Communication methods and apparatuses, and communication device and storage medium

Abstract

Disclosed in the embodiments of the present application are communication methods and apparatuses, and a communication device and a storage medium. A communication method comprises: a first function receiving first information sent by a second function, the first information being used for indicating measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

Description

A communication method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium

[0001] Cross-reference of related applications

[0002] This application is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510067809.4, filed on January 15, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communication technology, specifically to a communication method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0004] Currently, a typical scenario for system-level energy conservation is when deploying industry-specific networks. Third-party companies have specific requirements for the energy conservation and carbon emission reduction of the entire network, namely, meeting national carbon emission requirements for factory production. However, there is currently no concrete solution for achieving system-level energy conservation in this scenario. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium.

[0006] The technical solution of this application embodiment is implemented as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a first function, the method comprising: the first function receiving first information sent by a second function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

[0008] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first information is used to indicate at least one of the following: measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the Quality of Service (QoS) flow granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; and measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the base station granularity.

[0009] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first information includes at least one of the following: terminal-related information; network slice information; data network name (DNN) information; service range information; area of ​​interest information; energy consumption threshold information; and information indicating the use of renewable energy.

[0010] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the first function collecting and / or calculating energy consumption information or energy information based on the first information.

[0011] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first function collects and / or calculates energy consumption information or energy information based on the first information, including: the first function collects second information from the third function, and collects and / or calculates energy consumption information or energy information based on the second information.

[0012] In some optional embodiments of this application, the second information includes at least one of the following: traffic information; identification information of the User Plane Function (UPF); and UPF type information.

[0013] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first function collects the second information from the third function, including: within a specific time or period, the first function subscribes to the third function for the second information, and based on the subscription, the first function receives the second information sent by the third function; or, within a specific time or period, the first function requests the second information from the third function, and based on the request, the first function receives the second information sent by the third function.

[0014] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the first function sending third information to the fourth function so that the fourth function can determine whether energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated; the first function receiving the fourth information sent by the fourth function, the fourth information being used to indicate whether energy consumption information or energy information can or cannot be collected and / or calculated.

[0015] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the first function sending the collected and / or calculated energy consumption information or energy information to the second function.

[0016] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the first function receiving a subscription message sent by the fifth function, the subscription message being used to subscribe to an information open service, the information open service being used to open at least one of the following: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0017] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the first function sending at least one of the following information to the fifth function: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0018] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication method, the method being applied to a second function, the method comprising: the second function sending first information to a first function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

[0019] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first information is used to indicate at least one of the following: measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the base station granularity.

[0020] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first information includes at least one of the following: terminal-related information; network slice information; DNN information; service range information; area of ​​interest information; energy consumption threshold information; and information indicating the use of renewable energy.

[0021] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the second function receiving energy consumption information or energy information sent by the first function.

[0022] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication method, the method being applied to a fourth function, the method comprising: the fourth function obtaining and / or storing fifth information, the fifth information including at least one of the following: energy consumption subscription information of the terminal; energy consumption subscription information of a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session; energy efficiency indication information; information allowing the collection and / or calculation of energy consumption information or energy information; allowing and / or requiring the base station to report energy consumption information; instructing the base station to enter an energy-saving state.

[0023] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fourth function receiving third information sent by the first function, querying the fifth information based on the third information, and determining whether energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated; the fourth function sending fourth information to the first function, the fourth information being used to indicate whether energy consumption information or energy information can or cannot be collected and / or calculated.

[0024] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fourth function sending sixth information to the base station, the sixth information being used for at least one of the following: instructing the base station to report the terminal's energy consumption information or energy information; instructing the base station to enter an energy-saving state; instructing the base station to prioritize the use of green energy.

[0025] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fourth function receiving seventh information sent by the fifth function, querying the fifth information based on the seventh information, and determining that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed; the fourth function sending eighth information to the fifth function, the eighth information indicating that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed.

[0026] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fourth function receiving tenth information sent by the fifth function, querying the fifth information based on the tenth information, and determining that the collection of energy consumption information or energy information is permitted; the fourth function sending eleventh information to the fifth function, the eleventh information indicating that the collection of energy consumption information or energy information is permitted.

[0027] Fourthly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication method applied to a fifth function. The method includes: the fifth function sending seventh information to a fourth function and receiving eighth information sent by the fourth function, the eighth information indicating that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed; the fifth function generating ninth information based on the eighth information, the ninth information being energy efficiency-related strategy information.

[0028] In some optional embodiments of this application, the ninth information includes: Block Data Transfer (BDT) related strategy information.

[0029] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fifth function subscribing to an information open service for the first function; the information open service is used to open at least one of the following: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0030] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fifth function sending tenth information to the fourth function, and receiving eleventh information sent by the fourth function, the eleventh information indicating permission to collect energy consumption information or energy information.

[0031] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fifth function receiving at least one of the following information sent by the first function: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0032] Fifthly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device applied to a first function. The device includes a first communication unit configured to receive first information sent by a second function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

[0033] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device applied to a second function. The device includes a second communication unit configured to send first information to a first function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

[0034] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device, the device being used for a fourth function, the device including a storage unit configured to obtain and / or store fifth information, the fifth information including at least one of the following: energy consumption subscription information of a terminal; energy consumption subscription information of a PDU session; energy efficiency indication information; information allowing the collection and / or calculation of energy consumption information or energy information; allowing and / or requiring a base station to report energy consumption information; instructing a base station to enter an energy-saving state.

[0035] Eighthly, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device, the device being used for a fifth function, the device comprising a fourth communication unit and a third processing unit; wherein,

[0036] The fourth communication unit is configured to send a seventh message to the fourth function and receive an eighth message sent by the fourth function, wherein the eighth message indicates that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed.

[0037] The third processing unit is configured to generate ninth information based on the eighth information, wherein the ninth information is strategy information related to energy efficiency.

[0038] Ninthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the communication method described in any of the above aspects of embodiments of this application.

[0039] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the steps of the communication method described in any of the above aspects of embodiments of this application.

[0040] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, including computer program instructions that cause a computer to perform the steps of the communication method described in any of the above aspects of embodiments of this application.

