Communication method, communication device, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, a communication device, and a storage medium. The communication method applied to a first communication node comprises: sending resource report configuration information to second communication nodes; and receiving resource state reports associated with the resource report configuration information and sent by the second communication nodes.

Description

Communication methods, communication equipment and storage media Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, specifically to a communication method, communication device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the evolution of communication technologies, various communication technologies may coexist for a long time to come. For user equipment (UE) that supports multiple communication methods, how to maximize and utilize these resources more efficiently is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, communication device, and storage medium, which can avoid the process of communication between the base station and the core network element being forwarded through other core network elements, reduce the transmission latency between the user equipment and the core network element, and thus improve the user experience.

[0004] This application provides a communication method applied to a first communication node, which is directly connected to a core network service architecture; the method includes:

[0005] Send resource report configuration information to the second communication node;

[0006] Receive a resource status report associated with the resource report configuration information sent by the second communication node.

[0007] This application provides a communication method applied to a second communication node; the method includes:

[0008] Receive resource report configuration information sent by the first communication node;

[0009] Return a resource status report associated with the resource report configuration information to the first communication node.

[0010] This application provides a communication method applied to a user equipment; the method includes:

[0011] Receive an RRC configuration message sent by a first communication node; wherein the RRC configuration message includes at least one of the following: a general RRC configuration message and a specific RRC configuration message;

[0012] The RRC general configuration message is associated with the first communication node, and the RRC specific configuration message is associated with the second communication node.

[0013] This application provides a communication method applied to a user equipment; the method includes:

[0014] A non-access stratum message is sent to a first communication node so that the first communication node can identify the target receiving network element according to the type of the non-access stratum message, and send the non-access stratum message to the target receiving network element.

[0015] This application provides a communication device, including: a memory, and one or more processors;

[0016] The memory is configured to store one or more programs;

[0017] When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0018] This application provides a storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the methods described in any of the above embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless network architecture provided by related technologies;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the implementation of a wireless network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 5 is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 6 is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating how NWDAF provides a service experience for applications, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 8 is a structural block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 9 is a structural block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 10 is a structural block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 11 is a structural block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The examples given are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless network architecture provided by related technologies. As shown in Figure 1, adopting a service-oriented design concept, this wireless network architecture can include three main parts: the Radio Access Network (RAN), the 5th Generation Core Network (5GC), and the User Equipment (UE).

[0033] In terms of the access network, gNBs are used as 5G base stations, supporting both centralized and distributed deployments. A gNB can be divided into two parts: a Centralized Unit (CU) and a Distributed Unit (DU). The CU can be further divided into the Centralized Unit-Control Plane (CU-CP) and the Centralized Unit-User Plane (CU-UP). The access network implements basic functions such as radio resource management and mobility management, and supports interoperability between multiple vendors' equipment through an open X2 interface.

[0034] The core network adopts a service-based architecture (SBA), decoupling the original network element functions into multiple network functions (NFs). The main network functions include: Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), User Plane Function (UPF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), and Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF). These network functions communicate with each other through service-based interfaces, and each function can act as a service provider and service consumer.

[0035] In the control plane, the AMF (Access Controller) is responsible for access control, mobility management, and security-related functions; the SMF (Session Management Controller) is responsible for session management, Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation, and policy enforcement; the PCF (Public Network Policy Controller) formulates network policies and distributes them to other network elements; and the UDM (User Data Manager) centrally manages user data and subscription information. In the user plane, the UPF (User Data Controller) acts as the data plane anchor, responsible for packet forwarding, Quality of Service (QoS) enforcement, and billing. For network management, a Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) is introduced to collect and analyze network data, providing a basis for network optimization and policy adjustments. Automated network operation and maintenance is supported, achieving network self-optimization through closed-loop control.

[0036] As the number of digital data applications and services continues to surge, the demands and challenges on network resources and operators will continue to increase. This application proposes a novel architecture and process based on which communication between the base station and various network elements in the core network can be avoided through AMF forwarding, reducing transmission latency between the UE and core network elements, thereby improving user experience.

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a wireless network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. To reduce functional redundancy and unnecessary signaling interactions, this application proposes a new access network (also called a RAN node or base station) and core network interaction architecture. This architecture is characterized by directly integrating the CU control plane function into the core network service architecture, as shown in Figure 2. In this way, the CU can directly obtain information from other NFs in the service architecture and also provide information to these other NFs, thereby enabling direct communication between the base station and core network elements, bypassing the AMF's forwarding function, reducing communication latency, and alleviating the burden on the AMF.

[0038] In one embodiment, Figure 3 is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of this application. This embodiment is applied to the case where a first communication node is directly connected to the core network service architecture. This embodiment can be executed by the first communication node. Exemplarily, the first communication node can be a CU in a base station; the second communication node can be a DU in a base station. As shown in Figure 3, this embodiment includes: S110-S120.

[0039] S110, Send resource report configuration information to the second communication node.

[0040] S120: Receive a resource status report associated with resource report configuration information sent by the second communication node.

[0041] In one example, the first communication node acts as a control node, acquiring sufficient information to aid in decision-making. In another example, the first communication node sends resource report configuration information to the second communication node to perceive the resource status information required by the second communication node. Then, each second communication node associated with the first communication node sends its own resource status information to the first communication node in the form of a resource status report.

[0042] In one embodiment, the resource report configuration information includes at least one of the following: resource report request information; resource report sending conditions. In one example, the resource report request information refers to the indicator information carried in the resource status report requested by the first communication node from the second communication node; the resource report sending conditions refer to the triggering conditions and sending period for the second communication node to send the resource status report to the first communication node.

[0043] In one embodiment, the resource report sending condition includes at least one of the following: a report sending period; and a report sending trigger condition. In one example, the report sending period refers to the period during which the second communication node sends a resource status report to the first communication node. This report sending period can be characterized by a time interval, such as days, hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds, or microseconds. For example, a report sending period of 10 seconds means that the second communication node sends a resource status report to the first communication node every 10 seconds. In one example, the report sending trigger condition refers to the condition that triggers the second communication node to send a resource status report to the first communication node.

[0044] In one embodiment, the report transmission triggering condition includes at least one of the following: uplink resource utilization is greater than a first threshold; downlink resource utilization is greater than a second threshold; uplink resource utilization is less than a third threshold; downlink resource utilization is less than a fourth threshold; the change in uplink resource utilization compared to the previous resource status report is greater than a fifth threshold; and the change in downlink resource utilization compared to the previous resource status report is greater than a sixth threshold. In one example, uplink resources refer to air interface resources in the uplink direction; downlink resources refer to air interface resources in the downlink direction, which may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, and code domain resources. In one example, uplink resource utilization refers to the ratio between used air interface resources in the uplink direction and total air interface resources; downlink resource utilization refers to the ratio between used air interface resources in the downlink direction and total air interface resources. In one example, the values ​​of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth thresholds can be the same, partially the same and partially different, or all different; there is no restriction on this, and they can be configured according to the actual situation. In one example, the first threshold is less than the third threshold; the second threshold is less than the fourth threshold. In another example, the first threshold is greater than the third threshold; the second threshold is greater than the fourth threshold.

[0045] In one embodiment, when the resource report sending condition is a report sending trigger condition, the resource report configuration information further includes at least one of the following: a first threshold value; a second threshold value; a third threshold value; a fourth threshold value; a fifth threshold value; and a sixth threshold value. When the resource report configuration information includes resource report sending conditions, and the resource report sending conditions include a report sending trigger condition, the resource report configuration information also includes the threshold value associated with the aforementioned report sending trigger condition. For example, assuming the report sending trigger condition is that the uplink resource utilization rate is greater than the first threshold value, the resource configuration information further includes: a first threshold value, so that when the uplink resource utilization rate of the second communication node reaches the first threshold value, the second communication node sends a resource status report to the first communication node. For example, assuming the report sending trigger condition is that the uplink resource utilization rate is greater than the first threshold and the downlink resource utilization rate is greater than the second threshold, the resource configuration information also includes the first threshold and the second threshold, so that when the uplink resource utilization rate of the second communication node reaches the first threshold and the downlink resource utilization rate reaches the second threshold, the second communication node sends a resource status report to the first communication node.

[0046] In one embodiment, when the second communication node supports at least two different standards, an associated resource status report is generated based on the access standard and resource report configuration information. In one example, the second communication node may support multiple different access standards, such as, but not limited to, 4G RAT, 5G RAT, 6G RAT, or non-3GPP related radio access technologies (RAT) (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.). In one example, when the second communication node supports multiple different access standards, the second communication node can perform resource status report statistics based on the access standard and report the resource status report to the first communication node based on the resource report configuration information. In another example, when the second communication node supports multiple different access standards, the second communication node can perform resource status report statistics based on the access standard and resource report configuration information and report the resource status report to the first communication node based on the access standard and resource report configuration information.

[0047] In one embodiment, the resource status report includes at least one of the following: uplink resource utilization; downlink resource utilization. In one example, uplink resource utilization can be used as a metric to assess the usage of physical resource blocks allocated in the uplink to guarantee a specific service rate. Exemplarily, uplink resource utilization can be characterized by UL GBR PRB usage; where UL GBR PRB represents the percentage of UL PRB usage relative to the total PRB. In one example, downlink resource utilization can be used as a metric to assess the usage of physical resource blocks allocated in the downlink to guarantee a specific service rate. Exemplarily, downlink resource utilization can be characterized by DL GBR PRB usage; where DL GBR PRB represents the percentage of DL PRB usage relative to the total PRB. Here, GBR is an abbreviation for Guaranteed Bit Rate; PRB is an abbreviation for Physical Resource Block.

