WO2022017329A1

WO2022017329A1 - Secondary network device release method, and computer-readable storage medium and device

Info

Publication number: WO2022017329A1
Application number: PCT/CN2021/107158
Authority: WO
Inventors: 邝奕如; 王燕; 杨旭东; 谢曦
Original assignee: 华为技术有限公司
Priority date: 2020-07-20
Filing date: 2021-07-19
Publication date: 2022-01-27
Also published as: CN113966014A

Abstract

A secondary network device release method, comprising: sending configuration information to a secondary network device, with the configuration information being used for indicating that a primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate a secondary network device release demand message, wherein the secondary network device release demand message is used for requesting the primary network device to perform secondary network device release; and receiving the secondary network device release demand message from the secondary network device. The present application also relates to a machine-readable medium and a device.

Description

Auxiliary network device release method, computer readable storage medium and device

The application is required to be submitted to the China Patent Office on July 20, 2020, the application number is 202010699921.7, the application name is "an SN release method, terminal and network equipment", and it was submitted to the China Patent Office on August 6, 2020, the application number is 202010785680.8 , the priority of the Chinese patent application entitled "Auxiliary Network Device Release Method, Computer-readable Storage Medium and Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated into this application by reference.

technical field

One or more embodiments of the present application generally relate to the field of communications, and specifically relate to a method, medium, and device for releasing secondary network devices

Background technique

When a user equipment (UE) is performing services with a high transmission rate, such as UE playing real-time battle games, using GSP navigation, high-definition video calls, etc., in order to support the above communication services, the UE may be configured to simultaneously communicate with two The base station connects and conducts data communication, thereby increasing the transmission rate of the UE.

The scenario in which the UE is connected to two network devices at the same time and performs data communication can be called Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC). Among them, when the network equipment of E-UTRA (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access, evolved UMTS terrestrial wireless access) is used as the main network equipment (Master Node, MN), the network equipment of NR (New Radio, new air interface) is used as the secondary network. device (Secondary Node, SN), this scenario is specifically called E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) in MR-DC; similarly, there is also NR-E-UTRA Dual Connectivity (NR-E-UTRA Dual Connectivity, NE-DC) and NR-NR Dual Connectivity (NR-NR Dual Connectivity, NR-DC).

In the DC scenario, the UE will generate high power consumption and the temperature of the device will rise, which may cause the user to feel that the device is too hot or lose power quickly during use, resulting in a bad user experience. At this time, the power consumption of the UE can be reduced by releasing the SN.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present application is described below from various aspects, and the embodiments and beneficial effects of the following various aspects can be referred to each other.

According to a first aspect of the present application, a method for releasing a secondary network device is provided. The method is used for a primary network device, comprising: sending configuration information to the secondary network device, where the configuration information is used to indicate the primary network device The device allows the secondary network device to initiate a secondary network device release request message, wherein the secondary network device release request message is used to request the primary network device to perform the secondary network device release; The secondary network device releases the request message.

According to a second aspect of the present application, a method for releasing a secondary network device is provided. The method is used for a primary network device and includes: sending configuration information to the secondary network device, where the configuration information is used to indicate the primary network device A condition for the device to allow the secondary network device to initiate a secondary network device release request message, wherein the secondary network device release request message is used to request the primary network device to perform the secondary network device release; receiving information from the secondary network device The secondary network device releases the request message.

In some embodiments, the method further includes sending, to the secondary network device, indication information for indicating a condition that allows the secondary network device to initiate the release of the secondary network device, and the condition includes at least one of the following:

In the case that the amount of data distributed by the primary network device to the secondary network device is lower than the first threshold within the first predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message ;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the secondary network device is lower than a second threshold within a second predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message;

If the amount of data between the user equipment and the primary network device is lower than a third threshold within a third predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message .

In some embodiments, the condition for instructing the primary network device to allow the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device includes at least one of the following:

The primary network device always allows the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device;

The primary network device always does not allow the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device;

In some embodiments, the method further includes that the primary network device receives an indication message from the secondary network device, where the indication message is used to instruct the secondary network device to support the secondary network device release request from the user equipment; Alternatively, the indication message is used to instruct the secondary network device to support a secondary network device release request from the user equipment based on energy saving purposes.

In some implementation manners, after the secondary network device receives the secondary network device release request of the user equipment, the indication message is sent to the primary network device; or, the indication message is sent by the secondary network device After receiving the secondary network device release request based on the energy saving purpose of the user equipment, the request is sent to the primary network device.

According to a third aspect of the present application, there is provided a method for releasing a secondary network device, the method being used for the secondary network device, the method comprising: receiving configuration information from the primary network device, the configuration information including indicating the The primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate a secondary network device release request message, wherein the secondary network device release request message is used to request the primary network device to perform the secondary network device release; and receive a secondary network device release request, Sending a secondary network device release request message to the primary network device.

According to a fourth aspect of the present application, there is provided a method for releasing a secondary network device, the method being used for the secondary network device, the method comprising receiving configuration information from a primary network device, the configuration information comprising indicating the primary network device A condition that the network device allows the secondary network device to initiate a secondary network device release request, wherein the secondary network device release request is used to request the primary network device to perform the secondary network device release; and receiving the secondary network device release request, in Under the condition that the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message, the secondary network device release request message is sent to the primary network device.

In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, from the primary network device, indication information for indicating a condition that allows the secondary network device to initiate the release of the secondary network device, and the condition includes at least one of the following:

In the case that the amount of data distributed by the primary network device to the secondary network device is lower than a first threshold within a first predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the secondary network device is lower than a second threshold within a second predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the primary network device is lower than a third threshold within a third predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device.

In some implementations, the method further includes sending an indication message to the primary network device, where the indication message is used to instruct the secondary network device to support the secondary network device release request from the user equipment; or, the indication message uses for instructing the secondary network device to support a secondary network device release request from the user equipment based on energy saving purposes.

In some embodiments, receiving the secondary network device release request includes receiving the secondary network device release request from the user equipment; or receiving the secondary network device release request from the user equipment based on energy saving purposes.

According to a fifth aspect of the present application, there is provided a method for releasing a secondary network device, the method is used for a primary network device, the method includes receiving an instruction message from the secondary network device for instructing to release the secondary network device ; In the case that it is determined that the primary network device is allowed to release the secondary network device, send a secondary network device release request message to the secondary network device, wherein the secondary network device release request message is used to request the release of the secondary network device equipment.

In some embodiments, determining that the primary network device is allowed to release the secondary network device includes at least one of the following:

In the case that the amount of data distributed by the primary network device to the secondary network device is lower than a first threshold within a first predetermined time, the primary network device is allowed to initiate the secondary network device release request message;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the secondary network device is lower than a second threshold within a second predetermined time, the primary network device is allowed to initiate the secondary network device release request message;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the primary network device is lower than a third threshold within a third predetermined time, the primary network device is allowed to initiate the secondary network device release request message.

In some embodiments, the indication message for instructing to release the secondary network device is sent to the primary network device by the secondary network device after receiving the secondary network device release request of the user equipment; After receiving the secondary network device release request from the user equipment based on the energy saving purpose, the secondary network device sends the request to the primary network device.

According to a sixth aspect of the present application, a method for releasing a secondary network device is provided. The method is used for a secondary network device. The method includes sending an instruction message for indicating the release of the secondary network device to the primary network device, and receiving a message from the primary network device. A secondary network device release request message of the primary network device, wherein the secondary network device release request message is used to request to release the secondary network device.

According to a seventh aspect of the present application, a method for releasing a secondary network device is provided. The method is used for a primary network device, and the method includes receiving a first secondary network device for requesting the primary network device to perform the release of the secondary network device. network device release request message, execute the secondary network device release, send a confirmation message for the secondary network device release to the secondary network device, and send a request message and an instruction for adding the secondary network device to the secondary network device message, the indication information is used to indicate that the secondary network device is not allowed to be released within a preset time; or a request message for adding the secondary network device is sent to the secondary network device, the request information is also used to indicate the preset The secondary network device is not allowed to be released within the time.

In some embodiments, the indication information carries the information of the preset time; and/or the preset time is the time configured on the secondary network device.

