CN113938872A

CN113938872A - Communication method, device, system and computer storage medium

Info

Publication number: CN113938872A
Application number: CN202111107401.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 吴琼; 任驰; 马瑞涛
Original assignee: China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd
Current assignee: China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-09-22
Filing date: 2021-09-22
Publication date: 2022-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 2041-09-22
Also published as: CN113938872B

Abstract

The application provides a communication method, a device, a system and a computer storage medium, which are applied to the technical field of communication. In the communication method, although the first UE and the second UE in the same VN group are located in different networks, the session establishment request sent by the first UE may be forwarded to the second network side by the first mobility management network element, so that the session of the first UE and the session of the second UE may be established in the first network and the second network, respectively. And the second mobility management network element may further send VN tunnel information corresponding to the session of the second UE and the IP address of the second UE to the first network side, so that the user plane network element corresponding to the session of the first UE may forward the data packet to the user plane network element corresponding to the session of the second UE through the VN tunnel. Therefore, the first UE and the second UE can realize private network communication based on user plane network element forwarding.

Description

Communication method, device, system and computer storage medium

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular, to a communication method, apparatus, system, and computer storage medium.

Background

The fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) is the latest cellular mobile communication technology, and 5G covers many scenes such as houses, offices, enterprises and factories.

Since these scenarios require the use of a dedicated network service, a Local Area Network (LAN) technology based on a 5G communication network has been proposed, which may be referred to as a 5G LAN. A user device may subscribe to a Virtual Network (VN) group and a 5G LAN may provide private network communication services for the user devices in the VN group. Wherein, the user equipment in the VN group carries out private network communication based on the 5G communication network.

However, since the 5G communication network is not fully covered, the user equipment that needs to use the private network communication service may include the user equipment in the 4G communication network, but the user equipment in the 4G communication network cannot communicate with the user equipment in the 5G communication network using the 5G LAN. Therefore, a solution for enabling users in the 4G communication network to communicate with users in the 5G communication network via the 5G LAN is urgently needed.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a communication method, a device, a system and a computer storage medium, which are used for solving the problem that user equipment in a 4G communication network cannot perform private network communication with user equipment in a 5G communication network through a 5G LAN.

In order to achieve the purpose, the technical scheme is as follows:

in a first aspect, a method of communication is provided that may be performed by a first session managing network element for managing sessions for a first UE. The method can comprise the following steps: first, the first session management network element may obtain VN tunnel information and an IP address of the second UE, where the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element, and the second user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to a session of the second UE. The first UE is in a first network, the second UE is in a second network, and the first UE and the second UE are in the same VN group. Second, the first session managing network element may send the IP address of the second UE to the first UE. Furthermore, the first session management network element may also send an identifier of the VN group and VN tunnel information to the first user plane network element, where the first user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to the session of the first UE. The identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information may be used to forward a data packet of the VN group received by the first user plane network element to the second user plane network element, where the data packet of the VN group includes an IP address of the second UE, so that the second user plane network element sends the data packet of the VN group to the second UE through a session of the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE.

Based on the above scheme, the session management network element may obtain VN tunnel information of the second user plane network element corresponding to the session of the second UE, and send the VN tunnel information to the first user plane network element, so that the user plane network element of the session of the first UE may communicate with the user plane network element of the session of the second UE through the VN tunnel. Thus, the first UE and the second UE may establish a LAN session that is forwarded based on a user plane network element. The communication method provided by the application can enable the user equipment in different networks to realize LAN communication.

With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the acquiring, by the first session management network element, the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE may specifically include: and the first session management network element receives the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE from the second mobility management network element through the first mobility management network element. The first mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of the first UE, and the second mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of the second UE.

Based on the scheme, the first mobility management network element of the first network side and the first mobility management network element of the second network side can be communicated, so that the first session management network element can acquire the VN tunnel information of the session of the second UE and the IP address of the second UE through the first mobility management network element.

With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the first session managing network element may further obtain subscription information of the VN group, where the subscription information of the VN group includes an identifier of the VN group. The sending, by the first session management network element, the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information to the first user plane network element may specifically include: the first session management network element may send, to the first user plane network element, a forwarding behavior rule FAR corresponding to a session of the first UE, where the FAR includes an identifier of the VN group and VN tunnel information.

Based on the solution, the first session management network element may configure, for the first user plane network element, a FAR for forwarding the packet, where the FAR may include an identity of the VN group and VN tunnel information. Therefore, for a data packet in a session of a first UE, the first user plane network element may forward the data packet to a session of a second UE based on a FAR including an identifier of a VN group and VN tunnel information, so that private network communication between the first UE and the second UE based on the user plane network element may be achieved.

In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, where the method may be performed by a first mobility management network element, and the first mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of a first UE. The method can comprise the following steps: the first mobility management network element may receive a session establishment request from a first UE. The session establishment request may be used to request establishment of a session between a first UE and a second UE, where the first UE is in a first network, the second UE is in a second network, the first UE and the second UE are in the same VN group, and the first mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to the first UE. The first mobility management network element may also send a session establishment request of the first UE to the second mobility management network element. The second mobility management network element belongs to a second network, and the session establishment request of the first UE is used for the second mobility management network element to send the session establishment request of the first UE to the second session management network element, so that the second session management network element establishes a session of the second UE. The first mobility management network element may further receive VN tunnel information corresponding to a session of the second UE and an IP address of the second UE, which are sent by the second mobility management network element. The first mobility management network element may also send VN tunnel information and an IP address of the second UE to the first session management network element.

Based on the scheme, the first mobility management network element can inform the second network side after receiving the session establishment request sent by the first UE, so that the second network side establishes the session of the second UE. And the first mobility management network element may further obtain VN tunnel information corresponding to the session of the second UE and an IP address of the second UE, and send the information to the first session management network element. Therefore, the first session management network element can communicate the session of the first UE with the session of the second UE, and private network communication between the first UE and the second UE is realized.

With reference to the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the session establishment request includes a type field, a value of the type field is a first type, and the first type is used to indicate that the session establishment request is used to request establishment of a session between the first UE and the second UE. It should be understood that the communication method of the present application is for establishing private network communication between a first UE and a second UE, and thus the session type established by the first UE and the second UE belongs to a LAN session.

In a third aspect, a communication method is provided, where the method may be performed by a first user plane network element, and the first user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to a session of a first UE. The method can comprise the following steps: the first user plane network element may receive the VN group identifier and the VN tunnel information sent by the first session managing network element. And the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element, and the first UE and the second UE are in a VN group. The first user plane network element may also receive a packet of the VN group through the session of the first UE, the packet of the VN group including an identification of the VN group and an internet protocol, IP, address of the second UE. The first user plane network element may further forward the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information, so that the second user plane network element sends the data packet of the VN group to the second UE through the session of the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE.

Based on the scheme, the first user plane network element corresponding to the session of the first UE can obtain the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information of the second user plane network element, so that the first user plane network element can get through with the second user plane network element, and the first UE and the second UE can realize private network communication based on forwarding of the user plane network element.

