Wireless communication method and wireless communication device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a wireless communication method, which is performed on a plurality of nodes. The method comprises: on the basis of a characteristic that different data-requesting nodes have an identical data requirement, a data source, when sending identical data to a plurality of data requesters, can send identical requested data to different data requesters by means of a single transmission, and a transmission path is kept along a common path as much as possible or has only a small number of branched paths. Thus, the data source does not need to perform multiple repeated transmissions, thereby reducing link overhead.

Description

Wireless communication methods and wireless communication devices Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication, and more particularly to a wireless communication method and a wireless communication device. Background Technology

[0002] In existing and future mobile communication networks, more network elements or nodes need to support the collection and transmission of AI and ISAC-related data, and data transmission requires low latency (end-to-end within 20ms), large data packets (up to 240MB), or high speed under specific tasks. Furthermore, in some scenarios, AI or sensing data from nodes in the mobile network may need to be repeatedly provided to different nodes in the network, and common transmission paths may exist for different destination nodes. It is necessary to reduce redundant data transmission on common links (especially over the air interface) and network-side signaling overhead. Therefore, a wireless communication method and wireless communication device are needed to improve existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the embodiments of this disclosure is to provide a wireless communication method in view of the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, so as to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for wireless communication is provided, performed at a data source node, the method comprising:

[0005] Send a session establishment request and / or information related to data transmission, wherein the session establishment request includes at least one of the following: data type, data purpose, data format, data size, task type, data sharing, or forwarding data extraction.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for wireless communication is provided, performed at an intermediate forwarding node, the method comprising:

[0007] The system receives information related to data transmission, which originates from a data source node or a session management function node. This information is then processed by intermediate forwarding nodes.

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for wireless communication is provided, performed on a session management function node, the method comprising:

[0009] Receive session establishment requests and / or requests that require forwarding data extraction;

[0010] Based on the session establishment request and / or the request for data extraction, determine the decision to extract data and / or to copy and forward the data.

[0011] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for wireless communication is provided, performed on a data management node, the method comprising:

[0012] Receive several data requests;

[0013] Based on the aforementioned data requests, determine whether there are any public data requests.

[0014] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for wireless communication is provided, performed at a forwarding node at a fork, the method comprising:

[0015] Perform data replication and forwarding.

[0016] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a wireless communication device is provided, including a processor and a memory for storing a computer program, the processor for calling and running the computer program stored in the memory to perform steps in the data processing method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0017] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program that is invoked and executed by a processor to perform any of the methods described above. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure or related technologies, the following figures will be briefly described in the embodiments. Obviously, the figures are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other figures based on these figures without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of the wireless communication system architecture provided in this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 2-3 illustrates a schematic diagram of the data transmission scenario provided in this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart of the wireless communication method provided in this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 5 illustrates a flowchart of the data reporting decision-making process provided in this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 6-21 illustrates schematic diagrams of data communication in various scenarios provided in this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 22 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a wireless communication system provided in this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, outlining technical aspects, structural features, objectives, and effects, as described below. Specifically, the terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure.

[0026] In this disclosure, “A or B” may mean “A only”, “B only”, or “both A and B”.

[0027] In other words, in this disclosure, “A or B” can be interpreted as “A and / or B”. For example, in this disclosure, “A, B or C” can mean “A only”, “B only”, “C only” or “any combination of A, B, and C”.

[0028] The forward slash ( / ) or comma used in this disclosure can mean "and / or". For example, "A / B" can mean "A and / or B". Therefore, "A / B" can mean "A only", "B only", or "both A and B". For example, "A, B, C" can mean "A, B, or C".

[0029] In this disclosure, "at least one of A and B" may mean "only A", "only B" or "both A and B". Furthermore, in this disclosure, the expression "at least one of A or B" or "at least one of A and / or B" may be interpreted as "at least one of A and B".

[0030] Additionally, in this disclosure, "at least one of A, B, and C" may mean "A only", "B only", "C only" or "any combination of A, B, and C". Furthermore, "at least one of A, B, or C" or "at least one of A, B, and / or C" may mean "at least one of A, B, and C".

[0031] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0032] Those skilled in the art will recognize and understand that the details of the described examples are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and that the teachings set forth herein are applicable to various alternative settings.

[0033] The technical solutions disclosed herein can be applied to various wireless communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, 5G communication systems, or future wireless communication systems, etc.

[0034] For example, the wireless communication system 100 of this disclosure is shown in FIG1. ​​The wireless communication system 100 may include a base station 110, which may be a device communicating with user equipment (UE) 120. The base station 110 can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with user equipment located within that coverage area. Optionally, the base station 110 may be an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, or it may be a mobile switching center, relay station, access point, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, hub, switch, bridge, router, network-side equipment in a 5G network, or a base station in a future communication system, etc.

[0035] The wireless communication system 100 also includes at least one user equipment 120 located within the coverage area of ​​the base station 110. "User equipment" as used herein includes, but is not limited to, devices configured to receive / transmit communication signals via wired connections, such as via Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN), Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), digital cable, direct cable connection; and / or another data connection / network; and / or via a wireless interface, such as for cellular networks, Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), digital television networks such as DVB-H networks, satellite networks, AM-FM broadcast transmitters; and / or other user equipment. User equipment configured to communicate via a wireless interface may be referred to as a "wireless communication terminal," "wireless terminal," or "mobile terminal." Examples of mobile terminals include, but are not limited to, satellite or cellular phones; personal communications system (PCS) terminals that can combine cellular radiotelephone with data processing, fax, and data communication capabilities; PDAs that may include radiotelephones, pagers, Internet / intranet access, web browsers, notebooks, calendars, and / or Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers; and conventional laptop and / or handheld receivers or other electronic devices that include radiotelephone transceivers. User equipment can refer to access terminals, user units, user stations, mobile stations, mobile stations, remote stations, remote user equipment, mobile devices, wireless communication equipment, or user agents. Access terminals can be cellular phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle equipment, wearable devices, user equipment in 5G networks, or user equipment in future PLMN evolutions, etc.

[0036] Optionally, user equipment 120 can perform device-to-device (D2D) communication with each other.

[0037] Alternatively, 5G communication systems or 5G networks may also be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems or NR networks.

[0038] The wireless communication system 100 also includes a core network 130. The core network 130 may be an IP mobile communication network operated by a mobile communication operator. For example, the core network 130 may be the core network used by the mobile communication operator that operates and manages the wireless communication system 100, or it may be the core network used by a virtual mobile communication operator such as an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator).

[0039] The core network 130 can connect to the base station 110, serving as a relay device for transmitting user data. User equipment 120 transmits and receives user data via the core network 130. It should be noted that user data communication is not limited to IP communication; it can also be non-IP communication.

[0040] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary base station 110, two user equipment 120, and a core network 130. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may include multiple base stations, and each base station may include other numbers of user equipment within its coverage area. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0041] Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may also include other network entities such as a network controller, a mobility management entity, and network elements, and this disclosure does not limit this. For example, the core network 130 may include other network entities such as a network controller, a mobility management entity, and network elements, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0042] It should be understood that devices with wireless communication capabilities in the network / system described in this disclosure may be referred to as wireless communication devices. Taking the wireless communication system 100 shown in Figure 1 as an example, the wireless communication devices may include a base station 110, a user equipment 120, and a core network 130 with communication capabilities. The base station 110 and the user equipment 120 may be the specific devices described above, which will not be repeated here. The wireless communication devices may also include other devices in the wireless communication system 100 (core network 130). For example, the core network 130 may include other network entities such as network controllers and mobility management entities, which are not limited in this disclosure.

[0043] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of this application is given first.

[0044] With the continuous development of mobile cellular networks, in order to meet the ever-increasing business needs of users, cellular networks no longer only provide communication services, but also further enhance communication capabilities and user experience by introducing more new technologies (such as artificial intelligence (AI) and information-aware communication integration (ISAC)).

[0045] However, the introduction of AI and ISAC has also brought new demands to the network. Specifically, in the past, the transmitted data was either signaling data used for network transmission control (i.e., control plane data) or user service data (i.e., user plane data). With the introduction of AI and ISAC, the network now transmits AI and ISAC-related data (such as AI model parameter data, AI model gradient information, training data, inference data, monitoring data, and perception data). This data is neither control plane data nor user plane data, but rather a new data type.

[0046] Currently, the industry has conducted preliminary analyses of the transmission requirements for this new data type. Based on existing analysis, the data transmission requirements for AI and ISAC vary across different business scenarios. Specifically, some business scenarios require data transmission with large data packets, low latency, or high speed.

[0047] The following two examples will further illustrate the scenarios and requirements for data transmission.

[0048] Case 1 is shown in Figure 2.

[0049] Consider an AI-based CSI prediction task, as shown in Figure 2. If both the UE and the BS deploy their respective AI models for CSI prediction, during the model training phase, if the UE does not train locally (e.g., it requires training via a network-side node NF), then the UE needs to transmit channel information to the network-side node NF. Furthermore, considering that CSI prediction training requires the transmission of large data packets (16.8–240 MB), a user plane approach is needed to transmit the training data (i.e., channel information).

[0050] At the same time, the BS side also needs to train the CSI prediction model, and the data transmitted by the UE to the network training node can also be used for the BS training.

[0051] However, in the existing network, the BS can only perform transparent transmission and cannot read data during the forwarding process. If the BS could extract data based on the concept of transmission in the network, then the UE would not need to transmit the data to the BS again, or the BS would not need to initiate a separate measurement process.

[0052] It is worth noting that the BS in Figure 2 may also use this channel data for other tasks. For example,

[0053] In the ISAC scenario, the BS needs to collect channel information from the UE for processing sensing tasks.

[0054] In beam management scenarios, the BS needs to collect channel information from the UE for beam management tasks (such as model training).

[0055] It is worth noting that the NF in Figure 2 can be a training node on the network side or an OTT node such as a UE server.

[0056] It is worth noting that the BS and NF nodes in Figure 2 are data demand nodes.

[0057] Case 2 is shown in Figure 3.

[0058] Similarly, consider the AI-based CSI prediction task, as shown in Figure 3. If the UE deploys its own AI model for CSI prediction, during the model training phase, if the UE does not train locally (e.g., it needs to be trained by the network-side node NF1), then the UE needs to transmit the channel information to the network-side node NF1. Furthermore, considering that CSI prediction training requires the transmission of large data packets (16.8–240 MB), a user plane approach is needed to transmit the training data (i.e., channel information).

[0059] At the same time, if NF2 and NF3 also require information about this channel, then the UE should ideally transmit to NF2 and NF3 as well during the transmission process to NF1.

[0060] However, in existing networks, user plane connections are established one-to-one, and intermediate nodes cannot forward data to other destination nodes during transmission. Using the existing approach, user plane sessions must be established separately for each destination node's NF, causing the UE to send duplicate data to the network multiple times, increasing link overhead and wasting air interface resources. If intermediate forwarding nodes in user plane transmission could copy and forward data to multiple other data-demanding nodes during transmission, significant savings in link resources would be achieved.

[0061] It is worth noting that NF2 and NF3 in Figure 3 may use this channel data for other tasks. For example, in the ISAC scenario, the SF network element of the core network needs to collect channel information from the UE for processing sensing tasks.

[0062] In beam management scenarios, OTT needs to collect channel information from UE for beam management tasks (such as model training).

[0063] In positioning scenarios, the core network's LMF, OAM, or OTT elements need to collect channel information from the UE for positioning tasks (such as model training).

[0064] It is worth noting that NF1 in Figure 3 can be a training node on the network side, or an OTT node such as a UE server. NF2 and NF3 can be other network element nodes that require channel data, such as SF, NWDAF, LMF, DF, etc.

[0065] It is worth noting that NF1, NF2, and NF3 in Figure 3 are data requirement nodes.

[0066] As networks continue to evolve, more and more network elements or nodes need to support the collection and transmission of AI and ISAC-related data. The specific definitions of network elements or nodes are as follows:

[0067] DF: Data Function, which is a network element function or node on the data bearer plane. It is used to store non-user data (channel data, sensing data, etc.), and can also perform data forwarding and provide data services; it may involve secondary processing of data.

[0068] BS: Base Station, used for RAN-side processes (e.g., RAN1 - channel prediction / beam management / channel compression and recovery, RAN2 - RRM measurement prediction / handover prediction, etc.);

[0069] SF (Sensing Function) is used to process the results of ISAC sensing.

[0070] LMF (Location Management Function) is used to process location data;

[0071] NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function) is used for network optimization.

[0072] AIoTF (Ambient IoT) is used for AIoT-related processing;

[0073] Some OTT / other related network elements (including the above-mentioned nodes): used for AI training / inference / monitoring.

[0074] It is worth noting that the definitions and detailed functional descriptions of existing standard network elements or nodes in the embodiments of this disclosure can be found in 3GPP TS 23.501.

[0075] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, some terms are explained below:

[0076] One-to-many transmission refers to a scenario where one node acts as the data source node, and multiple other nodes act as data request nodes. The data source node transmits data to these multiple data request nodes, and the transmission paths from the data source node to the different data request nodes share common components. One-to-many transmission includes in-path transmission and branched transmission.

[0077] Forwarding data extraction and transmission: Based on one-to-many transmission, the transmission paths of different data demand nodes are subsets of the longest transmission paths, that is, there are no path branches, as shown in Figure 2.

[0078] Data replication and forwarding transmission: Based on one-to-many transmission, the transmission paths of different data demand nodes satisfy that the transmission paths from the data source node to different data demand nodes have common parts, as shown in Figure 3.

