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

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a communication method, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium. The method, which is executed by a receiving device, comprises: receiving a data packet, wherein the data packet is a PDCP SDU or an SDAP SDU; and processing the data packet according to a protocol type corresponding to the received data packet. Thus, this ensures that a receiving device can accurately determine a protocol type corresponding to a received data packet.

Description

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

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, communication device, communication system and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In communication systems, there may be services that only transmit data between terminals and access network equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] With technological advancements, it may be necessary for the data channel between the terminal and the access network device to support multiple application protocols. How the receiving device determines the application protocol type associated with the transmitted data is a problem that this disclosure aims to solve.

[0004] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, and storage medium.

[0005] A first aspect of this disclosure provides a communication method, which is executed by a receiving device, and the method includes:

[0006] Receive data packets, wherein the data packets are Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) SDU;

[0007] The data packets are processed according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packets.

[0008] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a communication method, which is performed by a transmitting device, and the method includes:

[0009] Based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent, the data packet to be sent is obtained, wherein the data packet is either a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) Service Data Unit (SDU).

[0010] Send data packets.

[0011] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a receiving device, which includes:

[0012] The transceiver module is used to receive data packets, which are Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Units (SDUs) or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) SDUs.

[0013] The processing module is used to process the data packets according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packets.

[0014] A fourth aspect of this disclosure provides a transmitting device, the transmitting device comprising:

[0015] The processing module is used to obtain the data packet to be sent according to the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent. The data packet is either a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) Service Data Unit (SDU).

[0016] The transceiver module is used to send data packets.

[0017] A fifth aspect of this disclosure provides a communication device, which includes one or more processors;

[0018] The processor is configured to perform the method as described in the first aspect above, or to perform the method as described in the second aspect above.

[0019] A sixth aspect of this disclosure provides a communication system including a receiving device and a transmitting device, wherein the receiving device is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect above, and the transmitting device is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect above.

[0020] A seventh aspect of this disclosure provides a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect above, or to perform the method described in the second aspect above.

[0021] An eighth aspect of this disclosure provides a computer program product including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in the first aspect above, or implements the method described in the second aspect above.

[0022] The solution proposed in this disclosure allows the receiving device to process data packets according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packets, thereby ensuring the reliability of data processing in the data channel terminating between the terminal and the access network device, and providing conditions for improving the service scope of communication system applications. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or background art of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments or background art of this disclosure will be described below.

[0024] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0025] Figures 1B-1C are schematic diagrams of the Radio only bearer protocol architecture provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0026] Figures 2A-2C are interactive schematic diagrams of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0027] Figures 3A-3B are schematic flowcharts of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access network device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0030] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0032] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, and storage media.

[0033] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a receiving device, the method comprising:

[0034] Receive data packets, wherein the data packets are Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) SDU;

[0035] The data packets are processed according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packets.

[0036] In the above embodiments, the receiving device processes the data packets according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packets, thereby ensuring the reliability of data processing in the data channel terminating between the terminal and the access network device, and providing conditions for improving the service scope of communication system applications.

[0037] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments the above method further includes:

[0038] Determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet based on the SDAP entity and / or PDCP entity of the received data packet.

[0039] In the above embodiments, by associating different SDAP entities and / or PDCP entities with different protocol types, it is ensured that the receiving device can accurately determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers of different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity are different; or,

[0041] Different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity have different Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the PDCP entity mentioned above includes PDCP sub-entities, and different PDCP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers; or,

[0043] An SDAP entity contains SDAP sub-entities, and different SDAP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers.

[0044] In the above embodiments, by configuring different QoS flow identifiers for different data packets in the PDCP entity or SDAP entity, or by having different PDCP (or SDAP) sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers, the reliable transmission of data packets is guaranteed while ensuring that the receiving device can accurately determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packets.

[0045] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments the above method further includes:

[0046] The protocol type of the data packet is determined based on the protocol type information contained in the PDCP or SDAP header of the data packet.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the protocol type information contained in the PDCP or SDAP header of the data packet can ensure that the receiving device can accurately determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments the above method further includes:

[0049] The protocol type corresponding to the first data packet is determined based on the protocol type information contained in the application protocol layer of the data packet.

[0050] In the above embodiments, the protocol type information contained in the application protocol layer of the data packet can be used to ensure that the receiving device can accurately determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet.

[0051] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method, which is executed by a transmitting device, the method comprising:

[0052] Based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent, the data packet to be sent is obtained, wherein the data packet is either a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) Service Data Unit (SDU).

[0053] Send data packets.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, obtaining the data packet to be sent based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent includes:

[0055] The data to be sent is obtained by processing the data through the SDAP entity and / or PDCP entity corresponding to the protocol type.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers of different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity are different; or,

[0057] Different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity have different Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers.

[0058] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the aforementioned PDCP entity includes PDCP sub-entities, and different PDCP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers; or,

[0059] An SDAP entity contains SDAP sub-entities, and different SDAP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, obtaining the data packet to be sent based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent includes:

[0061] Add the protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent to obtain the data packet to be sent.

[0062] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, adding protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent includes:

[0063] The radio bearer corresponding to the data to be transmitted maps data of various protocol types. Protocol type information is added to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be transmitted.