With reference to the third aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the receiving, by the first user plane network element, the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information sent by the first session management network element may specifically include: the first user plane network element receives a forwarding behavior rule FAR from the first session management network element, where the FAR includes an identity of the VN group and VN tunnel information. The first user plane network element forwards the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information, which may specifically include: and the first user plane network element forwards the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the FAR. The technical effect of this scheme may refer to the description of the related scheme of the first aspect, and is not described herein again.

In a fourth aspect, a communication system is provided, which may include: the mobile terminal comprises a first UE, a second UE, a first session management network element, a second session management network element, a first mobility management network element, a second mobility management network element, a first user plane network element and a second user plane network element. The first UE may send a session establishment request to a first mobility management network element. The session establishment request is used for requesting to establish a session between the first UE and the second UE. The first UE is in a first network, the second UE is in a second network, and the first UE and the second UE are in the same VN group. The first mobility management network element sends a session establishment request to the second mobility management network element, which is used for triggering the second session management network element to establish the session of the second UE. The second mobility management network element may send, to the first mobility management network element, VN tunnel information corresponding to a second UE session and an IP address of the second UE, where the VN tunnel information corresponding to the second UE session is used to establish a transmission channel between the first user plane network element and the second user plane network element. The first mobility management network element may send the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE to the first session management network element. The first session management network element may send, to the first user plane network element, an identifier of the VN group and VN tunnel information, where the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information are used for the first user plane network element to send, to the second user plane network element, a data packet from the first UE. And the first session management network element sends the IP address of the second UE to the first UE. It should be understood that the technical effects of the solution can be referred to the related descriptions of the first to third aspects.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the first network may be a 5G communication network, the second network may be a 4G communication network, the first session management network element may be an SMF entity, the second session management network element may be an SGW, the first user plane network element may be a UPF entity, the second user plane network element may be a PGW, the first mobility management network element may be an AMF entity, and the second mobility management network element may be an MME. Or, the first network may be a 4G communication network, the second network may be a 5G communication network, the first session management network element may be an SGW, the second session management network element may be an SMF entity, the first user plane network element may be a PGW, the second user plane network element may be a UPF entity, the first mobility management network element may be an MME, and the second mobility management network element may be an AMF entity.

Based on the scheme, the first network and the second network can be a 4G communication network and a 5G communication network respectively, so that the communication method provided by the application can realize that the 5G UE and the 4G UE establish private network communication based on user plane network element forwarding.

In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may implement the functions performed by the communication device in the first aspect or any one of the possible designs of the first aspect, where the functions may be implemented by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software comprises one or more modules corresponding to the functions. Such as: the communication apparatus may include: a receiving and sending module and a processing module.

With reference to the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module may be configured to acquire VN tunnel information and an IP address of the second UE, where the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element corresponding to a session of the second UE. The first UE is in a first network, the second UE is in a second network, and the first UE and the second UE are in the same VN group. The transceiver module may further be configured to send, by the first session management network element, the IP address of the second UE to the first UE. The transceiver module may be further configured to send an identifier of the VN group and VN tunnel information to the first user plane network element, where the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information may be used to forward a data packet of the VN group received by the first user plane network element to the second user plane network element, and the data packet of the VN group includes an IP address of the second UE, so that the second user plane network element sends the data packet of the VN group to the second UE through a session of the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE. The first user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to a session of the first UE.

With reference to the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module may be configured to acquire VN tunnel information and an IP address of the second UE, and specifically includes: the transceiver module may be configured to receive, by the first mobility management network element, the VN tunnel information from the second mobility management network element and the IP address of the second UE. The first mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of the first UE, and the second mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of the second UE.

With reference to the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module may be further configured to acquire subscription information of the VN group, where the subscription information of the VN group includes an identifier of the VN group.

With reference to the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module may be configured to send the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information to the first user plane network element, and specifically includes: the transceiver module may be configured to send, to the first user plane network element, a forwarding behavior rule FAR corresponding to a session of the first UE, where the FAR includes an identifier of the VN group and VN tunnel information.

The technical effects of the fifth aspect can refer to the first aspect, and are not described herein again.

In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may implement the functions performed by the communication device in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, where the functions may be implemented by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software comprises one or more modules corresponding to the functions. Such as: the communication apparatus may include: a receiving and sending module and a processing module.

With reference to the sixth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module may be configured to receive a session establishment request from the first UE. The session establishment request may be used to request establishment of a session between a first UE and a second UE, where the first UE is in a first network, the second UE is in a second network, the first UE and the second UE are in the same VN group, and the first mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to the first UE. The transceiver module may be further configured to send a session establishment request of the first UE to the second mobility management network element. The second mobility management network element belongs to a second network, and the session establishment request of the first UE may be used for the second mobility management network element to send the session establishment request of the first UE to the second session management network element, so that the second session management network element establishes a session of the second UE. The transceiver module may be further configured to receive VN tunnel information corresponding to a session of the second UE and an IP address of the second UE, where the VN tunnel information is sent by the second mobility management network element. The transceiver module may be further configured to send the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE to the first session management network element.

With reference to the sixth aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the session establishment request includes a type field, a value of the type field is a first type, and the first type may be used to indicate that the session establishment request may be used to request establishment of a session between the first UE and the second UE.

The technical effects of the sixth aspect can refer to the second aspect, and are not described herein again.

In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may implement the functions performed by the communication device in the third aspect or any possible design of the third aspect, where the functions may be implemented by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software comprises one or more modules corresponding to the functions. Such as: the communication apparatus may include: a receiving and sending module and a processing module.

With reference to the seventh aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module may be configured to receive the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information sent by the first session management network element. And the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element, and the first UE and the second UE are in a VN group. The transceiver module may be further configured to receive a packet of the VN group through the session of the first UE. The data packet of the VN group includes an identification of the VN group and an internet protocol, IP, address of the second UE. The transceiver module may be further configured to forward the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information, so that the second user plane network element sends the data packet of the VN group to the second UE through the session of the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE.

With reference to the seventh aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the transceiver module may be configured to receive the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information sent by the first session management network element, and specifically includes: the forwarding behavior rule FAR may be configured to send, to the session management network element, a forwarding behavior rule FAR that includes an identifier of the VN group and VN tunnel information. The transceiver module may be configured to forward the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information, and specifically includes: and the transceiver module may be configured to forward the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the FAR.

For technical effects of the seventh aspect, reference may be made to the third aspect, which is not described herein again.

In an eighth aspect, there is provided a communication apparatus comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is configured to store computer executable instructions, and when the communication apparatus is running, the processor executes the computer executable instructions stored by the memory to cause the communication apparatus to perform the communication method according to any one of the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect.

In a ninth aspect, there is provided a communication apparatus comprising: a processor; the processor is configured to be coupled with the memory, and after reading the instructions in the memory, execute the communication method according to the instructions in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

A tenth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the communication method of any one of the first, second or third aspects described above.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 is a flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 4 is a flowchart of another communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application;

fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

Before introducing the embodiments of the present application, some terms referred to in the embodiments of the present application will be explained. It should be noted that the following explanation is for making the embodiments of the present application easier to understand, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection claimed by the embodiments of the present application.