[0079] Intermediate forwarding node: refers to a node that simultaneously acts as an intermediate forwarding node and a data request node in the in-path transmission scenario, as shown in BS in Figure 2.

[0080] Forwarding nodes at forks: These refer to nodes that copy data and then forward it to multiple different next-hop nodes in a forked transmission scenario, as shown in Figure 3 (UPF).

[0081] The information sending method provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through some embodiments and application scenarios.

[0082] Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart of one of the wireless communication methods provided in this disclosure, the wireless communication method including at least one of the following steps:

[0083] Step S100: The first data requester node sends a data request to the data management node.

[0084] Step S200: The first data requester node sends a data request to the data management node.

[0085] Specifically, the first data requester node and / or the second data requester node need data from the data source node, so they need to request data from the data management node, and then the data management node requests data from the data source node to achieve this.

[0086] In embodiments of this disclosure, the data request includes at least one of the following: data type, data purpose, task type, long-term or short-term data requirement, periodic or non-periodic data requirement, and fixed or conditional data transmission requirement. The data type, usage type, and task type can be found in Table 1. Long-term / short-term data requirement indicates whether the data requesting node needs data within a specific time window or requires data over a long period. Periodic / non-periodic data requirement indicates whether the data requesting node needs to acquire data periodically or all at once. Fixed / conditional data transmission requirement indicates whether the data management node needs to consider other factors to determine whether to transmit data to the data requesting node.

[0087] Table 1: Data-SM Fields

[0088] In Table 1, NA indicates not applicable, Xn (n = 1, 2, 3, ...) represents different values, the symbol "+" indicates greater than or equal to a certain value (e.g., "1+" indicates greater than or equal to 1), M indicates mandatory, and O indicates optional. If Presence is M, then Format does not require T, Length is one less than O, and IEI is not applicable; conversely, if Presence is O, then Format requires T, Length is one more than M, and IEI requires a unique and distinct value. In Format, T represents type, L represents length, and V represents value.

[0089] Step S300: The data management node determines whether there is a common data request based on the aforementioned data requests.

[0090] In embodiments of this disclosure, the data management node determines whether there is public data in the data requests based on a public data matching strategy.

[0091] Specifically, the data management node determines whether the requested data is needed by multiple nodes simultaneously based on the data request signaling from multiple requesting nodes and the local public data matching strategy. The public data matching strategy provides a matching method for data under specific conditions, allowing two or more requested data to be determined to belong to the same category. These specific conditions may include one or more of the following: data type, data usage type, task type, long-term / short-term data requirement, periodic / non-periodic data requirement, and fixed / conditional data transmission requirement. Specifically, in order to determine whether multiple request data belong to the same type of request data by different request data data types, data usage types, task types, etc., a common data matching strategy is needed to indicate: for example, whether matching only the data type can determine whether the request data belongs to the same type, or indicating which different data types or task types can be classified into the same type of request data.

[0092] Step S400: Send a data collection request and / or public data configuration information.

[0093] Specifically, if the data management node determines that there is public data needed by multiple nodes, it can send public data configuration information while requesting data collection from the data source node; otherwise, if the data management node determines that there is no public data needed by multiple nodes, it only sends a data collection request. The public data configuration information may include one or more of the following: the identifier of the data requesting node, the address of the data requesting node, etc.

[0094] Step S500: Perform the data reporting decision process between the data source node and the data management node.

[0095] In one implementation, as shown in Figure 5, the data source node receives a "data reporting request message" from the data management node. The data source node can then send a "data reporting decision request message" to the data management node. The data reporting request message may contain one or more of the following: perform data reporting, reset the acquisition timer to zero, stop data acquisition, etc. The data reporting decision request message may contain one or more of the following: the status of locally collected data, the reporting capability of the data source node, etc. The status of locally collected data may contain one or more of the following: data availability, data volume, data precision, etc. Data precision may contain one or more of the following: bit width, floating-point, or fixed-point, etc.

[0096] It is worth noting that the data source node can be a UE, BS, core network element, or other types of node.

[0097] In another implementation, the data source node locally meets the triggering conditions for data reporting, and then the data source node can send a "data reporting decision request message" to the data management node. The triggering conditions can include one or more of the following: the timer expires, the amount of collected data reaches a specified threshold, the data source node leaves the specified data collection area, etc. The data reporting decision request message has been described above and will not be repeated here.

[0098] It is worth noting that the data source node can send data reporting decision request messages, such as the status of locally collected data and / or the reporting capability of the data source node, to the data management node, thereby enabling the data management node to decide whether the data source node can report data and / or perform other operations.

[0099] In embodiments of this disclosure, the wireless communication method further includes a data management node sending a data reporting decision response message to a data source node. The data reporting decision response message includes at least one of the following: whether the data source node performs data reporting, whether the data source node initiates a session establishment request for a data bearer plane, whether the data source node stops data collection, whether the data source node continues data collection, or a reconfiguration of the data source node's collection strategy. The reconfiguration of the data source node's collection strategy may include one or more of the following: data collection period, data collection accuracy, the amount of data to be collected, the data collection area, and the data collection object. The data collection object may include one or more of the following: measurement targets, sensors, etc.

[0100] In another implementation, the data management node can indicate to the data source node whether data reporting is possible and / or whether other operations are required, as well as whether the collected configuration needs to be updated.

[0101] In another implementation, after receiving the "data reporting decision response message", the data source node can perform corresponding data reporting, data collection and reconfiguration processes based on the data reporting decision response message.

[0102] In another implementation, the data source node can perform corresponding processing upon receiving a "data reporting decision response message".

[0103] In another implementation, if the data source node does not receive the "data reporting decision response message" before the timer expires, it can perform one or more of the following operations: continue the data acquisition process, stop the data acquisition process, resend the "data reporting decision request message", or initiate a session establishment request for the data carrier plane.

[0104] In another implementation, the data source node can perform the corresponding processing even if it does not receive the "data reporting decision response message".

[0105] In another implementation, the data source node may not report the status of existing local data to the data management node. Instead, the data source node can directly initiate a session establishment request to the data carrier plane to report data.

[0106] Step S600: The data source node sends a data session establishment request.

[0107] In one implementation, the wireless communication method performs step S600.

[0108] Specifically, there are three scenarios for the session establishment process. In scenario one, the transmission path of the session establishment signaling includes the air interface (as shown in Figure 6, the path from UE to BS). In scenario two, the transmission paths of the session establishment signaling are all wired links (as shown in Figure 7). In scenario three, the BS and the core network control plane elements are connected using the SBI interface (as shown in Figure 8).

[0109] In all three scenarios, the data source node can request the establishment of a data bearer session by sending a session establishment request (i.e., a Data-SM message) to the session management node. The underlying protocol layer carrying the Data-SM message will differ in each scenario. Specifically, the specific field content and definitions of the Data-SM message, as well as the underlying protocol layer carrying scheme for the Data-SM message in different scenarios, are detailed below in this disclosure.

[0110] Therefore, compared with traditional methods, this disclosure provides a new message (i.e., Data-SM message) for data bearer plane session establishment requests. In order to transmit Data-SM messages in three scenarios, this embodiment extends the lower layer bearer scheme of the protocol layer corresponding to the Data-SM message according to the prior art.

[0111] In these three scenarios, the session establishment request (i.e., the Data-SM message) of the data source node may include at least one of the following fields: Data type, Usage type, Data format, Data size, Task type, Data sharing, and / or On-path transmission for data extraction. See Table 1 for the specific meaning of each field.

[0112] Here, "Data type" indicates the data type transmitted in this session. In one implementation, the data type can include one or more of the following: channel state information, sensing information, AI model weight information, and / or AI gradient information. In another implementation, examples of the "Data type" field are shown in Table 2.

[0113] Table 2. Example of the correspondence between Data type fields

[0114] The Usage type indicates the intended use of the transmitted data. In one implementation, the data's purpose can include one or more of the following: model training, model inference, model monitoring, and / or routine collection. In another implementation, examples of the Usage type field are shown in Table 3.

[0115] Table 3. Example of the correspondence between the Usage type (data usage) field

[0116] Data format refers to the structure and format of the transmitted data. In one implementation, the data structure and format may include one or more of the following: the structure of the input and output data for training data, etc.

[0117] Data size refers to the amount of data transmitted.

[0118] Tasktype indicates the type of task the data applies to. In one implementation, the task type can include one or more of the following: Positioning, Beam management, CSI compression, CSI prediction, Encoding / decoding, Channel estimation, Channel interpolation, Modulation / demodulation, End-to-end communication, Wireless map, Environment sensing, Target sensing, and / or Target tracking. In another implementation, this field can contain multiple task types simultaneously; for example, multiple task types can be represented consecutively using TLV. Examples of the Tasktype field in another implementation are shown in Table 4, which also includes options for "All types" and "Other."

[0119] Table 4. Example of the correspondence between the Task type field

[0120] Data sharing indicates whether the data needs to be shared and to which destination nodes it needs to be shared. In one implementation, this field can include multiple destination nodes simultaneously; for example, the identifiers of multiple destination nodes (such as dedicated identifiers or addresses) can be represented consecutively using TLV. In another implementation, if data sharing is optional and the current data does not need to be shared, this field may not be included in the Data-SM.

[0121] On-path transmission indicates whether any intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane also require this data. In one implementation, this field informs the session management node which intermediate forwarding nodes need to extract forwarded data by carrying the identifiers (e.g., dedicated identifiers, addresses, etc.) of the intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that need to extract forwarded data, so that the session management node can make a decision. In another implementation, if an intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data finds that the received Data-SM message already has the On-path transmission field, it modifies the Length in the On-path transmission field and adds a local identifier to the value.

[0122] The following describes how Data-SM messages are carried in various scenarios.

[0123] For Scenario 1, as shown in Figure 6, since the Data-SM is carried in the Non-Access Stratum Mobility Management Message (NAS-MM), the Payload containertype field in the existing ULNAS TRANSPORT message needs to be expanded. For example, a value indicating the Data-SM message type can be added, as shown in Table 5. Therefore, the Data-SM message can be carried in the Payload container of the UL NAS TRANSPORT message.

[0124] Table 5. Example of the correspondence between the Payload container type field

[0125] In one implementation, direct transmission can be performed between the BS and the session management function node in Figure 6.

[0126] For scenario two, as shown in Figure 7, Node 1 may be directly connected to the session management function node to transmit session establishment signaling, or it may need an intermediate node Node 2 to forward the session establishment signaling of Node 1 to the session management function node.

[0127] It is worth noting that Node 1 can be a BS, sensor, or other data source node, while Node 2 can be a session establishment signaling transmission intermediate node such as a BS or AMF.

[0128] For scenario three, as shown in Figure 8, RRC messages can directly carry Data-SM messages, or they can be indirectly carried through NAS-MM.

[0129] In one implementation, for cases where the RRC message directly carries the Data-SM message, a new field, dataSM-Message, is added to ULInformationTransfer-IEs of the ULInformationTransfer message to carry the Data-SM message, as shown below.

[0130] After receiving and recognizing the dataSM-Message, the BS will pass the Data-SM message through the SBI interface to the session management function node.

[0131] In another implementation, where RRC messages indirectly carry Data-SM messages via NAS-MM, the Payload container type field in the existing UL NAS TRANSPORT message needs to be expanded since the Data-SM is carried within NAS-MM. For example, a value indicating the Data-SM message type needs to be added, as shown in Table 5. Therefore, Data-SM messages can be carried within the Payload container of the UL NAS TRANSPORT message.

[0132] In the embodiments of this disclosure, after the data source node completes the data preparation process, if the data is public data, the data source node will add the corresponding destination node identifier and / or address to the Data sharing field in the Data-SM message (see above) and make a session establishment request. The data preparation process completed by the data source node may include one or more of the following: data measurement, data collection, preprocessing, etc.

[0133] Step S700a: The data source node sends relevant information about data transmission to the intermediate forwarding node.

[0134] Step S700b: The session management function node sends relevant information about data transmission to the intermediate forwarding node.

[0135] Step S800: The intermediate forwarding node determines whether to extract forwarding data.

[0136] Step S900: The intermediate forwarding node sends a request for data extraction to the session management node.

[0137] In one implementation, the wireless communication method executes step S600 but not steps S700a and S700b, but executes steps S800 and S900. In another implementation, the wireless communication method executes step S600, and also executes steps S700a, S800, and S900. In yet another implementation, the wireless communication method executes step S600, and also executes steps S700b, S800, and S900. In yet another implementation, the wireless communication method executes step S800 after executing step S600.

[0138] When the wireless communication method completes step S600 but does not execute steps S700a and S700b, but executes steps S800 and S900; or when the wireless communication method completes step S600 but does not execute steps S700a and S700b, executes step S800 but does not execute step S900, the specific content is as follows:

[0139] Specifically, after the data source node completes data collection and / or meets the corresponding triggering conditions, the data source node needs to request the establishment of a session from the session management node (such as SMF) to transmit data. The triggering conditions may include one or more of the following: a data reporting request message from the data management node requesting data reporting; a data reporting decision response message from the data management node instructing data reporting; or the data source node locally meeting the triggering conditions for data reporting.

[0140] When the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data is on the control plane transmission path of the session establishment request, the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data can obtain and process the session establishment request. Then, the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data can send the request for extracting forwarded data to the session management node in the session establishment request message, or it can send the request for extracting forwarded data to the session management node separately.

