Network access method and apparatus, device, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a network access method and apparatus, a device, and a storage medium. On the basis of first indication information, a terminal device determines a first network node that the terminal device needs to access, selects a first network device from among network devices connected to the first network node, and establishes connection with the first network device. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, it can be ensured that after the terminal device accesses the first network device, the first network node connected to the first network device can provide services to the terminal device, avoiding the situation where a network node that the terminal device accesses cannot meet the requirements of the terminal device, thereby simplifying the signaling process of the terminal device accessing a network, improving the efficiency of the terminal device accessing a network, ensuring the service processing efficiency of the terminal device, and saving air interface resources.

Description

Network access methods, devices, equipment and storage media

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application filed on January 21, 2025, with application number 202510095477.0 and entitled "Network access method, apparatus, device and storage medium", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a network access method, apparatus, device and storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] With the advent of the 6th Generation Mobile Network (6G) era, in order to provide richer services, the 6G network architecture is constructed through flexible, on-demand, and intelligent network design, presenting the connection relationships and network forms between various networks.

[0004] In current distributed network research, terminal devices can access network nodes through access network devices to use the services provided by the network nodes. However, the network nodes accessed by the terminal devices may fail to meet the needs of the terminal devices, causing the terminal devices to re-initiate access. This increases the signaling process for the terminal devices to access the network, reduces the efficiency of the terminal devices to access the network, and consequently reduces the efficiency of the terminal devices' service processing. Moreover, this process wastes air interface resources. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a network access method, apparatus, device, and storage medium to avoid situations where the network node accessed by a terminal device cannot meet the needs of the terminal device, thereby reducing the signaling process for the terminal device to access the network, improving the efficiency of the terminal device to access the network, ensuring the service processing efficiency of the terminal device, and saving air interface resources.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network access method applied to a terminal device, the method comprising:

[0007] Based on the first instruction information, determine the first network node that the terminal device needs to access;

[0008] Select the first network device to access, where the first network device is the network device connected to the first network node;

[0009] Establish a connection with the first network device.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0011] Requirements for the type of network nodes of service terminal equipment;

[0012] Priority of network node types for service terminal devices;

[0013] The network node capability requirements for service terminal devices; where network node type priority is used to determine the type of network node the terminal should prioritize accessing; capability requirements are used to indicate the terminal device's requirements for the network node's support capabilities.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first network device selected for access includes:

[0015] Receive a first message sent by at least one network device, the first message containing node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, the node information being used to indicate the type and / or supported capabilities of the network nodes;

[0016] Based on the first message, the first network device is identified from at least one network device.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities supported by one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

[0018] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining one or more network nodes connected to the network device based on a first mapping relationship and a first element and / or a second element; the first mapping relationship is the mapping relationship between the first element and / or the second element and the network node.

[0019] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0020] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Establishment Request message to a first network device, the RRC Establishment Request message being used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the first network device, the RRC Establishment Request message containing node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

[0022] In some embodiments, the RRC establishment request message is sent upon receiving an RRC rejection message from the second network device. The RRC rejection message is used to reject the RRC establishment request from the terminal device. The RRC rejection message includes the reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

[0023] In some embodiments, the method further includes: obtaining first indication information; wherein the first indication information is sent by a network device to a terminal device, or the first indication information is pre-configured.

[0024] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network access method applied to a network device, the method comprising:

[0025] Send a first message containing node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected; and / or receive an RRC establishment request message sent by the terminal device, the RRC establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the network device, the RRC establishment request message containing node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access; wherein, the node information is used to indicate the type of network node and / or the capabilities it supports.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

[0027] In some embodiments, after receiving the RRC establishment request message sent by the terminal device, the method further includes: sending an RRC rejection message to the terminal device, the RRC rejection message being used to reject the RRC establishment request of the terminal device; the RRC rejection message includes a reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending an NG establishment request message to a first network element in a network node to which the network device is connected, the NG establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an NG connection;

[0029] Receive the NG establishment response message sent by the first network element. The NG establishment response message includes the node information of the network node.

[0030] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0031] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending first indication information to a terminal device; wherein the first indication information is used to determine a first network node that the terminal device wants to access.

[0033] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network access method applied to a first network element in a network node, the method comprising:

[0034] Receive NG Establish Request messages sent by network devices. NG Establish Request messages are used to request the establishment of NG connections.

[0035] The NG establishment response message is sent to the network device. The NG establishment response message includes node information of the network node, which is used to indicate the type of the network node and / or the capabilities it supports.

[0036] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0037] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0038] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network access device applied to a terminal device, the device comprising:

[0039] The determination module is used to determine the first network node that the terminal device needs to access, based on the first indication information.

[0040] The selection module is used to select the first network device to be accessed, where the first network device is the network device connected to the first network node.

[0041] The connection module is used to establish a connection with the first network device.

[0042] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network access device applied to a network equipment, the device comprising:

[0043] The sending module is used to send a first message, which contains node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected;

[0044] And / or, a receiving module is used to receive an RRC establishment request message sent by a terminal device. The RRC establishment request message is used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the network device. The RRC establishment request message contains node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access; wherein, the node information is used to indicate the type of the network node and / or the supported capabilities.

[0045] Sixthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network access device applied to a first network element in a network node, the device comprising:

[0046] The receiving module is used to receive NG establishment request messages sent by network devices. NG establishment request messages are used to request the establishment of NG connections.

[0047] The sending module is used to send NG establishment response messages to network devices. The NG establishment response messages include node information of the network nodes, which is used to indicate the type of the network nodes and / or the capabilities they support.

[0048] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal device, including:

[0049] Memory, used to store computer programs;

[0050] A transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of a processor.

[0051] A processor is used to read computer programs from memory and perform the following operations:

[0052] Based on the first instruction information, determine the first network node that the terminal device needs to access;

[0053] Select the first network device to access, where the first network device is the network device connected to the first network node;

[0054] Establish a connection with the first network device.

[0055] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0056] Requirements for the type of network nodes of service terminal equipment;

[0057] Priority of network node types for service terminal devices;

[0058] Requirements for the network nodes of service terminal equipment;

[0059] Among them, the network node type priority is used to determine the type of network node that the terminal should prioritize accessing; the capability requirement is used to indicate the terminal device's requirement for the network node's support capabilities.

