Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of communications, and provides a communication method and apparatus, so as to enable a network to provide services more flexibly. The method comprises: receiving a first message, and on the basis of the first message, determining a second network element supporting a first service from a network element set, so as to send a second message to the second network element. The first message is used for requesting to provide the first service for a first entity; a first network element provides a communication proxy function for a network element in the network element set; and the second message is used for requesting the second network element to provide the first service for the first entity.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510192734.2, filed on February 20, 2025, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Current communication systems support network function (NF) backup. For example, when a network function producer (NFp) provides services to a network function consumer (NFc), the NFp can serve as the primary NFp. In this case, there can also be a backup NFp (denoted as the backup NFp) so that if the primary NFp stops providing services to the NFc, the backup NFp can continue to provide services to the NFc.

[0004] However, the above method requires the NFC to be configured with the primary and backup NFp information in advance, which is not flexible enough and may not be suitable for more flexible network needs in the future. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to enable the network to provide services more flexibly.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a first network element, comprising: receiving a first message, and determining, based on the first message, a second network element supporting a first service from a set of network elements, and sending a second message to the second network element. The first message is used to request the provision of the first service to a first entity; the first network element provides communication proxy functions for network elements in the set of network elements; and the second message is used to request the second network element to provide the first service to the first entity.

[0008] Therefore, when the first entity requests the network to provide the first service, the first network element, as a communication proxy of the network elements in the network element set, can flexibly select the second network element that supports the first service from the network element set, thereby requesting the second network element to provide the first service to the first entity. This decouples the network element providing the service from the entity requesting the service, enabling more flexible service provision.

[0009] It should be understood that this application does not limit the type of the primary service; any possible service that the network can provide can be understood as the primary service, such as registration service, session establishment service, etc.

[0010] One possible design scheme is to associate a first service with a first feature. Based on this, a second network element supporting the first service is determined from the network element set. This includes determining a second network element supporting the first service and / or the first feature from the network element set, so as to achieve finer-grained network element selection and improve service quality.

[0011] It should be understood that the first characteristic can specifically describe the first service, such as a certain / some special requirements of the first service, such as establishing a certain special session.

[0012] Optionally, the first service may be the first network function service, or it may be a service with other names, without specific restrictions.

[0013] Optionally, determining a second network element from the network element set that supports the first service and / or the first feature includes: determining a second network element from the network element set that corresponds to the first entity and supports the first service and / or the first feature, so that a specific entity can be provided by a specific network element, thereby further improving the quality of service.

[0014] For example, the first entity can be a terminal, or it can be an access network device or network element, without specific restrictions.

[0015] One possible design scheme involves determining a second network element supporting a first service from a set of network elements based on a first message. This includes determining the second network element supporting the first service from the set of network elements based on at least one of the following: the type of the first message, the name of the first message, or the first message not carrying information about network elements in the set. Therefore, at least one of the aforementioned pieces of information can be used to trigger the first network element to perform a network element selection process, such as selecting the second network element instead of other processes, thereby improving the reliability of the business process.

[0016] One possible design scheme further includes sending the configuration of the first network element to a third network element, the configuration indicating the capabilities of the first network element. The third network element is used to discover the first network element, the capabilities of which include network elements in the network element set supporting a first service. The capabilities of the first network element are the union of the capabilities of the network elements in the network element set. This allows the third network element to discover the first network element if its capabilities belong to this union during network element discovery, thereby enabling the service to be provided through the communication proxy of the first network element and reducing the risk of information exposure.

[0017] Optionally, the above configuration also includes information indicating the type of network elements in the network element set, so that when the type of the network element to be discovered is the type of the network element in the network element set, the third network element can also discover the first network element, so as to achieve a forward-compatible design.

[0018] Optionally, the above configuration also includes indication information, which is used to instruct the first network element to provide communication proxy function for the network elements in the network element set, so that when other network elements request to discover the network elements that provide communication proxy function, the third network element can also discover the network elements with the corresponding function, such as the first network element.

[0019] Optionally, the method further includes: receiving information about network elements in the network element set, and determining the capabilities of the first network element based on the information about the network elements in the network element set. The information about the network elements in the network element set indicates the capabilities of the network elements in the network element set, thus enabling dynamic capability registration and providing greater flexibility. Alternatively, the capabilities of the network elements in the network element set can also be pre-configured in the first network element.

[0020] Optionally, the information of the network elements in the network element set includes information indicating the type of the network elements in the network element set, so that the first network element can register the type of the network elements in the network element set to the third network element, thereby realizing the above-mentioned forward compatibility design.

[0021] One possible design scheme is that the network elements in the network element set are all of the same type.

[0022] Optionally, at least two network elements in the network element set support different services to achieve flexible and differentiated services.

[0023] Secondly, a communication method is provided, applied to a third network element, comprising: receiving a third message and sending information of a first network element according to the third message. The third message is used to request the discovery of a first type of network element that supports a first service; the first type of network element supports the first service, and the first network element provides a communication proxy function for the first type of network element.

[0024] Therefore, when an entity needs a first type of network element to provide a first service, the entity or its intermediate network element can discover the communication agent of the first type of network element through a third network element to obtain the information of the first network element. Thus, it can communicate and interact with the first network element based on the information of the first network element to request the provision of the first service.

[0025] One possible design scheme for sending information about a first network element includes: determining, based on a third message, a first network element that provides communication proxy functionality for a first type of network element, and determining whether the first type of network element supports a first service; and if the first type of network element supports the first service, sending information about the first network element.

[0026] Optionally, the first service is associated with the first feature. Based on this, it is determined whether the first type of network element supports the first service, including: determining whether the first type of network element supports the first service and / or the first feature.

[0027] Optionally, before sending the information of the first network element, the method further includes: receiving a configuration from the first network element, the configuration being used to indicate the capabilities of the first network element, the capabilities of the first network element including a first type of network element supporting a first service.

[0028] Optionally, the configuration of the first network element includes information indicating the type of the network element, which includes a first type.

[0029] One possible design scheme is that the information of the first network element includes the address and / or identifier of the first network element, so that related network elements can route related messages to the first network element based on the address and / or identifier.

[0030] It is understood that the technical effects of the method described in the second aspect can also refer to the relevant introduction of the method described in the first aspect above, and will not be repeated here.

[0031] Thirdly, a communication device is provided. This communication device is used to perform the communication method described in either the first or second aspect.

[0032] In this application, the communication device described in the third aspect can be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the network device.

[0033] It should be understood that the communication apparatus described in the third aspect includes modules, units, or means that implement the communication method described in either the first or second aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units for performing the functions involved in the aforementioned communication method.

[0034] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor configured to execute the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0035] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fourth aspect and other communication devices.

[0036] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a memory. This memory may be integrated with the processor or disposed separately. The memory may be used to store computer programs and / or data related to the communication method described in either the first or second aspect.

[0037] In this application, the communication device described in the fourth aspect can be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the network device.

[0038] Fifthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor executing a computer program stored in the memory, such that the communication device performs the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0039] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fifth aspect and other communication devices.

[0040] In this application, the communication device described in the fifth aspect can be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the network device.

[0041] A sixth aspect provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the communication device to perform the communication method described in either the first or second aspect.

