Rate control method, communication apparatus, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

The present application provides a rate control method, a communication apparatus, a storage medium, and a program product. The method comprises: determining first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used for configuring rate control for a first QoS flow, one or more QoS flows are mapped by a first DRB, the first QoS flow is one of the one or more QoS flows, and rate control is not configured for QoS flows other than the first QoS flow among the one or more QoS flows; and sending the first configuration information to a terminal device. For one DRB, only one QoS flow among QoS flows mapped by the DRB is allowed to have rate control configured therefor, such that when an access network device indicates the DRB and a recommended rate, a terminal device can determine a QoS flow (i.e., the configured QoS flow) corresponding to the recommended rate, and thus the terminal device can control the rate of the QoS flow on the basis of the recommended rate.

Description

Rate control methods, communication devices, storage media and software products

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411986691.7, filed on December 27, 2024, entitled "Rate Control Method, Communication Device, Storage Medium and Program Product", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and particularly to rate control methods, communication devices, storage media, and program products in the field of communications. Background Technology

[0003] In wireless communication, ideally, the data transmission rate should match the network transmission rate to maximize network resource utilization and ensure a good user experience. The data transmission rate refers to the rate at which the data source (such as the application layer or application server of the terminal device) delivers data to the network entry point (such as the access layer of the terminal device or the output port of the application server), while the network transmission rate refers to the data transmission rate supported over the air interface. However, due to factors such as the availability of resources, network congestion levels, and channel quality, the network transmission rate fluctuates, while the data transmission rate remains relatively stable. Therefore, in practice, the data transmission rate may be higher or lower than the network transmission rate, potentially leading to network congestion or wasted network resources.

[0004] To better match the data transmission rate with the network's transmission rate, the data transmission rate can be adjusted. Currently, when rate control is required, radio access network (RAN) equipment (or access network equipment for short) can instruct terminal devices on the data radio bearer (DRB) and recommended rate through the medium access control control element (MAC CE). This recommended rate refers to the data transmission rate that needs to be adjusted for the DRB. However, the above method has the problem that terminal devices cannot adjust the rate of the quality of service (QoS) flow mapped to the DRB. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a rate control method, communication device, storage medium, and program product, so that when the access network device indicates a DRB and a recommended rate, the terminal device can adjust the rate of the QoS flow mapped by the DRB.

[0006] Firstly, this application provides a rate control method that can be executed by a network device. The network device can be an access network device, a component configured within the access network device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device; this application does not limit the scope of the method.

[0007] For example, the method includes: determining first configuration information for configuring rate control for a first QoS flow, wherein a first DRB maps one or more QoS flows, the first QoS flow being one of the one or more QoS flows, and other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow not being configured with rate control; and sending the first configuration information to a terminal device. The first configuration information may, for example, be configuration information 1 as described below.

[0008] The fact that rate control is not configured for any of the other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow mentioned above can also be understood as meaning that rate control is only allowed for one QoS flow (such as the first QoS flow) among the one or more QoS flows mapped by the first DRB. In other words, the first QoS flow is the only QoS flow among the one or more QoS flows mapped by the first DRB that is allowed to have rate control configured.

[0009] The QoS flow mapped by the first DRB mentioned above includes two possible scenarios. One scenario is that the first DRB maps to one QoS flow (such as the first QoS flow). In this case, the other QoS flows among the one or more QoS flows are not configured with rate control. This can be understood as the first QoS flow mapped by the first DRB being allowed to be configured with rate control. The other scenario is that the first DRB maps to multiple QoS flows. In this case, the other QoS flows among the one or more QoS flows are not configured with rate control. This can be understood as only the first QoS flow among the multiple QoS flows being allowed to be configured with rate control.

[0010] In the above scheme, for a given DRB, only one QoS flow mapped to that DRB is allowed to be configured for rate control. This allows the terminal device to determine the QoS flow targeted by the recommended rate (i.e., the configured QoS flow) when the access network device indicates the DRB and recommended rate. Consequently, the terminal device can adjust the rate of the QoS flow based on the DRB and recommended rate. In this application, rate adjustment refers to the adjustment of the data transmission rate.

[0011] In one possible implementation, determining the first configuration information includes: determining the first configuration information according to one or more of the following: the first DRB only maps the first QoS flow; or, the first DRB maps multiple QoS flows, wherein other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow are not configured with rate control.

[0012] One possible design is that rate control is only allowed for a QoS flow when a DRB maps to only one QoS flow. In this way, for a DRB, at most one QoS flow can be configured with rate control. When the terminal device receives the DRB and recommended rate indicated by the access network device, since the QoS flow with rate control mapped by the DRB is unique, the terminal device can determine the QoS flow whose rate needs to be adjusted, thereby realizing the rate adjustment of the QoS flow.

[0013] Another possible design is that when a DRB maps multiple QoS flows, at most one of the multiple QoS flows is allowed to be configured with rate control. In this way, when the terminal device receives the DRB and recommended rate indicated by the access network device, since the QoS flow with rate control configured mapped by the DRB is also unique, the terminal device can determine the QoS flow whose rate needs to be adjusted, thereby realizing the rate adjustment of the QoS flow.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: sending first indication information to the terminal device, the first indication information being used to indicate the first DRB and the recommended rate, the recommended rate being used to adjust the transmission rate of the data corresponding to the first QoS stream. The first indication information may, for example, be indication information 1 as described below.

[0015] Since the QoS flow with rate control configured in the first DRB mapping is unique, when the access network device indicates the DRB and recommended rate to the terminal device, it is convenient for the terminal device to determine the QoS flow with rate control configured in its mapped QoS flow based on the DRB, and then to adjust the rate of the QoS flow with rate control configured based on the recommended rate.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the method further includes sending second configuration information to the terminal device, the second configuration information being used to configure the mapping relationship between the first DRB and the one or more QoS flows. The second configuration information may, for example, be configuration information 3 as described below.

[0017] By configuring the mapping relationship between DRB and QoS flow in the terminal device, when the access network device indicates the DRB and the recommended rate, the terminal device can determine the corresponding QoS flow based on the DRB, and then adjust the rate of the QoS flow based on the recommended rate.

[0018] When the access network equipment adopts a CU / DU separation architecture, the aforementioned first configuration information can be generated by the CU, and the aforementioned recommended rate and DRB can be indicated by the DU. Therefore, if the DU does not know which QoS flow is configured with rate control, it is possible that the QoS flow is not configured with rate control when selecting a QoS flow for rate control, and thus the selected QoS flow may be unsuitable. Therefore, the CU can indicate to the DU the QoS flow configured with rate control so that the DU can select the appropriate QoS flow for rate control according to its needs.

[0019] For example, the method further includes: a first network device (e.g., CU) sending second indication information to a second network device (e.g., DU), the second indication information being used to indicate the first QoS flow configured for rate control. The second indication information may, for example, be indication information 2 as described below.

[0020] The dual connectivity (DC) architecture is similar to the one described above. When the primary access network device generates first configuration information and the secondary access network device sends first indication information, the primary access network device can send second indication information to the secondary access network device. This second indication information is used to indicate the aforementioned first QoS flow that is configured for rate control. Similarly, when the secondary access network device generates first configuration information and the primary access network device sends first indication information, the secondary access network device can send second indication information to the primary access network device. This second indication information is used to indicate the aforementioned first QoS flow that is configured for rate control.

[0021] In a CU / DU separated architecture, the DU may have a better understanding of air interface resources and quality conditions. The DU can determine which QoS flows require rate control, and therefore, it can provide information to the CU to assist in generating initial configuration information. Specifically, the DU can indicate to the CU which QoS flows are recommended for rate control. For example, the DU can send a third indication to the CU, indicating at least one QoS flow that the DU recommends for rate control. The CU receives this third indication, which helps it determine which QoS flow to configure rate control for. For instance, the CU can determine the first QoS flow based on the third indication. This third indication can be, for example, indication information 3 described below.

[0022] The architecture of the DC (Data Center) is similar to that of a CU (Combined Core) and DU (Digital Utility) separation architecture. The primary access network device can send third indication information to the secondary access network device. This third indication information indicates at least one QoS flow, which is a QoS flow that the primary access network device recommends for rate control. Accordingly, the secondary access network device receives the third indication information and determines a first QoS flow based on it. Alternatively, the secondary access network device can send third indication information to the primary access network device, indicating at least one QoS flow, which is a QoS flow that the secondary access network device recommends for rate control. Accordingly, the primary access network device receives the third indication information and determines a first QoS flow based on it.

[0023] Secondly, this application provides another rate control method, which can be executed by a terminal device, or by a component configured in the terminal device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or by a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the terminal device. This application does not limit the method in this regard.

[0024] For example, the method includes: receiving first configuration information for configuring rate control for a plurality of QoS flows, the plurality of QoS flows being mapped to a first DRB; determining that a first QoS flow is valid for rate control, the first QoS flow being one of the plurality of QoS flows, and the other QoS flows among the plurality of QoS flows being invalid for rate control. The first configuration information may, for example, be configuration information 2 as described below.

[0025] The above-mentioned "effective" can also be replaced with "allow," "enable," or "active," and the above-mentioned "ineffective" can also be replaced with "disallow," "disable," or "deactivate," etc. This application does not limit this.