[0041] The communication method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium provided in this application embodiment allow a first function to receive first information sent by a second function. The first information is used to instruct the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information, so that the first function can collect, calculate, or process energy information or energy consumption information according to the instructions of the first information. This facilitates the subsequent adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies based on the collected energy information or energy consumption information, thereby ensuring that the system energy consumption meets the requirements and achieving system-level energy saving. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of the communication method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of the communication method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0054] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System of Mobile communication (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5G systems, 6G systems, and even future communication systems. Optionally, a 5G system or 5G network can also be called a New Radio (NR) system or NR network.

[0055] For example, the communication system used in this application embodiment may include network devices and terminal devices (also referred to as terminals, communication terminals, etc.); the network device may be a device that communicates with the terminal device. The network device can provide communication coverage within a certain area and can communicate with terminals located within that area. Optionally, the network device may be a base station in various communication systems, such as an evolved Node B (eNB) in an LTE system, or a gNB in ​​a 5G or NR system.

[0056] It should be understood that devices with communication functions in the network / system of this application embodiment can be referred to as communication devices. Communication devices may include network devices and terminals with communication functions. Network devices and terminal devices can be the specific devices described above, which will not be repeated here. Communication devices may also include other devices in the communication system, such as network controllers, mobility management entities, and other network entities. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0057] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this document. The term "and / or" in this document merely describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0058] The terms “first,” “second,” etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0059] This application provides a communication method. Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method of this application; as shown in Figure 1, the method includes:

[0060] Step 101: The first function receives the first information sent by the second function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

[0061] Accordingly, this application also provides a communication method. Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method according to an embodiment of this application; as shown in Figure 2, the method includes:

[0062] Step 201: The second function sends first information to the first function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

[0063] In this embodiment, the first function is a network function, network element, or entity that has the function of collecting or measuring energy information or energy consumption information. As one implementation, the first function may be an Energy Information Function (EIF). In other communication systems and even future communication systems, the first function may also be other network functions or entities that have the function of collecting or measuring energy information or energy consumption information; this embodiment does not limit the name of the first function.

[0064] In this embodiment, the second function is a function, network function, network element, or entity that requests or requires the collection or measurement of energy information or energy consumption information, or a function, network function, network element, or entity that has a need for the collection or measurement of energy information or energy consumption information. As one implementation, the second function can be an application function (AF), a network function (NF), or (NWDAF, Network Data Analytics Function), etc. In other optional implementations, the second function can also be other functions, network functions, or entities; this embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0065] In this embodiment, the second function can directly send the first information to the first function, or the second function can send the first information to the first function via one or more other functions. For example, taking the second function as AF, AF can send the first information to the first function via (NEF, Network Exposure Function).

[0066] In the embodiments of this application, "receiving" or "sending" can be either direct or indirect. Direct receiving can refer to receiving, encapsulating, decapsulating, or processing without the involvement of other functions, entities, or devices; indirect receiving can refer to receiving, encapsulating, decapsulating, or processing through at least one other function, entity, or device.

[0067] In this embodiment, the transmitted information (such as the first information) can be a message, a service, or the specific content of a message or service. If the first information is transmitted indirectly (such as the first function receiving the first information sent by the second function via at least one function), then during the forwarding process, the first information can remain unchanged or can be adaptively processed. For example, during transmission to different functions or entities, it may be contained in different messages or services, or the source address or destination address may change during transmission, ultimately being sent to the first function so that the first function can obtain the first information through parsing or other processing.

[0068] In this embodiment, the energy information may also be described as energy information, carbon emission information, or simply "energy," etc. Specifically, the energy or renewable energy referred to in this embodiment can refer to green energy, renewable energy, etc.

[0069] In this embodiment of the application, the first function receives the first information sent by the second function. The first information is used to instruct the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information, so that the first function can collect, calculate or process energy information or energy consumption information according to the instructions of the first information, thereby facilitating the subsequent adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies based on the collected energy information or energy consumption information, so as to achieve the system energy consumption meeting the requirements and realize system-level energy saving.

[0070] In some alternative embodiments, the first information is used to indicate at least one of the following: measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the base station granularity.

[0071] In this embodiment, the terminal-level energy consumption information or power information refers to the energy consumption generated by the terminal during communication services in the communication network. Since the terminal's communication service process involves at least a base station and a user plane function (UPF), the terminal-level energy consumption information or power information includes at least one of the following: the terminal's energy consumption information or power information at the base station, and the terminal's energy consumption information or power information at the UPF (or can be described as terminal-level UPF energy consumption information or power information).

[0072] In this embodiment, the energy consumption information or energy information at the session granularity refers to the energy consumption generated during the service process of a session or PDU, including at least the energy consumption information or energy information of the session at the base station, the energy consumption information or energy information of the session at the UPF, and so on.

[0073] In this embodiment, the QoS flow can also be described as a service flow or a flow. The energy consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity refers to the energy consumption generated during the service process of the QoS flow, including at least the energy consumption information or energy information of the QoS flow at the base station, the energy consumption information or energy information of the QoS flow at the UPF, and so on.

[0074] In this embodiment, "end-to-end" specifically refers to the connection between the base station and the core network. Therefore, the end-to-end energy consumption information at the terminal level specifically refers to the sum of the terminal's energy consumption information at the base station and at the UPF; the end-to-end energy consumption information at the session level specifically refers to the sum of the session's energy consumption information at the base station and at the UPF; and the end-to-end energy consumption information at the QoS flow level specifically refers to the sum of the QoS flow's energy consumption information at the base station and at the UPF.

[0075] In this embodiment, the base station serves multiple terminals. The energy consumption information or energy information of the base station at the terminal granularity can specifically refer to the energy consumption information or energy information generated by the base station during the communication service process of one or more terminals (or one or a group of terminals).

[0076] In some alternative embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: terminal-related information; network slice information; DNN information; service range information; area of ​​interest information; energy consumption threshold information; and information indicating the use of renewable energy.

[0077] In this embodiment, the terminal-related information includes at least the terminal's identity information and / or identification information. For example, the terminal-related information may include at least one of the following: Generic Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI) or Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI).

[0078] In this embodiment, the network slice information can also be described as slice information. For example, network slice information may include slice identifiers, such as Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI).

[0079] In this embodiment, the service range information is used to indicate the scope of the energy-saving service. For example, the service range information can be represented by a geographical area (e.g., latitude and longitude range, administrative area range, etc.), or it can be represented by multiple network device identifiers or network function identifiers, where the network device can be a base station and / or a UPF, etc.

