Communication method, terminal device, and core network device

Abstract

Provided are a communication method, a terminal device, and a core network device. The method comprises: a first terminal device sending first information to a first core network device, wherein the first information is used for indicating a data-collection-related capability of the first terminal device. On the basis of the first information, a core network can acquire the data-collection-related capability of the first terminal device, such that an appropriate data collection process can be determined on the basis of the data-collection-related capability of the first terminal device, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of data collection.

Description

Communication methods, terminal equipment, and core network equipment Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a communication method, terminal equipment, and core network equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology, some communication standards are discussing how to collect data from terminal devices into the core network, so that the core network or third-party devices can use the collected data. For example, the collected data can be used to train artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) models, thereby realizing AI / ML-based wireless communication processes. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a communication method, a terminal device, and a core network device. The various aspects covered in this application are described below.

[0004] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, the method comprising: a first terminal device sending first information to a first core network device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

[0005] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, the method comprising: a first core network device receiving first information sent by a first terminal device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

[0006] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, the method comprising: a second core network device receiving first information sent by a first core network device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of a first terminal device.

[0007] Fourthly, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device being a first terminal device, the terminal device comprising: a first transmitting unit, configured to transmit first information to a first core network device, the first information being configured to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

[0008] Fifthly, a core network device is provided, the core network device being a first core network device, the core network device comprising: a first receiving unit, configured to receive first information sent by a first terminal device, the first information being configured to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, a core network device is provided, the core network device being a second core network device, the core network comprising: a second receiving unit for receiving first information sent by a first core network device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of a first terminal device.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, a terminal device is provided, including a transceiver, a memory, and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, the processor is used to invoke the program in the memory, and to control the transceiver to receive or send signals so that the terminal device performs some or all of the steps in the method of the first aspect.

[0011] Eighthly, a core network device is provided, including a transceiver, a memory, and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, the processor is used to invoke the program in the memory, and to control the transceiver to receive or transmit signals so that the network device performs some or all of the steps in the methods of the second and / or third aspects.

[0012] Ninthly, a communication system is provided, which includes the aforementioned terminal device and / or core network device. In another possible design, the system may further include other devices that interact with the terminal device or core network device as described in the embodiments of this application.

[0013] In a tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a terminal device and / or a core network device to perform some or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

[0014] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program operable to cause terminal devices and / or core network devices to perform some or all of the steps in the methods described above. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0015] In a twelfth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip including a memory and a processor, the processor being able to call and run a computer program from the memory to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods of the foregoing aspects.

[0016] Based on the first information, the core network can obtain the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device, thereby determining the appropriate data collection process based on the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device, and thus improving the reliability and efficiency of data collection. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the wireless communication system used in the embodiments of this application.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture.

[0019] Figure 3A is an example diagram of the interface between an NWDAF and other network elements.

[0020] Figure 3B is an example diagram of data transfer through DCCF.

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 5 is an example diagram of a communication process provided in Embodiment 1.

[0023] Figure 6 is an example diagram of a communication process provided in Embodiment 2.

[0024] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device 700 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a core network device 800 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a core network device 900 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Communication system

[0030] Figure 1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 according to an embodiment of this application. The wireless communication system 100 may include communication devices. These communication devices may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The network device 110 may be a device that communicates with the terminal device 120.

[0031] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary network device and two terminals. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may include multiple network devices, and each network device may include other terminal devices within its coverage area. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0032] Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may also include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0033] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: 5th generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as 6th generation mobile communication systems, satellite communication systems, and so on.

[0034] The terminal device in this application embodiment can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. The terminal device in this application embodiment can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, and can be used to connect people, objects, and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connectivity, vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal device in the embodiments of this application can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, PDA, mobile internet device (MID), wearable device, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, etc. Optionally, the UE can be used to act as a base station. For example, the UE can act as a scheduling entity, providing sidelink signals between UEs in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) or device-to-device (D2D) communication. For example, cellular phones and cars communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Cellular phones and smart home devices communicate without relaying communication signals through a base station.

[0035] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device for communicating with terminal devices. The network device may also include an access network device. The access network device can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with the terminal device 120 located within that coverage area. The access network device can also be called a wireless access network device or a base station, etc. In this application embodiment, the access network device can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to the wireless network. Access network equipment can broadly encompass various names listed below, or be replaced by names such as: NodeB, Evolved NodeB (eNB), Next Generation NodeB (gNB), Relay Station, Transmitting and Receiving Point (TRP), Transmitting Point (TP), Master eNB (MeNB), Secondary eNB (SeNB), Multi-Standard Radio (MSR) Node, Home Base Station, Network Controller, Access Node, Wireless Node, Access Point (AP), Transmitter Node, Transceiver Node, Baseband Unit (BBU), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Active Antenna Unit (AAU), Remote Radio Head (RRH), Central Unit (CU), Distributed Unit (DU), Location Node, Centralized Unit-Control Plane (CU-CP), Centralized Unit-User Plane (CU-User) Base stations can be macro base stations, micro base stations, relay nodes, donor nodes, or similar entities, or combinations thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, equipment performing base station functions in D2D, V2X, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, network-side equipment in 6G networks, and equipment performing base station functions in future communication systems. Base stations can support networks using the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or equipment forms used in the access network equipment.

[0036] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move depending on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured as a device to communicate with another base station.

[0037] Wireless communication systems involve communication equipment that can include not only access network equipment and terminal equipment, but also core network elements. Core network elements can be implemented through devices; that is, core network elements are core network devices. It is understandable that core network devices can also be a type of network device.

[0038] The core network elements in this application embodiment may include network elements that process and forward user signaling and data. For example, core network equipment may include core access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), location management function (LMF), network slice selection function (NSSF), authentication server function (AUSF), unified data management (UDM), policy control function (PCF), user plane function (UPF), sensing function (SF), network data analytics function (NWDAF), and artificial intelligence (AI) function management entity, etc. Of course, the core network may also include other network elements, which are not listed here.

[0039] In some deployments, the network device in this application embodiment may refer to a CU or a DU, or the network device may include both a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an AAU.

[0040] Network devices and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the network devices and terminal devices are located.

[0041] It should be understood that all or part of the functions of the communication device in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0042] Mobile network system architecture

[0043] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture. This network architecture may include terminal devices, access network (AN) elements, and core network elements.

[0044] The most important feature of the network architecture shown in Figure 2 is the service-oriented architecture, which means that core network elements (service providers) can provide specific services and make them available to other network elements (consumers) through predefined API interfaces.

[0045] As shown in Figure 2, the UE establishes an access stratum (AS) connection with the base station, exchanging access stratum messages and radio data. The UE also establishes a non-access stratum (NAS) connection with the mobility management function (AMF), exchanging NAS messages.

[0046] The core network elements can be categorized into several types, including user plane function (UPF) elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) elements, session management function (SMF) elements, policy control function (PCF) elements, application function (AF) elements, data network (DN) elements, network slice selection function (NSSF) elements, authentication server function (AUSF) elements, unified data management (UDM) elements, network exposure function (NEF) elements, network repository function (NRF) elements, and network slice-specific authentication and authorization function (NSSAAF). Among these, UPF elements are primarily responsible for user data transmission. The other elements, which can be referred to as control plane function elements, are mainly responsible for authentication, authorization, registration management, session management, mobility management, and policy control to ensure reliable and stable user data transmission.

[0047] UPF network elements can be used to forward and receive data from terminals. For example, a UPF network element can receive service data from the data network and transmit it to the terminal through access network equipment; a UPF network element can also receive user data from the terminal through access network equipment and forward it to the data network. The transmission resources allocated and scheduled by the UPF network element for the terminal are managed and controlled by the SMF network element. The bearer between the terminal and the UPF network element can include: a user plane (UP) connection between the UPF network element and the access network equipment, and the establishment of a channel between the access network equipment and the terminal. The user plane connection enables the establishment of a QoS flow for data transmission between the UPF network element and the access network equipment.

[0048] AMF network elements can be used to manage terminal access to the core network, such as terminal location updates, network registration, access control, terminal mobility management, and terminal attachment and detachment. When providing services for a terminal's session, AMF network elements can also provide control plane (CP) storage resources for that session to store session identifiers and the SMF network element identifiers associated with those session identifiers.