[0048] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: acquiring capability-related information of each second communication node; or receiving load or resource utilization information of each second communication node. In one example, the first communication node has strong intelligent computing capabilities. The first communication node can acquire capability-related information of each second communication node, or the first communication node can receive load or resource utilization information from each second communication node or each cell associated with each second communication node, and based on the capability-related information of each second communication node acquired over a period of time, or based on the load or resource utilization information of each second communication node or each cell associated with each second communication node on each access standard, predict the load of each second communication node or each cell associated with each second communication node on each access standard over a future period of time; and then decide to allocate resources to each second communication node or each cell associated with each second communication node.

[0049] In one embodiment, capability-related information includes at least one of the following: supported access standards; support for the coexistence of at least two access standards; and support for spectrum sharing among different standards. In one example, supported access standards refer to which access standards each second communication node supports; support for the coexistence of at least two access standards refers to whether each second communication node supports multiple access standards coexisting; and support for spectrum sharing among different standards refers to whether each second communication node supports spectrum sharing among different access standards.

[0050] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: determining resource allocation information for each second communication node based on capability-related information; and sending the resource allocation information to the corresponding second communication node. In one example, the resource allocation information refers to resource information coordinated and allocated by the first communication node for different second communication nodes within its area. In one example, where the area under the responsibility of the first communication node supports the coexistence of multiple access standards and supports spectrum sharing among different access standards, the first communication node can coordinate and allocate the radio resources of each second communication node to avoid resource conflicts or waste between different cells of different access standards. In one embodiment, the resource allocation information includes at least one of the following:

[0051] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the available uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth;

[0052] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the available downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth;

[0053] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the location of available uplink frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0054] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the location of available downlink frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0055] For each cell, the available access standard is indicated;

[0056] For each cell, indicate the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0057] For each cell, the available access standards are indicated, along with the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources for each available access standard.

[0058] This indicates the air interface resources for either the central user or the edge user. In one example, available uplink carriers refer to the uplink carriers that can be used; available downlink carriers refer to the downlink carriers that can be used; available uplink frequency domain resources refer to the uplink frequency domain resources that can be used; available downlink frequency domain resources refer to the downlink frequency domain resources that can be used; available access standards refer to the access standards that can be used; and available frequency domain resources refer to the frequency domain resources that can be used.

[0059] In one embodiment, the third communication node includes: a first communication node and a second communication node; the resource allocation information includes at least one of the following:

[0060] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used;

[0061] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the expected downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used;

[0062] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the location of the uplink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used.

[0063] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the location of the downlink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0064] For each cell, indicate the expected access standard to be used;

[0065] For each cell, indicate the location of the frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0066] For each cell, the desired access standard and the location of the frequency or time resources expected to be used by that access standard are indicated. In one example, where the first communication node is a CU and the second communication node is a DU, the third communication node can be a base station. In another example, if the base station node has intelligent computing capabilities, it can predict the radio resource status of cells within its service range, as well as each CU, DU, and Radio Unit (RU), and send the desired radio resources to the first communication node. It should be noted that the explanation of the access standard can be found in the description of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0067] In one example, after obtaining the aforementioned expected resource allocation information sent by multiple base station nodes and performing reasoning calculations, the first communication node determines whether resources can be allocated in the manner expected by each base station node, and sends resource allocation information to the base station or sends indication information to the base station. The indication information is used to indicate whether the expected resource allocation method of the base station is agreed upon.

[0068] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: sending at least one of load, resource utilization information, number of user equipment connections, and resource allocation information to a fourth communication node; sending resource allocation analysis request information to the fourth communication node; and receiving resource allocation analysis response information returned by the fourth communication node that matches the resource allocation analysis request information. Exemplarily, the fourth communication node can be an NWDAF (Non-Wide-Depth Assisted ... The first communication node can send at least one of the above-mentioned load, resource utilization information, predicted number of UE connections, and expected resource allocation information obtained from each of the second communication nodes to the fourth communication node, and send resource allocation analysis request information to the fourth communication node; the fourth communication node performs comprehensive reasoning calculations based on the information obtained from the first communication node and the UE movement information and motion trajectory information obtained from other NFs, determines the resource allocation scheme, and sends the above-mentioned resource allocation information and resource allocation scheme to the first communication node through resource allocation analysis response information, so that the first communication node can allocate resources to each of the second communication nodes based on the resource allocation scheme and resource allocation information.

[0069] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: sending a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message to a user equipment; wherein the RRC configuration message includes at least one of the following: a general RRC configuration message and a specific RRC configuration message;

[0070] In this configuration, the RRC general configuration message is associated with the first communication node, and the RRC specific configuration message is associated with the second communication node. In one example, the first communication node can maintain connections with multiple second communication nodes simultaneously, and can monitor the resource status, measurement reports, and prediction information of these nodes. Therefore, the first communication node can configure multiple candidate serving second communication nodes or serving cells for the UE. For each first communication node, a set of RRC general configuration information is provided; this set of RRC general configuration information remains unchanged when the UE's serving first communication node remains the same but only the second communication nodes change. For each candidate serving second communication node or serving cell, its own specific RRC configuration information is provided. When the UE's second communication node or serving cell changes, the new RRC configuration information associated with the serving second communication node or serving cell is used. In one example, the user equipment (UE) receives RRC configuration information carrying general RRC configuration information and / or specific RRC configuration information from a first communication node. The general RRC configuration information is associated with the first communication node; if the first communication node remains unchanged while the UE is serving the device, and even if the second communication node changes, the original general RRC configuration information will remain unchanged if new general RRC configuration information is not received. In another example, the specific RRC configuration information is associated with the second communication node, which provides its own specific RRC configuration information to the first communication node. After receiving the new specific RRC configuration information, the UE can update its configuration using the new information and clear the original specific RRC configuration information, or save the original specific RRC configuration information.

[0071] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: receiving a measurement report sent by a user equipment; selecting at least one candidate serving second communication node for the user equipment based on the measurement report; and sending relevant configuration information of each candidate serving second communication node to the user equipment. In one example, the first communication node may select one or more candidate serving second communication nodes or candidate serving cells for the UE based on the measurement report obtained from the user equipment, the resource status report obtained from each of the second communication nodes, and the UE behavior prediction information obtained from the core network elements, and send relevant configuration information of each candidate serving second communication node or each candidate serving cell to the UE.

[0072] In one embodiment, the relevant configuration information of the candidate service second communication node includes at least one of the following: a temporary identifier of the cell radio network assigned to the user equipment; random access resources.

[0073] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: sending a user equipment service request message to a candidate serving second communication node; receiving user equipment service feedback information sent by a target serving second communication node; and determining the service status of the target serving second communication node for the user equipment based on the user equipment service feedback information. After the first communication node selects one or more candidate serving second communication nodes or candidate serving cells for the UE, the first communication node can send UE service request messages to these candidate serving second communication nodes or candidate serving cells. If the target serving second communication node agrees to serve the UE, it can send UE service feedback information to the UE. Furthermore, the first communication node can determine whether to select the target serving second communication node as a candidate serving second communication node or candidate serving cell for the UE based on the UE service feedback information. In one example, the target serving second communication node is one of the candidate serving second communication nodes or one of the candidate serving cells.

[0074] In one embodiment, the user equipment service request message includes at least one of the following: a current or predicted QoS flow list of the user equipment; a current or predicted bearer list of the user equipment; and a current or predicted communication traffic pattern of the user equipment. In one example, the current or predicted QoS flow list of the UE refers to the set of QoS requirements corresponding to various services currently carried by the UE, or the predicted QoS flow list of the UE refers to the set of QoS requirements corresponding to various potential services predicted to be carried by the UE. In one example, the current bearer list of the UE refers to the set of all logical communication channels currently in use by the UE; the predicted bearer list of the UE refers to the set of all logical communication channels predicted to be used by the UE in the future. In one example, the current communication traffic pattern of the user equipment refers to the actual data traffic transmission situation of the UE at the current moment, which may include characteristics such as data traffic size, communication direction, data transmission frequency, and time distribution; the predicted communication traffic pattern of the user equipment refers to the predicted data traffic transmission situation of the UE at future moments, which may include characteristics such as data traffic size, communication direction, data transmission frequency, and time distribution.

[0075] In one embodiment, the user equipment service feedback information includes at least one of the following: quality of service flow; bearer or service type.

[0076] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: sending cell update indication information to the user equipment. In one example, when the first communication device determines that the UE needs to change the currently serving second communication device or the currently serving cell, the first communication node sends cell update indication information to the UE, so that the UE can perform the cell or second communication node update process based on the cell update indication information.

[0077] In one embodiment, the cell update indication information includes at least one of the following: target cell identifier; target RRC configuration identifier. In one example, the target cell identifier refers to the identification information of the second communication node or cell to which the handover is required.

[0078] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: sending a new uplink transmission timing advance or transmit power parameter to the user equipment. In one example, if the distance difference between the target serving second communication node (or target cell) and the UE is relatively large compared to the distance difference between the source second communication node (or source cell) and the UE, causing the uplink transmission timing advance or transmit power parameter of the UE to need to be adjusted, the first communication node may send a new uplink transmission timing advance or transmit power parameter to the UE.

[0079] In one embodiment, sending cell update indication information to a user equipment includes: sending cell update indication information to a source second communication node of the user equipment, so as to send the cell update indication information to the user equipment through the source second communication node. A first communication node can send the cell update indication information to the source second communication node of the UE, and then the source second communication node sends the cell update indication information to the UE through a Media Access Control-Control Element (MAC CE) or RRC message.

[0080] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: receiving a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message from a user equipment; identifying a target receiving network element based on the type of the NAS message; and sending the NAS message to the target receiving network element. During uplink message forwarding, after the first communication node receives a NAS message from the UE, it can identify the target receiving network element (e.g., the target receiving NF) based on the type of the NAS message, and send the NAS message to the target receiving network element through a tunnel associated with the UE.

[0081] In one embodiment, non-access stratum messages are carried via a radio bearer, which also includes non-access stratum message indication information. For example, the radio bearer carries RRC messages. Further, NAS messages can be included within the RRC message. The terminal adds NAS message type indication information to the RRC message containing the NAS message and uses this NAS message type indication information to instruct the NAS message to be sent to the user plane network element of the core network.

