CN112135322B

CN112135322B - Information transmission method and device

Info

Publication number: CN112135322B
Application number: CN202010823269.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 廖敏; 王毓芳; 胡玉胜
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-04-26
Filing date: 2016-04-26
Publication date: 2021-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2036-04-26
Also published as: CN112135322A; CN109076424B; CN109076424A; WO2017185236A1

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to the field of communication, in particular to transmission of information of a designated reporting area. In the information transmission method, after acquiring information of a designated reporting area, a PCRF entity or an OCS sends a first message to gateway equipment, wherein the first message is used for subscribing an event that a terminal enters or exits the designated reporting area, and the first message carries the information of the designated reporting area; after receiving the first message, the gateway device sends a monitoring start instruction and information of a specified reporting area to the mobility management element, wherein the monitoring start instruction is used for indicating the mobility management element to start monitoring the state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area; after receiving the start monitoring instruction and the information of the specified reporting area, the mobility management network element monitors the state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area. By the scheme of the embodiment of the invention, the gateway equipment does not need to store the information of the appointed reporting area into the context of the corresponding terminal, thereby reducing the memory consumption and effectively saving resources.

Description

Information transmission method and device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of communications, and in particular, to transmission of information specifying a reporting region.

Background

To facilitate the management of the terminal, a real-time location reporting function is defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3 GPP) protocol, which enables the location of the terminal to be perceived in real time. Therefore, the location information of the terminal can be obtained from a base station in a Radio Access Network (RAN) to a Network device in a core Network (e.g., a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW or PGW), and a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) Entity) in order to manage the terminal. However, after the real-time location reporting function is turned on, signaling reporting is triggered as long as the terminal changes location, which may cause a large amount of signaling to be generated, thereby causing impact on the performance of network equipment in the core network.

In this case, a PRA (presence reporting area) function is also defined in the 3GPP protocol, where the PRA function refers to that a group of location areas are used as PRAs, and when a terminal enters or leaves the PRA, changes in the location state of the terminal relative to the PRA are reported in real time. When the PRA function is applied, the PCRF entity issues PRA related information to the PGW when the terminal is activated, and the PGW stores the PRA related information to the context of the corresponding terminal; then, when the PCRF entity or an Online Charging System (OCS) subscribes an event to the PGW to enable the PRA function, the PGW issues the information related to the PRA to the MME. This results in that the PGW as the intermediate network element needs to store a large amount of information related to PRAs of the terminals, and memory consumption is large.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide an information transmission method, apparatus, and system, so as to solve the problem of large memory consumption caused by a PGW serving as an intermediate network element that needs to store a large amount of information related to PRAs of terminals.

In one aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an information transmission method. The method comprises the following steps: the method comprises the steps that a PCRF entity or an OCS acquires information of a designated reporting area and sends a first message to gateway equipment, wherein the first message is used for subscribing an event that a terminal enters and exits the designated reporting area, and the first message carries the information of the designated reporting area; after receiving the first message, the gateway device sends a monitoring start instruction and information of a specified reporting area to the first mobility management element, wherein the monitoring start instruction is used for indicating the mobility management element to start monitoring the state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area; and after the first mobility management network element receives the monitoring starting indication and the information of the specified reporting area, the monitoring terminal enters and exits the specified reporting area.

As can be seen from the above, after receiving the information of the designated reporting area, the gateway device issues the information of the designated reporting area and the start monitoring instruction to the mobility management element, without storing the information of the designated reporting area to the context of the terminal, so that memory consumption can be reduced, and resources can be effectively saved. Furthermore, the first message is used for subscribing an event that the terminal enters or exits the specified reporting area, and the first message carries information of the specified reporting area, so that the first message is used for subscribing the event that the terminal enters or exits the specified reporting area and transmitting the information of the specified reporting area, that is, the first message has dual functions, and therefore, the scheme of the embodiment of the invention is beneficial to saving interactive signaling between the PCRF entity or the OCS and the gateway device.

In one possible design, the gateway device may be a PGW or a GGSN; the first mobility management network element may be an MME or an SGSN, where the SGSN may be an S4-SGSN or a GnGp-SGSN. Therefore, compared with the prior art, the scheme of the embodiment of the invention has wider application field.

In one possible design, the information specifying the reporting region may include an identifier of the reporting region, or the information specifying the reporting region may include an identifier of the reporting region and a list of the reporting regions. For example, when a list of a specified reporting area has been configured on the first mobility management element, the information of the specified reporting area includes an identifier of the specified reporting area; or, when the list of the designated reporting area is not configured on the first mobility management network element, the information of the designated reporting area includes an identifier of the designated reporting area and the list of the designated reporting area.

In one possible design, the first message may be a Credit Control Answer Initial (CCA-I) message, a Credit Control Answer Update (CCA-U) message, or a Re-authentication Request (RAR) message.