In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving a second secondary network device release request message for requesting the primary network device to perform the secondary network device release, and performing the secondary network device release.

According to an eighth aspect of the present application, a method for releasing a secondary network device is provided. The method is used for the secondary network device, and the method includes sending a request to the primary network device to request the primary network device to execute the secondary network device. The first secondary network device release request message released by the device, receive a confirmation message from the primary network device that the secondary network device is released, and receive a request message and an instruction from the primary network device to add the secondary network device message, the indication information is used to indicate that the secondary network device is not allowed to be released within a preset time; or receive a request message from the primary network device for adding the secondary network device, the request information is also used to indicate that the secondary network device is not allowed to be released within a preset time. The secondary network device is not allowed to be released within the set time.

In some embodiments, the method further includes, after the preset time elapses, sending a second secondary network device release request message to the primary network device requesting the primary network device to perform the release of the secondary network device .

According to a ninth aspect of the present application, there is provided a machine-readable medium on which instructions are stored, and when the instructions are executed on the machine, cause the machine to execute the first to first steps of the present application. The method described in the eighth aspect.

According to a tenth aspect of the present application, there is provided a device, comprising: a processor; and a memory, where instructions are stored on the memory, and when the instructions are executed by the processor, the user equipment is made to execute the method according to the present invention. The methods described in the first to eighth aspects of the application are applied.

Description of drawings

Figure 1(a)-Figure 1(c) are schematic diagrams of several existing standardized SN release mechanisms;

2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 is the signal flow diagram of the SN release method according to an embodiment of the present application;

4A is a flowchart of an SN release method for MN according to an embodiment of the present application;

4B is a flowchart of a SN release method for SN according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 5 is the signal flow diagram of the SN release method according to another embodiment of the present application;

6A is a flowchart of a method for SN release for MN according to another embodiment of the present application;

6B is a flowchart of an SN release method for SN according to another embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 7 is the signal flow diagram of the SN release method according to another embodiment of the present application;

8A is a flowchart of a method for SN release for MN according to yet another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8B is a flowchart of a SN release method for SN according to yet another embodiment of the present application.

detailed description

The present application will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or data, these elements or data should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one feature from another. For example, a first feature could be termed a second feature, and, similarly, a second feature could be termed a first feature, without departing from the scope of example embodiments.

It should be noted that in this specification, like numerals and letters refer to like items in the following figures, so that once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be used in subsequent figures. for further definitions and explanations.

In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The SN release mechanism is specified in the standard TS 38.423 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Figures 1(a)-1(c) are schematic diagrams of several existing standardized SN release mechanisms. It should be noted that the SN release mechanism is SN release for a certain UE. Figure 1(a) and Figure 1(b) show the SN release initiated by the MN. The MN sends a SN release request (S-Node Release Request) message to the SN. If the SN determines that it can be released, as shown in Figure 1(a), the SN stops providing user data to the UE and sends an SN release acknowledgement (S-Node Release Request) to the MN. -Node Release Request Acknowledge) message; if the SN determines that it cannot be released, as shown in Figure 1(b), the SN sends a SN Release Reject (S-Node Release Reject) message. After the MN receives the S-Node Release Request Acknowledge message sent by the SN, the MN executes the SN release and releases the SN configured to the corresponding UE. The UE can also clear the configuration related to the corresponding SN, and the UE is no longer in dual connectivity. under the network structure.

The SN release initiated by the SN is shown in Figure 1(c). The SN sends the SN release request (S-Node Release Required) message to the MN, and the SN will receive the SN release confirmation (S-Node Release Confirm) from the MN. message and stop providing user data to the UE. According to the existing SN release mechanism, the SN release initiated by the SN does not fail. After the MN sends the SN release confirmation message (S-Node Release Confirm) message to the SN, the MN executes the SN release and releases the SN configured to the corresponding UE. The UE can also clear the corresponding SN-related configuration, and the UE is no longer in dual mode. Connected under the network architecture.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 2 , the UE100 is connected to the network device 200 and the network device 300 at the same time and performs data communication, wherein the network device 200 that establishes a control plane connection with the UE100 is called the master network device, master node, master base station or MN (Master Node, MN), and the network device 300 that only establishes a user plane connection with the UE 100 is called a secondary network device, secondary node, secondary base station or SN (Secondary Node, SN). It can be understood that all the radio link control signaling messages and functions of the UE are managed by the MN (primary network device), while the data plane radio bearer can be independently served by the MN or the SN (secondary network device), or by the MN and the SN. Simultaneous service. Data transmission through the two legs of MN and SN can improve the throughput of the network. For a UE with energy saving requirements, the UE can indicate to the SN that the SN is expected to be released due to the purpose of energy saving. Specifically, the UE can indicate to the SN that the SN is expected to be released due to the purpose of energy saving through the UE auxiliary information message, which can be directly sent to the SN, Or forwarded to SN through MN.

When the SN receives the expectation of the UE to release the SN, the SN can decide whether to release the SN to the UE. If the SN decides to release the SN, it can initiate the SN release procedure and send the SN release request message to the MN. As described above, according to the existing SN release mechanism, the SN release initiated by the SN must be successful.

In the EN-DC scenario, the load information of the base station is not exchanged between the MN and the SN. When the MN is heavily loaded, from the MN's point of view, the MN needs the SN to offload data to balance the load. If the SN directly initiates the SN release, the MN may have a heavier load and affect the data rate. Therefore, although the UE may need to save energy and thus expect to release the SN, from the network point of view, the data load in the network needs to be considered. If the SN is still released when the network data volume is large, it may lead to a more serious data rate reduction.

In view of the above problems, the technical solution of the present application provides an SN release method, which can perform effective and reasonable SN release according to the requirements of the main network device (eg, MN).

In order to describe the following embodiments clearly and concisely, a brief introduction of some technical terms is given first:

1) UE is user equipment, also known as terminal and terminal equipment, which is a device that provides voice and/or data connectivity to users. Computers, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices (for example, including: smart watches, smart bracelets, pedometers, etc.), personal digital assistants, portable media players, navigation devices, video game devices, set-top boxes , virtual reality and/or augmented reality devices, IoT devices, industrial control devices, streaming client devices, e-books, reading devices, POS machines, and other devices.

2) Network equipment, also known as radio access network (Radio Access Network, RAN) equipment is a device that accesses user equipment to a wireless network, including network equipment in various communication standards, such as but not limited to : base station, evolved Node B (evolved Node B, eNB), radio network controller (radio network controller, RNC), Node B (Node B, NB), network equipment controller (Base Station Controller, BSC), network equipment Transceiver Station (Base Transceiver Station, BTS), home network equipment (for example, Home evolved NodeB, or Home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BaseBand Unit, BBU), etc. The network equipment includes network equipment of various frequency systems, for example, including but not limited to: low-frequency network equipment and high-frequency network equipment.

Next, the SN release method according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, the primary network device is an MN and the secondary network device is an SN as an example for introduction, and the specific implementation process is not limited to this scenario.

FIG. 3 is a signal flow diagram of an SN release method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3 , UE100 is connected to MN200 and SN300 at the same time, and performs data communication.

MN200 and SN300 further include controllers and transceivers. Wherein, the controller may include, but is not limited to, a modem, a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit, CPU), an application processor (Application Processor, AP), a microprocessor (Micro-programmed Control Unit, MCU), artificial intelligence ( Artificial Intelligence, AI) processor or programmable logic device (Field Programmable Gate Array, FPGA) and other processing circuits. Among them, the modem is used to modulate the information (such as signal and/or data) in the baseband frequency domain to be transmitted into an analog signal that can be transmitted through the transceiver according to the 3GPP protocol, and demodulate the analog signal received by the transceiver information in the baseband frequency domain that the processor of the UE 100 can process. The different processing units can be stand-alone devices or integrated in one or more processors. In one possible implementation, the controller may run an operating system, such as Android, iOS, Windows OS, Linux, and Harmony OS. In other possible implementations, the controller may run a specific application. A memory can also be provided in the controller for storing instructions and data. In the embodiment of the present application, the controller may be configured to control the transceiver to transmit signals, and to execute the SN release method described below.