[0064] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, adding protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent includes:

[0065] Add protocol type information at the beginning of the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent.

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

[0067] Based on the configuration information, determine whether to add protocol type information to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, obtaining the data packet to be sent based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent includes:

[0069] Add the protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the application protocol layer of the data to be sent to obtain the data packet.

[0070] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a receiving device, the receiving device comprising:

[0071] The transceiver module is used to receive data packets, which are Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Units (SDUs) or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) SDUs.

[0072] The processing module is used to process the data packets according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packets.

[0073] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the above-described processing module is further configured to determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet based on the SDAP entity and / or PDCP entity of the received data packet.

[0074] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers of different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity are different; or,

[0075] Different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity have different Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers.

[0076] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the aforementioned PDCP entity includes PDCP sub-entities, and different PDCP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers; or,

[0077] An SDAP entity contains SDAP sub-entities, and different SDAP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers.

[0078] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further configured to determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet based on the protocol type information contained in the PDCP header or SDAP header of the data packet.

[0079] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further configured to determine the protocol type corresponding to the first data packet based on the protocol type information contained in the application protocol layer of the data packet.

[0080] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a transmitting device, the transmitting device comprising:

[0081] The processing module is used to obtain the data packet to be sent according to the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent. The data packet is either a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) Service Data Unit (SDU).

[0082] The transceiver module is used to send data packets.

[0083] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further configured to process the data to be sent by an SDAP entity and / or a PDCP entity corresponding to the protocol type to obtain a data packet to be sent.

[0084] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers of different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity are different; or,

[0085] Different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity have different Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers.

[0086] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the PDCP entity described above includes PDCP sub-entities, and different PDCP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers; or,

[0087] An SDAP entity contains SDAP sub-entities, and different SDAP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers.

[0088] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further configured to add protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP packet header or SDAP packet header of the data to be sent, so as to obtain the data packet to be sent.

[0089] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the radio bearer corresponding to the data to be transmitted maps data of multiple protocol types. The above-mentioned processing module is also used to add protocol type information to the PDCP packet header or SDAP packet header of the data to be transmitted.

[0090] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further configured to add protocol type information at the beginning of the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent.

[0091] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further configured to determine, based on configuration information, whether to add protocol type information to the PDCP header or SDAP header of the data to be sent.

[0092] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further used to add protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the application protocol layer of the data to be sent, so as to obtain a data packet.

[0093] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, which includes one or more processors; wherein the communication device is used to execute the first aspect and optional implementations of the first aspect, or to execute the second aspect and optional implementations of the second aspect.

[0094] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system comprising: a receiving device and a transmitting device; wherein the receiving device is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect and optional implementations thereof, and the transmitting device is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect and optional implementations thereof.

[0095] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect and its optional implementations, or to perform the method described in the second aspect and its optional implementations.

[0096] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect and its optional implementations, or to perform the method described in the second aspect and its optional implementations.

[0097] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in the first aspect and optional implementations of the first aspect, or to perform the method as described in the second aspect and optional implementations of the second aspect.

[0098] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the method described according to the first aspect and optional implementations thereof, or configured to perform the method described according to the second aspect and optional implementations thereof.

[0099] It is understood that the aforementioned terminals, network devices, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0100] This disclosure provides a communication method, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method" and "information processing method" can be used interchangeably; the terms "communication method apparatus" and "information processing apparatus" can be used interchangeably; and the terms "message transmission system" and "information processing system" can be used interchangeably.

[0101] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0102] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0103] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0104] In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the aforementioned," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular or a plural expression.

[0105] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0106] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0107] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0108] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0109] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0110] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0111] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0112] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0113] In some embodiments, the apparatus and device may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they may also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "body", etc.

[0114] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network, such as access network devices, core network devices, etc.

[0115] In some embodiments, "access network device (AN device)" may also be referred to as "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," or "fixed station." In some embodiments, it may also be understood as "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," or "bandwidth part (BWP)."

[0116] In some embodiments, "terminal" or "terminal device" may be referred to as "user equipment (UE)," "user terminal," "Narrow Band-Internet of Things (NB-IoT) device," "mobile station (MS)," "mobile terminal (MT)," "subscriber station," "mobile unit," "subscriber unit," "wireless unit," "remote unit," "mobile device," "wireless device," "wireless communication device," "remote device," "mobile subscriber station," "access terminal," "mobile terminal," "wireless terminal," "remote terminal," "handset," "user agent," "mobile client," "client," etc.

[0117] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0118] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0119] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0120] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0121] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0122] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes a receiving device 101 and a transmitting device 102.

[0123] In some embodiments, the receiving device may be a terminal, and the sending device may be a network device.

[0124] In some embodiments, the receiving device can be a network device, and the sending device can be a terminal.

[0125] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home.

[0126] In some embodiments, network device 102 may be an access network device and / or a core network device.

[0127] In some embodiments, network device 102 may be a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), wireless backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0128] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0129] In some embodiments, the core network equipment may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network equipment. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0130] In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of the aforementioned one or more network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an Evolved Protocol Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), or a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0131] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0132] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1A, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1A are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1A, or it may include other main bodies outside of FIG1A. The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0133] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0134] In some embodiments, data transmission can occur between a terminal (UE) and a data network (DN), whereby the network establishes a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session between the UE and the DN for transmitting data between the UE and the DN.

