WO2020119795A1 - Method and device for communication - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a method and device for communication, related to the technical field of communications, for use in solving the problem in which a network could not locate an unmanned aerial vehicle due to the unmanned aerial vehicle being in an idle state. The method comprises: an access network device acquires identification information of a first area; and the access network device broadcasts to the first area first indication information used for indicating a first type terminal device to enter a connected state or to maintain a connected state or to enter and maintain a connected state. The access network device, by broadcasting the first indication information to the first area, allows the first type terminal device in an idle state in the first area to enter the connected state, and, when the first type terminal device is an unmanned aerial vehicle, solves the problem in which the network could not locate the unmanned aerial vehicle due to the unmanned aerial vehicle being in the idle state.

Description

Communication method and device

This application requires the priority of the Chinese patent application filed on December 13, 2018, with the application number 201811527562.6 and the application name "a communication method and device", the entire content of which is incorporated by reference in this application .

Technical field

This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular, to a communication method and device.

Background technique

At present, for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), some drones (for example, drones used for agricultural operations or power inspection) do not need to be positioned, while some drones (for example, UAVs that are close to or located in the UAV control area) need to be positioned. When it is necessary to locate the drone, for the drone in the idle state, the network side cannot detect that the drone is close to or located in the drone control area, so that the drone cannot be located.

Summary of the invention

The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and device for solving the problem that the network cannot locate the drone due to the drone being in an idle state.

To achieve the above purpose, the embodiments of the present application provide the following technical solutions:

In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: an access network device acquiring identification information of a first area; the access network device broadcasts to the first area for instructing a terminal device of a first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state Or enter and maintain the first indication of the connection state. In the method provided in the first aspect, the access network device broadcasts the first indication information to the first area, so that the terminal device of the first type in the idle state in the first area can enter the connected state when the terminal of the first type When the device is a drone, it can solve the problem that the network cannot locate the drone because the drone is in an idle state.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the access network device receives the first indication information from the mobility management entity. This possible implementation provides a method for the access network device to obtain the first indication information.

In a possible implementation manner, the access network device acquiring the identification information of the first area includes: the access network device receiving the identification information of the first area from the mobility management entity. This possible implementation provides a method for the access network device to obtain the identification information of the first area.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the access network device receives second indication information from the mobility management entity; the access network device stops broadcasting the first indication information to the first area according to the second indication information. In this possible implementation manner, when it is not necessary for the first type of terminal device in the first area to enter the connected state or maintain the connected state or enter and maintain the connected state, the second indication information may be used to indicate the first to the mobility management entity The indication information is invalid, so as to avoid unnecessary consumption of network resources.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the access network device broadcasting second indication information indicating that the first indication information is invalid to the first area. In this possible implementation manner, when a terminal device of the first type in the first area is not required to enter the connected state or maintain the connected state or enter and maintain the connected state, the second indication information can be The terminal device of the type indicates that the first indication information is invalid, thereby avoiding unnecessary consumption of network resources.

In a possible implementation manner, the first area is a cell, and the terminal device of the first type is in the cell.

In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, including: a terminal device receiving a first broadcast from an access network device to a first area for instructing a terminal device of a first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connected state An instruction message, when the terminal device is the first type of terminal device indicated by the first instruction message, the terminal device enters the connected state or maintains the connected state or enters and maintains the connected state according to the first instruction information. According to the method provided in the second aspect, the terminal device of the first type in the idle state in the first area can enter the connected state through the received first indication information. When the terminal device of the first type is an unmanned aerial vehicle, it can Solve the problem that the network cannot locate the drone because the drone is idle.

In a possible implementation manner, the terminal device receives second indication information broadcast by the access network device to the first area, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.

In a third aspect, a communication method is provided, including: a mobility management entity determining an access network device, a service area of the access network device includes a first area; and a mobility management entity sending an instruction to the access network device to indicate the first The first indication information of the terminal device of the type entering the connected state or maintaining the connection state or entering and maintaining the connected state, the terminal device of the first type is in the first area. The method provided in the third aspect provides a method for obtaining first indication information for an access network device.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the mobility management entity sends the identification information of the first area to the access network device. This possible implementation provides a method for the access network device to obtain the identification information of the first area.

In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the mobility management entity sends second indication information indicating that the first indication information is invalid to the access network device. This possible implementation provides a method for the access network device to obtain the second indication information.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the mobility management entity receives the first indication information; or, the mobility management entity receives instructions for instructing the terminal device of the first type to enter the connected state or maintain the connected state or enter and Keep the first message in the connected state, and generate first indication information according to the first message. This possible implementation manner provides a method for obtaining the first indication information for the mobility management entity.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the mobility management entity receives the identification information of the second area; the mobility management entity determines the first area according to the second area, and the first area is a subset of the second area. This possible implementation provides a method for the mobility management entity to determine the first area.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the mobility management entity receives second indication information; or, the mobility management entity receives a second message indicating that the first indication information is invalid, and generates according to the second message Second instructions. This possible implementation manner provides a method for the mobility management entity to obtain the second indication information.

According to a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided, including: an application server determining a third area; the application server sends first indication information and identification information of the third area to a border control network element, the first indication information is used to indicate the first type Of the terminal devices enter the connected state or remain connected or enter and maintain the connected state, the terminal device of the first type is in the first area, and the first area is a subset of the third area. The method provided in the fourth aspect provides a method for acquiring the first indication information and the identification information of the third area for the border control network element.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the application server sending second indication information indicating that the first indication information is invalid to the border control network element. This possible implementation manner provides a method for obtaining the second indication information for the border control network element.

According to a fifth aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: a boundary control network element receiving first indication information and identification information of a third area from an application server, where the first indication information is used to indicate a terminal device of a first type Enter the connected state or stay connected or enter and maintain the connected state, the first type of terminal device is in the first area; the border control network element determines the second area according to the third area; the border control network element acquires the mobility management entity, mobility The management entity is a mobility management entity in the mobility management entity covering the second area, and the second area is a subset of the third area; the border control network element sends the first indication information and the identification of the second area to the mobility management entity Information, the first area is a subset of the second area. The method provided in the fifth aspect provides a method for the mobility management entity to obtain the first indication information and the identification information of the second area.

In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the border control network element receives second indication information indicating that the first indication information is invalid from the application server; the border control network element sends the second indication information to the mobility management entity . This possible implementation manner provides a method for the mobility management entity to obtain the second indication information.

In a sixth aspect, a communication method is provided, including: a terminal device sends a third message to a mobility management entity, the terminal device is a first type of terminal device, and the third message carries the type of the terminal device Information; the terminal device receives third indication information from the mobility management entity, the third indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to remain connected in the target area; the terminal device enters according to the third indication information The target area remains connected. The method provided in the sixth aspect provides another method for keeping the terminal device connected in the target area, so that when the terminal device is a drone, the network locates the terminal device.

According to a seventh aspect, a communication method is provided, including: a mobility management entity receiving a third message from a terminal device, where the third message carries type information of the terminal device; if the mobility management entity is based on the third When the message determines that the terminal device is the first type of terminal device, the mobility management entity sends third indication information to the terminal device, where the third indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to remain connected in the target area state. The method provided in the seventh aspect provides another method for keeping the terminal device connected in the target area, so that when the terminal device is an unmanned aerial vehicle, the network locates the terminal device.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: the mobility management entity acquiring identification information of the target area.

According to an eighth aspect, there is provided a communication device having a function of implementing any one of the methods provided in any one of the first to fourth aspects. This function can be realized by hardware, and can also be realized by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above functions. The communication device may exist in the form of a chip product.

