CN108617034B

CN108617034B - Connection state control method, equipment and system for terminal

Info

Publication number: CN108617034B
Application number: CN201611262499.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 舒林; 克里斯蒂安.埃雷罗
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-12-30
Filing date: 2016-12-30
Publication date: 2021-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 2036-12-30
Also published as: WO2018121382A1; CN108617034A

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a connection state control method, device and system of a terminal, so as to at least solve the problem that in the prior art, after a lightweight connection state or an inactive connection state is introduced, a whole network cannot actively perform necessary control on a terminal which is in a connection state for a long time but does not have user plane data transmission. The method comprises the following steps: the first network equipment receives indication information from the second network equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating that the user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connection state is finished; and the first network equipment initiates a connection release process according to the indication information, wherein the connection release process is used for changing the terminal from the connection state to an idle state. The application is applicable to the technical field of communication.

Description

Connection state control method, equipment and system for terminal

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a method, a device, and a system for controlling a connection state of a terminal.

Background

In the existing terminal connection management mechanism, when a terminal has no user plane data transmission within a certain time, the network side releases the signaling connection of the terminal to change the terminal into an idle state, so as to save air interface bearer resources. However, due to the diversity of applications running on the terminal, the network side cannot predict the specific time of the idle-state terminal for the next uplink or downlink data transmission, so that the terminal frequently switches between the idle state and the connected state. However, when the terminal switches from the idle state to the connected state, because the idle signaling connection and the network side signaling connection need to be established at the same time, a large amount of signaling overhead is generated in the state switching process.

In order to reduce the signaling overhead of the state switching of the terminal between the idle state and the connected state, a light connected (light connected) state and an inactive connected (inactive connected state) are respectively introduced in a fourth generation (4rd generation, 4G) mobile communication network and a fifth generation (5rd generation, 5G) mobile communication network, and the core idea is as follows: introducing a lightweight connection state at an air interface of the 4G mobile communication network; or, an inactive connection state is introduced at the air interface of the 5G mobile communication network. Taking 4G mobile communication network as an example, after the terminal enters the connected state, if there is no user plane data transmission within a certain time, the terminal still keeps the connected state on the network side, and enters the lightweight connected state on the air interface terminal. When the subsequent terminal has uplink data and signaling to be sent or the network side has downlink data and signaling to be sent to the terminal, the terminal is restored to the connection state from the light connection state at the air interface, thereby greatly reducing the signaling overhead of the air interface and the network side.

However, after introducing a lightweight connected state or an inactive connected state, the terminal is always in a connected state on the network side. Even when the terminal has no user plane data transmission for a long time, the network side cannot perceive the activity state of the user plane of the terminal, and the whole network cannot actively control the terminal which is in a connected state for a long time but has no user plane data transmission.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a connection state control method, device and system of a terminal, so as to at least solve the problem that in the prior art, after a lightweight connection state or an inactive connection state is introduced, a whole network cannot actively perform necessary control on a terminal which is in a connection state for a long time but does not have user plane data transmission.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the embodiments of the present application provide the following technical solutions:

in a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a connection state of a terminal, where the method includes: the first network equipment receives indication information from the second network equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating that the user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connection state is finished; and the first network equipment initiates a connection release process according to the indication information, wherein the connection release process is used for changing the terminal from the connection state to an idle state. According to the connection state control method of the terminal provided by the embodiment of the application, after the lightweight connection state or the inactive connection state is introduced, the first network device may be able to detect that the terminal in the connected state has no user plane data transmission after the second network device senses that there is no user plane data transmission, receiving indication information for initiating a connection release process from the second network equipment, changing the terminal from a connection state to an idle state according to the indication information, therefore, the technical limitation that the network side can only passively keep the terminal in the connected state because the user plane data transmission state of the terminal cannot be sensed is solved, an operator can control the terminal in the connected state as required, for example, the terminal which is in the connected state for a long time but has no user plane data transmission is changed into an idle state from the connected state, therefore, unnecessary network and air interface resources are saved, and the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

In one possible design, the initiating, by the first network device, a connection release procedure according to the indication information includes: the first network equipment determines whether to change the terminal from the connection state to an idle state or not according to the indication information and based on a local strategy or subscription data of the terminal; and if the first network equipment determines to change the terminal from the connection state to the idle state, the first network equipment initiates the connection release process. That is, in this embodiment of the application, the first network device may not directly initiate the connection release procedure after receiving the indication information, but initiate the connection release procedure after determining to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal, so that the operator may further perform on-demand control on the terminal in the connected state. The specific implementation of determining whether to change the terminal from the connection state to the idle state based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal by the first network device according to the indication information may refer to the specific implementation section, which is not described herein again.

In one possible design, before the first network device receives the indication information from the second network device, the method further includes: the first network device sends a request message to the second network device, wherein the request message is used for requesting the second network device to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal. That is, in this embodiment, the first network device may receive the indication information from the second network device after requesting the second network device to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal. The method comprises the steps that a terminal user plane activity state query mechanism is introduced to a first network device of a terminal to request a second network device to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal; the second network device may also be requested to report the user plane data transmission status of the terminal by introducing a user plane activity status change reporting mechanism for the terminal between the first network device and the second network device. Specific reference may be made to the detailed description of the embodiments, which are not repeated herein.

In one possible design, the first network device sending the request message to the second network device includes: the first network device starting a second inactivity timer; if the first network device does not receive the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal when the second inactivity timer expires, the first network device sends the request message to the second network device. The scheme requests a second network device to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal by introducing a terminal user plane activity state query mechanism on a first network device of the terminal.

In one possible design, after the first network device starts the second inactivity timer, the method further includes: if the first network device receives the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal before the second inactivity timer expires, the first network device stops the second inactivity timer.

In one possible design, the first network device sending the request message to the second network device includes: the first network equipment determines whether to request the second network equipment to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on a local strategy or the subscription data of the terminal; and if the first network equipment determines to request the second network equipment to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, the first network equipment sends a request message to the second network equipment. That is, in this embodiment of the application, the first network device may not directly send the request message to the second network device, but send the request message after determining that the second network device is requested to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal, so that the operator may further perform on-demand control on the terminal in the connected state. The specific implementation of determining whether to request the second network device to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal may refer to the specific implementation section, which is not described herein again.

In one possible design, after the first network device receives the indication information from the second network device, before the first network device initiates the connection release procedure according to the indication information, the method may further include: the first network device sends acknowledgement information to the second network device, wherein the acknowledgement information is used for indicating that the first network device acknowledges the indication information from the second network device. That is, the first network device may transmit, to the second network device, acknowledgement information acknowledging receipt of the indication information from the second network device immediately after the second network device transmits the indication information to the first network device. Of course, the first network device may also confirm through the connection release procedure, which may refer to the specific embodiment specifically and will not be described herein again.

In one possible design, the local policy includes: at least one of a usage type of the terminal, a service type of the terminal, a device type of the terminal, an access priority of the terminal, a mobility mode of the terminal, a radio access type of the terminal, a dedicated core network type of the terminal, a data type of the terminal, and statistical mobility information of the terminal.

In one possible design, the subscription data includes: information on whether the terminal is allowed to be in the connected state for a long time.

The specific description of the local policy and the subscription data may refer to the specific implementation part, and is not described herein again.

In one possible design, the first network device includes a mobility management entity MME or an access and mobility management function AMF entity.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a connection state of a terminal, where the method includes: the second network equipment determines whether the terminal in the connection state has user plane data transmission; if the second network device determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission, the second network device sends indication information to the first network device, where the indication information is used to indicate that the user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connected state has ended. Based on the connection state control method for the terminal provided in the embodiment of the application, after a lightweight connection state or an inactive connection state is introduced, the second network device may sense whether the terminal in the connection state has user plane data transmission, and after it is determined that the terminal in the connection state has no user plane data transmission, instruct the first network device to initiate a connection release procedure, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connection state to an idle state, thereby solving a technical limitation that a network side can only passively keep the terminal in the connection state because the user plane data transmission state of the terminal cannot be sensed, and allowing an operator to perform on-demand control on the terminal in the connection state, for example, changing the terminal in the connection state for a long time without user plane data transmission from the connection state to the idle state, thereby saving unnecessary network and air interface resources, the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

In one possible design, the determining, by the second network device, whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission includes: the second network device starting a first inactivity timer; and if the second network equipment does not receive uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal when the first inactivity timer is timed out, the second network equipment determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission. That is, in this embodiment of the present application, it may be determined whether there is user plane data transmission for the terminal in the connected state by starting the first inactivity timer.

In one possible design, after the second network device starts the first inactivity timer, the method further includes: if the second network device receives the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal before the first inactivity timer expires, the second network device stops the first inactivity timer.