[0135] In some embodiments, services in a communication system can take many forms. The data consumer and the data source are no longer limited to the Data Network and the UE, but can also be between the UE and network devices (such as access network devices).

[0136] In some embodiments, the service resides solely between the UE and the access network equipment (e.g., a base station). This means the service data source is located at the UE (including data distributedly stored on the UE side, or data directly generated or collected on the UE side), and the final destination of the service data, i.e., the consumer, is the base station. Alternatively, the service data source is located at the base station (including data distributedly stored on the base station side, or data directly generated or collected on the base station side), and the final destination of the service data, i.e., the consumer, is the UE. The aforementioned data may include, for example,: artificial intelligence (AI) model data in the Radio Access Network (RAN), AI model training data, sensing result data, data from applications deployed at the edge on the base station side, data that needs to be stored or processed on the base station side, data deployed on satellites, etc.

[0137] For example, in Artificial Intelligence (AI) services, AI model data might be generated by the base station itself, or the base station itself might act as the consumer of the AI ​​model, using it for AI inference to enhance air interface performance. Similarly, the base station might use AI training data to train the AI ​​model, making it the consumer of the training data. Alternatively, the AI ​​training data could come from data collected by the base station itself, making it the source of the training data.

[0138] Alternatively, in a sensing service, the base station can collect a large amount of sensing data based on its wireless sensing capabilities, such as 3D point cloud data, which includes spatial information and velocity information of the sensed objects. In this case, the base station is the source of the sensing data, and if the sensing data is sent to the terminal, then the UE is the consumer of the data.

[0139] In some embodiments, for other services deployed at the base station, such as video, the base station can be understood as the data source, and the terminal downloading the video is the data consumer. The network can use distributed storage to pre-store large amounts of data at the base station.

[0140] In some embodiments, services that utilize the storage and computing capabilities of a base station may simply be services that utilize the base station's storage and computing capabilities. For example, in Extended Reality (XR) services, the terminal can send data to the base station for computation and then send it back to the terminal. In this case, the base station is the data consumer, and the UE is the data source.

[0141] Alternatively, for services deployed on satellites, the base stations are also deployed on satellites, which reduces service implementation complexity. In this case, the service terminates between the UE and the satellite (base station).

[0142] In some embodiments, if data transmission occurs only between the UE and the base station, establishing a data channel using existing PDU sessions would require extensive signaling interactions between core network elements, such as the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), User Plane Function (UPF), and Policy Control Function (PCF) elements, resulting in low efficiency in establishing PDU sessions. However, for services between the UE and gNB, the involvement of these network elements is not required, allowing for the establishment of a data channel terminating between the UE and the base station.

[0143] In some embodiments, a data channel terminating between the UE and the base station can be referred to as a radio-only bearer. Its core difference from the existing PDU Session is that it does not involve core network elements.

[0144] In some embodiments, the protocol stack diagram of the radio-only bearer's wireless access layer may be as shown in Figures 1B and 1C.

[0145] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1B, the protocol stack of the radio access layer may include Protocol A, Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAR) layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and Physical (PHY) layer.

[0146] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1C, the protocol stack of the radio access layer may not include the SDAR layer.

[0147] In the architecture of the Radio-only bearer protocol shown in Figures 1B and 1C, Protocol A represents the application protocol, such as an AI protocol or a perception protocol, and is used to process application layer data. The Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAR) layer is used for mapping between Quality of Service (QoS) streams and Data Radio Bearers (DRBs) for user plane data transmission, and for marking QoS stream IDs. The Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer is primarily responsible for ensuring the reliability and integrity of data transmission. This includes implementing packet data compression and decompression, verifying the reliability and integrity of data transmission, and adapting between the IP layer and the physical layer. The Radio Link Control (RLC) layer is responsible for data transmission control on the radio link, including data segmentation and reassembly, retransmission control, and sequencing control, to ensure reliable data transmission on the radio link. The Media Access Control (MAC) layer is responsible for controlling and connecting the physical media of the physical layer. When sending data, the MAC layer determines whether data can be sent and adds control information to the data, sending it to the physical layer in a specified format. The physical (PHY) layer is responsible for the transmission of bit streams, that is, the sending and receiving of signals.

[0148] In some embodiments, since there are multiple (application) protocols in the Radio Access Network (RAN), such as AI and Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), the PDCP or SDAP layer of the receiving device needs to determine which protocol to pass the data up to.

[0149] The communication method proposed in this disclosure provides a method for determining the protocol required to process data packets based on the protocol corresponding to the received data packets, and then processing the received data packets based on the determined protocol. This improves the reliability of data processing in the wireless access layer and provides conditions for expanding the range of services supported by the communication system.

[0150] The communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, and storage media provided in this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0151] Figure 2A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2A, the communication method involved in this embodiment is executed by a communication system, which includes a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitting device can be a terminal or a network device (such as an access network device), and the receiving device can be a network device or a terminal. The method described above is as follows, and as shown in Figure 2A, the method includes:

[0152] Step S2101: Determine the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent.

[0153] The data packets are either Service Data Units (SDUs) of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) SDUs.

[0154] In some embodiments, since multiple types of application protocols are supported, in order to facilitate the receiving device in determining the protocol type corresponding to the received data, the sending device can first process the data to be sent according to the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent, so as to obtain the data packet to be sent, so as to ensure that the receiving device can accurately determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet after receiving the data packet.

