the first message. The first message may also include information about the sensing service, such as one or more of the following: the type of sensing service, the sensing requirements of the sensing service, the area of ​​the sensing service, or indication information (denoted as indication information #2), used to implicitly / explicitly indicate the user plane network element supporting the first sensing function, so that subsequent session management network elements can determine the first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function, instead of a conventional user plane network element. The type of sensing service, the sensing requirements of the sensing service, and the area of ​​the sensing service can be referred to in the relevant description of S601 above, and will not be repeated here. Indication information #2 and indication information #1 can be different information (e.g., different cell structures or types). Indication information #2 can also explicitly / implicitly indicate the user plane network element supporting the first sensing function, similar in principle to indication information #1 above; please refer to the explanation for further understanding, and will not be repeated here. Alternatively, indication information #2 and indication information #1 can be the same information. In other words, when the second sensing function receives the business information, it can also encapsulate the sensing business information carried by the business information into the first message, in which the indication information #1 can be replaced with the indication information #2, or not replaced.

[0143] Optionally, the first message may also include information about the user plane network element supporting the first sensing function, such as information about the first user plane network element. The first user plane network element is used to process user plane data for communication services (i.e., the function of the UPF network element), and the first user plane network element also supports the first sensing function (i.e., the function of SF-U). The second sensing function can be pre-configured or predefined by the protocol to include information about the first user plane network element, and this information will also be included in the first message when the first message is sent.

[0144] The information of the first user plane network element may include one or more of the following: identifier, address, etc. The identifier of the first user plane network element may be an instance ID, or a newly defined identifier in the future; there are no specific restrictions. The address of the first user plane network element may include one or more of the following: IP address, domain name, or port number, etc.; there are no specific restrictions. The domain name of the first user plane network element may be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), or any other domain name; there are no specific restrictions. The port number of the first user plane network element may be the port number of the service interface, or a newly defined port number in the future; there are no specific restrictions.

[0145] Session management network elements serving the terminal refer to those that provide session management services, such as establishing, updating, modifying, and releasing sessions. For example, a session management network element could be an SMF (Session Management Function) element. The second sensing function can determine the session management network element serving the terminal based on terminal information, which will be described in detail below.

[0146] In one possible approach, the second sensing function can index the session management network element through other network elements based on the terminal's information.

[0147] For example, the second sensing function can request the terminal's identifier and request information from binding support function (BSF) network elements, PCF network elements, NRF network elements, UDM network elements, or UDR network elements. The request information can indicate the network element requesting session management. These network elements can then return information about the session management network element serving the terminal to the second sensing function based on the terminal's identifier and request information. The session management network element information may include one or more of the following: identifier, address, etc. The specific implementation is similar to the information of the first user plane network element described above, and can be understood by referring to it; it will not be elaborated further here.

[0148] To make it easier to understand, two examples will be used below.

[0149] Taking a PCF network element as an example, a PCF network element can provide the terminal's policy and charging control (PCC) rules to the session management network element serving the terminal. The PCF network element can also associate the information of the session management network element with the terminal's PCC rules. Upon receiving the terminal's identifier and an indication of the requested network element type (i.e., session management network element), the PCF network element can index the terminal's PCC rules based on the terminal's identifier. Based on the indication of the requested network element type (i.e., session management network element), the PCF network element can determine the session management network element from the network elements associated with the terminal's PCC rules, and then send the session management network element's information to the second sensing function.

[0150] Taking a UDM network element as an example, the second sensing function can send a request message to the UDM network element. This request message is used to obtain information about the session management network element corresponding to the terminal. Specifically, the request message can carry terminal information, such as the terminal's identifier and an indication of the requested network element type (i.e., session management network element). The UDM network element stores the terminal's identifier and information about the session management network element currently serving the terminal. This information can be one or more of the session management network element's identifier or address. At this time, the UDM network element can determine the session management network element currently serving the terminal from the stored information based on the request message and send this information to the second sensing function.

[0151] It should be understood that the operation of network elements such as UDR and NRF can refer to the UDM example above, specifically by replacing UDM with UDR or NRF.

[0152] In another possible approach, the second sensing function can determine the session management network element locally based on the information from the terminal.