Transceivers are used to provide wireless connection interfaces (such as RF front-end modules, antennas, etc.) for MN and SN, and then communicate with any other suitable devices through one or more networks. Those skilled in the art can understand that the transceiver can provide a wireless local area network (wireless local area network, WLAN) (such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) network), Bluetooth (bluetooth, BT), third-generation mobile Communication technology (3rd-generation mobile communication technology, 3G) network, fourth generation mobile communication technology (the 4th generation mobile communication technology, 4G) network, fifth generation mobile communication technology (5th-generation mobile communication technology, 5G) network, and/or a network interface for wireless communications such as data connection services of a public land mobile network (Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN) evolved in the future. Those skilled in the art can understand that the MN and SN shown in FIG. 3 include one transceiver for illustration only, and the number of transceivers is not specifically limited, and may also be two or more.

As shown in FIG. 3, in step 301, the SN300 sends an indication message to the MN200 indicating whether the SN300 supports the initiation of SN release based on the UE100.

In one example, the SN release initiated by the UE 100 may be an SN release requested by the UE or triggered by the UE's reasons, or may be an SN release based on the energy saving purpose, for example, the power of the UE 100 is lower than a threshold, or the user has turned on the energy saving mode of the UE 100 Case. Those skilled in the art can understand that the SN release initiated by the UE is not limited to the purpose of energy saving, and the SN release may be initiated based on other purposes, which is not specifically limited in this application.

In an example, the SN carries the relevant indication in an existing message sent to the MN. That is, the SN can reuse the existing message to send the indication information, for example, the existing message is a UE context (UE context) message, a PDU session (Protocol Data Unit session) message, and the like. For example, one bit of 0 or 1 can be carried in a certain existing message (of course, multiple bits can also be assigned, such as: 2 bits, 3 bits, etc.) For the SN release initiated by the UE 100, use 1 to indicate that the SN supports the SN release initiated by the UE100. For another example, a field of one bit (of course, it can also be multiple bits, such as: 2 bits, 3 bits, etc.) can be carried in an existing message, and the absence of this field indicates that the SN does not support UE100-based initiation The presence of this field indicates that the SN supports the SN release initiated by the UE100. Those skilled in the art can understand that the SN can also send an instruction to the MN through a new message, which is not specifically limited in this application.

In an example, if the indication information indicates that the SN does not support the SN release initiated by the UE 100, the MN does not need to respond to the SN. If the indication information indicates that the SN supports the SN release initiated by the UE100, according to an embodiment of the present application, in the next step 302, the MN will further configure how the SN responds to the SN release initiated by the UE100.

Next, in step 302, if the SN indicates to the MN that it can support UE-initiated SN release in step 301, the MN sends configuration information to the SN for configuring how the SN responds to the UE 100-initiated SN release.

In a specific implementation process, step S301 is an optional step. The MN can either send configuration information to the SN based on the indication information of the SN, or the MN can actively send the configuration information to the SN.

In an example, the configuration information sent by the MN to the SN may be configured with UE, cell or base station as granularity, that is, the configuration information varies depending on the UE, cell or base station. For example, for a certain UE, the MN is allowed to initiate the SN release, while for another UE, the MN is not allowed to initiate the SN release; or for different UEs, the SN is allowed to initiate the SN release as indicated by the configuration information sent by the MN to the SN. different.

In one example, the configuration information may be whether the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release based on the UE's request, eg, allow or not. Likewise, the MN can make the relevant permission or not allow indication in an existing message sent to the SN. That is, the SN can reuse the existing message to send the indication information, for example, the existing message is a UE context (UE context) message, a PDU session (Protocol Data Unit session) message, and the like. For example, a field of one bit (or multiple bits) of 0 or 1 can be carried in a certain existing message, and based on the value of the field to identify whether it is allowed or not allowed, for example: use 0 to indicate not allowed, and use 1 to indicate allow. For another example, a field of one bit (of course, it can also be multiple bits, such as: 2 bits, 3 bits, etc.) can be carried in an existing message, and the absence of this field indicates that the SN does not support UE100-based initiation The presence of this field indicates that the SN supports the SN release initiated by the UE100.

Alternatively, if the MN sends configuration information to the UE, it is considered that the SN is allowed to initiate SN release based on the UE's request; if the MN does not feed back information to the UE, it is considered that the SN is not allowed to initiate SN release based on the UE's request. Or, if the preset field in the configuration information has a value, it is considered that the SN is allowed to initiate SN release based on the request of the UE; if the value of the preset field is empty, it is considered that the SN is not allowed to release based on the request of the UE. Initiate SN release.

Or whether the SN is allowed to initiate SN release is indicated by whether the MN gives an explicit indication. For example, the MN carries explicit indication information in a message sent to the SN. At this time, it indicates that the MN allows the SN to initiate the SN release. If no explicit indication information is carried, it means that the MN does not allow the SN to initiate SN release.

In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that the configuration information may be carried in an existing message, or may also be implemented as a new message, which is not specifically limited in this application.

In one example, the configuration information may also be a condition for instructing the MN to allow the SN to initiate SN release. For example, the MN always allows or always does not allow the SN to initiate SN release.

In another example, the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release when the amount of data offloaded by the MN to the SN is lower than the first threshold within the first predetermined time. For example, assuming that the amount of data offloaded by the MN to the SN in one minute is less than 20Mb, it can be considered that the MN's load will not be increased after the SN is released, so the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release.

In another example, the condition for the MN to allow the SN to initiate the SN release may also be that the MN allows the SN to initiate the SN release when the amount of data between the UE and the SN is lower than the second threshold within the second predetermined time.

In another example, the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release and so on when the amount of data between the UE and the MN is lower than the third threshold within the third predetermined time.

The above conditions may also be used in combination, provided they do not conflict.

The above-mentioned predetermined time may be one minute, five minutes, etc., and the predetermined time may be a default value preset by the SN, or may be specified by the MN through configuration information. Similarly, those skilled in the art can understand that the threshold value of the data volume can be a default value preset by the SN, or a value specified by the MN through configuration information, and the predetermined time and data volume thresholds are based on actual conditions and needs. Variable, this application does not specifically limit this.

In an example, the MN may also send configuration information to the SN to indicate that the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release. The MN may only send configuration information to the SN to indicate that the SN is allowed to initiate SN release based on the UE's request. Initiating the SN release may not indicate, or the MN may indicate that the release is allowed or not allowed to be released. The specific instructions have been introduced above and will not be repeated here. In an optional embodiment, the MN may further send an indication message including the above-mentioned condition for instructing the MN to allow the SN to initiate SN release. The configuration information and the indication information may be contained in the same message (or information), or contained in different information.

Those skilled in the art can understand that the indication message indicating the release condition and the configuration information can be the same message. For example, by indicating the condition for initiating SN release, the MN is implicitly instructed to allow the SN to initiate the SN release, or some fields in the configuration message Carry the instruction message. Likewise, the indication message and the configuration information may also be different messages. For example, two existing different messages carry the fields of the configuration information and the indication message respectively, or they may be separate two different messages. This application does not specifically limit the indication message and the configuration message.

In step 303, the UE 100 sends an indication message to the SN 300 indicating that it wishes to release the SN. As mentioned above, the UE 100 may wish to release the SN based on the energy saving purpose or other purposes. Wherein, the indication message that the SN is expected to be released may carry a reason value, and the reason value indicates the reason for the release of the SN (for example, the purpose of energy saving). The request to release the SN is initiated for energy saving purposes. Alternatively, the indication information of wishing to release the SN may only indicate that the UE wishes to release the SN without indicating the reason.

In step 304, after receiving the SN release indication message from the UE, the SN determines whether to initiate SN release according to the configuration information and/or indication message obtained in the above-mentioned step 302.

As mentioned above, if the configuration information and/or the indication message indicates that the MN does not allow the SN to initiate the SN release, the SN will not initiate the SN release procedure; if the configuration information and/or the indication message indicates that the MN allows the SN to initiate the SN release, the SN may The process of initiating SN release; if the configuration information and/or the instruction message indicate the conditions for initiating SN release, the SN will make judgments based on these conditions, and the SN release process can be initiated only when the conditions are met, otherwise, the SN release process will not be initiated. Process.