[0049] SMF network elements can be used to select user plane network elements for terminals, redirect user plane network elements for terminals, assign Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to terminals, establish bearers (also known as sessions) between terminals and UPF network elements, modify and release sessions, and perform QoS control.

[0050] PCF network elements are used to provide policies to AMF and SMF network elements, such as QoS policies and slice selection policies.

[0051] AF network elements are used to interact with 3GPP core network elements to support the routing of application-affected data, access network exposure functions, and interact with PCF network elements for policy control, etc.

[0052] A Data Network (DN) can provide data services to users for networks such as IP Multimedia Service (IMS) and the Internet. A DN can contain various application servers (AS) that provide different application services, such as carrier services, Internet access, or third-party services. The AS can implement the functions of an Application Server (AF).

[0053] NSSF is used for network slice selection and supports the following functions: selecting the set of network slice instances to serve the UE; determining allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), and, when necessary, determining the mapping to the subscribed single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI); determining the configured NSSAI, and, when necessary, determining the mapping to the subscribed S-NSSAI; determining the set of AMFs that may be used to query the UE, or determining a list of candidate AMFs based on configuration.

[0054] AUSF is used to receive AMF requests for terminal authentication. It requests a key from UDM and then forwards the issued key to AMF for authentication processing.

[0055] UDM includes functions such as generating and storing user subscription data and managing authentication data, and supports interaction with external third-party servers.

[0056] NEF is used for capability exposure, meaning that based on NEF, network capabilities can be exported to external networks. Untrusted external applications can access core network data through NEF to ensure network security. NEF can provide functions such as QoS capability exposure for external applications, event subscription, and AF request distribution.

[0057] The Network Request Forwarder (NRF) is used for the registration, management, and status detection of core network elements, thereby achieving automated management of core network elements. When a core network element starts up, it must register with the NRF before it can provide services. Registration information may include, for example, the type, address, and service list of the core network element.

[0058] It should be noted that in some communication systems (such as 5G systems), core network elements can also be called network functions (NFs).

[0059] With the development of technology, the functions of network elements have become more diversified.

[0060] For example, some communication systems (such as 5G systems) define network elements such as network data analytics function (NWDAF), data collection coordination function (DCCF), and analytics data repository function (ADRF). These will be explained below.

[0061] Based on NWDAF, the device can collect data from various network elements and network management systems in the core network, and perform big data statistics, analysis or intelligent data analysis to obtain network-side analysis or prediction data, thereby assisting each network element to more effectively control the access of terminal devices based on the data analysis results.

[0062] Figure 3A illustrates an example of the interface between NWDAF and other network elements (i.e., NFs). As shown in Figure 3A, an NF requests an analysis result (e.g., identified by an analytics ID) from an NWDAF via Nnwdaf, and an NWDAF sends an analysis result to an NF via Nnf.

[0063] Figure 3B illustrates an example of data delivery via DCCF. As shown in Figure 3B, each piece of data received from a data source NF is sent to DCCF, which then delivers it to all data consumer / notification endpoints specified by the data consumer or determined by DCCF. Each data consumer can specify multiple notification endpoints in its request to DCCF, which may include the requesting data consumer, ADRF, or other NFs. DCCF can also select ADRF or other notification endpoints based on its configuration. DCCF supports data formatting and processing for each data consumer / notification endpoint to ensure that the data format conforms to the data request received from each data consumer NF.

[0064] When DCCF determines the data collection status of a data request, if the requested data has not yet been collected from the data source, DCCF can send a new subscription / request to the data source and specify the notification target as DCCF; if the requested data is partially covered by an existing subscription of the data source, DCCF can send a request to the existing data source to modify the subscription and / or create a new subscription for new requested data that cannot be provided by the current data source; if the requested data has already been collected from the data source, DCCF can determine that there is no need to create or modify a subscription to the data source.

[0065] In some embodiments, when DCCF receives a notification, it processes it according to the formatting and processing instructions for each data consumer and notification endpoint. Subsequently, DCCF sends the notification to the data consumer and notification endpoint through the Ndccf Data Management (Ndccf_DataManagement) service.

[0066] This application improves data collection. The collected data can be used to realize AI-based wireless communication. This is explained below.

[0067] AI and wireless communication

[0068] With the development of communication technology, wireless communication systems have become more flexible, enabling broad applicability to various scenarios and full utilization of limited resources. However, the fundamental principles underlying most of these systems are still based on theoretical modeling of actual communication environments or simple parameter selection. The gains from this basic approach are gradually diminishing in changing scenarios and complex communication environments. To address this, it is necessary to adopt new methods and approaches, combining them with wireless communication theory and systems, to find alternative paths, break through performance bottlenecks, and further improve the performance of wireless communication systems.

[0069] Some communication systems are considering wireless communication via AI / ML.

[0070] For example, Project R18 RAN1 (RP-212708) aims to study AI / ML-enabled wireless air interface technologies. The main research use cases for this project include: AI + Channel State Information (CSI) feedback, AI + Beam Management, and AI + Positioning Technology.

[0071] AI+CSI Feedback Use Case: Utilize AI / ML technology to compress and decompress CSI, reduce air interface transmission overhead, and improve the accuracy of CSI feedback information.

[0072] AI+beam management use cases: Utilize AI / ML technology to predict beam information in the time / spatial domain, reducing measurement overhead and latency, and improving the accuracy of beam selection.

[0073] AI+positioning technology use cases: Using AI / ML technology to predict UE location information and improve the accuracy of terminal device location information in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios.

[0074] For example, RAN2, building upon the use cases of RAN1, focuses on the lifecycle management of AI models. Its research content includes model generation, deployment, transmission, monitoring, and updates. Current discussions on RAN2 include the option of generating models on the core network or third-party servers. In this scenario, the core network or third-party servers need to collect measurement data from terminal devices to train the model. The trained model can then be deployed to the terminal devices.

[0075] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method shown in Figure 4 can be executed by a first terminal device and a first core network device. The first core network device can, for example, be used to perform mobility management on the first device. Exemplarily, the first core network device may include an AMF (Active Mobile Flowmeter).

[0076] In some embodiments, the method shown in FIG4 may include step S410. In step S410, the first terminal device sends first information. The first core network device receives the first information sent by the terminal device.

[0077] The first information is used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

[0078] As one implementation approach, the initial information can be carried within the registration request message. For example, the registration request message may include capability information related to mobility management (MM) (hereinafter referred to as MM capabilities). The initial information can, for instance, be carried within this capability information. That is, the initial information can be part of the MM capabilities.

[0079] In some embodiments, the method shown in FIG4 can be performed by a first core network device and a second core network device.

[0080] The second core network equipment may include, for example, a network element used to collect data from terminal devices (hereinafter referred to as the first network element). The terminal device and the first network element can configure the data to be measured by the terminal device and report the data collected by the terminal device through the control plane or the user plane.

[0081] For example, the first network element can be an enhancement of a core network element defined by relevant technologies. This enhancement can be understood as adding the function of collecting data from terminal devices to the core network element defined by relevant technologies. For instance, the first network element can be an enhancement of a DCCF (Distributed Control Center). That is, the first network element can be a DCCF with the added function of collecting data from terminal devices.

[0082] For example, the first network element can be a network element introduced specifically for collecting data from terminal devices. For instance, the first network element could be a newly defined network element for collecting data from terminal devices. This network element could be called a data collection function (DCF) or a data management function (DMF).

[0083] The method shown in Figure 4 may include step S420. In step S420, the second core network device receives the first information sent by the first core network device.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first core network device can receive first information sent by the first terminal device and send the first information to the second core network device. For example, the first core network device can transparently transmit the received first information to the second core network device, that is, the first core network device can forward the first information directly to the second core network device without performing any processing. Alternatively, the first core network device can process the received first information and send the processed first information to the second core network device. For example, the first core network device can delete parts of the first information and send the portion of the first information needed by the second core network device to the second core network device.

[0085] Based on the first information, the core network can obtain the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device, and thus determine the appropriate data collection process based on the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of data collection.

[0086] The following describes the capabilities of the first terminal device, which is indicated by the first information, related to data collection.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: the data collection method supported by the first terminal device; the data collection protocol supported by the first terminal device.