[0153] For example, the session management network element can send terminal information to the second sensing function. For instance, the session management network element can send terminal information to the second sensing function based on the terminal's subscription to a sensing service. For example, the session management network element can determine whether the terminal has subscribed to a sensing service based on the terminal's subscription information (such as the terminal's session subscription information). If the session subscription information includes sensing service information, it indicates that the terminal has subscribed to the sensing service; otherwise, the terminal has not subscribed to the sensing service. If the terminal has subscribed to the sensing service, it means that the terminal can request the sensing service, as shown in S601 where the terminal sends service information to the second sensing function. Otherwise, the terminal typically cannot request the sensing service. In other words, the session management network element only sends the terminal's information to the second sensing function when the terminal can request the sensing service, to avoid sending redundant information and wasting resources. Correspondingly, when the second sensing function receives terminal information from the session management network element, it can determine that the session management network element corresponds to the terminal, such as associating the information of the session management network element with the terminal's information. Therefore, when the terminal requests a sensing service, it can find the session management network element based on the correspondence. For example, when the second sensing function receives the first message, it can determine the session management network element corresponding to the terminal based on the terminal information carried in the first message, that is, determine the session management network element serving the terminal, and obtain the information of the session management network element.

[0154] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application do not limit the timing of the session management network element sending terminal information to the second sensing function. For example, the timing may be when the session management network element establishes / updates / releases the terminal's session, or any possible timing, without limitation.

[0155] Therefore, the second sensing function can send a first message to the session management network element based on the information of the session management network element.

[0156] S604, the session management network element determines the first user plane network element based on the first message.

[0157] The session management network element can determine the first user plane network element, or in other words, the first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function, based on the sensing service information included in the first message. That is, unlike existing session management network elements, the session management network element in this embodiment can identify sensing service information. Specifically, it can trigger the session management network element to select a user plane network element supporting the first sensing function based on the sensing service information, avoiding coupling with existing processing logic, such as selecting a conventional user plane network element. In this case, the session management network element can prioritize selecting the user plane network element corresponding to the terminal's session to avoid the overhead of reselecting a user plane network element. Furthermore, even if no terminal session is established or the user plane network element corresponding to the session does not support the first sensing function, the session management network element can still reselect a user plane network element supporting the first sensing function to meet the requirements of the sensing service, as described in detail below.

[0158] The session management network element can determine whether to establish a terminal session. For example, the session management network element can determine whether to establish a terminal session based on the terminal information included in the first message. In one possible implementation, if the terminal information includes terminal session information, such as the terminal's address or session identifier, the session management network element can determine that a terminal session has been established based on this session information. If the terminal information includes a terminal identifier, the session management network element can determine whether there is a session associated with that terminal identifier. If there is a session associated with that terminal identifier, the session management network element determines that a terminal session has been established; otherwise, no terminal session has been established.

[0159] In the case of an established terminal session, the session management network element can determine whether the second user plane network element corresponding to the terminal session supports the first sensing function.

[0160] The second user plane network element can be used for terminal sessions, such as processing / forwarding user plane data of the communication services carried by the session. The second user plane network element can be an anchor user plane network element in the terminal session, such as an anchor UPF network element, or any user plane network element in the terminal session; there are no specific restrictions. The session management network element can obtain information about the second user plane network element, such as obtaining pre-configured information from the local machine, instructing the second user plane network element to provide its own information, or instructing the second user plane network element to report its information. The information of the second user plane network element can indicate whether the second user plane network element supports the first sensing function, or whether it is co-located with the first sensing function. For example, the information of the second user plane network element can contain a newly defined information element, which can be called sensing capability, sensing user plane capability, or any other possible name. This information element is 1 bit, and the two values ​​1 and 0 can indicate whether the first sensing function is supported. For another example, if the information of the second user plane network element contains an identifier for the first sensing function, it indicates that the first sensing function is supported; otherwise, the first sensing function is not supported.

[0161] If the second user plane network element supports the first sensing function, the session management network element can identify the second user plane network element as the first user plane network element, or in other words, determine that the second user plane network element can be used to process user plane data for sensing services. In this case, the second user plane network element and the aforementioned first user plane network element are the same network element. For example, among the user plane network elements corresponding to a terminal session, there may be multiple user plane network elements that support the first sensing function. The session management network element can determine, based on the area of ​​the sensing service, the user plane network element located within or close to the area of ​​the sensing service, i.e., the second user plane network element. For example, the session management network element can determine from these user plane network elements whether there is a user plane network element located within the area of ​​the sensing service. If the DNAI of the sensing service is the same as that of the user plane network element, the session management network element can select any user plane network element located in the area of ​​the sensing service as the second user plane network element. Otherwise, the session management network element can select the user plane network element whose location is closest to the area of ​​the sensing service as the second user plane network element. If the DNAI can reflect the geographical location, the session management network element can find the user plane network element whose geographical location is closest to the area of ​​the sensing service based on the DNAI.

