Communication method, communication node, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application discloses a communication method, a communication node, and a storage medium. The method comprises: on the basis of an analysis data request message, sending a second communication node discovery request message to a core network management function node, and receiving a second communication node discovery response message sent from the core network management function node, wherein the second communication node discovery response message comprises related information of at least one candidate second communication node; determining a second communication node from among the at least one candidate second communication node on the basis of the second communication node discovery response message, and sending the analysis data request message to the second communication node; and receiving an analysis data response message sent by the second communication node on the basis of the analysis data request message, wherein the analysis data response message comprises analysis data of the second communication node, and the first communication node and the second communication node are located on an access network side.

Description

Communication methods, communication nodes and storage media Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, such as communication methods, communication nodes, and storage media. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, the opening up of network capabilities has become an important trend for achieving a more flexible and efficient network architecture. In 5G networks, the core network already possesses relatively mature capability opening functions, which provides operators and third-party service providers with more flexible business deployment and innovation space.

[0003] However, with the advent of next-generation mobile wireless networks, network architecture and application requirements will become more complex and diverse, and the open core network capabilities may not be able to fully meet the requirements of future mobile communication networks. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method applied to a first communication node. The method includes: sending a second communication node discovery request message to a core network management function node according to an analysis data request message, and receiving a second communication node discovery response message sent by the core network management function node; wherein the second communication node discovery response message includes relevant information of at least one candidate second communication node; determining a second communication node from the at least one candidate second communication node according to the second communication node discovery response message, and sending the analysis data request message to the second communication node; receiving an analysis data response message sent by the second communication node according to the analysis data request message; wherein the analysis data response message includes analysis data of the second communication node, and the first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

[0005] This application provides a communication method applied to a second communication node. The method includes: receiving an analysis data request message sent by a first communication node; obtaining analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message; and sending an analysis data response message to the first communication node. The analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node. The first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

[0006] This application embodiment also provides a communication method applied to a second communication node, the method comprising: receiving an analysis data request message sent by an aggregated core network data analysis function node; obtaining analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message; and sending an analysis data response message to the aggregated core network data analysis function node; wherein the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, and the second communication node is located on the access network side.

[0007] This application provides a communication node, including a processor; the processor is used to implement the communication method of any of the above embodiments when executing a computer program.

[0008] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method of any of the above embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 is a network diagram of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment;

[0010] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in one embodiment;

[0011] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in one embodiment;

[0012] Figure 4 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided in one embodiment;

[0013] Figure 5 is an interactive schematic diagram of another communication method provided in one embodiment;

[0014] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in one embodiment;

[0015] Figure 7 is an interactive schematic diagram of another communication method provided in one embodiment;

[0016] Figure 8 is an interactive schematic diagram of another communication method provided in one embodiment;

[0017] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a communication node provided in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The openness of capabilities in 5G networks is primarily concentrated in the core network. Through standardized interfaces and open platforms, it allows third parties to access and invoke certain network functions, thereby enabling business innovation and service customization. However, with discussions surrounding next-generation mobile wireless networks, simply opening up core network capabilities may be insufficient to meet future complex demands. Future mobile communication networks, such as 6th Generation Mobile Communication Technology (6G) networks, are expected to achieve significant breakthroughs in ultra-high speeds, ultra-low latency, massive connectivity, and intelligence, meaning that the capabilities of the Radio Access Network (RAN) will also become crucial.

[0019] Therefore, future mobile communication networks not only need to continue opening up core network capabilities, but also need to further open up more radio access network (RAN) capabilities. Opening up RAN capabilities will help achieve more flexible network management, more efficient resource scheduling, and more intelligent service delivery. Especially in future mobile communication networks, the network will support more vertical industry applications, such as autonomous driving, smart manufacturing, and telemedicine. These applications have extremely high requirements for network real-time performance, reliability, and customization, which cannot be met by simply opening up the core network capabilities.

[0020] Therefore, researching the architecture and interaction processes that support open RAN capabilities has become a key issue in the design of future mobile communication network architectures. Through open RAN capabilities, operators can achieve more granular network control, and third-party developers can also develop more innovative applications and services based on these capabilities. Furthermore, open RAN may also promote interoperability between equipment from multiple vendors, breaking the traditional monopoly of a single vendor and driving the prosperity and development of the entire communications ecosystem.

[0021] This embodiment provides a communication method, communication node, and storage medium that support RAN capability openness.

[0022] Figure 1 is a network diagram of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, to support the opening of RAN-side capabilities / data, a first communication node and a second communication node are defined on the RAN side. The first communication node is a functional module for opening up capabilities, and the second communication node is a functional module for analysis. The first and second communication nodes are mounted on the core network bus. They are uniformly managed by the core network management functional node in the core network, including operations such as registration, discovery, and status monitoring of the first and second communication nodes.

[0023] Based on the networking method shown in Figure 1, the following describes the communication method, communication nodes and their technical effects provided in this embodiment from three perspectives: the first communication node, the second communication node, and the interaction between each communication node.

[0024] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment. The method provided in this embodiment is applied to the first communication node in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes steps S201-S203.

[0025] S201: Based on the analysis data request message, send a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node, and receive a second communication node discovery response message sent by the core network management function node.

[0026] The second communication node discovery response message includes information about at least one candidate second communication node.

[0027] To facilitate understanding of the scheme in this embodiment, the registration process of the first communication node and the second communication node will be described below.

[0028] In one embodiment, the first communication node can register with the core network management function node. The registration process is as follows: the first communication node sends a registration request message (Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Request) to the core network management function node, wherein the registration request message includes the configuration file of the first communication node; the core network management function node saves the configuration file of the first communication node and sends a registration response message (Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Response) to the first communication node, wherein the registration response message includes the registration result. The registration result is used to indicate whether the registration of the first communication node was successful. In the subsequent discovery process of the first communication node, the core network management function node can recommend a suitable first communication node to the consumer based on the configuration file of the first communication node.

[0029] The configuration file for the first communication node is provided by the access network side's Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) and stored in the first communication node. The configuration file for the first communication node includes at least one of the following: basic information of the first communication node, service area information of the first communication node, and data source information of the first communication node.

[0030] The basic information of the first communication node includes the identifier of the first communication node (e.g., the first communication node instance ID).

[0031] The service area information of the first communication node includes at least one of the following: the location information of the first communication node, the service area information of the first communication node, such as the Tracking Area Identity List (TAI list), the Radio Access Network Node Identifier List (RAN Node ID List), the Cell ID List, and a description of the geographical coordinate area.

[0032] Data source information includes at least one of the following: Data source types supported by the first communication node: Listing which network entities the first communication node can collect data from, such as collecting data from RAN nodes (e.g., eNodeB / gNodeB), collecting data from the Radio Access Network Operation and Maintenance Management (RAN OAM) system, data directly reported by user equipment (UE), collecting data from the second communication node, etc.; Metadata provision capabilities: Providing attributes such as the source, timestamp, and format of the data.