[0042] In one possible design, the communication device described in the sixth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the sixth aspect and other communication devices.

[0043] In this application, the communication device described in the sixth aspect can be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the network device.

[0044] A seventh aspect provides a communication device comprising: a processor; the processor being configured to be coupled to a memory, and after reading a computer program from the memory, to execute a communication method as described in any implementation of the first or second aspect according to the computer program.

[0045] In one possible design, the communication device described in the seventh aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the seventh aspect and other communication devices.

[0046] In this application, the communication device described in the seventh aspect can be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the network device.

[0047] Eighthly, a processor is provided. The processor is configured to execute the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0048] A ninth aspect provides a communication system. The communication system includes a first network element for performing the method described in the first aspect, and / or a third network element for performing the method described in the second aspect.

[0049] A tenth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect above to be performed.

[0050] Eleventhly, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect above to be performed.

[0051] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication devices described in the third to eleventh aspects above can be referred to the technical effects of the communication methods described in the first or second aspects above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the 5GS architecture;

[0053] Figure 2 is a flowchart of NF discovery;

[0054] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the primary and backup NF architecture;

[0055] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the scenario flow for primary and backup NF;

[0056] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0063] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as Wi-Fi wireless network systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as long-term evolution (LTE) systems, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems.

[0064] The technical terms and related technical solutions in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0065] 1. 5G mobile communication system (5GS):

[0066] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the 5GS architecture. As shown in Figure 1, 5GS includes: an access network (AN) and a core network (CN), and may also include: a terminal.

[0067] The aforementioned terminals can be devices or modules that access the aforementioned communication system and have corresponding communication functions. Terminals can also be called terminal equipment, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as D2D, V2X communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, communication modules, etc. Alternatively, terminals can also be servers, such as rack-mounted servers, server clusters, etc.

[0068] The aforementioned AN is used to implement access-related functions, providing network access capabilities for authorized users and determining transmission links of different quality levels to transmit user data based on user level, service requirements, etc. The AN forwards control signals and user data between the terminal and the CN. The AN may include access network equipment, also known as radio access network (RAN) equipment.

[0069] The Network Center (CN) is primarily responsible for maintaining the subscription data of the mobile network and providing terminals with functions such as session management, mobility management, policy management, and security authentication. The CN mainly includes all or some of the following Network Functions (NFs): User Plane Function (UPF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), Network Repository Function (NRF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Unified Data Repository (UDR), and Application Function (AF).

[0070] As shown in Figure 1, the UE accesses the 5G network through the RAN device. The UE communicates with the AMF through the N1 interface (N1 for short); the RAN communicates with the AMF through the N2 interface (N2 for short); the RAN communicates with the UPF through the N3 interface (N3 for short); the SMF communicates with the UPF through the N4 interface (N4 for short); and the UPF accesses the data network (DN) through the N6 interface (N6 for short). Furthermore, the control plane functions shown in Figure 1, such as AUSF, AMF, SMF, NSSF, NEF, NRF, PCF, UDM, UDR, or AF, interact using service-oriented interfaces. For example, AUSF provides the service interface Nausf; AMF provides the service interface Namf; SMF provides the service interface Nsmf; NSSF provides the service interface Nnssf; NEF provides the service interface Nnef; NRF provides the service interface Nnrf; PCF provides the service interface Npcf; UDM provides the service interface Nudm; UDR provides the service interface Nudr; and AF provides the service interface Naf.

[0071] RAN equipment can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. RAN equipment can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, a donor node, or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Optionally, RAN equipment can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or an in-vehicle device. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN equipment in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). RAN equipment can also include communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. RAN equipment can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions and corresponding program instructions.

[0072] The UPF is primarily responsible for user data processing (forwarding, receiving, billing, etc.). For example, the UPF can receive user data from the data network (DN) and forward it to the terminal through access network equipment. The UPF can also receive user data from the terminal through access network equipment and forward it to the DN.

[0073] AUSF is primarily used to perform security authentication for terminals.

[0074] AMF is primarily used for mobility management in mobile networks. Examples include user location updates, user network registration, and user handover.

[0075] SMF is primarily used for session management in mobile networks. This includes session establishment, modification, and release. Specific functions include assigning Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to users and selecting a UPF (User-Defined Provider) to handle packet forwarding.

[0076] The PCF primarily supports providing a unified policy framework to control network behavior, delivering policy rules to control-layer network functions, and acquiring user subscription information related to policy decisions. The PCF can provide policies to the AMF and SMF, such as Quality of Service (QoS) policies and slice selection policies.

[0077] NSSF is primarily used to select network slices for terminals.

[0078] NEF is primarily used to support the opening of capabilities and events.

[0079] UDM is primarily used to store user data, such as contract data and authentication / authorization data.

[0080] UDR is primarily used to store structured data, including contract data, policy data, externally exposed structured data, and application-related data.

[0081] The NRF is primarily responsible for the registration and discovery of NFs.

[0082] AF primarily supports interaction with CN to provide services, such as influencing data routing decisions, policy control functions, or providing third-party services to the network side.

[0083] In the above-mentioned NFs, if one NF requests a service and another NF responds to the request and provides the corresponding service, then the NF requesting the service can be called the NF consumer (NFc), and the NF providing the service can be called the NF producer (NFp).

[0084] 2. NF discovery process:

[0085] In this process, NFp can first register with NRF so that NFc can discover NFp through NRF.

[0086] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the process is as follows:

[0087] S201, NFp sends an NF Registration Request message to NRF.

[0088] The NF registration request message includes the NF profile of the NFp. The NF profile includes at least one of the following: NF type, NF ID, NF address, and NF capabilities, i.e., the services supported by the NF (such as basic capabilities). For example, for SMF, a basic capability could be supporting the establishment of protocol data unit (PDU) sessions.

[0089] Optionally, if the NFp supports certain features, the NF's capabilities may also include feature indication information to indicate these features. For example, for the SMF, if the SMF not only supports establishing PDU sessions but also further supports functions related to multiple access protocol data unit (MA PDU) sessions, then the SMF's capabilities may also indicate that the SMF supports MA PDU session functions, such as including MA PDU session capability indication information.

[0090] NRF can save the NF configuration of NFp.

[0091] S202, NFc sends an NF Discovery Request message to NRF.

[0092] An NF discovery request message includes at least one of the following: the type of NF that NFc needs to discover, or the service that NFc needs to obtain (target service name). Optionally, if NFc also needs the service that NFc needs to obtain to have certain characteristics, the NF discovery request message may also include characteristic indication information to indicate these characteristics, such as MA PDU session capability indication information.

[0093] NRF can determine one or more NFs that meet certain conditions based on pre-saved NF configurations. Specifically, the NF type must be the type that NFc needs to discover, and the NF's capabilities must support providing the services and / or features required by NFc.

[0094] S203, NRF sends an NF Discovery Response message to NFc.

[0095] The NF discovery response message can include information about one or more of the aforementioned NFs, such as their NF configurations. The NFc can then select one of the NFs based on the received information and send a service request to that NF.