In one possible design, the determining, by the second network device, whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission includes: and if the user plane data transmission state of the terminal is changed from the active state to the inactive state, the second network equipment determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission. That is, in this embodiment of the present application, the first network device may store the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, and if the user plane data transmission state of the terminal changes from the active state to the inactive state, the first network device may determine that the terminal has no user plane data transmission.

Of course, besides the above two specific implementations that the first network device determines whether the terminal in the connected state has the user plane data transmission, there may be other possible implementations, and specific reference may be made to the specific implementation section, which is not described herein again.

In one possible design, before the second network device determines whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission, the method further includes: and the second network equipment receives a request message sent by the first network equipment, wherein the request message is used for requesting the second network equipment to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal. The method comprises the steps that a terminal user plane activity state query mechanism is introduced to a first network device of a terminal to request a second network device to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal; the second network device may also be requested to report the user plane data transmission status of the terminal by introducing a user plane activity status change reporting mechanism for the terminal between the first network device and the second network device. Specific reference may be made to the detailed description of the embodiments, which are not repeated herein.

In one possible design, after the second network device sends the indication information to the first network device, the method may further include: and receiving confirmation information sent by the first network equipment, wherein the confirmation information is used for indicating that the first network equipment confirms that the indication information from the second network equipment is received. That is, the first network device may transmit, to the second network device, acknowledgement information acknowledging receipt of the indication information from the second network device immediately after the second network device transmits the indication information to the first network device. Of course, the first network device may also confirm through the connection release procedure, which may refer to the specific embodiment specifically and will not be described herein again.

In one possible design, the second network device includes a serving gateway SGW or a user plane function UPF entity.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a first network device, where the first network device has a function of implementing a behavior of the first network device in the foregoing method embodiment. The function can be realized by hardware, and can also be realized by executing corresponding software by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions described above.

In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a first network device, including: a processor, a memory, a bus, and a communication interface; the memory is configured to store a computer executable instruction, the processor is connected to the memory through the bus, and when the first network device runs, the processor executes the computer executable instruction stored in the memory, so that the first network device executes the connection state control method of the terminal according to any one of the above first aspects.

In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer storage medium for storing computer software instructions for the first network device, which includes a program designed for executing the above aspect for the first network device.

In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer program, where the computer program includes instructions, and when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer may execute the flow in the connection state control method of the terminal in any one of the above first aspects.

In addition, the technical effects brought by any one of the design manners of the third aspect to the sixth aspect can be referred to the technical effects brought by different design manners of the first aspect, and are not described herein again.

In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a second network device, where the second network device has a function of implementing a behavior of the second network device in the foregoing method embodiment. The function can be realized by hardware, and can also be realized by executing corresponding software by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions described above.

In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a second network device, including: a processor, a memory, a bus, and a communication interface; the memory is configured to store a computer executable instruction, the processor is connected to the memory through the bus, and when the second network device operates, the processor executes the computer executable instruction stored in the memory, so that the second network device executes the connection state control method of the terminal according to any one of the above second aspects.

In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer storage medium for storing computer software instructions for the second network device, which includes a program designed for the second network device to execute the above aspect.

In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, where the computer program includes instructions, and when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer may execute the flow in the connection state control method of the terminal in any one of the second aspects.

In addition, the technical effects brought by any one of the design manners of the seventh aspect to the tenth aspect can be referred to the technical effects brought by the different design manners of the second aspect, and are not described herein again.

In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a connection state control system of a terminal, where the connection state control system of the terminal includes the first network device according to the third aspect and the second network device according to the seventh aspect; or, the connection state control system of the terminal includes the first network device according to the fourth aspect and the second network device according to the eighth aspect; or, the connection state control system of the terminal includes the computer storage medium of the fifth aspect and the computer storage medium of the ninth aspect; alternatively, the connection state control system of the terminal includes the computer program according to the sixth aspect and the computer program according to the tenth aspect. Based on the connection state control system of the terminal provided in the embodiment of the application, after a lightweight connection state or an inactive connection state is introduced, the second network device may sense whether the terminal in the connection state has user plane data transmission, and after it is determined that the terminal in the connection state has no user plane data transmission, instruct the first network device to initiate a connection release procedure, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connection state to an idle state, thereby solving a technical limitation that a network side can only passively keep the terminal in the connection state all the time because the user plane data transmission state of the terminal cannot be sensed, and allowing an operator to perform on-demand control on the terminal in the connection state, for example, changing the terminal in the connection state for a long time without user plane data transmission from the connection state to the idle state, thereby saving unnecessary network and air interface resources, the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

These and other aspects of the present application will be more readily apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic architecture diagram of a connection state control system of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 2 is a schematic architecture diagram of a connection state control system of a terminal under a 4G network architecture according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3 is a schematic architecture diagram of a connection state control system of a terminal under a 5G network architecture according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 5 is a first interaction schematic diagram of a connection state control method of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 6 is a second interaction schematic diagram of a connection state control method of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 7 is a third interactive schematic diagram of a connection state control method of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 8 is a fourth interaction schematic diagram of a connection state control method of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 9 is a fifth interaction schematic diagram of a connection state control method of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 10 is a sixth schematic interaction diagram of a connection state control method of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 11 is a first schematic structural diagram of a first network device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of a first network device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 13 is a first schematic structural diagram of a second network device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of a second network device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. In the description of the present application, the term "plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specified. In addition, for the convenience of clearly describing the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, the words "first", "second", and the like are used to distinguish the same items or similar items with basically the same functions and actions, and those skilled in the art can understand that the words "first", "second", and the like do not limit the quantity and execution order. For example, in the embodiment of the present application, the "first" of the first network device and the "second" of the second network device are only used to distinguish different network devices.

The network architecture and the service scenario described in the embodiment of the present application are for more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, and do not form a limitation on the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, and as a person of ordinary skill in the art knows that along with the evolution of the network architecture and the appearance of a new service scenario, the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application is also applicable to similar technical problems.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a connection state control system of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present application. The connection state control system 10 of the terminal includes a first network device 101 and a second network device 102. The second network device 102 is configured to determine whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission; if the second network device 102 determines that the terminal in the connected state has no user plane data transmission, the second network device 102 sends indication information to the first network device, where the indication information is used to indicate that the user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connected state has ended. The first network device 101 is configured to receive indication information from the second network device, where the indication information is used to indicate that user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connected state has ended, and initiate a connection release procedure according to the indication information, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state.

It should be noted that, in fig. 1, the first network device 101 and the second network device 102 may communicate directly or may communicate through forwarding of other network devices, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Specifically, the connection state control system 10 of the terminal may be applied to a current 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE)/Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network, and may also be applied to a future 5G network and other future networks, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

If the connection state control system 10 of the terminal is applied to the current 4G LTE/EPC network, as shown in fig. 2, the first network device 101 is specifically a Mobility Management Entity (MME) in the 4G LTE/EPC network; the second network device 102 is specifically a Serving Gateway (SGW) in the 4G LTE/EPC network. For the main functions of the MME and the SGW, reference may be made to the above description of the first network device 101 and the second network device 102, which is not described herein again.

In addition, as shown in fig. 2, the 4G LTE/EPC network may also include a terminal and a base station. The terminal communicates with the base station through an LTE-Uu interface, the base station communicates with the SGW through an S1-U interface, the base station communicates with the MME through an S1-MME interface, and the MME communicates with the SGW through an S11 interface.

The terminal is used for sending uplink signaling or data and changing from an idle state to a connected state; and receiving a paging initiated by the network side for sending downlink signaling or data in an idle state, and changing the idle state into a connected state. The base station participates in the establishment of an air interface signaling connection in which the terminal changes from an idle state to a connection state, the paging initiated by a network side for sending downlink signaling or data to the idle state terminal, the transmission of uplink or downlink signaling and data of the terminal in the connection state and the like.

Although not shown, a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) may also be included in the 4G LTE/EPC network described above, and the HSS is a primary Subscriber database in the 4G LTE/EPC network. It stores the subscription data and user profile configured by the operator for the terminal, and performs the authentication, access restriction, PDN context parameter configuration and authorization of the user, similar to the Home Location Register (HLR) in the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). The HSS may provide HLR functionality necessary for the 4G LTE/EPC Packet Switched (PS) domain and Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS). In the embodiment of the application, the HSS is mainly used for providing subscription data of the terminal, so that the MME determines whether to change the terminal from a connected state to an idle state according to the subscription data of the terminal; or, the MME requests the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal according to the subscription data of the terminal.

Of course, the 4G LTE/EPC Network may further include other modules or Network entities, such as a Packet Data Network (PDN), a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Serving Support Node (SGSN) or a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), and the like, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

If the connection state control system 10 of the terminal is applied to a future 5G network and a future other network, as shown in fig. 3, the first network device 101 is specifically an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity in the 5G network and the future other network; the second network device 102 is specifically a User Plane Function (UPF) entity in a future 5G network and other networks in the future. For the main functions of the AMF entity and the UPF entity, reference may be made to the above description of the first network device 101 and the second network device 102, which is not described herein again.