[0033] In one embodiment, the second communication node can register with the core network management function node. The registration process is as follows: the second communication node sends a registration request message (Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Request) to the core network management function node, wherein the registration request message includes the configuration file of the second communication node; the core network management function node saves the configuration file of the second communication node and sends a registration response message (Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister Response) to the second communication node, wherein the registration response message includes the registration result. The registration result is used to indicate whether the registration of the second communication node was successful. In the subsequent discovery process of the second communication node, the core network management function node can recommend suitable second communication nodes to consumers based on the configuration file of the second communication node. The specific contents of the configuration file of the second communication node will be described in detail in the embodiment executed by the second communication node.

[0034] The following describes the discovery process of the first and second communication nodes.

[0035] In one embodiment, the core network management function node can perform the discovery process of the first communication node. When a consumer needs to discover a first communication node that meets the requirements, it needs to send a first communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node. The core network management function node recommends one or more suitable first communication nodes to the consumer based on the stored configuration file of the first communication node and the preference information in the discovery request message.

[0036] The specific discovery process is as follows: The consumer sends a first communication node discovery request message (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request) to the core network management function node. This request message needs to include the first communication node preference information. The core network management function node selects one or more suitable first communication nodes based on the saved configuration file of the first communication nodes and the preference information in the discovery request message, and sends a discovery response message (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Response) to the consumer. The response message may contain a list of first communication nodes recommended by the core network management function node and the corresponding configuration file.

[0037] The first communication node preference information includes at least one of the following: the location information of the preferred first communication node; the preferred service area: such as TAI list, RAN Node ID List, Cell ID List, geographical coordinate area description, etc.; whether metadata is required.

[0038] In one embodiment, the core network management function node can perform the discovery process for second communication nodes. When a consumer needs to discover a suitable second communication node, it needs to send a second communication node discovery request to the core network management function node. The core network management function node, based on the stored configuration file of the second communication nodes and the preference information in the request, recommends one or more suitable second communication nodes to the consumer.

[0039] The specific discovery process is as follows: The consumer sends a second communication node discovery request message (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request) to the core network management function node. This request message needs to include second communication node preference information, the specific content of which will be described later. Based on the saved configuration file of the second communication node and the preference information in the discovery request message, the core network management function node selects one or more suitable second communication nodes and sends a discovery response message (Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Response) to the consumer. The response message may contain a list of second communication nodes recommended by the core network management function node and their corresponding configuration files.

[0040] In this embodiment, the data analysis request message can be a message received by the first communication node from other communication nodes or a message received from a consumer. In this embodiment, the consumer refers to a third-party application.

[0041] In one embodiment, the data analysis request message includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the sender, an identifier of the receiver, a description of the analysis event, and a description of the application or service.

[0042] The analysis event description includes at least one of the following: analysis event identifier and analysis report characteristics.

[0043] The analysis report features include at least one of the following: business context, reporting cycle, analysis latency requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report requests, green computing usage requirements, analysis area, analysis cell type, analysis-related UE list, and artificial intelligence (AI) capability usage requirements.

[0044] In one embodiment, the second communication node discovery request message includes second communication node preference information. The first communication node can generate the second communication node preference information based on the analyzed data request message.

[0045] The second communication node preference information includes at least one of the following: Type of preferred second communication node: whether RAN-side analysis aggregation is required; Required analysis event: the RAN-side analysis event requested by the consumer; Analysis latency lower limit: the analysis latency lower limit that the analysis event requested by the consumer needs to meet; Analysis accuracy lower limit: the accuracy lower limit that the analysis event requested by the consumer needs to meet; Whether metadata provision is required; Whether second communication nodes using green computing technology are preferred, where green computing in this embodiment refers to computing implemented using green energy; Stability of preferred second communication nodes: whether highly stable second communication nodes are preferred; Whether second communication nodes with fault recovery capabilities are preferred; Whether second communication nodes supporting redundant deployment are preferred; Required service area for analysis: such as TAI list, RAN Node ID List, Cell ID List, geographical coordinate area description; Required cell type for analysis: such as macro cell, micro cell, or indoor cell; Required network slice information for analysis: such as Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI); Whether AI capabilities are required: such as whether machine learning support is required. Training and deployment of Learning (ML) models, whether ML model accuracy testing is supported, and whether federated learning is required; analyze performance preference information: the lower bound of the analysis accuracy preferred by the consumer and the lower bound of the task response time preferred.

[0046] In this embodiment, after receiving the second communication node discovery request message, the core network management function node determines the second communication node discovery response message based on the saved configuration file of the second communication node and the second communication node preference information in the second communication node discovery request message. The second communication node discovery response message includes relevant information about at least one candidate second communication node. In this embodiment, the relevant information about the candidate second communication node includes: the identifier of the candidate second communication node and the configuration file of the candidate second communication node. The core network management function node then sends the second communication node discovery response message to the first communication node.

[0047] In this embodiment, the analysis event refers to the analysis event on the RAN side. Analysis events can also be called analysis tasks. Table 1 shows information on some optional analysis events.

[0048] Table 1 Information table for analyzing events

[0049] S202: Based on the second communication node discovery response message, determine the second communication node from at least one candidate second communication node, and send an analysis data request message to the second communication node.

[0050] The first communication node determines a suitable second communication node from at least one candidate second communication node and sends an analysis data request message to the second communication node.

[0051] After receiving the analysis data request message, the second communication node executes the relevant analysis tasks and replies with an analysis data response message to the first communication node.

[0052] S203: Receive the analysis data response message sent by the second communication node based on the analysis data request message.

[0053] The analysis data response message includes analysis data from the second communication node. Both the first and second communication nodes are located on the access network side.

[0054] The analysis data response message also includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, and the cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data of the second communication node.

[0055] The first communication node can send the analysis data from the second communication node to the consumer.

[0056] The communication method provided in this embodiment, through the interaction process of the first communication node, the second communication node, and the core network management function node, enables the first communication node to select a suitable second communication node from the candidate second communication nodes, send an analysis data request message to the second communication node, and finally obtain the analysis data from the second communication node. This realizes the network capability opening function on the radio access network side to meet the requirements of future mobile communication networks.

[0057] The following describes the communication method performed by the first communication node in a scenario requiring aggregation analysis. In some scenarios, it is necessary to perform aggregation analysis by combining information from the core network and the RAN. For example, to further ensure the service continuity of new services, such as Extended Reality (XR), Augmented Reality (AR), or Virtual Reality (VR), third-party applications can combine routing information provided by the core network and UE location and mobility prediction information provided by the RAN to predict changes in Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) connected to the UE. Based on the prediction results, the required service information is stored in advance in the predicted MEC node to reduce the transmission path of new services and improve the user experience.

[0058] In this scenario, if the analysis task requested by the consumer through the first communication node requires the aggregation of open analysis data from the core network and the RAN side for unified analysis and processing, then a second communication node is needed to aggregate data from other core network data analysis function nodes and the second communication node.

[0059] In this scenario, the second communication node is an aggregated second communication node. The analysis data of the second communication node is the comprehensive analysis result determined by the aggregated second communication node. The comprehensive analysis result is generated by the aggregated second communication node based on the analysis data from the cooperating core network data analysis function nodes and the analysis data from the cooperating second communication nodes. Based on this implementation, the analysis data response message sent by the aggregated second communication node includes the comprehensive analysis result determined by the aggregated second communication node.