[0080] In this embodiment, the energy consumption threshold information includes one or more energy consumption threshold values ​​or energy threshold values. The energy consumption threshold information may include a threshold value for whether to share energy consumption information or energy information with other functions (such as the fifth function). For example, if another function (such as the fifth function) subscribes to an information sharing service from the first function, and this information sharing service is used to share energy information or energy consumption information, then when the first function detects that the collected energy consumption information or energy information has reached the corresponding threshold value during the process of collecting and measuring the energy consumption information or energy information, it will send the energy information or energy consumption information to the other function (such as the fifth function).

[0081] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the first function collecting and / or calculating energy consumption information or energy information based on the first information.

[0082] In this embodiment, the first function, based on the instruction of the first information, performs at least one of the following: measuring or collecting energy consumption information or power information at the terminal granularity; measuring or collecting energy consumption information or power information at the session granularity; measuring or collecting energy consumption information or power information at the QoS flow granularity; measuring or collecting end-to-end energy consumption information or power information at the terminal granularity; measuring or collecting end-to-end energy consumption information or power information at the session granularity; measuring or collecting end-to-end energy consumption information or power information at the QoS flow granularity; and measuring or collecting energy consumption information or power information at the base station granularity.

[0083] In some optional embodiments, the first function collects and / or calculates energy consumption information or energy information based on the first information, including: the first function collects second information from the third function, and collects and / or calculates energy consumption information or energy information based on the second information.

[0084] In this embodiment, the third function is a network function, entity, network element, or device that collects or manages energy information or energy consumption information of various network functions, entities, and network devices. For example, the third function may specifically be a Session Management Function (SMF), Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM), etc.

[0085] In some alternative embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: traffic information; user plane function (UPF) identification information; and UPF type information.

[0086] In this embodiment, the traffic information refers to at least one of the following: traffic information for a terminal, a group of terminals, or all terminals; traffic information for a session, multiple sessions, or all sessions; traffic information for a QoS stream, multiple QoS streams, or all QoS streams; traffic information of a base station, traffic information of a UPF, etc.

[0087] In this embodiment, the UPF type information may specifically include at least one of the following: UPF, intermediate UPF (I-UPF), PSA UPF (or described as anchor UPF), etc.

[0088] In this embodiment, after the first function obtains the second information carrying traffic information, it can calculate or obtain energy consumption information or power consumption information based on the traffic information. Specifically, for the energy consumption information in the base station, it can be obtained by comparing the data volume or traffic corresponding to the terminal granularity with the total data volume or traffic of the base station, and then multiplying the ratio by the base station's power consumption; it can also be obtained by comparing the data volume or traffic corresponding to the session granularity with the total data volume or traffic of the base station, and then multiplying the ratio by the base station's power consumption; and it can also be obtained by comparing the data volume or traffic corresponding to the QoS stream granularity with the total data volume or traffic of the base station, and then multiplying the ratio by the base station's power consumption. The method for determining the energy consumption information or power consumption information on the UPF side is similar to that on the base station side, and will not be described in detail here.

[0089] As an example, over a period of time, a UE's energy information or energy consumption information E in a base station (such as a gNB) UE,gNB It can be represented as:

[0090] Over a period of time, the energy information or energy consumption information E of a session in a base station (such as a gNB) Session,gNB It can be represented as:

[0091] Energy information or energy consumption information E of a QoS flow in a base station (such as a gNB) over a period of time. Flow,gNB It can be represented as:

[0092] Among them, E gNB This indicates the energy consumption of a base station (gNB) over a period of time; DV gNB This indicates the amount of traffic or data generated by a base station (gNB) over a period of time; DV UE,gNB DV represents the amount of traffic or data a terminal (or UE) consumes on a base station over a given period of time. Session,gNB This indicates the amount of traffic or data a session generates on the base station over a given period of time; DV Flow,gNB This indicates the amount of traffic or data on the base station within a certain period of time.

[0093] As another example, over a period of time, a UE's energy information or energy consumption information E in a base station (such as a gNB) UE,UPF It can be represented as:

[0094] Over a period of time, the energy information or energy consumption information E of a session in a base station (such as a gNB) Session,UPF It can be represented as:

[0095] Energy information or energy consumption information E of a QoS flow in a base station (such as a gNB) over a period of time. Flow,UPF It can be represented as:

[0096] Among them, E UPF This indicates the energy consumption of the UPF over a period of time; DV UPF This indicates the amount of traffic or data generated by the UPF over a period of time; DV UE,UPF This indicates the amount of traffic or data a terminal (or UE) generates on the UPF over a given period of time; DV Session,UPF This indicates the amount of traffic or data a session generates on the UPF over a given period of time; DV Flow,UPF This indicates the amount of traffic or data on the UPF within a certain period of time.

[0097] As another example, over a period of time, a UE's energy information or energy consumption information E in the network... UE It can be represented as:

[0098] in, Indicates that the UE is in gNB i Energy consumption in the process; Indicates that the UE is in UPF iEnergy consumption in the process.

[0099] Energy information or energy consumption information E of a session in the network over a period of time. Session It can be represented as:

[0100] in, Session on gNB i Energy consumption in the process; Indicates the session is in UPF i Energy consumption in the process.

[0101] Energy information or energy consumption information E of a QoS flow in the network over a period of time. Flow It can be represented as:

[0102] in, Indicates QoS flow in gNB i Energy consumption in the process; Indicates QoS flow in UPF i Energy consumption in the process.

[0103] In some alternative embodiments, the first function collects the second information from the third function, including: within a specific time or period, the first function subscribes to the third function for the second information, and based on the subscription, the first function receives the second information sent by the third function; or, within a specific time or period, the first function requests the second information from the third function, and based on the request, the first function receives the second information sent by the third function.

[0104] In this embodiment, as one implementation method, the first function can collect the second information from the third function through a subscription. Specifically, the first function sends a subscription message to the third function, which is used to subscribe to the second information. Upon receiving the subscription message, the third function sends the second information back to the first function. Alternatively, if the subscription message includes subscription conditions (which can be satisfied conditions or events), the third function can send the second information back to the first function when the subscription conditions are met. As another implementation method, the first function can also obtain the second information from the third function through a request-response mechanism. Specifically, the first function sends a request message to the third function, which is used to request the second information. Based on this request message, the third function sends the second information back to the first function.