In addition, as shown in fig. 3, the future 5G Network and the future other networks may further include a terminal, a Radio Access Network (RAN) Access point, and a Session Management Function (SMF) entity. The terminal communicates with the AMF entity through a Next Generation Network (NG) interface 1, the RAN access point communicates with the AMF entity through an NG interface 2, the RAN access point communicates with the UPF entity through an NG interface 3, the UPF entity communicates with the SMF entity through an NG interface 4, and the AMF entity communicates with the SMF entity through an NG interface 11.

The terminal is used for sending uplink signaling or data and changing from an idle state to a connected state; and receiving a paging initiated by the network side for sending downlink signaling or data in an idle state, and changing the idle state into a connected state. The RAN access point participates in the establishment of an air interface signaling connection in which the terminal changes from an idle state to a connected state, in the paging initiated by a network side for sending downlink signaling or data to the idle state terminal, in the transmission of uplink or downlink signaling and data of the connected state terminal, and the like. The SMF entity participates in the functions related to the session management of the terminal and realizes the communication between the AMF entity and the UPF entity.

Although not shown, the future 5G network and other networks may further include a database entity, which has a function similar to that of the HSS and is not described herein again. In the embodiment of the application, the database entity is mainly used for providing the subscription data of the terminal, so that the AMF entity determines whether to change the terminal from a connection state to an idle state according to the subscription data of the terminal; or, the AMF entity requests the UPF entity to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal according to the subscription data of the terminal.

Of course, the foregoing future 5G network and the future other networks may further include other modules or network entities, such as an Authentication service Function (AUSF) entity, a Policy Control Function (PCF) entity, and the like, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

It should be noted that the terminal, the RAN access point, the UPF entity, the AMF entity, the SMF entity, the database entity, and the like in the future 5G network and the future other networks are only names, and the names do not limit the device itself. In the future 5G network and other networks in the future, the network elements or entities corresponding to the terminal, the RAN access point, the UPF entity, the AMF entity, the SMF entity, and the database entity may also be other names, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present invention. For example, the Database entity may also be replaced by a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) or a User Subscription Database (USD) or Unified Data Management (UDM); the UPF entity may also be replaced by UP, etc., and is described herein in a unified manner and will not be described further.

It should be noted that the Terminal referred to in this application may include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication function, as well as various forms of terminals, Mobile Stations (MS), User Equipment (UE), Terminal devices (Terminal Equipment), soft terminals, and so on. For convenience of description, the above-mentioned devices are collectively referred to as a terminal in this application.

In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, the first network device 101 or the second network device 102 in fig. 1 may be implemented by one entity device, or may be implemented by a plurality of entity devices together; the first network device 101 and the second network device 102 in this embodiment of the application may be implemented by different entity devices respectively, or may be implemented by the same entity device, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application. That is, it can be understood that, in the embodiment of the present application, both the first network device 101 and the second network device 102 may be a logic function module in an entity device, or may be a logic function module composed of a plurality of entity devices, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

For example, as shown in fig. 4, the first network device 101 and the second network device 102 in fig. 1 may be implemented by a computer device (or system) in fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a computer device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The computer device 400 includes at least one processor 401, a communication bus 402, a memory 403, and at least one communication interface 404.

Processor 401 may be a general-purpose Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or one or more Integrated circuits configured to control the execution of programs in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

Communication bus 402 may include a path that transfers information between the above components.

The communication interface 404 is any device, such as a transceiver, for communicating with other devices or communication Networks, such as ethernet, Radio Access Network (RAN), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), etc.

The Memory 403 may be a Read-Only Memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a Random Access Memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), a Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) or other optical Disc storage, optical Disc storage (including Compact Disc, laser Disc, optical Disc, digital versatile Disc, blu-ray Disc, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited to these. The memory may be self-contained and coupled to the processor via a bus. The memory may also be integral to the processor.

The memory 403 is used for storing application program codes for executing the scheme of the application, and the processor 401 controls the execution. The processor 401 is configured to execute application program codes stored in the memory 403, thereby implementing connection state control of the terminal.

In particular implementations, processor 401 may include one or more CPUs such as CPU0 and CPU1 in fig. 4 as an example.

In particular implementations, computer device 400 may include multiple processors, such as processor 401 and processor 408 in FIG. 4, for example, as an embodiment. Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. A processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and/or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

In particular implementations, computer device 400 may also include an output device 405 and an input device 406, as one embodiment. An output device 405 is in communication with the processor 401 and may display information in a variety of ways. For example, the output device 405 may be a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Light Emitting Diode (LED) Display device, a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Display device, a projector (projector), or the like. The input device 406 is in communication with the processor 401 and can accept user input in a variety of ways. For example, the input device 406 may be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, or a sensing device, among others.

The computer device 400 may be a general purpose computer device or a special purpose computer device. In a specific implementation, the computer device 400 may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a web server, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal device, a communication device, an embedded device, or a device with a similar structure as in fig. 4. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of computer device 400.

The method for controlling the connection state of the terminal according to the embodiment of the present application will be specifically described below with reference to the systems shown in fig. 1 to 3 and the device shown in fig. 4.

First, with reference to the connection state control system 10 of the terminal shown in fig. 1, a connection state control method of the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application includes: the second network equipment determines whether the terminal in the connection state has user plane data transmission; if the second network device determines that the terminal in the connected state has no user plane data transmission, the second network device sends indication information to the first network device, wherein the indication information is used for indicating that the user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connected state is finished. In this way, the first network device receives the indication information from the second network device, and initiates a connection release procedure according to the indication information, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connection state to the idle state. That is, in the connection state control method for a terminal provided in this embodiment of the application, after a lightweight connection state or an inactive connection state is introduced, the second network device may sense whether there is user plane data transmission for the terminal in the connection state, and after it is determined that there is no user plane data transmission for the terminal in the connection state, instruct the first network device to initiate a connection release procedure, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connection state to an idle state, thereby solving a technical limitation that a network side can only passively keep the terminal in the connection state all the time because it cannot sense the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, and allowing an operator to perform on-demand control on the terminal in the connection state, for example, change a terminal in the connection state for a long time but without user plane data transmission from the connection state to the idle state, thereby saving unnecessary network and air interface resources, the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

Next, the connection state control method of the terminal described above will be described by taking as an example the case where the connection state control system 10 of the terminal shown in fig. 1 is applied to a 4G LTE/EPC network shown in fig. 2.

In a possible implementation manner, as shown in fig. 5, a schematic flow chart of a connection state control method of a terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown. The connection state control method of the terminal relates to the interaction among the terminal, the base station, the service MME of the terminal and the SGW of the terminal, and comprises the following steps:

s501, the terminal enters a connection state from an idle state.

Specifically, the transmission of the user plane data needs to be performed only when the terminal enters a connected state from an idle state.

For uplink user plane data transmission: typically, a terminal initiates a Service Request (Service Request) procedure for changing the terminal from an idle state to a connected state.

For downlink user plane data transmission: the SGW of the terminal sends a Downlink Data Notification (DDN) message to the MME, triggering the MME to initiate paging to the terminal. Further, as a paging response, the terminal initiates a service request procedure for changing the terminal from an idle state to a connected state.

It should be noted that, different from the prior art scheme in the 4G network, after a lightweight connected state or an inactive connected state is introduced, after the User plane data transmission of the terminal in the connected state is completed, in order to keep the terminal in the connected state on the network side, the base station of the 4G mobile communication network does not start a User Inactivity (User Inactivity) timer, so that the MME does not perceive the User plane data transmission state of the terminal, and thus the terminal is kept in the connected state all the time.

S502, the SGW starts a first inactivity timer.

Specifically, the first inactivity timer is used for the SGW to detect whether the user plane data transmission state of the terminal currently in the connected state is in an inactive state, so the timer may also be referred to as a user plane inactivity timer (user plane inactivity timer). The first inactivity-determined timing duration may be set and changed by an operator, or a default value, such as 30s, may be preconfigured on the SGW, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the SGW generally starts the first inactivity timer when the terminal is in the connected state and there is no user plane data transmission on the terminal. Of course, the SGW may also start the first inactivity timer when the terminal is in a connected state and there is uplink or downlink data transmission on the terminal, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application.

S503, if the SGW does not receive uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal when the first inactivity timer is timed out, the SGW determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission.

Optionally, if the SGW receives the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal before the first inactivity timer expires, the SGW stops the first inactivity timer.

For example, assuming that the timing duration of the first inactivity timer is set to 30s, and the SGW is the first inactivity timer that is started when the terminal is in a connected state and there is no user plane data transmission on the terminal, after the SGW starts the first inactivity timer:

and if the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal is not received within 30s, the SGW determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission.

