Communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method, a device, a communication system, a storage medium and a program product. The method may be executed by a RAN node, and comprises: sending first information to a first network element, which first information is used for indicating an initial message of a terminal, wherein the first information further comprises a first terminal identifier allocated by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or, the first information is further used for instructing the first network element to allocate a second terminal identifier to the terminal; and the first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier is used for signaling interaction related to the terminal between the RAN node and a network function (NF) network element. The present application can effectively ensure that a terminal can be accurately identified when an NF network element performs signaling interaction with a RAN node, thereby ensuring the reliability of signaling transmission.

Description

Communication methods, communication equipment, communication systems, storage media and software products Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products. Background Technology

[0002] A service-oriented radio access network (RAN) refers to the implementation of radio access network functions and services in a software-defined manner to improve the network's flexibility, scalability, and automation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a communication method is proposed, executed by a RAN node, comprising:

[0005] Send first information to the first network element, the first information being used to indicate the initial message of the terminal;

[0006] The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal.

[0007] The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, executed by a first network element, the first network element being used for access and mobility management, the method comprising:

[0009] The terminal receives first information sent by a radio access network (RAN) node, the first information being used to indicate the initial information of the terminal.

[0010] The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal.

[0011] The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interactions between the RAN node and the network function (NF) element related to the terminal.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a communication method is proposed, executed by a network function (NF) element, the method comprising:

[0013] Obtain the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier of the terminal from the first network element or the radio access network (RAN) node;

[0014] Wherein, the first terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the RAN node, and / or the second terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the first network element;

[0015] The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interactions between the RAN node and the network function (NF) element related to the terminal.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising:

[0017] The transceiver module is used to send first information to the first network element, wherein the first information is used to indicate the initial message of the terminal;

[0018] The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal.

[0019] The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

[0020] According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising:

[0021] The transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by the radio access network (RAN) node, the first information being used to indicate the initial information of the terminal;

[0022] The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal.

[0023] The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

[0024] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising:

[0025] The transceiver module is used to obtain the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier of the terminal from the first network element or the radio access network (RAN) node;

[0026] Wherein, the first terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the RAN node, and / or the second terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the first network element;

[0027] The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

[0028] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising:

[0029] One or more processors;

[0030] The communication device is used to perform the communication method described in the first, second, or third aspect.

[0031] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is proposed, including a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, a first network element, and a Network Function (NF) network element, wherein the RAN node is configured to implement the communication method described in the first aspect, the first network element is configured to implement the communication method described in the second aspect, and the NF network element is configured to implement the communication method described in the third aspect.

[0032] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method described in the first, second, or third aspect.

[0033] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the communication method described in the first, second, or third aspect.

[0034] In the above embodiments, the RAN node can send first information to the first network element to indicate the first terminal identifier it assigns to the terminal, or instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal through the first information. This enables the NF network element and the RAN node to transmit signaling related to the terminal based on the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier, effectively ensuring that the NF network element and the RAN node can accurately identify the terminal when they interact with each other, thus ensuring the reliability of signaling transmission. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0036] Figure 1A is an exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of a service-oriented RAN architecture provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of ID during the initial setup and paging phases according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 1D is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of ID in a connection state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 2A is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 2B is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 3A is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 3B is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 3C is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 3D is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 3E is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 4A is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 4B is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 4C is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the RAN node proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0051] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first network element proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0052] Figure 5C is a schematic diagram of the structure of the NF network element proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0053] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0054] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0055] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product.

[0056] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a radio access network (RAN) node, the method comprising:

[0057] Send first information to the first network element, the first information being used to indicate the initial message of the terminal;

[0058] The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal.

[0059] The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

[0060] In the above embodiments, the RAN node can send first information to the first network element to indicate the first terminal identifier it assigns to the terminal, or instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal through the first information. This enables the NF network element and the RAN node to transmit signaling related to the terminal based on the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier, effectively ensuring that the NF network element and the RAN node can accurately identify the terminal when they interact with each other, thus ensuring the reliability of signaling transmission.

[0061] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method includes:

[0062] Receive the first request sent by the first network element;

[0063] Establish the context of the terminal according to the first request;

[0064] The first request includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the first network element can instruct the first network element to allocate an identifier to the terminal through the first request, and can also accurately indicate the terminal that needs to establish a context by carrying the first terminal identifier allocated by the RAN node to the terminal in the first request, which effectively improves the reliability of communication.

[0066] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0067] Send the first feedback to the first network element;

[0068] The first feedback is used to indicate the result of the RAN node establishing the context of the terminal, and the first feedback includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

[0069] In the above embodiments, the RAN node may carry a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier in the first feedback to accurately indicate whether the context of the corresponding terminal has been successfully established or completed.

[0070] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. When the RAN node and the NF network element perform signaling interactions related to the terminal, the signaling includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier. The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are provided to the NF network element by the RAN node or the first network element during the connection establishment process between the terminal and the NF node.

[0071] In the above embodiments, the NF network element can obtain the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier through the RAN node or the first network element, and carry the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier when the NF network element performs terminal-related signaling interaction with the RAN node. This enables the RAN node to know the terminal corresponding to the signaling, thus ensuring the reliability of signaling transmission.

[0072] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the RAN node is the source RAN node during the terminal handover process, and the method further includes:

[0073] During the handover process, a second message is sent to the target RAN node during the handover process of the terminal. The second message is used to indicate the relevant information of the serving NF network element of the terminal.

[0074] The relevant information of the service NF network element includes at least one of the following:

[0075] The name or identifier of the NF network element providing the service;

[0076] The source RAN node is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal;

[0077] The second terminal identifier.

[0078] In the above embodiments, when the serving RAN node of the terminal sends a change, the source RAN node of the terminal can send second information to the target RAN node so that the serving RAN node after the switch can reliably know the serving NF network element of the terminal.

[0079] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information is used to instruct the target RAN node to send third information to the serving NF network element, the third information being used to instruct the terminal to change its serving RAN.

[0080] In the above embodiments, the source RAN node can instruct the target RAN node to send information indicating changes to the serving RAN of the terminal to the serving NF network element of the terminal through the second information. This ensures that the NF network element will not send signaling to the wrong RAN node when it needs to send signaling to the terminal, thus ensuring the reliability of communication.

[0081] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information is used to instruct the target RAN node to send fourth information to the first network element;

[0082] The fourth information is used to instruct the first network element to send the third information to the serving NF network element, and the third information is used to instruct the terminal to change its serving RAN.

[0083] In the above embodiments, the target RAN node can first notify the first network element terminal that the serving RAN node has changed, and then the first network element can further notify the terminal through the changes in the serving RAN nodes of each serving NF network element terminal. This ensures that when the NF network element needs to send signaling to the terminal, it will not send it to the wrong RAN node, thus ensuring the reliability of communication.

[0084] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the third information and / or the fourth information includes at least one of the following:

[0085] The identifier of the target RAN node;

[0086] The source RAN node is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal;

[0087] The target RAN node is the first terminal identifier reassigned to the terminal;

[0088] The second terminal identifier.