[0060] The comprehensive analysis results can be generated by the aggregation of the analysis data of the core network data analysis function node, the analysis data of the cooperating second communication node, and the analysis data of the aggregation of the second communication node.

[0061] The analysis data of the collaborative core network data analysis function node is generated after the collaborative core network data analysis function node receives the analysis data request message sent by the aggregation second communication node. The analysis data of the collaborative second communication node is also generated after the collaborative second communication node receives the analysis data request message sent by the aggregation second communication node.

[0062] The scenario requiring aggregation analysis includes two different implementation methods for the second communication node to cooperate with and the core network data analysis function node to cooperate.

[0063] In the first implementation of this scenario requiring aggregation analysis, the first communication node determines the cooperating second communication node and the cooperating core network data analysis function node. In this implementation, the communication method provided in this embodiment further includes: receiving an analysis data request message sent by a consumer; sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node based on the analysis data request message; receiving a core network data analysis function node discovery response message from the core network management function node based on the core network data analysis function node discovery request message; determining the cooperating core network data analysis function node based on the core network data analysis function node discovery response message; determining the cooperating second communication node from at least one candidate second communication node based on the second communication node discovery response message; and sending relevant information about the cooperating core network data analysis function node and the cooperating second communication node to the aggregation second communication node.

[0064] In the second implementation of this scenario requiring aggregation analysis, the collaborating second communication node and the collaborating core network data analysis function node are determined by the aggregation second communication node. In this implementation, the collaborating core network data analysis function node is the node determined by the aggregation second communication node after sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node based on the analysis data request message, and then based on the core network data analysis function node discovery response message returned by the core network management function node. The collaborating second communication node is the node determined by the aggregation second communication node after sending a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node based on the analysis data request message, and then based on the second communication node discovery response message returned by the core network management function node.

[0065] The core network data analysis function node discovery request message involved in this scenario includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, the description of the application or service, and the description of the analysis event.

[0066] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in one embodiment. The method provided in this embodiment is applied to the second communication node in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes steps S301-S303.

[0067] S301: Receive the analysis data request message sent by the first communication node.

[0068] To facilitate understanding of the scheme in this embodiment, the registration process of the second communication node will be described first.

[0069] In one embodiment, the second communication node can register with the core network management function node. The registration process is as follows: the second communication node sends a registration request message to the core network management function node, wherein the registration request message includes the configuration file of the second communication node; the core network management function node saves the configuration file of the second communication node and sends a registration response message to the second communication node, the registration response message including the registration result. The registration result is used to indicate whether the registration of the second communication node was successful.

[0070] The configuration file for the second communication node is provided by the access network side's OAM. The configuration file for the second communication node includes at least one of the following: basic information of the second communication node, description of the analysis functions of the second communication node, service area of ​​the second communication node, data source information of the second communication node, AI capabilities of the second communication node, and historical analysis performance of the second communication node.

[0071] The basic information of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the second communication node (e.g., the instance ID of the second communication node); the type of the second communication node: only supports RAN-side analysis, only supports RAN-side analysis aggregation, or supports cross-layer analysis aggregation (including combining core network analysis, supporting full-link analysis from RAN to core network).

[0072] The analysis function description of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: Analysis event identifiers supported by the second communication node: listing the identifiers of the analysis events supported by the second communication node; Analysis latency of the second communication node for different analysis events: describing the time latency required for different analysis events, including the time for data collection and analysis result generation; Accuracy of the analysis function of the second communication node for different analysis events: different accuracy parameters (common metrics include error range, mean square error, root mean square error, and relative error) are available for different analysis events (such as signal strength assessment, user experience analysis, classification tasks, etc.). This parameter quantifies the difference between the analysis results of the second communication node and the true value, helping consumers evaluate the reliability of the second communication node and select a second communication node suitable for their needs; Metadata provision capabilities of the second communication node: providing attributes such as data source, timestamp, and format; Capacity load information of the second communication node: describing the second communication node's... The system provides information on the processing capacity of the second communication node (e.g., the number of analytics tasks that can be processed per second), current load information (e.g., the number of ongoing analytics tasks, CPU utilization, or memory utilization), available computing resources, and storage resources to help consumers select a second communication node with a lower load. Information on the second communication node's green computing support: If the second communication node uses green computing technologies, this parameter can be indicated to help consumers consider energy efficiency when selecting a second communication node. The second communication node's fault recovery time: This describes the expected recovery time of the second communication node in the event of a fault, helping consumers assess the system's stability and availability. The second communication node's fault recovery capabilities: This describes whether the second communication node has fault recovery capabilities, including automatic failover mechanisms in the event of hardware or software failures. The second communication node's redundancy deployment information: This describes whether the second communication node supports multiple redundant deployments to ensure that analytics tasks can operate normally at all times. This is particularly important for tasks with high availability requirements.

[0073] The service area of ​​a second communication node includes at least one of the following: Service area information of the second communication node: a detailed description of the geographical area or cell range covered by the second communication node, typically represented by TAI, Cell ID, or location coordinates; Cell types supported for analysis by the second communication node: a description of the cell types supported for analysis by the second communication node, such as macro cells, micro cells, or indoor cells; Network slices supported for analysis by the second communication node: a list of network slice identifiers (S-NSSAI) supported by the second communication node. This helps consumers select a second communication node suitable for a specific network slice.

[0074] The data source information for the second communication node includes: the types of data sources supported by the first communication node; and a list of network entities from which the second communication node can collect data. For example, data can be collected from RAN nodes, from the Radio Access Network Operation and Maintenance (RAN OAM) system, or directly reported data by user equipment (UE).

[0075] The AI ​​capabilities of the second communication node include at least one of the following: ML support information: describing whether the second communication node supports the training and deployment of ML models; ML model accuracy monitoring capability: ML model accuracy monitoring capability refers to whether the second communication node can monitor the accuracy of machine learning models and the accuracy of analysis tasks; Federated Learning (FL) support information: describing whether the second communication node supports federated learning.

[0076] The historical performance of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: Historical accuracy of the second communication node: describes the accuracy of the second communication node when performing similar analysis tasks in the past, which consumers can use to judge the reliability of the second communication node; Historical response time of the second communication node: records the average response time of the second communication node when performing analysis tasks in the past, to help consumers select a second communication node with a faster response speed.

[0077] In this embodiment, the data request message includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, the description of the analysis event, and the description of the application or service.

[0078] The analysis event description includes at least one of the following: analysis event identifier and analysis report characteristics.

[0079] The analysis report features include at least one of the following: business context, reporting cycle, analysis latency requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report requests, green computing usage requirements, analysis area, analysis cell type, analysis-related UE list, and AI capability usage requirements.

[0080] S302: Obtain the analysis data from the second communication node based on the analysis data request message.

[0081] S303: Send an analysis data response message to the first communication node.

[0082] The analysis data response message includes analysis data from the second communication node. Both the first and second communication nodes are located on the access network side.

[0083] The analysis data response message also includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, and the cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data of the second communication node.

[0084] The communication method provided in this embodiment receives an analysis data request message sent by a first communication node through a second communication node, obtains the analysis data of the second communication node based on the analysis data request message, and sends an analysis data response message to the first communication node. The analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, thereby realizing the network capability opening function on the wireless access network side and meeting the requirements of future mobile communication networks.