In step 304, if the SN determines that the SN release can be initiated, then in step 305, a SN release request (S-Node Release Required) message is sent to the MN. The MN receives the release request message from the SN, performs SN release in step 306, and sends an SN release confirmation (S-Node Release Confirm) message to the SN in step 307. After the MN sends the SN release confirmation message (S-Node Release Confirm) message to the SN, the MN executes the SN release, releases the SN configured to the corresponding UE, and the UE can also clear the corresponding SN-related configuration, so that the UE is no longer in the Under the dual-connection network architecture.

Here, the process of initiating, executing, and confirming the SN release in steps 305-307 is the prior art, and reference may be made to the above-mentioned 3GPP related standards, and details are not repeated here.

In another possible implementation manner, the configuration information in step 302 may also be sent by the MN200 to the UE100. Based on the stipulations or limited conditions of the configuration information, the UE 100 may decide whether to initiate SN release, and the specific process can refer to FIG. 3 , which will not be repeated here.

Next, the flow of the SN release method according to an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B .

FIG. 4A is a flowchart of a method for SN release for MN according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 4A, in step 401, the MN receives an indication message from the SN indicating whether the SN 300 supports the initiation of SN release based on the UE 100.

In a specific implementation process, step S401 is an optional step. The MN can either send configuration information to the SN based on the indication information of the SN, or the MN can actively send the configuration information to the SN.

In one example, the SN release initiated by the UE 100 may be the SN release requested by the UE or triggered by the UE, or may be based on the energy saving purpose, for example, the power of the UE 100 is lower than a threshold, or the user has turned on the energy saving mode of the UE 100 Case. Those skilled in the art can understand that the SN release initiated by the UE is not limited to the purpose of energy saving, and the SN release may be initiated based on other purposes, which is not specifically limited in this application.

In an example, the SN carries the relevant indication in an existing message sent to the MN. That is, the SN can reuse the existing message to send the indication information, for example, the existing message is: context (UE context), PDU session (Protocol Data Unit session) message and so on. For example, one bit of 0 or 1 can be carried in a certain existing message (of course, multiple bits can also be assigned, such as: 2 bits, 3 bits, etc.) For the SN release initiated by the UE 100, use 1 to indicate that the SN supports the SN release initiated by the UE100. For another example, a field of one bit (of course, it can also be multiple bits, such as: 2 bits, 3 bits, etc.) can be carried in an existing message, and the absence of this field indicates that the SN does not support UE100-based initiation The presence of this field indicates that the SN supports the SN release initiated by the UE100. Those skilled in the art can understand that the SN can also send an instruction to the MN through a new message, which is not specifically limited in this application.

Next, if the SN does not support the SN release initiated by the UE100, the MN does not need to respond to the SN, and the process ends in step 404. If the SN supports the SN release initiated by the UE100, according to an embodiment of the present application, in the next step 403, the MN will further configure how the SN responds to the SN release initiated by the UE100.

In step 403, if the SN indicates to the MN that it can support UE-initiated SN release in step 401, the MN sends configuration information to the SN for configuring how the SN responds to the UE 100-initiated SN release.

In an example, the configuration information sent by the MN to the SN may be configured with UE, cell or base station as granularity, that is, the configuration information varies depending on the UE, cell or base station. For example, for different UEs, the configuration information sent by the MN to the SN indicates whether the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release based on the request of the UE, or the conditions indicated in the configuration information for allowing the SN to initiate SN release are different.

In one example, the configuration information may be whether the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release based on the UE's request, eg, allow or not. Likewise, the MN can make the relevant permission or not allow indication in an existing message sent to the SN. For example, a field of one bit (or multiple bits) of 0 or 1 can be carried in a certain existing message, and based on the value of the field to identify whether it is allowed or not allowed, for example: use 0 to indicate not allowed, and use 1 to indicate allow. For another example, a field of one bit (of course, it can also be multiple bits, such as: 2 bits, 3 bits, etc.) can be carried in an existing message, and the absence of this field indicates that the SN does not support UE100-based initiation The presence of this field indicates that the SN supports the SN release initiated by the UE100.

Alternatively, if the MN sends configuration information to the UE, it is considered that the SN is allowed to initiate SN release based on the UE's request; if the MN does not feed back information to the UE, it is considered that the SN is not allowed to initiate SN release based on the UE's request. Or, if the preset field in the configuration information has a value, it is considered that the SN is allowed to initiate SN release based on the request of the UE; if the value of the preset field is empty, it is considered that the SN is not allowed to release based on the request of the UE. Initiate SN release. Or whether the SN is allowed to initiate SN release is indicated by whether the MN gives an explicit indication. For example, the MN carries explicit indication information in a message sent to the SN. At this time, it indicates that the MN allows the SN to initiate the SN release. If no explicit indication information is carried, it means that the MN does not allow the SN to initiate SN release.

Those skilled in the art can understand that the above-mentioned limited condition may also be that the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release when the amount of data between the UE and the SN is lower than the second threshold within the second predetermined time; or the user equipment and the MN The MN allows the SN to initiate the SN release and so on if the amount of data between is lower than the third threshold within the third predetermined time. The above conditions may also be used in combination, provided they do not conflict.

Next, if the configuration information and/or the instruction message sent in step 403 indicates that the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release, or the SN meets the conditions for the MN to allow the SN to initiate SN release, in step 405, the MN receives the SN release request message from the SN (S-Node Release Required). The MN receives the release request message from the SN, performs SN release in step 406, and sends an SN release confirmation message (S-Node Release Confirm) to the SN in step 407. After the MN sends the SN release confirmation message (S-Node Release Confirm) message to the SN, the MN executes the SN release, releases the SN configured to the corresponding UE, and the UE can also clear the corresponding SN-related configuration, so that the UE is no longer in the Under the dual-connection network architecture.

Similarly, the process of initiating, executing, and confirming the SN release in steps 405-407 mentioned here is the prior art, and reference may be made to the above-mentioned 3GPP related standards, which will not be repeated here.

FIG. 4B is a flowchart of a method for releasing an SN for an SN according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 4B, in step 410, the SN sends to the MN indication information indicating whether the SN supports UE-initiated SN release.

As described in steps 301 and 401, a field of one bit (or multiple bits) such as 0 or 1 may be added to the existing message to indicate support or non-support, and the indication information may also be a new message. In addition, the SN release initiated by the UE may be based on the purpose of energy saving or other purposes, which will not be repeated here.

In a specific implementation process, step S410 is an optional step. The MN can either send configuration information to the SN based on the indication information of the SN, or the MN can actively send the configuration information to the SN.

Next, if the SN does not support UE-initiated-based SN release, the process ends at step 413 . If the indication message sent by the SN indicates that the SN supports initiating SN release, the configuration information from the MN will be received in step 411 .

In step 411, the configuration information received by the SN from the MN may indicate whether the MN allows the SN to initiate the release of the SN, or may be a condition for the MN to allow the SN to initiate the release of the SN, or may be the condition that the MN allows the SN to initiate the release of the SN. It further includes the condition that the MN allows the SN to initiate the SN release. For details, reference may be made to the descriptions of the foregoing steps 302 and 403, which will not be repeated here.

In step 412, after receiving the indication message for releasing the SN from the UE, the SN makes a judgment based on the configuration information and/or the indication message received from the MN. In step 414, if the SN determines that it does not meet the provisions of the configuration information or does not meet the conditions defined by the configuration information, the flow ends. Step 415 is executed if the SN determines that the current stipulation of the configuration information is met or the condition that the MN allows the SN to initiate the SN release as defined by the configuration information is met. Wherein, the SN release indication message from the UE may carry a reason value, and the reason value indicates the reason for wishing to release the SN (for example, the purpose of energy saving). The request to release the SN is initiated for the purpose of energy saving. Alternatively, the indication information of wishing to release the SN may only indicate that the UE wishes to release the SN without indicating the reason.

In step 415, the SN sends an SN release request message (S-Node Release Required) to the MN, and the MN receives the release request message from the SN and executes the SN release. And in step 416, the SN will receive the SN release confirmation message (S-Node Release Confirm) from the MN, which is used to indicate that the release of the SN has been completed.