[0089] In the above embodiments, the first network element or the target RAN node can send the above information to the serving NF network element of the terminal, so that the serving NF network element of the terminal can know the updated first terminal identifier of the terminal, further ensuring the reliability of the NF network element and the serving RAN node of the terminal when performing terminal-related signaling interaction after the serving RAN node of the terminal is switched.

[0090] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the NF network element includes at least one of the following: Service Management Function (SMF) network element, Location Management Function (LMF) network element, Sensing Function (SF) network element, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) related functional nodes.

[0091] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a first network element, the first network element being used for access and mobility management, the method comprising:

[0092] The terminal receives first information sent by a radio access network (RAN) node, the first information being used to indicate the initial information of the terminal.

[0093] The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal.

[0094] The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interactions between the RAN node and the network function (NF) element related to the terminal.

[0095] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method includes:

[0096] A first request is sent to the RAN node, the first request being used to request the RAN node to establish the context of the terminal;

[0097] The first request includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

[0098] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0099] Receive the first feedback sent by the RAN node;

[0100] The first feedback is used to indicate the result of the RAN node establishing the context of the terminal, and the first feedback includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

[0101] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. When the RAN node and the NF network element perform signaling interactions related to the terminal, the signaling includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier. The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are provided to the NF network element by the RAN node or the first network element during the connection establishment process between the terminal and the NF node.

[0102] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0103] Receive the fourth information sent by the target RAN node during the terminal handover process;

[0104] Based on the fourth information, a third information is sent to the serving NF network element of the terminal, the third information being used to instruct the serving RAN of the terminal to change.

[0105] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the fourth information includes information related to the serving NF network element of the terminal;

[0106] The relevant information of the service NF network element includes at least one of the following:

[0107] The name or identifier of the NF network element providing the service;

[0108] The source RAN node during the terminal handover process is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal;

[0109] The second terminal identifier.

[0110] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the third information and / or the fourth information includes at least one of the following:

[0111] The identifier of the target RAN node;

[0112] The source RAN node is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal;

[0113] The target RAN node is the first terminal identifier reassigned to the terminal;

[0114] The second terminal identifier.

[0115] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the NF network element includes at least one of the following: Service Management Function (SMF) network element, Location Management Function (LMF) network element, Sensing Function (SF) network element, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) related functional nodes.

[0116] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a network function (NF) element, the method comprising:

[0117] Obtain the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier of the terminal from the first network element or the radio access network (RAN) node;

[0118] Wherein, the first terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the RAN node, and / or the second terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the first network element;

[0119] The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interactions between the RAN node and the network function (NF) element related to the terminal.

[0120] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. When the RAN node and the NF network element perform signaling interactions related to the terminal, the signaling includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier. The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are provided to the NF network element by the RAN node or the first network element during the process of establishing a connection between the terminal and the NF node.

[0121] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the RAN node is the source RAN node of the terminal during the handover process, and the NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. The method includes:

[0122] The terminal receives third information sent by the AMF node or the target RAN node during the terminal handover process. The third information is used to indicate a change in the serving RAN of the terminal.

[0123] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the third information includes at least one of the following:

[0124] The identifier of the target RAN node;

[0125] The source RAN node is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal;

[0126] The target RAN node is the first terminal identifier reassigned to the terminal;

[0127] The second terminal identifier.

[0128] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the NF network element includes at least one of the following: Service Management Function (SMF) network element, Location Management Function (LMF) network element, Sensing Function (SF) network element, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) related functional nodes.

[0129] In a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure propose a communication device, including:

[0130] a transceiver module, configured to send a first message to a first network element, where the first message is used to indicate an initial message of the terminal;

[0131] wherein the first message further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by a RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first message is further used to indicate that the first network element assigns a second terminal identifier to the terminal;

[0132] the first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction related to the terminal between the RAN node and a network function NF network element.

[0133] In a fifth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure propose a communication device, including:

[0134] a transceiver module, configured to receive a first message sent by a radio access network (RAN) node, where the first message is used to indicate initial information of the terminal;

[0135] wherein the first message further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first message is further used to indicate that a first network element assigns a second terminal identifier to the terminal;

[0136] the first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction related to the terminal between the RAN node and a network function NF network element.

[0137] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure propose a communication device, including:

[0138] a transceiver module, configured to obtain a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier of a terminal from a first network element or a radio access network (RAN) node;

[0139] wherein the first terminal identifier is assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the second terminal identifier is assigned by the first network element to the terminal;

[0140] the first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction related to the terminal between the RAN node and a network function NF network element.

[0141] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure propose a communication device, including:

[0142] one or more processors;

[0143] The communication device is used to perform the communication method described in the first, second, or third aspect.

[0144] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system including a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, a first network element, and a Network Function (NF) network element. The RAN node is configured to implement the communication method described in the first aspect, the first network element is configured to implement the communication method described in the second aspect, and the NF network element is configured to implement the communication method described in the third aspect.

[0145] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method described in the first, second, or third aspect.

[0146] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product, including a computer program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the communication method described in the first, second, or third aspect.

[0147] It is understood that the aforementioned communication equipment, communication system, storage medium, program product, etc., are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0148] This disclosure presents a communication method. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method" and "information processing method," "session establishment method," etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0149] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments. In all embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0150] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0151] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0152] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0153] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0154] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0155] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0156] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0157] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0158] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0159] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0160] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0161] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0162] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0163] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0164] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0165] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0166] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0167] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0168] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0169] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0170] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes an NF network element 101, a RAN node 102, and a terminal 103. In some embodiments, the RAN node 102 and the NF network element 101 may be provided as network devices. Optionally, the RAN node 102 may be provided as an access network device. Optionally, the NF network element 101 may be provided as a core network device.

[0171] In some embodiments, terminal 103 includes, for example, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0172] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0173] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0174] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0175] In some embodiments, the core network equipment can be a single device, including NF network element 101, AMF network element, NRF network element, etc., or it can be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including all or part of NF network element 101, AMF network element, NRF network element, etc. Network elements can be virtual or physical. The core network includes, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G Core Network (5GCN), and Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0176] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0177] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1A, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1A are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1A, or it may include other main bodies outside of FIG1A. The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0178] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0179] In some embodiments, a service-oriented RAN network architecture is a potential research direction. Service-oriented RAN refers to implementing the functions and services of a radio access network in a software-defined manner to improve network flexibility, scalability, and automation. The benefits of service-oriented RAN include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0180] Flexibility and scalability: Through a software-defined approach, RAN can more easily adapt to different network requirements and configurations, and quickly deploy new services.

[0181] Cost-effectiveness: Service-oriented RAN can reduce reliance on dedicated hardware, thereby reducing capital expenditure (CapEx) and operating expenditure (OpEx).

[0182] Automation and intelligence: It can realize more advanced automation functions, such as automatic network optimization and fault recovery, improving network reliability and efficiency.

[0183] Rapid innovation: Service-oriented RAN enables the rapid development and deployment of new network functions and services, accelerating the innovation cycle.

[0184] Network slicing: It can support multiple network slices, providing customized network performance and features for different services and user groups.

[0185] Cloud-native integration: Service-oriented RAN can better integrate with cloud infrastructure, achieve cloud-network convergence, and improve resource utilization.