[0026] Rate control is not applied to any of the multiple QoS flows except for the first QoS flow. This can also be understood as the first QoS flow being the only QoS flow with effective rate control among the multiple QoS flows.

[0027] In the above scheme, when the access network device configures rate control for multiple QoS flows for the same DRB, the terminal device only activates one of the QoS flows. In this way, for the same DRB, the QoS flow for which rate control is activated is unique. Thus, when the access network device indicates the DRB and the recommended rate, the terminal device can determine the QoS flow for which the recommended rate is applied (i.e., the QoS flow for which rate control is activated). The terminal device can then adjust the rate of the QoS flow based on the recommended rate.

[0028] Optionally, the first QoS flow is the QoS flow with the highest or lowest priority among the plurality of QoS flows, or the QoS flow that was configured with rate control earliest or latest among the plurality of QoS flows.

[0029] One possible implementation is that the first QoS flow is either the highest or lowest priority QoS flow among the multiple QoS flows. Another possible design is that when network resources are sufficient, the first QoS flow is the highest priority QoS flow; when network resources are insufficient or the network is congested, the first QoS flow is the lowest priority QoS flow. It can be understood that the more abundant the network resources, the higher the supported network transmission rate, allowing for increased data transmission rates. Therefore, when network resources are sufficient, rate control of the highest priority QoS flow takes effect, meaning that the data transmission rate corresponding to the highest priority QoS flow is prioritized for improvement, thus providing a better user experience for high-priority services. Conversely, when network resources are insufficient or the network is congested, the data transmission rate needs to be reduced. Therefore, when network resources are insufficient or the network is congested, rate control of the lowest priority QoS flow takes effect, thus prioritizing the reduction of the data transmission rate corresponding to the lowest priority QoS flow, thereby minimizing the impact on high-priority services.

[0030] Another possible implementation is that the first QoS flow mentioned above is either the earliest or the latest QoS flow to be configured with rate control among the multiple QoS flows. By activating the QoS flow that is configured with rate control earliest among the multiple QoS flows, it is beneficial to ensure that the configuration of the earliest QoS flow takes effect stably; or, by activating the QoS flow that is configured with rate control latest among the multiple QoS flows, it is beneficial to ensure that the configuration of the latest QoS flow takes effect stably.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the above method further includes: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate a first DRB and a recommended rate, the recommended rate being used to adjust the transmission rate of the data corresponding to the first QoS stream.

[0032] Since the QoS flow with effective rate control is unique in the QoS flow mapped by the first DRB, when the access network device indicates the DRB and the recommended rate to the terminal device, it is convenient for the terminal device to determine the QoS flow with effective rate control in its mapped QoS flow based on the DRB, and thus facilitates rate adjustment of the QoS flow with effective rate control based on the recommended rate.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the above method further includes: receiving second configuration information, which is used to configure the mapping relationship between the first DRB and multiple QoS flows.

[0034] By obtaining the mapping relationship between DRB and QoS flow, it is convenient for the terminal device to determine the corresponding QoS based on DRB when the access network device indicates DRB and recommended rate, and then realize the rate adjustment of QoS based on the recommended rate.

[0035] Thirdly, this application provides yet another rate control method, which can be executed by a first network device. The first network device can be an access network device, a component configured in the access network device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device; this application does not limit this.

[0036] For example, the method includes: receiving first indication information from a second network device, the first indication information indicating at least one QoS flow, the at least one QoS flow being a QoS flow recommended for rate control by the second network device; and based on the first indication information, sending first configuration information to a terminal device, the first configuration information configuring rate control for one or more QoS flows. The first indication information may be, for example, indication information 4 described below, and the first configuration information may be, for example, configuration information 4 described below.

[0037] In the above scheme, the second network device can indicate a recommended QoS flow for rate control to the first network device to assist the first network device in determining the QoS flow to be configured with rate control. This scheme can be applied, for example, to scenarios where the second network device has a good understanding of air interface resources and channel quality. For instance, in a CU / DU separation architecture, the DU has a better understanding of air interface resources and channel quality; therefore, the DU can determine and indicate a recommended QoS flow for rate control based on these factors to assist the CU in determining the QoS flow that needs rate control. As another example, in a DC architecture, the primary access network device can indicate a recommended QoS flow for rate control to the secondary access network device to assist the secondary access network device in determining the QoS flow that needs rate control, or the secondary access network device can indicate a recommended QoS flow for rate control to the primary access network device to assist the primary access network device in determining the QoS flow that needs rate control.

[0038] Optionally, the method further includes sending second indication information to a second network device, the second indication information indicating one or more QoS flows configured with rate control. The second indication information may, for example, be indication information 5 as described below.

[0039] The aforementioned first configuration information may be generated by the first network device, but the recommended rate and DRB may be indicated by the second network device. Therefore, if the second network device does not know which one or more QoS flows are configured with rate control, when selecting a QoS flow for rate control, it is possible that the QoS flow is not configured with rate control, and thus the selected QoS flow may be unsuitable. Therefore, the first network device can indicate the QoS flows configured with rate control to the second network device, so that the second network device can select an appropriate QoS flow for rate control according to its needs.

[0040] For example, in a CU / DU separation architecture, the first network device is the CU in the access network equipment, and the second network device is the DU in the access network equipment. As another example, in a DC architecture, the first network device is the primary access network equipment, and the second network device is the secondary access network equipment; or, the first network device is the secondary access network equipment, and the second network device is the primary access network equipment.

[0041] Fourthly, this application provides another rate control method, which can be executed by a second network device. The second network device can be an access network device, a component configured in the access network device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device; this application does not limit this.

[0042] For example, the method includes: sending a first indication message to a first network device, the first indication message indicating at least one QoS flow, the at least one QoS flow being a QoS flow recommended by a second network device for rate control.

[0043] In the above scheme, the second network device can indicate a recommended QoS flow for rate control to the first network device to assist the first network device in determining the QoS flow to be configured with rate control. This scheme can be applied, for example, to scenarios where the second network device has a good understanding of air interface resources and channel quality. For instance, in a CU / DU separation architecture, the DU has a better understanding of air interface resources and channel quality; therefore, the DU can determine and indicate a recommended QoS flow for rate control based on these factors to assist the CU in determining the QoS flow that needs rate control. As another example, in a DC architecture, the primary access network device can indicate a recommended QoS flow for rate control to the secondary access network device to assist the secondary access network device in determining the QoS flow that needs rate control, or the secondary access network device can indicate a recommended QoS flow for rate control to the primary access network device to assist the primary access network device in determining the QoS flow that needs rate control.

[0044] Optionally, the method further includes: receiving second indication information from a first network device, the second indication information being used to indicate one or more QoS flows, the one or more QoS flows being configured with rate control.

[0045] The aforementioned first configuration information may be generated by the first network device, but the recommended rate and DRB may be indicated by the second network device. Therefore, if the second network device does not know which one or more QoS flows are configured with rate control, when selecting a QoS flow for rate control, it is possible that the QoS flow is not configured with rate control, and thus the selected QoS flow may be unsuitable. Therefore, the first network device can indicate the QoS flows configured with rate control to the second network device, so that the second network device can select an appropriate QoS flow for rate control according to its needs.

[0046] For example, in a CU / DU separation architecture, the first network device is the CU in the access network equipment, and the second network device is the DU in the access network equipment. As another example, in a DC architecture, the first network device is the primary access network equipment, and the second network device is the secondary access network equipment; or, the first network device is the secondary access network equipment, and the second network device is the primary access network equipment.

[0047] Fifthly, this application provides another rate control method, which can be executed by a first network device. The first network device can be an access network device, a component configured in the access network device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device; this application does not limit this.

[0048] For example, the method includes: sending first configuration information to a terminal device, the first configuration information being used to configure rate control for one or more QoS flows; and sending first indication information to a second network device, the first indication information being used to indicate one or more QoS flows configured with rate control. The first configuration information may be, for example, configuration information 6 as described below, and the first indication information may be, for example, indication information 8 as described below.

[0049] The aforementioned first configuration information may be generated by the first network device, but the recommended rate and DRB may be indicated by the second network device. Therefore, if the second network device does not know which one or more QoS flows are configured with rate control, when selecting a QoS flow for rate control, it is possible that the QoS flow is not configured with rate control, and thus the selected QoS flow may be unsuitable. Therefore, the first network device can indicate the QoS flows configured with rate control to the second network device, so that the second network device can select an appropriate QoS flow for rate control according to its needs.

[0050] Sixthly, this application provides another rate control method, which can be executed by a second network device. The second network device can be an access network device, a component configured in the access network device (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device; this application does not limit this.

[0051] For example, the method includes: receiving first indication information from a first network device, the first indication information indicating one or more QoS flows configured for rate control; and performing rate control on the one or more QoS flows based on the first indication information.

[0052] The aforementioned first configuration information may be generated by the first network device, but the recommended rate and DRB may be indicated by the second network device. Therefore, if the second network device does not know which one or more QoS flows are configured with rate control, when selecting a QoS flow for rate control, it is possible that the QoS flow is not configured with rate control, and thus the selected QoS flow may be unsuitable. Therefore, the first network device can indicate the QoS flows configured with rate control to the second network device, so that the second network device can select an appropriate QoS flow for rate control according to its needs.