[0155] In some embodiments, the sending device can determine the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent based on the type of application that generates the data to be sent. For example, if the data to be sent is generated by an AI model, then the sending device can determine that the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent is AI type; or if the data to be sent is generated by a sensing service, then the sending device can determine that the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent is sensing type, and so on. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0156] Step S2102: Add protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent to obtain the data packet to be sent.

[0157] In some embodiments, the protocol type information can be any information that can be used to uniquely represent the protocol type, such as one or more of the following: protocol type identifier, application identifier that generates the data to be sent, service identifier to which the data to be sent belongs, etc. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0158] In some embodiments, if the protocol stack of the wireless access layer used includes an SDAP layer, the transmitting device can add protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the SDAP packet header of the data to be transmitted after determining the protocol type corresponding to the data to be transmitted.

[0159] In some embodiments, the transmitting device may add protocol type information at the beginning of the SDAP header. For example, if the protocol type information requires two fields, it can be carried through the first two fields of the SDAP header.

[0160] In some embodiments, if the protocol stack of the radio access layer used does not include the SDAP layer, the transmitting device can add protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP packet header of the data to be transmitted after determining the protocol type of the data to be transmitted.

[0161] In some embodiments, the transmitting device may add protocol type information at the beginning of the PDCP header. For example, if the protocol type information requires two fields, it can be carried through the first two fields of the PDCP header.

[0162] In some embodiments, since protocol type information can also be added to other protocol layers, the transmitting device can determine whether to add the protocol type to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be transmitted based on the configuration information. This avoids repeatedly adding protocol type information to the data packet while ensuring that the receiving device can determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data.

[0163] In some embodiments, the configuration information may be configured by the network device or may be pre-configured on the transmitting device.

[0164] In some embodiments, since the radio bearer serves as the channel connecting the wireless interface to the terminal and the access network equipment, all data transmitted on the wireless interface requires the radio bearer for carrying and transmission. If the radio bearer used to transmit data maps only one protocol type, the transmitting device may not need to add protocol type information to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be transmitted. The receiving device can then determine the protocol type of the received data directly based on the radio bearer at the time of receiving the data packet. This minimizes the size of the data packet and the transmission resources consumed while ensuring that the receiving device can determine the protocol type of the received data packet.

[0165] In some embodiments, if the radio bearer corresponding to the data to be transmitted maps data of multiple protocol types, since the receiving device cannot uniquely determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet based on the radio bearer, the transmitting device can add protocol type information to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be transmitted.

[0166] Step S2103: Send data packets.

[0167] In some embodiments, the transmitting device may send data packets to the receiving device.

[0168] Step S2104: Determine the protocol type of the data packet based on the protocol type information contained in the PDCP or SDAP header of the received data packet.

[0169] In some embodiments, after receiving a data packet, the receiving device can determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet based on the protocol type information contained in the PDCP header or SDAP header of the data packet.

[0170] In some embodiments, the receiving device can obtain protocol type information from the beginning position of the PDCP header or SDAP header.

[0171] Step S2105: Process the data packet according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet.

[0172] The data packets are either PDCP SDU or SDAP SDU.

[0173] In some embodiments, the receiving device may deliver the data packet to the corresponding application protocol service for processing according to the protocol required for processing the data packet. For example, if the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet is AI, then the receiving device may deliver the received data packet to the AI ​​protocol layer for processing based on the AI ​​protocol. Alternatively, if the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet is a perception protocol, then the receiving device may deliver the received data packet to the perception protocol layer for processing based on the perception protocol, and so on. This disclosure does not limit the scope of the invention.

[0174] In some embodiments, the transmitting or receiving device in this disclosure may be a terminal, which may be a regular terminal, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) terminal, or any other type of terminal, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0175] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2105. For example, steps S2101+S2102+S2103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2104 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2104+S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2103+S2104+S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, etc., but not limited thereto.

[0176] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0177] In the embodiments disclosed herein, each step and its optional implementation can also be carried out independently.

[0178] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the protocol type information carried in the PDCP header or SDAP header of the data packet can be used to indicate the protocol type of the data packet, thereby ensuring that the receiving device can accurately determine the protocol type of the received data packet. This ensures that the data transmitted through the data channel terminated at the terminal and access network device can be reliably transmitted and processed, providing conditions for improving the service scope of communication system applications.

[0179] Figure 2B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2B, the communication method involved in this embodiment is executed by a communication system, which includes a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitting device can be a terminal or a network device (such as an access network device), and the receiving device can be a network device or a terminal. The method described above is as follows, and as shown in Figure 2B, the method includes:

[0180] Step S2201: Determine the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent.

[0181] The implementation of step S2201 can be found in the detailed description of step S2101, and will not be repeated here.

[0182] Step S2202: The data to be sent is processed by the SDAP entity and / or PDCP entity corresponding to the protocol type to obtain the data packet to be sent.

[0183] In some embodiments, if the protocol stack of the radio access layer includes an SDAP layer, different SDAP entities can be configured for different protocol types. Thus, after determining the protocol type of the data to be transmitted, the transmitting device can use the SDAP entity corresponding to the determined protocol type to process the data to be transmitted.