[0186] Security: By using a software-defined approach, security policies can be updated and deployed more easily, improving network security.

[0187] Environmental adaptability: Service-oriented RAN can better adapt to different environments and conditions, such as urban areas, rural areas, and indoor environments, providing more optimized network coverage and performance.

[0188] Simplified Operations and Maintenance: Centralized management and automation tools can simplify network operations and maintenance, reducing human error.

[0189] Promoting Standardization: Service-oriented RAN helps drive industry standardization and promotes interoperability between different devices and solutions.

[0190] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of a service-oriented RAN architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1B, the architecture may include a UE, RAN nodes, AMF network elements, Sensing Function (SF) network elements, User Port Function (UPF) network elements, Service Management Function (SMF) network elements, Policy Control Function (PCF) network elements, and Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) network elements.

[0191] In some embodiments, after service-oriented RAN, RAN nodes can communicate directly with SMF without going through AMF, and NAS interaction between UE and core network nodes no longer needs to go through AMF. For example, UE can directly communicate with AMF network elements, PCF network elements, SMF network elements, Sensing Function (SF) network elements, etc., through RAN nodes.

[0192] In some embodiments, PCF network elements, SMF network elements, SF network elements, etc., can be referred to as network function (NF) network elements.

[0193] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram illustrating ID usage during the initial setup and paging phases according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 1C, during the paging phase, the UE is identified at the RAN node and between the RAN node and AMF network elements using a Stand Alone Equipment Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identifier (S-TMSI). During the initial setup process, the UE is identified at the RAN node using S-TMSI Part 1 or a random value, for example, when the UE transmits an RRC Setup Request to the RAN node. The UE can also be identified between the RAN node and AMF network elements using S-TMSI, such as when transmitting an Initial UE message. During the initial setup and paging phases, the UE is identified between AMF network elements and PCF, SMF, and SF network elements using a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI).

[0194] Figure 1D is a schematic diagram of ID usage in the connection state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1C, during the paging phase, the UE is identified by C-RNTI at the RAN node, the UE is identified by Next Generation Application Protocol UE ID pair (NGAP UE ID pair) between the RAN node and the AMF network element, and the UE is identified by SUPI between the AMF network element and the PCF network element, SMF network element, and SF network element.

[0195] In the above embodiments, NFs in the core network identify a UE through a SUPI (Supplemental User Identity). The SUPI is carried in the signaling to indicate that the signaling is related to a specific UE. To protect the global identity of the UE, the RAN node and AMF identify a specific UE through an NGAP UE ID pair. After RAN service-orientation, how the RAN node identifies the UE and supports connection management in mobility scenarios when interacting with NFs for UE-related signaling is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0196] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2A, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0197] Step S2101: The RAN node sends the first information to the first network element.

[0198] In some embodiments, the RAN node determines that it has received an RRC connection establishment initiated by the terminal, or the RAN node determines that the terminal has completed the RRC establishment process with the RAN node and sends the first information to the first network element.

[0199] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate the initial message of the terminal.

[0200] In some embodiments, the first network element may provide a service to the RAN node, which may invoke the service through first information. The service may be used for the initialization of the terminal context, and the first network element may initiate the process of acquiring or establishing the terminal context based on the service.

[0201] In some embodiments, the first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal by the RAN node. Optionally, the first information is further used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal. Optionally, the first information includes the first terminal identifier and is used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal.

[0202] In some embodiments, the first terminal identifier and the second terminal identifier may be temporary identifiers for the terminal. Optionally, the first terminal identifier and the second terminal identifier may be used by the RAN node, the first network element, and other core network elements (such as NF network elements) to uniquely identify the terminal.

[0203] Understandably, without specific instructions, the first terminal identifier can uniquely identify the terminal only within the RAN node, and the second terminal identifier can uniquely identify the terminal only within the first network element. After the RAN node sends the first terminal identifier to the first network element, the first network element can then identify the terminal using the first terminal identifier. After the RAN node or the first network element transmits the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier to other core network elements, those other core network elements can then identify the terminal using the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier. After the terminal disconnects from the RAN node and / or the first network element, for example, when the disconnection duration reaches a preset threshold, the RAN node and / or the first network element can release the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

[0204] In some embodiments, the first network element is used for access and mobility management. Optionally, the first network element may be an AMF (Access and Mobility Management) network element.

[0205] In some embodiments, the first terminal identifier may be represented as RAN UE ID or RAN NGAP UE ID. Optionally, the second terminal identifier may be represented as AMF UE ID or S-TMSI. This disclosure does not limit the names of the first and second terminal identifiers.

[0206] In some embodiments, the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier may also be a universal identifier. Optionally, this universal identifier can be used by the RAN node to uniquely identify the terminal in relation to the first network element and other core network elements (such as NF network elements).

[0207] In some embodiments, the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for terminal-related signaling interactions between the RAN node and the NF network element.

[0208] In step S2102, the first network element sends a first request to the RAN node.

[0209] In some embodiments, the first network element performs authentication and / or security procedures on the terminal before sending the first request to the RAN node.

[0210] In some embodiments, the first network element determines that it has received the first information and performs an authentication and / or security process on the terminal. Optionally, the first network element obtains the terminal's authentication information based on the terminal's global identifier and performs the authentication and / or security process.

[0211] In some embodiments, the first network element determines that authentication has passed and sends a first request to the RAN node.

[0212] In some embodiments, the first request is used to request the RAN node to establish a terminal context. Optionally, the RAN node can provide a service for the first network element, which the first network element can invoke through the first request. This service can support obtaining the context established on the RAN side.

[0213] In some embodiments, the first request includes a first terminal identifier and a second terminal identifier. In some embodiments, the second terminal identifier may be assigned to the terminal by only the first network element, or the first terminal identifier may be fed back to the terminal by only the RAN node. In this case, the first request includes either the first terminal identifier or the second terminal identifier.

[0214] In some embodiments, the first request includes a first terminal identifier. Optionally, the first terminal identifier is used to instruct the RAN node to establish a context for the terminal corresponding to the first terminal identifier.

[0215] In some embodiments, the first request includes a second terminal identifier. Optionally, the first request is used to indicate the second terminal identifier and to instruct the RAN node to establish a context for the terminal corresponding to the second terminal identifier.

[0216] In some embodiments, the optional implementation of the second terminal identifier can refer to the optional implementation of the second terminal identifier in step S2101, which will not be repeated here.

[0217] In step S2103, the NF network element obtains the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier of the terminal from the first network element or the RAN node.

[0218] In some embodiments, during the process of establishing a connection or session between the terminal and the NF network element, the RAN node or the first network element provides the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier to the NF network element. Optionally, the establishment of a connection or session between the terminal and the NF network element may be initiated by the NF network element.

[0219] In some embodiments, step S2103 may be performed before or after step S2105, or before step S2104, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0220] For example, if the RAN node successfully establishes or completes the terminal context, it sends the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier of the terminal to the NF network element; or, if the first network element determines that the terminal context has been successfully established or completed, it sends the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier of the terminal to the NF network element.