[0162] If the second user plane network element does not support the first sensing function, the session management network element can determine the first user plane network element that supports the first sensing function; or, if no terminal session is established, the session management network element can also determine the first user plane network element that supports the first sensing function. The following describes the different cases.

[0163] Scenario 1:

[0164] The session management network element can determine the first user plane network element that supports the first perception function through the network warehouse network element. That is, by reusing existing network function discovery, the user plane network element that supports the first perception function can be found. This is more friendly to the standard. Specifically, it can be done as follows.

[0165] S1: The session management network element can send a second message to the network warehouse network element.

[0166] The network storage element can be an NRF element, or it can be replaced with other names in future communication systems, or any network element that can realize the function of storing network element information can be understood as the network storage element in the embodiments of this application.

[0167] The second message may indicate the discovery of user plane network elements supporting the first sensing function for the sensing service. The second message may be a discovery request message, or any other possible message. "Discovery request message" is an example name; it can also be replaced with "Network Element Discovery Request Message," "NF Discovery Request Message," etc., without specific limitations. The second message may include one or more of the following: the type of sensing service, or the latency requirements of the sensing service, to indicate that the sensing service has low latency requirements, ensuring that user plane network elements supporting the first sensing function can be discovered. Optionally, the second message may also include the area of ​​the sensing service to ensure that the discovered user plane network elements supporting the first sensing function are located in or near that area, further reducing sensing latency.

[0168] S2: The session management network element can receive third messages from the network warehouse network element.

[0169] The third message can be a response to the second message, such as including information about the first user plane network element. The third message can be a discovery response message, or any other possible message. Discovery response message is an example name; it can also be replaced with network element discovery response message, NF discovery response message, etc., without any specific limitation.

[0170] User plane network elements can be pre-registered with network warehouse network elements. Taking a first user plane network element supporting first-level sensing functionality as an example, the first user plane network element can call a service-oriented interface, such as the NF management registration request (Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister service), to send relevant information about the first user plane network element to the network warehouse network element. This information may include one or more of the following: identifier, address, location, or supported sensing service type. The identifier and address of the first user plane network element can be found in the above descriptions and will not be repeated here. The location of the first user plane network element can be DNAI, geometric (geographic) location information, or sensing-specific location identifiers, etc. The types of sensing services supported by the first user plane network element can be the broad types mentioned above, such as supporting type A and type B, or they can be specific sensing services, such as supporting traffic flow analysis, target tracking, ranging, etc., or they can be represented by aspect information, such as supported DNN / S-NSSAI.

[0171] The network warehousing element can determine that the sensing service requires low latency based on the type and / or latency requirements of the sensing service contained in the second message, thus needing to discover user plane network elements that support the first sensing function. The network warehousing element can determine the user plane network elements that support the type of sensing service based on the type of sensing service. The network warehousing element can randomly select one user plane network element from those supporting the type of sensing service as the first user plane network element. Alternatively, the network warehousing element can also determine the first user plane network element from among the user plane network elements supporting the type of sensing service based on the region of the sensing service, where the location of the first user plane network element matches the region of the sensing service, such as being located within or close to the region of the sensing service. For example, the network warehousing element can determine whether there are any user plane network elements among those supporting the type of sensing service whose location is within the region of the sensing service. If a user plane network element is located within the area covered by the sensing service, and the DNAI of the sensing service is the same as the DNAI of the user plane network element, then the network warehousing network element can choose any user plane network element from those located within the sensing service area as its first user plane network element. Otherwise, the network warehousing network element can choose the user plane network element whose location is closest to the sensing service area from among the user plane network elements that support the sensing service type as its first user plane network element. For example, the DNAI can also reflect geographical location, and the network warehousing network element can find the user plane network element whose geographical location is closest to the sensing service area based on the DNAI.

[0172] The network storage element can obtain information from the first user plane element, such as its identifier and / or address, and then send the information to the session management element through a third message.