[0184] In some embodiments, the receiving device can uniquely determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet based on the SDAP entity of the received data packet.

[0185] In some embodiments, if the protocol stack of the radio access layer includes an SDAP layer, different SDAP entities and PDCP entities can be configured for different protocol types. Correspondingly, after determining the protocol type corresponding to the data to be transmitted, the transmitting device can process the data using the SDAP entity and PDCP entity corresponding to the determined protocol type. Similarly, the receiving device can determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data based on the SDAP entity and PDCP entity of the received data packet.

[0186] In some embodiments, the SDAP entity can map data to DRB, mark QoS flow IDs, etc. In order to ensure that when the SDAP entity marks data with QoS flow identification, a data will only be marked with one QoS flow identifier, it is necessary to ensure that the QoS flow identifiers of different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity are different.

[0187] In some embodiments, an SDAP entity may contain SDAP sub-entities, with different SDAP sub-entities corresponding to different radio bearers. Thus, after determining the protocol type corresponding to the data to be transmitted, the transmitting device can first determine the corresponding SDAP based on the protocol type of the data to be transmitted. Then, after determining the radio bearer to which the data to be transmitted needs to be mapped, the data to be transmitted is delivered to the SDAP sub-entity corresponding to the determined radio bearer for QoS flow identification and other processing to obtain the data packet to be transmitted.

[0188] In some embodiments, if the protocol stack of the radio access layer does not include the SDAP layer, different PDCP entities can be configured for different protocol types. Thus, after determining the protocol type corresponding to the data to be transmitted, the transmitting device can use the PDCP entity corresponding to the determined protocol type to process the data to be transmitted.

[0189] In some embodiments, the receiving device can uniquely determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet based on the PDCP entity of the received data packet.

[0190] In some embodiments, if the protocol stack of the radio access layer used does not include the SDAP layer, the PDCP entity can perform operations such as mapping data to DRB and marking QoS flow IDs. In order to ensure that when the PDCP entity marks data with QoS flow identifiers, a data will only be marked with one QoS flow identifier, it is necessary to ensure that the QoS flow identifiers of different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity are different.

[0191] In some embodiments, a PDCP entity may include PDCP sub-entities, with different PDCP sub-entities corresponding to different radio bearers.

[0192] In some embodiments, if the protocol stack of the radio access layer used does not include the SDAP layer, the transmitting device, after determining the protocol type corresponding to the data to be transmitted, can first determine the corresponding PDCP entity based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be transmitted, and then, after determining the radio bearer to which the data to be transmitted needs to be mapped, deliver the data to be transmitted to the PDCP sub-entity corresponding to the determined radio bearer for QoS flow identification and other processing to obtain the data packet to be transmitted.

[0193] Step S2203: Send data packets.

[0194] The implementation of step S2203 can be found in the detailed description of step S2103 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0195] Step S2204: Determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet based on the SDAP entity or PDCP entity of the received data packet.

[0196] In some embodiments, if the protocol stack of the wireless access layer includes an SDAP layer, different SDAP entities can be configured for different protocol types. The receiving device can then determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet based on the SDAP entity of the received data packet after receiving it.

[0197] In some embodiments, if the protocol stack of the radio access layer used includes an SDAP layer and different SDAP entities and PDCP entities are configured for different protocol types, then the receiving device can determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet based on the SDAP entity and PDCP entity of the received data packet after receiving the data packet.

[0198] In some embodiments, if the protocol stack of the radio access layer does not include the SDAP layer, different PDCP entities can be configured for different protocol types. The receiving device can then determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet based on the PDCP entity of the received data packet after receiving it.

[0199] Step S2205: Process the data packet according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet.

[0200] The implementation of step S2205 can be found in the detailed description of step S2105 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0201] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2201 to S2205. For example, steps S2201+S2202+S2203 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2204 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2204+S2205 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2203+S2204+S2205 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0202] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0203] In the embodiments disclosed herein, each step and its optional implementation can also be carried out independently.

[0204] In this embodiment of the disclosure, different PDCP or SDAP packets can be configured for different protocol types. Thus, the receiving device can determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet based on the PDCP or SDAP packet of the received data packet. This ensures that the data transmitted through the data channel terminated at the terminal and access network device can be reliably transmitted and processed, providing conditions for improving the service scope of communication system applications.

[0205] Figure 2C is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2C, the communication method involved in this embodiment is executed by a communication system, which includes a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitting device can be a terminal or a network device (such as an access network device), and the receiving device can be a network device or a terminal. The method described above is as follows, and as shown in Figure 2C, the method includes:

[0206] Step S2301: Determine the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent.

[0207] The implementation of step S2301 can be found in the detailed description of step S2101, and will not be repeated here.

[0208] Step S2302: Add protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the application protocol layer of the data to be sent to obtain the data packet.

[0209] In some embodiments, terms such as "application protocol layer," "application layer," "service layer," and "application service layer" can all be used to indicate the service protocol layer that directly provides services to the application process. In some embodiments, the above terms can be used interchangeably.

[0210] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the sending device can also directly add protocol type information at the application protocol layer of the data to be sent, which increases the difficulty of tampering with the protocol type information, thereby further ensuring that the protocol type information carried in the data packet is more secure.

[0211] In some embodiments, the transmitting device may add protocol type information to the packet header of the application protocol layer.