[0082] In one embodiment, the non-access stratum message indication information includes at least one of the following: the type of the non-access stratum message; and the core network element identifier associated with the non-access stratum message.

[0083] In one embodiment, the types of non-access stratum messages include one of the following: user plane type messages; control plane type messages; data plane type messages; and compute plane type messages.

[0084] In one embodiment, the radio bearer message of the non-access stratum message also includes the core network element identifier associated with the non-access stratum message. The terminal can add the core network element identifier associated with the NAS message to the RRC message containing the NAS message.

[0085] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: receiving indication information sent by a user equipment (UE), the indication information including the type of non-access stratum (NAS) message supported by the UE or the associated core network element identifier; configuring different mapping relationships between NAS messages and radio bearers for the UE based on the type of NAS message or the core network element identifier, so that the UE can select an associated radio bearer for data transmission of the NAS message based on the mapping relationship. In one example, the UE first sends the indication information to other communication nodes, and then the other communication nodes forward the indication information to the first communication node. In one example, the UE can directly send the indication information to the first communication node. In one example, when the first communication node is integrated into a third communication node, the UE can report all supported NAS message types or associated core network element identifiers to the third communication node. After receiving the message, the third communication node can configure different mapping relationships between NAS messages and radio bearers for the UE based on the type of NAS message or the associated core network element identifier, so that the UE can select an associated radio bearer for data transmission of the NAS message based on the mapping relationship.

[0086] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: receiving a non-access stratum message from a core network element; identifying a target user equipment based on the tunnel through which the non-access stratum message is transmitted; and sending the non-access stratum message to the target user equipment. During downlink message forwarding, after receiving a NAS message from a core network element (e.g., the core network NF), the first communication node can identify the target UE based on the UE identifier or tunnel associated with the NAS message and send the NAS message to the target UE.

[0087] In one embodiment, downlink messages are sent to the user equipment via at least one of the following methods: a control protocol layer frame header; a data protocol layer frame header; and a new protocol layer frame header. Exemplarily, the control protocol layer frame header can be a control PDU SDAP header; the data protocol layer frame header can be a data PDU SDAP header; and the new protocol layer frame header can be a new protocol layer PDU header. In one example, during downlink message forwarding, a third communication node integrating both the first and second communication nodes can send downlink messages to the UE via the aforementioned frame headers. Here, SDAP is an abbreviation for Service Data Adaptation Protocol, and PDU is an abbreviation for Protocol Data Unit.

[0088] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the first communication node further includes: configuring a mapping relationship between bearers and non-access stratum (NAS) messages; and sending the mapping relationship and associated bearers to the user equipment (UE) so that the UE can obtain the type of the NAS message or the associated core network element based on the received bearer. In one example, when a third communication node coexists with the first and second communication nodes, the first communication node (i.e., the third communication node) configures a mapping relationship between bearers and NAS messages. For example, the first communication node configures NAS messages of core network user plane elements to be sent via a first bearer, NAS messages of core network session management elements to be sent via a second bearer, NAS messages of core network computing elements to be sent via a third bearer, NAS messages of core network location management elements to be sent via a fourth bearer, and so on. Then, the first communication node sends the mapping relationship and associated bearers to the UE. The UE can obtain the type of the NAS message or send the associated core network element based on the received bearer.

[0089] In one embodiment, Figure 4 is a flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of this application. This embodiment is applied to the case where a first communication node is directly connected to the core network service architecture for communication. This embodiment can be executed by a second communication node. As shown in Figure 4, this embodiment includes: S210-S220.

[0090] S210, Receive resource report configuration information sent by the first communication node.

[0091] S220. Return a resource status report associated with the resource report configuration information to the first communication node.

[0092] In one embodiment, the resource report configuration information includes at least one of the following: resource report request information; resource report sending conditions.

[0093] In one embodiment, the resource report sending conditions include at least one of the following: report sending period; report sending triggering conditions.

[0094] In one embodiment, the report sending trigger condition includes at least one of the following:

[0095] Uplink resource utilization rate is greater than the first threshold; downlink resource utilization rate is greater than the second threshold; uplink resource utilization rate is less than the third threshold; downlink resource utilization rate is less than the fourth threshold; the change in uplink resource utilization rate compared to the last resource status report is greater than the fifth threshold; the change in downlink resource utilization rate compared to the last resource status report is greater than the sixth threshold.

[0096] In one embodiment, when the resource report sending condition is a report sending trigger condition, the resource report configuration information further includes at least one of the following: a first threshold value; a second threshold value; a third threshold value; a fourth threshold value; a fifth threshold value; and a sixth threshold value.

[0097] In one embodiment, when the second communication node supports at least two different standards, an associated resource status report is generated based on the access standard and resource report configuration information.

[0098] In one embodiment, the resource status report includes at least one of the following: uplink resource utilization; downlink resource utilization.

[0099] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the second communication node further includes: sending its own capability-related information to the first communication node; or sending its own load or resource utilization information to the first communication node.

[0100] In one embodiment, capability-related information includes at least one of the following: supported access standards; support for the coexistence of at least two access standards; and support for spectrum sharing between different standards.

[0101] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to the second communication node further includes: receiving resource allocation information determined by the first communication node based on capability-related information.

[0102] In one embodiment, the resource allocation information includes at least one of the following:

[0103] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the available uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth;

[0104] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the available downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth;

[0105] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the location of available uplink frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0106] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the location of available downlink frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0107] For each cell, the available access standard is indicated;

[0108] For each cell, indicate the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0109] For each cell, the available access standards are indicated, along with the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources for each available access standard.

[0110] Indicates the air interface resources of the central user or the air interface resources of the edge user.

[0111] In one embodiment, the third communication node includes: a first communication node and a second communication node; the resource allocation information includes at least one of the following:

[0112] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used;

[0113] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the expected downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used;

[0114] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the location of the uplink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used.

[0115] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the location of the downlink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0116] For each cell, indicate the expected access standard to be used;

[0117] For each cell, indicate the location of the frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0118] For each cell, the desired access standard is indicated, along with the location of the frequency or time resources that the desired access standard is expected to use.

[0119] It should be noted that the explanations of parameters such as resource report configuration information, resource status report, and report sending trigger conditions in the communication method applied to the second communication node can be found in the descriptions of the corresponding parameters in the communication method applied to the first communication node, and will not be repeated here.

[0120] In one embodiment, Figure 5 is a flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of this application. This embodiment is applied to the case where a first communication node is directly connected to the core network service architecture for communication. This embodiment can be executed by a user equipment. As shown in Figure 5, this embodiment includes: S310-S320.

[0121] S310. Receive an RRC configuration message sent by the first communication node; wherein the RRC configuration message includes at least one of the following: a general RRC configuration message and a specific RRC configuration message;

[0122] Among them, the RRC general configuration message is associated with the first communication node, and the RRC specific configuration message is associated with the second communication node.

[0123] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to a user equipment further includes: sending a measurement report to a first communication node; and receiving relevant configuration information of each candidate service second communication node selected by the first communication node based on the measurement report.

[0124] In one embodiment, the relevant configuration information of the candidate service second communication node includes at least one of the following: a temporary identifier of the cell radio network assigned to the user equipment; random access resources.

[0125] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to a user equipment further includes: receiving cell update indication information sent by a first communication node.

[0126] In one embodiment, the cell update indication information includes at least one of the following: target cell identifier; target RRC configuration identifier.

[0127] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to a user equipment further includes: receiving a new uplink transmission time advance or transmit power parameter sent by a first communication node.

[0128] In one embodiment, receiving cell update indication information sent by a first communication node includes: receiving cell update indication information sent by an associated source second communication node; wherein the source second communication node receives the cell update indication information sent by the first communication node.

[0129] It should be noted that the explanations of parameters such as RRC configuration messages, related configuration information, and cell update indication information in the communication method applied to user equipment can be found in the descriptions of the corresponding parameters in the communication method applied to the first communication node, and will not be repeated here.

[0130] In one embodiment, FIG6 is a flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of this application. This embodiment is applied to the case where a first communication node is directly connected to the core network service architecture for communication. This embodiment can be executed by a user equipment. As shown in FIG6, this embodiment includes: S410.

[0131] S410. Send a non-access stratum message to the first communication node so that the first communication node can identify the target receiving network element according to the type of the non-access stratum message and send the non-access stratum message to the target receiving network element.

[0132] In one embodiment, the non-access stratum message is carried via a radio bearer, which also includes non-access stratum message indication information.

[0133] In one embodiment, the non-access stratum message indication information includes at least one of the following: the type of the non-access stratum message; and the core network element identifier associated with the non-access stratum message.

[0134] In one embodiment, the types of non-access stratum messages include one of the following: user plane type messages; control plane type messages; data plane type messages; and compute plane type messages.

[0135] In one embodiment, the bearer message of the non-access stratum message also includes the core network element identifier associated with the non-access stratum message.

[0136] In one embodiment, the communication method applied to a user equipment further includes: sending indication information to a first communication node, the indication information including the type of non-access stratum message supported by the user equipment or the associated core network element identifier; receiving the mapping relationship between different non-access stratum messages and radio bearers configured by the first communication node based on the type of non-access stratum message or the core network element identifier; and selecting an associated radio bearer for transmission of the non-access stratum message based on the mapping relationship.

[0137] In one embodiment, before sending a non-access stratum message to a first communication node, the communication method applied to a user equipment further includes: receiving configuration information from the first communication node, the configuration information including a mapping relationship between different non-access stratum messages and radio bearers; and selecting an associated radio bearer for transmission of the non-access stratum message based on the mapping relationship.

[0138] It should be noted that the explanations of parameters such as non-access stratum messages, target receiving network elements, and indication information in the communication method applied to user equipment can be found in the descriptions of the corresponding parameters in the communication method applied to the first communication node, and will not be repeated here.