If the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal is received within 30s, the SGW stops the first inactivity timer. After the uplink or downlink signaling or data transmission is finished, the SGW may restart the first inactivity timer, and if the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal is not received within 30s, the SGW determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission. Otherwise, if the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal is still received within 30s, the SGW stops the first inactivity timer, and the above-mentioned process is referred to continue to be performed, which is not described herein again.

Or, for example, assuming that the timing duration of the first inactivity timer is set to 30s, and the SGW is the first inactivity timer started when the terminal is in the connected state and there is uplink or downlink data transmission on the terminal, after the SGW starts the first inactivity timer:

if the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal is received within 30s, the SGW stops the first inactivity timer. If the SGW still receives the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal within 30s after restarting the first inactivity timer, the SGW still stops the first inactivity timer. And after the SGW restarts the first inactivity timer, the SGW does not receive uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal within 30s, and then the SGW determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission.

It should be noted that, in steps S502 and S503, only an exemplary implementation is provided in which the SGW determines whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission, and of course, the SGW determines whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission or not, and may have other implementation manners, for example, the SGW may store the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, and if the user plane data transmission state of the terminal changes from the active state to the inactive state, the SGW may determine that the terminal has no user plane data transmission. Alternatively, a time dimension may be introduced, but in the implementation of the time dimension, the timer may not be started, for example, the system time is queried twice, and if an interval between two consecutive queries until the system time at which the terminal has no user plane data transmission equals or exceeds a preset time interval, the SGW may determine that the terminal has no user plane data transmission. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the implementation manner of determining, by the SGW, whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission.

S504, the SGW sends the indication information to the MME so that the MME receives the indication information. Wherein the indication information is used to indicate that the user plane data transmission of the terminal has ended, that is, the user plane activity state of the terminal changes from active to inactive.

Specifically, the SGW may send the indication information to the MME through a newly defined message, for example, the newly defined message may be a user plane Inactivity Notification (UP Inactivity Notification) message, where the indication information is carried in the user plane Inactivity Notification message. Of course, the SGW may also send the indication information to the MME through an existing message, for example, modify the DDN message, where the DDN message carries the indication information, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application.

And S505, the MME determines whether to change the terminal from the connection state to the idle state or not based on a local policy (local policy) or subscription data of the terminal according to the indication information.

The local policy may be a policy preconfigured by an operator on an MME, which is also referred to AS an operator policy (operator policy), or may be a policy that the MME acquires and stores from other network elements in advance, for example, in an initial registration process of the terminal, the MME acquires and stores the local policy from an Application Server (AS) or an Application Function (AF) entity through a network capability openness Function entity.

Specifically, in this embodiment of the present application, the local policy information may include at least one of a usage type (usage type) of the terminal, a service type (service type) of the terminal, a device type (device type) of the terminal, an access priority (access priority) of the terminal, a mobility pattern (mobility pattern) of the terminal, a radio access type (radio access type) of the terminal, a Dedicated Core Network type (DCN type) of the terminal, a data type (data type) of the terminal, and statistical mobility information (static mobility information) of the terminal.

The usage type of the terminal may be, for example: frequent large data packet transmission, infrequent small data packet transmission, high reliability data transmission, or low latency data transmission, etc.

The service types of the terminal may be, for example: short message service, voice service, video service, data service, emergency service, or abnormal service, etc.

The device types of the terminal may be, for example: smart phones, machine type devices, cellular internet of things devices, wearable devices, or vehicle-mounted devices and the like.

The access priority of the terminal may be, for example: high priority, normal priority, or low priority, etc.

The movement pattern of the terminal may be, for example: no mobility, low mobility, high mobility, or random mobility, etc. Wherein no mobility means stationary.

The movement pattern of the terminal may be, for example: cell-wide mobility, Location Area (Location Area) wide mobility, Registration Area (Registration Area) wide mobility, Access Technology (Access Technology) wide mobility, inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) mobility, network wide mobility, and cross-network mobility, among others. The location Area range mobility may be Tracking Area (TA) range mobility, for example. The registration area range mobility may be, for example, a tracking domain list (TA list) range mobility. The access technology range mobility may be, for example, intra-4G mobility. The Network-wide mobility may be, for example, intra-Public Land Mobile Network (intra-PLMN) mobility. The cross-network mobility may be, for example, cross public land mobile network (inter-PLMN) mobility.

The radio access type of the terminal may be, for example: LTE access, Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) access, or 5G air interface access.

The dedicated core network type of the terminal may be, for example: a Machine Type Communication (MTC) private network, a Cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) private network, an automobile Type Communication (V2X) private network, and the like.

The data types of the terminal may be, for example: IP data, non-IP (non-IP) data, etc. Wherein, the IP comprises IPv4 or IPv 6.

The statistical movement information of the terminal may be, for example: historical movement trajectories of the terminal, foreseeable movement trajectories of the terminal, and the like.

Specifically, the subscription data of the terminal may be information of whether the terminal is allowed to be in a connected state for a long time. Or more specifically, the subscription data may be information on whether to allow the terminal to enter a lightweight connected (lightweight connected) state, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. The subscription data of the terminal is obtained from the HSS by the MME in the initial attach flow or the location update flow of the terminal, and the operator needs to add the subscription data information to the terminal in the HSS in advance. Specifically, reference may be made to an existing acquisition manner of subscription data, which is not described herein again. In addition, the subscription data may also include other information, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In combination with the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal, the MME determines, according to the indication information and based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal, whether to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state, for example, may be:

if the local policy is: for a terminal which uses infrequent small data packet transmission and has a service type of data service, or for a terminal which has a cellular internet of things device and a low access priority, or for a terminal which has a random mobility mode and a mobility range of cross-access technology mobility and cross-network range mobility, the MME determines to change the terminal from a connection state to an idle state;

or if the subscription data of the terminal is that the terminal is not allowed to be in the connected state for a long time, the MME determines to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state, and otherwise, does not change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state;

or if the subscription data does not allow the terminal to enter the lightweight connected state, the MME determines to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state, and otherwise does not change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state.

S506, if the MME determines to change the terminal from the connection state to the idle state, the MME initiates a connection release process, and the connection release process is used for changing the terminal from the connection state to the idle state.

Specifically, the connection release procedure in the embodiment of the present application fully reuses an S1 connection release procedure in the existing 4G LTE/EPC network, and reference may be specifically made to a part TS 23.401 of the third Generation Partnership Project (3 GPP) standard, which is not described herein again.

It should be noted that step S505 is an optional step, and after receiving the indication information, the MME may also directly initiate a connection release procedure according to the indication information, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the application, after step S504, the method may further include:

the MME transmits acknowledgement information to the SGW, wherein the acknowledgement information is used for indicating that the MME confirms that the indication information transmitted by the SGW is received. That is, the MME may transmit, to the SGW, acknowledgement information confirming receipt of the indication information transmitted by the SGW immediately after the SGW transmits the indication information to the MME. If, in step S504, the SGW sends the indication information to the MME through the user plane inactivity notification message, the MME may send the confirmation information to the SGW through a user plane inactivity notification confirmation (acknowledgement) message; in step S504, if the SGW sends the indication information to the MME through the DDN message, the MME may send the confirmation information to the SGW through the DDN confirmation message, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Of course, the MME may also acknowledge by initiating a Release Access Bearers Request (Release Access Bearers Request) message in the connection Release procedure in step S506, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In the connection state control method for the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application, by introducing a user plane inactivity detection mechanism of the terminal to an SGW of the terminal, when it is determined that the terminal is in a user plane inactive (inactive) state, that is, when the user plane data transmission of the terminal is finished, the SGW actively notifies a serving MME of the terminal that the terminal is in the user plane inactive state, and after the MME learns the notification information, the SGW initiates an S1 connection release procedure to change the terminal from the connection state to an idle state according to a local policy or subscription data of the terminal, thereby solving a technical limitation that, in the prior art, the MME cannot sense the user plane data transmission state of the terminal and can only passively keep the terminal in the connection state all the time, and allowing an operator to perform on-demand control on the terminal in the connection state, for example, change a terminal which is in the connection state for a long time but has no user plane data transmission from the connection state to the idle state, therefore, unnecessary network and air interface resources are saved, and the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

The SGW actions in S501, S502, S503, S504 and S506 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The actions of the MME in S501, S505, and S506 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In a possible implementation manner, as shown in fig. 6, a schematic flow chart of a connection state control method of a terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown. The connection state control method of the terminal relates to the interaction among the terminal, the base station, the service MME of the terminal and the SGW of the terminal, and comprises the following steps:

s601 is the same as S501.

S602, the MME starts a second inactivity timer.

Specifically, the second inactivity timer is used for the MME to periodically query the S-GW of the terminal whether the user plane data transmission state of the terminal currently in the connected state is in the inactive state, so the timer may also be referred to as the user plane inactivity timer. The timing duration of the second inactivity timer may be set and changed by an operator, or a default value, such as 30s, may be preconfigured on the MME, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application.