In the 5G LAN technology, by configuring different traffic forwarding methods for User Plane Function (UPF) entities in a 5G communication network, data packets in the same 5G VN group can be forwarded between PDU sessions established by different terminals.

The 5G LAN technology may have the following features:

1) dynamic group management of terminals. The UDM entity can maintain all subscription information of the terminals in the VN group, and industry clients can dynamically add or delete the terminals from the VN group through the capability open interface.

2) The IP address of the terminal is specified. Industry clients can configure specified IP address fields into UDM entities through a capability openness interface. When a terminal within the VN group creates a session for private network communication, an IP address stored in the UDM may be assigned to the terminal within the VN group.

3) Direct communication point-to-point via UPF. When the terminals in a VN group access to the same UPF, the data transmitted between the terminals can be directly forwarded through the UPF without passing through the N6 tunnel in the 5G communication network. When a terminal in a VN group is accessed to a plurality of UPFs, direct connection tunnels are constructed among the UPFs, and data transmitted among terminals connected with different UPFs can be forwarded among the UPFs through the direct connection tunnels among the UPFs.

It should be understood that 5G LAN communication is currently implemented based on a 5G communication network, and forwarding is performed by using a UPF entity. However, industrial customers who need to use the 5G LAN communication service may include terminals not covered by the 5G communication network, and these terminals still use the 4G communication network, so that the use scenario of the 5G LAN communication service is limited. At present, a solution that enables a 4G terminal and a 5G terminal to communicate via a 5G LAN is urgently needed.

Based on this, the application provides a communication method, which can get through the user plane of the 4G communication network and the user plane of the 5G communication network, and sign the 4G terminal and the 5G terminal in the same VN group, when the 4G terminal and the 5G terminal in the VN group need to communicate, a session communicating the 4G communication network and the 5G communication network can be established, and data packets transmitted between terminals under different networks can be forwarded through a VN tunnel between user plane network elements, thereby realizing that the 4G terminal and the 5G terminal use 5GLAN for communication.

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. Where in the description of the present application, "/" indicates a relationship where the objects associated before and after are an "or", unless otherwise stated, for example, a/B may indicate a or B; in the present application, "and/or" is only an association relationship describing an associated object, and means that there may be three relationships, for example, a and/or B, and may mean: a exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone, wherein A and B can be singular or plural. Also, in the description of the present application, "a plurality" means two or more than two unless otherwise specified. "at least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of the singular or plural items. For example, at least one (one) of a, b, or c, may represent: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, wherein a, b, c may be single or multiple. In addition, in order to facilitate clear description of technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish the same items or similar items having substantially the same functions and actions. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the terms "first," "second," etc. do not denote any order or quantity, nor do the terms "first," "second," etc. denote any order or importance. Also, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to mean serving as examples, illustrations or illustrations. Any embodiment or design described herein as "exemplary" or "e.g.," is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, use of the word "exemplary" or "such as" is intended to present relevant concepts in a concrete fashion for ease of understanding.

In addition, 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 constitute a limitation to the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, and it can be known by a person skilled in the art that the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application is also applicable to similar technical problems along with the evolution of the network architecture and the appearance of a new service scenario.

First, a brief description is given to an application scenario of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in the present application, and as shown in fig. 1, the communication system may include a network on a 5G side and a network on a 4G side. Wherein, the network of the 5G side may include: 5G UE1, 5G UE2, 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) node, access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, Session Management Function (SMF) entity, UPF entity, UDM entity, Policy Control Function (PCF) entity, network open function (NEF) entity, and Application Function (AF) entity. The network of the 4G side may include: a 4G UE1, a 4G UE2, a 4G Radio Access Network (referred to as Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)) node, a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Serving Gateway (SGW), a packet data Network gateway (PGW), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), and a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), etc. In the communication system shown in fig. 1, the UDM entity on the 5G side and the HSS on the 4G side are combined, and the PCF entity on the 5G side and the PCRF on the 4G side are combined; the AMF entity at the 5G side is communicated with the SGW at the 4G side and is connected through a VN-C tunnel; and the UPF entity at the 5G side is communicated with the PGW at the 4G side and is connected through a VN-U tunnel. The tunnels between the other network elements may be as shown in the connection line in fig. 1, and are not described again here, where the AMF entity and the SMF entity may be connected through an N11 tunnel, the SMF entity and the UPF entity may be connected through an N4 tunnel, the 5G RAN node and the UPF entity may be connected through an N3 tunnel, the AMF entity and the MME may be connected through an N26 tunnel, the MME and the SGW may be connected through an S11 tunnel, the SGW and the PGW may be connected through an S5 tunnel, and the E-UTRAN node and the PGW may be connected through an S1-U tunnel.

It should be noted that the description of the embodiments of the present application should be made for the purpose of more clearly explaining the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should not be construed as limiting the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the network elements included in the communication system shown in fig. 1 are only schematic, and the communication system shown in fig. 1 may also include other communication network elements; the connection relationship between the network elements in the communication system shown in fig. 1 is also only schematic, and there may be a connection relationship between the network elements that is not shown in the figure. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

Optionally, a mobility management network element, a session management network element, a user plane network element, or a User Equipment (UE) in this embodiment may also be referred to as a communication device, which may be a general device or a special device, and this is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, related functions of the mobility management network element, the session management network element, the user plane network element, or the UE in this embodiment of the present application may be implemented by one device, or implemented by multiple devices together, or implemented by one or more functional modules in one device, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. It is understood that the above functions may be network elements in a hardware device, or software functions running on dedicated hardware, or a combination of hardware and software, or virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

For example, the related functions of the mobility management network element, the session management network element, the user plane network element, or the UE in the embodiment of the present application may be implemented by the communication device 20 in fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 20 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 20 includes one or more processors 201, a communication line 202, and at least one communication interface (which is only exemplary in fig. 2 to include a communication interface 204 and one processor 201 for illustration), and optionally may further include a memory 203.

The processor 201 may be a general processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more ics for controlling the execution of programs in accordance with the present invention.

The communication link 202 may include a path for connecting different components.

The communication interface 204, which may be a transceiver module, is used for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as ethernet, RAN, Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), etc. For example, the transceiver module may be a transceiver, or the like. Optionally, the communication interface 204 may also be a transceiver circuit located in the processor 201, so as to implement signal input and signal output of the processor.

The memory 203 may be a device having a storage function. Such as, but not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that may store static information and instructions, Random Access Memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that may store information and instructions, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disk storage, optical disk storage (including compact disk, laser disk, optical disk, digital versatile disk, blu-ray disk, etc.), magnetic disk storage 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. The memory may be separate and coupled to the processor via communication line 202. The memory may also be integral to the processor.

The memory 203 is used for storing computer execution instructions for executing the scheme of the application, and is controlled by the processor 201 to execute. The processor 201 is configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 203, thereby implementing the method for notifying QoS information provided in the embodiments of the present application.