[0141] Specifically, the requests for data extraction from intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane involve three scenarios. In scenario one, the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data is located on the receiving side of the air interface link (BS in Figure 9). In scenario two, the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data is located on the receiving side of the wired link (Node 2 in Figure 10). In scenario three, the BS and the core network control plane elements are connected using the SBI interface (as shown in Figure 11).

[0142] The following describes how Data-SM messages are carried in various scenarios.

[0143] For Scenario 1, in addition to transmitting data via Data-SM messages, the UE also needs to include data transmission information (i.e., the type and structure information of the transmitted data) in the RRC message so that the BS can read and process it. Specifically, the data transmission type and structure information from both the Data-SM and RRC messages are carried within the same RRC message.

[0144] Since the DedicatedNAS-Message in the ULInformationTransfer message carries the UL NAS TRANSPORT message, and the ULNAS TRANSPORT message carries the Data-SM message, the type and structure information of the data transmitted at the RRC layer can be carried in the ULInformationTransfer message. Specifically, the ULInformationTransfer-IEs in the ULInformationTransfer message can contain one or more of the following: Data type, Usage type, Data format, Data size, Task type, etc. The specific meanings of each field are described above.

[0145] In embodiments of this disclosure, intermediate forwarding nodes identify the data transmitted by the data source node and / or determine whether to extract forwarded data based on relevant information of the data transmission, wherein the forwarding data extraction refers to the process of extracting forwarded data.

[0146] In other words, based on the relevant information of the data transmission, the intermediate forwarding node can simultaneously identify the data transmitted by the data source node and determine whether to extract the forwarded data, or it can only identify the data transmitted by the data source node and only determine whether to extract the forwarded data.

[0147] The intermediate forwarding node can simultaneously identify the data transmitted by the data source node and determine whether to perform forwarding data extraction based on the relevant information of the data transmission. More specifically, the intermediate forwarding node identifies the relevant information of the data transmission and determines several fields of the data transmitted by the data source node; based on a common data matching strategy, it matches the local data requirements with the data transmitted by the data source node to obtain a matching result; when the matching result shows that the data transmitted by the data source node matches the local data requirements, it requests to perform forwarding data extraction.

[0148] Specifically, for Scenario 1, if the BS receives and recognizes the ULInformationTransfer message, the BS will identify one or more of the following fields in ULInformationTransfer-IEs: Data type, Usage type, Data format, Data size, Task type, etc. Then, the BS will determine whether the transmitted data matches its local data requirements based on local data needs and public data matching strategies.

[0149] The public data matching strategy provides a method for matching data under specific conditions, allowing data requirements and transmitted data types to be determined to belong to the same category. These specific conditions may include one or more of the following: data type, data usage type, task type, long-term / short-term data requirements, periodic / non-periodic data requirements, and fixed / conditional data transmission requirements. Specific details regarding data type, usage type, and task type can be found in Table 1. Long-term / short-term data requirements indicate whether the data requesting node needs data within a specific time window or requires data continuously. Periodic / non-periodic data requirements indicate whether the data requesting node needs to acquire data periodically or all at once. Fixed / conditional data transmission requirements indicate whether the data source node needs to consider other factors when deciding whether to transmit data to the data transmission node.

[0150] If the transmitted data matches local data requirements, meaning the BS also needs the transmitted data, the BS can provide a request message for the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) to extract the forwarded data via the NGAP layer, either alone or together with a Data-SM message. Optionally, if the request message for extracting the forwarded data is sent along with a Data-SM message, it can be added to the Uplink NAS Transport message. This request message for extracting the forwarded data may include one or more of the following: the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane from which the forwarded data needs to be extracted (e.g., a dedicated identifier and / or address).

[0151] When the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) receives this information, it adds the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to be extracted for forwarding (such as: dedicated identifier, address, etc.) provided by the BS to the On-path transmission field in the Data-SM message, and continues to send Data-SM messages to the session management node, as shown in Figure 9.

[0152] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the type and structure information of the transmitted data in the Data-SM message or RRC layer can be carried in other types of RRC messages or other IEs in the ULInformationTransfer message besides the ULInformationTransfer message. The corresponding RRC message may contain one or more of the following: Data type, Usage type, Data format, Data size, Task type, etc. The specific meanings of these fields are described above and will not be repeated here. The BS's processing procedure for the ULInformationTransfer message in Scenario 1 can be applied to the BS's processing procedure for the RRC message in this embodiment in Scenario 1. That is, if the type and structure information of the transmitted data is placed in other RRC messages or fields besides the ULInformationTransfer-IE, the BS's method of identifying and matching the type and structure information of the transmitted data, as well as the processing procedure for the request message requiring forwarding data extraction, is the same as described above.

[0153] It is worth noting that the BS and session management function nodes in Figure 9 can be directly connected for transmission.

[0154] For scenario two, Node 2's processing methods can include one or more of the following:

[0155] Node 2 determines whether the data transmitted by Node 1 is needed locally by parsing the Data-SM. If Node 2 needs the data, it will indicate the local node identifier (such as address and / or private identifier) ​​by adding / modifying the On-path transmission field in the Data-SM. Then, Node 2 will continue to send Data-SM messages to the session management node, as shown in Figure 10.

[0156] Node 2 determines whether the data transmitted by Node 1 is needed locally by parsing the Data-SM message. If Node 2 needs the data, it will directly forward the Data-SM message to the session management node. Then, Node 2 can separately provide the session management node with a request message for retrieving forwarded data. This request message may contain one or more of the following: the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane for which forwarding data retrieval is required (e.g., a dedicated identifier and / or address).

[0157] It is worth noting that Node 1 can be a BS, sensor, or other data source node, while Node 2 can be a session establishment signaling transmission intermediate node such as a BS or AMF.

[0158] For Scenario 3, in addition to transmitting the Data-SM message, the UE also needs to include the type and structure information of the transmitted data in the RRC message so that the BS can read and process it. Specifically, the type and structure information of the transmitted data in both the Data-SM and RRC messages is carried out within the same RRC message.

[0159] In Scenario 3, as shown in Figure 11, the RRC message can directly carry the Data-SM message, or it can indirectly carry the Data-SM message through the NAS-MM. Specifically, since the ULInformationTransfer message directly or indirectly carries the Data-SM message, the type and structure information of the data transmitted at the RRC layer can be carried in the ULInformationTransfer message. The specific content of the Data-SM message is described above and will not be repeated here.

[0160] Specifically, the ULInformationTransfer-IEs of ULInformationTransfermessage can contain one or more of the following: Data type, Usage type, Data format, Data size and / or Task type, etc. For details of each field, please refer to the previous text, and will not be repeated here.

[0161] For Scenario 3, if the BS receives and recognizes the ULInformationTransfer message, it will identify one or more of the following fields in the ULInformationTransfer-IEs: Data type, Usage type, Data format, Data size, and / or Task type. Then, the BS will determine whether the transmitted data matches its local data requirements based on local data needs and a common data matching strategy. The definition of the common data matching strategy can be found in Scenario 1 above.

[0162] If the transmitted data matches local data requirements, meaning the BS also needs the transmitted data, the BS can, either alone or together with a Data-SM message, provide a request message for extracting forwarded data to the session management function node via the HTTPS layer. This request message may include one or more of the following: the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane from which the forwarded data needs to be extracted (e.g., a dedicated identifier and / or address).

[0163] In one implementation, the type and structure information of the transmitted data in the Data-SM message or RRC layer can be carried in other types of RRC messages or other IEs within the ULInformationTransfer message besides the ULInformationTransfer message. The corresponding RRC message may contain one or more of the following: Data type, Usage type, Data format, Data size, and / or Task type, etc. The specific contents of each field are described above and will not be repeated here. The BS's processing procedure for the ULInformationTransfer message in Scenario 3 above can be applied to the BS's processing procedure for the RRC message in this embodiment. That is, if the type and structure information of the transmitted data is placed in other RRC messages or fields besides the ULInformationTransfer-IE, the BS's method of identifying and matching the type and structure information of the transmitted data, as well as the processing procedure for the request message requiring data extraction for forwarding, is the same as described above.

[0164] When the wireless communication method executes step S600, and steps S700a, S800, and S900, the specific content is as follows:

[0165] Specifically, the data source node can directly send a session establishment request to the session management node (such as SMF), and separately send data transmission information to the potential intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that require data extraction. The data transmission information may include one or more of the following: Data type, Usage type, Data format, Data size, Task type, etc. The specific meanings of each field are explained above and will not be repeated here. After receiving the data transmission information, the potential intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that requires data extraction determines whether the transmitted data matches its local data requirements based on its local data needs and the public data matching strategy. If the transmitted data matches its local data needs, meaning the node also needs the transmitted data, then the node can provide the session management function node with a request message for data extraction. This request message may include one or more of the following: the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that requires data extraction (e.g., a dedicated identifier and / or address, etc.).

[0166] It is worth noting that the data source node can be a UE, BS, sensor, or other data source node, and the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that may need to extract forwarded data can be a BS, AMF, or other data bearer transmission intermediate node.

[0167] When the wireless communication method executes step S600, and steps S700b, S800, and S900, the specific content is as follows:

[0168] Data source nodes can directly send session establishment requests to session management nodes (such as SMF). Upon receiving the session establishment request, the session management node (such as SMF) can send data transmission information to potential intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that require forwarding data extraction. This data transmission information may include one or more of the following: Data type, Usage type, Data format, Data size, and / or Task type. The specific meanings of each field are explained above and will not be repeated here. After receiving the data transmission information, potential intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that require forwarding data extraction determine whether the transmitted data matches their local data requirements based on local data needs and public data matching strategies. If the transmitted data matches their local data needs (i.e., the node also needs the transmitted data), the node can provide a request message to the session management node requesting forwarding data extraction. This request message may include one or more of the following: the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane that requires forwarding data extraction (e.g., a dedicated identifier and / or address).

[0169] It is worth noting that the data source node can be a UE, BS, sensor, or other data source node, and the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that may need to extract forwarded data can be a BS, AMF, or other data bearer transmission intermediate node.

[0170] Step S1000: The session management function node and the data management node make a path-by-path decision or determine whether to forward data extraction or copy and forward data.

[0171] Step S1100: Based on the decision result, send a message to several nodes to perform forwarding data extraction and / or data copying and forwarding session establishment. The several nodes include at least one of the following: data source node, intermediate forwarding node that needs to perform forwarding data extraction, intermediate forwarding node that needs to perform data copying and forwarding, intermediate forwarding node of other data carrier plane, and / or data requester node.

[0172] Specifically, when the session management node receives a session establishment request from the data source node (i.e., a request message containing a Data-SM message and / or a request message from the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that requires data extraction for forwarding) or a request message from the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that requires data extraction for forwarding, the session management node needs to perform one or more of the following operations:

[0173] 1) If a session establishment request from a data source node or a separate request message from a data bearer intermediate forwarding node that requires data extraction contains information related to data extraction from the data bearer intermediate forwarding node, such as if the Data-SM message contains the field "On-path transmission" or the field "On-path transmission" contains a valid identifier of the data bearer intermediate forwarding node that requires data extraction, or if an HTTPS message contains a request message that requires data extraction, or if a message from a separate data bearer intermediate forwarding node contains a request message that requires data extraction, the session management node performs one or more of the following operations:

[0174] a) If there is a need for data forwarding data extraction, the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane can perform the forwarding data extraction, and the session management node will perform one or more of the following operations:

[0175] i. The session management node sends configuration information to the intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that are allowed to extract forwarded data. The configuration information may include one or more of the following: permission to extract forwarded data and / or configuration information for extracting forwarded data of the intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane (such as QFI and / or TEID, etc.).

[0176] ii. If the data bearer plane transmission is based on the SRv6 protocol, the session management node can send configuration signaling for forwarding data extraction to the starting point of the SRv6 session transmission path or to intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that require forwarding data extraction. The configuration signaling may include one or more of the following: packet identifiers for forwarding data extraction, identifiers of intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that require forwarding data extraction, destination node identifiers, identifiers of multiple next-hop nodes, and / or SRv6 segmentation routing information, etc.

[0177] b) If the data bearer plane transmission is based on the GTP-U protocol, the session management node sends transmission configuration information to all intermediate forwarding nodes and terminal nodes of the GTP-U session transmission.

[0178] c) If the data bearer plane transmission is based on the SRv6 protocol, the session management node sends transmission configuration information to the sending node at the starting point of the SRv6 session transmission path.

[0179] In one implementation, if the session management node has the ability to decide whether a data bearer intermediate forwarding node requiring forwarded data extraction can perform the extraction, then the session management node, in conjunction with other IEs (information elements) in the Data-SM message, determines whether each data bearer intermediate forwarding node in the request information requiring forwarded data extraction can perform the extraction. Otherwise, the session management node needs to transmit the request information requiring forwarded data extraction to the data management node for decision-making. After the data management node completes its decision, it transmits the decision result back to the session management node.

[0180] 1) If the session establishment request from the data source node contains information related to data sharing (i.e., multi-destination node data transmission requirements), such as if the Data-SM message contains the field "Data sharing" or the field "Data sharing" contains an identifier of a valid shared destination node, the session management node performs one or more of the following operations:

[0181] a) If a destination node can extract forwarded data, the session management node performs one or more of the following operations:

[0182] i. The session management node sends configuration information to the intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that are allowed to extract forwarded data. The configuration information may include one or more of the following: permission to extract forwarded data and / or configuration information for extracting forwarded data of the intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane (such as QFI and / or TEID, etc.).