[0060] In some embodiments, the processor is specifically used for:

[0061] Receive a first message sent by at least one network device, the first message containing node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, the node information being used to indicate the type and / or supported capabilities of the network nodes;

[0062] Based on the first message, the first network device is identified from at least one network device.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities supported by one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

[0064] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: determine one or more network nodes connected to the network device based on a first mapping relationship and a first element and / or a second element; wherein the first mapping relationship is a mapping relationship between the first element and / or the second element and the network node.

[0065] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0066] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0067] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: send a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Establishment Request message to a first network device, the RRC Establishment Request message being used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the first network device, the RRC Establishment Request message containing node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

[0068] In some embodiments, the RRC establishment request message is sent upon receiving an RRC rejection message from the second network device. The RRC rejection message is used to reject the RRC establishment request from the terminal device. The RRC rejection message includes the reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

[0069] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: acquire first indication information; wherein the first indication information is sent by the network device to the terminal device, or the first indication information is pre-configured.

[0070] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device, including:

[0071] Memory, used to store computer programs;

[0072] A transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of a processor.

[0073] A processor is used to read computer programs from memory and perform the following operations:

[0074] Send the first message, which contains node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected;

[0075] And / or, receive an RRC establishment request message sent by the terminal device, the RRC establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the network device, the RRC establishment request message containing node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access; wherein, the node information is used to indicate the type of network node and / or the capabilities it supports.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

[0077] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: send an RRC rejection message to the terminal device, the RRC rejection message being used to reject the RRC establishment request of the terminal device; the RRC rejection message including a reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

[0078] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to:

[0079] Send an NG Establishment Request message to the first network element in the network node connected to the network device. The NG Establishment Request message is used to request the establishment of an NG connection.

[0080] Receive the NG establishment response message sent by the first network element. The NG establishment response message includes the node information of the network node.

[0081] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0082] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0083] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: send first indication information to the terminal device; wherein the first indication information is used to determine the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

[0084] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network element, which is a first network element in a network node, and the network element includes:

[0085] Memory, used to store computer programs;

[0086] A transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of a processor.

[0087] A processor is used to read computer programs from memory and perform the following operations:

[0088] Receive NG Establish Request messages sent by network devices. NG Establish Request messages are used to request the establishment of NG connections.

[0089] The NG establishment response message is sent to the network device. The NG establishment response message includes node information of the network node, which is used to indicate the type of the network node and / or the capabilities it supports.

[0090] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0091] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0092] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a non-transitory readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a processor to perform the method of any one of the first, second, or third aspects.

[0093] Eleventhly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product, including: a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method as described in any one of the first, second, or third aspects above.

[0094] In a twelfth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, including a terminal device according to a seventh aspect, a network device according to an eighth aspect, and a first network element according to a ninth aspect.

[0095] This disclosure provides a network access method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. A terminal device determines a first network node to access based on first instruction information, selects a first network device from among the network devices connected to the first network node, and establishes a connection with the first network device. In this embodiment, it can be ensured that after the terminal device accesses the first network device, the first network node connected to the first network device can provide services to the terminal device, avoiding situations where the network node accessed by the terminal device cannot meet the needs of the terminal device. This reduces the signaling process for the terminal device accessing the network, improves the efficiency of the terminal device accessing the network, ensures the service processing efficiency of the terminal device, and saves air interface resources.

[0096] It should be understood that the description in the foregoing summary section is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0097] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure or related technologies, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0098] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a 6G network provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0099] Figure 2a is an interactive schematic diagram of a network access method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0100] Figure 2b is a schematic diagram of the interaction of a network access method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0101] Figure 2c is an interactive schematic diagram of a network access method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0102] Figure 2d is an interactive schematic diagram of a network access method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0103] Figure 2e is a schematic diagram of the interaction of a network access method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0104] Figure 3a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network access device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0105] Figure 3b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network access device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0106] Figure 3c is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network access device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0107] Figure 4a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0108] Figure 4b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0109] Figure 4c is a schematic diagram of the structure of a node provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0110] In this disclosure, the term "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship. In this disclosure, the term "multiple" refers to two or more objects, and other quantifiers are similar.

[0111] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0112] The 6G architecture will be a new type of network architecture that integrates centralized control mobile communication networks with the open Internet, coexisting in a distributed manner. It needs to move beyond centralized control and gradually evolve towards a distributed architecture, extending more networks to the network edge and establishing distributed homogeneous micro-cloud units with different functional levels. Each micro-cloud unit is self-contained and has all the functions of complete control and data forwarding.

[0113] Here, the distributed network unit refers to a micro-cloud unit deployed at the network edge, or simply an edge network. Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the 6G network architecture provided in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, this architecture includes centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0114] The 6G architecture will be a new type of network architecture that integrates centralized control mobile communication networks with the open Internet, characterized by a coexistence of centralized and distributed systems. It needs to move beyond centralized control and gradually evolve towards a distributed architecture, extending more networks to the network edge and establishing distributed homogeneous micro-cloud units with different functional levels. Each micro-cloud unit is self-contained and possesses complete control and data forwarding functions.

[0115] Here, distributed network nodes are micro-cloud units deployed at the network edge, or edge networks.

[0116] It should be noted that the names of distributed network units are not limited in this embodiment. For example, in some embodiments, distributed network units may also be referred to as "distributed subnets," "subnets," "distributed networks," "distributed nodes," "distributed network nodes," etc., which are interchangeable. Furthermore, the terms "center" and "distributed" in this embodiment are relative and not strictly physical locations. The central network meets the needs of wide-area coverage and universal new service requirements such as intelligence and sensing; the distributed subnets mainly meet specific needs in various scenarios, including connectivity, intelligence, and sensing, such as localized access and customized subnets for enterprises (2B), satellite network access, and personalized subnets for personal services. The 6G network architecture is constructed through flexible, on-demand, and intelligent network design, presenting the connection relationships and network forms between various networks. The central network has relatively complete functions, and the distributed subnet follows the principle of simplicity. Based on the cooperation between the wireless access and the core network, and the interconnection between the central subnet and the distributed subnet, the 6G network evolves from two-dimensional to full-space three-dimensional coverage through high- and low-frequency cooperative access and air-space-ground integrated access networking. This meets the needs of ubiquitous 6G connectivity scenarios and provides 6G with green and sustainable ubiquitous access and co-construction and sharing infrastructure that is compatible with various industry ecosystems.