[0096] 3. Primary and backup NF:

[0097] As shown in Figure 3, when an NFp provides services to an NFc, this NFp can be the primary NFp. In this case, there can also be a backup NFp (denoted as the backup NFp) to continue providing services to the NFc if the primary NFp ceases to provide services. For example, the primary NFp can save the service context to an unstructured data storage function (UDSF) according to pre-configured conditions or periodic triggering. When the primary NFp ceases to provide services to the NFc, the NFc can request services from the backup NFp. Responding to this request, the backup NFp can obtain the service context from the UDSF and continue providing services to the NFc based on the service context.

[0098] As shown in Figure 4, taking NFc as the RAN device and NFp as the AMF as an example, the specific process is as follows:

[0099] In S400, the RAN device is pre-configured with the addresses of AMF#1 and AMF#2, and establishes Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) connections with AMF#1 and AMF#2 respectively.

[0100] S401, the RAN device sends an NG setup request message #1 to AMF#1.

[0101] S402, AMF#1 sends NG setup response message #1 to the RAN device.

[0102] The NG establishment response message #1 may include the identifier associated with AMF #1, such as a globally unique AMF identifier (GUAMI). At this time, the RAN device cannot determine whether AMF #1 is the primary AMF or the backup AMF.

[0103] S403, the RAN device sends an NG establishment request message #2 to AMF#2.

[0104] S404, AMF#2 sends NG setup response message #2 to the RAN device.

[0105] NG establishment response message #2 may include the aforementioned GUAMI and indication information, such as backup AMF indication information. This GUAMI can also be associated with AMF#2 to jointly indicate, together with the backup AMF indication information, that AMF#2 can serve as the backup AMF of AMF#1 associated with the GUAMI. In other words, at this time, the RAN device can determine that AMF#1 is the primary AMF and AMF#2 is the backup AMF.

[0106] Subsequently, the RAN device interacts with AMF#1 to provide services, such as mobility management services, to the RAN device via AMF#1. When the RAN device determines that AMF#1 will no longer provide services, such as when the connection between the RAN device and AMF#1 is interrupted or AMF#1 needs to be taken offline due to troubleshooting, upgrades, or other reasons, the RAN device can continue to interact with AMF#2 to continue providing services to the RAN device via AMF#2.

[0107] As can be seen from the above introduction, in the primary and backup NF scheme, the NFc needs to be pre-configured with the backup NFp information, such as the address. Since the number of NFcs is large, pre-configuring the backup NFp information undoubtedly increases the workload of network management, and it has poor flexibility, cannot dynamically adapt to network changes, has limited stability improvement, and cannot cope with the situation where both the primary NFp and the backup NFp fail.

[0108] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application proposes the following technical solutions. The technical solutions in this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0109] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0110] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being better or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "example" is intended to present the concept in a specific manner.

[0111] First, in this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing "information" for indicating A, it can include whether the information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the information carries A.

[0112] The information indicated by a given piece of information is called the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or its index. It can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be indicated. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing the indication overhead to some extent. At the same time, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by individually indicating the same information.

[0113] Furthermore, the specific indication method can also be any existing indication method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations. Specific details of various indication methods can be found in existing technologies, and will not be repeated here. As described above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. This application embodiment does not limit the selected indication method; therefore, the indication methods involved in this application embodiment should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0114] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the first, second, and various numerical designations are merely distinctions for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, to distinguish different indication information.

[0115] Third, "pre-set," "predefined," or "pre-configured" can be achieved by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other means of indicating relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices), or by pre-defining them in a protocol. This application does not limit the specific implementation method. "Saving" can refer to saving in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into the encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others are integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not specifically limit this.

[0116] Fourth, the “protocol” involved in the embodiments of this application may refer to standard protocols in the field of communication, such as 3GPP’s LTE protocols (such as technical specification (TS) 36, i.e., the TS36 series of technical specifications), NR protocols (such as the TS38 series of technical specifications), and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0117] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0118] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0119] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application will be described in detail first using the communication system shown in FIG5 as an example. For example, FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system to which the method provided in the embodiments of this application applies.

[0120] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system. The communication system mainly includes a first network element, and optionally, the communication system may also include a third network element.

[0121] The first network element provides communication proxy functions for network elements in the network element set. That is, the first network element can act as a proxy for communication between network elements in the network element set and network elements / devices outside the network element set, so as to shield the information of network elements in the network element set / changes of network elements from the outside, reduce signaling overhead, and avoid service interruption caused by network element changes.

[0122] For example, for network elements / devices outside the network element set, these network elements / devices may only know that they are communicating and interacting with the first network element, or they may know that they are communicating and interacting with network elements within the network element set through the first network element, but they do not know which network elements / devices in the network element set they are communicating and interacting with, nor can they obtain specific information about the network elements within the network element set, thereby reducing the risk of information exposure.

[0123] The first network element can also be responsible for managing and maintaining the network elements in the network element set. For example, the first network element can maintain information about the network elements in the set, such as their addresses, identifiers, or capabilities. It can also perform routing control, such as sending information to the corresponding network elements in the set. Furthermore, it can support the management of network elements within the set, such as flexible scaling up and down, and canary upgrades. In addition, the first network element typically does not execute the business logic of the network elements within the set. In this case, introducing new business logic usually only requires upgrading the network elements within the set, thus meeting the network's requirements for agility and flexibility.

[0124] It should be understood that, referring to network front-end technology, the first network element can be called a front-end (FE) network element, or it can be replaced with any other network element with a possible name, such as a proxy network element, a communication proxy network element, etc., without specific restrictions. When the first network element is an FE network element, the network elements in the network element set can also be called back-end network elements, back-end NFs, back-end instances, or back-end NF instances, etc., without specific restrictions.

[0125] The network elements in a network element set are typically of the same type. For example, multiple AMFs can form a network element set, or multiple SMFs can also form a network element set. The network elements in a network element set can be non-homogeneous. For example, at least two network elements in the set can support different services and / or characteristics to achieve flexible and differentiated services. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the following method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0126] It should also be understood that network elements in a set of network elements can also be called network functions or network function instances, and a set of network elements can also be called a set of network functions (NF set) or a set of network function instances (NF instance set).

[0127] The third network element can be used for network element registration and discovery. For example, the third network element can be the NRF mentioned above, or in future communication systems, the third network element can be replaced with any network element that can be named, without specific restrictions.

[0128] The interaction between various network elements in this communication system will be briefly described below with reference to Figure 6.

[0129] As shown in Figure 6, network elements in the network element set can register their capabilities with the first network element. This registration is used by the first network element to determine its capability information. The capabilities of the first network element can be the union of the capabilities of the network elements in the set. For example, if network element #1's capabilities include supporting service #1, network element #2's capabilities include supporting service #2, and network element #3's capabilities include supporting service #3, then the capabilities of the first network element include supporting service #1, service #2, and service #3. The first network element can initiate registration with a third network element, such as registering its configuration with the third network element. This configuration can include the address and / or identifier of the first network element, as well as information indicating the type of network element, specifically the type of network element in the set, such as denoted as type 1. This configuration can also indicate the capabilities of the first network element. If a network element / device wants a network element of type 1 to provide service #1, the network element / device can discover the network element supporting this service through the third network element and obtain information about the first network element that provides communication proxy functionality for that network element, such as its address and / or identifier, to initiate a request to the first network element. The first network element can select network element #1 that supports service #1 from the network element set according to the request of the network element / device, and then request network element #1 to provide service #1 for the network element / device.