[0183] ii. If the data bearer plane transmission is based on the SRv6 protocol, the session management node can send configuration signaling for forwarding data extraction to the starting point of the SRv6 session transmission path or to intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that require forwarding data extraction. The configuration signaling may include one or more of the following: packet identifiers for forwarding data extraction, identifiers of intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that require forwarding data extraction, destination node identifiers, identifiers of multiple next-hop nodes, and / or SRv6 segmentation routing information, etc.

[0184] b) If a destination node can replicate and forward data, the session management node performs one or more of the following operations:

[0185] i. The session management node sends configuration signaling for data replication and forwarding to the intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that need to perform data replication and forwarding. The configuration signaling may include one or more of the following: packet identifiers for data replication and forwarding, destination node identifiers, identifiers of multiple next-hop nodes, and / or SRv6 segmentation routing information, etc.

[0186] ii. If the data bearer plane transmission is based on the SRv6 protocol, the session management node can send configuration signaling for replication and forwarding to the starting point of the SRv6 session transmission path or to intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that require data replication and forwarding. The configuration signaling may include one or more of the following: packet identifiers for data replication and forwarding, destination node identifiers, identifiers of multiple next-hop nodes, and / or SRv6 segmentation routing information, etc.

[0187] c) If the data bearer plane transmission is based on the GTP-U protocol, the session management node sends transmission configuration information to all intermediate forwarding nodes and terminal nodes of the GTP-U session transmission.

[0188] d) If the data bearer plane transmission is based on the SRv6 protocol, the session management node sends transmission configuration information to the sending node at the starting point of the SRv6 session transmission path.

[0189] In the embodiments of this disclosure, if the session management node has the ability to determine whether forwarding data extraction or data copying and forwarding is possible, then the session management node combines other IEs (information elements) in the Data-SM message to determine whether each destination node in the Data sharing field can perform forwarding data extraction or data copying and forwarding. Otherwise, the session management node needs to transmit the relevant request information for public data transmission to the data management node for decision-making. After the data management node completes its decision, it will transmit the decision result to the session management node.

[0190] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the specific signaling configuration for the process of data replication and forwarding is as follows:

[0191] In scenarios where intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane need to perform data replication and forwarding, the replication and forwarding configuration signaling sent by the session management node to the intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that need to perform data replication and forwarding may include one or more of the following:

[0192] 1) Extension based on N4 messages

[0193] In scenarios where intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane need to perform data replication and forwarding, part of the replication and forwarding configuration signaling sent by the session management node to intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane (such as UPF) that need to perform data replication and forwarding can reuse the PDR and FAR messages in the existing N4 messages. However, considering that the existing FAR can only support a maximum of one-to-two redundant transmission, the existing FAR message needs to be extended to support replication transmission to multiple destination nodes. The specific extensions may include one or more of the following:

[0194] First, a field indicating the number of copies can be added to FAR. For example, the Apply Action IE field of FAR needs to be expanded to indicate the number of copies required. As shown in Table 6, a DFRT Num field can be added to bits 8-6 of Octet 6 of the Apply Action IE field to represent the number of copies, with a value range of 0-7.

[0195] Table 6. Expanded Apply Action IE (Application Action Info Frame) Fields

[0196] Second, the FAR can carry multiple destination identifiers for replication transmission. For example, the Redundant Transmission Forwarding Parameters field of the FAR can carry identifiers of multiple intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane (such as Outer Header Creation IE fields). As shown in Table 7, a Next Outer Header Creation field can be added to the Outer Header Creation IE field to indicate whether there is another Outer Header Creation IE field. The indication method for Next Outer Header Creation can include one or more of the following:

[0197] a) The Next Outer Header Creation field uses 0 or 1 to indicate whether there is a next Outer Header Creation.

[0198] b) Next Outer Header Creation indicates whether there is a next Outer Header Creation IE field by indicating the number of remaining Outer Header Creation IE fields.

[0199] Table 7. Expanded Outer Header Creation IE Fields

[0200] 2) Extensions based on NGAP messages

[0201] In scenarios where intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane need to perform data replication and forwarding, part of the replication and forwarding configuration signaling sent by the session management node to the intermediate forwarding nodes (such as BS) in the data bearer plane that need to perform data replication and forwarding can reuse the existing PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message. However, considering that the existing PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message only supports a maximum of one-to-two redundant transmission, it is necessary to extend the existing PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message to support replication transmission to multiple destination nodes. Specific extensions may include one or more of the following:

[0202] 1. The Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information field in the PDU Session Resource Setup Request Transfer field of the PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message needs to be expanded to include multiple destination node information (such as IP address, TEID, etc.).

[0203] 2. The type of the Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information field in the PDU Session Resource Setup Request Transfer field of the PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message can be changed to UP Transport Layer Information List. The number of items in the UP Transport Layer Information List can support more than one destination node, so that the Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information field can carry multiple destination node information (such as IP address, TEID, etc.).

[0204] 3. The PDU Session Resource Setup Request Transfer field in the PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message has been updated to include a Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information list field, which contains information about multiple destination nodes (such as IP address, TEID, etc.).

[0205] 4. The PDU Session Resource Setup Request Transfer field in the PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message has been updated to include a Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information list field. The field type is UP Transport Layer Information List, and the number of items in the UP Transport Layer Information List can support more than one destination node. This allows the Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information list field to carry multiple destination node information (such as IP address, TEID, etc.).

[0206] 5. The PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message can be modified by adding or modifying existing fields to indicate the number of destination nodes or destination identification information for replication and forwarding. As a sub-example a, the destination identification information can be an IP address or TEID, etc. As a sub-example b, the number of destination nodes can support more than one destination node.

[0207] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the specific signaling configuration for the process of extracting forwarded data is as follows:

[0208] In scenarios where intermediate forwarding nodes on the data bearer plane need to extract forwarded data, the configuration information sent by the session management node to the intermediate forwarding nodes on the data bearer plane that are allowed to extract forwarded data may include one or more of the following: 1) Extension based on N4 messages

[0209] In scenarios where intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane need to extract forwarded data, the configuration information sent by the session management node to intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane (such as UPF) that are allowed to extract forwarded data can partially utilize the PDR and FAR messages from the existing N4 messages. The extended content is consistent with the aforementioned extensions based on N4 messages. The key difference is that the Redundant Transmission Forwarding Parameters field in FAR must contain an Outer Header Creation IE field pointing to the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data.

[0210] When the intermediate forwarding node in the data carrier plane recognizes that the Outer Header Creation IE field points to the local machine, it copies the data and uploads it to the upper layer.

[0211] 2) Extensions based on NGAP messages

[0212] In scenarios where intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane need to extract forwarded data, the session management node can reuse some of the configuration information sent to intermediate forwarding nodes (such as BS) that are allowed to extract forwarded data. The extended content is consistent with the above-mentioned extension based on NGAP messages. The key difference is that the Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information field in the PDU Session Resource Setup Request Transfer field of the PDU Session Resource Setup Request Transfer message must contain an identifier for the intermediate forwarding node that needs to extract forwarded data. This identifier can be information from the NG-U UP TNL Information field (such as IP address, TEID, etc.).

[0213] When the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane recognizes that the NG-U UP TNL Information field points to the local machine, it copies the data and uploads it to the upper layer.

[0214] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the processes of data copying and forwarding and data extraction coexist:

[0215] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the processes of data copying and forwarding and data extraction can coexist on the same transmission path. The intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane performing data copying and forwarding can also serve as an intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane performing data extraction. Specifically, this can be divided into the following cases:

[0216] 1) If a node finds that an Outer Header Creation IE field in the Redundant Transmission Forwarding Parameters field of the FAR in the received FAR configuration information points to a local identifier, or if a node finds that an NG-U UP TNL Information field in the Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information field in the PDU Session Resource Setup Request Transfer field of the received PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message points to a local identifier, then it indicates that the node is an intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data.

[0217] 2) If a node finds that an Outer Header Creation IE field in the Redundant Transmission Forwarding Parameters field of the FAR in the received FAR configuration information points to another identifier, or if a node finds that an NG-U UP TNL Information field in the Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information field in the PDU Session Resource Setup Request Transfer field of the received PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message points to another identifier, then it indicates that the node is an intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to perform data replication and forwarding.

[0218] 3) If a node finds that a certain Outer Header Creation IE field in the Redundant Transmission Forwarding Parameters field of the FAR in the received FAR configuration information contains both a local identifier and other identifiers, or if a node finds that a certain NG-U UP TNL Information field in the Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information field in the PDU Session Resource Setup Request Transfer field of the received PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message contains both a local identifier and other identifiers, then it means that the node is both a data bearer intermediate forwarding node that needs to extract forwarded data and a data bearer intermediate forwarding node that needs to copy and forward data.

[0219] 4) If a node does not have the Redundant Transmission Forwarding Parameters field in the received FAR configuration information, or if a node does not have the Redundant UL NG-U UP TNL Information field in the PDU Session Resource Setup Request Transfer field in the received PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message, then the node is a general forwarding node.

[0220] Step S1200: The data source node transmits data to the intermediate forwarding node.

[0221] Step S1300: The intermediate forwarding node extracts the forwarding data.

[0222] In one implementation, this embodiment mainly discusses the process of data forwarding node extraction in the data bearer plane under GTP-U connection mode. There are two scenarios for data bearer plane transmission requiring data forwarding extraction at the intermediate forwarding node. In scenario one, the intermediate forwarding node for data forwarding extraction is located on the receiving side of the air interface link (BS in Figure 12). In scenario two, the intermediate forwarding node for data forwarding extraction is located on the receiving side of the wired link (Node 2 in Figure 13).

[0223] For scenario one, the SDAP layer header needs to include a field indicating whether intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane need to extract forwarded data. Specific methods can include one or more of the following:

[0224] 1) By adding a new field to the SDAP header, it can be indicated whether the SDU is used for data forwarding extraction by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane.

[0225] 2) Indicate whether the SDU is used for forwarding data extraction by adding or specifying a specific QFI.

[0226] 3) The mapping relationship between DRB and QFI is configured to indicate whether the SDU is used for data forwarding extraction by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane.

[0227] 4) Configure the DRB to indicate whether the SDU is used for forwarding data extraction at intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane.

[0228] For scenario one, the SDAP layer needs to have the ability to determine whether the SDU uploaded by the lower-layer protocol stack (such as the PDCP layer) needs to be extracted by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane. Specific methods can include one or more of the following:

[0229] 1) The SDAP layer at the receiving end determines whether the SDU is used for forwarding data extraction by the field in the first packet header information (such as the SDAP header) that indicates the data to be extracted.

[0230] 2) The SDAP layer at the receiving end uses QFI to determine whether the SDU is used for forwarding data extraction at the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane.

[0231] 3) The SDAP layer at the receiving end uses DRB to determine whether the SDU is used for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane.

[0232] 4) The receiving end's SDAP layer finds the corresponding FAR by matching the PDR and determines whether to perform forwarding data extraction based on the FAR's preset fields (such as the DFRT Num field in the ApplyAction IE field). Forwarding data extraction and transmission are performed at one of the multiple destination nodes. (See previous text for new FAR-related content). In one implementation, if multi-destination node transmission is involved, the Outer Header Creation IE field in the FAR's Redundant Transmission Forwarding Parameters field is checked to see if it matches the local identifier. If it matches, forwarding data extraction is performed.

[0233] For scenario one, after determining whether the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane should extract forwarded data, the SDAP layer needs to process the data packet accordingly. Specific methods may include one or more of the following:

[0234] 1) After the SDAP header is removed from the SDAP layer, it will be encapsulated by GTP-U and then processed and forwarded.

[0235] 2) After the SDAP layer removes the SDAP header, it will upload the SDAP SDU to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for further processing. At the same time, the SDAP SDU will be encapsulated by the GTP-U layer for further processing and forwarding.

[0236] 3) After the SDAP header is removed from the SDAP layer, the SDAP SDU data packets will be copied and forwarded to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0237] 4) After removing the SDAP header, the SDAP SDU will be uploaded to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for further processing. At the same time, the SDAP SDU data packets will be copied and forwarded to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0238] In another implementation, in addition to the above processing methods, at least one of the following processing methods is also included:

[0239] 1) If the data packet is neither used for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane nor for data copying and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane, then after the SDAP layer removes the SDAP header, it will be encapsulated by GTP-U and subsequently processed and forwarded.

[0240] 2) If the data packet is used for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer but not for data copying and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer, the SDAP layer will remove the SDAP header and upload the SDAPSDU to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for subsequent processing. At the same time, the SDAP SDU will be encapsulated by the GTP-U layer for subsequent processing and forwarding.

[0241] 3) If the data packet is not used for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, but needs to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the SDAP layer will remove the SDAP header and then copy the SDAP SDU data packet and forward it to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0242] 4) If the data packet needs to be used simultaneously for data extraction and data copying and forwarding at the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane, the SDAP layer will remove the SDAP header and upload the SDAP SDU to the upper protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for subsequent processing. At the same time, the SDAP SDU data packet will be copied and forwarded to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0243] It is worth noting that in Figure 12, NF can be any of the possible data requester nodes such as LMF, SF, NWDAF, AIoTF, OAM, data bearer plane functional node, OTT service, BS, etc.

[0244] In scenario two, the GTP-U layer packet header needs to include a field indicating whether intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane need to extract forwarded data. Specific methods can include one or more of the following:

[0245] 1) By adding a new field to the GTP-U header, it is indicated whether the data packet is used for forwarding data extraction by intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane, and the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to be forwarded for data extraction is indicated.

[0246] 2) Indicate whether the data packet is used for forwarding data extraction by adding or specifying a specific QFI.