[0221] Alternatively, the first network element may send the second terminal identifier to the NF network element after assigning the second terminal identifier to the terminal, and / or the RAN node may send the first terminal identifier to the NF network element after assigning the first terminal identifier to the terminal (the RAN node may send the first terminal identifier to the NF network element through the first network element, for example).

[0222] In some embodiments, after the RAN node assigns a first terminal identifier to the terminal, it can send the first terminal identifier to the NF network element. Optionally, after the RAN node assigns a first terminal identifier to the terminal, it can send the first terminal identifier to the first network element, which then sends the first terminal identifier to the NF network element.

[0223] In some embodiments, after the first network element assigns a second terminal identifier to the terminal in response to the first information, it can send the second terminal identifier to the NF network element. Optionally, after the first network element assigns a second terminal identifier to the terminal in response to the first information, it can send the second terminal identifier to the RAN node, and then the RAN node sends the second terminal identifier to the NF network element.

[0224] In some embodiments, after the first network element assigns a second terminal identifier to the terminal in response to the first information, it can send the second terminal identifier and / or the first terminal identifier indicated by the first information to the NF network element.

[0225] In some embodiments, after receiving the second terminal identifier assigned to the terminal by the first network element in step S2102, the RAN node can send the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier to the NF network element. Optionally, the RAN node sends the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier to the NF network element through the first network element.

[0226] In some embodiments, the NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. When the RAN node and the NF network element perform signaling interactions related to the terminal, the signaling includes a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier. Optionally, the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are provided to the NF network element by the RAN node or the first network element during the connection establishment process between the terminal and the NF network element.

[0227] In some embodiments, when an NF network element sends signaling to a terminal, it can send the signaling along with a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier to a RAN node, which then sends the signaling to the terminal based on the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier. Optionally, when a terminal sends signaling to an NF network element, it can send the signaling to a RAN node, which then sends the signaling along with the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier to the NF network element. Optionally, the signaling may be, for example, a NAS message.

[0228] In some embodiments, an NF network element includes at least one of the following: a Service Management Function (SMF) network element, a Location Management Function (LMF) network element, a Sensing Function (SF) network element, and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) related functional node.

[0229] It is worth noting that the global identifier of the terminal (e.g., SUPI) is unknown to the RAN node. When the RAN node and NF network element need to perform signaling interactions related to the terminal, the two cannot reach a consensus on the terminal identifier. In this regard, the terminal can be identified by the first terminal identifier and the second terminal identifier to ensure the reliability of the signaling interactions related to the terminal between the RAN node and the NF network element.

[0230] In step S2104, the RAN node establishes the terminal's context based on the first request.

[0231] In some embodiments, the RAN node establishes the context of the terminal corresponding to the first terminal identifier as indicated by the first request.

[0232] In some embodiments, the RAN node establishes the context of the terminal corresponding to the second terminal identifier indicated by the first request.

[0233] Understandably, the purpose of establishing a terminal context is to create a complete context environment for a specific terminal within the network, enabling the network to effectively manage the UE's connections, resources, and services. A context is a data structure created within the network for a specific terminal, containing all necessary information related to that terminal, such as the terminal's general identifier, security key, session information, Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, and radio resource configuration.

[0234] In some embodiments, after the RAN node establishes the terminal's context according to the first request, it may initiate an RRC reconfiguration procedure. Optionally, the RRC reconfiguration procedure may perform radio resource configuration for the terminal. Optionally, the RRC reconfiguration procedure may include configuring bearers, updating radio resource parameters, optimizing network performance, etc.

[0235] Step S2105: The RAN node sends the first feedback to the first network element.

[0236] In some embodiments, the RAN node determines that the RRC reconfiguration for the terminal is complete and sends a first feedback to the first network element.

[0237] In some embodiments, the first feedback includes a first terminal identifier and a second terminal identifier.

[0238] In some embodiments, the second terminal identifier may be assigned to the terminal by the first network element alone, or the first terminal identifier may be fed back to the terminal by the RAN node alone. In this case, the first feedback includes either the first terminal identifier or the second terminal identifier.

[0239] In some embodiments, the first feedback is used to indicate the result of the RAN node establishing the context of the terminal. Optionally, the first feedback is used to indicate the result of the RAN establishing the context of the terminal corresponding to the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

[0240] In some embodiments, if the first network element determines that the RAN node has failed to establish a terminal context based on the first feedback, the first network element may release the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

[0241] In some embodiments, if the first network element determines that the RAN node has successfully established or completed the terminal context based on the first feedback, the first network element can provide services to the terminal. In this case, the first network element is the serving first network element (such as the serving AMF network element) of the terminal, and the RAN node is the serving RAN node of the terminal.

[0242] In some embodiments, if the RAN node successfully establishes or completes the terminal context, i.e. after the initial connection is established, the RAN node can be the serving RAN node of the terminal. During cell handover, the serving RAN node of the terminal sends a change, and the current serving RAN node of the terminal is the source RAN node in the handover process of the terminal. The next serving RAN node of the terminal can be the target RAN node in the handover process of the terminal.

[0243] In some embodiments, the optional implementation of the handover process for the serving RAN node of the terminal can be found in the optional implementation of the embodiment corresponding to FIG2B, which will not be described in detail here.

[0244] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0245] In some embodiments, the terms “radio”, “wireless”, “radio access network (RAN)”, “access network (AN)”, and “RAN-based” can be used interchangeably.

[0246] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0247] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)," "cell," "frequency carrier," and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0248] In some embodiments, "acquire," "get," "obtain," "receive," "transmit," "bidirectional transmission," and "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, acquiring from protocols, acquiring from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation. Protocols include, for example, at least one of the 3GPP protocol, Wi-Fi protocol, and audio and / or video protocols.

[0249] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0250] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0251] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0252] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data and / or instructions received; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the receiver to respond to the sent content.

[0253] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2105. For example, step S2101 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2102 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2104 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2101 + step S2103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2102 + step S2103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S2103 + step S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0254] In some embodiments, steps S2103 and S2104 may be swapped in order or executed simultaneously, steps S2102 and S2103 may be swapped in order or executed simultaneously, and steps S2103 and S2105 may be swapped in order or executed simultaneously.

[0255] In some embodiments, steps S2102 to S2105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0256] In some embodiments, steps S2101 and S2103 to S2105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0257] In some embodiments, steps S2101, S2102, and steps S2104 to S2105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0258] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0259] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2B, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0260] Step S2201: The source RAN node sends the second information to the target RAN node.

[0261] In some embodiments, the second information is used to request a handover. Optionally, the second information is a handover request. Optionally, after receiving the second information, the target RAN node sends a handover request feedback to the source RAN node. The source RAN node determines that the target RAN node agrees to the handover and sends a handover command to the terminal, enabling the terminal to access the target RAN node to complete the handover. Optionally, after the terminal accesses the target RAN node, the terminal's serving RAN node becomes the target RAN node.

[0262] In some embodiments, the source RAN node may be the terminal's current serving RAN node. Optionally, the target RAN node may be the RAN node to which the terminal is about to switch. Optionally, upon completion of the handover process, the terminal's serving RAN node is switched from the source RAN node to the target RAN node.

[0263] In some embodiments, the source RAN node may be the RAN node involved in the initial connection establishment process in Figure 2A.