Alternatively, in this embodiment of the present application, the processor 201 may also execute a function related to processing in the method for notifying QoS information provided in the following embodiments of the present application, and the communication interface 204 is responsible for communicating with other devices or a communication network, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, the computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application program codes, which are not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

In particular implementations, processor 201 may include one or more CPUs such as CPU0 and CPU1 in fig. 2, for example, as one embodiment.

In particular implementations, communication device 20 may include multiple processors, such as processor 201 and processor 208 in fig. 2, for example, as an embodiment. Each of these processors may be a single-core (si) processor or a multi-core (multi-core) processor. The processor herein may include, but is not limited to, at least one of: various computing devices that run software, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Microcontroller (MCU), or an artificial intelligence processor, may each include one or more cores for executing software instructions to perform operations or processing.

In one implementation, the communication device 20 may further include an output device 205 and an input device 206, as one embodiment. The output device 205 is in communication with the processor 201 and may display information in a variety of ways. For example, the output device 205 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 206 is in communication with the processor 201 and may receive user input in a variety of ways. For example, the input device 206 may be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, or a sensing device, among others.

The communication device 20 described above may sometimes also be referred to as a communication means, which may be a general purpose device or a dedicated device. For example, the communication device 20 may be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a network server, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal device, an embedded device, the terminal device, the network device, or a device with a similar structure as in fig. 2. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of the communication device 20.

The communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application will be specifically described below with reference to fig. 1 and fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, and as shown in fig. 3, the method may include the following steps.

S301, the first UE sends a session establishment request to the first mobility management network element.

The session establishment request is used for requesting to establish a session between the first UE and the second UE, and the session between the first UE and the second UE may be understood as a session for private network communication between the first UE and the second UE. The first UE is in a first network, the second UE is in a second network, and the first UE and the second UE are in the same VN group.

It should be noted that the VN to which the first UE and the second UE belong is a VN group for private network communication, and may be referred to as a LAN VN group, and members in the VN group may establish private network communication.

In this embodiment, the first network may be a 5G communication network, the second network may be a 4G communication network, and taking the communication system shown in fig. 1 as an example, in this case, the first UE may be a 5G UE1, the second UE may be a 4G UE1, and the first mobility management network element may be an AMF entity. Alternatively, the first network may also be a 4G communication network, the second network may be a 5G communication network, and taking the communication system shown in fig. 1 as an example, in this case, the first UE may be the 4G UE1, the second UE may be the 5G UE1, and the first mobility management network element may be an MME.

Taking the example where the first network is a 5G communication network, in conjunction with the communication system shown in fig. 1, the session establishment request may be sent by the 5G UE1 to the AMF entity, it being understood that the session establishment request is forwarded to the AMF entity via the 5G RAN node.

It should be noted that the first mobility management network element may forward the session establishment request to the first session management network element, thereby triggering the first session management network element to establish the session of the first UE. Illustratively, as shown in fig. 1, the AMF entity may forward the session establishment request to the SMF entity through an N11 tunnel to trigger the SMF entity to establish the session of the 5G UE 1.

It should be noted that the session establishment request may be a PDU session establishment request (PDU session establishment request), and accordingly, the first session management network element may establish a PDU session of the first UE. For example, the SMF entity may establish a PDU session for the 5G UE 1.

It should be understood that the session of the first UE established according to the session establishment request is used for private network communication between the first UE and the second UE, and data packets of the session of the first UE are forwarded to the second UE.

Optionally, the session establishment request may include a type field, a value of the type field may be of a first type, and the first type may be used to indicate that the session establishment request is for requesting establishment of a session between the first UE and the second UE. In other words, the first type is used to indicate that the session establishment request is used to request establishment of a session for private network communication between the first UE and the second UE.

It should be understood that, in the embodiment of the present application, since one of the first network and the second network is a 4G communication network and the other is a 5G communication network, the session between the first UE and the second UE may be understood as a session for performing private network communication between the 4G communication network and the 5G communication network, and may be referred to as a 4G-5G LAN session (session). Optionally, the first type carried by the type field of the session establishment request may be: 4G-5G LAN session.

S302, the first mobility management network element sends a session establishment request to the second mobility management network element, so as to trigger the second session management network element to establish a session of the second UE.

It should be understood that the first mobility management network element belongs to a first network and the second mobility management network element belongs to a second network. Since the session establishment request is for requesting establishment of a session between the first UE and the second UE, the first mobility management network element needs to send the session establishment request to the second mobility management network element.

It should be noted that the second mobility management network element may forward the session establishment request to the second session management network element, so as to trigger the second session management network element to establish the session of the second UE.

In this embodiment, when the first network is a 5G communication network, the first mobility management network element may be an AMF entity, the second mobility management network element may be an MME, the second session management network element may be an SGW, and the second UE may be a 4G UE 1. Or, when the first network is a 4G communication network, the first mobility management network element may be an MME, the second mobility management network element may be an AMF entity, the second session management network element may be an SMF, and the second UE may be a 5G UE 1.

Taking the first network as a 5G communication network as an example, referring to the communication system shown in fig. 1, the AMF entity may forward the session establishment request to the MME through the N26 tunnel, and the MME may forward the session establishment request to the SGW, thereby triggering the SGW to establish the session of the 4G UE 1.

It should be noted that, as described above, the session establishment request may be a PDU session establishment request, so that the SGW may establish a PDU session of the 4G UE1 according to the PDU session establishment request.

Optionally, the first mobility management network element may determine, according to a value (first type) of a type field of the session establishment request, that the session establishment request is used to request establishment of a session between the first UE and the second UE, and further determine to send the session establishment request to the second mobility management network element. Illustratively, the first type is: 4G-5G LAN session, the AMF entity may determine to establish a LAN session with the 4G communication network side according to the first type, so that the AMF entity determines to send the session establishment request to the MME.

S303, the second mobility management network element may send, to the first mobility management network element, VN tunnel information corresponding to the second UE session and an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the second UE.

And the VN tunnel information corresponding to the second UE session is used for establishing a transmission channel between the first user plane network element and the second user plane network element. The first user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to a session of the first UE, and the second user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to a session of the second UE.

It should be understood that, in order to establish a session for private network communication between a first UE and a second UE, a session established by the first UE in a first network needs to be opened with a session established by the second UE in a second network. In the embodiment of the present application, a transmission channel may be established between a first user plane network element corresponding to a session of a first UE and a second user plane network element corresponding to a session of a second UE, so as to implement intercommunication between the session of the first UE and the session of the second UE.

In this embodiment, when the first network is a 5G communication network, the first user plane network element may be a UPF entity, and the second user plane network element may be a PGW. When the first network is a 4G communication network, the first user plane network element may be a PGW, and the second user plane network element may be a UPF entity.