[0139] In the following embodiments, taking the first communication node as CU, the second communication node as DU, the third communication node as base station, and the fourth communication node as NWDF as an example, the process of obtaining resource status information, resource coordination and allocation, RRC configuration process, uplink and downlink data forwarding and NF message interaction process are described.

[0140] Example 1

[0141] In this embodiment, taking the first communication node as CU and the second communication node as DU as an example, the process of obtaining the resource status information of each DU is explained.

[0142] In this embodiment, the CU, acting as a control node, needs to acquire sufficient information to assist in decision-making. First, it needs to acquire the resource status information of each DU. A sample process includes the following steps:

[0143] Step 1: The CU sends the resource report configuration information to the DU.

[0144] The resource report configuration information shall include at least one of the following: resource report request information; resource report sending conditions.

[0145] Among them, the conditions for sending resource reports include at least one of the following: the report sending cycle; the event that triggers the report sending.

[0146] In one type of embodiment, the report sending trigger condition is that the measurement or resource statistics result is greater than a configured threshold value. For example, the report sending trigger condition includes at least one of the following:

[0147] The utilization rate of uplink resources is greater than the first threshold;

[0148] The utilization rate of downlink resources is greater than the second threshold;

[0149] The utilization rate of uplink resources is below the third threshold;

[0150] Downlink resource utilization is below the fourth threshold;

[0151] Compared to the previous resource status report, the change in uplink resource utilization is greater than the fifth threshold.

[0152] Compared to the previous resource status report, the change in downlink resource utilization is greater than the sixth threshold.

[0153] When the resource report configuration information is a report sending trigger condition, the resource report configuration information also includes the threshold value associated with one of the report sending trigger conditions.

[0154] If the DU supports multiple different access standards, such as 4G RAT, 5G RAT, 6G RAT or non-3GPP related RAT (such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), it can also be configured to perform statistical resource status reports based on different access standards.

[0155] Step 2: When a resource report request is received or the conditions for sending a resource report are met, the DU sends a resource status report to the CU.

[0156] The resource status report includes at least one of the following: uplink resource utilization rate; downlink resource utilization rate.

[0157] Among them, the uplink resource utilization rate can be defined as DL GBR PRB Usage: the percentage of DL PRB usage to the total PRB usage;

[0158] Downlink resource utilization can be expressed as UL GBR PRB Usage: the percentage of UL PRB usage relative to the total PRB usage.

[0159] Step 3: When the CU receives a request from the NF consumer in the SBA architecture, it sends a response message.

[0160] In one example, the request issued by the NF consumer includes at least one of the following:

[0161] Request the resource utilization of a single DU or a group of DUs;

[0162] Request to retrieve the load status of a DU or a group of DUs;

[0163] Request information on the capabilities of a DU or a group of DUs, including sensory capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, or positioning capabilities.

[0164] Request the resource utilization rate of a single cell or a group of cells;

[0165] Request the number of terminals connected to a cell or a group of cells;

[0166] Request to obtain the load status of a cell or a group of cells.

[0167] The response information is based on the request information and provides feedback.

[0168] Before step 3, the CU can register the events it can subscribe to with the NEF network element in the SBA architecture, including: the resource utilization rate of the base station node (including CU, DU or RU), the number of connected terminals, the load status, the capabilities supported by the base station node, etc., such as sensing capabilities, AI capabilities and positioning capabilities.

[0169] Example 2

[0170] In this embodiment, taking the first communication node as CU, the second communication node as DU, the third communication node as base station, and the fourth communication node as NWDAF as an example, the process of resource coordination and allocation is explained.

[0171] In one embodiment, the CU possesses strong intelligent computing capabilities. Based on load or resource utilization information of each DU or cell across various access standards acquired over a period of time, it can predict the load of each DU or cell across various access standards in the future, and then decide how to allocate radio resources to each DU or cell. Specifically:

[0172] The CU obtains capability-related information for each DU. For example, capability-related information may include at least one of the following: which standards are supported, whether multiple standards are supported, and whether spectrum sharing between different standards is supported.

[0173] The CU receives load or resource utilization information from each DU or cell, and the specific steps are similar to steps 1 and 2 of the above embodiment.

[0174] If the area under the responsibility of the CU supports the coexistence of multiple access standards and supports spectrum sharing between different access standards, such as supporting 3GPP 5G and 3GPP 6G to use the same spectrum resources, then the CU needs to coordinate to avoid resource conflicts or waste between different cells of different access standards.

[0175] After obtaining the above information and performing reasoning calculations, the CU sends at least one of the following resource allocation information to the DU:

[0176] 1. For each access standard supported by the DU, indicate the available uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth;

[0177] 2. For each access standard supported by the DU, indicate the downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth that can be used;

[0178] 3. For each access standard supported by DU, indicate the location of available uplink frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0179] 4. For each access standard supported by DU, indicate the location of available downlink frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0180] 5. For each cell, indicate the available access standards;

[0181] 6. For each cell, indicate the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0182] 7. For each cell, indicate the available access standards and the location of the frequency domain resources or time resources available for that access standard;

[0183] Furthermore, the resource allocation information can also indicate the air interface resources (time, frequency domain, coding) available to the central user or the air interface resources available to the edge user.

[0184] In one embodiment, the base station node has intelligent computing capabilities, enabling it to predict the radio resource status of cells within its service range and each CU, DU, and RU, and to send the desired radio resource allocation to the CU, including at least one of the following:

[0185] 8. For each access standard supported by the base station, indicate the expected uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used;

[0186] 9. For each access standard supported by the base station, indicate the expected downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used;

[0187] 10. For each access standard supported by the base station, indicate the location of the uplink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0188] 11. For each access standard supported by the base station, indicate the location of the downlink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0189] 12. For each cell, indicate the desired access standard;

[0190] 13. For each cell, indicate the location of the frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0191] 14. For each cell, indicate the desired access standard and the location of the frequency domain resources or time resources that the standard is expected to use;

[0192] After obtaining the above information from multiple base station nodes and performing reasoning calculations, the CU sends the above-mentioned suggested resource allocation information to the base station or sends indication information to the base station, indicating whether it agrees to the resource allocation method desired by the base station.

[0193] In one embodiment, if the CU's computing power is insufficient or it lacks sufficient inference computing capabilities, it needs to rely on the NWDAF in the service-oriented architecture for assistance. The CU can send at least one of the load or resource utilization information obtained from the DU, the predicted number of UE connections, and the expected resource allocation information to the NWDAF, and request resource allocation suggestion information from the NWDAF. The NWDAF performs comprehensive inference calculations based on the information obtained from the CU and the UE mobility information and motion trajectory information obtained from other NFs (such as AMF, SMF, UDM, PCF, etc.), determines the resource allocation scheme, and sends the above resource allocation information to the CU.

[0194] Example 3

[0195] In this embodiment, taking the first communication node as CU, the second communication node as DU, and the candidate service second communication node as candidate service DU as an example, the RRC configuration process is explained. It should be noted that this embodiment is applicable not only to the case of CU accessing the service-oriented architecture as shown in Figure 2, but also to the case of CU not accessing the service-oriented architecture as shown in Figure 1.

[0196] In this embodiment, since the CU maintains connections with multiple DUs simultaneously, it can monitor the resource status, measurement reports, and prediction information of these DUs. Therefore, the CU can configure multiple candidate serving DUs or serving cells for the UE. For each CU, a set of common RRC configuration information (also known as common RRC configuration information) is provided. This common RRC configuration remains unchanged when only the DUs change and the UE's CU remains the same. For each candidate serving DU or serving cell, its own dedicated RRC configuration information (also known as dedicated RRC configuration information) is provided. When the UE's serving DU or serving cell changes, the new RRC configuration information associated with the new serving DU or serving cell is used.

[0197] Specifically, one example process includes the following steps:

[0198] Step 1: The UE receives the RRC configuration message sent by the network side. The RRC configuration information includes the common configuration message and the dedicated RRC configuration message.

[0199] Among them, the common RRC configuration message is related to the CU. If the UE's serving CU does not change, even if the DU changes, the original common RRC configuration message will not change if no new common RRC configuration message is received.

[0200] Among them, the dedicated RRC configuration is related to DU and is provided to CU by DU.

[0201] Step 2: When the UE receives a new dedicated RRC configuration message, it updates the saved dedicated RRC configuration message and saves the existing common RRC configuration message.

[0202] When the UE receives a new common RRC configuration message, it updates the saved common RRC configuration message and optionally clears the dedicated RRC configuration message.

[0203] In related technologies, the CU configures measurement report information for the UE, and the UE performs measurements based on the configuration and reports the measurement results. When the CU finds that the UE's reported results show that the neighboring cell's measurement results are better, it will initiate a handover procedure for the UE. However, in reality, making a handover decision solely based on the measurement results reported by the UE is not necessarily accurate. The UE may hand over to the neighboring cell quickly after the handover, the target base station may refuse the UE's access due to excessive load, or the UE may not receive sufficient resource support after accessing the network. Therefore, handover decisions need to consider other factors. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, after the CU accesses the service-oriented architecture, it can obtain more UE information from other network elements, including:

[0204] Predicted UE activity behavior, such as the predicted pattern of UE changes between CM connected state and CM idle state;

[0205] Mobile pattern information, such as: user's historical mobile records, user behavior analysis, mobile trajectory records, etc.

[0206] Predict handover (HO) behavior, such as predicting the time interval between CU / DU handovers for users.

[0207] Predict UE behavior, such as whether the user is moving or stationary.

[0208] Predict UE movement trajectory: Predict the user's movement trajectory information.

[0209] The CU combines the measurement report obtained from the UE, the resource status report obtained from each DU, and the UE behavior prediction information obtained from the core network elements to decide whether to initiate a UE handover procedure.