[0173] Scenario 2:

[0174] The session management network element can select the first user plane network element provided by the second sensing function. For example, if the first message contains information about the first user plane network element, the session management network element can obtain the information about the first user plane network element from the first message, which incurs less overhead than discovering the first user plane network element through other network elements.

[0175] Scenario 3:

[0176] The session management network element can determine the first user plane network element that supports the first perception function through the second perception function, which is decoupled from the existing network element discovery and can be implemented more flexibly, as detailed below.

[0177] Sa: The session management network element sends a fourth message to the second sensing function, and correspondingly, the second sensing function receives the fourth message from the session management network element.

[0178] The fourth message may request information from user plane network elements that are used for sensing services and support the first sensing function, such as the type of sensing service and / or latency requirements, and optionally, the area of ​​the sensing service. It should be understood that the fourth message can be any possible message used by the session management network element in interaction with the second sensing function, without specific limitations.

[0179] Sb: The second sensing function determines the first user plane network element that supports the first sensing function based on the fourth message.

[0180] For example, the second sensing function can determine at least one user plane network element supporting the first sensing function based on the fourth message, and from the at least one user plane network element, determine the first user plane network element that matches the type and / or region of the sensing service to meet the low latency requirements of the sensing service. The principle is similar to that of the network warehousing network element mentioned above, and can be understood by referring to it, so it will not be repeated here. Alternatively, the second sensing function can also determine the first user plane network element through the network warehousing network element based on the fourth message. For the specific implementation, please refer to the relevant introduction of case 1 above, so it will not be repeated here.

[0181] Sc: The second sensing function sends a fifth message to the session management network element, and the corresponding session management network element receives the fifth message from the second sensing function.

[0182] The fifth message can be a response to the fourth message, and may include information from the first user plane network element. It should be understood that the fifth message can also be any possible message between the session management network element and the second sensing function, without specific limitations.

[0183] Optionally, the methods shown in the above cases to case 3 are only examples. The session management network element can also pre-configure information of the user plane network element that supports the first sensing function, such as one or more of the following: identifier, address, location, or type of sensing service supported. The session management network element can also execute logic similar to that of the network warehouse network element to determine the information of the first user plane network element locally. For the specific principle, please refer to the relevant introduction of the network warehouse network element above, which will not be repeated here.

[0184] It is also understandable that the above cases 1 to 3 take the user plane network element that supports the first sensing function as an example, but the user plane network element that supports the first sensing function determined by the method shown in each case may be different.

[0185] In summary, if the first message request establishes a user plane connection for the terminal's sensing service, the session management network element can select a user plane network element co-located with the first sensing function, such as the first user plane network element. That is, the first user plane network element not only processes user plane data for communication services but also supports the first sensing function. The user plane data used for sensing services can be processed by the first user plane network element through the user plane connection and fed back to the terminal, which can reduce the sensing latency and meet the higher latency requirements of the sensing service.

[0186] Optionally, in conjunction with S601-S604, after S604, the communication method may further include:

[0187] S605, the session management network element establishes a user plane connection between the access network device and the first user plane network element for the sensing service.

[0188] The access network device can be an access network device that serves the aforementioned terminal. That is, the terminal accesses the access network device and establishes a user plane connection between the access network device and the first user plane network element. This is to enable the user plane data of the sensing service to be sent to the first user plane network element for processing through the user plane connection, and the result to be fed back to the terminal through the user plane connection. This will be described in detail below.

[0189] The session management network element can send first information to the access network device and second information to the first user plane network element.

[0190] The first information can be used by the access network device to establish a user plane connection. It may include one or more of the following: the identifier of the perceived service, or information of the first user plane network element, such as its address. The first information can be sent by the session management network element to the AMF network element, and then by the AMF network element to the access network device. The first information can be carried in any possible message exchanged between the session management network element and the access network device; there are no specific restrictions.

[0191] The second information can be used by the first user plane network element to establish a user plane connection, such as including one or more of the following for establishing a user plane connection: the identifier of the sensing service, or information of the access network device. The information indicating the sensing service can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated here. The access network device information may include the access network device's tunneling information, such as the access network device's uplink address and / or downlink address. The uplink address is the address used for uplink transmission of user plane data for the sensing service, and the downlink address is the address used for downlink transmission of user plane data for the sensing service. For example, the session management network element can request the access network device to allocate AN-side (or RAN-side) forwarding information for the sensing service. This request can be sent to the access network device together with the first information, or sent separately, without limitation. The access network device can allocate forwarding information for the sensing service according to this request, such as the uplink address and / or downlink address, and return it to the session management network element, which then sends it to the first user plane network element through the second information.