In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a communication unit and a processing unit; the communication unit is configured to receive first indication information and identification information of a third area from an application server, and the first indication information is used to Instructing a terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or to maintain a connected state or to enter and maintain a connected state, the terminal device of the first type is in a first area; the processing unit is configured to determine a second area according to the third area; The processing unit is also used to obtain a mobility management entity, which is a mobility management entity among the mobility management entities covering the second area, and the second area is a child of the third area The communication unit is also used to send the first indication information and the identification information of the second area to the mobility management entity, where the first area is a subset of the second area.

In a possible implementation manner, the communication unit is further configured to receive second indication information from the application server, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid; the communication unit, It is also used to send the second indication information to the mobility management entity.

In a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a communication unit and a processing unit; the communication unit is configured to send a third message to a mobility management entity, and the terminal device is a terminal device of the first type, the The third message carries the type information of the terminal device; the communication unit is also used to receive third indication information from the mobility management entity, and the third indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to remain connected in the target area The processing unit is configured to maintain a connected state after entering the target area according to the third instruction information.

In an eleventh aspect, a communication device is provided, including: a communication unit and a processing unit; the communication unit is configured to receive a third message from a terminal device, and the third message carries type information of the terminal device; When the processing unit determines that the terminal device is a terminal device of the first type according to the third message, the communication unit is further configured to send third indication information to the terminal device, and the third indication information is used to Instructing the terminal device to remain connected in the target area.

In a possible implementation manner, the processing unit is further configured to obtain identification information of the target area.

According to a twelfth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes: a memory, a processor, at least one communication interface, and a communication bus; the memory is used to store computer-executed instructions, and the processor, memory, and at least one communication interface pass through the communication bus Connected, the processor executes computer-executed instructions stored in the memory, so that the communication device implements any one of the methods provided in any one of the first aspect to the seventh aspect. The device can exist in the form of a chip product.

According to a thirteenth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium including instructions which, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform any one of the methods provided in any one of the first to seventh aspects.

According to a fourteenth aspect, there is provided a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform any method provided in any one of the first aspect to the seventh aspect.

For the technical effects brought by any one of the design methods in the eighth aspect to the fourteenth aspect, please refer to the technical effects brought by the corresponding design methods in the first to seventh aspects, which will not be repeated here.

It should be noted that the various possible implementations of any of the above aspects can be combined on the premise that the solutions are not contradictory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

1 to 3 are schematic diagrams of a network architecture provided by embodiments of the present application;

4 is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

5 is a schematic diagram of a location of a first area and a second area provided by an embodiment of the present application;

6 is a schematic diagram of locations of a first area, a second area, and a third area provided by an embodiment of this application;

7 is a flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

8 is a flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

9 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

10 is a schematic diagram of a hardware structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application.

detailed description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise stated, "/" means or, for example, A/B may mean A or B. The "and/or" in this article is just an association relationship describing the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and/or B, which can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, B exists alone These three situations. And, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise stated, "plurality" means two or more than two. In addition, in order to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, the words "first" and "second" are used to distinguish the same or similar items that have substantially the same functions and functions. Those skilled in the art may understand that the words "first" and "second" do not limit the number and execution order, and the words "first" and "second" do not necessarily mean different.

The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems. For example: orthogonal frequency division multiple access (orthogonal frequency-division multiple access, OFDMA for short), single carrier frequency division multiple access (single carrier FDMA, SC-FDMA for short), and other systems. The term "system" can be used interchangeably with "network". OFDMA systems can implement wireless technologies such as evolved universal wireless terrestrial access (evolved universal terrestrial radio access, E-UTRA for short), ultra mobile broadband (ultra mobile broadband, UMB for short). E-UTRA is an evolved version of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a new version using E-UTRA in long term evolution (LTE) and various versions based on LTE evolution. The 5th-generation (5G) communication system and new radio (NR) are the next-generation communication systems under study. In addition, the communication system can also be adapted to future-oriented communication technologies, and all the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are applicable.

Exemplarily, the method provided by the embodiment of the present application may be applied to the 5G system shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the 5G system may include one or more of the following network function (NF) entities: Authentication server function (AUSF) entity, access and mobility management (core access and mobility management function, AMF) entity, data network (DN), unified data management (unified data management) , Referred to as UDM) entity, policy control function (PCF) entity, (radio) access network ((radio) access network (R)AN) equipment, user plane function (user plane function, UPF for short) ) Entity, terminal device, application function (application function, AF) entity, session management function (SMF) entity, network exposure function (NEF) entity, gateway mobile location center (gateway mobile location center) location, center (GMLC) entity, network function (repository function, NRF) entity, unified data (repository, UDR) entity.

The RAN equipment is mainly responsible for radio resource management, quality of service (QoS) management, data compression, and encryption functions on the air interface side. The RAN device may include various forms of base stations, such as macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, and access points. In the 5G system, the base station is called gNB. The RAN equipment in the 5G system may also be called NG-RAN equipment or NG-RAN node.

The AMF entity belongs to the core network entity and is mainly responsible for the signaling processing part, such as: access control, mobility management, attachment and detachment, and SMF entity selection. When the AMF entity provides a service for the session in the terminal device, it will provide control plane storage resources for the session to store the session ID, the SMF entity ID associated with the session ID, and so on.

NEF entities mainly support the secure interaction between 3GPP networks and third-party applications. NEF can safely expose network capabilities and events to third parties to strengthen or improve application service quality. 3GPP networks can also securely obtain relevant information from third parties. Data is used to enhance the intelligent decision-making of the network. At the same time, NEF entities support restoring structured data from UDR entities or storing structured data into UDR entities.

The NRF entity is mainly used to maintain the information of the network elements in the core network, support the registration and update of network elements, and provide external query services.

UDM entities are mainly used for the management of unified data (for example, user data, user context, etc.).

The UDR entity is mainly responsible for storing structured data. The stored content includes contract data and strategy data, externally exposed structured data, and application-related data.

The GMLC entity is used to support the positioning service of the 3GPP network. There can be multiple GMLC entities in a public land mobile network (PLMN). The GMLC entity is the first node for external location programs to access the PLMN. It performs registration authorization checks and requests routing information from UDM entities. After performing registration authorization checks, it sends a positioning request to the AMF entity and receives the final position estimate ( location)estimate).

Exemplarily, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application may also be applied to an evolved packet system (evolved packet system, abbreviated as EPS) network shown in FIG. 2 (that is, a so-called 4G system). As shown in FIG. 2, the EPS network may include one or more of the following network entities: terminal devices, evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (evolved universal terrestrial radio access network, E-UTRAN for short) equipment, and service gateway (serving gateway (SGW), packet data gateway (PGW), mobility management entity (mobility management entity (MME), home subscriber server (HSS), GMLC entity, open service capabilities Function (Service capability, SCEF) entity.

The E-UTRAN device is composed of multiple evolved base stations (evolved nodeB, referred to as eNB or eNodeB). The eNodeBs are interconnected via the X2 interface, and the eNodeB and evolved packet core (EPC) interact via the S1 interface. , And eNodeB and terminal devices are interconnected through the Uu interface. E-UTRAN equipment is equivalent to RAN equipment in 5G systems.

The main functions of MME are to support non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and its security, tracking area (TA) list management, PGW and SGW selection, and MME when switching between MMEs. Choice, serving GPRS support node (SGSN) selection during handover to 2G/3G access system, user authentication, roaming control and bearer management, 3GPP core network of different access networks Mobility management between nodes. MME is equivalent to AMF entity in 5G system.

The HSS is a database used to store user subscription information. The home network may contain one or more HSS. HSS is responsible for storing information related to users, such as user identification, number and routing information, security information, location information, and profile information. HSS is equivalent to UDM entity in 5G system.