[0210] In one example, a sample process includes the following steps:

[0211] Step 1: Based on the measurement report obtained from the UE, the resource status report obtained from each DU, and the UE behavior prediction information obtained from the core network elements, the CU selects one or more candidate serving DUs (or cells) for the UE and sends the relevant configuration information of each candidate DU (or cell) to the UE.

[0212] In one embodiment, the one or more RRC configurations described above are associated with an identifier.

[0213] In one embodiment, the candidate service DU (or cell) related configuration information includes the Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) assigned to the UE, random access resources, etc.

[0214] In one embodiment, after the CU selects one or more candidate serving DUs (or cells) for the UE, it sends a UE service request message to these DUs (or cells), the UE service request message containing at least one of the following:

[0215] A list of current or predicted Quality of Service (QoS) flows for the UE;

[0216] The UE's current or predicted bearer list;

[0217] Information on the current or predicted traffic pattern of the UE.

[0218] If the target DU agrees to serve the UE, then UE service feedback information is sent to the CU. Further, the UE service feedback information indicates the QoS flow, bearer, or service type that can be served. The CU determines whether to select it as a candidate serving DU (or cell) for the UE based on the UE service feedback information.

[0219] Step 2: When the CU determines that the UE needs to change the current serving DU (or cell), it sends cell update indication information to the UE. The cell update indication information includes at least one of the following: change DU (or cell) indication information; target DU (or cell) identifier; target RRC configuration identifier.

[0220] If the distance difference between the target DU (or cell) and the UE is relatively large compared to the distance difference between the source DU (or cell) and the UE, causing the uplink transmission time advance or transmit power parameters of the UE to need to be adjusted, new uplink transmission time advance or transmit power parameters can be sent to the UE.

[0221] In one embodiment, the CU sends cell update indication information to the UE's source DU, and then the source DU sends it to the UE via MAC CE.

[0222] In one embodiment, the CU sends cell update indication information to the UE via an RRC message.

[0223] Step 3: Once the target DU receives the data from the UE, it can send a cell update indication message to the CU to inform the UE that it has successfully changed its access serving node. The CU then updates the UE's transmission path information and current configuration.

[0224] From the user experience (UE) perspective, an example flow is as follows:

[0225] Step 1: The UE receives general RRC configuration information associated with the CU and specific RRC configuration information associated with one or more DUs (or cells);

[0226] Step 2: The UE saves the various RRC configuration information received. When the following indication information is received, the RRC configuration information associated with the indication information is used.

[0227] In one example, the RRC configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0228] Replace the DU (or cell) indicator information;

[0229] Target DU (or cell) identifier;

[0230] Target RRC configuration identifier.

[0231] If a new uplink transmission timing advance or transmit power parameter is received, the uplink transmission timing advance or transmit power parameter is adjusted to perform uplink transmission.

[0232] Example 4

[0233] In this embodiment, the CU (Core Unit) is accessed as an NF (Network Function) in the service-oriented architecture, and communication between the UE and other NFs in the core network needs to be forwarded through the CU. This embodiment describes the uplink data forwarding process. The uplink data forwarding process in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0234] Option 1: A dedicated tunnel is established between the CU and the core network element for each UE to transmit information between the UE and the core network element.

[0235] The core network elements include network elements that manage access control (e.g., AMF), network elements responsible for managing session functions (e.g., SMF), and other network elements (e.g., network elements responsible for managing positioning functions).

[0236] Step 1: The CU determines the core network element that needs to establish a connection with the UE and initiates the connection establishment process.

[0237] Generally, the UE needs to establish a connection with the AMF and SMF, but for other network elements, the CU needs to determine whether a connection needs to be established.

[0238] In one embodiment, the CU receives a report from the UE, which indicates the types of services supported by the UE. Based on this information, the CU determines which core network elements the UE needs to connect with. For example, if the UE needs location services, the CU determines that the UE needs to connect with the network element in the core network responsible for managing location functions.

[0239] In one embodiment, the CU receives a measurement report from the UE, which indicates the core network element identifier that the UE needs to establish a connection with. The CU determines which core network elements the UE needs to establish a connection with based on the core network element identifier. For example, if the UE indicates that it needs to establish a connection with a positioning network element, the CU determines that the UE needs to establish a connection with the network element in the core network that is responsible for managing the positioning function.

[0240] In one embodiment, the CU obtains UE-related information from the NF that manages UE information in the core network, and determines which core network elements need to establish connection tunnels for the UE based on this information.

[0241] Step 2: After receiving the NAS message from the UE, the CU identifies the target receiving network element (e.g., the target receiving NF) based on the type of the NAS message, and sends the NAS message to the target receiving NF through the tunnel associated with the UE.

[0242] In one embodiment, the terminal adds NAS message indication information to the RRC message carrying the NAS message. This NAS message indication information is used to indicate that the NAS message is sent to a core network user plane element. The NAS message type includes one of the following: user plane type message, control plane type message, data plane type message, compute plane type message, etc.

[0243] The NAS message indication information includes at least one of the following: the NAS message type; and the core network element identifier associated with the NAS message.

[0244] In one embodiment, the terminal adds the core network element identifier associated with the NAS message to the RRC message carrying the NAS message.

[0245] In another embodiment, the base station can configure bearers for transmitting various NAS messages for the UE. For example, it can instruct the UE to use a first bearer to transmit NAS messages associated with core network control plane elements, and instruct the UE to use a second bearer to transmit NAS messages associated with core network user plane elements. Furthermore, if the UE has multiple NAS messages, and different NAS messages are sent to different core network elements, such as control panel elements, user plane elements, session management elements, mobility management elements, and data management elements, the UE can report all supported NAS message types or associated core network element identifiers. After receiving this message, the base station configures different mapping relationships between NAS messages and bearers for the UE. Subsequently, the UE selects the associated bearer for transmission of NAS messages based on this configuration information.

[0246] Option 2: The CU establishes a tunnel with the core network element to transmit information between all UEs and the core network element.

[0247] The core network elements include network elements that manage access control (e.g., AMF), network elements that manage session functions (e.g., SMF), and other network elements (e.g., network elements that manage positioning functions).

[0248] Step 1: The CU establishes connection tunnels with multiple NFs in the core network.

[0249] Step 2: After receiving the NAS message from the UE, the CU identifies the target receiving NF based on the type of the NAS message and sends the NAS message and the UE identifier to the target receiving NF.

[0250] In one embodiment, the terminal adds NAS message indication information to the RRC message carrying the NAS message. The NAS message indication information is used to indicate that the NAS message is sent to a core network user plane element. If the UE establishes a connection with multiple core network user plane elements, it also needs to carry the identifier of the core network user plane element.

[0251] In one embodiment, the terminal adds the core network element identifier associated with the NAS message to the RRC message carrying the NAS message.

[0252] In another embodiment, the base station can configure bearers for transmitting various NAS messages for the UE. For example, it can instruct the UE to use a first bearer to transmit NAS messages associated with core network control plane elements, and instruct the UE to use a second bearer to transmit NAS messages associated with core network user plane elements. Furthermore, if the UE has multiple NAS messages, and different NAS messages are sent to different core network elements, such as control panel elements, user plane elements, session management elements, mobility management elements, data management elements, etc., then the UE can report all supported NAS message types or associated core network element identifiers. After receiving this message, the base station configures different mapping relationships between NAS messages and bearers for the UE. Subsequently, the UE selects the associated bearer for transmission of NAS messages based on this configuration information.

[0253] Example 5

[0254] In this embodiment, the CU (Core Unit) is accessed as an NF (Network Function) in the service-oriented architecture. Communication between the UE and other NFs in the core network needs to be forwarded through the CU. This embodiment describes the downlink data forwarding process. The downlink data forwarding process in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0255] For downlink messages transmitted from core network user plane elements to the UE, the following methods can be used for forwarding:

[0256] Option 1: The UE establishes a connection with the core network element, and the CU establishes a dedicated tunnel between each UE and the core network element to transmit information between the UE and the core network element.

[0257] The core network elements include network elements that manage access control (e.g., AMF), network elements that manage session functions (e.g., SMF), and other network elements (e.g., network elements that manage positioning functions).

[0258] Step 1: The CU determines the core network element that needs to establish a connection with the UE and initiates the connection process. This step is the same as step 1 in Embodiment 4 above.

[0259] Generally, the UE needs to establish a connection with the AMF and SMF, but for other network elements, the CU needs to determine whether a connection needs to be established.

[0260] In one embodiment, the CU receives a measurement report from the UE, which indicates the types of services supported by the UE. Based on this information, the CU determines which core network elements the UE needs to connect to. For example, if the UE needs location services, the CU determines that the UE needs to connect to the network element in the core network responsible for managing location functions.

[0261] In one embodiment, the CU receives a measurement report from the UE, which indicates the core network element identifier that the UE needs to establish a connection with. The CU determines which core network elements the UE needs to establish a connection with based on the identifier. For example, if the UE indicates that it needs to establish a connection with a positioning network element, the CU determines that the UE needs to establish a connection with the network element in the core network that is responsible for managing the positioning function.

[0262] In one embodiment, the CU obtains UE-related information from the NF that manages UE information in the core network, and determines which core network elements need to establish connection tunnels for the UE based on this information.

[0263] Step 2: After receiving the NAS message from the core network NF, the CU identifies the target UE based on the tunnel through which the NAS message was transmitted and sends the message to the target UE.

[0264] In one embodiment, the base station carries the type of the NAS message or the identifier of the core network element that sent the NAS message in the RRC message. Subsequently, the UE can confirm the core network element associated with the message or the type of the message based on this identifier.

[0265] In another embodiment, the base station sends downlink messages to the UE in at least one of the following ways: a Control Protocol Data Unit Service Data Adaptation Protocol (PDU SDAP) header, a data PDU SDAP, or a new protocol layer PDU header.

