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EP-3840527-B1 - COMMUNICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS

EP3840527B1EP 3840527 B1EP3840527 B1EP 3840527B1EP-3840527-B1

Inventors

  • YU, YIJUN
  • CAO, Longyu

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20190827

Claims (14)

  1. A communication method, comprising: receiving (S401), by a first radio network management function network element, information about a first radio access network element from the first radio access network element, wherein the first radio network management function network element supports a function of performing service invocation with a first core network element through a first service-based interface; and performing (S402), by the first radio network management function network element, service invocation with the first radio access network element through a second service-based interface based on the information about the first radio access network element: wherein the first radio network management function network element is a Radio Network Management Function, RNMF, network element, and the RNMF network element supports a function of performing service invocation with the first radio access network element in a Radio Access Network, RAN, through a C1 interface, and the RNMF network element also supports a function of performing service invocation with the first core network element in a core network through the R2 interface, each of the C1 and R2 interface being a service-based Application Programming Interface, API, provided by the RNMF network element.
  2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information about the first radio access network element comprises any one or more of the following information: an identifier of the first radio access network element, a routing address of the first radio access network element, a public land mobile network, PLMN, served by the first radio access network element, an identifier of a cell served by the first radio access network element, and a radio access type, RAT, supported by the first radio access network element.
  3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: sending, by the first radio network management function network element to a network repository function network element, any one or more of the following information: an identifier of the first radio network management function network element, a routing address of the first radio network management function network element, a PLMN served by the first radio network management function network element, an identifier of a cell served by the first radio network management function network element, and a RAT supported by the first radio network management function network element.
  4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: determining, by the first radio network management function network element, the network repository function network element based on configuration information in the first radio network management function network element; or determining, by the first radio network management function network element, the network repository function network element by querying a domain name system server.
  5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: receiving, by the first radio network management function network element, user equipment measurement information from a second radio access network element, wherein the second radio access network element serves user equipment; determining, by the first radio network management function network element, a target network element based on the user equipment measurement information; receiving, by the first radio network management function network element, user equipment context information from the second radio access network element; and sending, by the first radio network management function network element, the user equipment context information to the target network element.
  6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the target network element is a third radio access network element, a second radio network management function network element, or a second core network element.
  7. The method according to claim 6, wherein if the target network element is the second radio network management function network element or the second core network element, the determining, by the first radio network management function network element, a target network element based on the user equipment measurement information comprises: determining, by the first radio network management function network element, the target network element based on the user equipment measurement information by using the configuration information in the first radio network management function network element; or determining, by the first radio network management function network element, the target network element based on the user equipment measurement information by querying the network repository function network element.
  8. A communication method, comprising: sending, by an radio access network element, information about the radio access network element to a radio network management function network element, wherein the radio network management function network element supports a function of performing service invocation with a core network element through a first service-based interface, and the information about the radio access network element is used by the radio network management function network element to perform service invocation with the radio access network element through a second service-based interface; and performing, by the radio access network element, service invocation with the radio network management function network element through the second service-based interface; wherein the first radio network management function network element is a Radio Network Management Function, RNMF, network element, and the RNMF network element supports a function of performing service invocation with the radio access network element in a Radio Access Network, RAN, through a C1 interface, and the RNMF network element also supports a function of performing service invocation with the core network element in a core network through the R2 interface, each of the C1 and R2 interface being a service-based Application Programming Interface, API, provided by the RNMF network element.
  9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the information about the radio access network element comprises any one or more of the following information: an identifier of the radio access network element, a routing address of the radio access network element, a public land mobile network, PLMN, served by the radio access network element, an identifier of a cell served by the radio access network element, and a radio access type, RAT, supported by the radio access network element.
  10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: determining, by the radio access network element, the radio network management function network element based on configuration information in the radio access network element; or determining, by the radio access network element, the radio network management function network element by querying a domain name system, DNS, server.
  11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: receiving, by the radio access network element, user equipment measurement information from user equipment; and sending, by the radio access network element, the user equipment measurement information to the radio network management function network element.
  12. A radio network management function network element, comprising a processor and a memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the radio network management function network element to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 7.
  13. An radio access network element, comprising a processor and a memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the access network element to perform the method described in any one of claims 8 to 11.
  14. A computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium stores a computer program, the computer program comprises program instructions, and when the program instructions are executed by a radio network management function network element, cause the radio network management function network element to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and when the program instructions are executed by a radio access network element, cause the radio access network element to perform the method according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a communication method and a communications apparatus. BACKGROUND In a wireless network, decoupling between network functions is implemented through modularization, and independent capacity expansion, independent evolution, and on-demand deployment may be implemented for decoupled network functions (Network Function, NF for short). For example, in a service-based architecture model of a core network (Core Network), a core network control plane function may be decomposed into a plurality of NF network elements, for example, an access and mobility management function (Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF for short) network element, a session management function (Sessions Management Function, SMF for short) network element, an authentication server function (Authentication Server Function, AUSF for short) network element, and a network repository function (Network Repository Function, NRF for short) network element. Currently, control signaling between a radio access network (Radio Access Network, RAN for short) node and each NF network element in the core network is mainly connected to the AMF through an N2 interface in a unified manner for exchange, and control signaling between RAN nodes is mainly exchanged through an Xn interface. For example, the N2 interface uses an NG interface application protocol (NG Application Protocol, NGAP for short) and a stream control transmission protocol (Stream Control Transmission Protocol, SCTP for short), that is, an NGAP/SCTP protocol processing mechanism; and the Xn interface mainly uses an Xn interface application protocol (Xn Application Protocol, XnAP for short) and an SCTP protocol, that is, an XnAP/SCTP protocol processing mechanism. However, processing of the protocols is relatively complex and redundant. As a result, signaling transmission efficiency is low, and a signaling transmission delay is relatively long. Document "3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Procedures for the 5G System; Stage 2 (Release 15)". 3GPP DRAFT; DRAFT23502-140, discloses registration management procedures providing requirements to register or deregister a UE/user with the 5GS. SUMMARY To resolve the foregoing problem, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and a communications apparatus in a wireless network, to improve signaling transmission efficiency and reduce a signaling transmission delay. The invention is set out in the appended set of claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application more clearly, the following briefly describes the accompanying drawings for describing the embodiments. It is clear that the accompanying drawings in the following description show merely some embodiments of this application, and an ordinary person skilled in the art may derive other drawings from these accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of performing communication between a RAN and a core network by using a protocol stack according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of performing communication between two RANs by using a protocol stack according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a network system framework in an application scenario according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 5 is a signaling flowchart in which a first access network element registers with a first radio network management function network element according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 6 is a signaling flowchart in which a first radio network management function network element registers with an NRF network element according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a network system framework in another application scenario according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 8 is a schematic flowchart of a handover for a network element according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 9 is a signaling flowchart of a handover for an access network element according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 10 is a signaling flowchart of a handover for a radio network management function network element according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 11 is a signaling flowchart of a handover for a core network element according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 12 is a signaling flowchart of an example 1 of a communication method in a wireless network according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 13 is a signaling flowchart of an example 2 of a communication method in a wireless network according to an embodiment of this application;FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B are a signaling flowchart of an example 3 of a c