[0105] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the first function sending third information to the fourth function so that the fourth function can determine whether energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated; the first function receiving the fourth information sent by the fourth function, the fourth information being used to indicate whether energy consumption information or energy information can or cannot be collected and / or calculated.

[0106] In this embodiment, the fourth function may specifically be a function, network function, network element, or entity that stores subscription information and / or authorization information. For example, the fourth function may specifically be Unified Data Management (UDM) and / or Unified Data Repository (UDR) in a 5G network. In other communication systems and even future communication systems, the fourth function may also be other network functions that store subscription information and / or authorization information; this embodiment does not limit the name of the function.

[0107] In this embodiment, the first function can communicate with the fourth function to determine whether it can collect and / or calculate energy consumption information or energy information. For example, the first function sends third information to the fourth function, which may include at least one of the following: terminal-related information; network slice information, DNN information, service range information, area of ​​interest information, session-related information, QoS flow-related information, etc. The fourth function can determine whether it can collect and / or calculate energy consumption information or energy information by querying stored subscription information; then the fourth function sends fourth information to the first function to indicate whether or not it can collect and / or calculate energy consumption information or energy information.

[0108] In some optional embodiments of this application, on the first functional side, the method further includes: the first function sending collected and / or calculated energy consumption information or energy information to the second function.

[0109] Correspondingly, on the second functional side, the method further includes: the second function receiving energy consumption information or energy information sent by the first function.

[0110] In this embodiment, after the first function has collected or calculated the relevant energy consumption information or energy information, it sends the energy information or energy consumption information to the second function.

[0111] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the first function receiving a subscription message sent by the fifth function, the subscription message being used to subscribe to an information open service, the information open service being used to open at least one of the following: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0112] In this embodiment, the fifth function is a network function that has policy control management and provides policy rules to network entities. For example, the fifth function can specifically be a Policy Control Function (PCF) in a 5G network. In other communication systems and even future communication systems, the fifth function can also be other network functions that have policy control management and policy rule issuance capabilities; this embodiment does not limit the name of the function.

[0113] In this embodiment, the fifth function can generate energy efficiency-related strategy information based on the collected energy consumption information or energy information. Specifically, the fifth function can collect energy consumption information or energy information from the first function. The fifth function can then subscribe to information opening services from the first function via a subscription method to subscribe to at least one of the following: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0114] In some optional embodiments, the method further includes: the first function sending at least one of the following information to the fifth function: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0115] In this embodiment, the first function, based on the information open service subscribed to by the fifth function, can send at least one of the following information to the fifth function: energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; energy consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; energy consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; and energy consumption information or energy information of the base station at the terminal granularity.

[0116] In one implementation, the first function may send at least one of the aforementioned pieces of information to the fifth function when certain conditions are met. Specifically, the conditions may be that the collected energy consumption information or energy data reaches or meets a corresponding energy consumption threshold. In this case, indicating that the current energy consumption is high and adjustments to energy-related strategies may be necessary, the first function sends at least one of the aforementioned pieces of information to the fifth function.

[0117] This application also provides a communication method. Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method of this application embodiment; as shown in Figure 3, the method includes:

[0118] Step 301: The fourth function obtains and / or stores the fifth information, which includes at least one of the following: the terminal's energy consumption subscription information; the PDU session's energy consumption subscription information; energy efficiency indication information; information that allows the collection and / or calculation of energy consumption information or energy information; information that allows and / or requests the base station to report energy consumption information; and information that instructs the base station to enter an energy-saving state.

[0119] In this embodiment, the fourth function may specifically be a function, network function, network element, or entity that stores subscription information and / or authorization information. For example, the fourth function may specifically be a UDM and / or UDR in a 5G network. In other communication systems and even future communication systems, the fourth function may also be other network functions that store subscription information and / or authorization information; this embodiment does not limit the name of the function.

[0120] In this embodiment, the fourth function may store contract information and / or corresponding authorization information, instruction information, etc., so that other functions can query whether they can perform operations related to energy or energy consumption.

[0121] In this embodiment, the fourth function may store corresponding indication or authorization information to instruct the base station to enter an energy-saving state, or allow the base station to report energy consumption information, or require or instruct the base station to report energy consumption information, or allow other functions to collect and / or calculate energy consumption information or energy information.

[0122] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fourth function receiving third information sent by the first function, querying the fifth information based on the third information, and determining whether energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated; the fourth function sending fourth information to the first function, the fourth information being used to indicate whether energy consumption information or energy information can or cannot be collected and / or calculated.

[0123] In this embodiment, the first function can communicate with the fourth function to determine whether it can collect and / or calculate energy consumption information or energy information. For example, the first function sends third information to the fourth function, which may include at least one of the following: terminal-related information; network slice information, DNN information, service range information, area of ​​interest information, session-related information, QoS flow-related information, etc. The fourth function can determine whether it can collect and / or calculate energy consumption information or energy information by querying stored subscription information; then the fourth function sends fourth information to the first function to indicate whether or not it can collect and / or calculate energy consumption information or energy information.

[0124] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fourth function sending sixth information to the base station, the sixth information being used for at least one of the following: instructing the base station to report the terminal's energy consumption information or energy information; instructing the base station to enter an energy-saving state; instructing the base station to prioritize the use of green energy.

[0125] In this embodiment, the fourth function can send a sixth message to the base station based on the request of the base station to indicate at least one of the following: instructing the base station to report the terminal's energy consumption information or energy information; instructing the base station to enter an energy-saving state; or instructing the base station to prioritize the use of green energy.

[0126] In some optional embodiments, the method further includes: the fourth function sending an eleventh message to the UPF, the eleventh message being used for at least one of the following: instructing the UPF to report the terminal's energy consumption information or energy information; instructing the UPF to enter an energy-saving state; instructing the UPF to prioritize the use of green energy.

[0127] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fourth function receiving seventh information sent by the fifth function, querying the fifth information based on the seventh information, and determining that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed; the fourth function sending eighth information to the fifth function, the eighth information indicating that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed.

[0128] In this embodiment, the fifth function is a network function that has policy control management and provides policy rules to network entities. For example, the fifth function may specifically be the PCF in a 5G network. In other communication systems and even future communication systems, the fifth function may also be other network functions that have policy control management and policy rule issuance capabilities; this embodiment does not limit the name of the function.