[0247] 3) By adding or specifying a specific Message Type, you can indicate whether the data packet is used for forwarding data extraction by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane.

[0248] 4) Configure GTP-U mapping to indicate whether data packets are used for forwarding data extraction at intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane.

[0249] For scenario two, the GTP-U layer needs to have the ability to determine whether data packets uploaded by lower-layer protocol stacks (such as the UDP layer) require data extraction from intermediate forwarding nodes in the current data bearer plane. Specific methods can include one or more of the following:

[0250] 1) The GTP-U layer at the receiving end determines whether the data packet is to be used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane through the field in the second packet header information (such as the GTP-U header) that indicates that forwarding data extraction is required.

[0251] 2) The GTP-U layer at the receiving end uses QFI to determine whether the data packet is to be used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane.

[0252] 3) The GTP-U layer at the receiving end uses Message Type to determine whether the data packet is used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane.

[0253] 4) The GTP-U layer at the receiving end determines whether the data packet is to be used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane through the mapping configuration of GTP-U.

[0254] 5) The GTP-U layer at the receiving end finds the corresponding FAR by matching the PDR, and determines whether to perform forwarding data extraction based on the DFRT Num field in the FAR's Apply Action IE field. The forwarding data extraction and transmission is then performed by one of the multiple destination nodes (new content related to FAR can be found above and will not be repeated here). In one implementation, if forwarding data extraction is performed and it is performed by one of the multiple destination nodes, the Outer Header Creation IE field in the FAR's Redundant Transmission Forwarding Parameters field is checked to see if it matches the local identifier. If it matches, forwarding data extraction is performed.

[0255] For scenario two, after determining whether the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane should extract forwarded data, the GTP-U layer needs to process the data packet accordingly. Specific methods may include one or more of the following:

[0256] 1) After the GTP-U header is removed from the GTP-U layer at the receiving end, it will be encapsulated and subsequently processed and forwarded by the GTP-U layer at the sending end.

[0257] 2) After the GTP-U layer at the receiving end removes the GTP-U header, it will upload the data packet to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for further processing. At the same time, the data packet will be encapsulated by the GTP-U layer for further processing and forwarding.

[0258] 3) After removing the GTP-U header, the receiving end's GTP-U layer will copy the data packets and forward them to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0259] 4) After removing the GTP-U header, the GTP-U layer at the receiving end will upload the data packet to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for further processing. At the same time, the data packet will be copied and forwarded to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0260] In another implementation, in addition to the above processing methods, at least one of the following processing methods is also included:

[0261] 1) If the data packet is neither used for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane nor for data copying and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, then the GTP-U layer of the receiving end will remove the GTP-U header and encapsulate it by the GTP-U layer of the sending end for subsequent processing and forwarding.

[0262] 2) If the data packet is used for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane but not for data copying and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the GTP-U layer of the receiving end will remove the GTP-U header and upload the data packet to the upper protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for subsequent processing. At the same time, the data packet will be encapsulated by the GTP-U layer for subsequent processing and forwarding.

[0263] 3) If the data packet is not used for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, but needs to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the receiving end's GTP-U layer will remove the GTP-U header and then copy the data packet and forward it to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0264] 4) If the data packet needs to be used simultaneously for data extraction and data copying and forwarding at the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the GTP-U layer at the receiving end will remove the GTP-U header and upload the data packet to the upper protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for subsequent processing. At the same time, the data packet will be copied and forwarded to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0265] It is worth noting that in Figure 13, Node 1 can be a BS, sensor or other data source node, Node 2 can be a session transmission intermediate node such as a BS or data bearer function node, and Node 3 can be various possible data requesters such as a BS, LMF, SF, NWDAF, AIoTF, OAM, data bearer function node, OTT service, etc.

[0266] In another implementation, this embodiment mainly discusses the process of data forwarding node extraction in the data bearer plane under SRv6 connection mode. There are two scenarios for data bearer plane transmission requiring data forwarding extraction by the intermediate forwarding node. In scenario one, the intermediate forwarding node for data forwarding extraction is located on the receiving side of the air interface link (BS in Figure 14). In scenario two, the intermediate forwarding node for data forwarding extraction is located on the receiving side of the wired link (Node 2 in Figure 15).

[0267] For scenario one, after the SDAP layer determines whether the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane should perform forwarding data extraction, it needs to process the data packet accordingly. The specific methods may include one or more of the following.

[0268] 1) After the SDAP header is removed from the SDAP layer, it will be encapsulated by SRv6 and then processed and forwarded.

[0269] 2) After removing the SDAP header, the SDAP SDU will be uploaded to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for further processing.

[0270] In another implementation, in addition to the above-mentioned processing methods, at least one of the following processing methods may also be included:

[0271] 1) If the data packet is not used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the SDAP layer will remove the SDAP header and encapsulate it by SRv6 for subsequent processing and forwarding.

[0272] 2) If the data packet is used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the SDAP layer will remove the SDAP header and upload the SDAP SDU to the upper protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for subsequent processing.

[0273] For scenario one, please refer to the previous discussion for other processing procedures.

[0274] It is worth noting that in Figure 14, NF can be any of the following data requesters: LMF, SF, NWDAF, AIoTF, OAM, data bearer plane functional node, OTT service, BS, etc.

[0275] For scenario two, the SRv6 layer header needs to include a field indicating whether intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane need to extract forwarded data. Specific methods can include one or more of the following:

[0276] 1) By adding a TLV field to the SRH extension header of SRv6, it is indicated whether the data packet is used for forwarding data extraction by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane, and the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane that needs to be forwarded for data extraction is indicated.

[0277] For scenario two, the SRv6 layer needs to have the ability to determine whether data packets uploaded by lower-layer protocol stacks (such as L2 layer) require data extraction from intermediate forwarding nodes in the current data bearer plane. Specific methods can include one or more of the following:

[0278] 1) The SRv6 layer at the receiving end determines whether the data packet is to be used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane through the field in the third packet header information (such as the SRv6 header) that indicates that forwarding data extraction is required.

[0279] 2) The SRv6 layer at the receiving end determines whether the data packet is to be used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer by matching the data packet information in the SRv6 header and combining it with the matching strategy configured by the session management function node.

[0280] For scenario two, after determining whether the intermediate forwarding node in the current data bearer plane has performed forwarding data extraction, the SRv6 layer needs to process the data packets accordingly. Specific methods may include one or more of the following:

[0281] 1) After the SRv6 header is removed from the SRv6 layer at the receiving end, it will be encapsulated and processed and forwarded by the SRv6 layer at the sending end.

[0282] 2) After the SRv6 layer at the receiving end removes the SRv6 header, it will upload the data packet to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for further processing.

[0283] In another implementation, in addition to the above processing methods, at least one of the following processing methods is also included:

[0284] 1) If the data packet is not used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the SRv6 layer of the receiving end will remove the SRv6 header and then be encapsulated and processed and forwarded by the SRv6 layer of the sending end.

[0285] 2) If the data packet is used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the SRv6 layer of the receiving end will remove the SRv6 header and upload the data packet to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for subsequent processing.

[0286] It is worth noting that in Figure 15, Node 1 can be a BS, sensor or other data source node, Node 2 can be a session transmission intermediate node such as a BS or data bearer function node, and Node 3 can be any possible data requester such as a BS, LMF, SF, NWDAF, AIoTF, OAM, data bearer function node, OTT service, etc.

[0287] It is worth noting that intermediate forwarding nodes can also process the forwarded data during the forwarding data extraction process based on security mechanisms.

[0288] The security mechanisms include at least one or more of the following: encryption, decryption, authentication, and integrity protection.

[0289] It is worth noting that in the above embodiments, the same security processing method, including security configuration or security processing procedures, is used between the data source node and different destination nodes for data transmission. The security configuration may include keys or encryption algorithms. However, in this embodiment, different security processing methods may be used between the data source node and different destination nodes, including but not limited to using different keys and / or encryption algorithms for security configuration, and / or different security processing procedures. Here, "between the data source node and different destination nodes" can include at least one of the following, but not limited to: between the data source node and an intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data; between the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data and the destination node; between the data source node and an intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to replicate and forward data; between the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to replicate and forward data and the destination node; between the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data and an intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to replicate and forward data; and between the data source node and different destination nodes.

[0290] Figure 16 shows a scenario where intermediate forwarding nodes on the data carrier plane extract forwarded data.

[0291] Specifically, the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data (Node 2 in Figure 16) can perform one or more of the following security operations on the data sent by the data source node (Node 1 in Figure 16):

[0292] 1) The intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data or the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to copy and forward data decrypts the data, and then encrypts it according to the encryption information (such as key and / or encryption algorithm) of the destination node (Node 3 in Figure 16) and sends it to the destination node.

[0293] 2) Data carrier intermediate forwarding nodes that need to extract forwarded data or that need to copy and forward data, based on the received encrypted data, further process the data according to the destination node (as shown in Figure 16).

[0294] 3) The encrypted information (such as key and / or encryption algorithm) is used to encrypt the encrypted data a second time and then sent to the destination node.

[0295] In order to support the secure processing process, the processing protocol stack of the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data or copy and forward data can include a PDU Layer and a Data Layer.

[0296] In one implementation, the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data, or the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to copy and forward data, or the data source node or the destination node, receives security information from security management function nodes (such as AMF, SMF, AUSF, UDM, etc.), and can use it for decryption on the receiving side or encryption on the sending side.

[0297] In one implementation, the security information received by the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data, or the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to copy and forward data, or the data source node, or the destination node, may include one or more of the following: security information between the data source node and the data source node (such as key and / or encryption algorithm), and security information between the data bearer plane and one or more destination nodes (such as key and / or encryption algorithm).

[0298] In one implementation, security management function nodes (such as AMF, SMF, AUSF, UDM, etc.) send security information to intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that need to extract forwarded data, or intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that need to copy and forward data, or data source nodes or destination nodes.

[0299] In one implementation, the method for triggering the forwarding data extraction process by the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarding data can follow the method described above.

[0300] In one implementation, the method for triggering the data replication and forwarding process by the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to perform data replication and forwarding can follow the method described above.

[0301] In one implementation, the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data reports local data at the Data layer for subsequent processing. At the same time, the data packet will be encapsulated by the sending end and forwarded.

[0302] In one implementation, the intermediate forwarding node of the data carrier plane that needs to copy and forward data performs data packet copying at the Data layer and then forwards it to one or more nodes by the sending end.

[0303] In one implementation, security mechanisms can enhance the security of data transmission.

[0304] Step S1400: The data source node transmits data to the forwarding node at the fork.

[0305] Step S1500: The forwarding node at the fork performs data replication and forwarding.

[0306] In one implementation, the process of data replication and forwarding by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane under GTP-U connection mode is mainly discussed. There are two scenarios for data bearer plane transmission requiring data replication and forwarding by intermediate forwarding nodes. In scenario one, the intermediate forwarding node for data replication and forwarding is located on the receiving side of the air interface link (BS in Figure 17). In scenario two, the intermediate forwarding node for data replication and forwarding is located on the receiving side of the wired link (Node 2 in Figure 18).

[0307] For scenario one, the SDAP layer header needs to include a field indicating whether data replication and forwarding are required. Specific methods can include one or more of the following:

[0308] 1) Indicate whether the data packet (such as SDU) is used for data replication and forwarding by adding a field to the SDAP header.

[0309] 2) Indicate whether the SDU is used for data replication and forwarding by adding or specifying a specific QFI.

[0310] 3) By configuring the mapping relationship between DRB and QFI, it can be indicated whether the SDU is used as an intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane for data replication and forwarding.

[0311] 4) Configure the DRB to indicate whether the SDU is used for data replication and forwarding by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane. For scenario one, the SDAP layer needs to have the function of determining whether the SDU uploaded by the lower-layer protocol stack (such as the PDCP layer) needs to be replicated and forwarded by the current intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane. Specific methods may include one or more of the following:

[0312] 1) The SDAP layer at the receiving end determines whether the SDU is used for data replication and forwarding by the field in the fourth packet header information (such as the SDAP header) that indicates that data replication and forwarding are required.

[0313] 2) The SDAP layer at the receiving end uses QFI to determine whether the SDU is used for data replication and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane.

[0314] 3) The SDAP layer at the receiving end uses DRB to determine whether the SDU is used for data replication and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane.

[0315] 4) The receiving end's SDAP layer finds the corresponding FAR by matching the PDR and determines whether to perform data replication and forwarding based on the FAR's preset fields (the DFRT Num field in the ApplyAction IE). Data replication and forwarding are then performed by one of the multiple destination nodes (see previous sections for new FAR-related content, which will not be repeated here). In one implementation, if data replication and forwarding are to be performed by one of the multiple destination nodes, the Outer Header Creation IE field in the FAR's Redundant Transmission Forwarding Parameters field is checked to see if it matches the identifier of another non-local node. If it matches, data replication and forwarding are performed.

[0316] For scenario one, after determining whether the intermediate forwarding node in the current data bearer plane performs data replication and forwarding, the SDAP layer needs to process the data packets accordingly. Specific methods may include one or more of the following:

[0317] 1) After the SDAP header is removed from the SDAP layer, it will be encapsulated by GTP-U and then processed and forwarded.

[0318] 2) After removing the SDAP header, the SDAP SDU will be replicated and forwarded to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0319] 3) After the SDAP layer removes the SDAP header, it will upload the SDAP SDU to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for further processing. At the same time, the SDAP SDU will be encapsulated by the GTP-U layer for further processing and forwarding.