[0053] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication apparatus for performing the methods of the first to sixth aspects and any possible implementation thereof. Specifically, the communication apparatus includes a module for performing the methods of any possible implementation thereof.

[0054] Eighthly, this application provides another communication device, including a processor coupled to a memory, which can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the methods in the first to sixth aspects and any possible implementations of the first to sixth aspects. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, to which the processor is coupled.

[0055] In one implementation, the communication device is a terminal device or an access network device. When the communication device is a terminal device or an access network device, the communication interface can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0056] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip applicable to terminal equipment or access network equipment. When the communication device is a chip applicable to terminal equipment or access network equipment, the aforementioned communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0057] Ninthly, this application provides a processor, including: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive signals through the input circuit and transmit signals through the output circuit, causing the processor to execute the methods described in the first to sixth aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0058] In the specific implementation process, the processor can be a chip, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the processing circuit can be a transistor, gate circuit, flip-flop, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter. Furthermore, the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation method of the processor and various circuits.

[0059] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a communication device including a processor and a memory. The processor is used to read instructions stored in the memory, receive signals via a receiver, and transmit signals via a transmitter to execute the methods in the first to sixth aspects and any possible implementations of the first to sixth aspects described above.

[0060] Optionally, the processor may be one or more, and the memory may be one or more.

[0061] Optionally, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be separated from the processor.

[0062] In the specific implementation process, the memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or set on different chips. This application does not limit the type of memory or the way the memory and processor are set.

[0063] The communication device in the tenth aspect above can be a chip. The processor can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc. When implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor that reads software code stored in a memory. The memory can be integrated into the processor or located outside the processor and exist independently.

[0064] In one aspect, this application provides a computer program product comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when executed, causes a computer to perform the methods described in the first to sixth aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0065] In a twelfth aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in the first to sixth aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0066] It should be understood that aspects seven to twelfth of this application correspond to the technical solutions of aspects one to six of this application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0067] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applied in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the access network equipment applicable to the present application;

[0069] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of data transmission for extended reality (XR) services provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the rate control process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the rate control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the access network device configured with QoS flow rate control according to an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 7 is another schematic diagram of the access network device configured with QoS flow rate control according to an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 8 is a detailed flowchart of another rate control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 10 is another schematic block diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0077] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0078] Before describing the technical solutions in this application, the following points should be noted.

[0079] First, in this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and purpose. For example, "first configuration information" and "second configuration information" are used only to distinguish different configuration information and do not limit their order. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" do not necessarily imply that they are different.

[0080] Second, in this application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being described as an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0081] Third, in this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of singular or plural 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.

[0082] Fourth, in this application, the predefined content usually refers to information that is defined by the standard, does not require configuration by other devices, is recorded / written in advance in the hardware and / or software of the terminal device itself, or can be understood as information that cannot be changed by network devices or other terminal devices.

[0083] Fifth, in this application, "instruction" can include direct and indirect instructions, as well as explicit and implicit instructions. The information indicated by a certain instruction is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementation, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction can be implemented by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined) arrangement of various information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to some extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction, the instruction can be used to indicate the information to be instructed, and for the receiver of the instruction, the instruction can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0084] Sixth, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5th Generation (5G) systems, or New Radio (NR) systems, or future communication systems, etc. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0085] The communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to FIG1.

[0086] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applied in an embodiment of this application.

[0087] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system may include a data network (DN), a core network, and an access network. The access network may include, for example, at least one access network device (one access network device is used as an example in Figure 1) and at least one terminal device (two terminal devices are used as an example in Figure 1).

[0088] Access network devices and terminal devices can communicate via a wireless link. In one possible scenario, the access network device can act as a receiver, and the terminal device as a transmitter, with the terminal device sending signals to the access network device; however, this should not be construed as limiting this application. For example, in another possible scenario, the access network device can act as a transmitter, and the terminal device as a receiver, with the access network device sending signals to the terminal device. The communication interface between the access network device and the terminal device can be called a Uu interface; in other words, the access network device and the terminal device can communicate via the Uu interface.

[0089] Terminal devices can communicate with each other via sidelinks (SL).

[0090] Access network devices and core networks can communicate through next-generation (NG) interfaces (such as the NG 3 interface, or simply the N3 interface). For example, in a 5G network, access network devices can interconnect and communicate with the 5G core network through the NG 3 interface.

[0091] The core network can be interconnected with the data network via the NG 6 interface (N6 interface for short).

[0092] For example, for downlink, data can be generated by the application server, forwarded to the core network via the DN, and then sent to the access network device via the NG 3 interface. The access network device then sends the data to the terminal device via the Uu interface. For uplink, data can be generated by the terminal device, which sends the data to the access network device via the Uu interface. The access network device then sends the data to the core network via the NG 3 interface, and the core network sends the data to the DN via the NG 6 interface. The DN then sends the data to the application server.

[0093] It should be understood that Figure 1 exemplarily illustrates one access network device and two terminal devices, but this should not constitute any limitation on this application. The communication system may also include more access network devices and / or more or fewer terminal devices. Furthermore, while the terminal device in Figure 1 is an example of an XR device, the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific type of terminal device.

[0094] In this application, terminal equipment may also be referred to as: user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user equipment, etc.

[0095] Terminal devices can be devices that provide voice / data connectivity to users, such as handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, etc. Currently, examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to: mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities (such as laptops, PDAs, etc.), mobile internet devices (MIDs), virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, 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, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminals in 5G networks, or future public land mobile communication networks. Terminals in a network (PLMN), such as laptop computers and machine-type communication (MTC) terminals.

[0096] Furthermore, terminal devices can also be terminals in Internet of Things (IoT) systems. IoT is an important component of future information technology development. Its main technical characteristic is connecting objects to networks through communication technologies, thereby realizing an intelligent network that enables human-machine interconnection and machine-to-machine interconnection. IoT technology can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and low power consumption at the terminal level through technologies such as narrowband (NB).

[0097] In addition, terminal devices may also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas stations. Their main functions include collecting data (for some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink signals from access network devices, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit uplink data to access network devices.

[0098] In this application, access network equipment can refer to equipment that allows terminal equipment to access a wireless network. This access network equipment can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, access points, etc. In systems employing different wireless access technologies, the name of the access network equipment may vary. For example, it can be a transmission reception point (TRP), an evolved NodeB (eNB) in an LTE system, a home base station (e.g., home evolved NodeB, or home Node B, HNB), a base band unit (BBU), a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, or a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in an NR system, etc. This application does not limit the scope of the application.

[0099] In this application, the access network equipment can adopt a CU and DU separate architecture or a CU and DU integrated deployment architecture; this application does not limit this. The CU and DU separate architecture will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 2.

[0100] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram applicable to the access network equipment provided in this application. As shown in Figure 2, the access network equipment includes one or more CUs and one or more DUs. Optionally, the access network equipment may also include one or more RUs; for clarity, only one CU, DU, and RU are shown in Figure 2. The CU is used to connect to the core network and one or more DUs. Optionally, the CU may have some of the functions of the core network. The CU may include a CU-control plane (CP) and a CU-user plane (UP).

[0101] The CU and DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement: for example, the CU can be configured to implement the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and above (such as the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and / or the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer); the DU can be configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and / or the Physical (PHY) layer). Alternatively, the CU can be configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers above the PDCP layer (such as the RRC and / or SDAP layers), and the DU can be configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the RLC, MAC, and / or PHY layers).

[0102] The CU (e.g., configured to implement PDCP layer and above protocol layer functions) can connect to the DU (e.g., configured to implement RLC layer and below protocol layer functions) through interfaces such as the F1 interface. In some examples, these interfaces can provide CP and UP functions, such as interface management, system information management, UE context management, and RRC message transmission. F1AP is the application protocol of the F1 interface, defining the F1 signaling procedures in some examples. The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0103] When a CU includes CU-CP and CU-UP, CU-CP is used to implement the control plane functions of the CU, and CU-UP is used to implement the user plane functions of the CU. For example, when a CU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer, RRC layer, and SDAP layer, CU-CP is used to implement the RRC layer functions and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and CU-UP is used to implement the SDAP layer functions and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer.

[0104] The CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the AMF network element in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover.

[0105] CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements, such as the user plane function (UPF) network elements in a 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal devices.

[0106] The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency. Functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0107] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0108] 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 RAN (ORAN or O-RAN) system, CU can also be called open CU (open-CU, O-CU), DU can also be called open DU (open-DU, O-DU), CU-CP can also be called open CU-CP (open-CU-CP, O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called open CU-UP (open-CU-UP, O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called open RU (open-RU, 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 and hardware modules.

[0109] In this application, core network equipment refers to equipment within the CN that provides service support to terminals. Examples of core network equipment include: AMF network elements, Session Management Function (SMF) network elements, UPF network elements, etc., which will not be listed here. Specifically, the AMF network element is responsible for terminal access management and mobility management; the SMF network element is responsible for session management, such as user session establishment; and the UPF network element can be a user plane functional entity, primarily responsible for connecting to external networks. It should be noted that in this application, network elements can also be referred to as entities or functional entities. For example, an AMF network element can also be called an AMF entity or an AMF functional entity, and similarly, an SMF network element can also be called an SMF entity or an SMF functional entity, etc., which will not be listed here.