[0129] In this embodiment, before generating or adjusting energy efficiency-related policies, the fifth function may first send a seventh message to the fourth function. This seventh message requests the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related policies. For example, the seventh message may include at least one of the following: terminal-related information, network slicing information, DNN information, session-related information, QoS flow-related information, etc., to request the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related policies at a relevant granularity. Based on the seventh message, the fourth function queries the stored fifth message to determine if the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related policies is permitted or allowed. Then, the fourth function may send an eighth message to the fifth function, indicating that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related policies is permitted or allowed.

[0130] In other alternative embodiments, if the fourth function queries the stored fifth information based on the seventh information and determines that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is not allowed or is not permitted, then the information that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is not allowed or is not permitted is sent to the fifth function.

[0131] In some optional embodiments, the method further includes: the fourth function receiving tenth information sent by the fifth function, querying the fifth information based on the tenth information, and determining that the collection of energy consumption information or energy information is permitted; the fourth function sending eleventh information to the fifth function, the eleventh information indicating that the collection of energy consumption information or energy information is permitted.

[0132] In this embodiment, the fifth function generates or adjusts energy efficiency-related strategies, specifically based on energy consumption information or energy information. The fifth function can then communicate with the fourth function to determine whether it can collect energy consumption information or energy information. For example, the fifth function sends tenth information to the fourth function, which may include at least one of the following: terminal-related information; network slice information, DNN information, service range information, area of ​​interest information, session-related information, QoS flow-related information, etc. The fourth function can query stored subscription information to determine whether it can collect energy consumption information or energy information; subsequently, the fourth function sends eleventh information to the fifth function to indicate whether or not energy consumption information or energy information can be collected.

[0133] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication method. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method of this application; as shown in Figure 4, the method includes:

[0134] Step 401: The fifth function sends the seventh information to the fourth function and receives the eighth information sent by the fourth function, the eighth information indicating that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed;

[0135] Step 402: The fifth function generates the ninth information based on the eighth information, and the ninth information is strategy information related to energy efficiency.

[0136] In this embodiment, the fifth function is a network function that has policy control management and provides policy rules to network entities. For example, the fifth function may specifically be the PCF in a 5G network. In other communication systems and even future communication systems, the fifth function may also be other network functions that have policy control management and policy rule issuance capabilities; this embodiment does not limit the name of the function.

[0137] In this embodiment, before generating or adjusting energy efficiency-related policies, the fifth function may first send a seventh message to the fourth function. This seventh message requests the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related policies. For example, the seventh message may include at least one of the following: terminal-related information, network slicing information, DNN information, session-related information, QoS flow-related information, etc., to request the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related policies at a relevant granularity. Based on the seventh message, the fourth function queries the stored fifth message to determine if the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related policies is permitted or allowed. Then, the fourth function may send an eighth message to the fifth function, indicating that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related policies is permitted or allowed.

[0138] The policy in this embodiment can also be described as a Policy, which may include at least one of the following: a session-related policy for providing to the SMF, a mobility-related policy for providing to the AMF, a slice-based policy, etc.

[0139] In some alternative embodiments, the ninth piece of information includes: Block Data Transmission (BDT) related policy information.

[0140] In this embodiment, the BDT-related policy information may include at least one of the following: Access and Mobility (AM) related policy information, Session Management (SM) related policy information, and QoS related policy information.

[0141] In some alternative embodiments, the energy efficiency-related policy information can be used to indicate adjustments to the transmission rate and / or the selection of UPFs. As an example, for high-energy-consuming services, the energy efficiency-related policy information can be used to indicate a reduction in the transmission rate to reduce energy consumption. As another example, the energy efficiency-related policy information can be used to instruct the SMF to select UPFs carrying more sessions, thus allowing some UPFs to remain idle; when a UPF has no sessions to carry, it can report information to the SMF to instruct that UPF to be shut down.

[0142] In some alternative embodiments, the fifth function may generate or adjust energy efficiency-related strategy information based on the triggering of the first function.

[0143] In this embodiment, the first function can autonomously decide to trigger the fifth function to adjust energy consumption-related strategies. For example, the first function can trigger the fifth function to adjust energy consumption-related strategies when it determines, based on collected energy consumption information, that energy consumption is high or exceeds carbon emission standards. In other examples, the first function can also trigger the fifth function to adjust energy consumption-related strategies based on information from the second function. For example, the second function can collect energy consumption information from the first function, and when it determines that energy consumption is high or exceeds carbon emission standards, it can send energy-saving related information to the first function. The first function then triggers the fifth function to adjust energy consumption-related strategies based on this energy-saving related information.

[0144] In some optional embodiments of this application, the method further includes: the fifth function subscribing to an information open service for the first function; the information open service is used to open at least one of the following: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0145] In this embodiment, the fifth function can generate energy efficiency-related strategy information based on the collected energy consumption information or energy information. Specifically, the fifth function can collect energy consumption information or energy information from the first function. The fifth function can then subscribe to information opening services from the first function via a subscription method to subscribe to at least one of the following: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0146] In some optional embodiments, the method further includes: the fifth function receiving at least one of the following sent by the first function: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0147] In some alternative embodiments, the method further includes: the fifth function sending a tenth message to the fourth function, and receiving an eleventh message sent by the fourth function, the eleventh message indicating permission to collect energy consumption information or energy information.

[0148] In this embodiment, the fifth function generates or adjusts energy efficiency-related strategies, specifically based on energy consumption information or energy information. The fifth function can then communicate with the fourth function to determine whether it can collect energy consumption information or energy information. For example, the fifth function sends tenth information to the fourth function, which may include at least one of the following: terminal-related information; network slice information, DNN information, service range information, area of ​​interest information, session-related information, QoS flow-related information, etc. The fourth function can query stored subscription information to determine whether it can collect energy consumption information or energy information; subsequently, the fourth function sends eleventh information to the fifth function to indicate whether or not energy consumption information or energy information can be collected.

[0149] The embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific examples.

[0150] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of the communication method according to an embodiment of this application; in this example, the first function is EIF, the second function is AF, and the third function is OAM. As shown in Figure 5, the method includes:

[0151] Step 501: AF subscribes to energy consumption information from EIF via NEF.