[0192] Therefore, the access network device and the first user plane network element can obtain each other's information, thereby establishing a user plane connection. Subsequently, during the execution of the sensing service, the access network device can identify the sensing data (or user plane data of the sensing service) sent by the terminal based on the identifier of the sensing service. The access network device can send sensing data to the first user plane network element based on the uplink address and the address of the first user plane network element; for example, the source address of the data packet carrying the sensing data can be the uplink address, and the destination address can be the address of the first user plane network element. The first user plane network element can identify the sensing data sent by the access network device based on the identifier of the sensing service. The first user plane network element can process the sensing data through the first sensing function to obtain sensing results, such as location and speed information. The first user plane network element can send sensing results to the access network device based on the uplink address and the address of the first user plane network element; for example, the source address of the data packet carrying the sensing results can be the address of the first user plane network element, and the destination address can be the uplink address. The access network device can identify the sensing results sent by the first user plane network element based on the identifier of the sensing service. Access network devices can send sensing results to terminals based on downlink and uplink addresses. In this case, the source address of the data packet carrying the sensing results can be the uplink address, and the destination address can be the downlink address.

[0193] Optionally, after S604, the communication method may further include:

[0194] S606, the second sensing function establishes a user plane connection between the access network device and the first user plane network element for sensing services.

[0195] For example, the session management network element can send third information to the second sensing function, and correspondingly, the second sensing function can receive third information from the session management network element. The third information can be carried in any possible message in the interaction between the second sensing function and the session management network element, without any specific restrictions.

[0196] The third information may include one or more of the following for establishing a user plane connection: the identifier of the sensed service, information of the first user plane network element, or information of the access network device. For details, please refer to the descriptions of the first and second information above; they will not be repeated here. After receiving the above information, the second sensed function can establish the user plane connection in a manner similar to that of the session management network element. For example, the second sensed function can send the first information to the access network device and the second information to the first user plane network element, so that the access network device and the first user plane network element can obtain each other's information, thereby establishing a user plane connection. For details, please refer to the description in S605; they will not be repeated here. For example, the second sensing function can also use other methods to determine the information of the first user plane network element and the access network device information. For instance, when the second sensing function provides the information of the first user plane network element to the session management network element, the second sensing function can save the information of the first user plane network element. The second sensing function can also obtain the access network device information from the access network device according to the terminal's identifier. In this way, the second sensing function can also use a method similar to that of the session management network element to complete the establishment of the user plane connection. For details, please refer to the relevant introduction of S605, which will not be elaborated here.

[0197] The above description, with reference to Figure 6, outlines the workflow of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application. The following, with reference to Figure 7, details the specific workflow of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0198] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in this application embodiment. The flowchart shown in Figure 7 mainly involves the interaction between UE (such as a terminal), RAN equipment (such as access network equipment), SMF network element (such as session management network element), SF-C (such as the second sensing function), and UPF network element (such as the first user plane network element).

[0199] Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the communication method flow is as follows:

[0200] S700, UPF network element registers with NRF network element.

[0201] UPF network elements are network elements that support SF-U (such as the first user plane network element), that is, UPF network elements co-located with SF-U.

[0202] It is understandable that S701 can also refer to the relevant introduction of "S2 in Case 1" above, and will not be repeated here.

[0203] S701a, the SMF network element sends UE information (such as terminal information) to SF-C.

[0204] S701b, SF-C determines the correspondence between SMF network elements and UEs.

[0205] When establishing a UE session, the SMF network element can send UE information to the SF-C. Accordingly, the SF-C determines the correspondence between the SMF network element and the UE based on the UE information.

[0206] It is understood that S701a-S701b are optional steps, and you can refer to the relevant introduction in "another possible solution" above for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0207] S702, the UE sends a service request message to the SF-C.

[0208] The service request message indicates that the terminal requests a sensing service, which may include UE information (such as terminal information) and sensing service information. For details, please refer to the relevant introduction in S601 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0209] It is understandable that the execution order between S700, S701a-S701b, and S702 is not restricted.

[0210] S703, SF-C determines the SMF network element.