[0320] 4) After removing the SDAP header, the SDAP SDU will be uploaded to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for further processing. At the same time, the SDAP SDU data packets will be copied and forwarded to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0321] In one implementation, in addition to the processing methods described above, at least one of the following processing methods is also included:

[0322] 1) If the data packet is neither used for data replication and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane nor for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane, then after the SDAP layer removes the SDAP header, it will be encapsulated by GTP-U and subsequently processed and forwarded.

[0323] 2) If the data packet is used for data replication and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane but not for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane, the SDAP layer will remove the SDAP header, replicate the SDAP SDU and forward it to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0324] 3) If the data packet is not used for data copying and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane, but needs to be extracted by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane, the SDAP layer will remove the SDAP header and upload the SDAP SDU to the upper protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for subsequent processing. At the same time, the SDAP SDU will be encapsulated by the GTP-U layer for subsequent processing and forwarding.

[0325] 4) If the data packet needs to be used simultaneously for data replication and forwarding and data extraction at the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane, the SDAP layer will remove the SDAP header and upload the data packet (such as SDAP SDU) to the upper protocol layer (such as PDU layer) for subsequent processing. At the same time, the SDAP SDU will be replicated and forwarded to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0326] It is worth noting that in Figure 16, NF 1 and NF 2 can be various possible data requesters such as LMF, SF, NWDAF, AIoTF, OAM, data bearer plane functional node, OTT service, BS, etc.

[0327] For scenario two, the GTP-U layer header needs to include a field indicating whether data replication and forwarding are required. Specific methods can include one or more of the following:

[0328] 1) By adding a field to the GTP-U header, it is indicated whether the data packet is used for data replication and forwarding by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane, and the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane that needs to be replicated and forwarded is indicated.

[0329] 2) Indicate whether the data packet is used for data replication and forwarding by adding or specifying a specific QFI.

[0330] 3) By adding or specifying a specific Message Type, you can indicate whether the data packet is used for data replication and forwarding by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane.

[0331] 4) Configure GTP-U mapping to indicate whether data packets are used for data copying and forwarding by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane.

[0332] For scenario two, the GTP-U layer needs to have the ability to determine whether data packets uploaded by lower-layer protocol stacks (such as the UDP layer) require data replication and forwarding by intermediate forwarding nodes in the current data bearer plane. Specific methods can include one or more of the following:

[0333] 1) The GTP-U layer at the receiving end determines whether the data packet is to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane through the field in the fifth packet header information (such as the GTP-U header) that indicates that data copying and forwarding are required.

[0334] 2) The GTP-U layer at the receiving end uses QFI to determine whether the data packet is to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane.

[0335] 3) The GTP-U layer at the receiving end uses Message Type to determine whether the data packet is used for data copying and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane.

[0336] 4) The GTP-U layer at the receiving end determines whether the data packet is to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane through the mapping configuration of GTP-U.

[0337] 5) The GTP-U layer at the receiving end finds the corresponding FAR by matching the PDR, and determines whether to perform data replication and forwarding based on the DFRT Num field in the FAR's Apply Action IE field. Data replication and forwarding are then performed by one of the multiple destination nodes (see previous sections for new FAR-related content, which will not be repeated here). In one implementation, if data replication and forwarding are to be performed by one of the multiple destination nodes, the Outer Header Creation IE field in the FAR's Redundant Transmission Forwarding Parameters field is checked to see if it matches the identifier of another non-local node. If it matches, data replication and forwarding are performed.

[0338] For scenario two, after determining whether the intermediate forwarding node in the current data bearer plane performs data replication and forwarding, the GTP-U layer needs to process the data packets accordingly. Specific methods may include one or more of the following:

[0339] 1) After the GTP-U header is removed from the GTP-U layer at the receiving end, it will be encapsulated and subsequently processed and forwarded by the GTP-U layer at the sending end.

[0340] 2) After the GTP-U layer at the receiving end removes the GTP-U header, it will copy the data packets and forward them to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0341] 3) After the GTP-U layer at the receiving end removes the GTP-U header, it will upload the data packet to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for further processing. At the same time, the data packet will be encapsulated by the GTP-U layer for further processing and forwarding.

[0342] 4) After removing the GTP-U header, the GTP-U layer at the receiving end will upload the data packet to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for further processing. At the same time, the data packet will be copied and forwarded to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0343] In one implementation, in addition to the processing methods described above, at least one of the following processing methods is also included:

[0344] 1) If the data packet is neither used for data copying and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane nor for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, then the GTP-U layer of the receiving end will remove the GTP-U header and encapsulate it by the GTP-U layer of the sending end for subsequent processing and forwarding.

[0345] 2) If the data packet is used for data replication and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane but not for data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the receiving end's GTP-U layer will remove the GTP-U header, replicate the data packet, and forward it to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0346] 3) If the data packet is not used for data copying and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, but needs to be extracted by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the GTP-U layer of the receiving end will remove the GTP-U header and upload the data packet to the upper protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for subsequent processing. At the same time, the data packet will be encapsulated by the GTP-U layer for subsequent processing and forwarding.

[0347] 4) If the data packet needs to be used simultaneously for data replication and forwarding and for extracting forwarded data at the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane, the GTP-U layer at the receiving end will remove the GTP-U header and upload the data packet to the next higher protocol layer (such as the PDU layer) for subsequent processing. At the same time, the data packet will be replicated and forwarded to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

[0348] It is worth noting that in Figure 17, Node 1 can be a BS, sensor or other data source node, Node 2 can be a session transmission intermediate node such as BS, UPF, NEF, etc., and Node 3 and Node 4 can be various possible data requesters such as BS, LMF, SF, NWDAF, AIoTF, OAM, data bearer plane functional node, OTT service, etc.

[0349] It is worth noting that NF 1 and NF 2 in Figure 16 can use different transmission protocols (e.g., NF 1 uses GTP-U, NF 2 uses SRv6, etc.), and the BS's sending end should also be adjusted to GTP-U or SRv6 accordingly; Node 3 and Node 4 in Figure 17 can use different transmission protocols (e.g., Node 3 uses GTP-U, Node 4 uses SRv6, etc.), and the Node 2's sending end should also be adjusted to GTP-U or SRv6 accordingly.

[0350] In another implementation, the process of data replication and forwarding by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane under SRv6 connection mode is mainly discussed. There are two scenarios for data replication and forwarding by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane. In scenario one, the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane that needs to perform data replication and forwarding is located on the receiving side of the air interface link (BS in Figure 19). In scenario two, the intermediate forwarding node in the data bearer plane that needs to perform data replication and forwarding is located on the receiving side of the wired link (Node 2 in Figure 20).

[0351] For scenario one, the BS replicates the data packets decrypted by the SDAP layer multiple times according to the configuration information for multiple replication and forwarding issued by the session management function, and encapsulates the SRv6 packet header according to different destination nodes or next-hop nodes before forwarding them.

[0352] It is worth noting that in Figure 19, NF 1 and NF 2 can be various possible data requesters such as LMF, SF, NWDAF, AIoTF, OAM, data bearer plane functional node, OTT service, BS, etc.

[0353] For scenario two, the implementation methods for data replication and forwarding by intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane can include one or more of the following:

[0354] Method 1: Node1, based on the multi-path segmented routing information configured by the session management function, includes the segmented routing information of multiple paths in the SRv6 packet header and sends the data. When Node2 receives this data packet, it copies the data packet according to the SRv6 packet header information and simplifies the SRv6 packet header information to re-encapsulate it into each data packet. Then, Node2 forwards the data according to different destination nodes or next-hop nodes.

[0355] Method 2: When Node2 receives the data packet, it copies the specified data packet according to the configuration information for multiple replication and forwarding issued by the session management function, and adds the corresponding SRv6 header information to the beginning of each data packet. Then, Node2 forwards the data according to different destination nodes or next-hop nodes.

[0356] It is worth noting that in Figure 20, Node 1 can be a BS, sensor or other data source node, Node 2 can be a session transmission intermediate node such as BS, UPF, NEF, etc., and Node 3 and Node 4 can be various possible data requesters such as BS, LMF, SF, NWDAF, AIoTF, OAM, data bearer plane functional node, OTT service, etc.

[0357] It is worth noting that NF 1 and NF 2 in Figure 19 can use different transmission protocols (e.g., NF 1 uses GTP-U, NF 2 uses SRv6, etc.), and the BS's transmitting end should also be adjusted to GTP-U or SRv6 accordingly; Node 3 and Node 4 in Figure 20 can use different transmission protocols (e.g., Node 3 uses GTP-U, Node 4 uses SRv6, etc.), and the transmitting end of Node 2 should also be adjusted to GTP-U or SRv6 accordingly.

[0358] In the implementation of this disclosure, the forwarding node at the fork can also process the forwarded data in the forwarding data extraction based on a security mechanism.

[0359] Specifically, "between the data source node and different destination nodes" here can include at least one of the following, but not limited to: between the data source node and the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data; between the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data and the destination node; between the data source node and the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to replicate and forward data; between the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to replicate and forward data and the destination node; between the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data and the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to replicate and forward data; and between the data source node and different destination nodes, etc. The scenario of the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane performing data replication and forwarding is shown in Figure 21.

[0360] Specifically, the intermediate forwarding node in the data carrier plane (Node 2 in Figure 21) that needs to replicate and forward data can perform one or more of the following security operations on the data sent by the data source node (Node 1 in Figure 21):

[0361] 1) After the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data or the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to copy and forward data decrypts the data, it encrypts it according to the encryption information (such as key and / or encryption algorithm) of the destination node (as shown in Node 3 and Node 4 in Figure 21) and sends it to the destination node.

[0362] 2) The intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data or that needs to copy and forward data, based on the received encrypted data, further encrypts the encrypted data according to the encryption information (such as key and / or encryption algorithm) of the destination node (as shown in Node 3 and Node 4 in Figure 21) and sends it to the destination node.

[0363] In order to support the secure processing process, the processing protocol stack of the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data or copy and forward data can include a PDU Layer and a Data Layer.

[0364] It is worth noting that intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that need to extract forwarded data, or intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that need to copy and forward data, or data source nodes or destination nodes, receive security information from security management function nodes (such as AMF, SMF, AUSF, UDM, etc.), and can use it for decryption on the receiving side or encryption on the sending side.

[0365] In one implementation, the security information received by the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data, or the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to copy and forward data, or the data source node, or the destination node, may include one or more of the following: security information between the data source node and the data source node (such as key and / or encryption algorithm), and security information between the data bearer plane and one or more destination nodes (such as key and / or encryption algorithm).

[0366] In one implementation, security management function nodes (such as AMF, SMF, AUSF, UDM, etc.) send security information to intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that need to extract forwarded data, or intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that need to copy and forward data, or data source nodes or destination nodes.

[0367] In one implementation, the method for triggering the forwarding data extraction process by the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarding data can follow the method described above.

[0368] In one implementation, the method for triggering the data replication and forwarding process by the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to perform data replication and forwarding can follow the method described above.

[0369] In one implementation, the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data reports local data at the Data layer for subsequent processing. At the same time, the data packet will be encapsulated by the sending end and forwarded.

[0370] In one implementation, the intermediate forwarding node of the data carrier plane that needs to copy and forward data performs data packet copying at the Data layer and then forwards it to one or more nodes by the sending end.

[0371] In one implementation, security mechanisms can also enhance the security of data transmission.

[0372] Step S1600: The forwarding node at the fork transmits data to the first data requester node.

[0373] Step S1700: The forwarding node at the fork transmits data to the second data requester node.

[0374] It is worth noting that the wireless communication method in Figure 4 can execute at least one of steps S100 to S1700, and the execution order of these steps is not limited. According to some embodiments of this disclosure, this technical solution can be implemented independently. The above wireless communication method can achieve at least the following technical effects: First, the data source node can send a public data transmission request to the session management function node based on the public data configuration information received from the data management node to decide whether one-to-many transmission is possible. If one-to-many transmission is performed, the session management function node will uniformly distribute the relevant transmission configuration information, thereby reducing the overhead of repetitive process establishment. Second, since the session management function node uniformly configures the relevant configurations for data forwarding and along-the-path acquisition, different data request nodes can complete data acquisition in a single session, thus reducing the overhead of repetitive data transmission. In summary, by sending the same request data to different data requesters in a single transmission, the repeated user plane channel establishment process and multiple data transmission processes are significantly reduced.

[0375] It is worth noting that the "data bearer plane" described in this embodiment can be an improvement on the existing user plane or other new data bearer plane solutions.

[0376] It is worth noting that in this embodiment of the disclosure, the data source node in Figure 4 can be a UE, BS, sensor, electronic tag or other data source node; the accompanying node can be a BS or other data bearer intermediate forwarding node; the SMF can also be other nodes with session management functions; the data management node can be a management node dedicated to data bearer transmission or other general data management nodes (such as UDM); the session intermediate forwarding node can be a BS, UPF, NEF or other data bearer intermediate forwarding node; data requesters 1 and 2 can be various possible data requesters such as BS, LMF, SF, NWDAF, AIoTF, OAM, data bearer functional node, OTT service, etc.

[0377] It is worth noting that the data management node can be located in the core network or in the RAN.

[0378] It is worth noting that protocol layer terms such as SDAP, GTP-U, SRv6, NGAP, and RRC can refer to protocol layers, protocols, or entities, etc.