To explain that the first network is a 5G communication network, as shown in fig. 1, the VN tunnel information may be tunnel information corresponding to a PGW, and the IP address of the second UE may be the IP address of the 4G UE 1. The MME may tunnel information corresponding to the PGW and the IP address of the 4G UE1 to the AMF entity through N26.

Optionally, the VN tunnel information corresponding to the second UE session may include a Tunnel End Identifier (TEID) and an IP address of the second user plane network element. Taking the second user plane network element as the PGW as an example, the VN tunnel information may include a TEID and an IP address of the PGW.

S304, the first mobility management network element sends the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE to the first session management network element.

It should be understood that the first mobility management network element sends the VN tunnel information to the first session management network element, so that the first session management network element can configure forwarding information for forwarding a data packet to the second user plane network element when establishing a session of the first UE, so that the data packet of the session of the first UE can be forwarded to a session of the second UE through a tunnel between the first user plane network element and the second user plane network element.

The first mobility management network element sends the IP address of the second UE to the first session management network element, which may be used for the first session management network element to send the IP address of the second UE to the first UE, so that the first UE can send a data packet with a destination address of the second UE.

Taking the first mobility management network element as an AMF entity and the first session management network element as an SMF entity as an example, referring to the communication system shown in fig. 1, the AMF entity may send VN tunnel information and an IP address of the second UE to the SMF entity through an N11 tunnel.

S305, the first session management network element sends an identifier of the VN group and VN tunnel information to the first user plane network element.

In this embodiment of the present application, a session for performing private network communication, which is established between a first UE and a second UE, is forwarded based on a user plane network element, so that a first session management network element needs to configure forwarding information of the session to the second UE to the first user plane network element.

The first session management network element sends the VN tunnel information to the first user plane network element, so that the first user plane network element can forward a packet of a session of the first UE to the second user plane network element through the VN tunnel.

In addition, the identifier of the VN group is associated with the VN tunnel, and the first session management network element sends the identifier of the VN group to the first user plane network element, so that the first user plane network element can determine different VN tunnels corresponding to data packets of different VN groups according to the identifier of the VN group, and correctly forward the data packets to the second user plane network element. It should be understood that a data packet sent by the first UE to the second UE may carry an identifier of the VN group, and the first user plane network element may compare the identifier of the VN group local to the first user plane network element with the identifier of the VN group of the received data packet.

Taking the first session management network element as an SMF entity and the first user plane network element as a UPF entity as an example, refer to the communication system shown in fig. 1. The SMF entity may send the identity of the VN group and the VN tunnel information to the UPF entity through an N4 tunnel.

It should be appreciated that the sending by the first session managing network element to the first user plane network element of the identity of the VN group is obtained from subscription information on the UDM + HSS provisioning network element.

It should be noted that, when the SMF entity is a PDU session of a 5G UE (including 5G UE1 and 5G UE2), the SMF entity also establishes a PFCP session (which may also be referred to as an N4 session) with the UPF entity, and each PDU session has its corresponding PFCP session. Subsequently, the SMF entity may configure a Packet Detection Rule (PDR) and a Forwarding Action Rule (FAR) associated with the PDR for the UPF entity through the PFCP session, and the UPF entity may forward a data packet from the PDU session according to the PDR and the FAR.

Optionally, after establishing the PDU session for private network communication for the 5G UE1, the SMF entity may also configure a PDR and its associated FAR for a UPF entity corresponding to the PDU session of the 5G UE1, and the FAR corresponding to the PDU session of the 5G UE1 in the UPF entity may include the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information. Further, the UPF entity may forward the packet in the PDU session of the 5G UE1 to the PGW corresponding to the session of the 4G UE1 according to the FAR.

It should be understood that, after the session establishment of the first UE and the session establishment of the second UE are completed, and the forwarding information of the session to the second UE is configured by the first user plane network element corresponding to the first UE, the session between the first UE and the second UE is considered to be established. Taking the communication system shown in fig. 1 as an example, the 4G-5G LAN session establishment between the 5G UE1 and the 4G UE1 may also be completed.

In summary, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, in the communication method, although a first UE and a second UE in the same VN group are located in different networks, a session establishment request sent by the first UE may be forwarded to a second network side by a first mobility management network element, so that a session of the first UE and a session of the second UE may be established in the first network and the second network, respectively. And the second mobility management network element may also send VN tunnel information corresponding to the session of the second UE and the IP address of the second UE to the first network side, so that the user plane network element corresponding to the session of the first UE may forward the data packet to the user plane network element corresponding to the session of the second UE. Therefore, the session of the first UE and the session of the second UE are communicated, and the first UE can send the data packet to the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE. The first network and the second network can be a 5G communication network and a 4G communication network respectively, so the communication method provided by the embodiment of the application can solve the problem that private network communication cannot be established between the 5G terminal and the 4G terminal.

It should be noted that, referring to the communication system shown in fig. 1, the information of the VN group is signed in the UDM + HSS convergent network element. As can be seen from the above-described communication method, the VN group may include both 5G terminals and 4G terminals. In the embodiment of the present application, the subscription information and the application range of the VN group in the UDM + HSS may be as shown in table 1. Referring to table 1, a column in which a subscription data type (subscription data type) is located may include a group identifier (group identifier) entry and a group data (group data) entry. The realm (field) entry corresponding to the group identifier may include: an internal group identifier (internal group identifier) entry and an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)/subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) list (list) entry. The internal group identifier table entry corresponding to the group identifier is used for indicating the identity of the VN group, and the IMSI/SUPI list table entry is used for indicating a SUPI/IMSI list included in the VN group. The domain table entry corresponding to the group data may include: an internal group identifier (pid) entry, an Access Point Name (APN)/Data Network Name (DNN) entry, a single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) entry, a PDU session type (session type) entry, and an application descriptor (application descriptor) entry. The internal group identifier entry corresponding to the group data is used to indicate an identifier of a VN group to which the group data belongs, the APN/DNN entry is used to indicate an APN and a DNN that can be used by UEs in the VN group when establishing a session, the S-NSSAI entry is used to indicate an identifier of a 5G network slice, the PDU session type entry is used to indicate a type of a PDU session established by the UEs in the VN group, and the program descriptor entry is used to indicate a UE routing policy (URSP) used by the UEs in the VN group when establishing the PDU session.

TABLE 1

It should be noted that, as shown in fig. 1, the UDM + HSS co-located network element in the embodiment of the present application may also configure a static IP address, and when a UE in a VN group establishes a session, the static IP address in the UDM + HSS co-located network element may be allocated to the UE that establishes the session.

In addition, the communication system of the embodiment of the application further communicates the SMF entity on the 5G communication network side and the SGW on the 4G communication network side, and session signaling interaction can be performed between the SMF entity and the SGW through the VN-C tunnel.

It should be appreciated that after a 4G-5G LAN session for private network communication is established between a first UE and a second UE, the first UE may send data packets to the second UE directly according to the IP address of the second UE. Taking the first network as a 5G communication network as an example, a process of the 5G UE1 sending data packets to the 4G UE1 through the 4G-5G LAN session will be described with reference to the communication system shown in fig. 1, and as shown in fig. 4, the process may include the following steps.