The GMLC entity is used to support the positioning service of the 3GPP network. There can be multiple GMLC entities in a PLMN. The GMLC entity is the first node for an external location program to access the PLMN. It performs registration authorization checks and requests routing information from the HSS. After performing registration authorization checks, it sends a positioning request to the MME and receives the final position estimate.

The SCEF entity provides the function of safely opening the services and functions provided by the 3GPP network interface and discovering public services. The SCEF entity provides access to network functions through the same network application programming interface (API) defined on the T8 interface. The SCEF entity is equivalent to the NEF entity in the 5G system.

The "entity" in the above embodiment may also be replaced with "network element" or "device".

The network elements involved in the embodiments of the present application include an access network device, a terminal device, a mobility management entity, an application server, and a border control network element. The access network device may be an access network device or a component in the access network device, and may also be a chip applied to the access network device. The terminal device may be a terminal device or a component in the terminal device, or a chip applied to the terminal device.

The access network device is a device in the RAN that provides a wireless communication function for the terminal device. For example, it may be a base station, specifically various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, access points, etc., and may also include various forms of control nodes, such as network controllers. The control node may connect multiple base stations and configure resources for multiple terminal devices covered by multiple base stations. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with base station functions may be different, such as eNB or eNodeB in 4G systems and gNB in 5G or NR systems. The name of the device is not limited.

The terminal device may also be called a user equipment (user equipment (UE for short), terminal, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or User device. The terminal device may be a drone, internet of things (IoT) equipment, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) equipment, wireless local area network (wireless local area networks, WLAN) station , Referred to as ST), cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital processing (PDA) equipment) , Handheld devices with wireless communication function, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices (also called wearable smart devices). The terminal device may also be a terminal device in a next-generation communication system, for example, a terminal device in a 5G system or a terminal device in a PLMN that evolves in the future, a terminal device in an NR system, or the like.

The mobility management entity may be AMF in the 5G system and MME in the 4G system.

The border control network element may be GMLC or NEF in the 5G system, and may be GMLC or SCEF in the 4G system.

The application server is a device that provides application services for terminal devices of the first type. The application server may be an AF entity in the 5G system.

When the terminal device of the first type is a drone, the border control network element may also be a UAV control function (UAV control function, UCF for short) entity. The application server may specifically be a UAS server (UAS server, referred to as USS), where UAS refers to a UAV system (UAV system). The location of UCF and USS in the 4G system can be seen in Figure 2, and the location in the 5G system can be seen in Figure 3.

UCF entities are used to configure communication parameters for drones; obtain and distribute drone no-fly areas from USS; provide flight assistance authorization for drones; receive USS subscriptions for drone services and communicate with other core network elements ( (AMF, GMLC, etc.) interactively provide subscription UAS services for USS, etc. The UCF entity is a network element configured to support drone communication and supervision in a mobile communication network, and is specifically used to handle drone business.

The USS can be a functional module in unmanned aerial traffic management (UTM for short) (for example, a third-party drone cloud), and supports functions such as flight operation authorization, flight monitoring, flight warning, and flight control.

The method provided by the embodiment of the present application may be applied to a scenario where a terminal device of a first type needs to be located. In order to make the embodiments of the present application more clear, in the following embodiments, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application is exemplarily described by taking the terminal device of the first type as a drone as an example. For convenience of description, the embodiments of the present application are described by using the provided method as an example in an NR system or a 5G system. Among them, the access network device is hereinafter referred to as a RAN node (that is, RAN nodes in the following can be replaced by access network devices); the mobility management entity is denoted as AMF in the following (that is, AMF in the following can be replaced by mobility Management entity); the border control network element is hereinafter referred to as NEF (that is, the NEF hereinafter can be replaced by the border control network element). The network elements involved in the embodiments of the present application are all network elements in the NR system or the 5G system. It can be understood that when the method provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to a 4G system, these network elements are replaced with the 4G system Only need to have the same or similar functions.

The system architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are for explaining the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application more clearly, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application. It can be known by those skilled in the art that with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

In the embodiments described below in this application, "the service area of one RAN node" may be understood as "all cells of the RAN node".

Example one

An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, as shown in FIG. 4, including:

401. The RAN node (denoted as the first RAN node) acquires the identification information of the first area.

Wherein, the service area of the first RAN node includes the first area.

The first area may be one or more cells. Any cell in the first area may be an air cell (that is, a cell that provides air wireless signal coverage) or an ordinary cell (that is, a non-air cell).

402. The first RAN node broadcasts first indication information to the first area. The first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connected state. Correspondingly, the terminal device in the first area receives the first indication information from the first RAN node.

The terminal device of the first type in the embodiment of the present application is located in the first area.

When step 402 is specifically implemented, the first RAN node may determine to broadcast the first indication information to the first area according to the first indication information and the identification information of the first area.

The first indication information can be realized by a parameter, which can have two fields, one field can include one or more indication bits, the two fields can be set with different values, and the value of one field is used to indicate that the terminal device is the first For terminal devices of the type, the value in the other field is used to instruct the terminal device to enter the connected state or maintain the connected state or enter and maintain the connected state. Exemplarily, the first indication information may include 8 bits, and the upper 4 bits are used to indicate the type of the terminal device. For example, when the value of the upper 4 bits is 0001, the type of the terminal device indicated by the upper 4 bits is the first type , The lower 4 bits are used to indicate the actions that the terminal device needs to perform. For example, when the lower 4 bits are 0001, the lower 4 bits are used to instruct the terminal device to enter the connected state, and when the lower 4 bits are 0010, the lower 4 bits are used When instructing the terminal device to maintain the connection state, when the lower 4 bits take the value of 0011, the lower 4 bits are used to instruct the terminal device to enter and maintain the connection state.

The first indication information may also be implemented by two parameters. In this case, the first indication information may include a first parameter and a second parameter. The first parameter is used to indicate that the terminal device is a terminal device of the first type, and the second parameter is used It is used to instruct the terminal device to enter the connected state or maintain the connected state or enter and maintain the connected state.

When step 402 is specifically implemented, the first RAN node may broadcast the first indication information through a system information block (system information block, SIB for short) (for example, SIB1).

403. When the terminal device is the first type of terminal device indicated by the first instruction information, the terminal device enters the connected state or maintains the connected state or enters and maintains the connected state according to the first instruction information.

It can be understood that, in the case where the first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device of the first type to enter the connected state, if the terminal device is in the idle state, the terminal device enters the connected state according to the first indication information; or An instruction message is used to instruct the terminal device of the first type to maintain the connection state. If the terminal device is in the connection state, the terminal device maintains the connection state according to the first instruction message; or, the first instruction message is used to instruct the first When a type of terminal device enters and maintains the connected state, if the terminal device is in the idle state, the terminal device enters and maintains the connected state according to the first instruction information.

In the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the first RAN node broadcasts the first indication information to the first area, so that the terminal device of the first type in the idle state in the first area can enter the connected state when the first type of When the terminal device is a drone, the problem that the network cannot locate the drone due to the drone being in an idle state can be solved.

When step 401 is specifically implemented, the first RAN node may obtain the identification information of the first area in the following manner 1 or manner 2.

Manner 1: The first RAN node determines the identification information of all cells or air cells belonging to the first RAN node as the identification information of the first area.

Manner 2: The first RAN node receives the identification information of the first area from the AMF (denoted as the first AMF).

Method 2 In specific implementation, before the first RAN node receives the identification information of the first area from the first AMF, the method may further include: the first AMF receives the identification information of the second area from the USS or NEF, according to the second area Determine the first area and send the identification information of the first area to the first RAN node.

The first RAN node may be any one of the RAN nodes in the second area that has an N2 connection with the first AMF. The first area is a subset of the second area, see FIG. 5 for details. The subset is a range in which the range of the second region includes or is equal to the range of the second region. The second area at least partially overlaps with the service area of the first AMF.