[0379] It is worth noting that the signaling interaction between the intermediate forwarding node and the session management function node can be transmitted directly or forwarded through other intermediate nodes.

[0380] It is worth noting that "in-path node" refers to the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data; "in-path transmission" and "in-path data extraction" refer to the process of extracting forwarded data; "in-path transmission request" refers to the request that needs to extract forwarded data; "in-path transmission decision" refers to the decision on whether the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarded data can perform the data extraction; "forwarding node at the fork" refers to the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to copy and forward data; "fork transmission" and "data copying and forwarding at the fork" refer to the process of copying and forwarding data.

[0381] This disclosure also includes an enhancement method for the RLC polling mechanism.

[0382] As a typical application of immersive communication, XR services have been extensively researched and standardized by 3GPP in 5G Rel-17 / 18. To better support XR and similar services, especially in terms of the need for discarding useless packets and timely retransmission, enhancements to RLCAM are currently being discussed in Rel-19. These enhancements include introducing an enhanced polling mechanism into RLCAM mode, which triggers polling operations based on the PDU's remaining time and a pre-configured threshold value. The remaining time of one PDU is related to the discard timer of its corresponding PDCP SDU.

[0383] After the introduction of the enhanced polling mechanism, RLC entities may run both enhanced polling and normal polling mechanisms (the existing polling mechanisms in the 3GPP RLC protocol) simultaneously. The main difference between the two is that the triggering reasons are different, but their functions and effects are the same or similar. It is necessary to introduce a method to coordinate the two polling mechanisms to avoid overly frequent polling operations and / or corresponding SR (Status Report) operations.

[0384] Method 1:

[0385] When the RLC transmitting entity triggers an enhanced polling or normal polling operation, it sends polling type and operation instruction information to the RLC receiving entity.

[0386] Specifically, the AM PDU sent by the RLC transmitting entity carries polling type and operation indication information. When the RLC receiving entity receives the enhanced polling type and operation indication information, if the SN of the current PDU is greater than or equal to the value of the status variable RX_Highest_Status, then RX_Highest_Status is updated to the SN of the first SDU that is greater than or equal to that SN and has not yet been received, and then a status report is triggered; otherwise, a status report is triggered.

[0387] As an example, a possible implementation scheme includes at least one of the following operations:

[0388] 1) Referring to the AMD PDU formats in the existing 3GPP RLC protocol (38.322 v18.2.0) Figure 6.2.2.4-2: AMD PDU with 18-bit SN (No SO) and Figure 6.2.2.4-4: AMD PDU with 18-bit SN with SO, a new AMD PDU format is defined. In this format, the "P" bit in the PDU continues to indicate normal polling operations, and one of the "R" bits is defined as indicating enhanced polling operations, referred to as the "EP" bit.

[0389] 2) Before sending polling operation instructions and type indication information based on the new AMD PDU format, the network side controls the PDU / MAC CE configuration or instructs the RLC receiving or sending entity to use the newly defined AMD PDU format through RRC messages / RLC control.

[0390] 3) When the RLC transmitting entity triggers a normal polling operation, set the "P" bit in the AMD PDU to 1; otherwise, set it to 0.

[0391] 4) When the RLC transmitting entity triggers the enhanced polling operation, set the “EP” bit in the AMD PDU to 1; otherwise, set it to 0.

[0392] 5) When the RLC receiver receives the new format AMD PDU, if the “P” bit is set to 1, polling processing and operation are performed according to the existing RLC protocol.

[0393] 6) When the RLC receiving entity receives a new format AMD PDU, if the “EP” bit is set to 1, and if the SN of the current PDU is greater than or equal to the value of the status variable RX_Highest_Status, then update RX_Highest_Status to the SN of the first SDU that is greater than or equal to that SN and has not yet been received, and then trigger a status report; otherwise, trigger a status report.

[0394] Method 2:

[0395] On the RLC transmitting side, enhanced polling is triggered based on the remaining time and pre-configured threshold of each PDU or SDU, and the enhanced polling operation indication information is sent to the RLC receiving side entity via AM PDU. The RLC receiving side entity will then trigger a status report.

[0396] Furthermore, if the RLC receiving entity receives one or more enhanced polling operation instructions again during the process of responding to the enhanced polling operation instruction and triggering a status report, the RLC receiving entity will not respond to these enhanced polling instructions, that is, it will not trigger a status report.

[0397] Furthermore, a shielding operation can be introduced during the process of the RLC receiving entity responding to the enhanced polling operation instruction and triggering a status report. This involves setting a shielding period during which the RLC receiving entity will not respond to the enhanced polling operation instruction, i.e., will not trigger a status report. This shielding period can be implemented by introducing a corresponding timer. The timer is started when the RLC receiving entity receives and responds to the enhanced polling operation instruction, or when a status report is triggered. The length of the shielding period, i.e., the timer duration, is configured by the network side via RRC signaling or predefined by the system.

[0398] Furthermore, the aforementioned RLC receiver-side response to polling operation instructions and triggering of status reporting procedures applies to enhanced polling and / or normal polling operations.

[0399] For enhanced polling operation instructions, the bearer transmission and receiving side processing methods can adopt the method in Method 1, that is, the bearer transmission and receiving side processing methods that distinguish between enhanced polling and normal polling types.

[0400] In another embodiment, the bearer transmission and receiver processing methods may not distinguish between enhanced polling and normal polling types. As an example, based on the AMD PDU format in the existing 3GPP RLC protocol (38.322v18.2.0), the "P" bit is used to indicate polling operations, including enhanced polling and normal polling operations.

[0401] In one implementation, Method 1 and Method 2 can be used in combination.

[0402] Effects: By introducing the above methods, on the one hand, enhanced polling can be implemented to speed up the status reporting function; on the other hand, by introducing a status reporting shielding mechanism, the system can avoid triggering status reports too frequently, thereby reducing the signaling overhead.

[0403] This document describes methods for wireless communication applicable to communication between a UE and a base station, as well as communication between the core network and the base station. However, these inventive concepts, methods, apparatuses, devices, computer-readable storage media, chips, and computer program products are not limited to 5G communication and can be extended to other communication scenarios to achieve the same technical benefits and effects.

[0404] In these scalable communication scenarios, nodes can be entities such as User Equipment (UE), base stations (e.g., gNB, eNodeB, Transmitter Receiving Point (TRP), NodeB for next-generation communication, or Wi-Fi access points), or network elements. User Equipment (UE) refers to a device used for communication at the user end, such as a mobile phone; it can also be called a terminal, mobile station, or mobile terminal. UE can be various devices, including but not limited to mobile phones, tablets, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals for industrial control, wireless terminals for autonomous driving, wireless terminals for remote medical surgery, wireless terminals for smart grids, wireless terminals for environmental monitoring, wireless terminals for smart cities, and wireless terminals for smart homes, etc.

[0405] Furthermore, UEs and base stations can be deployed in various environments, including but not limited to indoor, outdoor, handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, or even on water, in the air, on airplanes, drones, or on satellites.

[0406] Therefore, although this document describes methods and devices for wireless communication, the inventive concepts and techniques contained herein can be extended to other communication scenarios and are expected to achieve the same technical benefits and effects. It is readily apparent that these inventive concepts have broad applicability and scalability, whether for communication between different types of base stations and user equipment, or for communication in different deployment environments.

[0407] It should be noted that the above steps are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the embodiments of this disclosure. Various modifications and changes can be made to the steps without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0408] The order of the described steps (signaling / boxes) is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described steps (signaling / boxes) can be skipped or combined in any order to implement the method or an alternative method.

[0409] This disclosure describes examples of communication between terminals and network element components in the network architecture described in the above embodiments, which are primarily for illustrative purposes and not for limitation.

[0410] The order of the described steps (signaling / blocks) is not intended to be construed as limiting, and any number of the described steps (signaling / blocks) can be skipped or combined in any order to implement the method or alternative methods. Generally, any of the components, modules, methods, and operations described herein can be implemented using software, firmware, hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), manual processing, or any combination thereof. Some operations of the example methods can be described in the general context of executable instructions stored on computer-readable storage located locally and / or remotely on a computer processing system, and implementations can include software applications, programs, functions, etc. Alternatively or additionally, any functionality described herein can be performed at least in part by one or more hardware logic components, such as, but not limited to, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), system-on-a-chip (SoCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), etc.

[0411] Furthermore, the signaling transmission described in the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in any manner known in the art. For example, signaling transmission can be explicit and / or implicit. Moreover, the illustrated steps (signaling / blocks) are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0412] Figure 22 is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device 900 provided in this disclosure. The wireless communication device includes a processor and a memory, the memory for storing computer programs, and the processor for calling and running the computer programs stored in the memory to perform at least one of the operations described above.

[0413] The wireless communication device can be a user equipment, a base station, or a network element. The wireless communication device 900 shown in Figure 22 includes a processor 910, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0414] Optionally, as shown in FIG22, the wireless communication device 900 may further include a memory 920. The processor 910 can call and run computer programs from the memory 920 to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application. The memory 920 may be a separate device independent of the processor 910, or it may be integrated into the processor 910.

[0415] Optionally, as shown in Figure 22, the wireless communication device 900 may further include a transceiver 930. The processor 910 can control the transceiver 930 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, it can send information or data to other devices or receive information or data sent by other devices. The transceiver 930 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 930 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0416] Optionally, the wireless communication device 900 may specifically be a base station in the embodiments of this application, and the wireless communication device 900 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the base station in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0417] Optionally, the wireless communication device 900 may specifically be a mobile user equipment / user equipment in the embodiments of this application, and the wireless communication device 900 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the mobile user equipment / user equipment in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0418] Optionally, the wireless communication device 900 may specifically be a network element in the embodiments of this application, and the wireless communication device 900 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the network element in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0419] According to an example embodiment, a chip is provided, the chip including: a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, causing a device on which the chip is installed to perform the method according to any one of the above embodiments, examples, or example embodiments.

[0420] According to an example embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program that causes a computer to perform a method according to any one of the above embodiments, examples, or example embodiments.

[0421] According to an example embodiment, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program / instructions that, when executed by a processor (e.g., by the processor or an apparatus, device, computer, or machine including the processor), implement the method according to any one of the above embodiments, examples, or example embodiments.

[0422] Embodiments of this disclosure are combinations of technologies / processes that can be employed in 3GPP specifications to create a final product.

[0423] While this disclosure has been described in conjunction with what are considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements made without departing from the broadest interpretation of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, executed at a data source node, the method comprising: Send a session establishment request and / or information related to data transmission, wherein the session establishment request includes at least one of the following: data type, data purpose, data format, data size, task type, data sharing, or forwarding data extraction.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The data types include at least one of the following: channel state information, sensing information, AI model parameters, or AI gradient information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The data may be used for at least one of the following purposes: Model training, model inference, model monitoring, or routine collection.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The data format includes at least one of the following: the structure of the input data or the structure of the output data of the training data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The task types include at least one of the following: localization, beam management, CSI compression, CSI prediction, encoding / decoding, channel estimation, channel interpolation, modulation / demodulation, end-to-end communication, wireless mapping, environmental awareness, target awareness, or target tracking.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The data sharing involves multiple destination nodes.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The extracted forwarding data includes the identifiers of intermediate forwarding nodes.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The session establishment request is carried in the Non-Access Stratum Session Management (NAS-MM) or Radio Resource Control (RRC).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The session establishment request is carried in the RRC, which also contains type information and / or structure information of the transmitted data.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes receiving a data collection request and / or public configuration information, wherein the public configuration information includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the data request node, or the address of the data request node.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a data reporting request message, wherein the data reporting request message includes at least one of the following: perform data reporting, reset the acquisition timer to zero, or stop data acquisition.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: sending a data reporting decision request message based on a preset triggering condition, wherein the data reporting decision request message includes one or more of the following: the status of locally collected data, or the reporting capability of the data source node.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The triggering conditions include at least one of the following: the timer ends, the amount of data collected reaches a specified threshold, or the data source node leaves the specified data collection area.

14. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, The method further includes: sending a data reporting decision request message, wherein the data reporting decision request message includes at least one of the following: the status of locally collected data and / or the reporting capability of the data source node.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: receiving a data reporting decision response message, wherein the data reporting decision response message includes at least one of the following: whether the data source node reports data, whether the data source node initiates a session establishment request for the data carrier plane, whether the data source node stops data collection, whether the data source node continues data collection, or reconfiguration of the data source node's collection strategy.