[0110] The communication system and equipment involved in this application have been described in detail above. To better understand the method provided in this application, the technical terms involved in this application will be explained in detail below.

[0111] 1. QoS Flow: This refers to a data flow with specific QoS requirements. These requirements may include, but are not limited to, requirements for at least one of the following parameters: bandwidth, latency, jitter, or packet loss rate. Bandwidth indicates the minimum and maximum transmission rates required for the data flow; latency indicates the maximum allowed transmission time from the source to the destination; jitter indicates the range of packet arrival times; and packet loss rate indicates the allowable percentage of packet loss. A QoS flow can be identified by a QoS flow identifier (QFI), meaning different QoS flows can be distinguished by their QFIs.

[0112] 2. DRB: A radio bearer used to transmit user data between terminal devices and the network. A DRB can be responsible for transmitting user plane data from terminal devices to the core network, or vice versa. A single DRB can carry (or map, or correspond to) one or more QoS flows.

[0113] 3. Data burst: Also known as data burst transmission. A data burst refers to the transmission of a large amount of data in a short period of time to improve transmission efficiency. In video streaming, a video frame can be considered a data burst because it needs to be transmitted completely within a short time to ensure continuous playback and smoothness of the video.

[0114] 4. Protocol Data Unit (PDU) and PDU Set: A PDU is a data unit used for data transmission in network communication. At the network layer, a PDU can be referred to as a data packet. A PDU set can refer to a group of related PDUs at the application layer. In video streaming, a video frame can be transmitted by multiple data packets, and a video frame can correspond to one or more PDU sets.

[0115] 5. XR: refers to various environments that combine reality and virtuality generated by computing technology and wearable devices, as well as human-computer interaction. Specifically, it can include the following possible forms: AR, mixed reality (MR), and VR.

[0116] The data transmission process in XR services will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 3.

[0117] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of data transmission for XR services provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0118] As shown in Figure 3, taking an AR service with a frame rate of 60 as an example, the frame rate is measured in frames per second (FPS), meaning 60 frames are generated per second, and a video frame appears approximately every 16.66 milliseconds (ms), or in other words, the period is 16.66 ms. Figure 3 shows that one video frame corresponds to one data burst. One video frame can correspond to one or more PDU sets.

[0119] XR services typically have high latency requirements. Taking uplink AR services as an example, the packet delay budget (PDB) can be 30ms. This means the maximum allowable transmission delay for a data packet from one network node to the target node is 30ms. For instance, the maximum transmission delay for a data packet from the UE access layer to the N6 interface of the UPF is 30ms. If a data packet is not successfully transmitted within the PDB requirement time, it can be considered that the data packet has timed out and is no longer valid.

[0120] In XR services, the Packet Set Delay Budget (PSDB) may also be considered. Similar to PDB, it refers to the maximum allowable transmission delay for a PDU set (or a group of data packets) from one network node to its destination node. For example, for uplink, PSDB refers to the maximum allowable transmission delay from the first data packet in the PDU set leaving the UE access layer to the last data packet in the PDU set arriving at the N6 interface of the UPF. For downlink, the transmission path is reversed, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0121] Ideally, the data transmission rate matches the network transmission rate, maximizing network resource utilization and ensuring a good user experience. The data transmission rate refers to the rate at which the data source (such as the application layer or application server of the terminal device) delivers data to the network entry point (such as the access layer of the terminal device or the output port of the application server), while the network transmission rate refers to the data transmission rate supported over the air interface. However, due to factors such as the availability of resources, network congestion, and channel quality, the network transmission rate fluctuates, while the data transmission rate remains relatively stable. Therefore, in practice, the data transmission rate may be higher or lower than the network transmission rate. When the transmission rate is lower than the transmission rate, data cannot be transmitted in a timely manner, leading to increased latency or packet loss, affecting the user experience. When the transmission rate is higher than the transmission rate, network resources may be idle, reducing resource utilization efficiency.

[0122] The size of data frames is not fixed. For example, in XR services, the size of video frames typically follows a truncated Gaussian distribution, and the mean can be expressed as: mean = R / F, where F is the frame rate and R is the data transmission rate. In other words, the data transmission rate is related to the frame rate and the size of the video frames. When the application reduces the frame rate or frame resolution, the data transmission rate can be reduced accordingly; conversely, increasing the frame rate or frame resolution will increase the transmission rate. Therefore, the data transmission rate can be adjusted.

[0123] In summary, to better match the data transmission rate with the network's transmission rate, the data transmission rate can be adjusted. One possible implementation is that the access network device can send a MAC CE to the terminal device based on an assessment of network resources and congestion levels, indicating the data transmission rate. The terminal device can then adjust its data transmission rate based on the access network device's recommended rate to better match the network's transmission rate, thereby reducing packet loss or resource waste. The detailed process of this implementation will be illustrated below with reference to Figure 4.

[0124] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the rate control process provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0125] In step 410, the terminal device transmits data at a rate X. Here, rate X is the data transmission rate. For example, in the case of uplink XR service, the terminal device transmits data at a rate of 30 megabits per second (Mbps).

[0126] In step 420, the base station assesses the transmission rates supported by the network.

[0127] Here, the base station is an example of an access network device. One possible scenario is that the base station can determine network congestion (or insufficient network resources) based on the network's supported transmission rate and the terminal device's uplink transmission rate (e.g., X). For example, if the base station assesses that the network supports a transmission rate of 20 Mbps, it determines that the network is congested and thus indicates a recommended rate to the terminal device (the recommended rate refers to the data transmission rate recommended by the base station). Another possible scenario is that the base station can determine network resources are available (or sufficient) based on the network's supported transmission rate and the terminal device's uplink transmission rate (e.g., X). For example, if the base station assesses that the network supports a transmission rate of 40 Mbps, it determines that network resources are available and thus indicates a recommended rate to the terminal device.

[0128] In step 430, the base station indicates the recommended rate Y to the terminal device.

[0129] For example, the base station may send a MAC CE to the terminal device, which indicates a recommended rate Y. It should be understood that the recommended rate may be a transmission rate supported by the network, but this should not constitute any limitation on this application. For example, the recommended rate indicated by the base station and the transmission rate supported by the network may also be different.

[0130] In step 440, the terminal device sends data at the recommended rate Y.

[0131] Currently, when access network devices need to perform rate control, they instruct terminal devices on the DRB and recommended rate through the MAC CE. The recommended rate is the data transmission rate for the DRB, or in other words, the recommended rate is a recommended rate for the DRB. However, the above method has the problem that terminal devices cannot adjust the rate of the QoS flow mapped to the DRB.

[0132] For example, in a scenario where multiple QoS flows in the DRB-mapped QoS flows indicated by the access network device to the terminal device are configured with rate control, after the terminal device determines the QoS flows with rate control configured in the DRB-mapped QoS flows based on the DRB, it cannot adjust the rate of the aforementioned multiple QoS flows with rate control configured.

[0133] For example, an access network device configures rate control for QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, and QoS flow 3. QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, and QoS flow 3 are mapped to DRB 1. When the access network device determines that rate control is needed (e.g., the access network device determines network congestion or network resource idleness based on the assessed network-supported transmission rate and data transmission rate), it instructs the terminal device on DRB 1 and the recommended rate for that DRB. After receiving the instruction, the terminal device determines that QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, and QoS flow 3 in the QoS flow mapped by that DRB are all configured with rate control. However, the recommended rate is the total recommended rate for QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, and QoS flow 3. Therefore, the terminal device cannot determine how the data transmission rate corresponding to each QoS flow in QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, and QoS flow 3 should be adjusted.

[0134] In view of this, this application provides a rate control method in which, for a DRB, at most one QoS flow mapped by the DRB is allowed to have effective rate control. That is, the QoS flow with effective rate control is unique. In this way, when the access network device indicates the DRB and the recommended rate, the terminal device can determine the QoS flow whose transmission rate needs to be adjusted based on the DRB, namely the aforementioned effective QoS flow, and thus adjust the transmission rate of the QoS flow based on the recommended rate.

[0135] One possible implementation is that, for a DRB, the access network device can configure rate control for at most one QoS flow. One possible design is that when a DRB maps a QoS flow, the access network device can configure rate control for that QoS flow, thus ensuring that for a DRB, at most one QoS flow can be configured with rate control. Another possible design is that when a DRB maps multiple QoS flows, the access network device can configure rate control for the first QoS flow only if none of the other QoS flows are configured with rate control. In other words, when a DRB maps multiple QoS flows, the access network device is only allowed to configure rate control for one of those QoS flows, ensuring that for a DRB, at most one QoS flow can be configured with rate control.

[0136] Another possible implementation is that, for a DRB, the access network device can configure rate control for multiple QoS flows, but the terminal device only applies rate control for one of the QoS flows. In other words, even if the access network device configures rate control for multiple QoS flows for a DRB, the terminal device only determines that the rate control for one of the QoS flows is effective.