[0130] It should be understood that the network element / device requesting the service mentioned above can also obtain the address and / or identifier of the first network element through other means, such as pre-configuration, or from other network elements, without specific restrictions.

[0131] It should also be understood that Figures 5 and 6 are simplified schematic diagrams for ease of understanding only. This communication system may also include other network elements / devices / terminals, which are not shown in Figures 5 and 6. Furthermore, the solutions in the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other communication systems, and the corresponding names can be replaced by the names of the corresponding functions in other communication systems, without specific limitations.

[0132] The interaction process between network elements in the above-mentioned communication system will be specifically described below with reference to Figure 7 and through method embodiments. The communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to the above-mentioned communication system, such as the interaction between the first network element and network elements in the network set, which will be described in detail below.

[0133] As shown in Figure 7, the flow of this communication method is as follows:

[0134] S701, the first network element receives the first message.

[0135] The first message is used to request the provision of a first service to a first entity, such as information about the first entity and information about the first service.

[0136] The first entity can be a user-side device, such as a terminal, or a network-side device / element, such as a device in the access network, or a network element in the core network, such as NEF, AMF, PCF, etc., or other network elements that provide communication proxy functions for network elements in other network element sets, without specific restrictions.

[0137] Information about the first entity can be used to indicate the first entity.

[0138] For example, the information of the first entity may include its identifier. If the first entity is a terminal, the terminal's identifier could be a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI), or a globally unique temporary identity (GUTI). If the first entity is an AMF, the AMF's identifier could be GUAMI. Furthermore, the information of the first entity may also include other information about the first entity, such as at least one of the following: address, port number, or routing information, without specific limitations.

[0139] The first service can be a service that needs to be provided by the network to the first entity, or a service that needs to be provided by a network element / network function to the first entity. It can also be called a first network function service (NF service), or any other name for the service, without specific restrictions. The type of the first service can correspond to the type of the first entity. That is, if the first entity is a different type of device / network element, the corresponding first service may also be different, as will be described in detail below.

[0140] For example, if the first entity is a terminal, the terminal typically needs to register with the network, so the first service could be a registration service, i.e., requesting registration with the network; or the terminal typically needs the network to establish a session for it, so the first service could be a session establishment service, which could be a PDU session or any future possible session, without specific limitations. Alternatively, if the first entity is an access network device, the access network device can collect data, such as mobility tracking data, and can request the network to analyze this data, so the first service could be a mobility management analysis service, etc. Or, if the first entity is a network element, the first entity can act as an NFC to request NFp services. For example, if the first entity is a NEF, the NEF can request the SMF to provide non-IP data delivery (NIDD) services, i.e., the first service.

[0141] Optionally, the first service can be associated with a first characteristic. The first characteristic can represent the features possessed by the first service, such as specifically describing the first service, for example, the first service is for a certain type / of special requirements, or a service that has certain characteristics.

[0142] For example, if the first service is a registration service, the first characteristic could indicate initial registration or emergency registration, meaning the registration service performs initial or emergency registration. Alternatively, if the first service is a session establishment service, the first characteristic could indicate a basic session (such as a normal session) or a multiple access (MA) session, meaning the session establishment service establishes a basic session, such as the PDU session creation session management context service (Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext service), or establishes an MA session, such as the MA PDU session creation session management context service (Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext_MAPDU service). Or, if the first service is a mobility management analytics service, the first characteristic could indicate periodic analytics or conditional analytics, meaning mobility management analytics is performed periodically or when conditions are met. Or, if the first service is a NIDD service, the first characteristic could indicate NIDD, meaning the NIDD service is implemented through NIDD.

[0143] Information from the first service can be used to instruct / request the first service.

[0144] For example, the information for the first service may include an information type. The value of the information type can be used to indicate the first service; that is, different types of first services can be indicated by different values ​​of the information type. For example, a value of 0 indicates service registration, or a value of 1 indicates service establishment, etc., without specific limitations. Of course, the information type is only an exemplary implementation method. The first service can also be indicated by other information, such as message type, or newly defined information, without specific limitations.

[0145] If the first service is associated with the first characteristic, the information of the first service may also include information about the first characteristic to indicate the first characteristic. For example, if the first service is a registration service, the information of the first characteristic may be the registration type or newly defined information to indicate initial registration or emergency registration. Alternatively, if the first service is a session establishment service, the information of the first characteristic may be an indication of the session type or newly defined information to indicate the establishment of a basic session or an MA session, such as a MAPDU session indication to indicate the establishment of an MA session. Or, if the first service is a NIDD service, the information of the first characteristic may be the name of the NIDD service itself, such as NIDD delivery (Nsmf_NIDD_Delivery).

[0146] It should be understood that the above are some examples of first services and first characteristics. A first service can be any possible service that the network can provide to a first entity, and a first characteristic can be any possible characteristic that the first service can have, without specific restrictions. In addition, the first service can also be divided according to finer or coarser granularity, such as considering the establishment of a basic session and the establishment of an MA session as different services.

[0147] In this embodiment of the application, the type / name of the first message may be related to the type of the first entity and / or the first service.

[0148] For example, if the first entity is a terminal, the first message type can be a message exchanged between the terminal and a network element, such as a non-access stratum (NAS) message. If the first service is a registration service or a session establishment service, the NAS message name can be a registration request message or a session establishment request message, or any other message that can be named without specific restrictions. Alternatively, if the first entity is an access network device, the first message type can be a message between the access network device and the core network (or a core network element), such as an Nx message. If the first service is a mobility management analysis service, the Nx message name can be a mobility management analysis request message, or any other message that can be named without specific restrictions. Or, if the first entity is a NEF, the first message type can be a message between core network elements, such as an Nxx message. If the first service is a NIDD service, the Nxx message name can be an NIDD delivery request message, or any other message that can be named without specific restrictions.

[0149] It should be understood that the first message can be sent directly from the first entity to the first network element, or it can be routed from the first entity to the first network element through an intermediate network element. The following will describe the different scenarios.

[0150] Case 1: The first entity is the terminal.

[0151] The terminal can send the first message to the intermediate network element, and the intermediate network element can send the first message to the first network element.

[0152] Among them, the intermediate network element can be a network element that supports routing functions, such as supporting routing messages to the first network element, such as the first message.

[0153] For example, an intermediate network element can be an AMF, or a core network portal function (CPF), or a network element that will be defined in the future, without specific limitations.

[0154] Intermediate network elements can pre-configure or pre-define information about the first network element, such as the address and / or identifier of the first network element. Alternatively, intermediate network elements can discover the first network element and obtain its information, which can be achieved through the following steps Sa-Sb.

[0155] In step Sa, the intermediate network element sends a third message, and the third network element receives the third message.

[0156] The third network element can be used for network element discovery, such as NRF or a newly defined network element in the future, without specific restrictions.

[0157] The third message can be used to request the discovery of network elements of the first type that support the first service, such as: network element type information and information about the first service.

[0158] The network element type information can indicate that the network element is of the first type, such as the NF type, or any other possible type of information, without specific restrictions. The first type can be the type of network element in the network element set, such as the type of the network element being AMF, SMF, etc. Alternatively, the first type can also be the type of the network element set, and the type of the network element set can be the union of the types of network elements in the network element set. The first service information can be used to indicate the first service, and optionally, it can also indicate the first characteristic. For details, please refer to the relevant introduction above, which will not be repeated here.