[0088] Data collection methods may include, for example, control plane-based data collection (CP method) and / or user plane-based data collection (UP method). It should be noted that control plane-based data collection may include configuring the data to be measured by the terminal device and / or reporting the collected data by the terminal device through the control plane. User plane-based data collection may include configuring the data to be measured by the terminal device and / or reporting the collected data by the terminal device through the user plane.

[0089] Based on this, the data collection methods supported by the first terminal device may include one of the following: only supporting data collection based on the control plane, only supporting data collection based on the user plane, or supporting both data collection based on the user plane and data collection based on the control plane.

[0090] It is understood that the data collection method supported by the first terminal device is a capability supported by the first terminal device. This capability can be referred to as the data collection capability of the terminal device. Based on this new capability defined in this application, the core network can determine which data collection method the first network element and the first terminal device use to collect data, thereby achieving accurate and efficient data collection. For example, not all terminal devices can by default support interaction with the first network element through the control plane or user plane. For example, some terminal devices may not support interaction with the first network element through establishing a user plane. In this case, the terminal device can inform the network through the first information whether the terminal device supports interaction with the first network element through establishing a user plane.

[0091] Based on the data collection protocol, measurement configuration of data collected by terminal devices and / or carrying of data collected by terminal devices can be performed.

[0092] As one implementation, the data collection protocol may include, for example, existing protocols and / or new protocols for data collection. Existing protocols, for example, may include the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol. New protocols for data collection may be referred to as data collection protocols (DCPs).

[0093] For example, the DCP protocol can support data collection-related interactions between terminal devices and network devices, and / or, the DCP protocol can support data collection-related interactions between network devices. For instance, a network device may include a DCF network element; that is, based on the DCP protocol, a terminal device can interact with a DCF network element to achieve data measurement configuration and / or data transmission. As another example, a network device may include an access network device; that is, based on the DCP protocol, a terminal device can interact with an access network device to achieve data measurement configuration and / or data transmission. Furthermore, a network device may include both an access network device and a DCF network element. For example, based on the DCP protocol, an access network device can send data collected by a terminal device to a DCF network element. For example, through the DCP protocol, an access network device can receive data collected by a terminal device and transparently transmit that data to a DCF network element.

[0094] Based on this, the data collection protocols supported by the first terminal device may include, for example, only supporting existing protocols, only supporting new protocols for data collection, that is, supporting both existing protocols and new protocols for data collection.

[0095] It is understood that the data collection protocol supported by the first terminal device is a capability supported by the first terminal device. This capability can be referred to as the data collection protocol capability of the terminal device. Based on this new capability defined in this application, the core network can determine which data collection protocol the first network element and the first terminal device use for data collection, thereby achieving accurate and efficient data collection. For example, not all terminal devices can support interaction with the first network element via the DCP protocol by default. For example, some terminal devices may not support data collection via the DCP protocol. In this case, the terminal device can inform the network whether it supports interaction via the DCP protocol through the first information.

[0096] It should be noted that data collection protocol capabilities and data collection capabilities can be combined. For example, data collection protocol capabilities can be a part of data collection capabilities. For instance, the data collection capability of the first terminal device can be that the first terminal device only supports user plane data collection, and the first terminal device only supports data collection via the DCP protocol.

[0097] In some embodiments, the first terminal device may be associated with subscription information. The subscription information can be used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols permitted for the first terminal device. That is, the subscription information can be used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols permitted for use by the network side. This subscription information can also be referred to as terminal device data collection subscription information.

[0098] Taking the data methods and / or data collection protocols described above as examples, the contract information can be as shown in Table 1.

[0099] Table 1

[0100] The core network side can store the subscription information of the first terminal device. For example, a third core network device can store the subscription information of the first terminal device. This third core network device may, for example, include a UDM (User Device Manager).

[0101] In some embodiments, the third core network device may send subscription information to the first core network device. For example, the first core network device may send a first request message to the third core network device. The first request message may be used to request subscription information. The first request message may include the identifier (ID) of the first terminal device. In response to receiving the first request message, the third core network device may send subscription information to the first core network device.

[0102] The first core network equipment can determine whether to authorize the first terminal equipment based on the contract information, and then complete the registration of the first terminal equipment.

[0103] As one implementation method, the first core network device can determine whether to accept the registration request of the first terminal device based on the first information and the contract information.

[0104] For example, the first terminal device can carry first information in the registration request message; that is, the first terminal device can send its data collection-related capabilities to the first core network device through the registration request message. The first core network device can obtain the first terminal device's subscription information from the third core network device by sending the first request information. The first core network device can determine whether to authorize the first terminal device based on the first information obtained from the first terminal device and the subscription information obtained from the third core network device. For example, if the first information meets the requirements of the subscription information, the first core network device authorizes the first terminal device and completes the registration of the first terminal device. Conversely, if the first information does not meet the requirements of the subscription information, the first core network device can reject the registration request of the first terminal device.

[0105] For example, if the first information indicates that the first terminal device only supports data collection through the user plane, and the subscription information indicates that the first terminal device is allowed to collect data through the control plane, then the first core network device may reject the registration request of the first terminal device.

[0106] For example, if the first information indicates that the first terminal device only supports data collection via the RRC protocol, and the subscription information indicates that the first terminal device is allowed to collect data via either the RRC protocol or the DCP protocol, then the first core network device can accept the registration request of the first terminal device.

[0107] In some embodiments, if the registration request of the first terminal device is accepted, the first core network device sends a registration acceptance message to the first terminal device; and / or, if the registration request of the first terminal device is rejected, the first core network device sends a registration rejection message to the first terminal device.

[0108] In some embodiments, if the first core network device rejects the registration request of the first terminal device, the first core network device may send a reason for rejecting the registration request. The reason may include one or more of the following: the terminal device's data collection capabilities do not match the subscription information, the rejection is due to the data collection method, or the rejection is due to the data collection protocol. For example, a rejection due to the data collection method may include: the data collection method supported by the first terminal device does not meet the data collection methods allowed for the first terminal device. A rejection due to the data collection protocol may include: the data collection protocol supported by the first terminal device does not meet the data collection protocols allowed for the first terminal device.

[0109] For example, when the first core network device sends a registration rejection message to the first terminal device, the registration rejection message may include the reason why the first core network device rejects the registration request of the first terminal device.

[0110] In some embodiments, the third core network device may send subscription information to the second core network device. Based on the subscription information, the second core network device may determine one or more terminal devices that need to collect data and / or the data collection method for one or more terminal devices.

[0111] In some embodiments, a first core network device receives a second request message from a second core network device. The second request message is used to request information about one or more terminal devices within a first area, as well as data collection-related capability information of the one or more terminal devices. If the first terminal device is located within the first area, the first core network device sends a first message to the second core network device.

[0112] In one implementation, the feedback regarding the second request may include information about one or more terminal devices, as well as data collection-related capability information for those devices. All one or more terminal devices are located in the first area. Information about one or more terminal devices may be indicated as a list. That is, the information about one or more terminal devices may be a list of terminal devices. The terminal device information may include the identifiers of the terminal devices.

[0113] The second request information may include, for example, information about a first region. The first region may be referred to as the region of interest (AoI). In some embodiments, the second request information may not include information about a specific terminal device. That is, the second request information may not request data collection-related capability information about a specific terminal device, but rather request data collection-related capability information about terminal devices within a given area.

[0114] In some embodiments, the second core network device can receive third request information. The third request information can be used to request the collection of data from one or more terminal devices; that is, the third request information can be a data collection request. The third request information can be sent by the data requester. The second core network device can send second request information based on the third request information. The third request information may include information about a first region. The information about the first region in the second request information can be the same as the information about the first region in the third request information. Based on the second request information, the second core network device can obtain data collection-related capability information of the terminal devices within the first region. The data requester can train a model based on the collected data from multiple terminal devices within the first region, thereby improving the model's generalization ability.

[0115] It should be noted that the data requester in this application includes: a device requesting to obtain data, a device requesting to use data, etc. For example, the data requester may include a third-party server. The data requester may also be referred to as a data consumer (which can be simply called a consumer), a data user, a data collector, or a requester.