[0085] Corresponding to the scenarios requiring aggregation analysis in the embodiments shown in Figure 2 and various optional implementations, the second communication node is the aggregation second communication node. The analysis data of the second communication node is the comprehensive analysis result determined by the aggregation second communication node.

[0086] Correspondingly, the implementation process of S302 may include: sending an analysis data request message to the cooperating second communication node and receiving analysis data from the cooperating second communication node, wherein the analysis data from the cooperating second communication node is data generated by the cooperating second communication node after receiving the analysis data request message; sending an analysis data request message to the cooperating core network data analysis function node and receiving analysis data from the cooperating core network data analysis function node, wherein the analysis data from the cooperating core network data analysis function node is data generated by the cooperating core network data analysis function node after receiving the analysis data request message; and generating a comprehensive analysis result based on the analysis data from the cooperating core network data analysis function node and the analysis data from the cooperating second communication node.

[0087] The aggregation second communication node can generate comprehensive analysis results based on the analysis data from the cooperating core network data analysis function node, the analysis data from the cooperating second communication node, and the analysis data from the aggregation second communication node itself.

[0088] In the first implementation corresponding to the scenario requiring aggregation analysis, the first communication node determines the cooperating core network data analysis function node and the cooperating second communication node. The cooperating core network data analysis function node is the node determined by the first communication node after sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node based on the analysis data request message, and based on the core network data analysis function node discovery response message returned by the core network management function node. The cooperating second communication node is the node determined by the first communication node after sending a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node based on the analysis data request message, and based on the second communication node discovery response message returned by the core network management function node. Correspondingly, the method further includes: receiving relevant information about the cooperating core network data analysis function node and the cooperating second communication node sent by the first communication node.

[0089] In the second implementation method corresponding to the scenario requiring aggregation analysis, the collaborating core network data analysis function node and the collaborating second communication node are determined by the aggregation second communication node. Correspondingly, this communication method further includes: sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message and a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node based on the analysis data request message; determining the collaborating core network data analysis function node based on the core network management function node's core network data analysis function node discovery response message; and determining the collaborating second communication node based on the core network management function node's second communication node discovery response message.

[0090] In one embodiment, the second communication node discovery request message includes second communication node preference information.

[0091] The second communication node preference information includes at least one of the following: Type of preferred second communication node: whether RAN-side analysis aggregation is required; Required analysis event: the RAN-side analysis event requested by the consumer; Analysis latency lower limit: the analysis latency lower limit that the analysis event requested by the consumer needs to meet; Analysis accuracy lower limit: the accuracy lower limit that the analysis event requested by the consumer needs to meet; Whether metadata provision is required; Whether a second communication node using green computing technology is preferred, wherein green computing in this embodiment refers to computing implemented using green energy; Stability of preferred second communication node: whether a second communication node with high stability is preferred; Whether a second communication node with fault recovery capability is preferred; Whether a second communication node supporting redundant deployment is preferred; Service area to be analyzed: such as TAI list, RAN Node ID List, Cell ID. List, geographic coordinates region description; cell type to be analyzed: such as macro cell, micro cell, or indoor cell; network slice information to be analyzed: such as S-NSSAI; whether AI capabilities are required: such as whether it is necessary to support the training and deployment of ML models, whether it is necessary to support ML model accuracy detection, and whether it is necessary to support federated learning; analysis performance preference information: the lower limit of analysis accuracy and the lower limit of task response time preferred by the consumer.

[0092] The second communication node discovery response message involved in the above process is a message determined by the core network management function node based on the configuration file and the analysis data request message.

[0093] The communication method provided in this embodiment is described below from the perspective of the interaction between the first communication node, the second communication node, and various nodes in the core network. The following explanation uses the following examples: the first communication node is a Radio Access Network Exposure Function (REF), the second communication node is a Radio Access Network Data Analysis Function (RANDAF), the core network Exposure Function is an existing NEF in the core network, the core network Management Function is an existing NRF in the core network, and the core network Data Analysis Function is an existing NWDAF in the core network. In the following embodiments, the analysis data request message can also be described as an analysis subscription request, or the analysis subscription request includes the analysis data request message.

[0094] Figure 4 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided in one embodiment. This interaction process corresponds to the first implementation of the scenario requiring aggregation analysis described above, namely, the REF determines the aggregation RANDAF, the cooperating NWDAF, and the cooperating RANDAF. As shown in Figure 4, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes S401-S413.

[0095] S401: The consumer sends an analysis data request message to REF.

[0096] The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirements, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, AI capability usage requirements, etc.).

[0097] S402: REF response analyzes the subscription response message and sends it to the consumer, informing them of the subscription result (success or failure).

[0098] S403: REF sends NWDAF discovery request message and RANDAF discovery request message to NRF.

[0099] The RANDAF discovery request message carries preference information that indicates a request for a RANDAF with the ability to aggregate NWDAF and RANDAF.

[0100] S404: Based on the saved NWDAF configuration file and RANDAF configuration file, the NRF, in conjunction with the NWDAF discovery request message and the RANDAF discovery request message, replies to the REF with an NWDAF discovery response message containing one or more recommended NWDAFs. The NRF also replies to the REF with a RANDAF discovery response message containing one or more recommended RANDAFs, which include a list of candidate aggregate RANDAFs and a list of other candidate cooperating RANDAFs.

[0101] The NWDAF discovery response message may also include one or more recommended NWDAF profiles. The RANDAF discovery response message may also include one or more recommended RANDAF profiles.

[0102] S405: REF combines the analysis request message, NWDAF discovery response message, and RANDAF discovery response message to select the aggregated RANDAF, as well as the collaborating NWDAF and collaborating RANDAF that need to obtain analysis data.

[0103] S406: REF sends an analysis data request message to the aggregate RANDAF.

[0104] The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; REF id; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; description of the analysis task that the aggregation RANDAF needs to complete, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirements, analysis latency requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirements, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, AI capability usage requirements, etc.); the NWDAF id and RANDAF id of the collaborating entity that expects to obtain the analysis data, as well as the associated analysis task description (e.g., analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics, etc.).

[0105] S407: The aggregation RANDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to REF, informing them of the subscription result (success or failure).

[0106] S408: The aggregated RANDAF sends an analysis data request message to the collaborating NWDAF and the collaborating RANDAF based on the analysis data request message sent by the REF.

[0107] The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; REF id; aggregated RANDAF id; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirements, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, AI capability usage requirements, etc.).

[0108] S409: Each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to the aggregate RANDAF, informing it of the subscription result.

[0109] S410: When the analysis task is completed, each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF sends an analysis subscription notification message to the aggregate RANDAF.

[0110] Analysis subscription notification messages may include the following: consumer identifier, RANDAF id, NWDAF id, and a description of the analysis results.

[0111] S411: The RANDAF aggregation combines the analysis results reported by each collaborating NWDAF, the analysis results reported by each collaborating RANDAF, and its own analysis results to generate a comprehensive analysis result.

[0112] S412: The aggregated RANDAF sends an analysis subscription notification message to REF, sending the comprehensive analysis results to REF.