[0152] Here, the energy consumption information subscribed to by AF can be at least one of the following: energy consumption information at the terminal level; energy consumption information at the session level; energy consumption information at the QoS flow level; end-to-end energy consumption information at the terminal level; end-to-end energy consumption information at the session level; end-to-end energy consumption information at the QoS flow level; or energy consumption information at the base station level.

[0153] Step 502: The EIF collects energy information from the OAM and calculates or determines energy consumption information based on the flow information.

[0154] Here, EIF can collect traffic information of the corresponding granularity from OAM based on AF subscription, and calculate or determine energy consumption information based on the traffic information.

[0155] Optionally, the EIF may also communicate with the UDM to determine whether energy consumption information can be collected and / or calculated; if it is determined that energy consumption information can be collected and / or calculated, energy information is collected from the OAM, and energy consumption information is calculated or determined based on flow information.

[0156] Step 503: The EIF sends the subscribed energy consumption information to the AF via the NEF.

[0157] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of the communication method according to an embodiment of this application; in this example, the first function is EIF, the second function is AF, the third function is OAM, the fourth function is UDM, and the fifth function is PCF. As shown in Figure 6, the method includes:

[0158] Step 601: EIF triggers PCF to adjust energy consumption-related strategies.

[0159] Here, the EIF can autonomously decide to trigger the PCF to adjust its energy consumption-related strategies. For example, the EIF can trigger the PCF to adjust its energy consumption-related strategies when it determines, based on collected energy consumption information, that energy consumption is high or exceeds carbon emission standards. In other examples, the EIF can also trigger the PCF to adjust its energy consumption-related strategies based on information from the AF. For example, the AF can collect energy consumption information from the EIF, and when it determines that energy consumption is high or exceeds carbon emission standards, it can send energy-saving related information to the EIF, which then triggers the PCF to adjust its energy consumption-related strategies based on this information.

[0160] Step 602: PCF queries UDM to determine if adjustments to energy efficiency-related policies are permitted.

[0161] Step 603: PCF generates energy efficiency-related strategy information.

[0162] Step 604: PCF sends energy efficiency-related policy information to SMF.

[0163] Step 605: SMF adjusts QoS policy.

[0164] Here, the QoS policy adjusted by SMF includes at least the data rate.

[0165] Step 606: The SMF sends the relevant policies or rules to the UPF and RAN respectively.

[0166] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, which is applied to a first function. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application; as shown in Figure 7, the device includes a first communication unit 11, configured to receive first information sent by a second function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

[0167] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first information is used to indicate at least one of the following: measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the base station granularity.

[0168] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first information includes at least one of the following: terminal-related information; network slice information; data network name (DNN) information; service range information; area of ​​interest information; energy consumption threshold information; and information indicating the use of renewable energy.

[0169] In some optional embodiments of this application, the device further includes a first processing unit 12 configured to collect and / or calculate energy consumption information or energy information based on the first information.

[0170] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first processing unit 12 is configured to collect second information from the third function through the first communication unit 11, and collect and / or calculate energy consumption information or energy information based on the second information.

[0171] In some optional embodiments of this application, the second information includes at least one of the following: traffic information; user plane function (UPF) identification information; and UPF type information.

[0172] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first communication unit 11 is configured to subscribe to the second information from the third function within a specific time or period; receive the second information sent by the third function based on the subscription; or request the second information from the third function within a specific time or period; and receive the second information sent by the third function based on the request.

[0173] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first communication unit 11 is further configured to send third information to the fourth function so that the fourth function can determine whether energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated; and to receive the fourth information sent by the fourth function, the fourth information being used to indicate whether energy consumption information or energy information can or cannot be collected and / or calculated.

[0174] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first communication unit 11 is further configured to send collected and / or calculated energy consumption information or energy information to the second function.

[0175] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first communication unit 11 is further configured to receive a subscription message sent by the fifth function. The subscription message is used to subscribe to an information open service, which is used to open at least one of the following: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS stream-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0176] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first communication unit 11 is further configured to send at least one of the following information to the fifth function: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0177] In this embodiment of the application, the first processing unit 12 in the device can be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) in practical applications; the first communication unit 11 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: basic communication kit, operating system, communication module, standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna in practical applications.

[0178] This application also provides a communication device, which is applied to a second function. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application; as shown in Figure 8, the device includes a second communication unit 21, configured to send first information to the first function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

[0179] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first information is used to indicate at least one of the following: measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; measurement or collection of end-to-end power consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; measurement or collection of power consumption information or energy information at the base station granularity.

[0180] In some optional embodiments of this application, the first information includes at least one of the following: terminal-related information; network slice information; data network name (DNN) information; service range information; area of ​​interest information; energy consumption threshold information; and information indicating the use of renewable energy.

[0181] In some optional embodiments of this application, the second communication unit 21 is further configured to receive energy consumption information or energy information sent by the first function.

[0182] In this embodiment of the application, the second communication unit 21 in the device can be implemented in practical applications through a communication module (including: basic communication kit, operating system, communication module, standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna.

[0183] This application also provides a communication device, which is applied to a fourth function. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application; as shown in Figure 9, the device includes a storage unit 31, configured to obtain and / or store fifth information, the fifth information including at least one of the following: energy consumption subscription information of the terminal; energy consumption subscription information of the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session; energy efficiency indication information; information that allows the collection and / or calculation of energy consumption information or energy information; information that allows and / or requires the base station to report energy consumption information; and information that instructs the base station to enter an energy-saving state.

[0184] In some optional embodiments of this application, the device further includes a third communication unit 33 and a second processing unit 32; wherein,

[0185] The third communication unit 33 is configured to receive third information sent by the first function;

[0186] The second processing unit 32 is configured to query the fifth information based on the third information to determine whether energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated.

[0187] The third communication unit 33 is further configured to send a fourth message to the first function, the fourth message being used to indicate whether or not energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated.

[0188] In some optional embodiments of this application, the device further includes a third communication unit 33 configured to send sixth information to the base station, the sixth information being used for at least one of the following: instructing the base station to report the terminal's energy consumption information or energy information; instructing the base station to enter an energy-saving state; or instructing the base station to prioritize the use of green energy.