[0116] In some embodiments, the first terminal device has privacy configuration information related to data collection. Based on the privacy configuration information, the first terminal device and / or its user controls one or more of the following: whether data of the first terminal device can be collected, whether the data collected by the first terminal device can be made available to the data requester, and how the data collected by the first terminal device is made available to the data requester, etc.

[0117] Therefore, privacy configuration information can be used to protect the privacy of terminal devices and users. For example, data requesters may include devices outside the network (such as third-party servers). By using privacy configuration information, the excessive exposure of terminal devices and users' privacy to the outside of the network can be avoided, thus achieving privacy protection.

[0118] The following is an example illustrating privacy configuration information.

[0119] In some embodiments, privacy configuration information may be used to indicate one or more of the following: whether the first terminal device allows or disallows data collection; the effective time and / or effective area of ​​the second information; whether or not notification is required to the first terminal device and / or its user for data collection; whether data collection is allowed or disallowed if the user does not respond to the notification; whether privacy verification is required or not for data collection by the first terminal device and / or the user; the time during which data collection is allowed and / or disallowed; the area during which data collection is allowed and / or disallowed; and the public land mobile network (PLMN) during which data collection is allowed and / or disallowed. The second information is used to indicate whether the first terminal device allows or disallows data collection.

[0120] For example, the privacy configuration information may include second information. This second information may also be referred to as a data collection privacy instruction. The second information may indicate one of the following: the first terminal device allows data collection, or the first terminal device does not allow data collection.

[0121] For example, the privacy configuration information may include the validity period and / or the validity area of ​​the second information. The validity period can be a time period, i.e., a valid time interval. For example, the privacy configuration information may indicate one or more of the following: the start time of the valid time interval, the end time of the valid time interval, and the duration of the valid time interval. The validity area may be indicated by one or more of the following: the center location of the validity area, the extent of the validity area, etc.

[0122] For example, the privacy configuration information may indicate one of the following: data collection requires notification to the first terminal device; data collection requires notification to the user; data collection does not require notification to the first device; or data collection does not require notification to the user. If data collection requires notification to the user, the user can be notified through the first terminal device. This could be done, for example, by displaying a pop-up window on the first terminal device's screen or by providing a voice prompt.

[0123] For example, the privacy configuration information may indicate one of the following: the first terminal device allows data collection without notifying the user, or the first terminal device allows data collection but requires notification to the user.

[0124] In some embodiments, a user can consent to data collection or refuse data collection. For example, a user can respond to the notification. The user's response can include: consent (i.e., allow) to data collection or disagreement (i.e., disapprove) to data collection. For instance, a user can select a corresponding button on the display screen of a first terminal device to indicate whether they consent to data collection.

[0125] In some embodiments, if the user does not respond, such as by not clicking on the display, it can be assumed that the user either allows or disallows data collection. For example, if the user does not respond to the notification, it is assumed that the user allows data collection. Alternatively, if the user does not respond to the notification, it is assumed that the user disallows data collection.

[0126] In some embodiments, when notifying the user and / or the first terminal device to collect data, the first terminal device sends feedback information to the network device. The feedback information may include one or more of the following: whether the first terminal device and / or the user permits the data collection, and the reason why the first terminal device and / or the user permits the data collection. The reason may include one or more of the following: the data requester is in an area where data collection is not permitted; the time of the data collection request is during a time when data collection of *Phoebe zhennan* is not permitted; and the PLMN is a PLMN where data collection is not permitted.

[0127] In some embodiments, if the user does not respond within the first time period after the notification, it can be considered that the user has not responded. It is understood that the first time period is the time spent waiting for the user's response.

[0128] For example, the privacy configuration information may indicate one of the following: data collection is permitted if the user does not respond to the notification; data collection is not permitted if the user does not respond to the notification. For instance, the privacy configuration information may indicate one of the following: data collection requires notification to the user, and data collection is permitted if the user does not respond to the notification; data collection requires notification to the user, and data collection is not permitted if the user does not respond to the notification. For example, the privacy configuration information may include one of the following: data collection requires privacy verification by the first terminal device; data collection does not require privacy verification by the first terminal device; data collection requires privacy verification by the user; data collection does not require privacy verification by the user.

[0129] As one implementation method, privacy configuration information may include: data collection requires notification to the user and privacy verification; if the user does not respond, it indicates that data collection is permitted; or data collection requires notification to the user and privacy verification; if the user does not respond, it indicates that data collection is not permitted.

[0130] For example, privacy configuration information may include one or more of the following: PLMNs that allow data collection and PLMNs that do not allow data collection. In other words, privacy configuration information can be used to indicate: which PLMN operators are allowed to collect data from the first terminal device, and / or which PLMN operators are not allowed to collect data from the first terminal device.

[0131] In some embodiments, privacy configuration information can be specific to a particular data requester. For example, different privacy configuration information can be set for different data requesters. Exemplarily, corresponding privacy configuration information can be set for each or each type of data requester. Taking a specific data requester including an OTT server as an example, the configuration information may include: allowing data collection for the OTT server; disallowing data collection for the OTT server; the permitted time period for data collection for the OTT server; and the permitted area for data collection for the OTT server.

[0132] In some embodiments, privacy configuration information may be applied to all data requesters. For example, all data requesters may apply the same set of privacy configuration information. For instance, the privacy configuration information may indicate that the first terminal device allows all data requesters to collect data, or that the first terminal device does not allow all data requesters to collect data. Furthermore, the privacy configuration information may indicate one or more of the following: the time during which the first terminal device allows all data requesters to collect data, the time during which the first terminal device does not allow all data requesters to collect data, the area in which the first terminal device allows all data requesters to collect data, and the area in which the first terminal device does not allow all data requesters to collect data.

[0133] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information may be determined by the first terminal device and / or the user. Therefore, based on the privacy configuration information, the first terminal device and / or the user can exercise privacy control over the collected data, thereby preventing their data from being illegally requested.

[0134] In some embodiments, privacy configuration information may be stored in a third core network device. For example, privacy configuration information may be stored in a UDM. In some embodiments, the third core network device may send privacy configuration information to a second core network device.

[0135] Table 2 is an example of privacy configuration information provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0136] Table 2

[0137] In Table 2, "Data Collection Privacy Instructions" and "PLMN Operators" are for all data requesters. "UE Data Collection Notifications" are for specific data requesters.

[0138] In some embodiments, privacy configuration information is used to indicate that: the first terminal device allows data collection and needs to notify the first terminal device and / or the user to collect data; the first terminal device receives third information sent by the second core network device, the third information being used to notify the first terminal device to collect data.

[0139] Understandably, based on third-party information, the second core network device can notify the first terminal device that data collection is imminent. The first terminal device or user can then be informed that data collection may occur. Whether or not data collection actually takes place can be decided by the first terminal device and / or the user. For example, if the first terminal device and / or the user permits data collection, then data collection can proceed. Conversely, if the first terminal device and / or the user does not permit data collection, then data collection will not occur.

[0140] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information indicates that data collection needs to be notified to the first terminal device and / or the user, and that the data collection requires privacy verification from the first terminal device and / or the user. The first terminal device receives fourth information sent by the second core network device, which is used to request the first terminal device and / or the user to perform privacy verification for the data collection. In other words, privacy verification can be requested from the user and / or the first terminal device through the fourth information.

[0141] In some embodiments, the fourth information may include one or more of the following: information related to the data requester; information indicating the privacy verification; operator information; and waiting time information. The operator information may include PLMN information. The waiting time information indicates the waiting time for the second core network device to perform the privacy verification. If no feedback regarding the fourth information is received from the first terminal device and / or the user after the waiting time, the second core network device considers the privacy verification to have failed or succeeded.

[0142] Based on the content of the fourth information, the first terminal device and / or user can perform privacy verification.

[0143] As described above, before the second core network device receives the first information sent by the first core network device, the second core network device receives the third request information. In response to the third request information, the second core network device can determine, based on one or more of the first information, the terminal device's subscription information, and privacy configuration information related to data collection, one or more of these, the one or more terminal devices for which data collection is required and / or the data collection method for one or more terminal devices.

[0144] For example, the first information indicates that the first terminal device supports both control plane-based and user plane-based data collection, and the subscription information indicates that the network side allows the first terminal device to use both control plane-based and user plane-based data collection, and both the user and the first terminal device are permitted to perform data collection. The second core network device can determine the data collection method based on one or more of the following indicated by the third request information: the size of the dataset to be collected, the number of samples to be collected, and the quality of the data or dataset to be collected.