[0266] In another example, the base station configures the mapping relationship between bearers (including data bearers, control bearers, or other new bearers) and NAS messages of core network elements. For example, the base station configures NAS messages of core network user plane elements through a first bearer, NAS messages of core network session management elements through a second bearer, NAS messages of core network computing elements through a third bearer, NAS messages of core network location management elements through a fourth bearer, and so on, and sends the configuration information to the UE. Subsequently, when NAS messages of core network elements arrive, the base station sends them to the UE through the associated bearer. The UE determines the type of NAS message or the core network element that sent the message based on the received bearer.

[0267] Option 2: The CU establishes a tunnel with the core network element to transmit information between all UEs and the core network element.

[0268] The core network elements include network elements that manage access control (e.g., AMF), network elements that manage session functions (e.g., SMF), and other network elements (e.g., network elements that manage positioning functions).

[0269] Step 1: The CU establishes connection tunnels with multiple NFs in the core network.

[0270] Step 2: After receiving the NAS message from the core network NF, the CU identifies the target UE based on the UE identifier associated with the NAS message and sends the NAS message to the target UE.

[0271] In one embodiment, the base station carries the type of the NAS message or the identifier of the core network element that sent the NAS message in the RRC message. Subsequently, the UE can confirm the core network element associated with the message or the type of the message based on this identifier.

[0272] In another embodiment, the base station sends downlink messages to the UE in at least one of the following ways: control PDU SDAP header, data PDU SDAP, or new protocol layer PDU header.

[0273] In another example, the base station configures the mapping relationship between bearers (including data bearers, control bearers, or other new bearers) and NAS messages of core network elements. For example, the base station configures NAS messages of core network user plane elements through a first bearer, NAS messages of core network session management elements through a second bearer, NAS messages of core network computing elements through a third bearer, NAS messages of core network location management elements through a fourth bearer, and so on, and sends the configuration information to the UE. Subsequently, when NAS messages of core network elements arrive, the base station sends them to the UE through the associated bearer. The UE determines the type of NAS message or the core network element that sent the message based on the received bearer.

[0274] Example 6

[0275] Figure 7 is a flowchart of an implementation of NWDAF providing service experience for applications according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, this embodiment includes the following steps: Step 1: When the RAN management network element acts as a consumer NF, it sends an analysis request to the NWDAF.

[0276] In one example, an analytics request may include one of the following: Nnwdaf_AnalyticsInfo_Request / Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_Subscribe (carrying the Analytics ID, or Service Experience).

[0277] The analysis request includes an analysis ID, which indicates a request to analyze predictive information of a radio access network element, including at least one of the following:

[0278] Uplink and / or downlink load forecast information;

[0279] Forecast information on resources required for uplink and / or downlink;

[0280] Predicted number of access terminals;

[0281] Uplink and / or downlink load prediction information for each of the multiple standards;

[0282] Forecast information on the uplink and / or downlink resource requirements for each of the multiple standards;

[0283] Predicted number of access terminals for each of the multiple standards;

[0284] The required resources include bandwidth resources, radio resource block resources, carrier resources, time domain resources, etc.

[0285] Step 2: NWDAF collects data from the NF provider.

[0286] In one example, step 2 includes steps 2a, 2b, and 2c. The collected data includes at least one of the following:

[0287] Historical uplink and / or downlink load information for each wireless access node;

[0288] Historical uplink and / or downlink resource utilization information for each wireless access node;

[0289] Historical predictions of the number of access terminals for each wireless access node;

[0290] Historical uplink and / or downlink load information for each wireless access node under various standards;

[0291] Under multiple standards, the historical uplink and / or downlink resource utilization information of each wireless access node for each standard;

[0292] Historical access terminal prediction information for each wireless access node under various standards;

[0293] Historical movement information of terminals within the area;

[0294] Historical throughput information of terminals within the region.

[0295] Step 3: NWDAF provides the analysis results to CU.

[0296] In one example, the analysis results can be sent via one of the following messages: Nnwdaf_AnalyticsInfo_Request Response, or Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_Notify (carrying estimated Service Experience).

[0297] The analysis result is one or more analysis results requested in step 1.

[0298] Afterwards, the access network management element can allocate resources to each wireless access node based on the analysis results.

[0299] In one embodiment, FIG8 is a structural block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This embodiment is applied to a first communication node. As shown in FIG8, the communication device in this embodiment includes: a transmitting module 510 and a receiving module 520.

[0300] The sending module 510 is configured to send resource report configuration information to the second communication node.

[0301] The receiving module 520 is configured to receive a resource status report associated with resource report configuration information sent by the second communication node.

[0302] In one embodiment, the resource report configuration information includes at least one of the following: resource report request information; resource report sending conditions.

[0303] In one embodiment, the resource report sending conditions include at least one of the following: report sending period; report sending triggering conditions.

[0304] In one embodiment, the report sending triggering condition includes at least one of the following: uplink resource utilization is greater than a first threshold; downlink resource utilization is greater than a second threshold; uplink resource utilization is less than a third threshold; downlink resource utilization is less than a fourth threshold; the change in uplink resource utilization relative to the previous resource status report is greater than a fifth threshold; and the change in downlink resource utilization relative to the previous resource status report is greater than a sixth threshold.

[0305] In one embodiment, when the resource report sending condition is a report sending trigger condition, the resource report configuration information further includes at least one of the following: a first threshold value; a second threshold value; a third threshold value; a fourth threshold value; a fifth threshold value; and a sixth threshold value.

[0306] In one embodiment, when the second communication node supports at least two different standards, an associated resource status report is generated based on the access standard and resource report configuration information.

[0307] In one embodiment, the resource status report includes at least one of the following: uplink resource utilization; downlink resource utilization.

[0308] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0309] The acquisition module is configured to acquire capability-related information of each second communication node; or the receiving module is further configured to receive load or resource utilization information of each second communication node.

[0310] In one embodiment, capability-related information includes at least one of the following: supported access standards; support for the coexistence of at least two access standards; and support for spectrum sharing between different standards.

[0311] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0312] The module is configured to determine the resource allocation information for each second communication node based on capability-related information.

[0313] The sending module is also configured to send resource allocation information to the corresponding second communication node.

[0314] In one embodiment, the resource allocation information includes at least one of the following:

[0315] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the available uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth;

[0316] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the available downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth;

[0317] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the location of available uplink frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0318] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the location of available downlink frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0319] For each cell, the available access standard is indicated;

[0320] For each cell, indicate the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0321] For each cell, the available access standards are indicated, along with the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources for each available access standard.

[0322] Indicates the air interface resources of the central user or the air interface resources of the edge user.

[0323] In one embodiment, the third communication node includes: a first communication node and a second communication node; the resource allocation information includes at least one of the following:

[0324] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used;

[0325] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the expected downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used;

[0326] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the location of the uplink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used.

[0327] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the location of the downlink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0328] For each cell, indicate the expected access standard to be used;

[0329] For each cell, indicate the location of the frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0330] For each cell, the desired access standard is indicated, along with the location of the frequency or time resources that the desired access standard is expected to use.

[0331] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0332] The sending module is also configured to send at least one of the following to the fourth communication node: load, resource utilization information, number of user equipment connections, and resource allocation information;

[0333] The sending module is also configured to send resource allocation analysis request information to the fourth communication node;

[0334] The receiving module is also configured to receive resource allocation analysis response information returned by the fourth communication node that matches the resource allocation analysis request information.

[0335] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes: a sending module, further configured to send an RRC configuration message to the user equipment; wherein the RRC configuration message includes at least one of the following: a general RRC configuration message and a specific RRC configuration message;

[0336] Among them, the RRC general configuration message is associated with the first communication node, and the RRC specific configuration message is associated with the second communication node.

[0337] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0338] The receiving module is also configured to receive measurement reports sent by user equipment;

[0339] The selection module is configured to select at least one candidate service second communication node for the user equipment based on the measurement report;

[0340] The sending module is also configured to send the relevant configuration information of each candidate service second communication node to the user equipment.

[0341] In one embodiment, the relevant configuration information of the candidate service second communication node includes at least one of the following: a temporary identifier of the cell radio network assigned to the user equipment; random access resources.

[0342] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0343] The sending module is also configured to send a user equipment service request message to the candidate service second communication node;

[0344] The receiving module is also configured to receive user equipment service feedback information sent by the second communication node of the target service;

[0345] The determination module is also configured to determine the service status of the target service second communication node to the user equipment based on the user equipment service feedback information.

[0346] In one embodiment, the user equipment service request message includes at least one of the following: a current or predicted quality of service flow list of the user equipment; a current or predicted bearer list of the user equipment; and a current or predicted communication traffic pattern of the user equipment.

[0347] In one embodiment, the user equipment service feedback information includes at least one of the following: quality of service flow; bearer or service type.

[0348] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0349] The sending module is also configured to send cell update indication information to user equipment.

[0350] In one embodiment, the cell update indication information includes at least one of the following: target cell identifier; target RRC configuration identifier.

[0351] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0352] The transmitting module is also configured to send new uplink transmission time advance or transmit power parameters to the user equipment.

[0353] In one embodiment, sending cell update indication information to a user equipment includes: sending cell update indication information to a source second communication node of the user equipment, so as to send the cell update indication information to the user equipment through the source second communication node.

[0354] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0355] The receiving module is also configured to receive non-access stratum messages from user equipment;

[0356] The identification module is configured to identify the target receiving network element based on the type of non-access stratum message;

[0357] The sending module is also configured to send non-access stratum messages to the target receiving network element.

[0358] In one embodiment, the non-access stratum message is carried via a radio bearer, which also includes non-access stratum message indication information.

[0359] In one embodiment, the non-access stratum message indication information includes at least one of the following: the type of the non-access stratum message; and the core network element identifier associated with the non-access stratum message.

[0360] In one embodiment, the types of non-access stratum messages include one of the following: user plane type messages; control plane type messages; data plane type messages; and compute plane type messages.