[0159] It is understandable that the third message can be any named message that is exchanged between the intermediate network element and the first network element, such as the NF discovery request (Nnrf_NFDiscovery Request) message, or it can be a message that will be defined in the future, without any specific restrictions.

[0160] In step Sb, the third network element sends information from the first network element based on the third message, and the intermediate network element receives the information from the first network element.

[0161] The first network element provides communication proxy functionality for the first type of network element, that is, it provides communication proxy functionality for the network elements in the network element set. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above system embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0162] The first network element can support the first service, or in other words, the capabilities of the first network element can support the first service. It should be noted that the capabilities of the first network element do not mean that the first network element itself can provide the first service, but rather that the network elements in the set of network elements it proxies can provide the first service. However, since the first entity requesting the first service does not need to know which specific network element in the set is providing the first service, it can be considered that the first network element provides the first service; that is, the first network element can support the first service.

[0163] For example, the capability of the first network element is the union of the capabilities of the network elements in the network element set, used to indicate one or more services supported by the network elements in the network element set, including the first service. If the capabilities of a discovered network element belong to this union, then the third network element can discover the first network element, enabling it to provide services through the communication proxy of the first network element, thus reducing the risk of information exposure. Optionally, the capability of the first network element can also indicate the characteristics associated with the services supported by the network elements in the network element set, that is, specifically indicating what characteristics these network elements support for services, including the first characteristic.

[0164] It should be understood that the fact that a network element in a set supports a first characteristic can implicitly mean that the network element supports a first service.

[0165] For example, a network element set includes SMF#1, SMF#2, and SMF#3. The capabilities of SMF#1 indicate that SMF#1 supports establishing basic sessions (e.g., implicitly indicating that SMF#1 supports session establishment services). The capabilities of SMF#2 indicate that SMF#2 supports establishing MA sessions (e.g., explicitly indicating that SMF#2 supports session establishment services and has MA PDU session capabilities). The capabilities of SMF#3 indicate that SMF#3 supports NIDD services. Therefore, the capabilities of the first network element can indicate that the SMFs in the network element set support establishing basic sessions, establishing MA sessions, and NIDD services.

[0166] For example, a network element set includes AMF#1, AMF#2, and AMF#3. The capability of AMF#1 indicates that AMF#1 supports initial registration, the capability of AMF#2 indicates that AMF#2 supports emergency support, and the capability of AMF#3 indicates that AMF#3 supports re-registration and paging services. Therefore, the capability of the first network element can indicate that the AMFs in the network element set support initial registration, emergency registration, re-registration, and paging services.

[0167] It should be understood that the services supported by network elements in the network element set can also be considered as the services supported by the first network element, or the services related to the first network element. For example, if a network element in the network element set supports the first service, it can also be considered as the first network element supporting the first service, or the first service being related to the first network element.

[0168] For third-party network elements, the following network element discovery process can be executed:

[0169] The third network element can determine the first network element that provides communication proxy function for the first type of network element based on the third message.

[0170] For example, the third network element can determine the first network element that provides communication proxy function for the first type of network element based on the third message and the configuration of the first network element.

[0171] The configuration of the first network element can be registered to the third network element in advance, or pre-configured or pre-defined in the third network element according to the protocol. For details, please refer to the relevant introduction below, which will not be repeated here.

[0172] The configuration of the first network element can be used to indicate the capabilities of the first network element, such as including information indicating the capabilities of the first network element. The configuration of the first network element may also include at least one of the following: information about the first network element, information indicating the type of the network element, or indication information. The information about the first network element can be referred to the relevant descriptions above, and will not be repeated here. The network element type indicated by the information indicating the type of the network element may include a first type, that is, the type of network element in the aforementioned network element set, or the type of the network element set. Specific details can be referred to the relevant descriptions above, and will not be repeated here. The indication information can be used to instruct the first network element to provide communication proxy functions for the network elements in the network element set. For example, the indication information may explicitly or implicitly indicate the type of the first network element, such as the type of the first network element being communication proxy function, so that associating the type of the first network element with the first type indicates that the first network element provides communication proxy functions for the network elements in the network element set.

[0173] Therefore, when a third network element receives a third message, it can determine, based on the association between the first type indicated by the third message and the type of the first network element in the configuration of the first network element, that the network element to be discovered is not a network element of the first type, but rather a network element that provides communication proxy functions for network elements of the first type, thus sensing the first network element. Alternatively, even if the network element requested to be discovered is a network element that provides communication proxy functions, the third network element can still discover the network element with the corresponding function.

[0174] Given the first network element, the third network element can determine whether the first type of network element supports the first service.

[0175] For example, a third network element can determine whether a first type of network element supports the first service based on the third message indicating the first service and the capabilities of the first network element. Specifically, it can determine whether the services supported by the first type of network element, as indicated by the capabilities of the first network element, include the first service. If the first service is included, then the first type of network element supports the first service; otherwise, it does not. If the first service is associated with a first characteristic, the third network element can specifically determine whether a first type of network element supports the first service and / or the first characteristic. For example, it can determine whether the characteristics of the services supported by the first type of network element, as indicated by the capabilities of the first network element, include the first characteristic. If the first characteristic is included, then the first type of network element supports the first characteristic; otherwise, it does not.

[0176] When the first type of network element supports the first service, the third network element can send information from the first network element.

[0177] If the first service is associated with the first feature, the third network element can also send information about the first network element if the first type of network element supports the first feature. For example, the third network element can obtain information about the first network element from the configuration of the first network element, such as the address and / or identifier of the first network element, and send the address and / or identifier to the intermediate network element.

[0178] It should be understood that the above network element discovery process is based on the premise that the third network element can perceive the first network element. The third network element may also not perceive the first network element. For example, the configuration of the first network element may not include the type of the first network element but only the types of network elements in the network element set. In this way, even if the third network element stores the configuration of the first network element, the third network element performs discovery as if the first network element were a network element in the network element set. For example, when other network elements request to discover a network element type that is a network element in the network element set, the third network element can also perform the discovery process as if the first network element were a network element in the network element set, based on the network element type indicated by the configuration of the first network element, including the type of network element requested by the other network element. This achieves a forward-compatible design.

[0179] For intermediate network elements:

[0180] After receiving information from the first network element, the intermediate network element can send the received first message to the first network element based on that information, thus routing the first message to the first network element. It should be understood that the encapsulation / type / name of the first message received by the intermediate network element and the first message sent by the intermediate network element can be the same, meaning the intermediate network element directly forwards the first message. Alternatively, the encapsulation / type / name of the first message received by the intermediate network element and the first message sent by the intermediate network element can be different, meaning the intermediate network element can encapsulate part or all of the received first message (e.g., denoted as first message #1) into a new message (e.g., denoted as first message #2) and then send first message #2 to the first network element. For example, first message #2 may not contain information about the first network element compared to first message #1, or first message #2 may contain all the content of first message #1; there are no specific restrictions.

[0181] Therefore, when an entity (such as a terminal) needs a first type of network element to provide a first service, the entity or its intermediate network element can discover the communication agent of the first type of network element through a third network element to obtain the information of the first network element. Thus, it can communicate and interact with the first network element based on the information of the first network element to request the network to provide the first service.