The SN release method according to an embodiment of the present application has been described with reference to the above FIG. 3 and FIGS. 4A and 4B . According to the SN release method of an embodiment of the present application, the MN sends configuration information and/or indication information to the SN, and certain restrictions and conditions are set for the SN release, which avoids that the SN release may cause heavier MN load and affect data speed problem.

Further, after the SN release is completed, the MN can also choose to add an SN. The SN added by the MN may be a previously released SN or another SN, which is not specifically limited in this application. According to the embodiment of the present application, the MN can also implement the control of the SN release based on the SN initiated by the UE during the SN addition process, and the specific process and method will be described in detail in the following embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a signal flow diagram of a method for releasing an SN according to another embodiment of the present application. UE100 is connected to MN200 and SN300 at the same time, and performs data communication. The transceivers in the MN200 and the SN300 are responsible for information transmission, and the controller is used to control the transceivers to transmit information and execute the SN release method according to the present application. For details, reference may be made to the above description of FIG. 3 , which will not be repeated here.

As shown in FIG. 5, in step 501, the SN300 receives an indication message from the UE100 for initiating SN release.

In an example, the SN release initiated by the UE 100 may be an SN release based on energy saving purposes, for example, when the power of the UE 100 is lower than a threshold, or the user turns on the energy saving mode of the UE 100 . Those skilled in the art can understand that the SN release initiated by the UE is not limited to the purpose of energy saving, and the SN release may be initiated based on other purposes, which is not specifically limited in this application.

After the SN receives the UE's instruction to release the SN, it is different from the SN sending the SN release request message directly to the MN. According to another embodiment of the present application, in step 502, the SN300 sends an SN release instruction message to the MN200. To instruct the SN to request the MN to initiate the SN release or to request the MN to allow the SN to initiate the SN release.

In an example, SN300 may forward the indication message from UE100 to MN200; alternatively, SN300 may notify MN200 of receiving the indication message of SN release from UE100, or SN300 may generate a new SN release indication message based on the indication message of SN release sent by UE. The SN release indication message is sent to the MN, and the MN can be notified of whether it can initiate the SN release. Finally, the MN 200 decides whether to initiate the SN release, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. However, those skilled in the art can understand that, in step 502, the MN 200 learns about the SN release to be initiated, and will decide whether to initiate the SN release in the subsequent step 503.

In step 503, the MN 200 performs a judgment on whether to initiate SN release based on the received indication information.

In an example, if the instruction message in the above step 502 is used to instruct the SN to request the MN to initiate SN release, the MN200 can decide whether to release the SN according to the expectations of the SN300 and the needs of the MN200 itself.

In one example, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the determination performed by the MN 200 may be whether the MN is allowed to initiate SN release. Specifically, the MN 200 can make a judgment according to its own load conditions. For example, when the above-mentioned amount of data offloaded by the MN to the SN is lower than the first threshold within the first predetermined time, the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release. For example, assuming that the amount of data offloaded by the MN to the SN in one minute is less than 20Mb, it can be considered that the MN's load will not be increased after the SN is released, so the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release.

In another example, the condition for whether the MN allows the SN release to be initiated may be that the MN allows the SN to initiate the SN release when the amount of data between the UE and the SN is lower than the second threshold within the second predetermined time.

In another example, the condition of whether the MN allows the SN release to be initiated may also be that the MN allows the SN to initiate the SN release when the amount of data between the user equipment and the MN is lower than a third threshold within a third predetermined time. The above conditions may also be used in combination without conflict.

The above-mentioned predetermined time may be one minute, five minutes, etc. The predetermined time mentioned here may be a preset default value, and may be changed according to actual conditions and needs. Likewise, those skilled in the art can understand that the threshold setting of the data amount may also be a preset default value, and may also be changed according to actual conditions and needs, which is not specifically limited in this application.

Those skilled in the art can understand that in step 503, if the MN decides not to perform SN release, the process ends, and if the MN decides to initiate SN release, the following steps 504 and 505 are performed.

In step 504, MN200 sends a SN release request (for example: S-Node Release Request) message to SN 300 and executes the SN release, and then in step 505 it receives an SN release confirmation (for example: S-Node Release Request) from the SN Acknowledge) message. After the MN receives the S-Node Release Request Acknowledge message sent by the SN, the MN executes the SN release, releases the SN configured to the corresponding UE, and the UE can also clear the configuration related to the corresponding SN, so that the UE No longer in a dual-connect network architecture.

Similarly, the process of initiating SN release, confirming SN release, and executing in steps 504 and 505 is the prior art, and reference may be made to the above-mentioned relevant standards of 3GPP, which will not be repeated here.

In another example, if the instruction message in the above step 502 is used to instruct the MN to allow the SN to initiate SN release, in step 503, the MN can also make a judgment based on its own load conditions. The load condition mentioned here may be a certain condition or a combination of multiple conditions in the above examples, which will not be repeated here.

In step 503, if the MN determines that the SN is not allowed to initiate the SN release, the process ends, and if the MN determines that the SN is allowed to initiate the SN release, the MN may send a message to the SN that the SN is allowed to initiate the SN release.

Next, after receiving a message from the MN allowing the SN to initiate the SN release, the SN initiates the SN release. The steps of the SN initiating the SN release are the same as above, and the specific process is as follows: the SN sends the SN release request (S-Node Release Required) message to the MN, and the SN will receive the SN release confirmation (S-Node Release Confirm) message from the MN and stop User data is provided to the UE. After the MN sends the SN release confirmation message (S-Node Release Confirm) message to the SN, the MN executes the SN release, releases the SN configured to the corresponding UE, and the UE can also clear the corresponding SN-related configuration, so that the UE is no longer in the Under the dual-connection network architecture.

Next, the flow of the SN release method according to an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B .

FIG. 6A is a flowchart of a method for SN release for MN according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 6A, in step 601, the MN200 receives the SN release indication message from the SN300.

After the SN receives the UE's instruction to release the SN, it is different from the SN directly sending the SN release request message to the MN. According to another embodiment of the present application, in step 502, the SN300 sends the SN release instruction message to the MN200. In order to indicate that the UE100 desires to release the SN, that is, in step 502, the SN300 notifies the MN200 of the desire of the UE100 to release the SN.

In an example, SN300 may forward the indication message from UE100 to MN200; or, SN300 may notify MN200 of receiving the indication message of SN release from UE100, and at the same time, it may notify MN of whether it can initiate SN release, and finally It is up to the MN 200 to decide whether to initiate SN release, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. However, those skilled in the art can understand that in step 601, the MN 200 learns the SN release initiated by the UE 100, and will decide whether to initiate the SN release in subsequent steps.

At step 602, MN 200 decides whether to initiate SN release.

In an example, the MN200 may decide whether to release the SN according to the expectations of the SN300 and the needs of the MN200 itself.

In one example, as in the foregoing embodiments, the determination performed by the MN 200 may be whether the MN is allowed to initiate SN release.

Specifically, the MN 200 may make a judgment according to its own load conditions. For example, if the above-mentioned amount of data offloaded by the MN to the SN is lower than the first threshold within the first predetermined time, the MN is allowed to initiate SN release. For example, assuming that the amount of data offloaded by the MN to the SN in one minute is less than 20Mb, it can be considered that the MN's load will not be increased after the SN is released, so the MN allows the SN to initiate SN release.

In another example, the condition for whether the MN allows the SN release to be initiated may be that the MN allows the SN release to be initiated if the amount of data between the UE and the SN is lower than the second threshold within the second predetermined time.

In another example, the condition of whether the MN allows to initiate SN release may be that the MN allows to initiate SN release when the amount of data between the user equipment and the MN is lower than a third threshold within a third predetermined time. The above conditions may also be used in combination without conflict.

The above predetermined time may be one minute, five minutes, etc. The predetermined time may be a preset default value, or may be changed according to actual conditions and needs. Likewise, those skilled in the art can understand that the threshold setting of the data amount may be a preset default value, or may be changed according to actual conditions and needs, which is not specifically limited in this application.

Those skilled in the art can understand that in step 602, if the MN decides not to perform SN release, go to step 603, the process ends, and if the MN decides to initiate SN release, execute the following steps 604 and 605.