S401, 5G UE1 sends a data packet.

The destination address of the data packet is the IP address of the 4G UE1, and the data packet may also carry the identifier of the VN group to which the UE1 belongs. The packet may be sent to the 5G RAN node first, and then the 5G RAN node is tunneled to the UPF entity through N3.

S402, the SMF entity controls the UPF entity to determine the PDR corresponding to the data packet sent by the 5G UE 1.

It should be appreciated that after the PDU session is established, the session function is performed by the SMF control UPF. After the data packet sent by the 5G UE1 enters the UPF entity, the SMF may determine, according to the N3 tunnel information of the data packet, an N4 session (PFCP session) corresponding to the PDU session of the 5G UE1 to which the data packet belongs, and further determine a PDR corresponding to the N4 session in the UPF entity, that is, determine a PDR corresponding to the data packet sent by the 5G UE 1.

And S403, the UPF entity sets the destination interface of the FAR associated with the determined PDR as an internal (internal) interface, namely 4G-5G LAN internal.

It should be understood that the FAR associated with the PDR corresponding to the packet sent by the 5G UE1 includes the identity of the VN group to which the UE1 belongs, and the VN tunnel information of the PGW.

S404, the UPF entity performs PDR matching on the data packet sent by the 5G UE1, and further determines the FAR.

It should be understood that after the UPF entity performs PDR matching on the data packet sent by the 5G UE1, the FAR corresponding to the data packet is determined. The UPF entity may compare the identifier of the VN group carried by the data packet sent by the 5G UE1 with the identifier of the VN in the FAR, and when the comparison is successful, the UPF entity may transmit the data packet sent by the 5G UE1 to the internal interface "4G-5 GLAN internal" for processing.

S405, the UPF entity forwards the packet sent by the 5G UE1 to the PGW according to the FAR.

The destination interface for the data packet sent by the 5G UE1 transmitted inside the UPF entity is "4G-5G LAN internal", and the destination address of the data packet is the IP address of the 4G UE 1. The UPF entity can determine that the packet belongs to a 4G-5GLAN session and needs to be forwarded to the 4G communication network side.

It should be understood that the FAR associated with the PDR matched by the packet sent by the 5G UE1 includes the TEID and IP address of the PGW. Thus, the UPF entity may encapsulate the VN tunnel header for the packet before sending from the VN-U tunnel to the PGW.

It should be noted that, before the data packet is forwarded from the UPF entity, the UPF entity may also implement a QoS Enforcement Rule (QER) according to the quality of service (QoS) associated with the PDR, so as to complete the QoS-related operation. And finishing the operation of reporting the usage amount according to a Usage Reporting Rule (URR) associated with the PDR.

S406, the PGW receives the data packet sent by the 5G UE1 through the VN-U tunnel.

It should be understood that the PGW may identify that the packet belongs to a 4G-5G LAN session based on the VN tunnel header of the packet.

S407, the PGW sets a destination interface which receives the data packet sent by the 5G UE1 from the VN-U tunnel as an internal interface '4G-5G LAN internal', and transmits the data packet to the internal interface for processing.

S408, the PGW matches the downlink tunnel for the data packet sent by the 5G UE 1.

Since the destination interface of the packet sent by the 5G UE1 is the internal interface "4G-5G LAN internal" of the PGW, the PGW may determine that the packet belongs to a 4G-5G LAN session. Further, the PGW may match the downlink tunnel to UE2 for the packet based on the destination address of UE2 (i.e., the IP address of 4G UE 1);

and S409, the PGW sends the data packet sent by the 5G UE1 to the UE2 through the matched downlink tunnel.

It should be understood that the PGW also sends the data packet sent by the 5G UE1 to the 4G access network E-UTRAN node, and then forwards the data packet to the 4G UE 1.

It can be seen that through the above steps, private network communication between the 5G UE1 and the 4G UE1 is achieved.

It should be noted that, in the above method embodiment, the actions of the first mobility management element may be executed by the processor 201 in the communication apparatus 20 shown in fig. 2 calling an application program code stored in the memory 202 to instruct the first mobility management element to execute; the actions of the second mobility management element may be performed by the processor 201 in the communication device 20 shown in fig. 2 invoking application program code stored in the memory 202 to instruct the second mobility management element to perform; the actions of the first session managing network element may be performed by the processor 201 in the communication device 20 shown in fig. 2 calling application code stored in the memory 202 to instruct the first session managing network element to perform; the actions of the second session management network element may be performed by the processor 201 in the communication device 20 shown in fig. 2 calling application code stored in the memory 202 to instruct the second session management network element to perform; the actions of the first user plane network element may be performed by the processor 201 in the communication device 20 shown in fig. 2 invoking application code stored in the memory 202 to instruct the first user plane network element to perform; the actions of the second user plane network element may be performed by the processor 201 in the communication device 20 shown in fig. 2 invoking application code stored in the memory 202 to instruct the second user plane network element to perform; the actions of the first UE may be performed by the processor 201 in the communication device 20 shown in fig. 2 invoking application code stored in the memory 202 to instruct the first UE to perform; this embodiment does not set any limit to this.

It is to be understood that, in the above embodiments, the method and/or steps implemented by the first mobility management network element may also be implemented by a component (e.g., a chip or a circuit) available for the first mobility management network element; the methods and/or steps implemented by the second mobility management network element may also be implemented by means (e.g. a chip or a circuit) available to the second mobility management network element; the methods and/or steps implemented by the first session managing network element may also be implemented by a component (e.g., a chip or a circuit) that is available to the first session managing network element; the methods and/or steps implemented by the second session management network element may also be implemented by a component (e.g., a chip or a circuit) that is available to the second session management network element; the methods and/or steps implemented by the first user plane network element may also be implemented by a component (e.g., a chip or a circuit) that is available to the first user plane network element; the methods and/or steps implemented by the second user plane network element may also be implemented by a component (e.g., a chip or a circuit) that is available to the second user plane network element; the methods and/or steps implemented by the first UE may also be implemented by components (e.g., chips or circuitry) that may be used for the first UE.