[0212] In some embodiments, a unified application protocol layer header format can be defined for different types of application protocols, and the location where protocol type information can be added can be specified, such as adding the protocol type information to the very beginning of the header, that is, adding it to the beginning position of the application protocol layer header.

[0213] In some embodiments, in order to reduce the difficulty for the receiving device to determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet, the protocol type information may not be encrypted.

[0214] Step S2303: Send data packet.

[0215] The data packets are either PDCP SDU or SDAP SDU.

[0216] The implementation of step S2303 can be found in the detailed description of step S2103 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0217] Step S2304: Determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet based on the protocol type information contained in the application protocol layer of the received data packet.

[0218] In some embodiments, after receiving a data packet, the receiving device can determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet based on the protocol type information contained in the application protocol layer of the data packet.

[0219] In some embodiments, the receiving device can obtain protocol type information from the start position of the application protocol layer.

[0220] Step S2305: Process the data packet according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet.

[0221] The implementation of step S2305 can be found in the detailed description of step S2105 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0222] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2301 to S2305. For example, steps S2301+S2302+S2303 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2304 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2304+S2305 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2303+S2304+S2305 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0223] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0224] In the embodiments disclosed herein, each step and its optional implementation can also be carried out independently.

[0225] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the protocol type information carried by the application protocol layer of the data packet can be used to indicate the protocol type corresponding to the data packet, thereby ensuring that the receiving device can accurately determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet, ensuring that the data transmitted through the data channel terminated at the terminal and access network device can be reliably transmitted and processed, and providing conditions for improving the service scope of communication system applications.

[0226] Figure 3A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, the communication method involved in this embodiment is executed by a receiving device, and as shown in Figure 3A, the method includes:

[0227] Step S3101: Receive data packets.

[0228] The data packets are either Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) Service Data Unit (SDU).

[0229] Step S3102: Process the data packet according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet.

[0230] In some embodiments, the above method further includes:

[0231] Determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet based on the SDAP entity and / or PDCP entity of the received data packet.

[0232] In some embodiments, the QoS flow identifiers of different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity are different; or,

[0233] Different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity have different Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers.

[0234] In some embodiments, the PDCP entity described above includes PDCP sub-entities, with different PDCP sub-entities corresponding to different radio bearers; or,

[0235] An SDAP entity contains SDAP sub-entities, and different SDAP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers.

[0236] In some embodiments, the above method further includes:

[0237] The protocol type of the data packet is determined based on the protocol type information contained in the PDCP or SDAP header of the data packet.

[0238] In some embodiments, the above method further includes:

[0239] The protocol type corresponding to the first data packet is determined based on the protocol type information contained in the application protocol layer of the data packet.

[0240] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the receiving device can determine the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet based on the PDCP entity or SDAP entity of the received data packet, or based on the protocol type information carried in the received data packet. Then, based on the determined protocol type corresponding to the data packet, the receiving device can process the data packet, ensuring that the data transmitted through the data channel terminated at the terminal and access network device can be reliably transmitted and processed, thus providing conditions for improving the service scope of communication system applications.

[0241] Figure 3B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the communication method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is executed by a transmitting device system, and as shown in Figure 3B, the method includes:

[0242] Step S3201: Obtain the data packet to be sent according to the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent.

[0243] Among them, the data packets are Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) SDU;

[0244] Step S3202: Send data packets.

[0245] In some embodiments, obtaining the data packet to be sent based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent includes:

[0246] The data to be sent is obtained by processing the data through the SDAP entity and / or PDCP entity corresponding to the protocol type.

[0247] In some embodiments, the QoS flow identifiers of different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity are different; or,

[0248] Different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity have different Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers.

[0249] In some embodiments, the PDCP entity includes a PDCP sub-entity, and different PDCP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers; or, the SDAP entity includes an SDAP sub-entity, and different SDAP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers.

[0250] In some embodiments, obtaining the data packet to be sent based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent includes:

[0251] Add the protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent to obtain the data packet to be sent.

[0252] In some embodiments, adding protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent includes:

[0253] The radio bearer corresponding to the data to be transmitted maps data of various protocol types. Protocol type information is added to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be transmitted.

[0254] In some embodiments, adding protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent includes:

[0255] Add protocol type information at the beginning of the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent.

[0256] In some embodiments, the above method further includes:

[0257] Based on the configuration information, determine whether to add protocol type information to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent.

[0258] In some embodiments, obtaining the data packet to be sent based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent includes:

[0259] Add the protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the application protocol layer of the data to be sent to obtain the data packet.

[0260] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the transmitting device can assist the receiving device in determining the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet by processing the PDCP entity or SDAP entity of the data to be transmitted, or by carrying protocol type information in the data packet to be transmitted, and then process the data packet. This ensures that the data transmitted through the data channel terminated at the terminal and access network device can be reliably transmitted and processed, providing conditions for improving the service scope of communication system applications.

[0261] The communication method provided in this disclosure will be further described below with reference to the following embodiments.

[0262] To facilitate the receiving device, the protocol type corresponding to the received data packet can be determined in the following three ways:

[0263] Method 1: Different protocols are supported by different SDAP and / or PDCP entities.