In step 604, MN200 sends SN release request ((S-Node Release Request) message to SN300, and next will receive the SN release confirmation (S-Node Release Request Acknowledge) message from SN in step 605 and execute SN release. Likewise, The process of initiating, executing, and confirming the SN release in steps 604 and 605 is the prior art, and reference may be made to the above-mentioned 3GPP related standards, which will not be repeated here.

FIG. 6B is a flowchart of a method for releasing an SN for an SN according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 6B, in step 610, the SN 300 receives the SN release indication message from the UE 100.

Next, in step 611, the SN300 sends an SN release indication message to the MN200.

Similarly, in an example, SN300 may forward the indication message from UE100 to MN200; or, SN300 may notify MN200 of receiving the indication message of SN release from UE100, and at the same time, it may notify MN of whether it can initiate SN release. , and finally the MN 200 decides whether to initiate SN release, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. Those skilled in the art can understand that, in step 611, the MN 200 learns about the SN release to be initiated, and will decide whether to initiate the SN release in subsequent steps.

As described in the above step 602, if the MN200 decides to release the SN, in step 612, the SN300 will receive a release request (S-Node Release Request) message from the MN200.

The SN300 will send an SN Release Acknowledge (S-Node Release Request Acknowledge) message to the MN200 in step 613. Similarly, the process of initiating, executing, and confirming the SN release in steps 612 and 613 is the prior art, and reference may be made to the above-mentioned 3GPP related standards, which will not be repeated here.

The SN release method according to another embodiment of the present application is described with reference to the above FIG. 5 and FIGS. 6A and 6B . According to the SN release method according to another embodiment of the present application, the MN will decide whether to release the SN based on the SN requirements and the MN's own conditions, avoiding the problem that the MN may have a heavier load and affect the data rate due to the SN release.

FIG. 7 is a signal flow diagram of a method for releasing an SN according to yet another embodiment of the present application. UE100 is connected to MN200 and SN300 at the same time, and performs data communication. The transceivers in the MN200 and the SN300 are responsible for information transmission, and the controller is used to control the transceivers to transmit information and execute the SN release method according to the present application. For details, reference may be made to the above description of FIG. 3 , which will not be repeated here.

In step 701, the SN 300 receives an indication message from the UE 100 to initiate SN release.

Next, in step 702, the SN release process is completed between the MN200 and the SN300. Those skilled in the art can understand that the release of the SN may be initiated by the MN 200, initiated by the SN 300, or initiated based on a SN release request sent by the UE or a release request based on energy saving purposes. The specific SN release process may be the execution mechanism shown in 1, or may be the SN release process shown in the above embodiment of FIG. 3 or FIG. 5 , which will not be repeated here.

After completing the release of the SN 300, in step 703, the MN 200 performs SN addition. According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the MN implements the control of the SN based on the SN release initiated by the UE during the SN addition process.

In an example, MN200 sends an SN addition request (S-Node Addition Request) message to SN300 to implement SN addition. The SN addition may be performed immediately after the release of the SN 300 is completed, or may be performed after a predetermined time elapses after the release of the SN 300, such as 1 minute, or may be initiated to add an SN according to the load of the MN 200, and so on.

Those skilled in the art can understand that the SN added by the MN may be the SN released in step 702, or may be other SNs, which are not specifically limited in this application.

In an example, the MN200 adds indication information in the SN addition request message sent to the SN300, so as to indicate whether the SN is allowed to initiate the SN release in the subsequent process. The indication information may be a simple indication of permission or disallowance, or a condition for allowing the SN to initiate SN release, or only a condition for allowing the SN to initiate SN release, and so on.

Like the above-mentioned embodiments, this indication can be implemented as a field carrying a bit of 0 or 1 in the SN add message, where 0 is used to indicate not allowed, and 1 is used to indicate allowed. Or whether the SN is allowed to initiate the SN release is indicated by whether the MN gives an explicit indication. The MN carries explicit indication information in a message sent to the SN to indicate permission, and if it does not carry explicit indication information, it means not allowed.

The additional condition that allows the SN to initiate the SN release may be a time-based condition. For example, it is indicated that the SN is not allowed to be released within a predetermined time, and the predetermined time here may be one minute, five minutes, and so on. The predetermined time may be a default value preset by the SN, a value specified by the MN through configuration information, or a value predetermined in a standard, which is not specifically limited in this application. Further, the time condition for allowing the SN to initiate the SN release can also be directly specified by the MN through configuration information. For example, MN200 may add specific time indication information in the SN addition request message sent to SN300. After the SN300 receives the instruction information, it will start the timer, such as five minutes, ten minutes and so on. During this timed five or ten minute period, the SN 300 is not allowed to initiate a SN release. Those skilled in the art can understand that the length of the time defaulted by the SN or the time specified by the MN is variable according to the actual situation and needs, which is not specifically limited in this application.

In the specific implementation process, the indication information and the addition request information can be the same message (or information), for example: a field for indicating the indication information is set in the addition request information; the indication information and the addition request information can also be for different messages (or messages). In the specific implementation process, the addition request information may also indicate by default that the SN is not allowed to be released within a predetermined time. For example, after the SN receives the addition request information, it finds that the MN has released the SN within the preset time period of the addition request information. , the SN will not release the SN within the default predetermined time. The default predetermined time may be configured by the MN based on configuration information, may also be set by a standard, or may be pre-stored in the SN, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

In an example, the SN addition request message sent by MN200 to SN300 may also not add explicit indication information to indicate that MN200 does not wish to initiate SN release. In this case, SN300 may not initiate SN release within a certain period of time. The certain duration mentioned here may be counted from the SN receiving the SN add request message, or counted from the completion of the last SN release, and the duration may be one minute, five minutes, and so on. Those skilled in the art can understand that the certain duration mentioned here can be the default configuration of the SN300, or it can be implemented through the network according to the actual situation and needs, and the length of time is also variable according to the actual situation and needs, this application does not Specific restrictions.

In an example, without adding any indication information, it may also indicate that the SN cannot initiate the SN release request message, cannot send the indication message indicating the release of the SN, the MN cannot send the SN release request message, or the MN or the SN party sends the SN release request message. After that, the other party does not respond.

In the above example, the above indication information may be carried in the SN addition request message, may also be included in any other message in the SN addition process, or may be sent by the MN to the SN in the form of a separate message. Those skilled in the art can understand that the indication information is for the purpose of completing the indication, and the present application does not specifically limit the form or carrier of the indication information.

Next, in step 704, the SN 300 receives the indication information of releasing the SN from the UE 100. And in step 705, according to the instruction of the MN200 to the SN300 in the above-mentioned step 703, the SN300 determines whether to initiate SN release.

For example, in step 703, the MN200 instructs the SN that the SN is not allowed to initiate the SN release within five minutes during the process of adding the SN, and the SN300 will make a judgment based on the time. SN 300 decides that SN release can be initiated.

Next, in step 706, SN300 sends an SN release request (S-Node Release Required) message to MN200, in step 707, MN200 performs SN release, and in step 708, sends an SN release confirmation (S-Node Release Confirm) message to SN.

Here, the specific process of initiating and executing the SN release in steps 706-708 may be the execution mechanism of the existing standard as shown in 1, or may be the SN release shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3 or FIG. 5 above. The process is not repeated here.

Next, the flow of the SN release method according to an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B .

FIG. 8A is a flowchart of a method for releasing an SN for an MN according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8A, in step 801, MN200 receives the SN release request message from SN300, performs SN release in step 802, and sends an SN release confirmation message (S-Node Release Confirm) to SN in step 803. The specific process of initiation and execution of SN release in steps 801, 802 and 803 may be the execution mechanism of the existing standard as shown in 1, or may be the process of SN release shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3 or FIG. 5 above. , and will not be repeated here.

In step 804, the MN sends an SN addition request message (S-Node Addition Request) to the SN. According to the embodiment of the present application, the MN will implement the control of the SN release based on the SN initiated by the UE during the SN addition process.

In an example, MN200 sends an SN addition request message (S-Node Addition Request) to SN300 to implement SN addition. The SN addition may be performed immediately after the release of the SN 300 is completed, or may be performed after a predetermined time elapses after the release of the SN 300, such as 1 minute, or may be initiated to add an SN according to the load of the MN 200, and so on.