[0117] In current research on distributed networks, terminal devices can access distributed network nodes through access network devices, thereby using the services provided by the distributed network nodes.

[0118] However, the distributed network nodes accessed by the terminal device may fail to meet the terminal device's needs, causing the terminal device to re-initiate access. This increases the signaling process for the terminal device to access the network, reduces the efficiency of the terminal device's network access, and consequently reduces the terminal device's service processing efficiency. Furthermore, this process wastes air interface resources.

[0119] Specifically, in a distributed network architecture, the same Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) may contain centralized and distributed network nodes. Network nodes connected to different Radio Access Network (RAN) nodes may also be centralized or distributed. Terminal devices may need to perform multiple cell selections to find a RAN node that can connect to the target distributed network node, leading to increased access latency and wasted air interface resources.

[0120] For example, if a terminal device wants to connect to a distributed network node but connects to a RAN node that connects to a centralized network node, the centralized network node will reject the terminal device's connection request if it does not meet the terminal device's request or does not match the terminal device's needs. In this case, the terminal device needs to reselect the RAN node and network node and reconnect. This process will waste a lot of signaling resources and seriously affect the terminal device's service processing efficiency.

[0121] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure proposes a network access method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. A terminal device determines the first network node to which it needs to access based on first indication information, selects a first network device from among the network devices connected to the first network node, and establishes a connection with the first network device. In this embodiment, the first indication information accurately determines the first network node required by the terminal device, and the selection of the first network device connected to that first network node ensures that the first network node connected to the first network device can provide services to the terminal device after it accesses the first network device. This avoids situations where the network node accessed by the terminal device cannot meet its needs, thereby reducing the signaling process for the terminal device accessing the network, improving the efficiency of network access, ensuring the service processing efficiency of the terminal device, and saving air interface resources.

[0122] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure and how the technical solutions of this disclosure solve the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific examples. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0123] It should be noted that the terminal device involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, a handheld device with wireless connectivity, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. The name of the terminal device may differ in different systems; for example, in a 5G or 6G system, the terminal may be called User Equipment (UE). The wireless terminal may be a USB storage device, other personal computer memory devices, or a dongle. It may also communicate with one or more core networks (CNs) via a Radio Access Network (RAN). The wireless terminal may be a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone) and a computer with a mobile terminal, for example, a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile device that exchanges voice and / or data with the radio access network. Examples of such devices include Personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), personal computers, tablets, and Machine-type Communication (MTC) terminals. Wireless terminals can also be referred to as systems, subscriber units, subscriber stations, mobile stations, mobile devices, remote stations, access points, remote terminals, access terminals, user terminals, user agents, user devices, and wireless access devices and routers / modems that meet the limitations of this definition, but are not limited to these in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0124] The network device involved in this disclosure can be a base station, which may include multiple cells providing services to terminals. Depending on the specific application, the base station may also be called an access point, or a device in the access network that communicates with wireless terminal devices through one or more sectors on the air interface, or other names. The network device can be used to exchange received air frames with Internet Protocol (IP) packets, acting as a router between the wireless terminal device and the rest of the access network, where the rest of the access network may include an Internet Protocol (IP) communication network. The network device can also coordinate the attribute management of the air interface. For example, the network device involved in this disclosure can be an evolved Node B (eNB or e-NodeB) in a long term evolution (LTE) system, a 5G base station (gNB) in a next generation system, or a Home evolved Node B (HeNB), relay node, femto, pico, network testing equipment, etc., and is not limited in this disclosure. In some network architectures, network devices may include centralized unit (CU) nodes and distributed unit (DU) nodes, which may also be geographically separated.

[0125] The technical solutions provided in this disclosure can be applied to a variety of systems. For example, applicable systems may include Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems, 5G New Radio (NR) systems and their evolved communication systems, and 6G (sixth generation mobile communication technology) systems. These systems may include terminals and network equipment. The systems may also include a core network component, such as the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or the 5G Core Network (5GC).

[0126] It should be noted that the methods and apparatus provided in the embodiments of this disclosure are based on the same application concept. Since the methods and apparatus solve problems in similar principles, the implementation of the apparatus and methods can refer to each other, and repeated parts will not be described again.

[0127] Figure 2a is an interactive schematic diagram of a network access method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2a, the network access method includes the following steps:

[0128] S211. The terminal device determines the first network node to which it needs to access based on the first instruction information.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first indication information may be a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) indication.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first indication information may be sent by the network device to the terminal device. For example, the core network may generate the NAS indication based on operator configurations or policies; in some embodiments, the core network may send the NAS indication to the network device, which in turn sends it to the terminal device. For instance, the network device may encapsulate the NAS indication in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message and send it to the terminal device. The network device may be any network device that has established an RRC connection with the terminal device.

[0131] In some embodiments, the first indication information may also be pre-configured. For example, the first indication information may be pre-configured on the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card of the terminal device. Alternatively, the first indication information may be configured or updated in the firmware or software of the terminal device.

[0132] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the access layer (AS) of the terminal device can determine the first network node to be accessed based on the NAS indication.

[0133] In some embodiments, the types of network nodes include at least one of the following:

[0134] Centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0136] 1. Requirements for the type of network node serving the terminal device; that is, the first indication information indicates the type of network node that the terminal device needs to access.

[0137] 2. The type priority of the network nodes serving the terminal device; wherein, the type priority of the network nodes is used to indicate the type of network node that the terminal prefers to access. For example, the first indication information indicates that the terminal device prefers to access a centralized network node, or the first indication information indicates that the terminal device prefers to access a distributed network node;

[0138] 3. Capability requirements of the network nodes serving the terminal device; wherein, the capability requirements are used to indicate the terminal device's requirements for the network node's support capabilities, that is, the first indication information indicates the capabilities supported by the network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

[0139] The network nodes support at least one of the following capabilities:

[0140] Artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, perception capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0141] For example, the first instruction information instructs the terminal device to connect to a network node with AI capabilities, or the first instruction information instructs the terminal device to connect to a network node with both AI and data capabilities.

[0142] S212. The terminal device selects the first network device to access.

[0143] The first network device is the network device that connects to the first network node.