It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the MME generally starts the second inactivity timer when the terminal is in the connected state and there is no signaling or data transmission on the terminal. Of course, the MME may also start the second inactivity timer when the terminal is in the connected state and there is uplink or downlink signaling or data transmission on the terminal, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application.

S603, if the MME does not receive the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal when the second inactivity timer is overtime, the MME determines whether to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal.

Optionally, if the MME receives an uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal before the second inactivity timer expires, the SGW stops the second inactivity timer.

For example, assuming that the timing duration of the second inactivity timer is set to 30s, and the MME is the second inactivity timer that is started when the terminal is in the connected state and there is no signaling or data transmission on the terminal, after the MME starts the second inactivity timer:

if the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal is not received within 30s, the MME determines whether to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on a local policy or subscription data of the terminal.

If the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal is received within 30s, the MME stops the first inactivity timer. After the uplink or downlink signaling or data transmission is finished, the MME may restart the second inactivity timer, and if the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal is not received within 30s, the MME determines whether to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on a local policy or subscription data of the terminal. Otherwise, if the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal is still received within 30s, the MME stops the second inactivity timer, and continues to perform the above-mentioned process, which is not described herein again.

Or, for example, assuming that the timing duration of the second inactivity timer is set to 30s, and the MME is the second inactivity timer started when the terminal is in the connected state and there is uplink or downlink signaling or data transmission on the terminal, after the MME starts the second inactivity timer:

and if the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal is received within 30s, the MME stops the second inactivity timer. If the MME still receives the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal within 30s after restarting the second inactivity timer, the MME still stops the second inactivity timer. And until the MME does not receive uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal within 30s after restarting the second inactivity timer, the MME determines whether to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal or not based on a local policy or subscription data of the terminal.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the implementation of determining whether to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal by the MME may refer to the related description in the embodiment shown in fig. 5, and details are not repeated here.

S604, if the MME determines to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, the MME sends a request message to the SGW, so that the SGW receives the request message, where the request message is used to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal.

Specifically, in this embodiment of the present application, the user plane data transmission state of the terminal includes active (active) or inactive (inactive). Wherein, the activity corresponds to the terminal and has user plane data transmission; inactive counterpart terminals have no user plane data transmission. The description is unified here, and will not be repeated below.

Specifically, the Request message may be a newly defined message, for example, an end user plane Activity Request (UP Activity Request) message. Of course, the Request message may also be an existing message, for example, an Access bearer modification Request (Modify Access Bearers Request) or a Change Notification Request (Change Notification Request), and the indication information of the end user plane activity status query is added in the Access bearer modification Request or the Change Notification Request, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Specifically, in this embodiment of the present application, the MME may periodically perform steps S602 to S604, that is, periodically query, for a terminal in a connected state, a user plane data transmission state of the terminal, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

It should be noted that, steps S602 to S604 only exemplarily provide a specific implementation for the MME to send the request message to the SGW, and of course, there may be other implementations for the MME to send the request message to the SGW, for example, after the terminal enters the connected state from the idle state, the MME may directly send the request message to the SGW, where the request message is used to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal. Or after the terminal enters the connected state from the idle state, the MME may first determine whether to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal; after the MME determines to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, the MME starts a second inactivity timer; and if the MME does not receive uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal when the second inactivity timer is expired, the MME sends a request message to the SGW, wherein the request message is used for requesting the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit an implementation manner in which the MME sends the request message to the SGW.

It should be noted that, in addition to determining whether to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal by starting the second inactivity timer, the MME may also store the control plane signaling or the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, and if the control plane signaling or the user plane data transmission state of the terminal changes from the active state to the inactive state, the MME may request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal. Alternatively, a time dimension may be introduced, but in the implementation of the time dimension, the timer may not be started, for example, the system time is queried twice to determine, and if an interval between two consecutive times of system times, in which the transmission state of the control plane signaling or the user plane data of the terminal is in an inactive state, is equal to or exceeds a preset time interval, the MME requests the SGW to report the transmission state of the user plane data of the terminal. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit how the MME determines to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal.

S605 and SGW determines whether the terminal has user plane data transmission according to the request message.

Specifically, the specific implementation of the SGW determining whether the terminal has the user plane data transmission may refer to the related description in the embodiment shown in fig. 5, and is not described herein again.

S606, if the SGW determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission, the SGW sends indication information to the MME, so that the MME receives the indication information. Wherein the indication information is used to indicate that the user plane data transmission of the terminal has ended, that is, the user plane activity state of the terminal changes from active to inactive.

Specifically, if the request message in step S604 is an end user plane Activity request message, in step S606, the SGW may send the indication information to the MME through a user plane Activity Response (UP Activity Response) message; if the request message in step S604 is a Modify Access bearer request, in step S606, the SGW may send the indication information to the MME through a Modify Access Bearers Response (Modify Access Bearers Response); if the request message in step S604 is a Change Notification request, in step S606, the SGW may send the indication information to the MME through a Change Notification Response (Change Notification Response).

S607, the MME initiates a connection release procedure according to the indication information, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state.

Specifically, in this embodiment of the present application, the MME may directly initiate a connection release procedure according to the indication information, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state; the MME may also initiate a connection release procedure for changing the terminal from the connected state to the idle state after determining to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state based on a local policy or subscription data of the terminal. This is not particularly limited in the embodiments of the present application. The related implementation can refer to the embodiment shown in fig. 5, and is not described herein again.

Optionally, in step S605, if the SGW determines that the terminal has the user plane data transmission, the SGW may send, to the MME, indication information indicating that the user plane data transmission of the terminal is not finished. In this way, after receiving the indication information, the MME may restart the second inactivity timer to continue to query the SGW about the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application.

In the connection state control method for the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application, a terminal user plane activity state query mechanism is introduced to a serving MME of the terminal, a user plane data transmission state of the terminal is queried to an SGW according to a local policy or subscription data of the terminal, and different processing is performed according to feedback of the SGW. The technical limitation that the MME in the prior art can only passively keep the terminal in the connected state because the MME cannot sense the user plane data transmission state of the terminal is solved, and an operator can control the terminal in the connected state as required, for example, if the SGW feeds back that the user plane data transmission state of the terminal is in an inactive state, namely the user plane data transmission of the terminal is finished, the MME initiates an S1 connection release flow to change the terminal from the connected state to an idle state, so that unnecessary network and air interface resources are saved, and the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

The SGW actions in S601, S605, S606 and S607 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

The actions of the MME in S601, S602, S603, S604 and S607 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In a possible implementation manner, as shown in fig. 7, a schematic flow chart of a connection state control method of a terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown. The connection state control method of the terminal relates to the interaction among the terminal, the base station, the service MME of the terminal and the SGW of the terminal, and comprises the following steps:

s701, the MME sends a request message to the SGW, so that the SGW receives the request message, where the request message is used to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal.

Specifically, in an initial attach (attach) or location Update (such as Tracking Area Update (TAU)) procedure initiated by the terminal, or in a Packet Data Network (PDN) connection establishment procedure initiated by the terminal, or in a bearer resource allocation or modification procedure initiated by the terminal, the MME may send a request message to the SGW, where the request message is used to request the SGW to report a user plane Data transmission state of the terminal, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Specifically, the specific process of the terminal initiating the initial attach or location update procedure, or the terminal initiating the PDN connection establishment procedure, or the terminal initiating the bearer resource allocation or modification procedure may refer to the existing procedure in the 4G LTE/EPC network, and is not described herein again.

In particular, the request message may be a newly defined message, for example, an end user plane activity request message. Of course, the Request message may also be a message that is already modified in the above procedure, for example, a Create Session Request (Create Session Request) or a Modify Bearer Request (Modify Bearer Request) is modified, and the indication information of the end user plane activity state change report is added in the Create Session Request or Modify Bearer Request, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application. Optionally, the SGW sends a Response message of the request message to the MME, for example, the Response message of the user plane activity request message may be a user plane activity Response, or the Response message of the Create Session request may be a Create Session Response (Create Session Response), or the Response message of the Modify Bearer request may be a Modify Bearer Response (Modify Bearer Response), and the Response message of the request message carries indication information that the SGW accepts to execute the end user plane activity state change report.

Specifically, in the above flow, the MME may directly send the request message to the SGW, or the MME may determine to request the SGW to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal, and then send the request message to the SGW, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. For related matters, reference may be made to the embodiment shown in fig. 6, which is not described herein again.

S702-S704 are the same as S501-S503.

S705, the SGW sends the indication information to the MME so that the MME receives the indication information. Wherein the indication information is used to indicate that the user plane data transmission of the terminal has ended, that is, the user plane activity state of the terminal changes from active to inactive.