[0211] SF-C can determine the UPF network element supporting SF-U for the sensing service based on the service request message; therefore, the SMF network element needs to be determined first. When executing S701a-S701b, the SMF network element can determine the SMF network element corresponding to the UE based on the UE information and corresponding relationships in the service request message, or the SMF network element can index the SMF network element from other network elements based on the UE information in the service request message.

[0212] S704, SF-C sends a perception request message (such as the first message) to the SMF network element.

[0213] The perception request message requests the establishment of a user plane connection for the UE's perception services, and may include the information in the aforementioned service request message. Optionally, the perception request message may also include information about the UPF network element that supports SF-C, denoted as UPF network element #1.

[0214] It is understandable that S703-S704 can also refer to the relevant introductions of S602-S603 mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0215] S705, the SMF network element determines whether to establish a session for the UE.

[0216] The SMF network element can determine whether to establish a session with the UE based on the UE information in the service request message.

[0217] If a session for the UE is established, the process shown in Figure 7 executes S706. If no session for the UE is established, the process shown in Figure 7 jumps to execute S707-S708, S709-S710, or S711.

[0218] S706, the SMF network element determines whether the UPF network element corresponding to the UE's session supports SF-U.

[0219] If the UPF network element corresponding to the UE's session supports SF-U, the process shown in Figure 7 will jump to execute S712 or S713-S714. If the UPF network element corresponding to the UE's session does not support SF-U, the process shown in Figure 7 will execute S707-S708, S709-S710, or S711.

[0220] It is understandable that the above S705-S706 can also refer to the relevant introduction of S604 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0221] S707, the SMF network element sends a discovery request message (such as the second message) to the NRF network element.

[0222] The discovery request message indicates that the sensing service is discovering UPF network elements that support SF-U.

[0223] S708, the NRF network element sends a discovery response message (such as a third message) to the SMF network element.

[0224] The discovery response message includes information about the UPF network element that supports SF-U, denoted as UPF network element #1.

[0225] It is understandable that S707-S708 can also refer to the relevant introduction of S604 in case 1 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0226] S709, the SMF network element sends an SF-U request message (such as the fourth message) to the SF-C.

[0227] The SF-U request message requests information about UPF network elements that are used for service awareness and support SF-U.

[0228] S710, SF-C sends SF-U response messages (such as third messages) to SMF network elements.

[0229] The SF-U response message includes information about the UPF network element that supports SF-U, denoted as UPF network element #1.

[0230] It is understandable that S709-S710 can also refer to the relevant introduction of S604 in case 3 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0231] S711, the SMF network element obtains the information of UPF network element #1 from the perception request message.

[0232] It is understandable that S711 can also refer to the relevant introduction of S604 in case 2 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0233] S712, the SMF network element establishes a user plane connection between the RAN equipment and the UPF network element #1 for sensing services.

[0234] It is understandable that S712 can also refer to the relevant introduction of S605 mentioned above, so it will not be repeated here.

[0235] S713, the SMF network element sends information (such as third information) to SF-C to establish a user plane connection.

[0236] The information required to establish a user plane connection may include the identifier of the perceived service, information about the RAN equipment, and information about UPF network element #1.

[0237] S714, SF-C establishes a user plane connection between the RAN equipment and UPF network element #1 for sensing services.

[0238] It is understandable that S713-S714 can also refer to the relevant introduction of S606 mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0239] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The communication apparatus used to perform the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 8 and 9.

[0240] For example, FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG8, the communication device 800 includes a processing module 801 and a transceiver module 802. For ease of explanation, FIG8 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0241] In some embodiments, the communication device 800 may be adapted to the communication system shown in Figures 4-5 to perform the functions of the session management network element in the communication method shown in Figures 6-7.

[0242] The transceiver module 802 is used to perform the transceiver functions of the session management network element.

[0243] The processing module 801 is used to perform functions of the session management network element other than the sending and receiving functions.

[0244] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG8) that stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 801 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 800 can perform the functions of the session management network element in the communication method shown in FIG6-FIG7.

[0245] It should be understood that the processing module 801 involved in the communication device 800 can be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components, and can be a processor or processing unit; the transceiver module 802 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0246] Furthermore, the communication device 800 may be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the aforementioned network device, or a device containing the network device; this application embodiment does not limit this. The technical effects of the communication device 800 can be referred to the technical effects of the communication methods shown in any of Figures 6-7, and will not be repeated here.

[0247] In other embodiments, the communication device 800 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG4-FIG5 to perform the function of the second sensing function in the communication method shown in FIG6-FIG7.