[0189] In some optional embodiments of this application, the device further includes a third communication unit 33 and a second processing unit 32; wherein,

[0190] The third communication unit 33 is configured to receive the seventh information sent by the fifth function;

[0191] The second processing unit 32 is configured to query the fifth information based on the seventh information to determine whether the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed.

[0192] The third communication unit 33 is further configured to send an eighth message to the fifth function, the eighth message indicating that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed.

[0193] In some optional embodiments of this application, the device further includes a third communication unit 33 and a second processing unit 32; wherein,

[0194] The third communication unit 33 is configured to receive the tenth information sent by the fifth function;

[0195] The second processing unit 32 is configured to query the fifth information based on the tenth information to determine whether the collection of energy consumption information or energy information is permitted.

[0196] The third communication unit 33 is also configured to send an eleventh message to the fifth function, the eleventh message indicating permission to collect energy consumption information or energy information.

[0197] In this embodiment of the application, the second processing unit 32 in the device can be implemented by a CPU, DSP, MCU or FPGA in practical applications; the storage unit 31 in the device can be implemented by a memory in practical applications; the third communication unit 33 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: basic communication kit, operating system, communication module, standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and transceiver antenna in practical applications.

[0198] This application also provides a communication device, which is applied to a fifth function. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application; as shown in Figure 10, the device includes a fourth communication unit 41 and a third processing unit 42; wherein,

[0199] The fourth communication unit 41 is configured to send a seventh message to the fourth function and receive an eighth message sent by the fourth function, wherein the eighth message indicates that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed.

[0200] The third processing unit 42 is configured to generate ninth information based on the eighth information, wherein the ninth information is strategy information related to energy efficiency.

[0201] In some optional embodiments of this application, the ninth information includes: Block Data Transfer (BDT) related policy information.

[0202] In some optional embodiments of this application, the fourth communication unit 41 is further configured to provide a first function subscription information open service; the information open service is used to open at least one of the following: energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal granularity; energy consumption information or energy information at the session granularity; energy consumption information or energy information at the QoS stream granularity.

[0203] In some optional embodiments of this application, the fourth communication unit 41 is further configured to send a tenth message to the fourth function and receive an eleventh message sent by the fourth function, the eleventh message indicating permission to collect energy consumption information or energy information.

[0204] In some optional embodiments of this application, the fourth communication unit 41 is further configured to receive at least one of the following information sent by the first function: terminal-level energy consumption information or energy information; session-level energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level energy consumption information or energy information; terminal-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; session-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; QoS flow-level end-to-end energy consumption information or energy information; and terminal-level base station energy consumption information or energy information.

[0205] In this embodiment of the application, the third processing unit 42 in the device can be implemented by a CPU, DSP, MCU or FPGA in practical applications; the fourth communication unit 41 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: basic communication kit, operating system, communication module, standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and transceiver antenna in practical applications.

[0206] It should be noted that the communication device provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the above program modules. In actual applications, the above processing can be assigned to different program modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different program modules to complete all or part of the processing described above. In addition, the communication device and communication method embodiments provided in the above embodiments belong to the same concept, and their specific implementation process can be found in the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0207] This application also provides a communication device, which may have a first function, a second function, a fourth function, or a fifth function. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device includes a memory 52, a processor 51, and a computer program stored in the memory 52 and executable on the processor 51. When the processor 51 executes the program, it implements the steps of the communication method applied to the communication device according to the embodiment of this application.

[0208] Optionally, the communication device may also include at least one network interface 53. The various components in the communication device are coupled together via a bus system 54. It is understood that the bus system 54 is used to enable communication between these components. In addition to a data bus, the bus system 54 also includes a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for clarity, all buses are labeled as bus system 54 in Figure 11.

[0209] It is understood that memory 52 can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or both. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic random access memory (FRAM), flash memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disc, or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM); magnetic surface memory can be disk storage or magnetic tape storage. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Synchronous Static Random Access Memory (SSRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDRSDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (ESDRAM), SyncLink Dynamic Random Access Memory (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus Random Access Memory (DRRAM).The memory 52 described in the embodiments of this application is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0210] The methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be applied to processor 51, or implemented by processor 51. Processor 51 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by the integrated logic circuit of the hardware in processor 51 or by instructions in the form of software. The processor 51 may be a general-purpose processor, DSP, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. Processor 51 can implement or execute the methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or being executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules may be located in a storage medium, which is located in memory 52. ​​Processor 51 reads the information in memory 52 and combines its hardware to complete the steps of the aforementioned method.

[0211] In an exemplary embodiment, the communication device may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), FPGAs, general-purpose processors, controllers, MCUs, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the aforementioned method.

[0212] In an exemplary embodiment, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, such as a memory 52 including a computer program, which can be executed by a processor 51 of a communication device to complete the steps described in the foregoing method. The computer-readable storage medium may be a memory such as FRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash Memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disc, or CD-ROM; or it may be various devices including one or any combination of the above-mentioned memories.

[0213] The computer-readable storage medium provided in this application embodiment stores a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the communication method applied to a communication device according to the present application embodiment.

[0214] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that can be executed by a communication device (such as the processor 51 of the communication device) to complete the steps of any of the aforementioned communication methods.

[0215] The methods disclosed in the several method embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0216] The features disclosed in the several product embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new product embodiments.

[0217] The features disclosed in the several method or device embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method or device embodiments.