Like the above-mentioned embodiment, this indication can be implemented as a field carrying one bit (or multiple bits) of 0 or 1 in the SN add message, where 0 means not allowed and 1 means allowed. Or whether the SN is allowed to initiate the SN release is indicated by whether the MN gives an explicit indication. The MN carries explicit indication information in a message sent to the SN to indicate permission, and if it does not carry explicit indication information, it means not allowed.

The additional condition that allows the SN to initiate the SN release may be a time-based condition. For example, it is indicated that the SN is not allowed to be released within a predetermined time, and the predetermined time here may be one minute, five minutes, and so on. The predetermined time may be a default value preset by the SN, a value specified by the MN through configuration information, or a value predetermined in a standard, which is not specifically limited in this application.

Further, the time condition for allowing the SN to initiate the SN release can also be directly specified by the MN through configuration information. For example, MN200 may add specific time indication information in the SN addition request message sent to SN300. After the SN300 receives the instruction information, it will start the timer, such as five minutes, ten minutes and so on. During this timed five or ten minute period, the SN 300 is not allowed to initiate a SN release. Those skilled in the art can understand that the length of the time defaulted by the SN or the time specified by the MN is variable according to the actual situation and needs, which is not specifically limited in this application.

In an example, the SN addition request message may not add explicit indication information to indicate that the MN 200 does not wish to initiate the SN release. In this case, the SN 300 may not initiate the SN release within a certain period of time. The certain duration mentioned here may be counted from the SN receiving the SN add request message, or counted from the completion of the last SN release, and the duration may be one minute, five minutes, and so on. Those skilled in the art can understand that the certain duration mentioned here can be the default configuration of the SN300, or it can be implemented through the network according to the actual situation and needs, and the length of time is also variable according to the actual situation and needs, this application does not Specific restrictions.

In an example, without adding any indication information, it may also indicate that the SN cannot initiate the SN release request message, cannot send the indication message indicating the release of the SN, the MN cannot send the SN release request message, or the MN or the SN party sends the SN After the release, the other party does not respond and other instructions.

Afterwards, if the conditions for initiating SN release are satisfied, in step 805, MN200 will receive the SN release request message from SN300, and the flow goes to step 802 to execute SN release.

It should be noted here that when the MN adds an SN for the first time so that the UE is in a dual-connection network architecture, the MN may not send the indication information to the SN that restricts the initiation of the SN release condition. After the SN is released for the first time, when the MN adds the SN for the second time, the MN can send the indication information to the SN to restrict the initiation of the SN release condition. Then, the SN can send indication information that restricts the condition for the SN to initiate the SN release, and the indication information here is various indications or conditions as described in step 703 of the above embodiment. Likewise, the indication information may be carried in the SN addition request information, or sent in the form of separate information, which will not be repeated here.

FIG. 8B is a flowchart of a method for releasing an SN for an SN according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 8B , in step 810 , SN300 receives an instruction message indicating SN release from UE100 , and in step 811 , sends an SN release request message to MN200 . After MN200 performs SN release, SN300 receives a message from MN200 in step 812 . SN release confirmation message. The specific process of initiating and executing the SN release in steps 810-812 may be the execution mechanism of the existing standard as shown in 1, or may be the process of the SN release shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3 or FIG. 5 above. This will not be repeated here.

In step 813, the SN300 receives the SN Addition Request message (S-Node Addition Request) from the MN200. According to the embodiment of the present application, the MN will implement the control of the SN release based on the SN initiated by the UE during the SN addition process.

It should be noted here that when the MN adds an SN for the first time so that the UE is in a dual-connection network architecture, the MN may not send the indication information to the SN that restricts the initiation of the SN release condition. After the SN is released for the first time, when the MN adds the SN for the second time, the MN may send the indication information to the SN to restrict the initiation of the SN release condition. instructions or conditions. Likewise, the indication information may be carried in the SN addition request information, or sent in the form of separate information, which will not be repeated here.

Next, in step 814, the SN 300 receives the SN release request from the UE 100 again. At step 815, according to the indication of the SN add request message from the MN, the SN 300 judges whether the current requirements for initiating SN release are met.

As mentioned above, the conditions for initiating SN release may be that the MN allows to initiate SN release, or it may satisfy the condition that the MN allows to initiate SN release, and the condition here may be the above-mentioned time condition, or the condition of the amount of transmitted data, etc. Wait.

When the determination in step 815 is no, it means that the current MN 200 does not allow to initiate SN release, and the flow goes to step 817 to end. If the determination in step 815 is yes, then step 816 is executed, and the SN300 sends a SN release request message to the MN200. The specific process of initiating and executing SN release from step 816 may be the execution mechanism of the existing standard as shown in 1, or may be the process of SN release as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3 or FIG. 5 above. This will not be repeated here.

The SN release method according to still another embodiment of the present application has been described with reference to the above FIG. 7 and FIGS. 8A and 8B . According to the SN release method according to another embodiment of the present application, the MN can control the SN release through the process of adding the SN, avoiding the problem that the MN may have a heavier load and affect the data rate due to the SN release.

Each method implementation of the present application can be implemented by means of software, magnetic components, firmware, and the like.

Program code may be applied to input instructions to perform the functions described herein and to generate output information. The output information can be applied to one or more output devices in a known manner. For the purposes of this application, a processing system includes any system having a processor such as, for example, a digital signal processor (DSP), microcontroller, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or microprocessor.

The program code may be implemented in a high-level procedural language or an object-oriented programming language to communicate with the processing system. The program code may also be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In fact, the mechanisms described herein are not limited to the scope of any particular programming language. In either case, the language may be a compiled language or an interpreted language.

One or more aspects of at least one embodiment may be implemented by representative instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the instructions representing various logic in a processor, the instructions, when read by a machine, cause the machine to make Logic that implements the techniques described herein. These representations, referred to as "IP cores," may be stored on tangible computer-readable storage media and provided to multiple customers or production facilities for loading into the manufacturing machines that actually manufacture the logic or processors.

Although the description of this application will be presented in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the embodiments is to cover other alternatives or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present application. The following description will contain numerous specific details for the purpose of providing an in-depth understanding of the present application. This application may also be practiced without these details. Furthermore, some specific details will be omitted from the description in order to avoid obscuring or obscuring the gist of the present application. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features of the embodiments may be combined with each other in the case of no conflict.

Additionally, various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the illustrative embodiments; however, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations do not need to be performed in presentation order.

As used herein, the term "module" or "unit" may refer to, be or include: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a (shared, dedicated or group) process executing one or more software or firmware programs and/or memory, combinational logic circuits, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality.

In the drawings, some structural or method features are shown in specific arrangements and/or sequences. It should be understood, however, that such specific arrangements and/or orderings may not be required. In some embodiments, the features may be arranged in a manner and/or order different from that shown in the illustrative figures. Additionally, the inclusion of structural or method features in a particular figure is not meant to imply that such features are required in all embodiments, and in some embodiments these features may not be included or may be combined with other features.

Embodiments of the mechanisms disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these implementation methods. Embodiments of the present application may be implemented as a computer program or program code executing on a programmable system including multiple processors, a memory system (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements) , multiple input devices, and multiple output devices.

The program code may be implemented in a high-level procedural language or an object-oriented programming language to communicate with the processing system. The program code may also be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In fact, the mechanisms described in this application are not limited in scope to any particular programming language. In either case, the language may be a compiled language or an interpreted language.

In some cases, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. In some cases, one or more aspects of at least some embodiments may be implemented by representative instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the instructions representing various logic in a processor, which when read by a machine cause The machine fabricates logic for performing the techniques described in this application. These representations, referred to as "IP cores," may be stored on tangible computer-readable storage media and provided to multiple customers or production facilities for loading into the manufacturing machines that actually manufacture the logic or processors.

Such computer readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, non-transitory tangible arrangements of items manufactured or formed by machines or equipment, including storage media such as hard disks Any other type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, compact disks Disk Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disk Rewritable (CD-RW), and Magneto-Optical Optical Disks; Semiconductor Devices such as Read Only Memory (ROM), such as Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Static Random Access Random Access Memory (RAM) such as memory (SRAM), Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), Flash Memory, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM); Phase Change Memory (PCM); Magnetic Cards or optical card; or any other type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present application also include non-transitory computer-readable storage media containing instructions or containing design data, such as a hardware description language (HDL), which defines the structures, circuits, devices, Processor and/or System Characteristics.