The second area may be one or more cells. Any cell in the second area may be an air cell or an ordinary cell (ie, a non-air cell). In this case, the identification information of the second area may be the identification information of the RAN node in the second area or the identification information of the cell in the second area. The second area may also be TA. In this case, the identification information of the second area may be TA identification information. The second area may also be an area enclosed by a specific shape (such as a polygon, a circle, etc.), or a three-dimensional area (such as a no-fly zone for drones), an administrative area, etc. In this case, the identification of the second area The information may be latitude and longitude information of the second area, three-dimensional area description information, or an administrative area identification. For drones, the second area is generally the surveillance area of drones, such as airports and important event venues.

In a specific implementation manner 2, before the first AMF sends the identification information of the first area to the first RAN node, the first AMF may determine the first RAN node and the first area. Specifically, the first AMF may first determine the first RAN node and then the first area (denoted as determination method 1), or may first determine the first area and then determine the first RAN node (denoted as determination method 2). The two determination methods are described by way of example. For example, in the determination method 1, the identification information of the second area may be the identification information of the RAN node in the second area, and in the determination method 2, the identification information of the second area may be the identification information of the cell in the second area .

Determination method 1.

The determination method 1 may specifically include: the first AMF receives the identification information of the RAN node in the second area from the USS or NEF, and the first AMF connects one RAN node in the RAN node in the second area that is N2 connected to the first AMF Determined as the first RAN node. After determining the first RAN node, the first AMF may determine the first area. Exemplarily, the first AMF may determine that the service area of the first RAN node is the first area, and may also determine that the air cell belonging to the first RAN node is the first area.

Determination method 2.

The determination method 2 may specifically include: the first AMF receives the identification information of the cell in the second area from the USS or NEF, and the first AMF determines one or more airspace cells (or ordinary cells) belonging to the same RAN node in the second area ) Is the first area, and the first AMF acquires the first RAN node according to the first area.

In the specific implementation of the determination method 2, the process of the first AMF acquiring the first RAN node according to the first area may include: the first AMF sends a request 1 to the NRF, and the request 1 includes the identification information of the first area and the requested network function. The information is of type RAN; NRF receives request 1 and feeds back information of the first RAN node to the first AMF according to request 1. The NRF may include the correspondence between the RAN node and the area covered by the RAN node. Therefore, after receiving the request 1, the NRF may determine the first RAN node according to the identification information of the first area in the request 1, and feed back the information of the first RAN node to the first AMF, so that the first AMF determines the first RAN node .

When the identification information of the second area is TA identification information, latitude and longitude information of the second area, three-dimensional area description information of the second area, or administrative area identification of the second area, the first AMF may be based on the identification of the second area The information determines the identification information of the RAN node and/or cell in the second area. For example, the first AMF may send the identification information of the second area to operation maintenance (OAM), and the OAM determines the identification of the RAN node and/or cell in the second area according to the identification information of the second area Information and feedback to the first AMF. After determining the identification information of the RAN node and/or cell in the second area, the first AMF further determines the first RAN node and/or first area by using the above determination method 1 or determination method 2.

Before step 402, the method may further include: 11) The first AMF sends the first indication information to the first RAN node. Correspondingly, the first RAN node receives the first indication information from the first AMF.

The identification information of the first area sent by the first AMF to the first RAN node may be included in the same message as the first indication information, or may be included in different messages. Before step 11), the first AMF may acquire the first indication information in the following manner 1 or manner 2.

Manner 1: The first AMF receives a first message for instructing a terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connected state, and generates first indication information according to the first message.

In the specific implementation of manner 1, the first message may carry information indicating the first type. The first AMF may receive the first message from NEF or USS.

Manner 2: The first AMF receives the first indication information.

In the specific implementation of manner 2, the first AMF may receive the first indication information from the NEF or USS.

In the specific implementation of manner 2, if the first AMF receives the first indication information from the NEF, before the first AMF receives the first indication information, the method may further include:

21) USS determines the third area;

22) The USS sends the first indication information and the identification information of the third area to the NEF;

23) NEF receives the first indication information and the identification information of the third area from the USS;

24) The NEF determines the second area according to the third area, and the second area is a subset of the third area;

25) NEF obtains the first AMF;

26) The NEF sends the first indication information and the identification information of the second area to the first AMF.

The first AMF is one of the AMFs in the third area.

The second area may be a subset of the third area. Exemplarily, for the relationship between the first area, the second area, and the third area, see FIG. 6.

The third area may be one or more cells. The cell in the third area may be an airspace cell or an ordinary cell (ie, a non-spacespace cell). In this case, the identification information of the third area may be the identification information of the AMF in the third area, the identification information of the RAN node or the identification information of the cell. The third area may also be TA. In this case, the identification information of the third area may be TA identification information. The third area may also be an area enclosed by a specific shape (such as a polygon, a circle, etc.), or a three-dimensional area (such as a no-fly zone for drones), an administrative area, etc. In this case, the identification of the third area The information may be the latitude and longitude information of the third area, the description information of the three-dimensional area or the administrative area identification. For drones, the third area is generally the surveillance area of drones, such as airports and important event venues.

Step 21) In specific implementation, the USS may determine the third area according to the terminal device of the first type. For example, when the terminal device of the first type is a drone, the USS may determine that the third area is a surveillance area of the drone, such as an airport and an important event venue.

Steps 24) and 25) In specific implementation, the NEF may first perform step 24) and then perform step 25) (denoted as case 1), or may perform step 25) before performing step 24) (denoted as case 2). The specific implementation of step 24) and step 25) in these two cases will be described below. Exemplarily, in case 1, the identification information of the third area may be identification information of a RAN node or identification information of a cell in the third area. In case 2, the identification information of the third area may be the identification information of the AMF in the third area.

In case 1:

If the identification information of the third area is the identification information of the RAN node in the third area, step 24) in specific implementation may include: NEF determines one or more RAN nodes in the third area that have N2 connections to the same AMF The service area of is the second area; or, the NEF determines that the air cell belonging to one or more RAN nodes with N2 connections to the same AMF in the third area is the second area.

If the identification information of the third area is the identification information of the cells in the third area, step 24) in specific implementation may include: NEF determines that one or more ordinary cells covered by the same AMF in the third area are the second Area; or, the NEF determines that one or more airspace cells covered by the same AMF in the third area are the second area.

Step 25) In specific implementation, it may include: the NEF determining the first AMF according to the second area.

The NEF determining the first AMF according to the second area may be specifically implemented in the following manner A.

Method A: The NEF sends a request 2 to the NRF. The request 2 is used to request the AMF covering the second area. The NRF receives the request 2 from the NEF and sends the determined first AMF to the NEF.

In manner A, the request 2 may include the identification information of the second area and the information that the type of the requested network function is AMF. The NRF may include the correspondence between the AMF and the area covered by the AMF. Therefore, after receiving the request 2, the NRF may determine the first AMF according to the identification information of the second area in the request 2, and feed back the information of the first AMF to the NEF, so that the NEF determines the first AMF.

In case 2:

Step 25) In specific implementation, it may include: the NEF determining that an AMF in the second area is the first AMF. After determining the first AMF, the NEF may determine the second area. Exemplarily, the first AMF may determine that the service area of the first AMF is the second area, and may also determine that the air cell covered by the first AMF is the first area.

When the identification information of the third area is the identification information of the TA, the latitude and longitude information of the third area, the description information of the three-dimensional area of the third area, or the administrative area identification of the third area, the NEF may be determined according to the identification information of the third area AMF, RAN node or cell identification information in the third area. For example, the NEF may send the identification information of the third area to the OAM, and the OAM determines the identification information of the AMF, RAN node, or cell in the third area according to the identification information of the third area, and feeds back to the NEF. After determining the identification information of the AMF, RAN node or cell in the third area, the NEF further performs steps 24) and 25) through the methods shown in case 1 and case 2 above.