[0182] Scenario 2: The first entity is an access network device.

[0183] Access network devices can directly send the first message to the first network element. For example, the access network device can pre-configure the information of the first network element, or obtain the information of the first network element in advance by interacting with network elements in the network element set. Alternatively, the access network device can also discover the first network element through a third network element, thereby obtaining the information of the first network element. The specific implementation principle is similar to that of the intermediate network element mentioned above, and can be understood by referring to it, so it will not be elaborated here. Or, the access network device can send the first message to the intermediate network element, and the intermediate network element will then send the first message to the first network element. The specific implementation principle is similar to that of case 1 above, and can be understood by referring to it, so it will not be elaborated here.

[0184] Case 3: The first entity is a network element, such as the fourth network element.

[0185] The fourth network element can directly send the first message to the first network element. For example, the fourth network element can pre-configure the information of the first network element, or obtain the information of the first network element in advance by interacting with network elements in the network element set. Alternatively, the fourth network element can also discover the first network element through the third network element, thereby obtaining the information of the first network element. The specific implementation principle is similar to that of the intermediate network element mentioned above, and can be understood by referring to it, so it will not be elaborated here. Or, the fourth network element can send the first message to the intermediate network element, and the intermediate network element will then send the first message to the first network element. The specific implementation principle is also similar to that of case 1 above, and can be understood by referring to it, so it will not be elaborated here.

[0186] S702, the first network element determines the second network element that supports the first service from the network element set based on the first message.

[0187] The first network element can determine the second network element supporting the first service from the network element set based on at least one of the following information: the type of the first message, the name of the first message, or the information of the network elements in the network element set that the first message does not carry.

[0188] For example, the type / name of the first message can indicate that it is a message of a specific type / name. This specific type / name message can be used to initiate a new service, such as the first service. Therefore, the first network element needs to select a network element from the network element set to support the service, thus triggering the network element selection process. Alternatively, the message sent to the first network element may carry information about the network elements in the network element set (such as at least one of the following: identifier, address, or routing information of the network element). This is mainly used by the first network element to perform routing. For example, the first network element can send the message to the corresponding network element based on the information of the network element. Therefore, if the first message does not carry information about the network elements in the network element set, it means that the network elements in the network element set have not yet been determined. This implicitly indicates that the first network element needs to select a network element from the network element set and execute the process that triggers the network element selection process, rather than other processes, to improve the reliability of the business process.

[0189] The following section provides a detailed explanation of how the first network element performs the network element selection process.

[0190] The first network element can determine whether any network element in the aforementioned set has the capability to support the first service based on the first service requested by the first message. If it determines whether any network element in the set has the capability to indicate that its supported service includes the first service, and if a second network element has the capability to indicate that its supported service includes the first service, then the second network element supports the first service, thus identifying the network element supporting the first service as the second network element. If the first service is associated with a first characteristic, the first network element can also determine from the network element set a second network element that supports the first service and / or the first characteristic, to achieve finer-grained network element selection and improve service quality. For example, the first network element can specifically determine whether any network element in the set supports the first service and / or the first characteristic. If it determines whether any network element in the set has the capability to indicate that its supported service possesses the first characteristic, and if a second network element has the capability to indicate that its supported service possesses the first characteristic, then the second network element supports both the first characteristic and the first service.

[0191] Optionally, the first network element can also determine a second network element from the network element set that corresponds to the first entity and supports the first service and / or the first feature. For example, if certain services of the first entity (such as the first service) need to be performed by specific network elements in the network element set, the first network element can pre-configure the correspondence between the information of the first entity and these network elements. The first network element can determine the network element corresponding to the first entity based on the information of the first entity carried in the first message, and further select a second network element that supports the first service and / or the first feature from the network elements corresponding to the first entity, so that a specific entity can be provided by a specific network element to improve service quality.

[0192] It should be understood that when the first network element performs the network element selection process, it can also consider other factors, such as the status / load of the network element. For example, if there are multiple network elements in the network element set that support the first service and / or the first feature, then the first network element can select the network element with the best status or the lowest load to achieve load balancing.

[0193] S703, the first network element sends a second message to the second network element.

[0194] The second message is used to request the second network element to provide the first service to the first entity, such as including the content of the first message mentioned above.

[0195] The second network element can respond to the second message and provide the first service to the first entity, such as initial registration / emergency registration of the terminal to the network, or establishment of a basic session / MA session for the terminal, or delivery of NIDD data to the terminal, without specific restrictions.

[0196] In summary, when a first entity requests the network to provide a first service, the first network element, acting as a communication proxy for network elements in the network element set, can flexibly select a second network element from the network element set that supports the first service, thereby requesting the second network element to provide the first service to the first entity. This decouples the network element providing the service from the entity requesting the service, thus enabling more flexible service provision.

[0197] It should be understood that the network elements involved in the embodiments of this application can also be replaced by NF, NF network element, NF instance, etc.

[0198] Optionally, in conjunction with S701-S703 above, the first network element can also initiate registration with the third network element. For example, prior to S701, the method further includes:

[0199] In S700, the first network element sends its configuration to the third network element, and the third network element receives the configuration from the first network element.

[0200] The configuration of the first network element can be referred to the above-mentioned introduction, and will not be repeated here. The configuration of the first network element can be determined by the first network element collecting information from the network elements in the network element set, which will be described in detail below.

[0201] The first network element can receive information from the network elements in the above set of network elements.

[0202] For example, the information of a network element in the network element set may include the network element's identifier, such as if the network element is an AMF (Agency Filter), and the AMF's identifier could be GUAMI; or if the network element is an SMF (Small Filter), and the SMF's identifier could be an SMF identifier (ID). The information of a network element in the network element set may also indicate the network element's capabilities, such as including information indicating the network element's capabilities. The information of a network element in the network element set may include information indicating the type of the network element in the set, such as indicating the type as the first type mentioned above. Furthermore, the information of a network element in the network element set may be carried in any possible message in which the network element interacts with the first network element, such as an instance registration message, or any other message that can be named, without specific limitations.

[0203] A network element in the network element set can proactively include its information in the instance registration message and send it to the first network element, without any restrictions on the timing of the sending. Alternatively, the first network element can request the network elements in the network element set to report their own information. In response to the first network element's request, the network elements in the network element set can include their information in the instance registration message and send it to the first network element.

[0204] The first network element can determine its capabilities based on the information of the network elements in the network element set.

[0205] For example, a first network element can determine the union of the capabilities of the network elements in the network element set based on the capabilities indicated by the information of the network elements in the set, i.e., the capability of the first network element. The first network element can encapsulate its own capabilities and information indicating the types of network elements in the set into its configuration, and register the configuration of the first network element with a third network element, such as by sending an NF management registration request (Nnrf_NFManagement_NFRegister) message carrying the configuration of the first network element to the third network element, or any other message that may be named, without specific restrictions.