[0264] In some embodiments, the source RAN node may also be the RAN node that has undergone a handover after the terminal has established an initial connection with the RAN node in Figure 2A.

[0265] It is understandable that after the terminal's serving RAN node is switched to the target RAN node, if a switch is required again, the target RAN node in this switch process can be the source RAN node in the next switch process.

[0266] In some embodiments, the terminal's serving RAN node (such as the source RAN node in this handover), the terminal's serving first network element, and the terminal's serving NF network element all store a general identifier for the terminal, such as a first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal by the source RAN node and / or a second terminal identifier assigned to the terminal by the first network element. For details, please refer to the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts of the specification.

[0267] In some embodiments, the second information is used to indicate relevant information about the serving NF network element of the terminal. Optionally, the terminal may have one or more serving NF network elements, and the second information is used to indicate relevant information about each serving NF network element.

[0268] In some embodiments, the relevant information of the serving NF network element includes at least one of the following: the name or identifier of the serving NF network element; a first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal by the source RAN node; and a second terminal identifier.

[0269] In some embodiments, the second information is used to instruct the target RAN node to perform step S2202-a. In other embodiments, the second information is used to instruct the target RAN node to perform step S2202-b.

[0270] In some embodiments, the target RAN node receives the second information. Optionally, the target RAN node determines that it has received the second information and executes step S2202-a. Optionally, the target RAN node determines that it has received the second information and executes step S2202-b.

[0271] It should be understood that if the first terminal identifier is used, when the serving RAN node of the terminal is switched, the NF network element needs to know the serving RAN node after the terminal switch and / or the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal by the serving RAN node when conducting signaling interactions related to the terminal with the serving RAN node. At this time, the third information can be directly sent to the NF network element by the target RAN node through step S2202-a, or the target RAN node can send the third information to the NF network element through the first network element through steps S2202-b and S2203-b, so as to ensure the reliability of the signaling interaction between the NF network element and the terminal.

[0272] Step S2202-a: The target RAN node sends third information to the NF network element.

[0273] In some embodiments, the target RAN node determines that the handover is complete and sends third information to the NF network element. Optionally, the target RAN node determines that the terminal has accessed the target RAN node and sends third information to the NF network element.

[0274] In some embodiments, the third information is used to indicate a change in the terminal's serving RAN. Optionally, the third information is used to indicate a change in the terminal's general identifier.

[0275] In some embodiments, the target RAN node sends third information to the serving NF element of the terminal. Optionally, the target RAN node sends third information to the serving NF element of the terminal based on the second information.

[0276] In some embodiments, the third information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the target RAN node; a first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal by the source RAN node; a first terminal identifier reassigned to the terminal by the target RAN node; and a second terminal identifier.

[0277] In some embodiments, the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier reassigned by the target RAN node to the terminal are used for signaling interactions related to the terminal between the target RAN node and the NF network element.

[0278] In some embodiments, when the NF network element and the target RAN node perform terminal-related signaling interactions, the signaling includes a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier reassigned by the target RAN node for the terminal.

[0279] Step S2202-b: The target RAN node sends the fourth information to the first network element.

[0280] In some embodiments, the target RAN node determines that the handover is complete and sends fourth information to the first network element. Optionally, the target RAN node determines that the terminal has accessed the target RAN node and sends fourth information to the first network element.

[0281] In some embodiments, the fourth information may include the third information and / or the second information.

[0282] In some embodiments, the fourth information includes information related to the serving NF network element of the terminal. Optionally, the terminal may have one or more serving NF network elements, and the fourth information includes information related to each serving NF network element.

[0283] In some embodiments, the relevant information of the serving NF network element includes at least one of the following: the name or identifier of the serving NF network element; a first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal by the source RAN node; and a second terminal identifier.

[0284] In some embodiments, the fourth information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the target RAN node; a first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal by the source RAN node; a first terminal identifier reassigned to the terminal by the target RAN node; and a second terminal identifier.

[0285] In some embodiments, the fourth information is used to instruct the first network element to perform step S2203-b.

[0286] Step S2203-b: The first network element sends the third information to the NF network element.

[0287] In some embodiments, the first network element sends third information to the serving NF network element of the terminal.

[0288] In some embodiments, the first network element sends third information to the serving NF network element of the terminal based on the second information included in the fourth information. Optionally, the third information may be determined by the first network element itself, for example, it may be pre-stored by the first network element.

[0289] In some embodiments, the first network element sends the third information, which is included in the fourth information, to the serving NF network element of the terminal based on the second information included in the fourth information.

[0290] In some embodiments, the third information is used to indicate a change in the terminal's serving RAN. Optionally, the third information is used to indicate a change in the terminal's general identifier.

[0291] In some embodiments, the third information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the target RAN node; a first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal by the source RAN node; a first terminal identifier reassigned to the terminal by the target RAN node; and a second terminal identifier.

[0292] In some embodiments, the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier reassigned by the target RAN node to the terminal are used for signaling interactions related to the terminal between the target RAN node and the NF network element.

[0293] In some embodiments, when the NF network element and the target RAN node perform terminal-related signaling interactions, the signaling includes a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier reassigned by the target RAN node for the terminal.

[0294] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2201 to S2203-b. For example, step S2201 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2202-a may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2202-b + step S2203-b may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2201 + step S2202-a may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2201 + step S2202-b + step S2203-b may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0295] In some embodiments, steps S2201 and S2202-a are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0296] In some embodiments, steps S2201, S2202-b, and S2203-b are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0297] In some embodiments, steps S2201, S2202, and steps S2204 to S2205 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0298] In some embodiments, step S2201 and / or step S2202-a may be combined with one or more of steps S2101 to S2105 in FIG2A.

[0299] In some embodiments, steps S2202-b, S2203-b, and / or S2201 may be combined with one or more of steps S2101 to S2105 in FIG2A.

[0300] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0301] Figure 3A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0302] Step S3101: The RAN node sends the first information to the first network element.

[0303] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate the initial message of the terminal;

[0304] In some embodiments, the first information may further include a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information may also be used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal;

[0305] In some embodiments, the first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for terminal-related signaling interactions between the RAN node and the network function NF network element.

[0306] In some embodiments, the method includes:

[0307] The RAN node receives the first request sent by the first network element;

[0308] The RAN node establishes the terminal's context based on the first request;

[0309] The first request includes a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier.

[0310] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0311] The RAN node sends its first feedback to the first network element;

[0312] The first feedback is used to indicate the result of the RAN node establishing the terminal context. The first feedback includes a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier.

[0313] In some embodiments, the NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. When the RAN node and the NF network element perform signaling interactions related to the terminal, the signaling includes a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier. The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are provided to the NF network element by the RAN node or the first network element during the connection establishment process between the terminal and the NF node.

[0314] In some embodiments, the RAN node is the source RAN node during the terminal handover process, and the method further includes:

[0315] During the handover process, the source RAN node sends a second message to the target RAN node during the handover process. The second message is used to indicate the relevant information of the terminal's serving NF network element.

[0316] The relevant information for serving NF network elements includes at least one of the following:

[0317] The name or identifier of the NF network element being served;

[0318] The source RAN node assigns the first terminal identifier to the terminal;

[0319] Second terminal identifier.