In addition to the method for determining the second area described in case 1 and case 2, the NEF can also directly determine the third area as the second area (that is, the identification information of the third area is the same as the identification information of the second area). In addition to the method for determining the first AMF described in case 1 and case 2, the NEF can also determine any AMF in the third area as the first AMF or obtain the information of the first AMF locally. It should be noted that, in the case where the first AMF has been obtained before the NEF, the NEF may store the information of the first AMF. In this case, the NEF may obtain the information of the first AMF locally.

In the above embodiment, in an implementation manner, after the NEF determines the first AMF, the NEF may query the UDM/UDR whether the first AMF is an AMF serving the first type of terminal device, and if it is, the AMF continues to execute the subsequent method If not, AMF stops performing subsequent methods to reduce unnecessary signaling overhead of the network and reduce resource consumption of the network. Specifically, the NEF may send the first AMF information (for example, the identifier of the first AMF) to the UDM/UDR. The UDM/UDR determines the terminal device's capability information or the terminal device's subscription information, and the terminal device's mobility management context. Whether the first AMF is included in the AMF serving the terminal device of the first type, if yes, then the NEF is returned to the NEF that the first AMF is the AMF serving the terminal device of the first type, if not, the first AMF is returned to the NEF AMF is not information about AMF serving the first type of terminal device. In another implementation, NEF can query UDM/UDR for information about the AMF currently serving the first type of terminal device, UDM/UDR through terminal device capability information or terminal device contract information, and terminal device movement The sexual management context returns to the NEF information about the AMF currently serving the terminal device of the first type. The NEF can determine whether the AMF information currently serving the terminal device of the first type contains the first AMF. If so, the first AMF continues to execute subsequent Method, if not, the first AMF stops performing subsequent methods to reduce unnecessary signaling overhead of the network and reduce resource consumption of the network.

Further, when the UDM/UDR detects that the first AMF no longer serves the first type of terminal device, the UDM/UDR may notify the NEF that the first AMF no longer serves the first type of terminal device, so that the NEF Notify the first AMF to stop performing subsequent methods to reduce unnecessary signaling overhead of the network and reduce resource consumption of the network.

In a specific implementation manner 2, if the first AMF receives the first indication information from the USS, before the first AMF receives the first indication information, the method may further include: 31) The USS determines the second area; 32) The USS obtains the second An AMF; 33) The USS sends the first indication information and the identification information of the second area to the first AMF.

Step 31) In specific implementation, the USS may determine the third area according to the first type of terminal device. For example, when the first type of terminal device is a drone, the USS may determine the second area to be a surveillance area of the drone , Such as airports, important event venues, etc.

Step 32) In a specific implementation, the way in which the USS obtains the first AMF is the same as the way in which the NEF obtains the first AMF. For details, reference may be made to the above, and details are not described here. In addition to these methods, the USS can also determine the first AMF according to the first AMF information reported by the NEF.

When the USS determines that it is not necessary to bring the first type of terminal device in the third area (or the second area) into the connected state or maintain the connected state or enter and maintain the connected state (for example, when the terminal device is a drone and the third When the area is no longer the supervision area of the drone (such as no-fly zone, no-fly zone), optional, the above method also includes:

41) The first AMF sends second indication information to the first RAN node, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid;

42) The first RAN node receives second indication information from the first AMF, and stops broadcasting the first indication information to the first area according to the second indication information.

Further, the first AMF may send a message containing the second indication information to the first RAN node, and the message may also include the identification information of the first area, so that the first RAN node determines which area has the first indication information invalid. It should be noted that the first RAN node may broadcast the first indication information to multiple areas. If the first RAN node does not receive the identification information of the first area, the first RAN node may broadcast all the first indications to all areas by default. The information is invalid.

Before step 41), the first AMF may obtain the second indication information in the following manner (1) or manner (2).

Manner (1): The first AMF receives a second message indicating that the first indication information is invalid, and generates second indication information according to the second message.

Mode (1) In specific implementation, the second message may contain information indicating the first type, and the first AMF may receive the second message from the NEF or USS.

Manner (2): The first AMF receives the second indication information.

Mode (2) In specific implementation, the first AMF may receive the second indication information from the NEF or USS.

Method (2) In specific implementation, if the first AMF receives the second indication information from the USS, before the first AMF receives the second indication information, the method may further include: the USS sends the second indication information to the first AMF.

Method (2) In specific implementation, if the first AMF receives the second indication information from the NEF, before the first AMF receives the second indication information, the method may further include: the USS sends the second indication information to the NEF; NEF Receive second indication information from the USS; NEF sends second indication information to the first AMF.

Optionally, the above method further includes: the first RAN node broadcasts the second indication information to the first area. In this case, when the terminal device is the first type of terminal device indicated by the first indication information, the terminal device determines that the first indication information is invalid according to the second indication information, that is, the terminal device no longer enters the connected state or the first indication information according to the first indication information. Keep connected or enter and keep connected. In other words, the USS does not require the terminal device to enter the connected state or remain connected or enter and maintain the connected state. Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, a new state (recorded as the first state) may be added to the terminal device, and the first state refers to a state where the terminal device needs to enter the connected state or maintain the connected state or enter and maintain the connected state A state, other states than the first state may be referred to as the second state. Then, when the terminal device receives the first instruction information, the terminal device enters the first state, and when the terminal device receives the second instruction information, the terminal device switches from the first state to the second state.

In the above embodiment, the USS may also send a duration to the AMF through the NEF. The duration refers to the effective time of the first indication information. In this case, the AMF may not receive the second indication information from the NEF or USS, but instead After the duration is reached, the second instruction information is generated by itself. Further, the AMF may send a duration to the first RAN node, and the duration refers to the effective time of the first indication information. In this case, the first RAN node may not receive the second indication information from the AMF, but at the duration Upon arrival, the second instruction information is generated by itself. The duration can be unlimited, or it can be the length of time in units of years, months, days, hours, etc. For drones, some of the surveillance areas of drones are fixed, such as airports, and some surveillance areas are temporarily changed, such as major event venues. The supervision time for temporary surveillance areas is also short. By specifying the duration, the system efficiency can be improved and the waste of mobile communication network resources can be reduced.

The functions of the USS and NEF in the foregoing embodiments may be integrated in one physical device or may be implemented in different physical devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

In order to make the above-mentioned embodiments clearer, the following gives an example of the above-mentioned embodiments through a specific implementation process. For convenience of description, this example describes that the terminal device enters the connected state or remains connected or enters and remains connected as The terminal device enters a predetermined state, referring to FIG. 7, the implementation process includes:

701. The USS sends a first configuration request to the NEF. The first configuration request is used to instruct the terminal device of the first type to enter a predetermined state. Correspondingly, the NEF receives the first configuration request from the USS.

Wherein, the first configuration request may indicate that the terminal device of the first type enters a predetermined state through the information for indicating the first type contained in the first configuration request and the message type of the first configuration request, or through the first configuration request The first instruction information is included to instruct the terminal device of the first type to enter a predetermined state. The first configuration request may also be implemented through API.

Optionally, the first configuration request further includes identification information and/or duration of the third area. In the subsequent steps, the identification information of the third area is also included in the first configuration request as an example to illustrate the foregoing embodiment.

702. The NEF determines the first AMF.

For the specific implementation manner of step 702, reference may be made to the foregoing, and details are not described herein again.

703. The NEF sends a second configuration request to the first AMF, where the second configuration request is used to instruct the terminal device of the first type to enter a predetermined state. Correspondingly, the first AMF receives the second configuration request from the NEF.