[0144] In other words, after identifying the first network node, the terminal device determines the network device connected to that first network node as the first network device. When multiple network devices are connected to the first network node, the first network device can be randomly selected from among the multiple network devices, or the network device with the highest priority or the best signal quality can be selected as the first network device.

[0145] S213. The terminal device establishes a connection with the first network device.

[0146] In some embodiments, the terminal device may initiate random access to the first network device to establish a connection with the first network device.

[0147] Specifically, the terminal device can initiate an RRC establishment request to the first network device to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the first network device; correspondingly, the first network device can return an RRC establishment response to the terminal device based on the RRC establishment request to indicate that the establishment of an RRC connection with the terminal device is permitted; in some embodiments, after the terminal device receives the RRC establishment response from the first network device, it establishes an RRC connection with the terminal device and sends an RRC establishment completion indication to the first network device after the RRC establishment is completed.

[0148] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first network node required by the terminal device can be accurately determined through the first indication information. Then, the first network device connected to the first network node can be selected based on the first network node. This can ensure that after the terminal device accesses the first network device, the first network node connected to the first network device can provide services to the terminal device. This avoids the situation where the network node accessed by the terminal device cannot meet the needs of the terminal device, thereby reducing the signaling process of the terminal device accessing the network, improving the efficiency of the terminal device accessing the network, ensuring the service processing efficiency of the terminal device, and saving air interface resources.

[0149] Figure 2b is a schematic diagram of the interaction of a network access method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2b, the network access method includes the following steps:

[0150] S221. The terminal device determines the first network node to which it needs to access based on the first instruction information.

[0151] It should be noted that the implementation of step S221 can refer to step S211 in the embodiment shown in Figure 2a above, and will not be repeated here.

[0152] S222, The network device sends the first message.

[0153] In some embodiments, the number of network devices can be one or more.

[0154] In some embodiments, the first message may be a broadcast message.

[0155] In some embodiments, the first message includes node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected. The node information is used to indicate the type and / or supported capabilities of the network nodes.

[0156] That is, in this embodiment of the disclosure, one or more network devices may send broadcast messages and carry in the broadcast messages the node information of the network nodes to which each network device is connected, thereby indicating the type and / or supported capabilities of the network nodes to which each network device is connected through the node information.

[0157] In some embodiments, different elements can also be used to indicate the node information of network nodes. Specifically, the first message includes a first element and / or a second element; wherein the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes connected to the network device, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities supported by one or more network nodes connected to the network device. For example, if the value of the first element in the first message of any network device (such as network device 1) is 1, it can indicate that the network node connected to network device 1 is a distributed network node; if the value of the first element in the first message of network device 1 is 0, it can indicate that the network node connected to network device 1 is a centralized network node; similarly, if the value of the second element in the first message of network device 1 is 'a', it indicates that the network node connected to network device 1 supports a first capability; if the value of the second element in the first message of network device 1 is 'b', it indicates that the network node connected to network device 1 supports a second capability…

[0158] In this context, a network device can indicate multiple capabilities it supports by carrying multiple second elements. For example, when the second elements of network device 1 are a and b, it indicates that network device 1 supports a first capability and a second capability.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first element or the second element may be an information element (IE) identifier.

[0160] In some embodiments, the name of an "element" is not limited; for example, "element" can be interchanged with terms such as "value," "cell," and "identifier."

[0161] In some embodiments, the terminal device may store information such as the type of network node and / or the capabilities supported by the network node, as well as a first mapping relationship between the first element and / or the second element in the first information, on a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card or Mobile Equipment (ME), so that the terminal device can determine the information of the network node to which the network device is connected based on the first information of the network device.

[0162] Specifically, the terminal device is also used to determine one or more network nodes connected to the network device based on the first mapping relationship and the first element and / or the second element. The first mapping relationship is the mapping relationship between the first element and / or the second element and the network node.

[0163] For example, the first mapping relationship is as follows:

[0164] The first element corresponding to network node 1 is 1 and / or the second element is a. (That is, when the first element indicated in the first message is 1 and / or the second element is a, it means that the network node connected to the network device that sent the first message is network node 1.)

[0165] The first element corresponding to network node 2 is 2 and / or the second element is b. (That is, when the first element indicated in the first message is 2 and / or the second element is b, it means that the network node connected to the network device that sent the first message is network node 2)...

[0166] S223. Based on the first message, determine the first network device from at least one network device.

[0167] Specifically, after determining the network node connected to each network device based on the first message, the network device that accesses the first network node is identified from among the network devices as the first network device.

[0168] For example, taking the network node accessed by network device 1 as network node 1 and the network node accessed by network device 2 as network node 2, in the above step S221, if the network node determined by the terminal device is network node 2, then the first network device can be determined as network node 2.

[0169] S224. The terminal device establishes a connection with the first network device.

[0170] It should be noted that the implementation of step S224 can refer to step S213 in the embodiment shown in Figure 2a above, and will not be repeated here.

[0171] In this embodiment of the disclosure, by indicating the node information of the network node to which the network device is connected in the first message, the terminal device can more accurately identify the first network device, ensuring that after the terminal device accesses the first network device, the first network node connected to the first network device can provide services to the terminal device, avoiding the situation where the network node accessed by the terminal device cannot meet the needs of the terminal device, thereby reducing the signaling process of the terminal device accessing the network, improving the efficiency of the terminal device accessing the network, ensuring the service processing efficiency of the terminal device, and saving air interface resources.

[0172] Figure 2c is a schematic diagram of the interaction of a network access method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2c, the network access method includes the following steps:

[0173] S231. The terminal device determines the first network node to which it needs to access based on the first instruction information.

[0174] It should be noted that the implementation of step S231 can refer to step S211 in the embodiment shown in Figure 2a above, and will not be repeated here.

[0175] S232, The network device sends the first message.

[0176] In some embodiments, the number of network devices can be one or more. For example, network devices may include network device 1, network device 2, etc.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first message may be a broadcast message.

[0178] It should be noted that the difference between the embodiment shown in Figure 2c and the embodiment shown in Figure 2b is that the first message in step S232 of this embodiment does not carry node information of the network node to which the network device is connected, nor does it carry the first element and / or the second element.

[0179] S233, The terminal device initiates random access to network device 1.

[0180] Among them, network device 1 is any one of one or more network devices; or network device 1 is the network device with the highest priority or the best signal quality among one or more network devices.

[0181] S234. The terminal device sends a Radio Resource Control (RRC) establishment request message to network device 1.