[0137] The rate control method of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 5. The embodiments shown in this application illustrate the method provided by this application from the perspective of device interaction. The specific form and number of each device shown are merely examples and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation of the method provided by this application. Below, taking access network devices and terminal devices as the implementing entities, the rate control method of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0138] It should be understood that the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal device in implementing the rate control method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device; the access network device can be the access network device itself, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the access network device in implementing the rate control method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the access network device, and this application does not make any specific limitations in this regard.

[0139] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a rate control method 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. This method 500 can be applied, for example, to a communication system 100, and includes the following steps:

[0140] In step 510, the access network device determines configuration information 1, which is used to configure rate control for a first QoS flow. The first QoS flow is one of one or more QoS flows mapped by the first DRB, and the other QoS flows in the one or more QoS flows other than the first QoS flow are not configured with rate control.

[0141] The fact that rate control is not configured for any of the other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow mentioned above can also be understood as meaning that rate control is only allowed for one QoS flow (such as the first QoS flow) among the one or more QoS flows mapped by the first DRB. In other words, the first QoS flow is the only QoS flow among the one or more QoS flows mapped by the first DRB that is allowed to have rate control configured.

[0142] The QoS flow mapped by the first DRB mentioned above includes two possible scenarios. One scenario is that the first DRB maps to one QoS flow (such as the first QoS flow). In this case, the other QoS flows among the one or more QoS flows are not configured with rate control. This can be understood as the first QoS flow mapped by the first DRB being allowed to be configured with rate control. The other scenario is that the first DRB maps to multiple QoS flows. In this case, the other QoS flows among the one or more QoS flows are not configured with rate control. This can be understood as only the first QoS flow among the multiple QoS flows being allowed to be configured with rate control.

[0143] For example, for a QoS flow, when no other QoS flow is mapped on the DRB to which the QoS flow is mapped, or when other QoS flows are mapped on the DRB to which the QoS flow is mapped, but the other QoS flows are not configured with rate control, the access network device can configure rate control for the QoS flow; in other words, among one or more QoS flows mapped by a DRB, the access network device can configure rate control for at most one QoS flow.

[0144] In this application, rate control refers to the access network device controlling the data transmission rate, or the access network device controlling the terminal device to adjust the data transmission rate. For example, the access network device can indicate a recommended rate to the terminal device so that the terminal device can adjust the data transmission rate based on the recommended rate, thereby making the data transmission rate match the network transmission rate as closely as possible.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the access network device determines the above configuration information 1 based on one or more of the following: the first DRB maps only the first QoS flow; or, the first DRB maps multiple QoS flows, of which the other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow are not configured with rate control.

[0146] For example, the protocol may pre-define that when a DRB maps to a QoS flow, the access network device can configure rate control for that QoS flow; or, for multiple QoS flows mapped to the same DRB, only one QoS flow is allowed to be configured with rate control. For the first QoS flow, the access network device can determine whether to configure rate control for that first QoS flow based on one or more of the above criteria.

[0147] One possible design is that when the first DRB maps only to the first QoS flow, the access network device can configure rate control for that first QoS flow. In other words, the access network device determines it can configure rate control for the first QoS flow only if the first DRB to which the first QoS flow is mapped does not map any other QoS flow. Conversely, when the first DRB maps to multiple QoS flows, the access network device may not configure rate control for any of the QoS flows. Figure 6 shows an example of this design.

[0148] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the access network device configured with QoS flow rate control according to an embodiment of this application.

[0149] As shown in Figure 6, DRB 1 only maps QoS flow 1, while DRB 2 maps QoS flow 2 and QoS flow 3. Therefore, access network devices can configure rate control for QoS flow 1, but cannot configure rate control for QoS flow 2 and QoS flow 3.

[0150] Another possible design is that when the first DRB maps multiple QoS flows, the access network device determines to configure rate control for the first QoS flow only if no other QoS flow besides the first QoS flow is configured with rate control. Conversely, if one or more other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow are configured with rate control among the multiple QoS flows mapped by the first DRB, the access network device determines not to configure rate control for that QoS flow. Figure 7 shows an example of the above design.

[0151] Figure 7 is another schematic diagram of the access network device configured with QoS flow rate control according to an embodiment of this application.

[0152] As shown in Figure 7, QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2 are mapped to DRB 1, and QoS flow 3 and QoS flow 4 are mapped to DRB 2. QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, and QoS flow 3 are not configured with rate control, while QoS flow 4 is configured with rate control. Therefore, the access network device can configure rate control for QoS flow 1 or QoS flow 2, but cannot configure rate control for QoS flow 3.

[0153] It should be understood that when an access network device determines that a certain QoS flow is mapped to a DRB that also maps to other QoS flows, it can further determine whether those other QoS flows are configured with rate control. If the other QoS flows are not configured with rate control, then rate control can be configured for that QoS flow. As shown in the example in Figure 6, although DRB 2 maps to two QoS flows, if neither QoS flow 2 nor QoS flow 3 mapped to DRB 2 is configured with rate control, then the access network device can configure rate control for either QoS flow 2 or QoS flow 3.

[0154] In step 520, the access network device sends configuration information 1 to the terminal device. Accordingly, the terminal device receives configuration information 1.

[0155] For example, the access network device can configure rate control for the first QoS flow via an RRC message. For instance, the access network device sends an RRC message carrying an identifier for the first QoS flow.

[0156] The above describes how, for a single DRB, an access network device can configure rate control for at most one QoS flow. This allows the terminal device to determine the unique QoS flow with rate control configured for the DRB when the access network device indicates the DRB and the recommended rate. Another possible design is that, for a single DRB, the access network device can configure rate control for multiple QoS flows, but the terminal device only determines which one QoS flow's rate control is effective. This design will be described in detail below.

[0157] For example, the access network device sends configuration information 2 to the terminal device. This configuration information 2 is used to configure rate control for multiple QoS flows, which are mapped to a first DRB. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the configuration information 2. The terminal device determines that rate control is enabled for the first QoS flow among the multiple QoS flows, and rate control is invalid for the other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow.

[0158] The above-mentioned "effective" can also be replaced with "allow," "enable," or "active," and the above-mentioned "ineffective" can also be replaced with "disallow," "disable," or "deactivate," etc. This application does not limit this.

[0159] Rate control is not applied to any of the multiple QoS flows except for the first QoS flow. This can also be understood as the first QoS flow being the only QoS flow with effective rate control among the multiple QoS flows.

[0160] For example, if an access network device configures rate control for QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2, and QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2 are mapped to the same DRB, then the terminal device determines which QoS flow (e.g., QoS flow 1 or QoS flow 2) should have rate control applied. QoS flow rate control can be understood as the access network device controlling the transmission rate of that QoS flow, or in other words, the terminal device adjusting the transmission rate of that QoS flow.

[0161] In one possible implementation, the first QoS flow mentioned above is the QoS flow with the highest or lowest priority among multiple QoS flows, or the QoS flow that is configured with rate control earliest or latest among multiple QoS flows.

[0162] The QoS flow priority can refer to the transmission priority of different types of data flows in the network. In one possible design, the higher the priority, the more likely it is to be transmitted; in another possible design, the lower the priority, the more likely it is to be transmitted. This application does not limit this.

[0163] The method described below takes the case where higher priority means faster transmission.

[0164] One possible implementation is that the first QoS flow is either the highest or lowest priority QoS flow among the multiple QoS flows. Another possible design is that when network resources are sufficient, the first QoS flow is the highest priority QoS flow; when network resources are insufficient or the network is congested, the first QoS flow is the lowest priority QoS flow. It can be understood that the more abundant the network resources, the higher the supported network transmission rate, allowing for increased data transmission rates. Therefore, when network resources are sufficient, rate control of the highest priority QoS flow takes effect, meaning that the data transmission rate corresponding to the highest priority QoS flow is prioritized for improvement, thus providing a better user experience for high-priority services. Conversely, when network resources are insufficient or the network is congested, the data transmission rate needs to be reduced. Therefore, when network resources are insufficient or the network is congested, rate control of the lowest priority QoS flow takes effect, thus prioritizing the reduction of the data transmission rate corresponding to the lowest priority QoS flow, thereby minimizing the impact on high-priority services.

[0165] For example, the first QoS flow mentioned above is the QoS flow with the highest priority among multiple QoS flows. For instance, if an access network device configures rate control for QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2, where QoS flow 1 and QoS flow 2 are mapped to the same DRB, and the priority of QoS flow 1 is higher than that of QoS flow 2, then the terminal device determines that rate control is applied to QoS flow 1. For example, the above example could be a scenario with sufficient network resources.

[0166] Optionally, the protocol can predefine that when network resources are sufficient, the first QoS flow is the highest priority QoS flow among the multiple QoS flows, and when network resources are insufficient or the network is congested, the first QoS flow is the lowest priority QoS flow among the multiple QoS flows. The terminal device determines, based on the predefined content, that the first QoS flow is the highest priority QoS flow among the multiple QoS flows, or determines that the first QoS flow is the lowest priority QoS flow among the multiple QoS flows.

[0167] Another possible implementation is that the first QoS flow mentioned above is either the earliest or the latest QoS flow to be configured with rate control among the multiple QoS flows. By activating the QoS flow that is configured with rate control earliest among the multiple QoS flows, it is beneficial to ensure that the configuration of the earliest QoS flow takes effect stably; or, by activating the QoS flow that is configured with rate control latest among the multiple QoS flows, it is beneficial to ensure that the configuration of the latest QoS flow takes effect stably.