[0113] The analytics subscription notification message may include the following: consumer identifier, aggregate RANDAF id, and a description of the analytics results. The analytics subscription notification message in this embodiment is similar to the analytics data response message in the preceding embodiments.

[0114] S413: REF sends an analytics subscription notification message to the consumer to forward the aggregated analytics results to the consumer.

[0115] Optionally, the analytics subscription notification message may include the following: consumer identifier, REF id, and a description of the analytics results.

[0116] Figure 5 is an interactive schematic diagram of another communication method provided in one embodiment. This interaction process corresponds to the second implementation of the scenario requiring aggregation analysis described above, namely, the REF is responsible for selecting the aggregation RANDAF, and then the aggregation RANDAF determines the cooperating NWDAF and the cooperating RANDAF. As shown in Figure 5, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes S501-515.

[0117] S501: The consumer sends an analysis data request message to REF.

[0118] The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirements, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, AI capability usage requirements, etc.).

[0119] S502: REF response analyzes the subscription response message and sends it to the consumer, informing them of the subscription result (success or failure).

[0120] S503: REF sends a RANDAF discovery request message to NRF.

[0121] The RANDAF discovery request message may include second communication node preference information. The RANDAF discovery request message may also include at least one of the following: consumer identifier, REF id, application or service description, analysis task description, and preference for RANDAFs with the ability to aggregate NWDAF and RANDAF. The content of the analysis task description is as shown in the previous embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0122] S504: The NRF, based on the saved RANDAF configuration file and the RANDAF discovery request message, replies to the REF with a RANDAF discovery response message.

[0123] The RANDAF discovery response message contains one or more recommended RANDAFs and their configuration files.

[0124] S505: REF combines the analysis request message and the RANDAF discovery response message sent by NRF to select the aggregated RANDAF.

[0125] S506: REF sends an analysis data request message to the aggregate RANDAF.

[0126] The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; REF id; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; description of the analysis task that the aggregated RANDAF needs to complete, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirements, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, AI capability usage requirements, etc.).

[0127] S507: The aggregation RANDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to REF, informing them of the subscription result.

[0128] S508: The aggregated RANDAF sends an NWDAF discovery request message and a RANDAF discovery request message to the NRF based on the analysis data request message sent by the REF, in order to obtain candidate cooperating NWDAFs and cooperating RANDAFs.

[0129] NWDAF discovery request messages and RANDAF discovery request messages include at least one of the following: consumer identifier; REF id; aggregate RANDAF id; application or service description; analysis task description.

[0130] RANDAF discovery request messages can also include RANDAF preference information.

[0131] S509: NRF sends an NWDAF discovery response message to the aggregate RANDAF, and sends a RANDAF discovery response message to the aggregate RANDAF.

[0132] The NWDAF discovery response message includes: one or more candidate NWDAFs and their configuration files. The RANDAF discovery response message includes: one or more candidate RANDAFs and their configuration files.

[0133] S510: The aggregated RANDAF sends an analysis data request message to the selected cooperating NWDAF and the cooperating RANDAF based on the analysis data request message sent by the REF.

[0134] The data analysis request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; REF id; aggregate RANDAF id; application or service description: describing the application or service using the data analysis, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics.

[0135] S511: Each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to the aggregate RANDAF, informing it of the subscription result.

[0136] S512: When the analysis task is completed, each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF sends an analysis subscription notification message to the aggregate RANDAF.

[0137] Analysis subscription notification messages may include the following: consumer identifier, RANDAF id, NWDAF id, and a description of the analysis results.

[0138] S513: The RANDAF aggregation combines the analysis results reported by each collaborating NWDAF, the analysis results reported by each collaborating RANDAF, and its own analysis results to generate a comprehensive analysis result.

[0139] S514: The aggregated RANDAF sends an analysis subscription notification message to REF, and sends the comprehensive analysis results to REF.

[0140] Optionally, the analytics subscription notification message may include the following: consumer identifier, aggregate RANDAF id, and a description of the analytics results. The analytics subscription notification message in this embodiment is similar to the analytics data response message in the preceding embodiments.

[0141] S515: REF sends analytics subscription notification messages to consumers to forward the aggregated analytics results to them.

[0142] The analytics subscription notification message may include the following: consumer identifier, REF id, and a description of the analytics results.

[0143] The above implementation method enables consumers to obtain the aggregated comprehensive analysis results from the core network side and the RAN side through REF, further meeting the service requirements of future mobile communication networks.

[0144] This embodiment also provides a communication method. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this embodiment. The method provided in this embodiment is applied to the second communication node in Figure 1. The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment shown in Figure 3 and various optional implementations is that in the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 3, the consumer sends an analysis data request message to the first communication node; in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the consumer sends an analysis data request message to the core network open function node to obtain analysis data from the RAN side through the core network open function node. Furthermore, this embodiment involves a scenario of aggregation and analysis of core network side information and RAN side information. As shown in Figure 6, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes S601-S603.

[0145] S601: Receives analysis data request messages sent by the aggregation core network data analysis function nodes.

[0146] In this embodiment, the second communication node can register with the core network management function node. The registration process and the configuration file of the second communication node are similar to those in the previous embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0147] In this embodiment, the discovery process of the second communication node can be performed by the core network management function node. The content of the second communication node discovery request message and the discovery process are similar to those in the previous embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0148] The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: the sender's identifier, the receiver's identifier, the analysis event description, and the application or service description.

[0149] The analysis event description includes at least one of the following: analysis event identifier and analysis report characteristics.

[0150] The analysis report features include at least one of the following: business context, reporting period, analysis latency requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report requests, green computing usage requirements, analysis area, analysis cell type, analysis-related UE list, and AI capability usage requirements.

[0151] If the analysis task requested by a consumer through a core network open function node requires the aggregation of open analysis data from the core network and RAN side for unified analysis and processing, then a core network data analysis function node needs to aggregate data from other cooperating core network data analysis function nodes and second communication nodes.

[0152] The analysis data request message is a message sent by the consumer to the core network open function node and then forwarded by the core network open function node to the aggregated core network data analysis function node. In this embodiment, the aggregated core network data analysis function node is the core network data analysis function node determined by the core network open function node after sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node based on the analysis data request message, and then by the core network data analysis function node discovery response message returned by the core network management function node.

[0153] S602: Obtain the analysis data from the second communication node based on the analysis data request message.

[0154] S603: Sends analysis data response messages to the aggregated core network data analysis function nodes.

[0155] The analysis data response message includes analysis data from the second communication node, which is located on the access network side.

[0156] The analysis data response message in this embodiment also includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sending end, the identifier of the receiving end, and the cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data.

[0157] After receiving the analysis data response message, the aggregation core network data analysis function node can aggregate the analysis data from the second communication node and the analysis data from the cooperating core network data analysis function nodes to obtain a comprehensive analysis result. Optionally, the aggregation core network data analysis function node can aggregate the analysis data from the second communication node, the analysis data from the cooperating core network data analysis function nodes, and its own analysis data to obtain a comprehensive analysis result.

[0158] The communication method provided in this embodiment receives an analysis data request message sent by the aggregation core network data analysis function node through a second communication node, obtains the analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message, and sends an analysis data response message to the aggregation core network data analysis function node. The analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, thereby realizing the network capability opening function on the wireless access network side and meeting the requirements of future mobile communication networks.