[0320] In some embodiments, the second information is used to instruct the target RAN node to send the third information to the serving NF network element, and the third information is used to instruct the terminal to change its serving RAN.

[0321] In some embodiments, the second information is used to instruct the target RAN node to send the fourth information to the first network element;

[0322] The fourth information is used to instruct the first network element to send the third information to the serving NF network element. The third information is used to instruct the terminal to change its serving RAN.

[0323] In some embodiments, the third and / or fourth information includes at least one of the following:

[0324] The identifier of the target RAN node;

[0325] The source RAN node assigns the first terminal identifier to the terminal;

[0326] The target RAN node is the first terminal identifier reassigned to the terminal;

[0327] Second terminal identifier.

[0328] In some embodiments, an NF network element includes at least one of the following: a Service Management Function (SMF) network element, a Location Management Function (LMF) network element, a Sensing Function (SF) network element, and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) related functional node.

[0329] In some embodiments, the first network element receives first information sent by the radio access network (RAN) node.

[0330] In some embodiments, the first network element makes a first request to the RAN node, the first request being used to request the RAN node to establish a terminal context;

[0331] The first request includes a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier.

[0332] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0333] The first network element receives the first feedback sent by the RAN node;

[0334] The first feedback is used to indicate the result of the RAN node establishing the terminal context. The first feedback includes a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier.

[0335] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0336] The first network element receives the fourth information sent by the target RAN node during the terminal handover process;

[0337] The first network element sends the third information to the serving NF network element of the terminal based on the fourth information. The third information is used to instruct the terminal to change its serving RAN.

[0338] In some embodiments, the fourth information includes information related to the serving NF network element of the terminal;

[0339] The relevant information for serving NF network elements includes at least one of the following:

[0340] The name or identifier of the NF network element being served;

[0341] During the terminal handover process, the source RAN node is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal;

[0342] Second terminal identifier.

[0343] In some embodiments, the method includes: the NF network element obtaining a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier of the terminal from a first network element or a radio access network RAN ​​node.

[0344] In some embodiments, the RAN node is the source RAN node of the terminal during the handover process, and the NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. The method includes:

[0345] The NF network element receives third information sent by the AMF node or the target RAN node during the terminal handover process. The third information is used to indicate the change of the terminal's serving RAN.

[0346] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0347] Figure 3B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0348] Step S3201: The first RAN node sends the first information to the first network element.

[0349] Optional implementations of step S3201 can be found in optional implementations of step S2101 in FIG2A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0350] Step S3202: The first network element sends a first request to the first RAN node.

[0351] Optional implementations of step S3202 can be found in optional implementations of step S2102 in FIG2A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0352] In step S3203, the NF network element obtains the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier of the terminal from the first network element or the first RAN node.

[0353] Optional implementations of step S3203 can be found in optional implementations of step S2103 in FIG2A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0354] Step S3204: The first RAN node establishes the terminal context according to the first request.

[0355] Optional implementations of step S3204 can be found in optional implementations of step S2104 in FIG2A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0356] Step S3205: The first RAN node sends the first feedback to the first network element.

[0357] Optional implementations of step S3205 can be found in optional implementations of step S2105 in FIG2A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0358] In some embodiments, when the first RAN node determines that the establishment of the terminal context is successful or completed, the first RAN node can be the serving RAN node of the terminal.

[0359] Step S3206: The first RAN node sends the second information to the second RAN node.

[0360] Optional implementations of step S3206 can be found in optional implementations of step S2201 in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0361] In some embodiments, when the first RAN node determines that the terminal's serving RAN node needs to be switched to the second RAN node, step S3206 is executed. At this time, the second RAN node is the target RAN node in the terminal handover process.

[0362] Step S3207: The second RAN node sends the third information to the NF network element.

[0363] Optional implementations of step S3207 can be found in optional implementations of step S2202-a in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0364] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0365] Figure 3C is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3C, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0366] Step S3301: The first RAN node sends the first information to the first network element.

[0367] Optional implementations of step S3301 can be found in optional implementations of step S2101 in FIG2A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0368] Step S3302: The first network element sends a first request to the first RAN node.

[0369] Optional implementations of step S3302 can be found in optional implementations of step S2102 in FIG2A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0370] In step S3303, the NF network element obtains the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier of the terminal from the first network element or the first RAN node.

[0371] For optional implementations of step S3303, please refer to the optional implementation of step S2103 in FIG2A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0372] Step S3304: The first RAN node establishes the terminal context according to the first request.

[0373] Optional implementations of step S3304 can be found in optional implementations of step S2104 in FIG2A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0374] Step S3305: The first RAN node sends the first feedback to the first network element.

[0375] For optional implementations of step S3305, please refer to the optional implementation of step S2105 in FIG2A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0376] In some embodiments, when the first RAN node determines that the establishment of the terminal context is successful or completed, the first RAN node can be the serving RAN node of the terminal.

[0377] Step S3306: The first RAN node sends the second information to the second RAN node.

[0378] Optional implementations of step S3306 can be found in optional implementations of step S2201 in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0379] In some embodiments, when the first RAN node determines that the terminal's serving RAN node needs to be switched to the second RAN node, step S3306 is executed. At this time, the second RAN node is the target RAN node in the terminal handover process.

[0380] In step S3307, the second RAN node sends the fourth information to the first network element.

[0381] Optional implementations of step S3307 can be found in optional implementations of step S2202-b in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0382] Step S3308: The first network element sends the third information to the NF network element.

[0383] Optional implementations of step S3308 can be found in optional implementations of step S2203-b in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0384] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0385] Figure 3D is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3D, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0386] Step S3401: The source RAN node sends the second information to the target RAN node.

[0387] Optional implementations of step S3401 can be found in optional implementations of step S2201 in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0388] Step S3402: The target RAN node sends third information to the NF network element.

[0389] Optional implementations of step S3402 can be found in optional implementations of step S2202-a in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0390] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0391] Figure 3E is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3E, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0392] Step S3501: The source RAN node sends the second information to the target RAN node.

[0393] Optional implementations of step S3501 can be found in optional implementations of step S2201 in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0394] Step S3502: The target RAN node sends the fourth information to the first network element.

[0395] Optional implementations of step S3502 can be found in optional implementations of step S2202-b in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0396] Step S3503: The first network element sends the third information to the NF network element.

[0397] Optional implementations of step S3503 can be found in optional implementations of step S2203-b in FIG2B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2A to FIG2B.

[0398] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0399] Figure 4A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4A, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0400] In step S4101, the UE initiates the RRC connection establishment process, and the RAN and UE complete the RRC connection establishment process.

[0401] In step S4102, the RAN sends the first message to the AMF.

[0402] In some embodiments, the first message is, for example, Namf_UEContextInitiate.

[0403] In some embodiments, the first message is used to transmit the UE's initial message.

[0404] In some implementations, the RAN generates a RAN UE ID and includes it in the first message to indicate a specific UE. This RAN UE ID can uniquely identify the UE within the RAN.

[0405] In some embodiments, the RAN UE ID may be the RAN NGAP UE ID, or it may be a newly defined ID.