[0361] In one embodiment, the bearer message of the non-access stratum message also includes the core network element identifier associated with the non-access stratum message.

[0362] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0363] The receiving module is also configured to receive indication information sent by the user equipment, including the type of non-access stratum message supported by the user equipment or the identifier of the associated core network element;

[0364] The configuration module is configured to configure different mapping relationships between non-access stratum messages and radio bearers for user equipment based on the type of non-access stratum message or the core network element identifier, so that user equipment can select the associated radio bearer for data transmission based on the mapping relationship for non-access stratum messages.

[0365] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0366] The receiving module is also configured to receive non-access stratum messages from core network elements;

[0367] The identification module is also configured to identify the target user equipment based on the tunnel identification of the transmission of non-access stratum messages;

[0368] The sending module is also configured to send non-access stratum messages to the target user equipment.

[0369] In one embodiment, downlink messages are sent to the user equipment in at least one of the following ways: control protocol layer frame header; data protocol layer frame header; new protocol layer frame header.

[0370] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the first communication node further includes:

[0371] The configuration module is also configured to configure the mapping relationship between bearer and non-access stratum messages;

[0372] The sending module is also configured to send the mapping relationship and associated bearer to the user equipment, so that the user equipment can obtain the type of non-access stratum message or the associated core network element based on the received bearer.

[0373] The communication device provided in this embodiment is configured to implement the communication method applied to the first communication node in the embodiment shown in FIG3. The implementation principle and technical effect of the communication device provided in this embodiment are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0374] In one embodiment, FIG9 is a structural block diagram of another communication device provided in this application. This embodiment is applied to a second communication node. As shown in FIG9, the communication device in this embodiment includes: a receiving module 610 and a transmitting module 620.

[0375] The receiving module 610 is configured to receive resource report configuration information sent by the first communication node.

[0376] The sending module 620 is configured to return a resource status report associated with the resource report configuration information to the first communication node.

[0377] In one embodiment, the resource report configuration information includes at least one of the following: resource report request information; resource report sending conditions.

[0378] In one embodiment, the resource report sending conditions include at least one of the following: report sending period; report sending triggering conditions.

[0379] In one embodiment, the report sending trigger condition includes at least one of the following:

[0380] Uplink resource utilization rate is greater than the first threshold; downlink resource utilization rate is greater than the second threshold; uplink resource utilization rate is less than the third threshold; downlink resource utilization rate is less than the fourth threshold; the change in uplink resource utilization rate compared to the last resource status report is greater than the fifth threshold; the change in downlink resource utilization rate compared to the last resource status report is greater than the sixth threshold.

[0381] In one embodiment, when the resource report sending condition is a report sending trigger condition, the resource report configuration information further includes at least one of the following: a first threshold value; a second threshold value; a third threshold value; a fourth threshold value; a fifth threshold value; and a sixth threshold value.

[0382] In one embodiment, when the second communication node supports at least two different standards, an associated resource status report is generated based on the access standard and resource report configuration information.

[0383] In one embodiment, the resource status report includes at least one of the following: uplink resource utilization; downlink resource utilization.

[0384] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the second communication node further includes:

[0385] The sending module is also configured to send its own capability-related information to the first communication node; or, to send its own load or resource utilization information to the first communication node.

[0386] In one embodiment, capability-related information includes at least one of the following: supported access standards; support for the coexistence of at least two access standards; and support for spectrum sharing between different standards.

[0387] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the second communication node further includes:

[0388] The receiving module is also configured to receive resource allocation information determined by the first communication node based on capability-related information.

[0389] In one embodiment, the resource allocation information includes at least one of the following:

[0390] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the available uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth;

[0391] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the available downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth;

[0392] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the location of available uplink frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0393] For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the location of available downlink frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0394] For each cell, the available access standard is indicated;

[0395] For each cell, indicate the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources;

[0396] For each cell, the available access standards are indicated, along with the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources for each available access standard.

[0397] Indicates the air interface resources of the central user or the air interface resources of the edge user.

[0398] In one embodiment, the third communication node includes: a first communication node and a second communication node; the resource allocation information includes at least one of the following:

[0399] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used;

[0400] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the expected downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used;

[0401] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the location of the uplink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used.

[0402] For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the location of the downlink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0403] For each cell, indicate the expected access standard to be used;

[0404] For each cell, indicate the location of the frequency domain resources or time resources to be used;

[0405] For each cell, the desired access standard is indicated, along with the location of the frequency or time resources that the desired access standard is expected to use.

[0406] The communication device provided in this embodiment is configured to implement the communication method applied to the second communication node in the embodiment shown in FIG4. The implementation principle and technical effect of the communication device provided in this embodiment are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0407] In one embodiment, FIG10 is a structural block diagram of another communication device provided in this application. This embodiment is applied to a user equipment. As shown in FIG10, the communication device in this embodiment includes: a receiving module 710.

[0408] The receiving module 710 is configured to receive an RRC configuration message sent by the first communication node; wherein the RRC configuration message includes at least one of the following: a general RRC configuration message and a specific RRC configuration message;

[0409] Among them, the RRC general configuration message is associated with the first communication node, and the RRC specific configuration message is associated with the second communication node.

[0410] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the user equipment further includes:

[0411] The sending module is configured to send a measurement report to the first communication node;

[0412] The receiving module is also configured to receive relevant configuration information of each candidate service second communication node selected by the first communication node based on the measurement report.

[0413] In one embodiment, the relevant configuration information of the candidate service second communication node includes at least one of the following: a temporary identifier of the cell radio network assigned to the user equipment; random access resources.

[0414] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the user equipment further includes:

[0415] The receiving module is also configured to receive cell update indication information sent by the first communication node.

[0416] In one embodiment, the cell update indication information includes at least one of the following: target cell identifier; target RRC configuration identifier.

[0417] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the user equipment further includes:

[0418] The receiving module is also configured to receive new uplink transmission time advance or transmit power parameters sent by the first communication node.

[0419] In one embodiment, receiving cell update indication information sent by a first communication node includes: receiving cell update indication information sent by an associated source second communication node; wherein the source second communication node receives the cell update indication information sent by the first communication node.

[0420] The communication device provided in this embodiment is configured to implement the communication method applied to the user equipment in the embodiment shown in FIG5. The implementation principle and technical effect of the communication device provided in this embodiment are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0421] In one embodiment, FIG11 is a structural block diagram of another communication device provided in this application embodiment. This embodiment is applied to a user equipment. As shown in FIG11, the communication device in this embodiment includes: a transmitting module 810.

[0422] The sending module 810 is configured to send a non-access stratum message to the first communication node, so that the first communication node can identify the target receiving network element according to the type of the non-access stratum message and send the non-access stratum message to the target receiving network element.

[0423] In one embodiment, the non-access stratum message is carried via a radio bearer, which also includes non-access stratum message indication information.

[0424] In one embodiment, the non-access stratum message indication information includes at least one of the following: the type of the non-access stratum message; and the core network element identifier associated with the non-access stratum message.

[0425] In one embodiment, the types of non-access stratum messages include one of the following: user plane type messages; control plane type messages; data plane type messages; and compute plane type messages.

[0426] In one embodiment, the bearer message of the non-access stratum message also includes the core network element identifier associated with the non-access stratum message.

[0427] In one embodiment, the communication device applied to the user equipment further includes:

[0428] The sending module is also configured to send indication information to the first communication node, the indication information including the type of non-access stratum message supported by the user equipment or the associated core network element identifier; receive the mapping relationship between different non-access stratum messages and radio bearers configured by the first communication node based on the type of non-access stratum message or the core network element identifier; and select an associated radio bearer for transmission of the non-access stratum message based on the mapping relationship.

[0429] In one embodiment, before sending a non-access stratum message to the first communication node, the communication apparatus applied to the user equipment further includes:

[0430] The receiving module is also configured to receive configuration information of the first communication node, including the mapping relationship between different non-access stratum messages and radio bearers;

[0431] The selection module is configured to select associated radio bearers for transmission of non-access stratum messages based on mapping relationships.

[0432] The communication device provided in this embodiment is configured to implement the communication method applied to the user equipment in the embodiment shown in FIG6. The implementation principle and technical effect of the communication device provided in this embodiment are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0433] In one embodiment, FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG12, the device provided in this application includes: a processor 910, a memory 920, and a communication module 930. The number of processors 910 in the device can be one or more; FIG12 shows an example of one processor 910. The number of memories 920 in the device can be one or more; FIG12 shows an example of one memory 920. The processor 910, memory 920, and communication module 930 of the device can be connected via a bus or other means; FIG12 shows an example of connection via a bus. In this embodiment, the device can be a first communication node, a second communication node, a third communication node, or a user equipment.

[0434] The memory 920, as a computer-readable storage medium, can be configured to store software programs, computer-executable programs, and modules, such as program instructions / modules corresponding to the device in any embodiment of this application (e.g., the transmitting module 510 and receiving module 520 applied to the communication device of the first communication node). The memory 920 may include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area may store an operating system and an application program required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created according to the use of the device, etc. Furthermore, the memory 920 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some instances, the memory 920 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor 910, and these remote memories can be connected to the device via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0435] When the communication device is the first communication node, the device provided above can be configured to execute the communication method applied to the first communication node provided in any of the above embodiments, and has the corresponding functions and effects.

[0436] When the communication device is a second communication node, the device provided above can be configured to execute the communication method provided in any of the above embodiments for the second communication node, and has the corresponding functions and effects.

[0437] When the communication device is a user equipment, the device provided above can be configured to execute the communication method for user equipment provided in any of the above embodiments, and has the corresponding functions and effects.

[0438] This application embodiment also provides a storage medium containing computer-executable instructions. When executed by a computer processor, the computer-executable instructions are used to execute a communication method applied to a first communication node. The method includes: sending resource report configuration information to a second communication node; and receiving a resource status report associated with the resource report configuration information sent by the second communication node.