[0159] Based on the embodiment shown in Figure 6 and various optional implementations, in the first implementation, the second communication node is the node determined by the core network open function node after sending a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message, and then based on the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node. The core network open function node is also used to send relevant information of the second communication node to the aggregated core network data analysis function node.

[0160] Based on the embodiment shown in Figure 6 and various optional implementation methods, in the second implementation method, the second communication node is the node determined by the aggregation core network data analysis function node after sending a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message, and then based on the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node.

[0161] The communication method provided in this embodiment is described below from the perspective of the interaction between the second communication node and various nodes in the core network. The following explanation uses RANDAF as the second communication node, NEF (existing in the core network) as the core network open function node, NRF (existing in the core network) as the core network management function node, and NWDAF (existing in the core network data analysis function node) as the core network data analysis function node. In the following embodiments, the analysis data request message can also be described as an analysis subscription request, or the analysis subscription request includes the analysis data request message.

[0162] Figure 7 is an interactive schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment. This interaction process corresponds to the first implementation in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, namely, the process by which the NEF determines the RANDAF. In this implementation, the NEF can also determine the aggregated NWDAF and the cooperating NWDAF. As shown in Figure 7, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes S701-S713.

[0163] S701: The consumer sends an analysis data request message to NEF.

[0164] The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirements, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, AI capability usage requirements, etc.).

[0165] S702: NEF responds to the subscription analysis message and informs the consumer of the subscription result (success or failure).

[0166] S703: NEF sends NWDAF discovery request messages and RANDAF discovery request messages to NRF.

[0167] The NWDAF discovery request message carries preference information that indicates a request for an NWDAF with the ability to aggregate NWDAF and RANDAF.

[0168] S704: Based on the saved NWDAF configuration file and RANDAF configuration file, the NRF, in conjunction with the NWDAF discovery request message and the RANDAF discovery request message, replies to the NEF with an NWDAF discovery response message and a RANDAF discovery response message.

[0169] The NWDAF discovery response message includes one or more recommended aggregated NWDAFs, other cooperating NWDAFs, and their configuration files. The RANDAF discovery response message includes one or more recommended other cooperating RANDAFs and their configuration files.

[0170] S705: NEF combines the analysis request message, NWDAF discovery response message, and RANDAF discovery response message to select the aggregated NWDAF, as well as the collaborating NWDAF and collaborating RANDAF that need to obtain analysis data.

[0171] The RANDAF that is identified here is the second communication node in the embodiment shown in Figure 6.

[0172] S706: NEF sends an analysis data request message to the aggregated NWDAF.

[0173] The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; NEF id; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; description of the analysis task that the aggregated NWDAF needs to complete, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirements, analysis latency requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirements, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, AI capability usage requirements, etc.); the collaborating NWDAF id and collaborating RANDAF id that are expected to obtain the analysis data, as well as the associated analysis task description (e.g., analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics, etc.).

[0174] S707: Aggregate NWDAF to send an analysis subscription response message to NEF, informing them of the subscription result (success or failure).

[0175] S708: The aggregated NWDAF sends analysis data request messages to the collaborating NWDAF and collaborating RANDAF based on the analysis data request message sent by NEF.

[0176] The data analysis request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; NEF id; aggregated NWDAF id; application or service description: describing the application or service using the data analysis, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics, etc.

[0177] S709: Each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to the aggregated NWDAF, informing it of the subscription result.

[0178] The analysis subscription notification message in this embodiment is similar to the analysis data response message in the previous embodiments.

[0179] S710: When the analysis task is completed, each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF sends an analysis subscription notification message to the aggregated NWDAF.

[0180] Analysis subscription notification messages may include the following: consumer identifier, RANDAF id, NWDAF id, and a description of the analysis results.

[0181] S711: Aggregate NWDAFs by combining the analysis results reported by each collaborating NWDAF, the analysis results reported by each collaborating RANDAF, and its own analysis results to generate a comprehensive analysis result.

[0182] S712: Aggregates NWDAF to send analysis subscription notification messages to NEF and sends the comprehensive analysis results to NEF.

[0183] Optionally, the analytics subscription notification message may include the following: consumer identifier, aggregated NWDAF id, and a description of the analytics results.

[0184] S713: NEF sends analytics subscription notification messages to consumers to forward the aggregated analytics results to them.

[0185] The analytics subscription notification message may include the following: consumer identifier, NEF id, and a description of the analytics results.

[0186] Figure 8 is an interactive schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment. This interaction process corresponds to the second implementation in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, namely, the process of determining the RANDAF by aggregating the NWDAF. In this implementation, the NEF selects the aggregated NWDAF, and then the aggregated NWDAF determines the cooperating RANDAF and the cooperating NWDAF. As shown in Figure 8, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes S801-S815.

[0187] S801: The consumer sends an analysis data request message to NEF.

[0188] The analysis data request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; application or service description: describing the application or service using the analysis data, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics (e.g., analysis data time window, reporting period, reporting time requirement, analysis latency requirement, accuracy requirement, fault recovery time requirement, analysis performance requirement, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report request, green computing usage requirements, analysis area description, analysis cell type, analysis associated UE list, AI capability usage requirements, etc.).

[0189] S802: NEF responds to the subscription analysis response message and informs the consumer of the subscription result (success or failure).

[0190] S803: NEF sends an NWDAF discovery request message to NRF.

[0191] The NWDAF discovery request message may include at least one of the following: consumer identifier, NEF id, application or service description, analytics task description, and preference for NWDAFs with the ability to aggregate NWDAFs and RANDAFs. The content of the analytics task description is as shown in the previous embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0192] S804: Based on the saved NWDAF configuration file and the NWDAF discovery request message, NRF replies with an NWDAF discovery response message to NEF.

[0193] The NWDAF discovery response message contains one or more recommended NWDAFs and their configuration files.

[0194] S805: NEF combines the analysis request message and the NWDAF discovery response message sent by NRF, and selects to aggregate NWDAF.

[0195] S806: NEF sends an analysis data request message to the aggregated NWDAF.

[0196] The data analysis request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; NEF id; application or service description: describing the application or service using the data analysis, such as business context, application service type, etc.; description of the analysis task that the aggregated NWDAF needs to complete, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics.

[0197] S807: The aggregated NWDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to NEF, informing them of the subscription result.

[0198] S808: Based on the analysis data request message sent by NEF, the NWDAF aggregates the NWDAF and sends the NWDAF discovery request message and the RANDAF discovery request message to the NRF to obtain candidate cooperating NWDAFs and cooperating RANDAFs.

[0199] NWDAF discovery request messages and RANDAF discovery request messages include at least one of the following: consumer identifier; NEF id; aggregated NWDAF id; application or service description; analysis task description.

[0200] RANDAF discovery request messages can also include RANDAF preference information.

[0201] S809: NRF sends an NWDAF discovery response message to the aggregated NWDAF and a RANDAF discovery response message to the aggregated NWDAF.

[0202] The NWDAF discovery response message includes: one or more candidate NWDAFs and their configuration files. The RANDAF discovery response message includes: one or more candidate RANDAFs and their configuration files.