[0218] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as: multiple units or components can be combined, or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the various components shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0219] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0220] In addition, each functional unit in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be a separate unit, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit; the integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0221] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it performs the steps of the above method embodiments. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program code, such as mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0222] Alternatively, if the integrated units described above are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0223] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, the method being applied to a first function, the method comprising: The first function receives first information sent by the second function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first information is used to indicate at least one of the following: Measurement or collection of energy consumption or energy information at the terminal granularity; Measurement or collection of energy consumption or energy information at the session level; Measurement or collection of energy consumption or power information at the QoS (Quality of Service) flow granularity; Measurement or collection of end-to-end energy consumption or energy information at the terminal level; Measurement or collection of end-to-end energy consumption or energy information at the session level; Measurement or collection of end-to-end energy consumption or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; The measurement or collection of energy consumption or energy information of base stations at the terminal level.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: Terminal-related information; Network slice information; Data network name DNN information; Service scope information; Information on the area of ​​interest; Energy consumption threshold information; Information indicating the use of renewable energy sources.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: The first function collects and / or calculates energy consumption information or energy information based on the first information.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The first function collects and / or calculates energy consumption information or energy information based on the first information, including: The first function collects second information from the third function, and collects and / or calculates energy consumption information or energy information based on the second information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: Traffic information; User-facing function (UPF) identification information; UPF type information.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The first function collects second information from the third function, including: Within a specific time period or cycle, the first function subscribes to the second information from the third function, and based on the subscription, the first function receives the second information sent by the third function; or, Within a specific time period or cycle, the first function requests the second information from the third function, and based on the request, the first function receives the second information sent by the third function.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The method further includes: The first function sends third information to the fourth function so that the fourth function can determine whether energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated. The first function receives the fourth information sent by the fourth function, the fourth information being used to indicate whether or not energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 4, wherein, The method further includes: The first function sends the collected and / or calculated energy consumption information or energy information to the second function.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: The first function receives a subscription message sent by the fifth function, the subscription message being used to subscribe to an information open service, the information open service being used to open at least one of the following: Energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal level; Energy consumption information or power information at the session level; QoS flow-level energy consumption information or power information; End-to-end energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal level; End-to-end energy consumption or power information at the session level; End-to-end energy consumption or power information at the QoS flow granularity; Energy consumption information or power information of base stations at the terminal level.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The method further includes: The first function sends at least one of the following messages to the fifth function: Energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal level; Energy consumption information or power information at the session level; QoS flow-level energy consumption information or power information; End-to-end energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal level; End-to-end energy consumption or power information at the session level; End-to-end energy consumption or power information at the QoS flow granularity; Energy consumption information or power information of base stations at the terminal level.

12. A communication method, the method being applied to a second function, the method comprising: The second function sends a first message to the first function, the first message being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The first information is used to indicate at least one of the following: Measurement or collection of energy consumption or energy information at the terminal granularity; Measurement or collection of energy consumption or energy information at the session level; Measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; Measurement or collection of end-to-end energy consumption or energy information at the terminal level; Measurement or collection of end-to-end energy consumption or energy information at the session level; Measurement or collection of end-to-end energy consumption or energy information at the QoS flow granularity; The measurement or collection of energy consumption or energy information of base stations at the terminal level.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: Terminal-related information; Network slice information; Data network name DNN information; Service scope information; Information on the area of ​​interest; Energy consumption threshold information; Information indicating the use of renewable energy sources.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein, The method further includes: The second function receives energy consumption information or energy information sent by the first function.

16. A communication method applied to a fourth function, the method comprising: The fourth function obtains and / or stores fifth information, which includes at least one of the following: Terminal energy consumption contract information; Energy consumption subscription information for Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions; Energy efficiency information; Information that allows for the collection and / or calculation of energy consumption or energy information; Allow and / or require base stations to report energy consumption information; Instruct the base station to enter power-saving mode.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The method further includes: The fourth function receives the third information sent by the first function, queries the fifth information based on the third information, and determines whether energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated. The fourth function sends a fourth message to the first function, the fourth message indicating whether or not energy consumption information or energy information can be collected and / or calculated.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The method further includes: The fourth function sends sixth information to the base station, the sixth information being used for at least one of the following: Instruct the base station to report the terminal's energy consumption information or energy information; Instruct the base station to enter power-saving mode; Instruct base stations to prioritize the use of green energy.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, The method further includes: The fourth function receives the seventh information sent by the fifth function, queries the fifth information based on the seventh information, and determines whether the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed. The fourth function sends an eighth message to the fifth function, the eighth message indicating that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein, The method further includes: The fourth function receives the tenth information sent by the fifth function, queries the fifth information based on the tenth information, and determines whether the collection of energy consumption information or energy information is permitted. The fourth function sends an eleventh message to the fifth function, the eleventh message indicating permission to collect energy consumption information or energy information.

21. A communication method applied to a fifth function, the method comprising: The fifth function sends a seventh message to the fourth function and receives an eighth message sent by the fourth function, wherein the eighth message indicates that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed. The fifth function generates the ninth information based on the eighth information, and the ninth information is strategy information related to energy efficiency.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The ninth piece of information includes: Block data transmission BDT-related policy information.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, wherein, The method further includes: The fifth function subscribes to the information open service of the first function; the information open service is used to open at least one of the following: Energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal level; Energy consumption information or power information at the session level; QoS flow-level energy consumption information or power information; End-to-end energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal level; End-to-end energy consumption or power information at the session level; End-to-end energy consumption or power information at the QoS flow granularity; Energy consumption information or power information of base stations at the terminal level.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein, The method further includes: The fifth function sends a tenth message to the fourth function and receives an eleventh message sent by the fourth function, the eleventh message indicating permission to collect energy consumption information or energy information.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein, The method further includes: The fifth function receives at least one of the following pieces of information sent by the first function: Energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal level; Energy consumption information or power information at the session level; QoS flow-level energy consumption information or power information; End-to-end energy consumption information or energy information at the terminal level; End-to-end energy consumption or power information at the session level; End-to-end energy consumption or power information at the QoS flow granularity; Energy consumption information or power information of base stations at the terminal level.

26. A communication device applied to a first function, the device comprising a first communication unit configured to receive first information transmitted by a second function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

27. A communication device applied to a second function, the device including a second communication unit configured to send first information to a first function, the first information being used to indicate the measurement or collection of energy consumption information or energy information.

28. A communication device, the device being used for a fourth function, the device including a storage unit configured to obtain and / or store fifth information, the fifth information including at least one of the following: Terminal energy consumption contract information; Energy consumption subscription information for Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions; Energy efficiency information; Information that allows for the collection and / or calculation of energy consumption or energy information; Allow and / or require base stations to report energy consumption information; Instruct the base station to enter power-saving mode.

29. A communication device, the device being used for a fifth function, the device comprising a fourth communication unit and a third processing unit; wherein, The fourth communication unit is configured to send a seventh message to the fourth function and receive an eighth message sent by the fourth function, wherein the eighth message indicates that the generation or adjustment of energy efficiency-related strategies is permitted or allowed. The third processing unit is configured to generate ninth information based on the eighth information, wherein the ninth information is strategy information related to energy efficiency.

30. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

31. A communication device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

32. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions that cause a computer to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

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