The above description mainly introduces the scheme provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of interaction between various devices. Correspondingly, the embodiment of the application also provides a communication device, and the communication device is used for realizing the various methods. The communication device may be the first mobility management network element in the above method embodiment, or a device including the first mobility management network element, or a component available for the first mobility management network element; alternatively, the communication device may be a second mobility management network element in the foregoing method embodiment, or a device including the foregoing second mobility management network element, or a component that can be used for the second mobility management network element; alternatively, the communication device may be the first session management network element in the foregoing method embodiment, or a device including the first session management network element, or a component that can be used for the first session management network element; alternatively, the communication device may be the second session management network element in the foregoing method embodiment, or a device including the foregoing second session management network element, or a component that can be used in the second session management network element; alternatively, the communication device may be the first user plane network element in the foregoing method embodiment, or a device including the first user plane network element, or a component that can be used for the first user plane network element; or, the communication device may be a second user plane network element in the foregoing method embodiment, or a device including the second user plane network element, or a component that can be used in the second user plane network element; alternatively, the communication device may be the first UE in the above method embodiment, or a device including the first UE, or a component available for the first UE. It is to be understood that the communication device comprises corresponding hardware structures and/or software modules for performing the respective functions in order to realize the above-mentioned 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 communication apparatus may be divided into functional modules according to the method embodiments, for example, each functional 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.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic structural diagram of another communication device 50. The communication device 50 includes a transceiver module 501 and a processing module 502. The transceiver module 501, which may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement a transceiving function, and may be, for example, a transceiving circuit, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

Taking the communication device 50 as an example of the first session management network element in the above method embodiment:

the transceiving module 501 is configured to acquire VN tunnel information and an IP address of the second UE, where the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element corresponding to a session of the second UE. The first UE is in a first network, the second UE is in a second network, and the first UE and the second UE are in the same VN group. The transceiver module 501 is further configured to send, by the first session management network element, an IP address of the second UE to the first UE. The transceiving module 501 is further configured to send an identifier of the VN group and VN tunnel information to the first user plane network element, where the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information are used to forward a data packet of the VN group received by the first user plane network element to the second user plane network element, and the data packet of the VN group includes an IP address of the second UE, so that the second user plane network element sends the data packet of the VN group to the second UE through a session of the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE. The first user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to a session of the first UE.

Optionally, the transceiver module 501 is configured to acquire the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE, and specifically includes: a transceiver module 501, configured to receive, through the first mobility management network element, the VN tunnel information from the second mobility management network element and the IP address of the second UE. The first mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of the first UE, and the second mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of the second UE.

Optionally, the transceiver module 501 is further configured to acquire subscription information of the VN group, where the subscription information of the VN group includes an identifier of the VN group.

Optionally, the transceiver module 501 is configured to send the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information to the first user plane network element, and specifically includes: the transceiver module 501 is configured to send a forwarding behavior rule FAR corresponding to a session of a first UE to a first user plane network element, where the FAR includes an identifier of a VN group and VN tunnel information.

Taking the communication device 50 as the first mobility management network element in the above method embodiment as an example:

a transceiver module 501, configured to receive a session establishment request from a first UE. The session establishment request is used for requesting establishment of a session between first UE and second UE, the first UE is located in a first network, the second UE is located in a second network, the first UE and the second UE are located in the same VN group, and the first mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to the first UE. The transceiver module 501 is further configured to send a session establishment request of the first UE to the second mobility management network element. The second mobility management network element belongs to a second network, and the session establishment request of the first UE is used for the second mobility management network element to send the session establishment request of the first UE to the second session management network element, so that the second session management network element establishes a session of the second UE. The transceiver module 501 is further configured to receive VN tunnel information corresponding to a session of a second UE and an IP address of the second UE, where the VN tunnel information is sent by a second mobility management network element. The transceiver module 501 is further configured to send VN tunnel information and an IP address of the second UE to the first session management network element.

Taking the communication device 50 as the first user plane network element in the above method embodiment as an example:

a transceiver module 501, configured to receive the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information sent by the first session managing network element. And the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element, and the first UE and the second UE are in a VN group. The transceiver module 501 is further configured to receive a packet of the VN group through the session of the first UE. The data packet of the VN group includes an identification of the VN group and an internet protocol, IP, address of the second UE. The transceiver module 501 is further configured to forward the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information, so that the second user plane network element sends the data packet of the VN group to the second UE through the session of the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE.

Optionally, the transceiver module 501 is configured to receive the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information sent by the first session management network element, and specifically includes: a transceiver module 501, configured to receive a forwarding behavior rule FAR from a first session management network element, where the FAR includes an identifier of a VN group and VN tunnel information. The transceiver module 501 is configured to forward the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information, and specifically includes: the transceiver module 501 is configured to forward the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the FAR.

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 present embodiment, the communication device 50 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 will appreciate that the communication device 50 may take the form of the communication device 20 shown in FIG. 2.

For example, the processor 201 in the communication device 20 shown in fig. 2 may execute the instructions by calling a computer stored in the memory 203, so that the communication device 20 executes the forwarding method in the above method embodiment.

Specifically, the functions/implementation processes of the transceiver module 501 and the processing module 502 in fig. 5 can be implemented by the processor 201 in the communication device 20 shown in fig. 2 calling the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 203. Alternatively, the function/implementation process of the processing module 502 in fig. 5 may be implemented by the processor 201 in the communication device 20 shown in fig. 2 calling a computer executing instruction stored in the memory 203, and the function/implementation process of the transceiver module 501 in fig. 5 may be implemented by the communication interface 204 in the communication device 20 shown in fig. 2.

Since the communication device 50 provided in this embodiment can execute the forwarding method, the technical effect obtained by the communication device can refer to the method embodiment, and will not be described herein again.

It should be understood that, in the various embodiments of the present application, the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes do not mean the execution sequence, and the execution sequence of each process should be determined by its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the implementation. 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.

It is clear to those skilled in the art that, for convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described systems, apparatuses and units may refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and are not described herein again.

In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus, and method may be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described device embodiments are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the units is only one logical functional division, and other divisions may be realized in practice, for example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not executed. In addition, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, and may be in an electrical, mechanical or other form.

The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one place, or may be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of the embodiment.

In addition, functional units in the embodiments of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit.

In the above embodiments, the implementation may be wholly or partially realized by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. The procedures or functions described in accordance with the embodiments of the present application are all or partially generated upon loading and execution of computer program instructions on a computer. The computer may be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a network of computers, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored on a computer readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer readable storage medium to another, for example, from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wire (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or can comprise one or more data storage devices, such as a server, a data center, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The usable medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy Disk, hard Disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., Solid State Disk (SSD)), among others.

The above description is only for the specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of the changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present application, and shall be covered by the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that the method is performed by a first session managing network element for managing sessions of a first user equipment, UE, the method comprising:

the first session management network element acquires VN tunnel information and an IP address of a second UE, wherein the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element, and the second user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to a session of the second UE; the first UE is in a first network, the second UE is in a second network, and the first UE and the second UE are in the same virtual network VN group;

the first session management network element sends the IP address of the second UE to the first UE;

the first session management network element sends the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information to a first user plane network element, wherein the first user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to the session of the first UE; the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information are used to forward the data packet of the VN group received by the first user plane network element to the second user plane network element; the data packet of the VN group comprises the IP address of the second UE, so that the second user plane network element sends the data packet of the VN group to the second UE through the session of the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining, by the first session management network element, the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE comprises:

the first session management network element receives the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE from a second mobility management network element through a first mobility management network element;

the first mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of the first UE, and the second mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of the second UE.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first session management network element acquires subscription information of the VN group, wherein the subscription information of the VN group comprises an identifier of the VN group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending, by the first session management network element to the first user plane network element, the identity of the VN group and the VN tunnel information comprises:

the first session management network element sends a forwarding behavior rule FAR corresponding to the session of the first UE to the first user plane network element, where the FAR includes the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information.