[0145] For example, user plane-based data collection can better support large-scale data collection than control plane-based data collection. Therefore, if the requested dataset size is large (e.g., greater than a first threshold), the second core network device can decide to use user plane-based data collection. Control plane-based data collection has higher priority and quality assurance compared to user plane-based data collection. Therefore, if the requested dataset is of high quality (e.g., greater than a second threshold), the second core network device can use control plane-based data collection.

[0146] In some embodiments, the third request information can also be used to indicate data collection requirements, i.e., the requirements for the data to be collected. For example, the third request information can be used to indicate one or more of the following: the number of samples to be collected; the size of the dataset to be collected; the quality of the data or dataset to be collected; the time for returning the collected data; and the region where the data to be collected is located. The second core network device can determine one or more terminal devices that meet the requirements of the third request information. The second core network device can also selectively choose appropriate terminal devices based on the data collection requirements in the third request information.

[0147] For ease of understanding, this application will be described in detail below through Examples 1 and 2.

[0148] Example 1

[0149] Figure 5 is an example diagram of a communication process provided in Embodiment 1. In Figure 5, the first terminal device is the UE in Figure 5, the first core network device is the AMF, and the third core network device is the UDM.

[0150] The method shown in Figure 5 may include steps S510 to S550.

[0151] In step S510, the UE sends a registration request message to the AMF. This message includes MM capabilities. MM capabilities include the UE's data collection capabilities and the capabilities of the data collection protocols supported by the UE.

[0152] In step S520, after receiving the UE's registration request message, the AMF sends a UE subscription information request (i.e., the first request information) to the UDM, which includes the UE ID.

[0153] In step S530, UDM returns the subscription information related to UE data collection based on the UE ID.

[0154] In step S540, the AMF authorizes the UE based on the capability information carried in the UE registration request and the UE's subscription information. For example, if the UE's capability is to support UP data collection and the UE's subscription information allows the UE to perform UP data collection, then the AMF accepts the UE's registration request. Otherwise, the AMF rejects the UE's registration request.

[0155] In step S550, the AMF sends a registration acceptance or rejection message to the UE. If it is a registration acceptance message, the message carries authorization for the UE to collect data. If it is a rejection message, it can carry a rejection reason value, such as the UE's data collection capabilities not matching the subscription information.

[0156] Example 2

[0157] Figure 6 is an example diagram of a communication process provided in Embodiment 2. In Figure 6, the first terminal device is the UE in Figure 6, the first core network device is the AMF, the second core network device is the DCF, and the third core network device is the UDM.

[0158] The communication process shown in Figure 6 includes steps S610 to S680.

[0159] S610, the data consumer (e.g., a third-party server) sends a UE data collection request to the DCF. Since this request is for collecting UE data for model training, the data consumer may need data specific to a region, requiring data collection from multiple terminal devices to improve the model's generalization ability. Therefore, the request does not carry the specific UE ID, but rather the region information (AoI). In addition, the data consumer will also include parameters in the request such as the required number of samples, the size of the collected dataset, the dataset quality, and the data return time.

[0160] In S620, after receiving a data collection request, the DCF sends the UE ID and UE capability request to the AMF. The request carries the parameters: any UE, AoI, and data collection capability request.

[0161] S630, the AMF provides a list of UEs within the AoI and indicates the data collection capability information for each UE.

[0162] S640, for each UE, the DCF queries the UDM for the UE's subscription information, i.e., retrieves the subscription information. The queried subscription information includes: the UE's data collection subscription information, user consent, and UE data collection privacy configuration.

[0163] User authorization indicates whether the UE agrees to use the collected data for model training.

[0164] S650, UDM sends the requested contract information to DCF.

[0165] If all other UE data collection privacy configurations are satisfied, and the UE data collection privacy configuration indicates that the terminal device is permitted to collect data and notifies the UE user, then the DCF sends a data collection notification to the UE via the AMF. No response is required.

[0166] S660, if the UE's data collection privacy configuration indicates that the terminal device needs notification and privacy verification to collect data, the DCF sends a data collection privacy verification request to the UE through the AMF. The privacy verification request includes the data requester type, data requester ID, PLMN ID, whether privacy authentication is required, and the waiting time.

[0167] The UE notifies the user and awaits the user's permission. According to the instructions in the UE data collection privacy configuration, if the user does not grant permission after a period of time and the DCF does not receive any response from the UE, the DCF can, based on the description of the privacy configuration, assume that the user either does not allow UE data collection or allows UE data collection.

[0168] S670, if the user grants or denies permission, the UE returns a data collection privacy verification response to the DCF, which includes whether the user grants or denies permission.

[0169] Based on the privacy verification information fed back from the AMF, UDM, and UE, as well as the parameters such as the number of samples, dataset size, dataset quality, and data collection return time included in the requests received from data consumers, the S680 DCF ultimately determines the list of UEs for which data needs to be collected, and the UE data collection method required for each UE.

[0170] It should be noted that the UP (Up) method is better suited for collecting large amounts of data than the CP (Content Requirement) method. Therefore, if the requested dataset is large, DCF (Distributed Data Center) may choose to use UP. Compared to UP, CP has higher priority and quality assurance; therefore, if the requested dataset requires high quality, DCF may use CP for collection.

[0171] The method embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. The apparatus embodiments of this application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the descriptions of the method embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the apparatus embodiments. Therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the foregoing method embodiments.

[0172] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device 700 provided in an embodiment of this application. The terminal device 700 is a first terminal device. The terminal device 700 includes a first transmitting unit 710.

[0173] The first sending unit 710 is used to send first information to the first core network device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

[0174] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: the data collection method supported by the first terminal device; the data collection protocol supported by the first terminal device.

[0175] In some embodiments, the first terminal device is associated with subscription information, which is used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols that the first terminal device is allowed to use.

[0176] In some embodiments, the data collection method includes a control plane-based data collection method and / or a user plane-based data collection method; and / or, the data collection protocol includes existing protocols and / or new protocols for the data collection.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first terminal device has privacy configuration information related to the data collection.

[0178] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information is used to indicate one or more of the following: the first terminal device allows or disallows the data collection; the effective time and / or effective area of ​​second information, the second information being used to indicate whether the first terminal device allows or disallows the data collection; whether or not notification is required to the first terminal device and / or the user of the first terminal device for the data collection; whether or not the data collection is allowed or disallowed if the user does not respond to the notification; whether the data collection requires or does not require privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user; the time during which the data collection is allowed and / or disallowed; the area during which the data collection is allowed and / or disallowed; and the PLMN during which the data collection is allowed and / or disallowed.

[0179] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information is specific to a particular data requester, or the privacy configuration information is applicable to all data requesters.

[0180] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information is used to indicate that the first terminal device allows the data collection and needs to notify the first terminal device and / or the user to collect the data. The terminal device 700 is also used to receive third information sent by the second core network device, the third information being used to notify the first terminal device to collect data.

[0181] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information indicates that the first terminal device and / or the user need to be notified to collect the data, and the data collection requires privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user. The terminal device 700 is further configured to receive fourth information sent by the second core network device, the fourth information being used to request the first terminal device and / or the user to perform privacy verification for the data collection.

[0182] In some embodiments, the fourth information includes one or more of the following: information related to the data requester; information indicating the privacy verification; operator information; and waiting time information, used to indicate the waiting time for the second core network device to perform the privacy verification. If no feedback is received from the first terminal device and / or the user regarding the fourth information after the waiting time has elapsed, the second core network device considers the privacy verification to have failed or succeeded.

[0183] In some embodiments, the first information is carried in a registration request message.

[0184] In some embodiments, the registration request message includes capability information related to mobility management, with first information carried within the capability information.

[0185] In some embodiments, the first core network device is used to perform mobility management on the first terminal device.

[0186] In an optional embodiment, the first transmitting unit 710 may be a transceiver 1030. The terminal device 700 may also include a processor 1010 and a memory 1020, as shown in FIG10.

[0187] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a core network device 800 provided in an embodiment of this application. The core network device 800 is a first core network device. The core network device 800 includes a first receiving unit 810.