[0406] In some embodiments, the first message is a service provided by the AMF, which is the initialization of the UE context. The AMF can initiate a UE context acquisition or establishment process based on the service.

[0407] In some embodiments, the first message does not include the RAN UE ID, but instead is a UE identifier generated by the AMF on the AMF side.

[0408] In some embodiments, the first message may be the first information in some of the above embodiments.

[0409] In step S4103, the AMF obtains the UE's authentication information and performs authentication and / or security procedures.

[0410] In step S4104, the AMF sends a first request message to the RAN.

[0411] In some embodiments, the first request message is, for example, an Nran_CreatUEContext Request.

[0412] In some embodiments, the first request message is used to request the RAN to establish a context for the UE.

[0413] In some embodiments, the first request message includes the RAN UE ID.

[0414] In some embodiments, the AMF generates a UE identifier on the AMF side to uniquely identify the UE within the AMF, and the first request message includes the UE identifier on the AMF side.

[0415] In some embodiments, the UE identifier on the AMF side can be an AMF UE ID or an S-TMSI, and using these identifiers can ensure that the UE's privacy is protected.

[0416] In some embodiments, the AMF UE ID may be the AMF NGAP UE ID, or it may be a newly defined ID.

[0417] In some embodiments, the first request message is a service provided by the RAN, which may support the establishment of a UE context on the RAN side.

[0418] In step S4105, the RAN initiates the RRC Reconfiguration process to configure radio resources for the UE.

[0419] In step S4106, the RAN sends the first feedback message to the AMF.

[0420] In some embodiments, the first feedback message is, for example, an Nran_CreatUEContext Response.

[0421] In some embodiments, the first feedback message is used to provide feedback on the result of the RAN establishing the UE context.

[0422] In some embodiments, the first feedback message includes the RAN UE ID.

[0423] In some embodiments, the first feedback message includes the UE ID from the AMF side.

[0424] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0425] Figure 4B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0426] Step S4201: UE association connection settings between UE and NF.

[0427] In some embodiments, the NF learns the UE's common UE ID during connection setup.

[0428] In some embodiments, the UE's common UE ID may be the RAN-generated RAN UE ID as shown in Figure 4A, and / or the UE identifier on the AMF side.

[0429] In some embodiments, after the initial connection is established, both the RAN and NF of the serving UE store the UE's common UE ID for use when interacting with UE-specific signaling.

[0430] In step S4202, the S-RAN (source RAN) sends a handover request message to the T-RAN (target RAN).

[0431] In some embodiments, the switching request message includes connection information for one or more NFs.

[0432] In some embodiments, the connection information of the NF includes at least one of the following: NF name or NF ID; Common UE ID.

[0433] In step S4203, T-RAN sends a handover request feedback message to S-RAN.

[0434] In step S4204, the UE executes the handover command and connects to the T-RAN.

[0435] In step S4205, the T-RAN sends the third information to the NF.

[0436] In some embodiments, the target RAN sends third information to each NF based on the connection information of the NF obtained in step S4202.

[0437] In some embodiments, the third information is used to notify the NF that the RAN node serving the UE has changed.

[0438] In some embodiments, the third information includes at least one of the following: Target RAN ID; Old RAN UE ID; New RAN UE ID; AMF-side UE ID.

[0439] In some embodiments, the old RAN UE ID is generated by the source RAN, and the UE ID saved by the NF before handover is the old RAN UE ID. The new RAN UE ID is generated by the target RAN, and the NF needs to use the new RAN UE ID after handover.

[0440] In some embodiments, if the NF is an SMF, the RAN initiates a PDUSession_updateSMContext request to the SMF, which carries third-party information.

[0441] In some embodiments, if the NF is an LMF or an SF, the RAN initiates a Location_EventNotification request to the LMF or SF, which carries third-party information.

[0442] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0443] Figure 4C is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4C, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0444] Step S4301: UE association connection settings between UE and NF.

[0445] In some embodiments, the NF learns the UE's common UE ID during connection setup.

[0446] In some embodiments, the UE's common UE ID may be the RAN-generated RAN UE ID as shown in Figure 4A, and / or the UE identifier on the AMF side.

[0447] In some embodiments, after the initial connection is established, both the RAN and NF of the serving UE store the UE's common UE ID for use when interacting with UE-specific signaling.

[0448] In step S4302, the source RAN sends a handover request message to the target RAN.

[0449] In some embodiments, the switching request message includes connection information for one or more NFs.

[0450] In some embodiments, the connection information of the NF includes at least one of the following: NF name or NF ID; Common UE ID.

[0451] In step S4303, the target RAN sends a handover request feedback message to the source RAN.

[0452] In step S4304, the target RAN sends the first update message to the AMF.

[0453] In some embodiments, the first update message includes third information.

[0454] In some embodiments, the first update message includes connection information for one or more NFs.

[0455] In some embodiments, the first update message is a service provided by the AMF, which is used to update the context of the UE.

[0456] In step S4305, the AMF initiates an update process for the UE serving RAN to the NF.

[0457] In some embodiments, the AMF initiates an update process for the UE serving base station to the NF indicated by the connection information of the NF.

[0458] In some embodiments, the AMF sends third information to the NF.

[0459] In some embodiments, the AMF sends third information to each NF based on the NF's connection information.

[0460] In some embodiments, the third information is used to notify the NF that the RAN node serving the UE has changed.

[0461] In some embodiments, the third information includes at least one of the following: Target RAN ID; Old RAN UE ID; New RAN UE ID; AMF-side UE ID.

[0462] In some embodiments, the old RAN UE ID is generated by the source RAN, and the UE ID saved by the NF before handover is the old RAN UE ID. The new RAN UE ID is generated by the target RAN, and the NF needs to use the new RAN UE ID after handover.

[0463] In some embodiments, if the NF is an SMF, the RAN initiates a PDUSession_updateSMContext request to the SMF, which carries third-party information.

[0464] In some embodiments, if the NF is an LMF or an SF, the RAN initiates a Location_EventNotification request to the LMF or SF, which carries third-party information.

[0465] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0466] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0467] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0468] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0469] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a RAN node proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. RAN node 5100 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5A, RAN node 5100 may include: a transceiver module 5101, used to send first information to a first network element, the first information being used to indicate the initial message of the terminal;

[0470] The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal.

[0471] The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

[0472] Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S2103, S2105, S2201, S2202-a, S2202-b, but not limited thereto) performed by the RAN node in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps (e.g., step S2104, but not limited thereto) performed by the RAN node in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0473] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first network element proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The first network element 5200 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5B, the first network element 5200 may include: a transceiver module 5201, used to receive first information sent by a radio access network (RAN) node, the first information being used to indicate the initial information of the terminal;

[0474] The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal.

[0475] The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

[0476] Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S2103, S2105, S2202-b, S2203-b, but not limited thereto) performed by the first network element in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the first network element in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0477] Figure 5C is a schematic diagram of the structure of the NF network element proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The NF network element 5300 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5C, the first network element 5300 may include: a transceiver module 5301, used to obtain a first terminal identifier and / or a second terminal identifier of the terminal from the first network element or a radio access network (RAN) node;

[0478] Wherein, the first terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the RAN node, and / or the second terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the first network element;

[0479] The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

[0480] Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step S2103, but not limited to) performed by the NF network element in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the NF network element in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0481] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0482] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module.