5. A communication method is performed by a first mobility management network element, where the first mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of a first User Equipment (UE), and the method includes:

the first mobility management network element receives a session establishment request from the first UE; wherein the session establishment request is for requesting establishment of a session between the first UE and a second UE, the first UE being in a first network, the second UE being in a second network, the first UE and the second UE being in a same Virtual Network (VN) group;

the first mobility management network element sends a session establishment request of the first UE to a second mobility management network element; the second mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to the session of the second UE, and the session establishment request of the first UE is used for the second mobility management network element to send the session establishment request of the first UE to the second session management network element, so that the second session management network element establishes the session of the second UE;

the first mobility management network element receives VN tunnel information corresponding to the session of the second UE and an IP address of the second UE, where the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element, and the second user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to the session of the second UE;

and the first mobility management network element sends the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE to a first session management network element, wherein the first session management network element is used for managing the session of the first UE.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the session establishment request comprises a type field, wherein a value of the type field is of a first type, and wherein the first type is used to indicate that the session establishment request is used to request establishment of a session between the first UE and the second UE.

7. A communication method is performed by a first user plane network element, where the first user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to a session of a first User Equipment (UE), and the method includes:

the first user plane network element receives the identifier of the virtual network VN group and VN tunnel information sent by the first session management network element; the first session management network element is configured to manage a session of the first UE, the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element, the second user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to the session of the second UE, and the first UE and the second UE are in the VN group;

the first user plane network element receiving a data packet of the VN group through a session of the first UE, wherein the data packet of the VN group comprises an identification of the VN group and an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the second UE;

and the first user plane network element forwards the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information, so that the second user plane network element sends the data packet of the VN group to the second UE through the session of the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the receiving, by the first user plane network element, the identity of the VN group and the VN tunnel information sent by the first session management network element comprises:

the first user plane network element receiving a forwarding behavior rule (FAR) from the first session management network element, the FAR including an identification of the VN group and the VN tunnel information;

the first user plane network element forwards the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information, and the method comprises the following steps:

and the first user plane network element forwards the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the FAR.

9. A communication system is characterized in that the communication system comprises a first User Equipment (UE), a second UE, a first session management network element, a second session management network element, a first mobility management network element, a second mobility management network element, a first user plane network element and a second user plane network element;

the first UE sends a session establishment request to the first mobility management network element; wherein the session establishment request is for requesting establishment of a session between the first UE and the second UE; the first UE is in a first network, the second UE is in a second network, and the first UE and the second UE are in the same virtual network VN group;

the first mobility management network element sends the session establishment request to the second mobility management network element, so as to trigger the second session management network element to establish the session of the second UE;

the second mobility management network element sends, to the first mobility management network element, VN tunnel information corresponding to the second UE session and an IP address of the second UE, where the VN tunnel information is used to establish a transmission channel between the first user plane network element and the second user plane network element;

the first mobility management network element sends the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE to the first session management network element;

the first session management network element sends the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information to the first user plane network element, wherein the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information are used for the first user plane network element to send a data packet from the first UE to the second user plane network element; and the first session management network element sends the IP address of the second UE to the first UE.

10. The communication system according to claim 9, wherein the first network is a 5th generation 5G communication network, the second network is a 4 th generation 4G communication network, the first session management network element is a session management function SMF entity, the second session management network element is a serving gateway SGW, the first user plane network element is a user plane function UPF entity, the second user plane network element is a packet data network gateway PGW, the first mobility management network element is an access and mobility management function AMF entity, and the second mobility management network element is a mobility management entity MME;

or, the first network is a 4G communication network, the second network is a 5G communication network, the first session management network element is a serving gateway SGW, the second session management network element is a session management function SMF entity, the first user plane network element is a packet data network gateway PGW, the second user plane network element is a user plane function UPF entity, the first mobility management network element is a mobility management entity MME, and the second mobility management network element is an access and mobility management function AMF entity.

11. A communication apparatus, wherein the communication apparatus is applied to a first session management network element, and the first session management network element is configured to manage a session of a first user equipment UE, the communication apparatus comprising: a transceiver module;

the receiving and sending module is configured to acquire VN tunnel information of a virtual network and an internet protocol IP address of a second UE, where the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element, and the second user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to a session of the second UE; the first UE is in a first network, the second UE is in a second network, and the first UE and the second UE are in the same VN group;

the transceiver module is further configured to send the IP address of the second UE to the first UE;

the transceiver module is further configured to send the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information to a first user plane network element, where the first user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to the session of the first UE; the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information are used to forward the data packet of the VN group received by the first user plane network element to the second user plane network element; the data packet of the VN group comprises the IP address of the second UE, so that the second user plane network element sends the data packet of the VN group to the second UE through the session of the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE.

12. A communication apparatus, wherein the communication apparatus is applied to a first mobility management network element, and the first mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to a session of a first user equipment UE, and the communication apparatus includes: a transceiver module;

the transceiver module is configured to receive a session establishment request from the first UE; wherein the session establishment request is for requesting establishment of a session between the first UE and a second UE, the first UE being in a first network, the second UE being in a second network, the first UE and the second UE being in a same Virtual Network (VN) group;

the transceiver module is further configured to send a session establishment request of the first UE to a second mobility management network element; the second mobility management network element is a mobility management network element corresponding to the session of the second UE, and the session establishment request of the first UE is used for the second mobility management network element to send the session establishment request of the first UE to the second session management network element, so that the second session management network element establishes the session of the second UE;

the transceiver module is further configured to receive VN tunnel information corresponding to the session of the second UE and an IP address of the second UE, where the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element, and the second user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to the session of the second UE, and the VN tunnel information is sent by the second mobility management network element;

the transceiver module is further configured to send the VN tunnel information and the IP address of the second UE to a first session management network element, where the first session management network element is configured to manage a session of the first UE.

13. A communication apparatus, wherein the communication apparatus is applied to a first user plane network element, and the first user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to a session of a first user equipment UE, and the communication apparatus includes: a transceiver module;

the receiving and sending module is used for receiving the identifier of the virtual network VN group and the VN tunnel information sent by the first session management network element; the first session management network element is configured to manage a session of a first UE, the VN tunnel information is address information of a second user plane network element, the second user plane network element is a user plane network element corresponding to the session of a second UE, and the first UE and the second UE are in the VN group;

the transceiver module is further configured to receive a packet of the VN group through the session of the first UE, where the packet of the VN group includes an identification of the VN group and an internet protocol, IP, address of the second UE;

the transceiver module is further configured to forward the received data packet of the VN group to the second user plane network element according to the identifier of the VN group and the VN tunnel information, so that the second user plane network element sends the data packet of the VN group to the second UE through a session of the second UE according to the IP address of the second UE.

14. A communication apparatus, characterized in that the communication apparatus comprises: a processor and a memory;

the memory for storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method of any of claims 1-4 or 5-6 or 7-8.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the method of any one of claims 1-4 or 5-6 or 7-8.