[0248] The transceiver module 802 is used to perform the transceiver function of the second sensing function.

[0249] The processing module 801 is used to perform the functions of the second sensing function other than the sending and receiving function.

[0250] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG8) that stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 801 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 800 can perform the function of the second sensing function in the communication method shown in FIG6-7.

[0251] It should be understood that the processing module 801 involved in the communication device 800 can be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components, and can be a processor or processing unit; the transceiver module 802 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0252] Furthermore, the communication device 800 may be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the aforementioned network device, or a device containing the network device; this application embodiment does not limit this. The technical effects of the communication device 800 can be referred to the technical effects of the communication methods shown in Figures 6-7, and will not be repeated here.

[0253] For example, Figure 9 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in a network device. As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 900 may include a processor 901. Optionally, the communication device 900 may also include a memory 902 and / or a transceiver 903. The processor 901 is coupled to the memory 902 and the transceiver 903, for example, they can be connected via a communication bus.

[0254] The following section, with reference to Figure 9, provides a detailed description of each component of the communication device 900:

[0255] The processor 901 is the control center of the communication device 900. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 901 can be one or more CPUs, an ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more FPGAs.

[0256] Optionally, the processor 901 can perform various functions of the communication device 900 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 902 and by calling data stored in the memory 902.

[0257] In a specific implementation, as one example, processor 901 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG9.

[0258] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 900 may also include multiple processors, such as processors 901 and 904 shown in FIG. 9. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0259] The memory 902 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of this application, and is controlled by the processor 901 to execute it. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0260] Optionally, the memory 902 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 902 may be integrated with the processor 901 or may exist independently and be coupled to the processor 901 through the interface circuit of the communication device 900 (not shown in FIG. 9). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0261] Transceiver 903 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 900 is a terminal device, transceiver 903 can be used to communicate with a network device or with another terminal device. As another example, if communication device 900 is a network device, transceiver 903 can be used to communicate with a terminal device or with another network device.

[0262] Optionally, transceiver 903 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in Figure 9). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0263] Optionally, the transceiver 903 can be integrated with the processor 901 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 901 through the interface circuit of the communication device 900 (not shown in FIG9). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0264] It should be noted that the structure of the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. The actual communication device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0265] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 900 can be referred to the technical effects of the communication method described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0266] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a CPU, but it can also be other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0267] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), EEPROM, or flash memory. Volatile memory can be RAM, which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0268] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) 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 includes one or more sets of available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0269] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0270] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0271] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0272] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented 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.

[0273] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0274] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0275] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0276] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0277] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0278] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive the first message, which requests the establishment of a user plane connection for the terminal's sensing services; Based on the first message, a first user plane network element is determined. The first user plane network element is used to process user plane data of communication services. The first user plane network element supports a first sensing function, which is used to process user plane data of the sensing service.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the first user plane network element based on the first message includes: The first user plane network element is determined based on the information of the sensing service included in the first message.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The information of the sensing service includes one or more of the following: the type of the sensing service, the latency requirement of the sensing service, or indication information, wherein the indication information indicates a user plane network element that supports the first sensing function.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The determination of the first user plane network element includes: Determine whether to establish a session for the terminal; If a session of the terminal has been established, determine whether the second user plane network element corresponding to the session of the terminal supports the first sensing function; if the second user plane network element supports the first sensing function, then determine the second user plane network element as the first user plane network element; if the second user plane network element does not support the first sensing function, then determine the first user plane network element that supports the first sensing function. In the absence of establishing a session with the terminal, the first user plane network element that supports the first sensing function is identified.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The determination of the first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function includes: Send a second message to the network warehousing function, the second message indicating that the sensing service has discovered a user plane network element that supports the first sensing function; Receive a third message from the network warehousing function, the third message including information from the first user plane network element.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second message includes one or more of the following: the type of the sensing service, or the latency requirements of the sensing service.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The second message also includes the area of ​​the sensing service, and the location of the first user plane network element matches the area of ​​the sensing service.

8. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The determination of the first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function includes: Obtain information about the first user plane network element from the first message.

9. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The determination of the first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function includes: A fourth message is sent to the second sensing function, the fourth message requesting information on user plane network elements that are used for the sensing service and support the first sensing function, the second sensing function being used to process control plane data of the sensing service. Receive a fifth message from the second sensing function, the fifth message including information from the first user plane network element.