[0182] In some embodiments, the RRC establishment request message is used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with network device 1. The RRC establishment request message contains node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

[0183] For details regarding the node information of the network nodes, please refer to the relevant content of the embodiment shown in Figure 2a, which will not be repeated here.

[0184] S235. Network device 1 determines whether network device 1 meets the access requirements of the terminal device.

[0185] Specifically, network device 1 determines whether the network node connected to network device 1 matches the node information of the first network node to which the terminal device requests access.

[0186] For example, taking network node 1 as the network node accessed by network device 1, in step S235, network device 1 can determine whether network node 1 meets the node information of the first network node. For example, it can determine whether network node 1 is the node type indicated in the node information, or determine whether network node 1 has the capability requirements indicated in the node information.

[0187] S236. When network device 1 determines that the access requirements of the terminal device are not met, it sends an RRC rejection message to the terminal device.

[0188] In some embodiments, the RRC rejection message is used to reject the RRC establishment request of the terminal device; the RRC rejection message includes the reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

[0189] In some embodiments, the reasons for rejection include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0190] Network device 1 cannot connect to the first network node;

[0191] Network device 1 does not support connection to centralized network nodes and / or distributed network nodes.

[0192] In some embodiments, if network device 1 can obtain the network nodes connected to by other network devices (e.g., neighboring network devices), network device 1 can indicate the network device information for accessing the first network node to the terminal device. Network device 1 can carry this network device information in the RRC rejection message.

[0193] In some embodiments, if network device 1 determines that the access requirements of the terminal device are met, the network device may send an RRC establishment response to the terminal device to indicate that an RRC connection with the terminal device is allowed. Accordingly, the terminal device establishes an RRC connection with network device 1 and sends an RRC establishment completion indication to the first network device after the RRC establishment is completed.

[0194] S237. After receiving the RRC rejection message, the terminal device sends a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Establishment Request message to the network device 2.

[0195] In some embodiments, network device 2 may be determined by the terminal device based on network device information indicated by network device 1; or, network device 2 may be randomly determined by the terminal device from among a plurality of network devices that send the first message; or, network device 2 may be the network device with the highest priority or the best signal quality among the plurality of network devices that send the first message.

[0196] S238. Network device 2 determines whether network device 2 meets the access requirements of the terminal device.

[0197] S239. When network device 2 determines that the access requirements of the terminal device are met, it establishes an RRC connection with the terminal device.

[0198] In some embodiments, when the network device 2 determines that the access requirements of the terminal device are not met, it sends an RRC rejection message to the terminal device.

[0199] In some embodiments, the RRC rejection message is used to reject the RRC establishment request of the terminal device; the RRC rejection message includes the reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

[0200] It should be noted that the implementation of steps S237-S239 can refer to the solution of network device 1 in steps S234-S236 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0201] In some embodiments, when network device 2 does not meet the access requirements of the terminal device, other network devices can be further determined from the multiple network devices that sent the first message to determine whether they meet the requirements, in the manner of selecting network device 2, until a network device that can meet the requirements of the terminal device is determined as the first network device.

[0202] In this embodiment, the terminal device indicates the node information of the first network node in the RRC connection request message, and the network device determines whether it meets the needs of the terminal device. This eliminates the need for the terminal device to select the first network device, reducing the data processing pressure on the terminal device. At the same time, it ensures that after the terminal device connects to the first network device, the first network node connected to the first network device can provide services to the terminal device, avoiding situations where the network node connected to the terminal device cannot meet the needs of the terminal device. This reduces the signaling process for the terminal device to access the network, improves the efficiency of the terminal device to access the network, ensures the service processing efficiency of the terminal device, and saves air interface resources.

[0203] Figure 2d is a schematic diagram of the interaction of a network access method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2d, the network access method includes the following steps:

[0204] S241. The terminal device determines the first network node to be accessed based on the first instruction information.

[0205] S242, The network device sends the first message.

[0206] In some embodiments, the first message includes node information of a plurality of network nodes to which the network device is connected, the node information being used to indicate the type and / or supported capabilities of the network nodes.

[0207] In some embodiments, the first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities supported by one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

[0208] Correspondingly, the terminal device can also determine one or more network nodes connected to the network device based on the first mapping relationship and the first element and / or the second element; wherein, the first mapping relationship is the mapping relationship between the first element and / or the second element and the network node.

[0209] S243. Based on the first message, determine the first network device from at least one network device.

[0210] It should be noted that the implementation of steps S241-S243 can refer to the scheme of steps S221-S223 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0211] S244. The terminal device initiates random access to the first network device.

[0212] S245. The terminal device sends a Radio Resource Control (RRC) establishment request message to the first network device.

[0213] In some embodiments, the RRC establishment request message is used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the first network device. The RRC establishment request message contains node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

[0214] S246. The first network device selects a network node to serve the terminal device based on the node information of the first network node.

[0215] In some embodiments, the first network device connects to multiple network nodes. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the first network node from among the multiple network nodes connected to it. For example, the first network device connects to both centralized and distributed network nodes. The first network node can select the first network device from the centralized and distributed network nodes based on the node information sent by the terminal device.

[0216] S247. The first network device and the terminal device establish an RRC connection.

[0217] It should be noted that the implementation of step S224 can refer to step S213 in the embodiment shown in Figure 2a above, and will not be repeated here.

[0218] In this embodiment of the disclosure, when the first network device connects to multiple network nodes, the first network device selects the first network node to provide services to the terminal device. This ensures that after the terminal device connects to the first network device, the first network node can provide services to the terminal device and meet the needs of the terminal device. This avoids multiple access processes, reduces the signaling process for the terminal device to access the network, improves the efficiency of the terminal device to access the network, ensures the service processing efficiency of the terminal device, and saves air interface resources.

[0219] Figure 2e is a schematic diagram of an interaction of a network access method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2e, the network access method includes the following steps:

[0220] S251. The network device sends an NG establishment request message to the first network element in the network node to which the network device is connected.

[0221] In some embodiments, the Next Generation (NG) Application Protocol Establishment Request message is used to request the establishment of an NG connection.

[0222] In some embodiments, the first network element may be a network element used to process control signaling related to user access and mobility, such as an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) network element.

[0223] S252. The first network element sends an NG establishment response message to the network device.