Specifically, the SGW may send the indication information to the MME through a newly defined message, for example, the newly defined message may be a user plane Activity state Change Notification (UP Activity Change Notification) message, where the indication information is carried in the user plane Activity state Change Notification. Of course, the SGW may also send the indication information to the MME through an existing message, for example, modify the DDN message, where the DDN message carries the indication information, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application.

S706-S707 are the same as S505-S506.

It should be noted that step S706 is an optional step, and after receiving the indication information, the MME may also directly initiate a connection release procedure according to the indication information, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state, and this is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the application, after step S705, the method may further include:

the MME transmits acknowledgement information to the SGW, wherein the acknowledgement information is used for indicating that the MME confirms that the indication information transmitted by the SGW is received. That is, the MME may transmit, to the SGW, acknowledgement information confirming receipt of the indication information transmitted by the SGW immediately after the SGW transmits the indication information to the MME. If, in step S705, the SGW sends the indication information to the MME through the user plane activity state change notification, the MME may send the confirmation information to the SGW through the user plane activity state change notification confirmation message; in step S705, if the SGW sends the indication information to the MME through the DDN message, the MME may send the confirmation information to the SGW through the DDN confirmation message, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Of course, the MME may also acknowledge in step S707 by initiating the access bearer release request message in the connection release procedure, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In the connection state control method for a terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application, a user plane active state change reporting mechanism is introduced to the terminal between an MME and an SGW, and if the SGW determines that the terminal is in a user plane inactive state, that is, when the user plane data transmission of the terminal is finished, the SGW notifies the MME that the terminal is in the user plane inactive state, and after the MME knows the notification information, the MME initiates an S1 connection release procedure to change the terminal from the connection state to the idle state according to a local policy or subscription data of the terminal, thereby solving a technical limitation that the MME in the prior art can only passively maintain the terminal in the connection state because the MME cannot sense the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, and allowing an operator to perform on-demand control on the terminal in the connection state, for example, change a terminal in the connection state for a long time but without the user plane data transmission from the connection state to the idle state, therefore, unnecessary network and air interface resources are saved, and the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

The SGW actions in S702, S703, S704, S705 and S707 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The actions of the MME in S701, S702, S706 and S707 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The connection control method of the terminal described above will be explained below by taking as an example the application of the connection state control system 10 of the terminal shown in fig. 1 to a future 5G network shown in fig. 3 and to other networks in the future.

In a possible implementation manner, as shown in fig. 8, a schematic flow chart of a connection state control method of a terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown. The connection state control method of the terminal relates to the interaction among the terminal, the RAN access point, the service AMF entity of the terminal, the service SMF entity of the terminal and the service UPF entity of the terminal, and comprises the following steps:

S801-S806, similar to S501-S506.

The only difference is that: replacing base stations in the 4G LTE/EPC network with RAN access points in a future 5G network and other networks in the future; replacing MME in 4G LTE/EPC network with AMF entity in future 5G network and other network; the SGW in the 4G LTE/EPC network is replaced with a UPF entity in future 5G networks and other networks in the future. In addition, the SMF entity added in the embodiment of the present application is configured to forward information or a message between the UPF entity and the AMF entity; the subscription data in the embodiment of the present application may be more specifically information on whether to allow the terminal to enter an inactive connected state (inactive connected state); the connection release procedure in the embodiment of the present application is an NG1 connection release procedure. The related content may specifically refer to the description in the embodiment shown in fig. 5, and is not repeated herein.

In the connection state control method for the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application, a user plane inactivity detection mechanism of the terminal is introduced to a service UPF entity of the terminal, when it is determined that the terminal is in a user plane inactive state, that is, when the user plane data transmission of the terminal is finished, the UPF entity actively notifies a service AMF entity of the terminal that the terminal is in the user plane inactive state, after the AMF entity obtains the notification information, according to a local policy or subscription data of the terminal, an NG1 connection release procedure is initiated to change the terminal from a connection state to an idle state, thereby solving a technical limitation that the AMF entity in the prior art can only passively keep the terminal in the connection state all the time because the user plane data transmission state of the terminal cannot be sensed, and allowing an operator to control the terminal in the connection state as needed, for example, changing the terminal in the connection state but without the user plane data transmission for a long time from the connection state to the idle state, therefore, unnecessary network and air interface resources are saved, and the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

The actions of the UPF entities in S801, S802, S803, S804, and S806 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The actions of the AMF entity in S801, S805, and S806 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In a possible implementation manner, as shown in fig. 9, a schematic flow chart of a connection state control method of a terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown. The connection state control method of the terminal relates to the interaction among the terminal, the RAN access point, the service AMF entity of the terminal, the service SMF entity of the terminal and the service UPF entity of the terminal, and comprises the following steps:

S901-S907, similar to S601-S607.

The differences between the steps S801 to S806 and the steps S501 to S506 in the embodiment shown in fig. 8 can be referred to, and are not described herein again.

In the connection state control method for the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application, a terminal user plane activity state query mechanism is introduced to a serving AMF entity of the terminal, a user plane data transmission state of the terminal is queried for a UPF entity according to a local policy or subscription data of the terminal, and different processing is performed according to feedback of the UPF entity. The technical limitation that the AMF entity can only passively keep the terminal in the connected state because the AMF entity cannot sense the user plane data transmission state of the terminal in the prior art is solved, and an operator can control the terminal in the connected state as required, for example, if the UPF entity feeds back that the user plane data transmission state of the terminal is in an inactive state, namely the user plane data transmission of the terminal is finished, the AMF entity initiates an NG1 connection release process to change the terminal from the connected state to an idle state, so that unnecessary network and air interface resources are saved, and the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

The actions of the UPF entities in S901, S905, S906, and S907 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The actions of the AMF entities in S901, S902, S903, S904, and S907 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the application.

In a possible implementation manner, as shown in fig. 10, a schematic flow chart of a connection state control method of a terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown. The connection state control method of the terminal relates to the interaction among the terminal, the RAN access point, the service AMF entity of the terminal, the service SMF entity of the terminal and the service UPF entity of the terminal, and comprises the following steps:

S1001-S1007, similar to S701-S707.

In the connection state control method for the terminal provided in the embodiment of the application, a user plane active state change reporting mechanism is introduced to the terminal between the AMF entity and the UPF entity, and if the UPF entity determines that the terminal is in an inactive (inactive) state of the user plane, that is, when the user plane data transmission of the terminal is finished, the UPF entity notifies the AMF entity that the terminal is in the inactive (inactive) state of the user plane, and after the AMF entity acquires the notification information, the NG1 connection release flow is initiated to change the terminal from the connection state to the idle state according to a local policy or subscription data of the terminal, thereby solving the technical limitation that the AMF entity in the prior art can only passively maintain the terminal in the connection state all the time because the AMF entity cannot sense the transmission state of the user plane data of the terminal, and enabling an operator to control the terminal in the connection state as required, for example, changing the terminal in the connection state but without the user plane data transmission from the connection state to the idle state, therefore, unnecessary network and air interface resources are saved, and the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

The actions of the UPF entities in S1002, S1003, S1004, S1005 and S1007 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The actions of the AMF entity in S1001, S1002, S1006 and S1007 may be executed by the processor 401 in the computer device 400 shown in fig. 4 calling the application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, in the embodiments shown in fig. 8 to 10, the AMF entity may also release the NG1 connection between the terminal and the AMF entity at a time by initiating a NG2 connection release procedure. It should be noted that, unlike the 4G LTE/EPC network, in the 5G network or other networks in the future in the embodiments shown in fig. 8 to fig. 10, an NG1 connection between the terminal and the AMF entity is separately introduced, the NG1 connection depends on an NG2 connection between the RAN access point and the AMF, the NG1 connection can be established only after the NG2 connection is successfully established, and conversely, if the NG2 connection is released, the NG1 connection is also forcibly released. Specifically, the AMF entity initiates an NG1 connection release procedure or an NG2 connection release procedure, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The above-mentioned scheme provided by the embodiment of the present application is introduced mainly from the perspective of interaction between network elements. It is to be understood that each network element, for example, the first network device or the second network device, includes a corresponding hardware structure and/or software module for performing each function in order to implement the above functions. Those of skill in the art would readily appreciate that the various illustrative elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as hardware or combinations of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is performed as hardware or computer software drives hardware depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the solution. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present application.

In the embodiment of the present application, the first network device and the second network device may be divided into function modules according to the above method example, for example, each function module may be divided corresponding to each function, or two or more functions may be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be realized in a hardware mode, and can also be realized in a software functional module mode. It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the division of the module is schematic, and is only one logic function division, and there may be another division manner in actual implementation.

For example, in the case of dividing each functional module by corresponding functions, fig. 11 shows a possible structural schematic diagram of the first network device involved in the foregoing embodiments, where the first network device 1100 includes: a receiving module 1101 and a transmitting module 1102.