[0168] Regarding the interpretation of the earliest or latest QoS flow configured with rate control, one possibility is that the access network device configures rate control separately for each QoS flow. In other words, one QoS flow corresponds to one signaling message, and multiple QoS flows correspond to multiple signaling messages. The QoS flow configured with rate control earliest can be understood as the one whose corresponding signaling message was sent earliest. Another possibility is that multiple QoS flows correspond to one signaling message, but the identifiers of the various QoS flows within that signaling message have a specific order. The QoS flow configured with rate control earliest can be understood as the QoS flow that appears first in the order.

[0169] Optionally, the protocol may predefine the first QoS flow as the QoS flow that is configured with rate control earliest among the plurality of QoS flows, or predefine the first QoS flow as the QoS flow that is configured with rate control latest among the plurality of QoS flows.

[0170] It is understandable that in one implementation, when the access network device configures rate control for multiple QoS flows on the same DRB, the terminal device can also ignore the rate control configuration for that QoS flow. That is, the terminal device considers that no rate control has been configured for those multiple QoS flows.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the method 500 further includes: the access network device sending indication information 1 to the terminal device, the indication information 1 indicating a first DRB and a recommended rate, the recommended rate being used to adjust the transmission rate of the data corresponding to the first QoS flow. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the indication information 1.

[0172] Since the QoS flow with effective rate control in the QoS flow mapped by the first DRB is unique, when the access network device indicates the first DRB and the recommended rate to the terminal device, it is convenient for the terminal device to determine the first QoS flow based on the first DRB, and then to adjust the rate of the first QoS flow based on the recommended rate.

[0173] For example, if the transmission rate of the first QoS stream is 30 Mbps, and the access network device indicates the first DRB and the recommended rate to the terminal device, wherein the recommended rate is 20 Mbps, then the terminal device can determine to adjust the transmission rate of the first QoS stream based on the first DRB, and adjust the transmission rate of the first QoS stream to 20 Mbps according to the recommended rate, that is, send data at 20 Mbps.

[0174] In one possible implementation, the method 500 further includes: the access network device sending configuration information 3 to the terminal device, the configuration information 3 being used to configure the mapping relationship between the first DRB and multiple QoS flows. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the configuration information 3.

[0175] Configuration information 3 and configuration information 1 can be carried in the same signaling or in different signaling; this application does not limit this. By configuring the mapping relationship between DRB and QoS flow to the terminal device, it is convenient for the terminal device to determine the corresponding QoS flow based on the DRB when the access network device indicates the DRB and recommended rate, and then adjust the rate of the QoS flow based on the recommended rate.

[0176] As previously mentioned, the method described above is applicable to various communication system architectures. When the method described above is applicable to an architecture where the CU and DU are separated, step 510 can specifically be executed by the CU. That is, the CU corresponding to the access network device determines configuration information 1, which is used to configure rate control for a first QoS flow. This first QoS flow is one of one or more QoS flows mapped by the first DRB, and other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow are not configured with rate control. In the O-RAN system, step 510 can specifically be executed by the O-CU. That is, the O-CU corresponding to the access network device determines configuration information 1, which is used to configure rate control for a first QoS flow. This first QoS flow is one of one or more QoS flows mapped by the first DRB, and other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow are not configured with rate control.

[0177] Step 520 can be specifically implemented as follows: The CU corresponding to the access network device sends configuration information 1 through the RU. In the O-RAN system, step 520 can be specifically implemented as follows: The O-CU corresponding to the access network device sends configuration information 1 through the O-RU.

[0178] The access network device sends indication information 1 to the terminal device. The indication information 1 is used to indicate the first DRB and the recommended rate. The recommended rate is used to adjust the transmission rate of the data corresponding to the first QoS flow. Specifically, the DU corresponding to the access network device sends indication information 1 through RU. The indication information 1 is used to indicate the first DRB and the recommended rate. The recommended rate is used to adjust the transmission rate of the data corresponding to the first QoS flow.

[0179] The access network device sends configuration information 3 to the terminal device. This configuration information 3 is used to configure the mapping relationship between the first DRB and multiple QoS flows. Specifically, the CU corresponding to the access network device sends configuration information 3 through the RU. This configuration information 3 is used to configure the mapping relationship between the first DRB and multiple QoS flows.

[0180] As can be seen, when the method described above is applied to an architecture where CU and DU are separated, the configuration information 1 mentioned above can be generated by the CU, and the recommended rate and DRB mentioned above can be indicated by the DU. Therefore, if the DU does not know which QoS flow is configured with rate control, when selecting a QoS flow for rate control, it is possible that the QoS flow is not configured with rate control. Therefore, the selected QoS flow may be inappropriate.

[0181] Therefore, the above method further includes: the CU sending indication information 2 to the DU, which indicates the first QoS flow configured for rate control. Correspondingly, the DU receives the indication information 2. It can be understood that in the O-RAN system, the CU can be replaced by the O-CU, and the DU can be replaced by the O-DU; this will not be elaborated further here.

[0182] In a CU / DU separated architecture, the DU can indicate the DRB and recommended rate to the terminal device. The CU indicates the first QoS flow configured for rate control for the DU, facilitating the DU's determination of which QoS flow is rate-controlled and allowing it to select the appropriate QoS flow for rate control based on requirements. For example, suppose QoS flow 1 on DRB 1 is configured for rate control, but the CU does not indicate which QoS flow is rate-controlled to the DU. The DU might then select a QoS flow on another DRB (which is not configured for rate control) for rate control. For instance, the DU might indicate the identifier and recommended rate of another DRB to the terminal device. Upon receiving this indication, the terminal device cannot adjust the rate because the QoS flow mapped to that other DRB is not configured for rate control. However, if the CU indicates that QoS flow 1 is configured for rate control for the DU, the DU can select that QoS flow for rate control.

[0183] Optionally, the aforementioned indication information 2 may be carried / beared in a UE context setup request message or a UE context modification request message.

[0184] Similarly, when the method described above is applied to a DC communication system, the method further includes: the primary access network device sending indication information 2 to the secondary access network device, the indication information 2 indicating a first QoS flow configured for rate control. Accordingly, the secondary access network device receives the indication information 2. Alternatively, the secondary access network device sends indication information 2 to the primary access network device, the indication information 2 indicating a first QoS flow configured for rate control. Accordingly, the primary access network device receives the indication information 2.

[0185] For example, when the DRB terminates at the primary access network device, the primary access network device sends indication information 2 to the secondary access network device. This indication information 2 indicates the first QoS flow configured for rate control. Correspondingly, the secondary access network device receives the indication information 2. For example, this indication information 2 can be carried / transmitted in a secondary base station add request message (S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST), a secondary base station modify request message (S-NODE MODIFICATION REQUEST), or a secondary base station modify confirmation message (S-NODE MODIFICATION CONFIRM). Here, DRB termination at the primary access network device can be understood as the PDCP entity being deployed at the primary access network device, or the anchor point carrying the data packets being at the primary access network device. That is, for downlink, the data is first sent from the core network to the primary access network device, and then the primary access network device forwards all or part of the data to the secondary access network device for transmission. For uplink, the data is first aggregated at the primary access network device and then sent to the core network.

[0186] When the DRB terminates at the secondary access network device, the secondary access network device sends indication information 2 to the primary access network device. This indication information 2 indicates the first QoS flow configured for rate control. Correspondingly, the primary access network device receives the indication information 2. For example, this indication information 2 can be carried / transmitted in a secondary base station add request acknowledgment message (S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE), a secondary base station modify request acknowledgment message (S-NODE MODIFICATION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE), or a secondary base station modify request message (S-NODE MODIFICATION REQUIRED). Here, DRB termination at the secondary access network device can be understood as the PDCP entity being deployed on the secondary access network device, or the anchor point carrying the data packets being on the secondary access network device. That is, for downlink, the data is first sent from the core network to the secondary access network device, and then the secondary access network forwards all or part of the data to the primary access network device for transmission; for uplink, the data is first aggregated at the secondary access network device before being sent to the core network.

[0187] In a CU / DU separated architecture, the DU may have a better understanding of air interface resources and quality conditions. The DU can determine which QoS flows require rate control configuration and thus can provide information to the CU to assist in generating configuration information. Specifically, the DU can indicate to the CU which QoS flows require rate control.

[0188] For example, the DU can send indication information 3 to the CU, which indicates at least one QoS flow that the DU recommends for rate control. Accordingly, the CU receives the indication information 3. This facilitates the CU in determining which QoS flow to configure rate control for. For example, the CU can determine a first QoS flow based on the indication information 3.

[0189] For example, the above-mentioned at least one QoS flow includes a first QoS flow. In other words, the CU can select from at least one QoS flow indicated by the DU to configure rate control for a QoS flow that satisfies one or more of the following: a DRB maps only one QoS flow; or, for multiple QoS flows mapping the same DRB, only one QoS flow is allowed to be configured with rate control.

[0190] Optionally, the aforementioned indication information 3 may be carried in / in a UE context setup response message (UE CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE), a UE context modification response message (UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION RESPONSE), or a UE context modification request message (UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUIRED).