10. The method according to any one of claims 4-9, characterized in that, The step of determining whether to establish a session for the terminal includes: Based on the terminal information included in the first message, determine whether to establish a session for the terminal.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal's information is sent to the second sensing function, which is used to process the control plane data of the sensing service.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, Sending the terminal's information to the second sensing function includes: According to the terminal's subscription perception service, the terminal's information is sent to the second perception function.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The method further includes: A user plane connection is established between the access network device and the first user plane network element for the sensing service, and the terminal accesses the access network device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The step of establishing a user plane connection between the access network device and the first user plane network element for the sensing service includes: Send first information to the access network device and send second information to the first user plane network element; The first information includes one or more of the following for establishing a user plane connection: the identifier of the sensing service, or the information of the first user plane network element; the second information includes one or more of the following for establishing a user plane connection: the identifier of the sensing service, or the information of the access network device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send third information to the second sensing function. The third information includes one or more of the following for establishing a user plane connection: the identifier of the sensing service, the information of the first user plane network element, or the information of the access network device, and the terminal accesses the access network device.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1-15, characterized in that, The method is applied to the session management network element.

17. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive service information from the terminal, wherein the service information indicates the terminal's sensing services; Based on the service information, a user plane network element supporting the first sensing function is determined for the sensing service. The user plane network element is used to process the user plane data of the communication service, and the first sensing function is used to process the user plane data of the sensing service. A first message is sent to the session management network element serving the terminal, the first message requesting the establishment of a user plane connection for the sensing service, the user plane connection being a connection including a user plane network element supporting the first sensing function.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The step of determining, based on the service information, the user plane network element supporting the first sensing function for the sensing service includes: Based on the information of the sensing service included in the service information, a user plane network element supporting the first sensing function is determined for the sensing service.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The information of the sensing service includes one or more of the following: the type of the sensing service, the latency requirement of the sensing service, or indication information, wherein the indication information indicates a user plane network element that supports the first sensing function.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17-19, characterized in that, The first message includes information about the sensing service.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17-20, characterized in that, The first message also includes information about the terminal, and the method further includes: The session management network element is determined based on the information from the terminal.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The method further includes: Upon receiving information from the terminal from the session management network element, it is determined that the session management network element corresponds to the terminal; The step of determining the session management network element based on the terminal information includes: Based on the information of the terminal, the session management network element corresponding to the terminal is determined.

23. The method according to any one of claims 17-22, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a fourth message from the session management network element, the fourth message requesting information from a user plane network element that is used for the sensing service and supports the first sensing function; Based on the fourth message, a first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function is determined; A fifth message is sent to the session management network element, the fifth message including information about the first user plane network element.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The step of determining the first user plane network element supporting the first sensing function according to the fourth message includes: According to the fourth message, at least one user plane network element supporting the first sensing function is determined, and from the at least one user plane network element, the first user plane network element that matches the type and / or region of the sensing service is determined.

25. The method according to any one of claims 17-23, characterized in that, The first message includes information about the first user plane network element that supports the first sensing function.

26. The method according to any one of claims 17-25, characterized in that, The method further includes: Triggered by the session management network element, a user plane connection is established between the access network device and the first user plane network element for the sensing service. The terminal accesses the access network device, and the first user plane network element supports the first sensing function.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that, The step of establishing a user plane connection between the access network device and the first user plane network element for the sensing service based on the triggering of the session management network element includes: Receive third information from the session management network element; the third information includes one or more of the following for establishing a user plane connection: the identifier of the sensed service, the information of the first user plane network element, or the information of the access network device; Send first information to the access network device and send second information to the first user plane network element; the first information includes one or more of the following for establishing a user plane connection: the identifier of the sensing service, or the information of the first user plane network element; the second information includes one or more of the following for establishing a user plane connection: the identifier of the sensing service, or the information of the access network device.

28. The method according to any one of claims 17-27, characterized in that, The method is applied to a second sensing function, which is used to process the control plane data of the sensing service.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-28.

30. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Processor and memory; The memory is used to store computer instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-28.

31. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Processor and interface circuits; among which, The interface circuit is used to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor; The processor is used to run the code instructions to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-28.

32. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor and a transceiver, the transceiver being used for information exchange between the communication device and other communication devices, and the processor executing program instructions to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-28.

33. The communication device according to any one of claims 30-32, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip.

34. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-28.

35. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes: a computer program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-28.

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