[0439] This application embodiment also provides a storage medium containing computer-executable instructions. When executed by a computer processor, the computer-executable instructions are used to execute a communication method applied to a second communication node. The method includes: receiving resource report configuration information sent by a first communication node; and returning a resource status report associated with the resource report configuration information to the first communication node.

[0440] This application also provides a storage medium containing computer-executable instructions. When executed by a computer processor, the computer-executable instructions are used to perform a communication method applied to a user equipment. The method includes: receiving an RRC configuration message sent by a first communication node; wherein the RRC configuration message includes at least one of the following: a general RRC configuration message and a specific RRC configuration message; wherein the general RRC configuration message is associated with the first communication node, and the specific RRC configuration message is associated with a second communication node.

[0441] Those skilled in the art will understand that the term user equipment covers any suitable type of wireless user equipment, such as mobile phones, portable data processing devices, portable web browsers, or vehicle-mounted mobile stations.

[0442] Generally, the various embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although this application is not limited thereto.

[0443] Embodiments of this application can be implemented by executing computer program instructions through the data processor of a mobile device, for example, in a processor entity, or through hardware, or through a combination of software and hardware. The computer program instructions can be assembly instructions, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, status setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages.

[0444] Any block diagram of logical flow in the accompanying drawings of this application may represent program steps, or may represent interconnected logic circuits, modules, and functions, or may represent a combination of program steps and logic circuits, modules, and functions. The computer program may be stored on memory. Memory may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, but not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), optical storage devices and systems (Digital Video Disc (DVD) or Compact Disk (CD)), etc. Computer-readable media may include non-transitory storage media. The data processor may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment, such as, but not limited to, general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures.

[0445] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, can implement the communication method provided in any embodiment of this application.

[0446] In the implementation of the computer program product, computer program code for performing the operations of this application can be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof. Programming languages ​​include object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, and C++, as well as conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving remote computers, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network—including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN)—or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0447] The above are merely optional embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method applied to a first communication node, wherein the first communication node is directly connected to a core network service architecture; The method includes: Send resource report configuration information to the second communication node; Receive a resource status report associated with the resource report configuration information sent by the second communication node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The resource report configuration information includes one of the following: resource report request information; resource report sending conditions.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The resource report sending conditions include one of the following: report sending cycle; report sending trigger conditions.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The report sending trigger conditions include one of the following: Uplink resource utilization rate is greater than the first threshold; downlink resource utilization rate is greater than the second threshold; uplink resource utilization rate is less than the third threshold; downlink resource utilization rate is less than the fourth threshold; the change in uplink resource utilization rate compared to the last resource status report is greater than the fifth threshold; Compared to the previous resource status report, the change in downlink resource utilization is greater than the sixth threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, When the resource report sending condition is a report sending trigger condition, the resource report configuration information further includes at least one of the following: a first threshold value; a second threshold value; a third threshold value; a fourth threshold value; a fifth threshold value; and a sixth threshold value.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, If the second communication node supports at least two different standards, a resource status report associated with the resource report configuration information is generated based on the access standard and the resource report configuration information.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The resource status report includes one of the following: uplink resource utilization rate; downlink resource utilization rate.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the method further comprises: Obtain information related to the capabilities of each second communication node; or, Receive load or resource utilization information from each of the second communication nodes.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The capability-related information includes at least one of the following: supported access standards; support for the coexistence of at least two access standards; and support for spectrum sharing between different standards.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: Based on the aforementioned capability-related information, the resource allocation information for each second communication node is determined; The resource allocation information is sent to the corresponding second communication node.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The resource allocation information includes at least one of the following: For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the available uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth; For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the available downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth; For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the location of available uplink frequency domain resources or time resources; For each access standard supported by the second communication node, indicate the location of available downlink frequency domain resources or time resources; For each cell, the available access standard is indicated; For each cell, indicate the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources; For each cell, the available access standard is indicated, along with the location of available frequency domain resources or time resources for that available access standard. Indicates the air interface resources of the central user or the air interface resources of the edge user.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The third communication node includes: the first communication node and the second communication node; the resource allocation information includes at least one of the following: For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the uplink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used; For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the expected downlink carrier and / or transmission bandwidth to be used; For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the location of the uplink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used. For each access standard supported by the third communication node, indicate the location of the downlink frequency domain resources or time resources to be used; For each cell, indicate the expected access standard to be used; For each cell, indicate the location of the frequency domain resources or time resources to be used; For each cell, the desired access standard is indicated, along with the location of the frequency or time resources that the desired access standard is expected to use.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: Send at least one of the following to the fourth communication node: load, resource utilization information, number of user equipment connections, and resource allocation information; Send resource allocation analysis request information to the fourth communication node; Receive resource allocation analysis response information returned by the fourth communication node that matches the resource allocation analysis request information.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the method further comprises: Sending a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message to a user equipment; wherein the RRC configuration message includes at least one of the following: a general RRC configuration message and a specific RRC configuration message; The RRC general configuration message is associated with the first communication node, and the RRC specific configuration message is associated with the second communication node.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the method further comprises: Receive measurement reports sent by user equipment; Based on the measurement report, at least one candidate service second communication node is selected for the user equipment; The relevant configuration information of each candidate service second communication node is sent to the user equipment.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: Send a user equipment service request message to the second communication node of the candidate service; Receive user equipment service feedback information sent by the second communication node of the target service; The service status of the target service second communication node for the user equipment is determined based on the user equipment service feedback information.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The user equipment service request message includes one of the following: the user equipment's current or predicted quality of service flow list; the user equipment's current or predicted bearer list; and the user equipment's current or predicted communication traffic pattern.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The user equipment service feedback information includes one of the following: quality of service flow; bearer or service type.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: Send cell update instruction information to user equipment.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: Send new uplink transmission time advance or transmit power parameters to user equipment.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein, Sending cell update indication information to the user equipment includes: Cell update indication information is sent to the source second communication node of the user equipment, so that the cell update indication information is sent to the user equipment through the source second communication node.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive non-access stratum messages from user equipment; The target receiving network element is identified based on the type of the non-access stratum message; The non-access stratum message is sent to the target receiving network element.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: Receive indication information sent by user equipment, the indication information including the type of non-access stratum message supported by the user equipment or the associated core network element identifier; Based on the type of the non-access stratum message or the core network element identifier, different mapping relationships between non-access stratum messages and radio bearers are configured for the user equipment, so that the user equipment selects the associated radio bearer for data transmission based on the mapping relationship for the non-access stratum message.

24. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the method further comprises: Receive non-access stratum messages from core network elements; The target user equipment is obtained based on the tunnel identification of the transmission of the non-access stratum messages; The non-access stratum message is sent to the target user equipment.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, Downlink messages are sent to the user equipment in at least one of the following ways: control protocol layer frame header; data protocol layer frame header; new protocol layer frame header.

26. The method according to claim 24, further comprising: Configure the mapping relationship between the bearer and the non-access stratum message; The mapping relationship and associated bearer are sent to the user equipment so that the user equipment can obtain the type of non-access stratum message or the associated core network element based on the received bearer.

27. A communication method applied to a second communication node; the method comprising: Receive resource report configuration information sent by the first communication node; Return a resource status report associated with the resource report configuration information to the first communication node.

28. A communication method applied to a user equipment; the method comprising: Receive a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message sent by a first communication node; wherein the RRC configuration message includes at least one of the following: a general RRC configuration message and a specific RRC configuration message; The RRC general configuration message is associated with the first communication node, and the RRC specific configuration message is associated with the second communication node.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising: Send a measurement report to the first communication node; Receive the relevant configuration information of the second communication node for each candidate service selected by the first communication node based on the measurement report.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein, The relevant configuration information of the candidate service second communication node includes one of the following: a temporary identifier for the cell wireless network assigned to the user equipment; random access resources.

31. The method according to claim 28, further comprising: Receive cell update indication information sent by the first communication node.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein, The cell update indication information includes one of the following: target cell identifier; target RRC configuration identifier.

33. The method according to claim 28, further comprising: Receive new uplink transmission time advance or transmit power parameters sent by the first communication node.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein, The step of receiving the cell update indication information sent by the first communication node includes: The system receives cell update indication information sent by an associated source second communication node; wherein the source second communication node receives cell update indication information sent by a first communication node.

35. A communication method applied to a user equipment; the method comprising: A non-access stratum message is sent to a first communication node so that the first communication node can identify the target receiving network element according to the type of the non-access stratum message, and send the non-access stratum message to the target receiving network element.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein, The non-access stratum message is carried through a radio bearer, which also includes non-access stratum message indication information.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein, The non-access stratum message indication information includes one of the following: the type of the non-access stratum message; the core network element identifier associated with the non-access stratum message.

38. The method according to any one of claims 35-37, wherein, The types of non-access stratum messages include one of the following: user plane type messages; control plane type messages; data plane type messages; and computation plane type messages.

39. The method according to any one of claims 35-37, wherein, The radio bearer message of the non-access stratum message also includes the core network element identifier associated with the non-access stratum message.

40. The method according to claim 35, further comprising: Send indication information to the first communication node, the indication information including the type of non-access stratum message supported by the user equipment or the associated core network element identifier; The first communication node receives the mapping relationship between different non-access stratum messages and radio bearers configured based on the type of the non-access stratum message or the core network element identifier; Based on the mapping relationship, an associated radio bearer is selected for transmission of the non-access stratum message.

41. The method of claim 35, further comprising, before sending the non-access stratum message to the first communication node: Receive configuration information from the first communication node, wherein the configuration information includes the mapping relationship between different non-access stratum messages and radio bearers; Based on the mapping relationship, an associated radio bearer is selected for transmission of the non-access stratum message.

42. A communication device, comprising: Memory, and one or more processors; The memory is configured to store one or more programs; When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-26, 27, 28-34 or 35-41.

43. A storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-26, 27, 28-34, or 35-41.

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