[0188] The first receiving unit 810 is used to receive first information sent by the first terminal device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

[0189] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: the data collection method supported by the first terminal device; the data collection protocol supported by the first terminal device.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first terminal device is associated with subscription information, which is used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols that the first terminal device is allowed to use.

[0191] In some embodiments, the core network device 800 is further configured to: send a first request message to a third core network device, the first request message being used to request the subscription information; and the first core network device receiving the subscription information sent by the third core network device.

[0192] In some embodiments, the core network device 800 is further configured to: determine whether to accept the registration request of the first terminal device based on the first information and the subscription information.

[0193] In some embodiments, the first information is carried in a registration request message, and the core network device 800 is further configured to: send a registration acceptance message to the first terminal device if the registration request of the first terminal device is accepted; and / or send a registration rejection message to the first terminal device if the registration request of the first terminal device is rejected.

[0194] In some embodiments, the registration rejection message may also include the reason why the first core network device rejects the registration request of the first terminal device.

[0195] In some embodiments, the registration request message includes capability information related to mobility management, with first information carried within the capability information.

[0196] In some embodiments, the data collection method includes a control plane-based data collection method and / or a user plane-based data collection method; and / or, the data collection protocol includes existing protocols and / or new protocols for the data collection.

[0197] In some embodiments, the core network device 800 is further configured to: receive a second request message sent by a second core network device, the second request message being used to request information about one or more terminal devices in a first area and capability information of the one or more terminal devices related to the data collection; and if the first terminal device is located in the first area, send the first message to the second core network device.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first terminal device has privacy configuration information related to the data collection.

[0199] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information is used to indicate one or more of the following: the first terminal device allows or disallows the data collection; the effective time and / or effective area of ​​second information, the second information being used to indicate whether the first terminal device allows or disallows the data collection; whether or not notification is required to the first terminal device and / or the user of the first terminal device for the data collection; whether or not the data collection is allowed or disallowed if the user does not respond to the notification; whether the data collection requires or does not require privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user; the time during which the data collection is allowed and / or disallowed; the area during which the data collection is allowed and / or disallowed; and the PLMN during which the data collection is allowed and / or disallowed.

[0200] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information is specific to a particular data requester, or the privacy configuration information is applicable to all data requesters.

[0201] In some embodiments, the first core network device is used to perform mobility management on the first terminal device.

[0202] In an optional embodiment, the first receiving unit 810 may be a transceiver 1030. The core network device 800 may also include a processor 1010 and a memory 1020, as shown in FIG10.

[0203] Figure 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a core network device 900 provided in an embodiment of this application. The core network device 900 is a second core network device. The core network device 900 includes a second receiving unit 910.

[0204] The second receiving unit 910 is used to receive first information sent by the first core network device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

[0205] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: the data collection method supported by the first terminal device; the data collection protocol supported by the first terminal device.

[0206] In some embodiments, the core network device is further configured to: receive one or more of the following information sent by the third core network device: subscription information, used to indicate the data collection method and / or data collection protocol that the first terminal device is allowed to use; privacy configuration information related to the data collection.

[0207] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information is used to indicate one or more of the following: the first terminal device allows or disallows the data collection; the effective time and / or effective area of ​​second information, the second information being used to indicate whether the first terminal device allows or disallows the data collection; whether or not notification is required to the first terminal device and / or the user of the first terminal device for the data collection; whether or not the data collection is allowed or disallowed if the user does not respond to the notification; whether the data collection requires or does not require privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user; the time during which the data collection is allowed and / or disallowed; the area during which the data collection is allowed and / or disallowed; and the PLMN during which the data collection is allowed and / or disallowed.

[0208] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information is specific to a particular data requester, or the privacy configuration information is applicable to all data requesters.

[0209] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information is used to indicate that the first terminal device allows the data collection and needs to notify the first terminal device and / or the user to collect the data. The core network device 900 is also used to send third information to the first terminal device, the third information being used to notify the first terminal device to collect data.

[0210] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration information indicates that the first terminal device and / or the user need to be notified to collect the data, and the data collection requires privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user. The core network device 900 is further configured to send a fourth message to the first terminal device, the fourth message being used to request the first terminal device and / or the user to perform privacy verification for the data collection.

[0211] In some embodiments, the fourth information includes one or more of the following: information related to the data requester; information indicating the privacy verification; operator information; and waiting time information, used to indicate the waiting time for the second core network device to perform the privacy verification. If no feedback is received from the first terminal device and / or the user regarding the fourth information after the waiting time has elapsed, the second core network device considers the privacy verification to have failed or succeeded.

[0212] In some embodiments, the data collection method includes a control plane-based data collection method and / or a user plane-based data collection method; and / or, the data collection protocol includes existing protocols and / or new protocols for the data collection.

[0213] In some embodiments, before the second core network device receives the first information sent by the first core network device, the core network device is further configured to: send a second request message to the first core network device, the second request message being used to request information of one or more terminal devices in a first area and capability information of the one or more terminal devices related to the data collection; wherein, the first terminal device is located in the first area.

[0214] In some embodiments, before the second core network device receives the first information sent by the first core network device, the core network device is further configured to: receive third request information, the third request information being used to request the collection of data from one or more terminal devices, the third request information being used to indicate one or more of the following: the number of samples to be collected; the size of the dataset to be collected; the quality of the data or dataset to be collected; the time for returning the collected data; and the region where the data to be collected is located.

[0215] In some embodiments, the core network device 900 is further configured to: in response to the third request information, determine one or more terminal devices that need to collect data and / or the data collection method of the one or more terminal devices based on one or more of the first information, the subscription information of the terminal device, and privacy configuration information related to the data collection; wherein the subscription information is used to indicate the data collection method and / or the data collection protocol that the first terminal device is allowed to use.

[0216] In some embodiments, the first core network device is used to perform mobility management on the first terminal device.

[0217] In an optional embodiment, the second receiving unit 910 may be a transceiver 1030. The core network device 900 may also include a processor 1010 and a memory 1020, as shown in FIG10.

[0218] Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. The dashed lines in Figure 10 indicate that the unit or module is optional. The apparatus 1000 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The apparatus 1000 can be a chip, a terminal device, or a network device (including core network equipment).

[0219] Apparatus 1000 may include one or more processors 1010. The processor 1010 may support apparatus 1000 in implementing the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The processor 1010 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may 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 may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0220] The apparatus 1000 may further include one or more memories 1020. The memories 1020 store a program that can be executed by the processor 1010, causing the processor 1010 to perform the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The memories 1020 may be independent of the processor 1010 or integrated within the processor 1010.

[0221] The device 1000 may also include a transceiver 1030. The processor 1010 can communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1030. For example, the processor 1010 can send and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1030.

[0222] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. This computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in this application, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0223] This application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in this application embodiment, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0224] This application also provides a computer program. This computer program can be applied to the terminal or network device provided in this application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0225] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. Furthermore, the terminology used in this application is only for explaining specific embodiments of the application and is not intended to limit the application. The terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0226] In the embodiments of this application, the term "instruction" can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being able to obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, so B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that there is a relationship between A and B.

[0227] In the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean that B is determined solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0228] In the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" can indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or an association between two things, or a relationship such as instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured.

[0229] In this application embodiment, "predefined" or "preconfigured" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices). This application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to what is defined in the protocol.

[0230] In this application embodiment, the "protocol" may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communication, such as the LTE protocol, the NR protocol, and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0231] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" 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. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0232] In the embodiments of this application, "comprising" can refer to direct inclusion or indirect inclusion. Optionally, "comprising" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be replaced with "indicating" or "used to determine". For example, "A includes B" can be replaced with "A indicates B" or "A is used to determine B".

[0233] 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.

[0234] 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.

[0235] 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.

[0236] 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.

[0237] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and 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., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can read or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs, DVDs) or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs), etc.