[0483] In some embodiments, the processing module can be replaced by the processor, and the transceiver module can be replaced by the transceiver.

[0484] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 6100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 6100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 6100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0485] As shown in Figure 6A, the communication device 6100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. The processor 6101 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 6100 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 6101 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 6100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0486] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more transceivers 6102. When the communication device 6100 includes one or more transceivers 6102, the transceiver 6102 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method, and the processor 6101 performs at least one of the other steps. In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0487] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more memories 6103 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 6101 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 6103 to cause the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 6103 may also be located outside the communication device 6100. In an optional embodiment, the communication device 6100 may include one or more interface circuits 6104. Optionally, the interface circuit 6104 is connected to the memory 6103 and can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 6103 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 6103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 6104 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 6103 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 6101.

[0488] The communication device 6100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 6100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 6100 may not be limited by FIG. 6A. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data, programs and / or instructions; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0489] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 6200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 6100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 6200 shown in Figure 6B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0490] Chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201. Chip 6200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0491] In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more interface circuits 6202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more memories 6203 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6203 may be located outside of chip 6200. Optionally, interface circuit 6202 is connected to memory 6203, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from memory 6203 or other devices, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to send data and / or instructions to memory 6203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 6202 can read data and / or instructions stored in memory 6203 and send the data and / or instructions to processor 6201.

[0492] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 6202 performs at least one of the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method. For example, the interface circuit 6202 performing the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method means that the interface circuit 6202 performs data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 6201, the chip 6200, the memory 6203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 6201 performs at least one of the other steps.

[0493] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0494] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0495] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0496] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Performed by a radio access network (RAN) node, the method includes: Send first information to the first network element, the first information being used to indicate the initial message of the terminal; The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal. The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive the first request sent by the first network element; Establish the context of the terminal according to the first request; The first request includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send the first feedback to the first network element; The first feedback is used to indicate the result of the RAN node establishing the context of the terminal, and the first feedback includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. When the RAN node and the NF network element perform signaling interactions related to the terminal, the signaling includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier. The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are provided to the NF network element by the RAN node or the first network element during the connection establishment process between the terminal and the NF node.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The RAN node is the source RAN node during the terminal handover process, and the method further includes: During the handover process, a second message is sent to the target RAN node during the handover process of the terminal. The second message is used to indicate the relevant information of the serving NF network element of the terminal. The relevant information of the service NF network element includes at least one of the following: The name or identifier of the NF network element providing the service; The source RAN node is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal; The second terminal identifier.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second information is used to instruct the target RAN node to send the third information to the serving NF network element, and the third information is used to instruct the terminal to change its serving RAN.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second information is used to instruct the target RAN node to send the fourth information to the first network element; The fourth information is used to instruct the first network element to send the third information to the serving NF network element, and the third information is used to instruct the terminal to change its serving RAN.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The third information and / or the fourth information includes at least one of the following: The identifier of the target RAN node; The source RAN node is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal; The target RAN node is the first terminal identifier reassigned to the terminal; The second terminal identifier.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The NF network element includes at least one of the following: Service Management Function (SMF) network element, Location Management Function (LMF) network element, Sensing Function (SF) network element, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) related functional nodes.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is executed by a first network element, which is used for access and mobility management, and includes: The terminal receives first information sent by a radio access network (RAN) node, the first information being used to indicate the initial information of the terminal. The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal. The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interactions between the RAN node and the network function (NF) element related to the terminal.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method includes: A first request is sent to the RAN node, the first request being used to request the RAN node to establish the context of the terminal; The first request includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the first feedback sent by the RAN node; The first feedback is used to indicate the result of the RAN node establishing the context of the terminal, and the first feedback includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10-12, characterized in that, The NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. When the RAN node and the NF network element perform signaling interactions related to the terminal, the signaling includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier. The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are provided to the NF network element by the RAN node or the first network element during the connection establishment process between the terminal and the NF node.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the fourth information sent by the target RAN node during the terminal handover process; Based on the fourth information, a third information is sent to the serving NF network element of the terminal, the third information being used to instruct the serving RAN of the terminal to change.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The fourth information includes information related to the serving NF network element of the terminal; The relevant information of the service NF network element includes at least one of the following: The name or identifier of the NF network element providing the service; The source RAN node during the terminal handover process is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal; The second terminal identifier.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, The third information and / or the fourth information includes at least one of the following: The identifier of the target RAN node; The source RAN node is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal; The target RAN node is the first terminal identifier reassigned to the terminal; The second terminal identifier.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10-16, characterized in that, The NF network element includes at least one of the following: Service Management Function (SMF) network element, Location Management Function (LMF) network element, Sensing Function (SF) network element, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) related functional nodes.

18. A communication method, characterized in that, The method, executed by a network function (NF) element, includes: Obtain the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier of the terminal from the first network element or the radio access network (RAN) node; Wherein, the first terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the RAN node, and / or the second terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the first network element; The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interactions between the RAN node and the network function (NF) element related to the terminal.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. When the RAN node and the NF network element perform signaling interactions related to the terminal, the signaling includes the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier. The first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are provided to the NF network element by the RAN node or the first network element during the connection establishment process between the terminal and the NF node.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The RAN node is the source RAN node of the terminal during the handover process, and the NF network element is the serving NF network element of the terminal. The method includes: The terminal receives third information sent by the AMF node or the target RAN node during the terminal handover process. The third information is used to indicate a change in the serving RAN of the terminal.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The third information includes at least one of the following: The identifier of the target RAN node; The source RAN node is the first terminal identifier assigned to the terminal; The target RAN node is the first terminal identifier reassigned to the terminal; The second terminal identifier.

22. The method according to any one of claims 18-21, characterized in that, The NF network element includes at least one of the following: Service Management Function (SMF) network element, Location Management Function (LMF) network element, Sensing Function (SF) network element, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) related functional nodes.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to send first information to the first network element, wherein the first information is used to indicate the initial message of the terminal; The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal. The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

24. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by the radio access network (RAN) node, the first information being used to indicate the initial information of the terminal; The first information further includes a first terminal identifier assigned by the RAN node to the terminal, and / or the first information is also used to instruct the first network element to assign a second terminal identifier to the terminal. The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to obtain the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier of the terminal from the first network element or the radio access network (RAN) node; Wherein, the first terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the RAN node, and / or the second terminal identifier is assigned to the terminal by the first network element; The first network element is used for access and mobility management, and the first terminal identifier and / or the second terminal identifier are used for signaling interaction between the RAN node and the Network Function (NF) network element related to the terminal.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The communication device is used to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1-9, or any one of claims 10-17, or any one of claims 18-22.

27. A communication system, characterized in that, The system includes a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, a first network element, and a Network Function (NF) network element. The RAN node is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 1-9, the first network element is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 10-17, and the NF network element is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 18-22.

28. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-9, or any one of claims 10-17, or any one of claims 18-22.

29. A computer program product comprising a computer program and / or instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program and / or the instructions are executed by the communication device, they implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-9, or any one of claims 10-17, or any one of claims 18-22.

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