[0264] Method 2: Define a unified application protocol layer header format, with the header carrying the protocol type. The SDAP / PDCP layer reads the protocol type information in the service layer header to deliver the data packet to the correct protocol. Both uplink and downlink data packets carry this information.

[0265] Method 3: Add a protocol field to the SDAP or PDCP header to indicate the protocol type of the application protocol layer corresponding to the data. This field is carried in both uplink and downlink data packets.

[0266] In some embodiments, the PDCP and / or SDAP layers of the receiving end determine the protocol type of the received data packet and deliver it to the corresponding protocol based on the type.

[0267] In some embodiments, the terminal may be a general commercial terminal, an NTN terminal, or a low-cost terminal.

[0268] In some embodiments, different SDAP entities are configured for different protocol types.

[0269] In some embodiments, protocol type information is used to identify a protocol, such as ISAC, Sensing, or AI. After the network maps different protocol types to different SDAP entities, the receiving end (receiving device) can determine which application protocol service the data packet should be sent to based on the SDAP entity and / or PDCP entity of the received data.

[0270] In some embodiments, QoS flow IDs located within the same SDAP entity cannot be duplicated.

[0271] In some embodiments, different PDCP entities are configured for different protocol types.

[0272] In some embodiments, the PDCP entity is configured per protocol type.

[0273] In other words, the PDCP entity is no longer a per-radio bearer configuration, but a per-protocol type configuration. The receiving end can determine which protocol the data should be sent to based on the PDCP entity of the received data.

[0274] In some embodiments, PDCP sub-entities can be defined, with each PDCP sub-entity corresponding to a different radio bearer.

[0275] In some embodiments, when the UE is the receiving end, after receiving the SDAP / PDCP PDU sent by the peer, the UE's SDAP and / or PDCP will submit the SDAP SDU or PDCP SDU to the corresponding protocol based on the configured protocol type.

[0276] In some embodiments, QoS flow IDs located within the same PDCP entity cannot be duplicated.

[0277] In some embodiments, when sending SDAP or PDCP data, the sending end carries protocol type information in the SDAP header or PDCP header, wherein the protocol type information is used to indicate the protocol type corresponding to the data of the SDAP SDU or PDCP SDU.

[0278] In some embodiments, if an SDAP layer is present, the protocol type is indicated in the SDAP layer header. If no SDAP layer is present, the protocol type is indicated in the PDCP layer header.

[0279] In some embodiments, the protocol type field may be carried in the SDAP / PDCP header only when data of multiple protocol types are mapped in a single radio bearer.

[0280] In some embodiments, the network can be configured to carry a packet header at the SDAP / PDCP layer.

[0281] In some embodiments, the protocol type field may be carried in the uplink and / or downlink SDAP / PDCP header.

[0282] In some embodiments, the sending end carries protocol type information in the application protocol layer, and the receiving end's SDAP and / or PDCP layers determine the protocol type by reading the packet header of the application protocol layer.

[0283] In some embodiments, a unified header format field can be defined for different application layer protocols.

[0284] In some embodiments, the protocol type field is placed at the beginning of the packet header.

[0285] In some embodiments, the protocol type field is not encrypted.

[0286] This disclosure also provides an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Alternatively, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0287] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0288] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0289] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the receiving device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The receiving device can be a terminal or a network device. As shown in Figure 4A, the receiving device 4100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 4101, a processing module 4102, etc.

[0290] In some embodiments, the transceiver module described above is used to receive data packets, wherein the data packets are Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) SDU.

[0291] The aforementioned processing module is used to process data packets according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packets.

[0292] In some embodiments, the processing module described above is further configured to determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet based on the SDAP entity and / or PDCP entity of the received data packet.

[0293] In some embodiments, the QoS flow identifiers of different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity are different; or,

[0294] Different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity have different Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers.

[0295] In some embodiments, the PDCP entity described above includes PDCP sub-entities, with different PDCP sub-entities corresponding to different radio bearers; or,

[0296] An SDAP entity contains SDAP sub-entities, and different SDAP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers.

[0297] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further configured to determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet based on the protocol type information contained in the PDCP header or SDAP header of the data packet.

[0298] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further configured to determine the protocol type corresponding to the first data packet based on the protocol type information contained in the application protocol layer of the data packet.

[0299] Optionally, the transceiver module described above is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0300] Optionally, the above processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps executed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0301] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transmitting device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The transmitting device can be a network device or a terminal. As shown in Figure 4B, the transmitting device 4200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 4201, a processing module 4202, etc.

[0302] In some embodiments, the above processing module is used to obtain the data packet to be sent according to the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent, wherein the data packet is a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) Service Data Unit (SDU).

[0303] The aforementioned transceiver module is used to send data packets.

[0304] In some embodiments, the processing module described above is further configured to process the data to be sent by an SDAP entity and / or a PDCP entity corresponding to the protocol type, thereby obtaining a data packet to be sent.

[0305] In some embodiments, the QoS flow identifiers of different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity are different; or,

[0306] Different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity have different Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers.

[0307] In some embodiments, the PDCP entity includes a PDCP sub-entity, and different PDCP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers; or, the SDAP entity includes an SDAP sub-entity, and different SDAP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers.

[0308] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further configured to add protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP packet header or SDAP packet header of the data to be sent, so as to obtain the data packet to be sent.