Wherein, the second configuration request may indicate that the terminal device of the first type enters a predetermined state through the information for indicating the first type contained in the second configuration request and the message type of the second configuration request, or may be requested through the second configuration request The first instruction information is included to instruct the terminal device of the first type to enter a predetermined state.

The second configuration request may further include identification information and/or duration of the second area. In the subsequent steps, the identification information of the second area included in the second configuration request is used as an example to describe the foregoing embodiment. It can be understood that, when the second configuration request further includes the identification information of the second area, before step 703, the NEF needs to determine the identification information of the second area according to the identification information of the third area. For the determination process, refer to the above.

The second area may be a subset determined by the NEF from the third area.

704. The first AMF sends a first N2 message to the first RAN node. Correspondingly, the first RAN node receives the first N2 message from the first AMF.

The first N2 message may include first indication information and identification information of the first area. The first area may be a subset of the first AMF determined from the second area. The service area of the first RAN node includes the first area.

Before step 704, the first AMF may determine the identification information of the first area according to the identification information of the second area. For the determination method, see above.

It should be noted that when the second configuration request indicates that the terminal device of the first type enters a predetermined state through the information included in the second configuration request for indicating the first type and the message type of the second configuration request, the first AMF may The first indication information is generated according to the message type of the second configuration request and the information included in the second configuration request for indicating the first type, and the first indication information is included in the first N2 message and sent to the first RAN node.

Before step 704, the first AMF may determine the first RAN node. For a specific implementation manner, reference may be made to the foregoing, and details are not described herein again.

705. The first RAN node broadcasts the first indication information to the first area. Correspondingly, the terminal device in the first area receives the first indication information.

706. When the terminal device is the first type of terminal device indicated by the first indication information, the terminal device enters a preset state according to the first indication information.

After step 706, if the USS determines that the terminal device of the first type in the third area does not need to be brought into a preset state, the method may further include the following steps:

707. The USS sends a third configuration request to the NEF. The third configuration request is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.

The third configuration request may indicate that the first indication information is invalid by the information included in the third configuration request indicating the first type and the message type of the third configuration request, or by including the second in the third configuration request The indication information indicates that the first indication information is invalid.

The third configuration request may further include identification information of the third area, that is, the third configuration request is specifically used to indicate that the first indication information in the third area is invalid. In the subsequent steps, the identification information of the third area included in the third configuration request is used as an example to describe the foregoing embodiment.

708. The NEF sends a fourth configuration request to the first AMF. The fourth configuration request is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.

Wherein, the fourth configuration request may indicate that the first indication information is invalid by the information included in the fourth configuration request for indicating the first type and the message type of the fourth configuration request, or by including the second in the fourth configuration request The indication information indicates that the first indication information is invalid.

The fourth configuration request may further include identification information of the second area, that is, the fourth configuration request is specifically used to indicate that the first indication information in the second area is invalid. In the subsequent steps, the identification information of the second area included in the fourth configuration request is used as an example to describe the foregoing embodiment. It can be understood that, when the fourth configuration request includes the identification information of the second area, the NEF also needs to determine the identification information of the second area according to the identification information of the third area. For the determination process, refer to the above.

709. The first AMF sends a second N2 message to the first RAN node. Correspondingly, the first RAN node receives the second N2 message from the first AMF.

The second indication information may be included in the second N2 message.

The second N2 message may also include identification information of the first area, that is, the second N2 message is specifically used to indicate that the first indication information in the first area is invalid. In the subsequent steps, the foregoing embodiment is exemplarily described by taking the identification information of the first area included in the second N2 message as an example. It can be understood that when the second N2 message includes the identification information of the first area, the first AMF also needs to determine the identification information of the first area according to the identification information of the second area. For the determination process, see the above.

It should be noted that when the fourth configuration request indicates that the first indication information is invalid through the information included in the fourth configuration request for indicating the first type and the message type of the fourth configuration request, the first AMF may be configured according to the fourth configuration The requested message type and the information included in the fourth configuration request for indicating the first type generate second indication information, and include the second indication information in the second N2 message and send it to the first RAN node.

710. The first RAN node stops broadcasting the first indication information to the first area.

711. The first RAN node broadcasts the second indication information to the first area.

Example 2

In addition to the method provided in Embodiment 1, an embodiment of the present application also provides a method for instructing a terminal device to maintain a connected state through NAS signaling, and the AMF in this method has no direct relationship with the first AMF in Embodiment 1, Referring to Figure 8, the method includes:

801. The terminal device sends a third message to the AMF, where the third message carries the type information of the terminal device.

The third message may be an N1NAS message, such as registration request (request), service request (service request), and so on.

802. If the AMF determines that the terminal device is the first type of terminal device according to the third message, the AMF sends third indication information to the terminal device. The third indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to maintain the connection state in the target area. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third instruction information from the AMF.

The third indication information may be included in the N1NAS message.

The target area may be an area that requires the terminal device of the first type to maintain a connection state. The target area may be a cell (for example, an air cell or an ordinary cell), an area surrounded by a specific shape (for example, polygon, circle, etc.), a three-dimensional area (for example, a no-fly zone for an unmanned aerial vehicle), or an administrative area. In addition, the target area may also be a tracking area (tracking area, referred to as TA). Exemplarily, when the first type of terminal device is a drone, the target area may be a drone supervision area (for example, an airport).

The AMF may be the AMF in the target area, or it may not be the AMF in the target area.

Before step 802, the method may further include: AMF acquiring identification information of the target area.

AMF can receive the identification information of the target area from other devices (for example, from NEF or USS), or it can be obtained locally. In this case, the identification information of the target area can be pre-configured in the AMF.

803. The terminal device determines to maintain the connection state after entering the target area according to the third instruction information.

When step 803 is specifically implemented, the terminal device may determine whether to enter the target area through the attached cell identifier, or may determine whether to enter the target area through global positioning system (Global Positioning System, GPS) positioning. When the terminal device is in the idle state when entering the target area, the terminal device enters the connected state and remains connected in the target area. When the terminal device is in the connected state when entering the target area, the terminal device remains in the connected state in the target area, that is, does not enter the idle state in the target area.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, information can be exchanged between the AMF and the terminal device through the RAN node.

This method can enable the terminal device to remain connected after entering the target area, so as to realize the positioning of the drone when the terminal device is a drone.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the message interaction and information interaction between the various network elements can also be implemented through the service API. The message can be regarded as a service, implemented by one or more APIs, or the message can also be regarded as an API, and the interactive information can be used as input parameters of the API, or output results. The following uses the information interaction between USS and NEF as an example to illustrate. NEF can provide a service for setting the first type of terminal status. The service is implemented using API X. The first indication information and the identification information of the third area can be used as the Input parameters of API. Then, the USS sending the first indication information and the identification information of the third area to the NEF may be understood as the USS calling the API provided by the NEF. The interaction of other network elements is similar to this and will not be repeated here.

The above mainly introduces the solutions of the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of interaction between various network elements. It can be understood that each network element, such as an access network device, a terminal device, a mobility management entity, an application server, or a border control network element, in order to realize the above-mentioned functions, includes a hardware structure and/or a software module corresponding to performing each function . Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the exemplary units and algorithm steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed by hardware or computer software driven hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

The embodiments of the present application may divide the functional units of the access network device, the terminal device, the mobility management entity, the application server, or the border control network element according to the above method example. For example, each functional unit may be divided corresponding to each function, or Two or more functions are integrated in one processing unit. The above integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional unit. It should be noted that the division of the units in the embodiments of the present application is schematic, and is only a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, there may be another division manner.