[0203] S810: The aggregated NWDAF sends an analysis data request message to the selected cooperating NWDAF and cooperating RANDAF.

[0204] The data analysis request message includes at least one of the following: consumer identifier; NEF id; aggregated NWDAF id; application or service description: describing the application or service using the data analysis, such as business context, application service type, etc.; analysis task description, such as analysis task ID, analysis report characteristics.

[0205] S811: Each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF sends an analysis subscription response message to the aggregated NWDAF, informing it of the subscription result.

[0206] S812: When the analysis task is completed, each collaborating NWDAF and each collaborating RANDAF sends an analysis subscription notification message to the aggregated NWDAF.

[0207] Analysis subscription notification messages may include the following: consumer identifier, RANDAF id, NWDAF id, and a description of the analysis results.

[0208] The analysis subscription notification message in this embodiment is similar to the analysis data response message in the previous embodiments.

[0209] S813: Aggregate NWDAFs by combining the analysis results reported by each collaborating NWDAF, the analysis results reported by each collaborating RANDAF, and its own analysis results to generate a comprehensive analysis result.

[0210] S814: Aggregate NWDAF to send analysis subscription notification messages to NEF and send the comprehensive analysis results to NEF.

[0211] The analytics subscription notification message may include the following: consumer identifier, aggregated NWDAF id, and a description of the analytics results.

[0212] S815: NEF sends an analytics subscription notification message to the consumer, forwarding the comprehensive analytics results to the consumer.

[0213] Optionally, the analytics subscription notification message may include the following: consumer identifier, NEF id, and a description of the analytics results.

[0214] The above implementation method enables consumers to obtain the aggregated comprehensive analysis results from the core network side and the RAN side through NEF, further meeting the service requirements of future mobile communication networks.

[0215] This application also provides a communication node, including a processor, which is configured to implement the method provided in any embodiment of this application when executing a computer program. Specifically, the communication node can be a first communication node and a second communication node as described in the above embodiments. The first communication node includes a processor, which is configured to implement the communication method provided in any embodiment of this application when executing a computer program; the second communication node includes a processor, which is configured to implement the communication method provided in any embodiment of this application when executing a computer program.

[0216] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a communication node provided in one embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, the communication node includes a processor 60, a memory 61, and a communication interface 62. The number of processors 60 in the communication node can be one or more; Figure 9 shows an example of one processor 60. The processor 60, memory 61, and communication interface 62 in the communication node can be connected via a bus or other means; Figure 9 shows an example of connection via a bus. The bus represents one or more types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processor, or a local bus using any of the various bus structures.

[0217] The memory 61, as a computer-readable storage medium, can be configured to store software programs, computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / modules corresponding to the methods in the embodiments of this application. The processor 60 executes at least one functional application and data processing of the communication node by running the software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the memory 61, thereby implementing the methods described above.

[0218] Memory 61 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and applications required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created based on terminal usage. Furthermore, memory 61 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some instances, memory 61 may include memory remotely located relative to processor 60, which can be connected to a communication node via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0219] Communication interface 62 can be configured to receive and send data.

[0220] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the methods provided in any embodiment of this application.

[0221] The computer storage medium in this application embodiment can be any combination of one or more computer-readable media. The computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. For example, a computer-readable storage medium can be, but is not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. Computer-readable storage media include (a non-exhaustive list): electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable, programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, optical fiber, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. In this application, the computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0222] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, the data signals carrying computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. Computer-readable signal media may also be any computer-readable medium other than computer-readable storage media, which can send, propagate, or transmit programs for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0223] Program code contained on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wire, optical fiber, radio frequency (RF), or any suitable combination thereof.

[0224] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method provided in any embodiment of this application.

[0225] Computer program code for performing the operations of this disclosure can be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination of programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​(such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, Ruby, and Go) and conventional procedural programming languages ​​(such as the "C" language or similar programming languages). The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving remote computers, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer via any type of network (including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN)), or it can be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0226] Those skilled in the art will understand that the term user terminal encompasses any suitable type of wireless user equipment, such as mobile phones, portable data processing devices, portable web browsers, or vehicle-mounted mobile stations.

[0227] Generally, the various embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although this application is not limited thereto.

[0228] Embodiments of this application can be implemented by executing computer program instructions through the data processor of a mobile device, for example, in a processor entity, or through hardware, or through a combination of software and hardware. The computer program instructions can be assembly instructions, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, status setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages.

[0229] Any block diagram of logical flow in the accompanying drawings of this application may represent program operations, or may represent interconnected logic circuits, modules, and functions, or may represent a combination of program operations and logic circuits, modules, and functions. The computer program may be stored in memory. The memory may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, but not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), optical storage devices and systems (Digital Multifunction Discs, DVDs, or CDs), etc. Computer-readable media may include non-transitory storage media. The data processor may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment, such as, but not limited to, general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures.

Claims

1. A communication method, applied to a first communication node, comprising: Based on the data analysis request message, a second communication node discovery request message is sent to the core network management function node, and a second communication node discovery response message is received from the core network management function node; wherein, the second communication node discovery response message includes relevant information of at least one candidate second communication node; Based on the second communication node discovery response message, a second communication node is determined from the at least one candidate second communication node, and the analysis data request message is sent to the second communication node; The system receives an analysis data response message sent by the second communication node in accordance with the analysis data request message; wherein the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, and the first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The second communication node is an aggregated second communication node, and the analysis data of the second communication node is the comprehensive analysis result determined by the aggregated second communication node; The comprehensive analysis result is generated by the aggregation second communication node based on the analysis data of the cooperating core network data analysis function node and the analysis data of the cooperating second communication node; The analysis data of the cooperating core network data analysis function node is the data generated by the cooperating core network data analysis function node after receiving the analysis data request message sent by the aggregated second communication node; The analysis data of the collaborating second communication node is the data generated by the collaborating second communication node after receiving the analysis data request message sent by the aggregating second communication node.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Receive analytics data request messages from consumers; Based on the analysis data request message, a core network data analysis function node discovery request message is sent to the core network management function node; Receive the core network management function node discovery response message fed back by the core network data analysis function node based on the core network data analysis function node discovery request message; The cooperating core network data analysis function nodes are determined based on the core network data analysis function node discovery response message. Based on the second communication node discovery response message, the cooperating second communication node is determined from the at least one candidate second communication node; Send relevant information about the cooperating core network data analysis function node and relevant information about the cooperating second communication node to the aggregation second communication node.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The core network data analysis function node of the collaboration is the node determined by the aggregation second communication node after sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message, and then based on the core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node. The second communication node for collaboration is the node determined by the aggregation second communication node after sending a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message, and based on the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The data analysis request message includes at least one of the following: The sender's identifier, the receiver's identifier, the analysis event description, and the description of the application or service; The analysis event description includes at least one of the following: analysis event identifier and analysis report characteristics; The analysis report features include at least one of the following: business context, reporting period, analysis latency requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report requests, green computing usage requirements, analysis area, analysis cell type, analysis-related user equipment (UE) list, and artificial intelligence (AI) capability usage requirements.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The second communication node discovery request message includes the second communication node's preference information; The second communication node preference information includes at least one of the following: the type of preferred second communication node, the required analysis events, the lower limit of analysis latency, the lower limit of analysis accuracy, whether metadata provision is required, whether a second communication node using green computing technology is preferred, the stability of the preferred second communication node, whether a second communication node with fault recovery capability is preferred, whether a second communication node supporting redundant deployment is preferred, the service area to be analyzed, the cell type to be analyzed, the network slice information to be analyzed, whether AI capabilities are required, and analysis performance preference information.

7. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The core network data analysis function node discovery request message includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, a description of the application or service, and a description of the analysis event.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: A registration request message is sent to the core network management function node; wherein the registration request message includes the configuration file of the first communication node.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The configuration file is provided by the access network side Operation, Maintenance and Management (OAM). The configuration file includes at least one of the following: The basic information of the first communication node, the service area information of the first communication node, and the data source information of the first communication node; The basic information includes the identifier of the first communication node; The service area information includes at least one of the following: the location information of the first communication node, and the service area information of the first communication node; The data source information includes at least one of the following: the data source types supported by the first communication node and its metadata provision capabilities.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The analysis data response message also includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, and the cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data.

11. A communication method applied to a second communication node, comprising: Receive the analysis data request message sent by the first communication node; Based on the analysis data request message, the analysis data of the second communication node is obtained; An analysis data response message is sent to the first communication node; wherein the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, and the first communication node and the second communication node are located on the access network side.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The second communication node is an aggregated second communication node, and the analysis data of the second communication node is the comprehensive analysis result determined by the aggregated second communication node; Obtaining the analysis data of the second communication node according to the analysis data request message includes: The system sends the analysis data request message to the cooperating second communication node and receives the analysis data from the cooperating second communication node; wherein the analysis data from the cooperating second communication node is the data generated by the cooperating second communication node after receiving the analysis data request message; The system sends the analysis data request message to the cooperating core network data analysis function node and receives the analysis data from the cooperating core network data analysis function node; wherein, the analysis data from the cooperating core network data analysis function node is the data generated by the cooperating core network data analysis function node after receiving the analysis data request message; A comprehensive analysis result is generated based on the analysis data from the core network data analysis function node and the analysis data from the second communication node in the collaboration.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The core network data analysis function node that collaborates is the node determined by the first communication node after it sends a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message, and then receives a core network data analysis function node discovery response message from the core network management function node. The second communication node for collaboration is the node determined by the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node after the first communication node sends a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message. The method further includes: The system receives information about the cooperating core network data analysis function node and information about the cooperating second communication node from the first communication node.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: Based on the analysis data request message, send a core network data analysis function node discovery request message and a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node; The cooperating core network data analysis function node is determined based on the core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node. The second communication node for cooperation is determined based on the response message from the second communication node discovery function node fed back by the core network management function node.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein, The data analysis request message includes at least one of the following: The sender's identifier, the receiver's identifier, the analysis event description, and the description of the application or service; The analysis event description includes at least one of the following: analysis event identifier and analysis report characteristics; The analysis report features include at least one of the following: business context, reporting period, analysis latency requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report requests, green computing usage requirements, analysis area, analysis cell type, analysis-related user equipment (UE) list, and artificial intelligence (AI) capability usage requirements.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein, The analysis data response message also includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, and the cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data.

17. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein, The second communication node discovery request message includes the second communication node's preference information; The second communication node preference information includes at least one of the following: the type of preferred second communication node, the required analysis events, the lower limit of analysis latency, the lower limit of analysis accuracy, whether metadata provision is required, whether a second communication node using green computing technology is preferred, the stability of the preferred second communication node, whether a second communication node with fault recovery capability is preferred, whether a second communication node supporting redundant deployment is preferred, the service area to be analyzed, the cell type to be analyzed, the network slice information to be analyzed, whether AI capabilities are required, and analysis performance preference information.

18. The method according to claim 13 or 14, further comprising: A registration request message is sent to the core network management function node; wherein, the registration request message includes the configuration file of the second communication node, and the second communication node discovery response message is a message determined by the core network management function node based on the configuration file and the analysis data request message.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The configuration file for the second communication node is provided by the access network side Operation, Maintenance and Management (OAM). The configuration file of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: basic information of the second communication node, description of the analysis function of the second communication node, service area of ​​the second communication node, data source information of the second communication node, AI capability of the second communication node, and historical analysis performance of the second communication node. The basic information of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the second communication node, and the type of the second communication node; The analysis function description of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: the analysis event identifier supported by the second communication node, the analysis latency of the second communication node for different analysis events, the accuracy of the analysis function of the second communication node for different analysis events, the metadata provision capability of the second communication node, the capacity load information of the second communication node, the green computing support information of the second communication node, the fault recovery time of the second communication node, the fault recovery function of the second communication node, and the redundancy deployment information of the second communication node. The service area of ​​the second communication node includes at least one of the following: service area information of the second communication node, cell types that the second communication node supports for analysis, and network slices that the second communication node supports for analysis. The historical analysis performance of the second communication node includes at least one of the following: the historical accuracy of the second communication node and the historical response time of the second communication node.

20. A communication method applied to a second communication node, comprising: Receive analysis data request messages sent by the aggregation core network data analysis function nodes; Based on the analysis data request message, the analysis data of the second communication node is obtained; Send an analysis data response message to the aggregation core network data analysis function node; wherein, the analysis data response message includes the analysis data of the second communication node, and the second communication node is located on the access network side.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The analysis data request message is a message sent by the consumer to the core network open function node and then sent by the core network open function node to the aggregated core network data analysis function node. The aggregated core network data analysis function node is the core network data analysis function node determined by the core network open function node after sending a core network data analysis function node discovery request message to the core network management function node based on the analysis data request message, and then based on the core network data analysis function node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The second communication node is the node determined by the core network open function node after the core network open function node sends a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message, and then the node is determined by the second communication node discovery response message fed back by the core network management function node. The core network open function node is also used to send relevant information of the second communication node to the aggregated core network data analysis function node.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The second communication node is the node determined by the aggregation core network data analysis function node after it sends a second communication node discovery request message to the core network management function node according to the analysis data request message, and then receives a second communication node discovery response message from the core network management function node.

24. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein, The data analysis request message includes at least one of the following: The sender's identifier, the receiver's identifier, the analysis event description, and the description of the application or service; The analysis event description includes at least one of the following: analysis event identifier and analysis report characteristics; The analysis report features include at least one of the following: business context, reporting period, analysis latency requirements, accuracy requirements, fault recovery time requirements, analysis performance requirements, triggering reporting conditions, analysis metadata report requests, green computing usage requirements, analysis area, analysis cell type, analysis-related user equipment (UE) list, and artificial intelligence (AI) capability usage requirements.

25. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein, The analysis data response message also includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the sender, the identifier of the receiver, and the cell information, UE information, and slice information associated with the analysis data.

26. A communication node, comprising: processor; The processor is configured to implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, or the communication method as described in any one of claims 11 to 19, or the communication method as described in any one of claims 20 to 25 when executing a computer program.

27. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, or implements the communication method as described in any one of claims 11 to 19, or implements the communication method as described in any one of claims 20 to 25.

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