[0206] It should be understood that the information indicating the type of a network element in the configuration of the first network element can be the same as the information indicating the type of network elements in the set of network elements. For example, since the third network element may not be aware of this set of network elements, for the third network element, the information indicating the type of network elements in the set of network elements is the information indicating the type of a certain network element, i.e., the information indicating the type of network element. Alternatively, the information indicating the type of a network element can be different from the information indicating the type of network elements in the set of network elements. For example, the first network element can replace the information indicating the type of network elements in the set of network elements with the information indicating the type of network element, and then encapsulate it in the configuration of the first network element.

[0207] It should also be understood that the S700 mentioned above is optional. For example, the third network element can also be pre-configured with the configuration of the first network element.

[0208] The overall process of this communication method has been described above with reference to Figure 7. The specific process of this communication method in some example application scenarios is described below with reference to Figures 8 and 9.

[0209] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application. The flowchart shown in Figure 8 mainly involves the interaction between FE (as described above as the first network element), SMF#1 (as described above as the second network element), SMF#2, NRF (as described above as the third network element), xxNF (as described above as the intermediate network element), and UE (as described above as the first entity).

[0210] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the flow of this communication method is as follows:

[0211] S800, SMF#1 and SMF#2 pre-configured FE information.

[0212] SMF#1 and SMF#2 belong to the same network element set, namely the NF set. The FE provides communication proxy functions for this NF set.

[0213] The information of the FE may include the FE's identifier and / or address.

[0214] S801, SMF#1 sends instance registration message #1 to FE, and SMF#2 sends instance registration message #2 to FE.

[0215] Instance registration message #1 can carry information about SMF #1, such as its identifier, information indicating its capabilities (e.g., that SMF #1 supports establishing MA PDU sessions), and information indicating its type (i.e., SMF). Similarly, instance registration message #2 can carry information about SMF #2, such as its identifier, information indicating its capabilities (e.g., implicitly indicating that SMF #1 supports establishing basic sessions), and information indicating its type.

[0216] S802, FE determines the configuration of FE.

[0217] The configuration of the FE (as described above for the first network element) may include the NF type, the FE identifier (as described above for the first network element information), and the FE capabilities (as described above for the first network element capabilities). The NF type may include information indicating the type of the network element, i.e., the network element type is SMF. Optionally, it may also include information indicating the type of the FE (as described above for indication information), i.e., the FE type is a communication proxy function, or in other words, it provides communication proxy functions for the SMFs in the NF set. The FE identifier can be used to uniquely identify the FE. The FE capabilities may include the union of the capabilities of SMF#1 and SMF#2.

[0218] S803, FE sends an NF management registration request message to NRF.

[0219] The NF management registration request message can include the FE configuration.

[0220] It is understandable that the above-mentioned S800-S803 can also refer to the relevant introduction of S700.

[0221] S804, UE sends uplink message #1 to xxNF.

[0222] xxNF indicates that the naming of this NF is not restricted in this application embodiment.

[0223] The uplink message #1 (as described in the first message above) can be a NAS message, such as a session establishment request message, used to request the establishment of a session (as described in the first service above, which is a session establishment service). The session can be a PDU session. For example, the session establishment request message may include at least one of the following: the UE's identifier (as described in the first entity information above), service information, MA session indication information (as described in the first feature above), or the session identifier. The service information may include DNN and / or slice information, and the session identifier may be assigned by the UE.

[0224] It should be understood that S804 can refer to the relevant introduction of the terminal sending the first message to the intermediate network element in the above situation 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0225] S805, xxNF sends an NF discovery request message to NRF.

[0226] The NF discovery request message requests the discovery of an SMF that supports the establishment of an MA session, including the NF type and MA session indication information, where the NF type is SMF.

[0227] S806, NRF sends an NF discovery response (Nnrf_NFDiscovery Response) message to xxNF.

[0228] The NF discovery response message includes the identifier of the FE.

[0229] Based on the NF discovery request message, the NRF can determine the network element that the FE is requesting to discover for the xxNF, i.e., determine the FE. The NRF can further determine that the FE's capability supports the establishment of an MA session, and thus return the FE's identifier to the xxNF.

[0230] It should be understood that S805-S806 can also refer to the relevant introduction of steps Sa-Sb above, and will not be repeated here.

[0231] S807, xxNF sends uplink message #1 to FE.

[0232] xxNF can send uplink message #1 to FE based on FE's identifier.

[0233] S808, FE selects SMF#1.

[0234] The FE can trigger the selection of an SMF based on the name of the uplink message #1 (which is a session establishment request message), the type of the uplink message #1 (which is a NAS message), or the fact that the uplink message #1 does not carry routing information, such as the identifier of the SMF. This can determine whether the SMF #1 in the NF set supports the establishment of an MA session, or whether the SMF #1 in the NF set corresponds to the UE (e.g., the identifier of the SMF corresponds to the identifier of the UE) and supports the establishment of an MA session.

[0235] Optionally, the FE can pre-configure the correspondence between the SMF's identifier and the UE's identifier.

[0236] It should be understood that S808 can refer to the relevant introduction of S702 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0237] S809, FE sends uplink message #2 to SMF#1.

[0238] Uplink message #2 (such as the second message) can be the same message as uplink message #1, or it can be a different message. Uplink message #2 contains the content of uplink message #1 to request SMF #1 to establish an MA session for the UE.

[0239] S810, SMF#1 triggers the process of establishing an MA session.

[0240] S811, SMF#1 sends a downlink message to the UE.

[0241] The downlink message type can also be a NAS message, used to indicate whether the MA session was successfully or unsuccessfully established.

[0242] It should be understood that S809-S811 can refer to the relevant introduction of S703 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0243] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application. The flowchart shown in Figure 9 mainly involves the interaction between FE (as described above as the first network element), SMF#1 (as described above as the second network element), SMF#2, NRF (as described above as the third network element), xxNF (as described above as the intermediate network element), and NEF (as described above as the first entity).

[0244] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the flow of this communication method is as follows:

[0245] S900, SMF#1 and SMF#2 register with FE, FE registers with NRF, and subsequently SMF#1 establishes a session for UE.

[0246] For S900, please refer to the relevant introductions of S800-S811 mentioned above, and they will not be repeated here.

[0247] S901, SMF#1 sends a Session Context Creation Request (Nnef_SMContext Create Request) message to NEF.

[0248] The Session Context Creation Request message may carry the context of the session created for the UE by SMF#1, such as including at least one of the following: the UE's identifier, the session's identifier, service information, or the FE's identifier.

[0249] NEF can understand that the identifier of FE in the context of the session is the identifier of SMF#1.

[0250] S902, NEF sends NIDD service request (Nsmf_NIDD Delivery Request) message #1 to FE.

[0251] NIDD Service Request Message #1 can be used to request NIDD services (such as the first service mentioned above), including at least one of the following: UE identifier, session identifier, or data.

[0252] Specifically, if the NEF has data to send to the UE, such as data that the AF wants to send to the UE, and therefore can be passed to the NEF first, one possible approach is for the NEF to reuse the UE's session to pass the data to the UE via the NIDD service. Therefore, the NEF can send an NIDD service request message #1 to the FE based on the session context.

[0253] It should be understood that S902 can refer to the relevant introduction of S701 in case 3 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0254] S903, FE selects SMF#1.

[0255] The FE can trigger the selection of an SMF based on the name of the NIDD service request message #1, or the type of the NIDD service request message #1 being a service-oriented message, or the NIDD service request message #1 not carrying routing information, such as the SMF identifier. This can determine whether SMF #1 in the NF set supports the NIDD service.