[0191] Similarly, when the method described above is applied to a DC architecture, the method further includes: the primary access network device can send indication information 3 to the secondary access network device, the indication information 3 indicating at least one QoS flow, which is a QoS flow that the primary access network device recommends for rate control. Accordingly, the secondary access network device receives the indication information 3. This facilitates the secondary access network device in determining which QoS flow to configure rate control for; for example, the secondary access network device determines a first QoS flow based on the indication information 3. Alternatively, the secondary access network device can send indication information 3 to the primary access network device, the indication information 3 indicating at least one QoS flow, which is a QoS flow that the secondary access network device recommends for rate control. Accordingly, the primary access network device receives the indication information 3 and determines the first QoS flow based on the indication information 3.

[0192] For example, when the DRB terminates at the primary access network device, the secondary access network device sends indication information 3 to the primary access network device. When the DRB terminates at the secondary access network device, the primary access network device sends indication information 3 to the secondary access network device.

[0193] This application also provides a rate control method in which a second network device can indicate to a first network device at least one QoS flow for which rate control is recommended. For example, the second network device sends indication information 4 to the first network device, the indication information 4 indicating at least one QoS flow that the second network device recommends for rate control. Accordingly, the first network device receives the indication information 4 and, based on the indication information 4, sends configuration information 4 to a terminal device, the configuration information 4 configuring rate control for one or more QoS flows.

[0194] For example, in a CU and DU separated architecture, the DU indicates to the CU at least one QoS flow recommended for rate control. Since the DU may have a better understanding of air interface resources, channel quality, etc., indicating the recommended QoS flow for rate control to the CU through the DU makes it easier to assist the CU in selecting the QoS flow for rate control. In this way, the selected QoS flow for rate control is more appropriate and accurate.

[0195] For example, in a data center (DC) scenario, the primary access network device indicates to the secondary access network device at least one QoS flow recommended for rate control, so that the secondary access network device can determine which one or more QoS flows to configure rate control for. Alternatively, the secondary access network device indicates to the primary access network device at least one QoS flow recommended for rate control, so that the primary access network device can determine which one or more QoS flows to configure rate control for.

[0196] One possible design is that when the DRB terminates at the primary access network device, the secondary access network device sends indication information 4 to the primary access network device. The primary access network device then generates and sends configuration information 4 based on this indication information 4. When the DRB terminates at the secondary access network device, the primary access network device sends indication information 4 to the secondary access network device. The secondary access network device then generates and sends configuration information 4 based on this indication information 4.

[0197] Optionally, the method further includes: the first network device sending indication information 5 to the second network device, the indication information 5 indicating one or more QoS flows configured for rate control. By having the first network device indicate to the second network device which one or more QoS flows are configured for rate control, the second network device can determine which one or more QoS flows are configured for rate control, thereby facilitating the second network device to select appropriate QoS flows for rate control according to its needs.

[0198] The detailed process of the above method will be described below with reference to Figure 8. The embodiment shown in Figure 8 illustrates the method described above from the perspective of the interaction between the first network device and the second network device. The specific form and number of each device shown are merely examples and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation of the method provided in this application. The first network device may be, for example, a CU, and the second network device may be a DU; or, the first network device may be, for example, a primary access network device, and the second network device may be, for example, a secondary access network device; or, the first network device may be, for example, a secondary access network device, and the second network device may be a primary access network device.

[0199] Figure 8 is a detailed flowchart of another rate control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0200] In step 810, the terminal device sends capability information to the first network device. Accordingly, the first network device receives the capability information.

[0201] The aforementioned capability information indicates whether the terminal device supports rate control functionality. For example, supporting rate control might refer to whether the terminal device supports reading messages used to indicate a recommended rate, such as MAC CE.

[0202] In step 820, the first network device queries a QoS flow that supports rate control.

[0203] For example, the first network device sends message 1 to the terminal device, which queries the terminal device for QoS flows that support rate control. Accordingly, the terminal device receives message 1. Whether a QoS flow supports rate control can, for example, refer to whether the upper-layer application corresponding to the QoS flow can adjust the data transmission rate based on MAC CE.

[0204] In step 830, the terminal device indicates a QoS flow that supports rate control to the first network device.

[0205] For example, the terminal device sends message 2 to the first network device, which indicates a QoS flow that supports rate control. Accordingly, the first network device receives message 2. Message 2 may, for example, carry an identifier of the QoS flow that supports rate control.

[0206] In step 840, the first network device indicates a QoS flow that supports rate control to the second network device.

[0207] It should be noted that steps 810 to 840 are optional. For example, when steps 810 to 840 are not executed, the second network device may assume that the terminal device supports rate control, and all QoS flows corresponding to the terminal device support rate control.

[0208] In step 850, the second network device indicates to the first network device the QoS flow recommended for rate control.

[0209] For example, the second network device sends indication information 5 to the first network device, the indication information 5 being used to indicate at least one QoS flow that is recommended to be configured with rate control, and the first network device receives the indication information 5 accordingly.

[0210] In step 860, the first network device is configured to perform rate control on a QoS flow (such as QoS flow 1).

[0211] For example, the first network device sends configuration information 5 to the terminal device, which is used to configure rate control for QoS flow 1. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the configuration information 5.

[0212] In step 870, the first network device indicates to the second network device a QoS flow configured with rate control.

[0213] For example, the first network device sends indication information 6 to the second network device, the indication information 6 indicating that QoS flow 1 is configured with rate control. Accordingly, the second network device receives the indication information 6.

[0214] In step 880, the second network device instructs the terminal device to perform rate control on DRB 1.

[0215] For example, the second network device sends indication information 7 to the terminal device, which indicates DRB 1 and the recommended rate. DRB 1 is the DRB mapped to QoS flow 1. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the indication information 7. The terminal device can then perform rate control based on the indication information 7. For example, the terminal device determines the QoS flow 1 for which rate control is configured based on DRB 1, and then adjusts the data transmission rate of QoS flow 1 based on the recommended rate.

[0216] This application also provides a rate control method, in which a first network device can indicate one or more QoS flows configured with rate control to a second network device, so that the second network device can recommend a suitable rate for the one or more QoS flows. For example, the first network device sends configuration information 6 to a terminal device, the configuration information 6 being used to configure rate control for one or more QoS flows; and sends indication information 8 to the second network device, the indication information 8 being used to indicate the one or more QoS flows configured with rate control.

[0217] For example, in a scenario where the CU and DU are deployed separately, the CU indicates to the DU one or more QoS flows that are configured with rate control, thereby facilitating the DU to perform rate control on the one or more QoS flows.

[0218] For example, in a data center (DC) scenario, the primary access network device indicates to the secondary access network device that one or more QoS flows are configured with rate control, thereby facilitating rate control of those QoS flows by the secondary access network device. Alternatively, the secondary access network device indicates to the primary access network device that one or more QoS flows are configured with rate control, thereby facilitating rate control of those QoS flows by the primary access network device.

[0219] It should be noted that the order of the methods listed above does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

[0220] The rate control method of the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above. The communication device of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below. The communication device includes modules or units for executing each part of the above embodiments. The modules or units can be software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The following only provides a brief illustrative example of the communication device; for details of the implementation, please refer to the description of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated below.

[0221] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 900 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0222] As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 900 includes a processing module 910 and a transceiver module 920.

[0223] One possible implementation is that the communication device 900 can be used to implement the steps performed by the access network device or terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 5. Another possible implementation is that the communication device 900 can be used to implement the steps performed by the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 8.

[0224] For example, the communication device 900 may include modules or units that correspond one-to-one with the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the method embodiment shown in FIG5. The modules or units may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0225] For example, when the communication device 900 is used to implement the function of the access network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG5, the processing module 910 is used to determine configuration information 1, which is used to configure rate control for a first QoS flow. The first QoS flow is one of one or more QoS flows mapped by the first DRB, and other QoS flows in the one or more QoS flows other than the first QoS flow are not configured with rate control; the transceiver module 920 is used to send configuration information 1 to the terminal device.

[0226] Optionally, the processing module 910 is specifically configured to determine the above configuration information 1 according to one or more of the following: the first DRB only maps the first QoS flow; or, the first DRB maps multiple QoS flows, and the other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow are not configured with rate control.

[0227] Optionally, the transceiver module 920 is further configured to send indication information 1 to the terminal device, the indication information 1 being used to indicate the first DRB and the recommended rate, the recommended rate being used to adjust the transmission rate of the data corresponding to the first QoS stream.

[0228] Optionally, the transceiver module 920 is also used to send configuration information 3 to the terminal device, which is used to configure the mapping relationship between the first DRB and one or more QoS flows.

[0229] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the function of the first network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG5, the transceiver module 920 is also used to send indication information 2 to the second network device, the indication information 2 being used to indicate the first QoS flow configured with rate control.

[0230] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the function of the first network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG5, the transceiver module 920 is also used to receive indication information 3 from the second network device, the indication information 3 being used to indicate at least one QoS flow, the at least one QoS flow being a QoS flow that the second network device recommends for rate control.

[0231] Optionally, the first network device is a CU in the access network equipment, and the second network device is a DU in the access network equipment; or, the first network device is a main access network equipment, and the second network device is a secondary access network equipment; or, the first network device is a secondary access network equipment, and the second network device is a main access network equipment.