[0224] In some embodiments, the NG establishment response message includes node information of the network node.

[0225] In this embodiment of the disclosure, by carrying the node information of the network node in the NG establishment response message, the network device can know the node information of the network node it is connected to, thereby assisting the terminal device to accurately connect to the first network device.

[0226] Figure 3a is a schematic diagram of a network access device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. This network access device is applied to a terminal device. As shown in Figure 3a, the network access device 310 includes:

[0227] The determining module 311 is used to determine the first network node to be accessed by the terminal device based on the first indication information;

[0228] Selection module 312 is used to select the first network device to be accessed, the first network device being the network device connected to the first network node;

[0229] Connection module 313 is used to establish a connection with the first network device.

[0230] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0231] Requirements for the type of network nodes of service terminal equipment;

[0232] Priority of network node types for service terminal devices;

[0233] The capability requirements of network nodes for service terminal devices; where the network node type priority is used to determine the type of network node that the terminal should preferentially access.

[0234] In some embodiments, the selection module 312 is specifically configured to: receive a first message sent by at least one network device, the first message containing node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, the node information being used to indicate the type and / or supported capabilities of the network nodes;

[0235] Based on the first message, the first network device is identified from at least one network device.

[0236] In some embodiments, the first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities supported by one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

[0237] In some embodiments, the determining module 311 is further configured to: determine one or more network nodes connected to the network device based on the first mapping relationship and the first element and / or the second element; the first mapping relationship is the mapping relationship between the first element and / or the second element and the network node.

[0238] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0239] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0240] In some embodiments, the network access device 310 further includes: a sending module 314, configured to send a Radio Resource Control (RRC) establishment request message to a first network device, the RRC establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the first network device, the RRC establishment request message containing node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

[0241] In some embodiments, the RRC establishment request message is sent upon receiving an RRC rejection message from the second network device. The RRC rejection message is used to reject the RRC establishment request from the terminal device. The RRC rejection message includes the reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

[0242] In some embodiments, the determining module 311 is further configured to: obtain the first indication information; wherein the first indication information is sent by the network device to the terminal device, or the first indication information is pre-configured.

[0243] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in this embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented by the terminal device in the above method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Therefore, the parts and beneficial effects that are the same as those in the method embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0244] Figure 3b is a schematic diagram of a network access device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. This network access device is applied to a network device. As shown in Figure 3b, the network access device 320 includes:

[0245] The sending module 321 is used to send a first message, which contains node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected;

[0246] And / or, receiving module 322 is used to receive an RRC establishment request message sent by the terminal device. The RRC establishment request message is used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the network device. The RRC establishment request message contains node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access; wherein, the node information is used to indicate the type of the network node and / or the supported capabilities.

[0247] In some embodiments, the first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

[0248] In some embodiments, the sending module 321 is further configured to: send an RRC rejection message to the terminal device, the RRC rejection message being used to reject the RRC establishment request of the terminal device; the RRC rejection message includes a reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

[0249] In some embodiments, the sending module 321 is further configured to: send an NG establishment request message to a first network element in the network node connected to the network device, the NG establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an NG connection;

[0250] The receiving module 322 is also used to: receive the NG establishment response message sent by the first network element, wherein the NG establishment response message includes the node information of the network node.

[0251] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0252] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0253] In some embodiments, the sending module 321 is further configured to: send first indication information to the terminal device; wherein the first indication information is used to determine the first network node that the terminal device wants to access.

[0254] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in this embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented by the network device in the method embodiment and achieve the same technical effect. Therefore, the parts and beneficial effects that are the same as those in the method embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0255] Figure 3c is a schematic diagram of a network access device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The network access device is applied to a first network element in a network node. As shown in Figure 3c, the network access device 330 includes:

[0256] The receiving module 331 is used to receive an NG establishment request message sent by the network device. The NG establishment request message is used to request the establishment of an NG connection.

[0257] The sending module 332 is used to send an NG establishment response message to the network device. The NG establishment response message includes node information of the network node, which is used to indicate the type of the network node and / or the supported capabilities.

[0258] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0259] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0260] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in this embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented by the first network element in the network node in the above method embodiment, and can achieve the same technical effect. Therefore, the parts and beneficial effects that are the same as those in the method embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0261] Figure 4a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4a, the terminal provided in this embodiment includes:

[0262] Transceiver 411 is used to send and receive data under the control of processor 412;

[0263] Memory 413 is used to store computer programs;

[0264] In Figure 4a, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically linking various circuits of one or more processors represented by processor 412 and memory represented by memory 413. The bus architecture may also link various other circuits, such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 411 may be multiple elements, including a transmitter and a receiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium, including wireless channels, wired channels, optical fibers, etc. Processor 412 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and memory 413 may store data used by processor 412 during operation.

[0265] The processor 412 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 413 can store the data used by the processor 412 when performing operations.

[0266] In some embodiments, the processor 412 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and the processor may also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0267] The processor 412 executes any of the methods related to the UPF provided in this disclosure embodiment according to the obtained executable instructions by calling a computer program stored in the memory 413. The processor and the memory may also be physically separated.

[0268] Specifically, processor 412 is used to read computer programs from memory and perform the following operations:

[0269] Based on the first instruction information, determine the first network node that the terminal device needs to access;

[0270] Select the first network device to access, where the first network device is the network device connected to the first network node;

[0271] Establish a connection with the first network device.

[0272] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0273] Requirements for the type of network nodes of service terminal equipment;

[0274] Priority of network node types for service terminal devices;

[0275] The capability requirements of network nodes for service terminal devices; where the network node type priority is used to determine the type of network node that the terminal should preferentially access.

[0276] In some embodiments, the processor is specifically used for:

[0277] Receive a first message sent by at least one network device, the first message containing node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, the node information being used to indicate the type and / or supported capabilities of the network nodes;

[0278] Based on the first message, the first network device is identified from at least one network device.

[0279] In some embodiments, the first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities supported by one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

[0280] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: determine one or more network nodes connected to the network device based on a first mapping relationship and a first element and / or a second element; the first mapping relationship is the mapping relationship between the first element and / or the second element and the network node.