A receiving module 1101, configured to receive indication information from the second network device, where the indication information is used to indicate that user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connected state has ended.

A sending module 1102, configured to initiate a connection release procedure according to the indication information, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connected state to the idle state.

As described above, the first network device 1100 may be an MME or an AMF entity, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, the sending module 1102 initiates a connection release procedure according to the indication information, including: determining whether to change the terminal from a connection state to an idle state or not based on a local strategy or subscription data of the terminal according to the indication information; and if the terminal is determined to be changed from the connection state to the idle state, initiating a connection release process.

Further, the sending module 1102 is further configured to send, to the second network device, a request message for requesting the second network device to report the user plane data transmission status of the terminal before the receiving module 1101 receives the indication information from the second network device.

Optionally, the sending module 1102 sends the request message to the second network device, where the sending module includes: starting a second inactivity timer; if the second inactivity timer expires, the receiving module 1101 does not receive the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal, and the sending module 1102 sends a request message to the second network device.

Optionally, the sending module 1102 is further configured to, after the second inactivity timer is started, stop the second inactivity timer if the receiving module 1101 receives uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal before the second inactivity timer is overtime.

Optionally, the sending module 1102 sends the request message to the second network device, where the sending module includes: determining whether to request the second network device to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on a local strategy or subscription data of the terminal; and if the request for the second network equipment to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal is determined, sending a request message to the second network equipment.

Specifically, the local policy includes: at least one of a usage type of the terminal, a service type of the terminal, a device type of the terminal, an access priority of the terminal, a mobility mode of the terminal, a radio access type of the terminal, a dedicated core network type of the terminal, a data type of the terminal, and statistical mobility information of the terminal.

The subscription data includes: information on whether the terminal is allowed to be in a connected state for a long time.

For the specific description of the local policy and the subscription data, the sending module 1102 determines whether to change the terminal from the connection state to the idle state based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal according to the indication information, and determines whether to request the second network device to report the specific implementation of the user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal by the sending module 1102 according to the local policy or the subscription data of the terminal, reference may be made to the above method embodiment, which is not described herein again in this embodiment of the present application.

All relevant contents of each step related to the above method embodiment may be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and are not described herein again.

In the case of dividing the functional modules in an integrated manner, fig. 12 shows a possible structural schematic diagram of the first network device involved in the foregoing embodiments, where the first network device 1200 includes: a communication module 1202. The communication module 1202 may be configured to execute operations that can be executed by the receiving module 1101 and the sending module 1102 in fig. 11, which may specifically refer to the embodiment shown in fig. 11, and this embodiment of the present application is not described herein again.

In this embodiment, the first network device is presented in a form of dividing each functional module corresponding to each function, or the first network device is presented in a form of dividing each functional module in an integrated manner. As used herein, a module may refer to an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic Circuit, a processor and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, an Integrated logic Circuit, and/or other devices that provide the described functionality. In a simple embodiment, one skilled in the art can appreciate that the first network device 1100 or the first network device 1200 may take the form shown in fig. 4. For example, the receiving module 1101 and the sending module 1102 in fig. 11 may be implemented by the processor 401 and the memory 403 in fig. 4. Specifically, the receiving module 1101 and the sending module 1102 may be executed by the processor 401 by calling application program codes stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment. For example, the communication module 1202 in fig. 12 may be implemented by the processor 401 and the memory 403 in fig. 4, and specifically, the communication module 1202 may be executed by the processor 401 calling an application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The present invention also provides a computer storage medium for storing computer software instructions for the first network device, which includes a program designed to execute the method embodiments. By executing the stored program, the connection state control of the terminal can be realized.

The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program, where the computer program includes instructions, and when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer may perform the procedures executed by the first network device in the foregoing method embodiments.

According to the first network device provided by the embodiment of the application, after the lightweight connection state or the inactive connection state is introduced, the first network device may be able to detect that the terminal in the connected state has no user plane data transmission after the second network device senses that there is no user plane data transmission, receiving indication information for initiating a connection release process from the second network equipment, changing the terminal from a connection state to an idle state according to the indication information, therefore, the technical limitation that the network side can only passively keep the terminal in the connected state because the user plane data transmission state of the terminal cannot be sensed is solved, an operator can control the terminal in the connected state as required, for example, the terminal which is in the connected state for a long time but has no user plane data transmission is changed into an idle state from the connected state, therefore, unnecessary network and air interface resources are saved, and the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

For example, in the case of dividing each functional module by corresponding functions, fig. 13 shows a possible structural schematic diagram of the second network device in the above embodiment, where the second network device 1300 includes: a determination module 1301 and a sending module 1302.

A determining module 1301, configured to determine whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission.

A sending module 1302, configured to send, if the determining module 1301 determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission, indication information to the first network device, where the indication information is used to indicate that the user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connected state has ended.

As described above, the second network device 1300 may be an SGW or UPF entity, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 13, the second network device 1300 further includes a receiving module 1303.

The determining module 1301 determines whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission, including starting a first inactivity timer; if the receiving module 1303 does not receive the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal when the first inactivity timer expires, it is determined that the terminal has no user plane data transmission.

Optionally, the determining module 1301 is further configured to, after the first inactivity timer is started, stop the first inactivity timer if the receiving module 1303 receives the uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal before the first inactivity timer expires.

Further, the determining module 1301 determines whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission, including: if the user plane data transmission status of the terminal changes from active status to inactive status, the determining module 1301 determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission.

A receiving module 1303, configured to receive a request message sent by the first network device before the determining module 1301 determines whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission, where the request message is used to request the second network device 1300 to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal.

In the case of dividing the functional modules in an integrated manner, fig. 14 shows a possible structural schematic diagram of the second network device involved in the foregoing embodiment, where the second network device 1400 includes: a processing module 1401 and a communication module 1402. The processing module 1401 may be configured to execute operations that can be executed by the determining module 1301 in fig. 13, and the communication module 1402 may be configured to execute operations that can be executed by the receiving module 1303 and the sending module 1302 in fig. 13, which may specifically refer to the embodiment shown in fig. 13, and this embodiment of the present application is not described herein again.

In this embodiment, the second network device is presented in a form of dividing each functional module corresponding to each function, or the second network device is presented in a form of dividing each functional module in an integrated manner. A "module" herein may refer to a particular ASIC, a circuit, a processor and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, an integrated logic circuit, and/or other device that provides the described functionality. In a simple embodiment, one skilled in the art may recognize that the

second network device

1300 or 1400 may take the form shown in fig. 4. For example, the receiving module 1303, the sending module 1302, and the determining module 1301 in fig. 13 may be implemented by the processor 401 and the memory 403 in fig. 4. Specifically, the receiving module 1303, the sending module 1302, and the determining module 1301 may be executed by the processor 401 calling an application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in this embodiment of the application. Alternatively, for example, the processing module 1401 and the communication module 1402 in fig. 14 may be implemented by the processor 401 and the memory 403 in fig. 4, and specifically, the processing module 1401 and the communication module 1402 may be executed by the processor 401 by invoking an application program code stored in the memory 403, which is not limited in any way by the embodiment of the present application.

The present invention also provides a computer storage medium for storing computer software instructions for the second network device, which includes a program designed to execute the method embodiments. By executing the stored program, the connection state control of the terminal can be realized.

The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program, where the computer program includes instructions, and when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer may perform the procedures executed by the second network device in the foregoing method embodiments.

According to the second network device provided by the embodiment of the application, after the lightweight connection state or the inactive connection state is introduced, the second network device may be aware of whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission, and after determining that the terminal in the connected state has no user plane data transmission, instructing the first network device to initiate a connection release procedure, the connection release process is used for changing the terminal from the connection state to the idle state, thereby solving the technical limitation that the network side can only passively keep the terminal in the connection state all the time because the user plane data transmission state of the terminal can not be sensed, allowing the operator to control the terminal in the connection state as required, for example, changing the terminal which is in the connection state for a long time but has no user plane data transmission from the connection state to the idle state, therefore, unnecessary network and air interface resources are saved, and the operation performance and efficiency of the network are improved.

While the present application has been described in connection with various embodiments, other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed application, from a review of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the word "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, embodiments of the present application may be provided as a method, apparatus (device), or computer program product. Accordingly, the present application may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present application may take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, and the like) having computer-usable program code embodied therein. A computer program stored/distributed on a suitable medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, may also take other distributed forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems.

The present application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (devices) and computer program products according to embodiments of the application. It will be understood that each flow and/or block of the flow diagrams and/or block diagrams, and combinations of flows and/or blocks in the flow diagrams and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart flow or flows and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the flowchart flow or flows and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart flow or flows and/or block diagram block or blocks.

Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments thereof, it will be evident that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. Accordingly, the specification and figures are merely exemplary of the present application as defined in the appended claims and are intended to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of the present application. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. Thus, if such modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include such modifications and variations as well.