[0238] 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, include: The first terminal device sends first information to the first core network device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device supports the following data collection methods; The first terminal device supports the data collection protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first terminal device is associated with subscription information, which is used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols that the first terminal device is allowed to use.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The data collection methods include control plane-based data collection methods and / or user plane-based data collection methods; and / or, The data collection protocol includes existing protocols and / or new protocols for the data collection.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first terminal device has privacy configuration information related to the data collection.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device may or may not allow the data collection; The second information is valid for the time and / or the area of ​​validity, and the second information is used to indicate whether the first terminal device allows or does not allow the data collection. Whether or not it is necessary to notify the first terminal device and / or the user of the first terminal device to collect the data; If the user does not respond to the notification, the data collection may or may not be permitted. The data collection may or may not require privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user; The time when the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; Areas where the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; PLMNs that allow and / or disallow the collection of said data.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information may be specific to a particular data requester, or it may be applicable to all data requesters.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5-7, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information is used to indicate that the first terminal device allows the data collection and needs to notify the first terminal device and / or the user to collect the data. The method further includes: The first terminal device receives third information sent by the second core network device, the third information being used to notify the first terminal device to collect data.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5-7, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information indicates that the first terminal device and / or the user need to be notified to collect the data, and that the data collection requires privacy verification from the first terminal device and / or the user. The method further includes: The first terminal device receives a fourth message sent by the second core network device, the fourth message being used to request the first terminal device and / or the user to perform privacy verification for the data collection.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The fourth information includes one or more of the following: Information related to the data requester; Information instructing the user to perform the privacy verification; Information from the operator; The waiting time information is used to indicate the waiting time for the second core network device to perform privacy verification. If no feedback is received from the first terminal device and / or the user regarding the fourth information after the waiting time has elapsed, the second core network device considers the privacy verification to have failed or succeeded.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first information is contained in the registration request message.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The registration request message includes capability information related to mobility management, with the first information carried within the capability information.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The first core network device is used to perform mobility management on the first terminal device.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, include: The first core network device receives first information sent by the first terminal device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device supports the following data collection methods; The first terminal device supports the data collection protocol.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The first terminal device is associated with subscription information, which is used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols that the first terminal device is allowed to use.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first core network device sends a first request message to the third core network device, the first request message being used to request the subscription information; The first core network device receives the subscription information sent by the third core network device.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first core network device determines whether to accept the registration request from the first terminal device based on the first information and the subscription information.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The first information is carried in the registration request message, and the method further includes: If the registration request from the first terminal device is accepted, the first core network device sends a registration acceptance message to the first terminal device; and / or, If the registration request of the first terminal device is rejected, the first core network device sends a registration rejection message to the first terminal device.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The registration rejection message also includes the reason why the first core network device rejects the registration request of the first terminal device.

21. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, The registration request message includes capability information related to mobility management, with the first information carried within the capability information.

22. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 21, characterized in that: The data collection methods include control plane-based data collection methods and / or user plane-based data collection methods; and / or, The data collection protocol includes existing protocols and / or new protocols for the data collection.

23. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first core network device receives a second request message sent by the second core network device. The second request message is used to request information about one or more terminal devices in the first area and capability information of the one or more terminal devices related to the data collection. If the first terminal device is located in the first area, the first core network device sends the first information to the second core network device.

24. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 23, characterized in that, The first terminal device has privacy configuration information related to the data collection.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device may or may not allow the data collection; The second information is valid for the time and / or the area of ​​validity, and the second information is used to indicate whether the first terminal device allows or does not allow the data collection. Whether or not it is necessary to notify the first terminal device and / or the user of the first terminal device to collect the data; If the user does not respond to the notification, the data collection may or may not be permitted. The data collection may or may not require privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user; The time when the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; Areas where the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; PLMNs that allow and / or disallow the collection of said data.

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information may be specific to a particular data requester, or it may be applicable to all data requesters.

27. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 26, characterized in that, The first core network device is used to perform mobility management on the first terminal device.

28. A communication method, characterized in that, include: The second core network device receives first information sent by the first core network device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device supports the following data collection methods; The first terminal device supports the data collection protocol.

30. The method of claim 28 or 29, wherein, The method further includes: The second core network device receives one or more of the following information sent by the third core network device: The contract information is used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols that the first terminal device is allowed to use. Privacy configuration information related to the data collection.

31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device may or may not allow the data collection; The second information is valid for the time and / or the area of ​​validity, and the second information is used to indicate whether the first terminal device allows or does not allow the data collection. Whether or not it is necessary to notify the first terminal device and / or the user of the first terminal device to collect the data; If the user does not respond to the notification, the data collection may or may not be permitted. The data collection may or may not require privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user; The time when the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; Areas where the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; PLMNs that allow and / or disallow the collection of said data.

32. The method according to claim 30 or 31, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information may be specific to a particular data requester, or it may be applicable to all data requesters.

33. The method of any one of claims 30-32, wherein, The privacy configuration information is used to indicate that the first terminal device allows the data collection and needs to notify the first terminal device and / or the user to collect the data. The method further includes: The second core network device sends a third message to the first terminal device, the third message being used to notify the first terminal device to collect data.

34. The method of any one of claims 30-32, wherein, The privacy configuration information indicates that the first terminal device and / or the user need to be notified to collect the data, and that the data collection requires privacy verification from the first terminal device and / or the user. The method further includes: The second core network device sends a fourth message to the first terminal device, the fourth message being used to request the first terminal device and / or the user to perform privacy verification for the data collection.

35. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that, The fourth information includes one or more of the following: Information related to the data requester; Information instructing the user to perform the privacy verification; Information from the operator; The waiting time information is used to indicate the waiting time for the second core network device to perform privacy verification. If no feedback is received from the first terminal device and / or the user regarding the fourth information after the waiting time has elapsed, the second core network device considers the privacy verification to have failed or succeeded.

36. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 35, characterized in that: The data collection methods include control plane-based data collection methods and / or user plane-based data collection methods; and / or, The data collection protocol includes existing protocols and / or new protocols for the data collection.

37. The method of any one of claims 28-36, wherein, Before the second core network device receives the first information sent by the first core network device, the method further includes: The second core network device sends a second request message to the first core network device. The second request message is used to request information about one or more terminal devices in the first area and the capability information of the one or more terminal devices related to the data collection. The first terminal device is located within the first area.

38. The method of any one of claims 28-37, wherein, Before the second core network device receives the first information sent by the first core network device, the method further includes: The second core network device receives a third request message, which is used to request the collection of data from one or more terminal devices, and the third request message is also used to indicate one or more of the following: The number of samples to be collected; The size of the dataset to be collected; The quality of the data or dataset to be collected; Return the time of the collected data; The region where the data to be collected is located.

39. The method according to claim 38, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to the third request information, the second core network device determines one or more terminal devices that need to collect data and / or the data collection method of the one or more terminal devices based on one or more of the first information, the subscription information of the terminal device, and privacy configuration information related to the data collection. The contract information is used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols that the first terminal device is allowed to use.

40. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 39, characterized in that, The first core network device is used to perform mobility management on the first terminal device.

41. A terminal device, comprising: The terminal device is a first terminal device, and the terminal device includes: The first sending unit is configured to send first information to the first core network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

42. The terminal device of claim 41, wherein, The first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device supports the following data collection methods; The first terminal device supports the data collection protocol.

43. The terminal device of claim 41 or 42, wherein, The first terminal device is associated with subscription information, which is used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols that the first terminal device is allowed to use.

44. The terminal device according to claim 42 or 43, characterized in that: The data collection methods include control plane-based data collection methods and / or user plane-based data collection methods; and / or, The data collection protocol includes existing protocols and / or new protocols for the data collection.

45. The terminal device of any one of claims 41 to 44, wherein, The first terminal device has privacy configuration information related to the data collection.

46. The terminal device of claim 45, wherein, The privacy configuration information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device may or may not allow the data collection; The second information is valid for the time and / or the area of ​​validity, and the second information is used to indicate whether the first terminal device allows or does not allow the data collection. Whether or not it is necessary to notify the first terminal device and / or the user of the first terminal device to collect the data; If the user does not respond to the notification, the data collection may or may not be permitted. The data collection may or may not require privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user; The time when the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; Areas where the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; PLMNs that allow and / or disallow the collection of said data.

47. The terminal device of claim 45 or 46, wherein, The privacy configuration information may be specific to a particular data requester, or it may be applicable to all data requesters.

48. The terminal device of any one of claims 45-47, wherein, The privacy configuration information is used to indicate that the first terminal device allows the data collection and needs to notify the first terminal device and / or the user to collect the data. The terminal device is also used for: The device receives third information sent by the second core network device, which is used to notify the first terminal device to collect data.