[0309] In some embodiments, the radio bearer corresponding to the data to be transmitted maps data of multiple protocol types. The above-mentioned processing module is further configured to add protocol type information to the PDCP header or SDAP header of the data to be transmitted.

[0310] In some embodiments, the above-described processing module is further configured to add protocol type information at the beginning of the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent.

[0311] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned processing module is further configured to determine, based on the configuration information, whether to add protocol type information to the PDCP header or SDAP header of the data to be sent.

[0312] In some embodiments, the above-described processing module is further configured to add protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the application protocol layer of the data to be sent, thereby obtaining a data packet.

[0313] Optionally, the transceiver module described above is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0314] Optionally, the above processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0315] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 5100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 5100 can be a network device (e.g., an access network device), a terminal (e.g., a user equipment), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 5100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0316] As shown in Figure 5A, the communication device 5100 includes one or more processors 5101. The processor 5101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods.

[0317] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more memories 5102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5102 may also be located outside the communication device 5100.

[0318] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more transceivers 5103. When the communication device 5100 includes one or more transceivers 5103, the transceiver 5103 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., step S2103), and the processor 5101 performs other steps (e.g., at least one of S2101, S2102, S2104, S2105, etc.).

[0319] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0320] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 may include one or more interface circuits 5104. Optionally, the interface circuit 5104 is connected to the memory 5102, and the interface circuit 5104 can be used to receive signals from the memory 5102 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 5102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5104 can read instructions stored in the memory 5102 and send the instructions to the processor 5101.

[0321] The communication device 5100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 5100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 5100 may not be limited by FIG. 5A. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0322] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 5200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 5100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 5200 shown in Figure 5B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0323] Chip 5200 includes one or more processors 5201, which are used to perform any of the above methods.

[0324] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more interface circuits 5202. Optionally, the interface circuit 5202 is connected to memory 5203, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to receive signals from memory 5203 or other devices, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to send signals to memory 5203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5202 can read instructions stored in memory 5203 and send the instructions to processor 5201.

[0325] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 5202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method, and the processor 5201 performs at least one of the other steps.

[0326] In some embodiments, the terms interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, transceiver, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0327] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more memories 5203 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5203 may be located outside of chip 5200.

[0328] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 5100, cause the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0329] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 5100, causes the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0330] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0331] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0332] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0333] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0334] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: include: Receive data packets, wherein the data packets are Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) SDU; The data packets are processed according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: The protocol type corresponding to the data packet is determined based on the SDAP entity and / or PDCP entity that received the data packet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, Different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity have different QoS flow identifiers; or, Different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity have different Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers.

4. The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein, The PDCP entity contains PDCP sub-entities, and different PDCP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers; or, The SDAP entity contains SDAP sub-entities, and different SDAP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: The protocol type corresponding to the data packet is determined based on the protocol type information contained in the PDCP or SDAP header of the data packet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: The protocol type corresponding to the first data packet is determined based on the protocol type information contained in the application protocol layer of the data packet.

7. A communication method characterized by comprising: include: Based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent, the data packet to be sent is obtained, wherein the data packet is a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) Service Data Unit (SDU). Send the data packet.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The step of obtaining the data packet to be sent based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent includes: The data packet to be sent is obtained by processing the data to be sent through the SDAP entity and / or PDCP entity corresponding to the protocol type.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, Different data packets corresponding to the same SDAP entity have different QoS flow identifiers; or, Different data packets corresponding to the same PDCP entity have different Quality of Service (QoS) flow identifiers.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein, The PDCP entity contains PDCP sub-entities, and different PDCP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers; or, The SDAP entity contains SDAP sub-entities, and different SDAP sub-entities correspond to different radio bearers.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein, The step of obtaining the data packet to be sent based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent includes: The protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type is added to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent to obtain the data packet to be sent.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, Adding protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent includes: The wireless bearer corresponding to the data to be transmitted maps data of multiple protocol types, and the protocol type information is added to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be transmitted.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein, Adding protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent includes: Add the protocol type information at the beginning of the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent.

14. The method of any one of claims 11-13, wherein, The method further includes: Based on the configuration information, determine whether to add the protocol type information to the PDCP or SDAP header of the data to be sent.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein, The step of obtaining the data packet to be sent based on the protocol type corresponding to the data to be sent includes: The protocol type information corresponding to the protocol type is added to the application protocol layer of the data to be sent to obtain the data packet.

16. A receiving device, comprising: include: The transceiver module is used to receive data packets, wherein the data packets are Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) SDU. The processing module is used to process the data packets according to the protocol type corresponding to the received data packets.

17. A transmitting device, comprising: include: The processing module is used to determine the protocol type corresponding to the data packet to be sent, wherein the data packet is a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Service Data Unit (SDU) or a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) Service Data Unit (SDU). A sending module is used to send the data packet based on the protocol type.

18. A communication device, characterized by The communication device includes: One or more processors; The processor is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1-6 and 7-15.

19. A communication system, characterized by It includes a transmitting device and a receiving device, wherein the receiving device is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 1-6, and the transmitting device is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 7-15.

20. A storage medium, the storage medium storing instructions, wherein, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-6 and 7-15.

21. A program product comprising at least one of a program, instructions, characterized in that When at least one of the programs or instructions is executed by the communication device, it implements the communication method according to any one of claims 1-6 and 7-15.

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