16. A wireless communication method, performed at an intermediate relay node, the method comprising: The system receives information related to data transmission, which originates from a data source node or a session management function node. This information is then processed by intermediate forwarding nodes.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The relevant information for the data transmission is carried in the session establishment request.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, The method further includes: receiving a session establishment request.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, The method further includes: identifying the data transmitted by the data source node and / or determining whether to extract forwarded data based on the relevant information of the data transmission, wherein the extraction of forwarded data refers to the process of extracting forwarded data.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The step of identifying the data transmitted by the data source node and / or determining whether to extract forwarded data based on the relevant information of the data transmission includes: Based on the relevant information of the data transmission, identify the data transmitted by the data source node and determine whether to extract the forwarded data.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The step of identifying the data transmitted by the data source node and determining whether to perform forwarding data extraction based on the relevant information of the data transmission includes: Identify relevant information about the data transmission and determine several fields of the data transmitted by the data source node; Based on the public data matching strategy, the local data requirements are matched with the data transmitted by the data source node to obtain the matching result; If the matching result shows that the data transmitted by the data source node matches the local data requirement, then a request is made to extract the forwarded data.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The method further includes sending a request for data extraction that needs to be forwarded.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The method also includes: extracting forwarded data.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein, The process of extracting forwarded data includes: The Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer of the intermediate forwarding node determines whether the intermediate forwarding node of the current data carrier plane performs forwarding data extraction. Process the data packets.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The SDAP layer of the intermediate forwarding node determines whether the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane should perform forwarding data extraction, including at least one of the following: The SDAP layer determines whether a data packet is to be used for forwarding data extraction by the field in the first packet header information that indicates that forwarding data extraction is required; The SDAP layer uses the Quality Flow Identifier (QFI) to determine whether a data packet is used for forwarding data extraction at an intermediate forwarding node in the current data bearer plane. The SDAP layer uses the Data Radio Bearer (DRB) to determine whether a data packet is intended for forwarding data extraction at the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane. and / or The SDAP layer determines the FAR corresponding to the PDR by matching the packet detection rule (PDR), and determines whether to extract forwarded data based on the preset fields of the FAR.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The processing of data packets includes at least one of the following: After the SDAP layer removes the first packet header information, the GTP-U layer of the intermediate forwarding node encapsulates, processes, and forwards the packet. After removing the first packet header information, the SDAP layer uploads the data packet to the next higher protocol layer, and the GTP-U layer of the intermediate forwarding node encapsulates, processes, and forwards the data packet. After the SDAP layer removes the first packet header information, it copies the data packet, and the GTP-U layer of the intermediate forwarding node forwards the data packet to one or more nodes; and / or After removing the first packet header information, the SDAP layer uploads the data packet to the next higher protocol layer for processing and copies the data packet. The GTP-U layer of the intermediate forwarding node forwards the data packet to one or more nodes.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The processing of data packets includes at least one of the following: After the SDAP layer removes the first packet header information, the SRv6 layer of the intermediate forwarding node encapsulates, processes, and forwards the packet. After removing the first packet header information, the SDAP layer uploads the data packet to the next higher protocol layer for processing.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein, The process of extracting forwarded data includes: In the mobile network of the intermediate forwarding node, the user plane data interaction protocol GTP-U layer between the terminal and the network determines whether the data packets uploaded by the lower protocol stack need to be forwarded and extracted by the current data bearer intermediate forwarding node. Process the data packets.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein, The intermediate forwarding node's GTP-U layer determines whether the data packets uploaded by the lower-layer protocol stack need to be forwarded and extracted by the current data bearer intermediate forwarding node, including at least one of the following: The GTP-U layer uses the field in the second packet header information that indicates whether the data packet is to be used for forwarding data extraction at the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane. The GTP-U layer uses QFI to determine whether the data packet is used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane; The GTP-U layer determines whether the data packet is used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane based on the message type. The GTP-U layer determines whether the data packet is to be used for forwarding data extraction by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane through the mapping configuration of the GTP-U. and / or The GTP-U layer determines the FAR corresponding to the PDR by matching the PDR, and determines whether to extract forwarded data based on the preset fields of the FAR.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein, The processing of the data packets includes: After the GTP-U layer removes the second header information, it will be encapsulated, processed, and forwarded by the GTP-U layer of the sending end. After removing the second header information, the GTP-U layer uploads the data packet to the next higher protocol layer for processing, and encapsulates, processes, and forwards the data packet. After removing the second header information, the GTP-U layer will copy the data packet and forward it to one or more nodes. and / or After removing the second header information, the GTP-U layer uploads the data packet to the next higher protocol layer for processing, and copies the data packet to forward it to one or more nodes.

31. The method according to claim 23, wherein, The process of extracting forwarded data includes: The SRv6 layer of the intermediate forwarding node determines whether the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane should extract forwarded data. Process the data packets.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein, The SRv6 layer of the intermediate forwarding node determines whether the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane should perform forwarding data extraction, including: The SRv6 layer uses the field in the third packet header information that indicates whether the data packet is to be used for forwarding data extraction at the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane. The SRv6 layer determines whether a data packet is to be used for forwarding data extraction by matching the data packet information in the third packet header information and combining it with the matching strategy configured by the session management function node.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein, The processing of data packets includes at least one of the following: After the third header information is removed by the SRv6 layer, the packet will be encapsulated, processed, and forwarded by the SRv6 layer. After removing the third header information, the SRv6 layer uploads the data packet to the next higher protocol layer for processing.

34. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The method further includes: Based on security mechanisms, the forwarded data in the forwarded data extraction process is processed.

35. A wireless communication method, performed on a session management function node, the method comprising: Receive session establishment requests and / or requests that require forwarding data extraction; Based on the session establishment request and / or the request for data extraction, determine the decision to extract data and / or to copy and forward the data.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein, If the session establishment request and / or the request for forwarding data extraction contains information related to the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane performing forwarding data extraction, then at least one of the following operations is performed: Send configuration information to intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that are allowed to extract forwarded data; Send configuration information for forwarding data extraction to the starting node of the SRv6 session transmission path or to the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarding data; Send transmission configuration information to all intermediate forwarding nodes and terminal nodes of the GTP-U session transmission; Send transport configuration information to the starting node of the SRv6 session transport path.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein, The session management function node has the ability to decide whether the intermediate forwarding node of the data carrier plane should extract forwarded data.

38. The method according to claim 35, wherein, The decision to perform forwarding data extraction and / or data copying and forwarding based on the session establishment request and / or the request requiring forwarding data extraction includes: The session establishment request and / or the request for forwarded data extraction are transmitted to the data management node; Receive the decision results sent by the data management node to extract and / or copy and forward the data.

39. The method according to claim 37 or 38, wherein, If the session establishment request contains information related to data sharing, then at least one of the following operations will be performed: Send configuration information to intermediate forwarding nodes in the data bearer plane that are allowed to extract forwarded data; Send configuration information for forwarding data extraction to the starting node of the SRv6 session transmission path or to the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to extract forwarding data; Send the replication and forwarding configuration information to the intermediate forwarding nodes of the data bearer plane that need to replicate and forward data; Send the replication and forwarding configuration information to the starting node of the SRv6 session transmission path or to the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to replicate and forward data; Send transmission configuration information to all intermediate forwarding nodes and terminal nodes of the GTP-U session transmission; Send transport configuration information to the starting node of the SRv6 session transport path.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein, The configuration information is carried in the N4 message, and sending the replication and forwarding configuration information to the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to perform data replication and forwarding includes at least one of the following: The number of copies and / or multiple destination identifiers used for copy transfer.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein, The configuration information is carried in NGAP messages, and sending the replication and forwarding configuration information to the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that needs to perform data replication and forwarding includes at least one of the following: Multiple destination node information, support for more than one destination node, and / or the number of destination nodes for replication and forwarding or destination identification information.

42. The method according to claim 36, wherein, The configuration information is carried in the N4 message, and sending the configuration information to the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that is allowed to extract forwarded data includes: the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane.

43. The method according to claim 36, wherein, The configuration information is carried in the NGAP message, and sending the configuration information to the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane that is allowed to extract forwarded data includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the intermediate forwarding node of the data bearer plane.

44. The method of claim 35, wherein, The method further includes: sending data transmission information.

45. The method according to claim 38, wherein, The method further includes: based on the decision result, sending a message to several nodes to perform forwarding data extraction and / or data copying and forwarding session establishment, wherein the several nodes include at least one of the following: data source node, intermediate forwarding node that needs to perform forwarding data extraction, intermediate forwarding node that needs to perform data copying and forwarding, intermediate forwarding node of other data carrier plane, and / or data requester node.

46. ​​A wireless communication method, performed at a data management node, the method comprising: Receive several data requests; Based on the aforementioned data requests, determine whether there are any public data requests.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein, The data request includes at least one of the following: Data type, data purpose, task type, long-term or short-term data requirements, periodic or non-periodic data requirements, and fixed or conditional data transmission requirements.

48. The method according to claim 46, wherein, The determination of whether there is a public data request based on the aforementioned data requests includes: Based on a public data matching strategy, it is determined whether the data in the several data requests contains public data.

49. The method according to claim 46, wherein, The method further includes sending a data collection request and / or public data configuration information.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein, The method further includes: Send a data reporting request message, wherein the data reporting request message includes at least one of the following: perform data reporting, reset the acquisition timer to zero, or stop data acquisition.

51. The method according to claim 46, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a data reporting decision request message, wherein the data reporting decision request message includes at least one of the following: the status of locally collected data and / or the reporting capability of the data source node.

52. The method according to claim 46, wherein, The method further includes: Sending a data reporting decision response message, wherein the data reporting decision response message includes at least one of the following: whether the data source node reports data, whether the data source node initiates a session establishment request for the data carrier plane, whether the data source node stops data collection, whether the data source node continues data collection, or reconfiguration of the data source node's collection strategy.

53. The method according to claim 46, wherein, The method further includes: Receive the session establishment request and / or the request for forwarding data extraction sent by the session management function node; Send the decision results for forwarding data extraction and / or copying and forwarding data.

54. A wireless communication method, performed at a forwarding node at a fork, the method comprising: Perform data replication and forwarding.

55. The method according to claim 54, wherein, The process of copying and forwarding data includes: The SDAP layer of the forwarding node at the fork determines whether the data packets uploaded by the lower protocol stack need to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane. Process the data packets.

56. The method according to claim 55, wherein, The SDAP layer of the forwarding node at the fork determines whether the data packets uploaded by the lower protocol stack need to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane, including at least one of the following: The SDAP layer uses the field in the fourth packet header information that indicates whether data copying and forwarding are required to determine whether the data packet is to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane. The SDAP layer uses QFI to determine whether a data packet is to be copied and forwarded by an intermediate forwarding node in the current data bearer plane. The SDAP layer uses DRB to determine whether a data packet is to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane. and / or The SDAP layer determines the FAR corresponding to the PDR by matching the PDR, and determines whether to copy and forward the data based on the preset fields of the FAR.

57. The method of claim 55, wherein, The processing of data packets includes at least one of the following: After the SDAP layer removes the fourth packet header information, the GTP-U of the forwarding node at the fork is encapsulated, processed, and forwarded. After the SDAP layer removes the fourth header information, it will copy the data packet. The GTP-U of the forwarding node at the fork will forward the data packet to one or more nodes. After the SDAP layer removes the fourth header information, it uploads the data packet to the next higher protocol layer for processing. The GTP-U of the forwarding node at the fork encapsulates the data packet, processes it, and forwards it. and / or After the SDAP layer removes the fourth header information, it uploads the data packet to the next higher protocol layer for processing and copies the data packet. The forwarding node at the fork forwards the data packet to one or more nodes via GTP-U.

58. The method according to claim 54, wherein, The process of copying and forwarding data includes: The GTP-U layer of the forwarding node at the fork determines whether the data packets uploaded by the lower protocol stack need to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane. Process the data packets.

59. The method according to claim 58, wherein, The GTP-U layer of the forwarding node at the fork determines whether the data packets uploaded by the lower protocol stack need to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane, including at least one of the following: The GTP-U layer uses the field in the fifth packet header information that indicates whether data copying and forwarding are required to determine whether the data packet is to be copied and forwarded by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane. The GTP-U layer uses QFI to determine whether the data packet is used for data replication and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane; The GTP-U layer determines whether the data packet is used for data replication and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane based on the message type. The GTP-U layer determines whether the data packet is used for data replication and forwarding by the intermediate forwarding node of the current data bearer plane through the mapping configuration of GTP-U; and / or The GTP-U layer determines the FAR corresponding to the PDR by matching the PDR, and determines whether to copy and forward the data based on the preset fields of the FAR.

60. The method according to claim 58, wherein, The processing of data packets includes at least one of the following: After removing the fifth packet header information, the GTP-U layer encapsulates, processes, and forwards the packet. After removing the fifth header information, the GTP-U layer will copy the data packet and forward it to one or more nodes. After removing the fifth header information, the GTP-U layer uploads the data packet to the next higher protocol layer for processing, and encapsulates, processes, and forwards the data packet. and / or After removing the fifth header information, the GTP-U layer will upload the data packet to the next higher protocol layer for processing, and will also copy the data packet and forward it to one or more nodes.

61. The method according to claim 54, wherein, The process of copying and forwarding data includes: The forwarding node at the fork performs multiple copies of the data packets decoded by the SDAP layer according to the configuration information for multiple copy forwarding issued by the session management function node; The SRv6 message header is encapsulated according to different destination nodes or next-hop nodes; and Forward it.

62. The method according to claim 54, wherein, The process of copying and forwarding data includes at least one of the following: The data packets are copied based on the SRv6 header information and the header information is simplified to be re-encapsulated into each data packet. Then, the data is forwarded according to different destination nodes or next-hop nodes. and / or The specified data packets are copied according to the configuration information for multiple copying and forwarding issued by the session management function, and the corresponding SRv6 header information is added to the front of each data packet. Then, the data is forwarded according to different destination nodes or next-hop nodes.

63. The method according to claim 54, wherein, The method further includes: Transmit data to the data requester.

64. The method according to claim 54, wherein, The method further includes: Based on security mechanisms, the data forwarded during the data copying and forwarding process is processed.

65. The method according to claim 54, wherein, The method further includes: Receive messages for forwarding data extraction and / or data copying and forwarding session establishment.

66. A wireless communication device, wherein, The wireless communication device includes a processor and a memory for storing computer programs, the processor for calling and running the computer programs stored in the memory to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 65.

67. A readable storage medium for storing a computer program that is invoked and executed by a processor to perform the method as described in any one of 1-65.

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