In the case of using an integrated unit, FIG. 9 shows a possible structural schematic diagram of the communication device 90 involved in the above embodiment. The communication device 90 includes a processing unit 901 and a communication unit 902, and may further include a storage unit 903. The structural schematic diagram shown in FIG. 9 may be used to illustrate the access network device involved in the above embodiments (for example, the first RAN node in FIG. 4 or the first RAN node in FIG. 7 or the RAN node in FIG. 8) , Terminal device, mobility management entity (for example, the first AMF in FIG. 7 or AMF in FIG. 8), application server (for example, USS in FIG. 7), or border control network element (for example, NEF in FIG. 7) )Structure.

When the structural schematic diagram shown in FIG. 9 is used to illustrate the structure of the access network device involved in the above embodiment, the processing unit 901 is used to control and manage the actions of the access network device, for example, the processing unit 901 is used to support The access network device performs steps 401 to 402 in FIG. 4, steps 704 to 705 and 709 to 711 in FIG. 7, steps 801 to 802 in FIG. 8, and/or other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. Actions performed by the access network device. The communication unit 902 is used to support communication between the access network device and other network entities, for example, communication with the terminal device shown in FIG. 4. The storage unit 903 is used to store program codes and data of the access network device.

When the structure diagram shown in FIG. 9 is used to illustrate the structure of the terminal device involved in the above embodiment, the processing unit 901 is used to control and manage the operation of the terminal device, for example, the processing unit 901 is used to support the terminal device to execute the diagram Steps 402 to 403 in FIG. 4, steps 705 to 706 and 711 in FIG. 7, steps 801 to 803 in FIG. 8, and/or actions performed by the terminal device in other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. The communication unit 902 is used to support communication between the terminal device and other network entities, for example, communication with the access network device shown in FIG. 4. The storage unit 903 is used to store program codes and data of the terminal device.

When the structural diagram shown in FIG. 9 is used to illustrate the structure of the mobility management entity involved in the above embodiment, the processing unit 901 is used to control and manage the actions of the mobility management entity, for example, the processing unit 901 is used to support The mobility management entity performs steps 703 to 704 and 708 to 709 in FIG. 7, steps 801 to 802 in FIG. 8, and/or actions performed by the mobility management entity in other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. The communication unit 902 is used to support communication between the mobility management entity and other network entities, for example, with the access network device shown in FIG. 7. The storage unit 903 is used to store program codes and data of the mobility management entity.

When the structural schematic diagram shown in FIG. 9 is used to illustrate the structure of the application server involved in the above embodiment, the processing unit 901 is used to control and manage the actions of the application server, for example, the processing unit 901 is used to support the application server execution diagram Steps 701 and 707 in 7, and/or actions performed by the application server in other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. The communication unit 902 is used to support communication between the application server and other network entities, for example, communication with the border control network element shown in FIG. 7. The storage unit 903 is used to store program codes and data of the application server.

When the structural diagram shown in FIG. 9 is used to illustrate the structure of the boundary control network element involved in the above embodiment, the processing unit 901 is used to control and manage the actions of the boundary control network element, for example, the processing unit 901 is used to support The border control network element performs steps 701 to 703 and 707 to 708 in FIG. 7 and/or actions performed by the border control network element in other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. The communication unit 902 is used to support communication between the border control network element and other network entities, for example, with the mobility management entity shown in FIG. 7. The storage unit 903 is used to store the program code and data of the border control network element.

Wherein, the processing unit 901 may be a processor or a controller, and the communication unit 902 may be a communication interface, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, etc., where the communication interface is a general term and may include one or more interfaces. The storage unit 903 may be a memory. When the processing unit 901 is a processor, the communication unit 902 is a communication interface, and the storage unit 903 is a memory, the communication device 90 involved in the embodiment of the present application may be the communication device 100 shown in FIG. 10.

10 is a schematic diagram of a hardware structure of a communication device 100 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 100 may be an access network device herein (for example, the first RAN node in FIG. 4 or the first in FIG. 7 RAN node or RAN node in FIG. 8), terminal device, mobility management entity (eg, first AMF in FIG. 7 or AMF in FIG. 8), application server (eg, USS in FIG. 7), or border control Network element (for example, NEF in FIG. 7). The communication device 100 includes at least one processor 1001, a communication bus 1002, and at least one communication interface 1004. Optionally, the memory 1003 is also included. In FIG. 10, the communication device 100 includes a processor 1001 and a communication interface 1004 as an example for drawing.

The processor 1001 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (central processing unit, CPU for short), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC for short), or one or more programs used to control the application program Implementation of integrated circuits. In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 1001 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 10.

The communication bus 1002 may include a path to transfer information between the above components.

The communication interface 1004 uses any transceiver-like device to communicate with other devices or communication networks.

The memory 1003 may be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or those that can store information and instructions Other types of dynamic storage devices can also be electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (electrically erasable programmable-read-only memory, EEPROM for short), compact disc-read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical discs Storage, optical disc storage (including compact discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures And any other media that can be accessed by the computer, but not limited to this. The memory may exist independently, and is connected to the processor through the communication bus 1002. The memory can also be integrated with the processor.

The memory 1003 is used to store computer execution instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the processor 1001 controls execution. The processor 1001 is configured to execute computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1003, so as to implement the method provided in the following embodiments of the present application.

Optionally, the computer execution instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be called application program codes, which are not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

When the structural schematic diagram shown in FIG. 10 is used to illustrate the structure of the access network device involved in the above embodiment, the processor 1001 is used to control and manage the actions of the access network device, for example, the processor 1001 is used to support The access network device performs steps 401 to 402 in FIG. 4, steps 704 to 705 and 709 to 711 in FIG. 7, steps 801 to 802 in FIG. 8, and/or other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. Actions performed by the access network device. The communication interface 1004 is used to support communication between the access network device and other network entities, for example, communication with the terminal device shown in FIG. 4. The memory 1003 is used to store program codes and data of the access network device.

When the structural schematic diagram shown in FIG. 10 is used to illustrate the structure of the terminal device involved in the above embodiment, the processor 1001 is used to control and manage the operation of the terminal device, for example, the processor 1001 is used to support the terminal device to execute the diagram Steps 402 to 403 in FIG. 4, steps 705 to 706 and 711 in FIG. 7, steps 801 to 803 in FIG. 8, and/or actions performed by the terminal device in other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. The communication interface 1004 is used to support communication between the terminal device and other network entities, for example, communication with the access network device shown in FIG. 4. The memory 1003 is used to store program codes and data of the terminal device.

When the structural schematic diagram shown in FIG. 10 is used to illustrate the structure of the mobility management entity involved in the foregoing embodiment, the processor 1001 is used to control and manage the actions of the mobility management entity, for example, the processor 1001 is used to support The mobility management entity performs steps 703 to 704 and 708 to 709 in FIG. 7, steps 801 to 802 in FIG. 8, and/or actions performed by the mobility management entity in other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. The communication interface 1004 is used to support communication between the mobility management entity and other network entities, for example, with the access network device shown in FIG. 7. The memory 1003 is used to store program codes and data of the mobility management entity.

When the structural schematic diagram shown in FIG. 10 is used to illustrate the structure of the application server involved in the above embodiment, the processor 1001 is used to control and manage the actions of the application server. For example, the processor 1001 is used to support the execution of the application server. Steps 701 and 707 in 7, and/or actions performed by the application server in other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. The communication interface 1004 is used to support communication between the application server and other network entities, for example, communication with the border control network element shown in FIG. 7. The memory 1003 is used to store program codes and data of the application server.

When the schematic structural diagram shown in FIG. 10 is used to illustrate the structure of the border control network element involved in the above embodiment, the processor 1001 is used to control and manage the actions of the border control network element, for example, the processor 1001 is used to support The border control network element performs steps 701 to 703 and 707 to 708 in FIG. 7 and/or actions performed by the border control network element in other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. The communication interface 1004 is used to support communication between the border control network element and other network entities, for example, with the mobility management entity shown in FIG. 7. The memory 1003 is used to store the program code and data of the border control network element.