[0256] It should be understood that S903 can refer to the relevant introduction of S702 mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0257] S904, FE sends NIDD service request message #2 to SMF#1.

[0258] NIDD Service Request Message #2 (as in the second message) can be the same message as NIDD Service Request Message #1, or it can be a different message. NIDD Service Request Message #2 contains the content of NIDD Service Request Message #1 to request SMF #1 to provide NIDD services to NEF.

[0259] S905, SMF#1 triggers the NIDD process.

[0260] It should be understood that S904-S905 can refer to the relevant introduction of S703 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0261] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 7-9. The communication apparatus used to perform the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 10 and 11.

[0262] For example, FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG10, the communication device 1000 includes a processing module 1001 and a transceiver module 1002. For ease of explanation, FIG10 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0263] In some embodiments, the communication device 1000 can be applied to the communication system shown in Figures 5-6 to perform the function of the first network element in the communication method shown in Figures 7-9.

[0264] The transceiver module 1002 is used to perform the transceiver functions of the first network element.

[0265] The processing module 1001 is used to perform functions of the first network element other than the transmit and receive functions.

[0266] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 9) storing programs or instructions. When the processing module 1001 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1000 can perform the function of the first network element in the communication method shown in FIG. 7-FIG. It should be understood that the processing module 1001 involved in the communication device 1000 may be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components, and may be a processor or processing unit; the transceiver module 1002 may be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and may be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0267] Furthermore, the communication device 1000 can be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the network device, or a device containing the network device; this application embodiment does not limit this. The technical effects of the communication device 1000 can be referred to the technical effects of the communication methods shown in any one of Figures 7-9, and will not be repeated here.

[0268] In other embodiments, the communication device 1000 may be adapted to the communication system shown in Figures 5-6 to perform the function of the third network element in the communication method shown in Figures 7-9.

[0269] The transceiver module 1002 is used to perform the transceiver functions of the third network element.

[0270] The processing module 1001 is used to perform functions of the third network element other than the transmit and receive functions.

[0271] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 9) storing programs or instructions. When the processing module 1001 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1000 can perform the function of the third network element in the communication method shown in FIG. 7-FIG. It should be understood that the processing module 1001 involved in the communication device 1000 may be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components, and may be a processor or processing unit; the transceiver module 1002 may be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and may be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0272] Furthermore, the communication device 1000 can be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the network device, or a device containing the network device; this application embodiment does not limit this. The technical effects of the communication device 1000 can be referred to the technical effects of the communication methods shown in any one of Figures 7-9, and will not be repeated here.

[0273] Figure 11 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Exemplarily, the communication device can be a terminal, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in the terminal. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device 1100 may include a processor 1101. Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a memory 1102 and / or a transceiver 1103. The processor 1101 is coupled to the memory 1102 and the transceiver 1103, for example, they can be connected via a communication bus.

[0274] The following is a detailed description of each component of the communication device 1100 with reference to Figure 11:

[0275] The processor 1101 is the control center of the communication device 1100. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 1101 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0276] Optionally, the processor 1101 can execute various functions of the communication device 1100 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 1102 and calling data stored in the memory 1102, such as executing the communication methods shown in Figures 7-9 above.

[0277] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, processor 1101 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG11.

[0278] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 1100 may also include multiple processors, such as processors 1101 and 1104 shown in FIG. 11. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0279] The memory 1102 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of this application, and is controlled by the processor 1101 to execute it. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0280] Optionally, the memory 1102 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 1102 may be integrated with the processor 1101 or may exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1101 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1100 (not shown in FIG. 11). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0281] Transceiver 1103 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 1100 is a terminal, transceiver 1103 can be used to communicate with a network device or with another terminal device. As another example, if communication device 1100 is a network device, transceiver 1103 can be used to communicate with a terminal or with another network device.

[0282] Optionally, transceiver 1103 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in Figure 11). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0283] Optionally, the transceiver 1103 can be integrated with the processor 1101 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1101 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1100 (not shown in FIG11). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0284] It is understood that the structure of the communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. Actual communication devices may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0285] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1100 can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0286] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or it can be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0287] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of random access memory (RAM) are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous DRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous linked DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0288] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more sets of available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0289] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0290] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0291] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0292] 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 application.

[0293] 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.

[0294] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0295] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0296] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0297] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0298] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to the first network element, including: Receive a first message, the first message being used to request the provision of a first service to a first entity; Based on the first message, a second network element supporting the first service is determined from the network element set, and the first network element provides communication proxy function for the network elements in the network element set. A second message is sent to the second network element, the second message being used to request the second network element to provide the first service to the first entity.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first service is associated with the first feature, and determining the second network element supporting the first service from the network element set includes: The second network element that supports the first service and / or the first feature is determined from the set of network elements.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first service is the first network function service.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of determining the second network element from the set of network elements that has the capability to support the first service and / or the first feature includes: The second network element is determined from the set of network elements that corresponds to the first entity and supports the first service and / or the first feature.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first entity is a terminal.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The step of determining a second network element supporting the first service from the network element set based on the first message includes: The second network element supporting the first service is determined from the network element set based on at least one of the following: the type of the first message, the name of the first message, or the fact that the first message does not carry information about the network elements in the network element set.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The configuration of the first network element is sent to the third network element. The configuration indicates the capabilities of the first network element. The capabilities of the first network element are the union of the capabilities of the network elements in the network element set. The capabilities of the first network element include that the network elements in the network element set support the first service. The third network element is used to discover the first network element.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The configuration includes information indicating the type of network elements in the network element set.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The configuration also includes instruction information, which is used to instruct the first network element to provide communication proxy functions for the network elements in the network element set.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive information about network elements in the network element set, wherein the information about network elements in the network element set indicates the capabilities of the network elements in the network element set; The capabilities of the first network element are determined based on the information of the network elements in the network element set.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The information of the network elements in the network element set includes information indicating the type of the network elements in the network element set.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The network elements in the set of network elements are all of the same type.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The set of network elements contains at least two network elements that support different services.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to third-party network elements, including: Receive a third message, the third message being used to request the discovery of a network element of the first type that supports the first service; According to the third message, information about the first network element is sent, the first type of network element supports the first service, and the first network element provides communication proxy function for the first type of network element.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The step of sending information about the first network element according to the third message includes: Based on the third message, the first network element that provides communication proxy function for the first type of network element is identified, and it is determined whether the first type of network element supports the first service; If the first type of network element supports the first service, the information of the first network element is sent.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first service is associated with the first feature, and determining whether the network element of the first type supports the first service includes: Determine whether the network element of the first type supports the first service and / or the first feature.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, Before sending the information of the first network element, the method further includes: Receive the configuration of the first network element, the configuration being used to indicate the capabilities of the first network element, the capabilities of the first network element including the first type of network element supporting the first service.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The configuration of the first network element includes information indicating the type of the network element, and the type of the network element includes the first type.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14-18, characterized in that, The information of the first network element includes the address and / or identifier of the first network element.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a model for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-19.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Processor and memory; The memory is used to store computer instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-19.

22. The communication device according to claim 21, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-13 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 14-19 to be performed.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes: a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-13 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 14-19 to be performed.

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