[0232] For example, when the communication device 900 is used to implement the function of the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG5, the transceiver module 920 is used to receive configuration information 2, which is used to configure rate control for multiple QoS flows, and the multiple QoS flows are mapped to a first DRB; the processing module 910 is used to determine that the first QoS flow among the multiple QoS flows has effective rate control, and the other QoS flows among the multiple QoS flows other than the first QoS flow do not have effective rate control.

[0233] Optionally, the first QoS flow mentioned above is the QoS flow with the highest or lowest priority among multiple QoS flows, or the QoS flow that is configured with rate control earliest or latest among multiple QoS flows.

[0234] It should be understood that the communication device 900 here is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" here can refer to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, processors (e.g., shared processors, proprietary processors, or group processors, etc.) and memories for executing one or more software or firmware programs, combined logic circuits, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art will understand that the communication device 900 can specifically be a terminal device or access network device as described in the above embodiments. The communication device 900 can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device or access network device in the above method embodiments; to avoid repetition, these will not be described again here.

[0235] The aforementioned communication device 900 has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the terminal device or access network device in the above method; the above function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above function.

[0236] It should be understood that the module division in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a single processor, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into a single module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0237] Figure 10 is another schematic block diagram of the communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0238] The communication device 1000 can be a chip system, or an apparatus configured with a chip system to implement the methods described in the above-described method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0239] As shown in FIG10, the communication device 1000 may include a processor 1010, which can be used to execute computer programs or instructions in the memory to implement the steps executed by the terminal device or access network device in the embodiment shown in FIG5, or to implement the steps executed by the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG8.

[0240] The communication device 1000 also includes a communication interface 1020. The communication interface 1020 can be used to communicate with other devices via a transmission medium, thereby enabling the communication device 1000 to communicate with other devices. The communication interface 1020 can be, for example, a transceiver, interface, pin, bus, circuit, or a device capable of transmitting and receiving functions. The processor 1010 can use the communication interface 1020 to input and output data, and to implement the steps executed by the access network device or terminal device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, or to implement the steps executed by the first network device, second network device, or terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 8.

[0241] In one possible implementation, the communication device 1000 further includes at least one memory 1030 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 1030 is coupled to the processor 1010. The coupling in this embodiment is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 1010 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1030. The processor 1010 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 1030. At least one of the at least one memory may be included in the processor.

[0242] It should be understood that the coupling in the embodiments of this application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information interaction between devices, units, or modules. The processor 1010 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1030. The specific connection medium between the processor 1010, communication interface 1020, and memory 1030 is not limited in the embodiments of this application. Optionally, the processor 1010, communication interface 1020, and memory 1030 are connected via a bus 1040. The bus 1040 is represented by a thick line in Figure 10. The connection methods between other components are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting. The bus can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 10, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0243] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program is run, it can implement the steps executed by the access network device or terminal device in the embodiment shown in FIG5, or implement the steps executed by the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG8.

[0244] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program is run, it can implement the steps executed by the access network device or terminal device in the embodiment shown in FIG5, or implement the steps executed by the first network device, second network device, or terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG8.

[0245] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuitry in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a microprocessor unit (MPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an artificial intelligence processor (AI processor) or a neural processing unit (NPU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or a combination of one or more discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can reside in a mature storage medium in the field, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0246] 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. The non-volatile memory can be ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be a cache, random access memory (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). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0247] The terms "unit," "module," etc., used in this specification can be used to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. In the embodiments of this application, "unit" and "module" have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably.

[0248] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps 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. In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, 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 shown or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0249] 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.

[0250] 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.

[0251] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and 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., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (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 integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs, DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state drives, SSDs), etc.

[0252] 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 technology, 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.

[0253] 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 technical scope 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 rate control method characterized by, include: Determine first configuration information, which is used to configure rate control for a first Quality of Service (QoS) stream, a first Data Radio Bearer (DRB) maps one or more QoS streams, the first QoS stream is one of the one or more QoS streams, and other QoS streams in the one or more QoS streams other than the first QoS stream are not configured with rate control; Send the first configuration information to the terminal device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Determining the first configuration information includes: determining the first configuration information based on one or more of the following: The first DRB only maps to the first QoS flow; or, The first DRB maps multiple QoS flows, and the other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow are not configured with rate control.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The method further includes: Send a first indication message to the terminal device. The first indication message is used to indicate the first DRB and the recommended rate. The recommended rate is used to adjust the transmission rate of the data corresponding to the first QoS stream.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The method is applied to a first network device, and the method further includes: Send a second indication message to a second network device, the second indication message being used to indicate the first QoS flow configured with rate control.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The method is applied to a first network device, and the method further includes: Receive third indication information from a second network device, the third indication information being used to indicate at least one QoS flow, the at least one QoS flow being a QoS flow that the second network device recommends for rate control; Based on the third indication information, the first QoS flow is determined.

6. The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein, The first network device is a control unit (CU) in the access network equipment, and the second network device is a distributed unit (DU) in the access network equipment; or... The first network device is the primary access network device, and the second network device is the secondary access network device; or... The first network device is a secondary access network device, and the second network device is a primary access network device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send second configuration information to the terminal device. The second configuration information is used to configure the mapping relationship between the first DRB and the one or more QoS flows.

8. A rate control method, characterized in that, include: Receive first configuration information, the first configuration information being used to configure rate control for multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams, the multiple QoS streams being mapped to a first Data Radio Bearer (DRB); A first QoS flow is determined to be subject to rate control. The first QoS flow is one of the plurality of QoS flows, and the other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow are not subject to rate control.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The first QoS flow is the QoS flow with the highest or lowest priority among the plurality of QoS flows, or the QoS flow that was configured with rate control earliest or latest among the plurality of QoS flows.

10. The method as described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate the first DRB and the recommended rate, the recommended rate is used to adjust the transmission rate of the data corresponding to the first QoS stream.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second configuration information, which is used to configure the mapping relationship between the first DRB and the plurality of QoS flows.

12. A communications device, characterized by include: The processing module is configured to determine first configuration information, which is used to configure rate control for a first Quality of Service (QoS) stream, wherein a first Data Radio Bearer (DRB) maps one or more QoS streams, the first QoS stream is one of the one or more QoS streams, and other QoS streams in the one or more QoS streams other than the first QoS stream are not configured with rate control. The transceiver module is used to send the first configuration information to the terminal device.

13. The communication device as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, The processing module is specifically used to determine the first configuration information based on one or more of the following: The first DRB only maps to the first QoS flow; or, The first DRB maps multiple QoS flows, and the other QoS flows besides the first QoS flow are not configured with rate control.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, The transceiver module is further configured to send first indication information to the terminal device, the first indication information being used to indicate the first DRB and the recommended rate, the recommended rate being used to adjust the transmission rate of the data corresponding to the first QoS stream.

15. The communication device as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, The device is a first network device, and the transceiver module is further configured to send second indication information to a second network device, the second indication information being used to indicate the first QoS flow configured with rate control.

16. The communication apparatus of any of claims 12 to 15, wherein, The device is a first network device, and the transceiver module is further configured to receive third indication information from a second network device, the third indication information being used to indicate at least one QoS flow, the at least one QoS flow being a QoS flow recommended by the second network device for rate control; The processing module is also used to determine the first QoS flow based on the third indication information.

17. The communication device as claimed in claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The first network device is a control unit (CU) in the access network equipment, and the second network device is a distributed unit (DU) in the access network equipment; or... The first network device is the primary access network device, and the second network device is the secondary access network device; or... The first network device is a secondary access network device, and the second network device is a primary access network device.

18. The communication device as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that, The transceiver module is further configured to send second configuration information to the terminal device, the second configuration information being used to configure the mapping relationship between the first DRB and the one or more QoS flows.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to receive first configuration information, which is used to configure rate control for multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams, and the multiple QoS streams are mapped to a first Data Radio Bearer (DRB). The processing module is used to determine the effective rate control of a first QoS flow, wherein the first QoS flow is one of the plurality of QoS flows, and the other QoS flows among the plurality of QoS flows other than the first QoS flow are not subject to rate control.

20. The communication device as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that, The first QoS flow is the QoS flow with the highest or lowest priority among the plurality of QoS flows, or the QoS flow that was configured with rate control earliest or latest among the plurality of QoS flows.

21. The communication device as claimed in claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, The transceiver module is further configured to receive first indication information, which indicates the first DRB and the recommended rate, and the recommended rate is used to adjust the transmission rate of the data corresponding to the first QoS stream.

22. The communication device as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that, The transceiver module is also used to receive second configuration information, which is used to configure the mapping relationship between the first DRB and the plurality of QoS flows.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor, when invoked a computer program in memory, causes the apparatus to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 11.

24. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a transceiver, the transceiver being used to receive information from other communication devices besides the communication device and to output information to other communication devices besides the communication device, the processor calling a computer program stored in memory to execute the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 11.

25. The communication device as claimed in claim 23 or 24, characterized in that, The communication device also includes a memory.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Used to store computer programs, the computer programs including instructions for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 11.

27. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer causes the computer to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 11.

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