Claims

1. A connection state control method for a terminal, applied to a network introducing a lightweight connected state (light connected) or an inactive connected state (inactive connected state), where the terminal is in a connected state on a network side and enters a lightweight connected state or an inactive connected state in a scenario where an air interface terminal enters the lightweight connected state or the inactive connected state, the method comprising:

the first network equipment receives indication information from the second network equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating that the user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connection state is finished;

and the first network equipment initiates a connection release process according to the indication information, wherein the connection release process is used for changing the terminal from the connection state to an idle state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating, by the first network device, a connection release procedure according to the indication information comprises:

the first network equipment determines whether to change the terminal from the connection state to an idle state or not according to the indication information and based on a local strategy or subscription data of the terminal;

and if the first network equipment determines to change the terminal from the connection state to the idle state, the first network equipment initiates the connection release process.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the first network device receives the indication information from the second network device:

the first network device sends a request message to the second network device, wherein the request message is used for requesting the second network device to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein sending, by the first network device, the request message to the second network device comprises:

the first network device starting a second inactivity timer;

and if the first network equipment does not receive uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal when the second inactivity timer is timed out, the first network equipment sends the request message to the second network equipment.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, after the first network device starts a second inactivity timer:

and if the first network equipment receives uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal before the second inactivity timer is overtime, the first network equipment stops the second inactivity timer.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein sending, by the first network device, the request message to the second network device comprises:

the first network equipment determines whether to request the second network equipment to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal or not based on a local strategy or the subscription data of the terminal;

and if the first network equipment determines to request the second network equipment to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, the first network equipment sends a request message to the second network equipment.

7. The method of claim 2 or 6, wherein the local policy comprises: at least one of a usage type of the terminal, a service type of the terminal, a device type of the terminal, an access priority of the terminal, a mobility mode of the terminal, a radio access type of the terminal, a dedicated core network type of the terminal, a data type of the terminal, and statistical mobility information of the terminal.

8. The method of claim 2 or 6, wherein the subscription data comprises: information whether the terminal is allowed to be in the connected state for a long time.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first network device comprises a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity.

10. A connection state control method for a terminal, applied to a network introducing a lightweight connected state (light connected) or an inactive connected state (inactive connected state), where the terminal is in a connected state on a network side and enters a lightweight connected state or an inactive connected state in a scenario where an air interface terminal enters the lightweight connected state or the inactive connected state, the method comprising:

the second network equipment determines whether the terminal in the connection state has user plane data transmission;

and if the second network equipment determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission, the second network equipment sends indication information to the first network equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating that the user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connection state is finished.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second network device determining whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission comprises:

the second network device starting a first inactivity timer;

and if the second network equipment does not receive uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal when the first inactivity timer is timed out, the second network equipment determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, after the second network device starts the first inactivity timer:

and if the second network equipment receives uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal before the first inactivity timer is overtime, the second network equipment stops the first inactivity timer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the second network device determining whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission comprises:

and if the user plane data transmission state of the terminal is changed from the active state to the inactive state, the second network equipment determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission.

14. The method according to any of claims 10-13, before the second network device determines whether the terminal in connected state has user plane data transmission, further comprising:

and the second network equipment receives a request message sent by the first network equipment, wherein the request message is used for requesting the second network equipment to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal.

15. The method according to any of claims 10-13, wherein said second network device comprises a serving gateway, SGW, or a user plane function, UPF, entity.

16. A first network device, applied in a network introducing a lightweight connected state (light connected) or an inactive connected state (inactive connected state), where a terminal is in a connected state on a network side and enters a lightweight connected state or an inactive connected state in a scenario where an air interface terminal enters the lightweight connected state or the inactive connected state, the first network device comprising: the device comprises a receiving module and a sending module;

the receiving module is configured to receive indication information from a second network device, where the indication information is used to indicate that user plane data transmission of a terminal in a connected state has ended;

the sending module is configured to initiate a connection release procedure according to the indication information, where the connection release procedure is used to change the terminal from the connected state to an idle state.

17. The first network device of claim 16, wherein the sending module is specifically configured to:

determining whether to change the terminal from the connection state to an idle state or not based on a local strategy or subscription data of the terminal according to the indication information; and if the terminal is determined to be changed from the connection state to the idle state, initiating the connection release process.

18. The first network device of claim 16,

the sending module is further configured to send a request message to a second network device before the receiving module receives indication information from the second network device, where the request message is used to request the second network device to report a user plane data transmission status of the terminal.

19. The first network device of claim 18, wherein the sending module sends a request message to the second network device, comprising:

starting a second inactivity timer; and if the second inactivity timer is timed out, the receiving module does not receive uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal and sends the request message to the second network equipment.

20. The first network device of claim 19, wherein the sending module is further configured to, after the second inactivity timer is started, stop the second inactivity timer if the receiving module receives uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal before the second inactivity timer expires.

21. The first network device of any one of claims 18-20, wherein the sending module sends a request message to the second network device, comprising:

determining whether to request the second network device to report a user plane data transmission state of the terminal based on a local policy or subscription data of the terminal; and if the second network equipment is determined to be requested to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal, sending a request message to the second network equipment.

22. The first network device of claim 21, wherein the local policy comprises: at least one of a usage type of the terminal, a service type of the terminal, a device type of the terminal, an access priority of the terminal, a mobility mode of the terminal, a radio access type of the terminal, a dedicated core network type of the terminal, a data type of the terminal, and statistical mobility information of the terminal.

23. The first network device of claim 21, wherein the subscription data comprises: information whether the terminal is allowed to be in the connected state for a long time.

24. The first network device of claim 21, wherein the first network device comprises a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity.

25. A second network device, applied in a network introducing a lightweight connected state (light connected) or an inactive connected state (inactive connected state), where a terminal is in a connected state on a network side and enters a lightweight connected state or an inactive connected state in a scenario where an air interface terminal enters the lightweight connected state or the inactive connected state, the second network device comprising: a determining module and a sending module;

the determining module is used for determining whether the terminal in the connection state has user plane data transmission;

the sending module is configured to send, if the determining module determines that the terminal has no user plane data transmission, indication information to a first network device, where the indication information is used to indicate that the user plane data transmission of the terminal in the connected state has ended.

26. The second network device of claim 25, wherein the second network device further comprises a receiving module;

the determining module is specifically configured to:

starting a first inactivity timer; and if the receiving module does not receive uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal when the first inactivity timer is timed out, determining that the terminal has no user plane data transmission.

27. The second network device of claim 26, wherein the determining module is further configured to, after the starting of the first inactivity timer, stop the first inactivity timer if the receiving module receives uplink or downlink signaling or data of the terminal before the first inactivity timer expires.

28. The second network device of claim 25, wherein the determining module is specifically configured to:

and if the user plane data transmission state of the terminal is changed from the active state to the inactive state, determining that the terminal has no user plane data transmission.

29. The second network device of any of claims 25-28, wherein the second network device further comprises a receiving module;

the receiving module is configured to receive a request message sent by the first network device before the determining module determines whether the terminal in the connected state has user plane data transmission, where the request message is used to request the second network device to report the user plane data transmission state of the terminal.

30. Second network device according to any of claims 25-28, wherein the second network device comprises a serving gateway, SGW, or a user plane function, UPF, entity.

31. A first network device, applied in a network introducing a lightweight connected state (light connected) or an inactive connected state (inactive connected state), where a terminal is in a connected state on a network side, and in a scenario where an air interface terminal enters a lightweight connected state or an inactive connected state, the first network device comprising: a processor, a memory, a bus, and a communication interface;

the memory is configured to store computer executable instructions, the processor is connected to the memory through the bus, and when the first network device is running, the processor executes the computer executable instructions stored in the memory, so as to enable the first network device to perform the connection state control method of the terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

32. A second network device, applied in a network introducing a lightweight connected state (light connected) or an inactive connected state (inactive connected state), where a terminal is in a connected state on a network side, and in a scenario where an air interface terminal enters a lightweight connected state or an inactive connected state, the second network device comprising: a processor, a memory, a bus, and a communication interface;

the memory is configured to store computer-executable instructions, and the processor is connected to the memory through the bus, and when the second network device is running, the processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, so as to enable the second network device to perform the connection state control method of the terminal according to any one of claims 10 to 15.

33. A connection state control system of a terminal, applied in a network introducing a lightweight connected state (light connected) or an inactive connected state (inactive connected state), where the terminal is in a connected state on the network side, and enters a lightweight connected state or an inactive connected state in a scenario where an air interface terminal enters the lightweight connected state or the inactive connected state, characterized in that the connection state control system of the terminal comprises a first network device according to any one of claims 16 to 24 and a second network device according to any one of claims 25 to 30;

alternatively, the connection state control system of the terminal includes the first network device according to claim 31 and the second network device according to claim 32.