Claims

A method for releasing a secondary network device, the method is used for a primary network device, wherein the method includes

Send configuration information to the secondary network device, where the configuration information is used to instruct the primary network device to allow the secondary network device to initiate a secondary network device release request message, where the secondary network device release request message is used to request all the primary network device executes the release of the secondary network device;

The secondary network device release request message is received from the secondary network device.
A method for releasing a secondary network device, the method is used for a primary network device, wherein the method includes

Sending configuration information to the secondary network device, where the configuration information is used to instruct the primary network device to allow the secondary network device to initiate a secondary network device release request message, where the secondary network device release request message is used for requesting the primary network device to perform the release of the secondary network device;

The secondary network device release request message is received from the secondary network device.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: sending, to the secondary network device, indication information indicating a condition for allowing the secondary network device to initiate the release requirement of the secondary network device, wherein the The above conditions include at least one of the following:

In the case that the amount of data distributed by the primary network device to the secondary network device is lower than the first threshold within the first predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message ;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the secondary network device is lower than a second threshold within a second predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message;

If the amount of data between the user equipment and the primary network device is lower than a third threshold within a third predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message .
The method according to claim 2, wherein the condition for instructing the primary network device to allow the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device comprises at least one of the following:

The primary network device always allows the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device;

The primary network device always does not allow the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device;

In the case that the amount of data distributed by the primary network device to the secondary network device is lower than the first threshold within the first predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message ;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the secondary network device is lower than a second threshold within a second predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message;

If the amount of data between the user equipment and the primary network device is lower than a third threshold within a third predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message .
The method of claim 3 or 4, further comprising

The primary network device receives an indication message from the secondary network device, where the indication message is used to instruct the secondary network device to support the secondary network device release request from the user equipment; or, the indication message is used to indicate The secondary network device supports a secondary network device release request from the user equipment based on energy saving purposes.
The method according to claim 5, wherein, after the secondary network device receives the secondary network device release request of the user equipment, the indication message is sent to the primary network device; or, the indication The message is sent to the primary network device after the secondary network device receives the user equipment's request for releasing the secondary network device based on the energy saving purpose.
A method for releasing auxiliary network equipment, the method is used for the auxiliary network equipment, characterized in that the method includes:

receive configuration information from the primary network device,

The configuration information includes instructing the primary network device to allow the secondary network device to initiate a secondary network device release request message, wherein the secondary network device release request message is used to request the primary network device to perform the secondary network device release; as well as

A secondary network device release request is received, and a secondary network device release request message is sent to the primary network device.
A method for releasing auxiliary network equipment, the method is used for the auxiliary network equipment, characterized in that the method includes:

receive configuration information from the primary network device,

The configuration information includes a condition indicating that the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate a secondary network device release request, wherein the secondary network device release request is used to request the primary network device to perform the secondary network device release; as well as

Receive a secondary network device release request, and send a secondary network device release request message to the primary network device under the condition that the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message.
The method according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, from the primary network device, indication information for indicating a condition for allowing the secondary network device to initiate the release requirement of the secondary network device, the The above conditions include at least one of the following:

In the case that the amount of data distributed by the primary network device to the secondary network device is lower than a first threshold within a first predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device;

In the case that the amount of data between the user equipment and the secondary network device is lower than a second threshold within a second predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the primary network device is lower than a third threshold within a third predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device.
The method according to claim 8, wherein the condition for instructing the primary network device to allow the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device comprises at least one of the following:

The primary network device always allows the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device;

The primary network device always does not allow the secondary network device to initiate a release request of the secondary network device;

In the case that the amount of data distributed by the primary network device to the secondary network device is lower than the first threshold within the first predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message ;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the secondary network device is lower than a second threshold within a second predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message;

If the amount of data between the user equipment and the primary network device is lower than a third threshold within a third predetermined time, the primary network device allows the secondary network device to initiate the secondary network device release request message .
The method of claim 9 or 10, further comprising

Send an indication message to the primary network device, where the indication message is used to instruct the secondary network device to support the secondary network device release request from the user equipment; or, the indication message is used to instruct the secondary network device to support A secondary network device release request based on the energy saving purpose from the user equipment.
The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving a secondary network device release request comprises:

Receive the secondary network device release request from the user equipment; or receive the secondary network device release request based on the energy saving purpose from the user equipment.
A method for releasing secondary network equipment, the method is used for primary network equipment, wherein the method comprises:

receiving an indication message from the secondary network device for instructing to release the secondary network device;

In the case that it is determined that the primary network device allows to release the secondary network device, send a secondary network device release request message to the secondary network device, where the secondary network device release request message is used to request to release the secondary network device .
The method of claim 13, wherein determining that the primary network device is allowed to release the secondary network device includes at least one of the following conditions:

In the case that the amount of data distributed by the primary network device to the secondary network device is lower than a first threshold within a first predetermined time, the primary network device is allowed to initiate the secondary network device release request message;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the secondary network device is lower than a second threshold within a second predetermined time, the primary network device is allowed to initiate the secondary network device release request message;

When the amount of data between the user equipment and the primary network device is lower than a third threshold within a third predetermined time, the primary network device is allowed to initiate the secondary network device release request message.
The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein:

The instruction message for instructing the release of the secondary network device is sent to the primary network device after the secondary network device receives the secondary network device release request of the user equipment; or, received by the secondary network device After the release request of the secondary network device based on the energy saving purpose of the user equipment is sent to the primary network device.
A method for releasing auxiliary network equipment, the method is used for auxiliary network equipment, wherein the method comprises:

sending an instruction message to the primary network device for instructing to release the secondary network device,

A secondary network device release request message is received from the primary network device, wherein the secondary network device release request message is used to request to release the secondary network device.
The method of claim 16, wherein

The instruction message for instructing the release of the secondary network device is sent to the primary network device after the secondary network device receives the secondary network device release request of the user equipment; or, received by the secondary network device After the release request of the secondary network device based on the energy saving purpose of the user equipment is sent to the primary network device.
A method for releasing secondary network equipment, the method is used for primary network equipment, wherein the method comprises:

receiving a first secondary network device release request message for requesting the primary network device to perform the release of the secondary network device,

Execute the release of the auxiliary network device, and send a confirmation message of the release of the auxiliary network device to the auxiliary network device,

sending a request message for adding the secondary network device and an indication message to the secondary network device, where the indication information is used to indicate that the secondary network device is not allowed to be released within a preset time; or

A request message for adding the secondary network device is sent to the secondary network device, where the request information is further used to indicate that the secondary network device is not allowed to be released within a preset time.
The method of claim 18, wherein the indication information carries the information of the preset time; and/or the preset time is the time configured on the secondary network device.
The method according to claim 18 or 19, further comprising: receiving a second secondary network device release request message for requesting the primary network device to perform the release of the secondary network device, and executing the secondary network device Device release.
A method for releasing auxiliary network equipment, the method is used for the auxiliary network equipment, characterized in that the method includes:

sending a first secondary network device release request message to the primary network device for requesting the primary network device to perform the release of the secondary network device,

receiving an acknowledgment message from the primary network device for the release of the secondary network device, and

Receive a request message for adding the secondary network device and an indication message from the primary network device, where the indication information is used to indicate that the secondary network device is not allowed to be released within a preset time; or

A request message for adding the secondary network device from the primary network device is received, where the request information is further used to indicate that the secondary network device is not allowed to be released within a preset time.
The method according to claim 21, wherein the indication information carries the information of the preset time; and/or the preset time is the time configured on the secondary network device.
The method according to claim 21 or 22, further comprising, after the preset time elapses, sending a second request to the primary network device requesting the primary network device to perform the release of the secondary network device to the primary network device The secondary network device releases the demand message.
A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that an instruction is stored on the medium, and when the instruction is executed on the computer, the computer is made to execute the method described in any one of claims 1 to 23. method.
A device, characterized in that it includes:

processor;

A memory having instructions stored on the memory which, when executed by the processor, cause the user equipment to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 23.