[0281] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0282] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0283] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: send a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Establishment Request message to a first network device, the RRC Establishment Request message being used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the first network device, the RRC Establishment Request message containing node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

[0284] In some embodiments, the RRC establishment request message is sent upon receiving an RRC rejection message from the second network device. The RRC rejection message is used to reject the RRC establishment request from the terminal device. The RRC rejection message includes the reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

[0285] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: acquire first indication information; wherein the first indication information is sent by the network device to the terminal device, or the first indication information is pre-configured.

[0286] It should be noted that the terminal device provided in this disclosure can implement all the method steps implemented by the terminal device in the above method embodiments and can achieve the same technical effect. Therefore, the parts and beneficial effects that are the same as those in the method embodiments will not be described in detail here.

[0287] Figure 4b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4b, the network device provided in this embodiment includes:

[0288] Transceiver 421 is used to send and receive data under the control of processor 422;

[0289] Memory 423 is used to store computer programs;

[0290] In Figure 4a, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically linking various circuits of one or more processors represented by processor 422 and memory represented by memory 423. The bus architecture may also link various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 421 may be multiple elements, including a transmitter and a receiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium, including wireless channels, wired channels, optical fibers, etc. Processor 422 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and memory 423 may store data used by processor 422 during operation.

[0291] The processor 422 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, while the memory 423 can store the data used by the processor 422 when performing operations.

[0292] In some embodiments, the processor 422 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and the processor may also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0293] The processor 422 executes any of the methods related to the UPF provided in this disclosure embodiment according to the obtained executable instructions by calling a computer program stored in the memory 423. The processor and the memory may also be physically separated.

[0294] Specifically, processor 422 is used to read computer programs from memory and perform the following operations:

[0295] Send the first message, which contains node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected;

[0296] And / or, receive an RRC establishment request message sent by the terminal device, the RRC establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the network device, the RRC establishment request message containing node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access; wherein, the node information is used to indicate the type of network node and / or the capabilities it supports.

[0297] In some embodiments, the first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

[0298] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: send an RRC rejection message to the terminal device, the RRC rejection message being used to reject the RRC establishment request of the terminal device; the RRC rejection message including a reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

[0299] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: send an NG establishment request message to a first network element in a network node to which the network device is connected, the NG establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an NG connection;

[0300] Receive the NG establishment response message sent by the first network element. The NG establishment response message includes the node information of the network node.

[0301] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0302] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0303] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: send first indication information to the terminal device; wherein the first indication information is used to determine the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

[0304] It should be noted that the network device provided in this disclosure can implement all the method steps implemented by the network device in the above method embodiments and can achieve the same technical effect. Therefore, the parts and beneficial effects that are the same as those in the method embodiments will not be described in detail here.

[0305] Figure 4c is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network element provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4c, the network element provided in this embodiment includes:

[0306] Transceiver 431 is used to send and receive data under the control of processor 432;

[0307] Memory 433 is used to store computer programs;

[0308] In Figure 4a, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically linking various circuits of one or more processors represented by processor 432 and memory represented by memory 433. The bus architecture may also link various other circuits, such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 431 may be multiple elements, including a transmitter and a receiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium, including wireless channels, wired channels, optical fibers, etc. Processor 432 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and memory 433 may store data used by processor 432 during operation.

[0309] Processor 432 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, while memory 433 can store the data used by processor 432 when performing operations.

[0310] In some embodiments, the processor 432 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and the processor may also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0311] The processor 432 executes any of the methods related to the UPF provided in this disclosure embodiment according to the obtained executable instructions by calling a computer program stored in the memory 433. The processor and the memory may also be physically separated.

[0312] Specifically, processor 432 is used to read computer programs from memory and perform the following operations:

[0313] Receive NG Establish Request messages sent by network devices. NG Establish Request messages are used to request the establishment of NG connections.

[0314] The NG establishment response message is sent to the network device. The NG establishment response message includes node information of the network node, which is used to indicate the type of the network node and / or the capabilities it supports.

[0315] In some embodiments, the capabilities supported by the network node include at least one of the following: AI capabilities, sensing capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities;

[0316] The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

[0317] It should be noted that the network element provided in this disclosure can implement all the method steps implemented by the first network element in the above method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Therefore, the parts and beneficial effects that are the same as those in the method embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0318] This disclosure also provides a non-transient readable storage medium storing a computer program. The computer program is used to cause a processor to execute any of the methods provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, enabling the processor to implement all the method steps implemented by any of the terminal devices, network devices, and first network elements in the above method implementation, and to achieve the same technical effect. Here, the parts that are the same as those in the method embodiments and the beneficial effects will not be described again.

[0319] The non-transiently readable storage medium can be any available medium or data storage device that the processor can access, including but not limited to magnetic memory (such as floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, magneto-optical disks (MOs), etc.), optical memory (such as CDs, DVDs, BDs, HVDs, etc.), and semiconductor memory (such as ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, non-volatile memory (NAND FLASH), solid-state drives (SSDs)).

[0320] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this disclosure can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this disclosure can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this disclosure can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage and optical storage) containing computer-usable program code.

[0321] This disclosure is described with reference to signaling interaction diagrams and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus, and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the signaling interaction diagrams and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the signaling interaction diagrams and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-executable instructions. These computer-executable instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the signaling interaction diagrams and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0322] These processor-executable instructions may also be stored in a processor-readable memory that can instruct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the processor-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flow diagrams and / or one or more blocks in a block diagram.

[0323] These processor-executable instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flow diagrams and / or one or more blocks in a block diagram.

[0324] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this disclosure without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this disclosure and their equivalents, this disclosure is also intended to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A network access method, wherein, Applied to a terminal device, the method includes: Based on the first instruction information, the first network node to which the terminal device needs to access is determined; The first network device to be accessed is the network device connected to the first network node. Establish a connection with the first network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: Requirements for the type of network nodes serving the terminal devices; The type priority of the network nodes serving the terminal device; The capability requirements of the network nodes serving the terminal devices; The network node type priority is used to indicate the type of network node that the terminal prefers to access; the capability requirement is used to indicate the terminal device's requirement for the network node's support capabilities.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The first network device selected for access includes: Receive a first message sent by at least one network device, the first message containing node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, the node information being used to indicate the type and / or supported capabilities of the network nodes; Based on the first message, the first network device is determined from the at least one network device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities supported by one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The method further includes: Based on the first mapping relationship, and the first element and / or the second element, determine one or more network nodes connected to the network device; The first mapping relationship is the mapping relationship between the first element and / or the second element and the network node.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The network node supports at least one of the following capabilities: Artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, including perception, computing, or data capabilities. The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, Also includes: A Radio Resource Control (RRC) Establishment Request message is sent to the first network device. The RRC Establishment Request message is used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the first network device. The RRC Establishment Request message contains node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The RRC establishment request message is sent upon receiving an RRC rejection message from the second network device, and the RRC rejection message is used to reject the RRC establishment request from the terminal device. The RRC rejection message includes the reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, Also includes: Obtain the first indication information; wherein the first indication information is sent by the network device to the terminal device, or the first indication information is pre-configured.