An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, including instructions, which when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product containing instructions, which when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute any of the above methods.

An embodiment of the present application also provides an apparatus, which exists in the form of a chip product. The apparatus includes a processor, a memory, and a transceiver component. The transceiver component includes an input and output circuit. The memory is used to store computer-executed instructions. The computer executes instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods. In this case, the execution subject that executes the method provided by the embodiment of the present application may be a chip.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes the access network device, the terminal device, and the mobility management entity in the foregoing first embodiment. Optionally, the communication system further includes the application server and/or border control network element in the first embodiment.

An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, which includes the terminal device and the mobility management entity in the foregoing second embodiment.

In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on the computer, all or part of the processes or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center by wire (e.g. Coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (digital subscriber line, DSL for short) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) transmission to another website, computer, server, or data center. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device including one or more servers and data centers that can be integrated with the medium. The usable media may be magnetic media (for example, floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), optical media (for example, DVD), or semiconductor media (for example, solid state disk (SSD)).

Although this application has been described in conjunction with various embodiments herein, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art can understand and realize the disclosure by viewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims Other changes to the embodiment. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "one" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill several functions recited in the claims. Certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments thereof, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the present application as defined by the appended claims, and are deemed to cover any and all modifications, changes, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. In this way, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalent technologies, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims (34)

1. A communication method, characterized in that it includes:

   The access network device obtains the identification information of the first area;

   The access network device broadcasts first indication information to the first area, where the first indication information is used to instruct a terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connected state.
2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the communication method further comprises:

   The access network device receives the first indication information from a mobility management entity.
3. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the access network device acquiring the identification information of the first area includes:

   The access network device receives the identification information of the first area from the mobility management entity.
4. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the communication method further comprises:

   The access network device receives second indication information from the mobility management entity;

   The access network device stops broadcasting the first indication information to the first area according to the second indication information.
5. The communication method according to claim 4, wherein the communication method further comprises:

   The access network device broadcasts the second indication information to the first area, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.
6. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first area is a cell, and the terminal device of the first type is located in the cell.
7. A communication method, characterized in that it includes:

   The terminal device receives first indication information broadcasted by the access network device to the first area, where the first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connected state;

   When the terminal device is the terminal device of the first type indicated by the first indication information, the terminal device enters a connected state or remains connected or enters and remains connected according to the first indication information.
8. The communication method according to claim 7, wherein the communication method further comprises:

   The terminal device receives second indication information broadcast by the access network device to the first area, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.
9. A communication method, characterized in that it includes:

   The mobility management entity determines the access network device, and the service area of the access network device includes the first area;

   The mobility management entity sends first indication information to the access network device, where the first indication information is used to instruct a terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connected state, the The first type of terminal device is in the first area.
10. The communication method according to claim 9, wherein the communication method further comprises:

    The mobility management entity sends the identification information of the first area to the access network device.
11. The communication method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the communication method further comprises:

    The mobility management entity sends second indication information to the access network device, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.
12. The communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the communication method further comprises:

    The mobility management entity receives the first indication information; or,

    The mobility management entity receives a first message for instructing the terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connected state, and generates the first indication information according to the first message .
13. The communication method according to any one of claims 9-12, wherein the communication method further comprises:

    The mobility management entity receives the identification information of the second area;

    The mobility management entity determines the first area according to the second area, and the first area is a subset of the second area.
14. The communication method according to claim 11, wherein the communication method further comprises:

    The mobility management entity receives the second indication information; or,

    The mobility management entity receives a second message indicating that the first indication information is invalid, and generates the second indication information according to the second message.
15. A communication method, characterized in that it includes:

    The application server determines the third area;

    The application server sends first indication information and identification information of the third area to the border control network element, where the first indication information is used to instruct a terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain In the connected state, the terminal device of the first type is in a first area, and the first area is a subset of the third area.
16. The communication method according to claim 15, wherein the communication method further comprises:

    The application server sends second indication information to the border control network element, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.
17. A communication device, characterized by comprising: a communication unit and a processing unit;

    The processing unit is configured to obtain identification information of the first area;

    The communication unit is configured to broadcast first indication information to the first area, and the first indication information is used to instruct a terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connected state.
18. The communication device according to claim 17, wherein

    The communication unit is also used to receive the first indication information from a mobility management entity.
19. The communication device according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that

    The processing unit is specifically configured to receive the identification information of the first area from the mobility management entity through the communication unit.
20. The communication device according to any one of claims 17-19, characterized in that

    The communication unit is further configured to receive second indication information from the mobility management entity;

    The processing unit is further configured to stop broadcasting the first instruction information to the first area according to the second instruction information.
21. The communication device according to claim 20, wherein

    The communication unit is further configured to broadcast the second indication information to the first area, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.
22. The communication device according to any one of claims 17-21, wherein the first area is a cell, and the terminal device of the first type is located in the cell.
23. A communication device, characterized by comprising: a communication unit and a processing unit;

    The communication unit is configured to receive first indication information broadcast by the access network device to the first area, and the first indication information is used to instruct the first type of communication device to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connection state;

    The processing unit is configured to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connection according to the first indication information when the communication device is the first type of communication device indicated by the first indication information state.
24. The communication device according to claim 23, wherein

    The communication unit is further configured to receive second indication information broadcast by the access network device to the first area, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.
25. A communication device, characterized by comprising: a communication unit and a processing unit;

    The processing unit is configured to determine an access network device, and a service area of the access network device includes a first area;

    The communication unit is configured to send first indication information to the access network device, and the first indication information is used to instruct a terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connected state. The terminal device of the first type is in the first area.
26. The communication device according to claim 25, wherein

    The communication unit is further configured to send the identification information of the first area to the access network device.
27. The communication device according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that

    The communication unit is further configured to send second indication information to the access network device, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.
28. The communication device according to any one of claims 25-27, characterized in that

    The communication unit is also used to receive the first indication information; or,

    The communication unit is further configured to receive a first message for instructing the terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or enter and maintain a connected state, and the processing unit is further configured to A message generates the first indication information.
29. The communication device according to any one of claims 25 to 28, characterized in that

    The communication unit is also used to receive identification information of the second area;

    The processing unit is further configured to determine the first area according to the second area, where the first area is a subset of the second area.
30. The communication device according to claim 27, characterized in that

    The communication unit is also used to receive the second indication information; or,

    The communication unit is further configured to receive a second message indicating that the first indication information is invalid, and the processing unit is further configured to generate the second indication information according to the second message.
31. A communication device, characterized by comprising: a communication unit and a processing unit;

    The processing unit is used to determine a third area;

    The communication unit is configured to send first indication information and identification information of the third area to a border control network element, and the first indication information is used to instruct a terminal device of the first type to enter a connected state or maintain a connected state or Entering and maintaining the connection state, the first type of terminal device is in a first area, and the first area is a subset of the third area.
32. The communication device according to claim 31, wherein

    The communication unit is further configured to send second indication information to the border control network element, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is invalid.
33. A communication device, characterized in that it includes: a memory and a processor;

    The memory is used to store computer-executed instructions, and the processor executes the computer-executed instructions stored in the memory, so that the communication device implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6; or To implement the method according to claim 7 or 8; or to implement the method according to any one of claims 9 to 14; or to implement the method according to claim 15 or 16.
34. A computer storage medium, comprising instructions, which when executed on a computer, causes the computer to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6; or, as claimed The method according to 7 or 8; or, the method according to any one of claims 9 to 14; or the method according to claim 15 or 16, is realized.

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