49. The terminal device of any one of claims 45-47, wherein, The privacy configuration information indicates that the first terminal device and / or the user need to be notified to collect the data, and that the data collection requires privacy verification from the first terminal device and / or the user. The terminal device is also used for: The system receives a fourth message sent by a second core network device, the fourth message being used to request the first terminal device and / or the user to perform privacy verification for the data collection.

50. The terminal device of claim 49, wherein, The fourth information includes one or more of the following: Information related to the data requester; Information instructing the user to perform the privacy verification; Information from the operator; The waiting time information is used to indicate the waiting time for the second core network device to perform privacy verification. If no feedback is received from the first terminal device and / or the user regarding the fourth information after the waiting time has elapsed, the second core network device considers the privacy verification to have failed or succeeded.

51. The terminal device of any one of claims 41 to 50, wherein, The first information is contained in the registration request message.

52. The terminal device of claim 51, wherein, The registration request message includes capability information related to mobility management, with the first information carried within the capability information.

53. The terminal device of any one of claims 41 to 52, wherein, The first core network device is used to perform mobility management on the first terminal device.

54. A core network device, characterized in that, The core network equipment is a first core network equipment, which includes: The first receiving unit is configured to receive first information sent by the first terminal device, wherein the first information is used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

55. The core network equipment according to claim 54, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device supports the following data collection methods; The first terminal device supports the data collection protocol.

56. The core network equipment according to claim 54 or 55, characterized in that, The first terminal device is associated with subscription information, which is used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols that the first terminal device is allowed to use.

57. The core network equipment according to claim 56, characterized in that, The core network equipment is also used for: Send a first request message to the third core network device, wherein the first request message is used to request the subscription information; The first core network device receives the subscription information sent by the third core network device.

58. The core network equipment according to claim 56 or 57, characterized in that, The core network equipment is also used for: Based on the first information and the contract information, determine whether to accept the registration request of the first terminal device.

59. The core network equipment according to claim 58, characterized in that, The first information is carried in the registration request message, and the core network device is further used for: If the registration request from the first terminal device is accepted, a registration acceptance message is sent to the first terminal device; and / or, If the registration request of the first terminal device is rejected, a registration rejection message is sent to the first terminal device.

60. The core network equipment according to claim 59, characterized in that, The registration rejection message also includes the reason why the first core network device rejects the registration request of the first terminal device.

61. The core network equipment according to claim 59 or 60, characterized in that, The registration request message includes capability information related to mobility management, with the first information carried within the capability information.

62. The core network equipment according to any one of claims 55 to 61, characterized in that: The data collection methods include control plane-based data collection methods and / or user plane-based data collection methods; and / or, The data collection protocol includes existing protocols and / or new protocols for the data collection.

63. The core network equipment according to any one of claims 54 to 62, characterized in that, The core network equipment is also used for: The system receives a second request message sent by a second core network device. The second request message is used to request information about one or more terminal devices in the first area and capability information of the one or more terminal devices related to the data collection. If the first terminal device is located in the first area, the first information is sent to the second core network device.

64. The core network equipment according to any one of claims 54 to 63, characterized in that, The first terminal device has privacy configuration information related to the data collection.

65. The core network equipment according to claim 64, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device may or may not allow the data collection; The second information is valid for the time and / or the area of ​​validity, and the second information is used to indicate whether the first terminal device allows or does not allow the data collection. Whether or not it is necessary to notify the first terminal device and / or the user of the first terminal device to collect the data; If the user does not respond to the notification, the data collection may or may not be permitted. The data collection may or may not require privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user; The time when the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; Areas where the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; PLMNs that allow and / or disallow the collection of said data.

66. The core network equipment according to claim 64 or 65, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information may be specific to a particular data requester, or it may be applicable to all data requesters.

67. The core network equipment according to any one of claims 54 to 66, characterized in that, The first core network device is used to perform mobility management on the first terminal device.

68. A core network device, characterized in that, The core network equipment is a second core network equipment, and the core network includes: The second receiving unit is used to receive first information sent by the first core network device, the first information being used to indicate the data collection capabilities of the first terminal device.

69. The core network equipment according to claim 68, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device supports the following data collection methods; The first terminal device supports the data collection protocol.

70. The core network equipment according to claim 68 or 69, characterized in that, The core network equipment is also used for: Receive one or more of the following information sent by the third core network device: The contract information is used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols that the first terminal device is allowed to use. Privacy configuration information related to the data collection.

71. The core network equipment according to claim 70, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The first terminal device may or may not allow the data collection; The second information is valid for the time and / or the area of ​​validity, and the second information is used to indicate whether the first terminal device allows or does not allow the data collection. Whether or not it is necessary to notify the first terminal device and / or the user of the first terminal device to collect the data; If the user does not respond to the notification, the data collection may or may not be permitted. The data collection may or may not require privacy verification by the first terminal device and / or the user; The time when the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; Areas where the data collection is permitted and / or not permitted; PLMNs that allow and / or disallow the collection of said data.

72. The core network equipment according to claim 70 or 71, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information may be specific to a particular data requester, or it may be applicable to all data requesters.

73. The core network equipment according to any one of claims 70-72, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information is used to indicate that the first terminal device allows the data collection and needs to notify the first terminal device and / or the user to collect the data. The core network equipment is also used for: A third message is sent to the first terminal device, the third message being used to notify the first terminal device to collect data.

74. The core network equipment according to any one of claims 70-72, characterized in that, The privacy configuration information indicates that the first terminal device and / or the user need to be notified to collect the data, and that the data collection requires privacy verification from the first terminal device and / or the user. The core network equipment is also used for: A fourth message is sent to the first terminal device, the fourth message being used to request the first terminal device and / or the user to perform privacy verification for the data collection.

75. The core network equipment according to claim 74, characterized in that, The fourth information includes one or more of the following: Information related to the data requester; Information instructing the user to perform the privacy verification; Information from the operator; The waiting time information is used to indicate the waiting time for the second core network device to perform privacy verification. If no feedback is received from the first terminal device and / or the user regarding the fourth information after the waiting time has elapsed, the second core network device considers the privacy verification to have failed or succeeded.

76. The core network equipment according to any one of claims 69 to 75, characterized in that: The data collection methods include control plane-based data collection methods and / or user plane-based data collection methods; and / or, The data collection protocol includes existing protocols and / or new protocols for the data collection.

77. The core network equipment according to any one of claims 68 to 76, characterized in that, Before the second core network device receives the first information sent by the first core network device, the core network device is further configured to: Send a second request message to the first core network device. The second request message is used to request information about one or more terminal devices in the first area and the capability information of the one or more terminal devices related to the data collection. The first terminal device is located within the first area.

78. The core network equipment according to any one of claims 68 to 77, characterized in that, Before the second core network device receives the first information sent by the first core network device, the core network device is further configured to: Receive a third request message, the third request message being used to request the collection of data from one or more terminal devices, the third request message also being used to indicate one or more of the following: The number of samples to be collected; The size of the dataset to be collected; The quality of the data or dataset to be collected; Return the time of the collected data; The region where the data to be collected is located.

79. The core network equipment according to claim 78, characterized in that, The core network equipment is also used for: In response to the third request information, one or more of the following are determined: the first information, the subscription information of the terminal device, and the privacy configuration information related to the data collection; and / or the data collection method of the one or more terminal devices that need to collect data. The contract information is used to indicate the data collection methods and / or data collection protocols that the first terminal device is allowed to use.

80. The core network equipment according to any one of claims 68 to 79, characterized in that, The first core network device is used to perform mobility management on the first terminal device.

81. A terminal device, characterized in that, The device includes a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a program, and the processor invokes the program in the memory and controls the transceiver to receive or send signals so that the terminal device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

82. A core network device, characterized in that, The device includes a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a program, and the processor invokes the program in the memory and controls the transceiver to receive or transmit signals so that the core network device performs the method as described in any one of claims 14-40.

83. An apparatus, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling a program from memory to cause the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-40.

84. A chip, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling a program from memory, causing a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-40.

85. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It contains a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-40.

86. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-40.

87. A computer program, characterized in that, The computer program causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-40.

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