10. A network access method, wherein, Applied to network devices, the method includes: Send a first message, the first message containing node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected; And / or, receive an RRC establishment request message sent by the terminal device, the RRC establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the network device, the RRC establishment request message containing node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access; The node information is used to indicate the type of network node and / or the capabilities it supports.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The first message contains a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, After receiving the RRC establishment request message sent by the terminal device, the method further includes: sending an RRC rejection message to the terminal device, wherein the RRC rejection message is used to reject the RRC establishment request of the terminal device; the RRC rejection message includes a reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein, Also includes: Send a Next Generation Application Protocol (NG) Establishment Request Message to the first network element in the network node connected to the network device. The NG Establishment Request Message is used to request the establishment of an NG connection. The network node receives an NG establishment response message sent by the first network element, the NG establishment response message including the node information of the network node.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10-13, wherein, The network node supports at least one of the following capabilities: AI capabilities, perception capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities; The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10-13, wherein, Also includes: Send a first indication message to the terminal device; wherein the first indication message is used to determine the first network node that the terminal device wants to access.

16. A network access method, wherein, The method, applied to a first network element in a network node, includes: Receive an NG establishment request message sent by a network device, the NG establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an NG connection; An NG establishment response message is sent to the network device, the NG establishment response message including node information of the network node, the node information being used to indicate the type of the network node and / or the capabilities it supports.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The network node supports at least one of the following capabilities: AI capabilities, perception capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities; The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

18. A terminal device, wherein, include: Memory, used to store computer programs; A transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of a processor. Processor, configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: Based on the first instruction information, the first network node to which the terminal device needs to access is determined; The first network device to be accessed is the network device connected to the first network node. Establish a connection with the first network device.

19. The terminal device according to claim 18, wherein, The first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: Requirements for the type of network nodes serving the terminal devices; The type priority of the network nodes serving the terminal device; The capability requirements of the network nodes serving the terminal device; wherein, the type priority of the network nodes is used to indicate the type of network nodes that the terminal prefers to access; the capability requirements are used to indicate the terminal's requirements for the network node's support capabilities.

20. The terminal device according to claim 19, wherein, The processor is specifically used for: Receive a first message sent by at least one network device, the first message containing node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, the node information being used to indicate the type and / or supported capabilities of the network nodes; Based on the first message, the first network device is determined from the at least one network device.

21. The terminal device according to claim 20, wherein, The first message includes a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities supported by one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

22. The terminal device according to claim 21, wherein, The processor is also used for: Based on the first mapping relationship, and the first element and / or the second element, determine one or more network nodes connected to the network device; the first mapping relationship is the mapping relationship between the first element and / or the second element and the network node.

23. The terminal device according to claim 20, wherein, The network node supports at least one of the following capabilities: AI capabilities, perception capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities; The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

24. The terminal device according to any one of claims 18-23, wherein, The processor is also used for: A Radio Resource Control (RRC) Establishment Request message is sent to the first network device. The RRC Establishment Request message is used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the first network device. The RRC Establishment Request message contains node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access.

25. The terminal device according to claim 24, wherein, The RRC establishment request message is sent upon receiving an RRC rejection message from the second network device. The RRC rejection message is used to reject the RRC establishment request from the terminal device. The RRC rejection message includes a reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

26. The terminal device according to any one of claims 18-23, wherein, The processor is also used for: Obtain the first indication information; wherein the first indication information is sent by the network device to the terminal device, or the first indication information is pre-configured.

27. A network device, wherein, include: Memory, used to store computer programs; A transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of a processor. Processor, configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: Send a first message, the first message containing node information of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected; And / or, receive an RRC establishment request message sent by the terminal device, the RRC establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an RRC connection with the network device, the RRC establishment request message containing node information of the first network node to which the terminal device wants to access; The node information is used to indicate the type of network node and / or the capabilities it supports.

28. The network device according to claim 27, wherein, The first message contains a first element and / or a second element; the first element is used to indicate the type of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected, and the second element is used to indicate the capabilities of one or more network nodes to which the network device is connected.

29. The network device according to claim 27, wherein, The processor is also used for: An RRC rejection message is sent to the terminal device, the RRC rejection message being used to reject the RRC establishment request of the terminal device; the RRC rejection message includes a reason for rejecting the RRC establishment request.

30. The network device according to claim 28, wherein, The processor is also used for: Send an NG establishment request message to the first network element in the network node connected to the network device. The NG establishment request message is used to request the establishment of an NG connection. The network node receives an NG establishment response message sent by the first network element, the NG establishment response message including the node information of the network node.

31. The network device according to any one of claims 27-30, wherein, The network node supports at least one of the following capabilities: AI capabilities, perception capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities; The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

32. The network device according to any one of claims 27-30, wherein, The processor is also used for: Send a first indication message to the terminal device; wherein the first indication message is used to determine the first network node that the terminal device wants to access.

33. A network element, wherein, The network element is the first network element in the network node, and the network element includes: Memory, used to store computer programs; A transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of a processor. Processor, configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: Receive an NG establishment request message sent by a network device, the NG establishment request message being used to request the establishment of an NG connection; An NG establishment response message is sent to the network device, the NG establishment response message including node information of the network node, the node information being used to indicate the type of the network node and / or the capabilities it supports.

34. The network element according to claim 33, wherein, The network node supports at least one of the following capabilities: AI capabilities, perception capabilities, computing capabilities, or data capabilities; The types of network nodes include at least one of the following: centralized network nodes and distributed network nodes.

35. A non-transitory readable storage medium, wherein, The non-transiently readable storage medium stores a computer program that causes a processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1-9, or the method of any one of claims 10-15, or the method of any one of claims 16-17.

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