In a possible design, the gateway device may send the start monitoring indication and the message specifying the reporting area to the first mobility management element through any one of the following messages: create PDP context response message, update PDP context request message, update PDP context response message, create bearer request message, update bearer request message, modify bearer response message, create session response message, or change notification response message. For example, the gateway device sends a create PDP context response message to the first mobility management network element, where the create PDP context response carries the start monitoring indication and the information of the specified reporting area.

In a possible design, the first mobility management network element may further send an identifier of a designated reporting area and state information of the designated reporting area to the gateway device, where the state information of the designated reporting area is used to indicate that a state of the terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area changes. After receiving the identifier of the designated reporting area and the state information of the designated reporting area, the gateway device may also send the identifier of the designated reporting area and the state information of the designated reporting area to the PCRF entity or the OCS.

In one possible design, the PCRF entity or the OCS may further send updated information specifying the reporting area to the gateway device. For example, the PCRF entity or the OCS may send a CCA-I message, a CCA-U message, or a RAR message to the gateway device, where the CCA-I message, the CCA-U message, or the RAR message is used to subscribe to a message of an event that the terminal enters and exits the specified reporting area, and the CCA-I message, the CCA-U message, or the RAR message carries updated information of the specified reporting area. After receiving the updated information of the designated reporting area, the gateway device may further send the updated information of the designated reporting area to the first mobility management network element. Therefore, when the information of the specified reporting area changes during the online period of the PDN connection, the scheme of the embodiment of the present invention can support the updating of the information of the specified reporting area during the online period of the PDN connection, so as to monitor the state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area more accurately.

In one possible design, the PCRF entity or the OCS may further send a second message to the gateway device, where the second message is used to cancel an event that the subscriber terminal enters or exits the designated reporting area. After receiving the second message, the gateway device may further send a monitoring stop instruction and an identifier of the designated reporting area to the first mobility management element, where the monitoring stop instruction is used to instruct the first mobility management element to stop the monitoring terminal from entering and exiting the designated reporting area. After receiving the monitoring stop instruction and the identifier of the designated reporting area, the first mobility management network element may also stop the state of the monitoring terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area.

In one possible design, the first mobility management element may further send information specifying the reporting area to the second mobility management element. The first mobility management element may send information specifying a reporting Area to the second mobility management element in a Routing Area Update (RAU) procedure, a Tracking Area Update (TAU) procedure, a handover procedure, or a relocation procedure. For example, after receiving the context request message sent by the second mobility management network element, the first mobility management network element sends a context response message to the second mobility management network element, where the context response message carries information of the designated reporting area. For another example, after receiving the handover request message sent by the base station, the first mobility management network element sends a forward relocation request message to the second mobility management network element, where the forward relocation request message carries information of the designated reporting area. Therefore, the scheme of the embodiment of the invention can support the information of the appointed reporting area to be transmitted among different mobility management network elements, thereby saving interactive signaling caused by the transmission of the information of the appointed reporting area among the PCRF entity or the OCS, the gateway equipment and the second mobility management network element, and enabling the second mobility management network element to acquire the information of the appointed reporting area as soon as possible.

On the other hand, the embodiment of the invention provides another information transmission method. The method comprises the following steps: the first mobility management network element receives a monitoring start instruction and information of a specified reporting area from the gateway equipment, wherein the monitoring start instruction is used for instructing the first mobility management network element to start monitoring the state of a terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area; then a first mobility management network element monitors the state of a terminal entering and exiting a specified reporting area; and the first mobility management network element receives updated information of the designated reporting area sent by the gateway equipment during the PDN connection online period.

Therefore, when the information of the specified reporting area changes during the online period of the PDN connection, the scheme of the embodiment of the invention can support the updating of the information of the specified reporting area during the online period of the PDN connection so as to more accurately monitor the state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area.

In a possible design, the first mobility management element may monitor a state of the terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area according to the location information of the terminal and the list of the designated reporting area.

In a possible design, the first mobility management network element may further send an identifier of a designated reporting area and state information of the designated reporting area to the gateway device, where the state information of the designated reporting area is used to indicate that a state of the terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area changes.

In a possible design, the first mobility management element may further receive a stop monitoring instruction and an identifier of the designated reporting area, where the stop monitoring instruction is used to instruct the first mobility management element to stop the monitoring terminal from entering and exiting the designated reporting area. After receiving the monitoring stop instruction and the identifier of the designated reporting area, the first mobility management network element may also stop the state of the monitoring terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area.

In a possible design, the first mobility management element may receive a start monitoring indication and a message specifying a reporting area, where the start monitoring indication and the message are sent by the gateway device through any one of the following messages: create PDP context response message, update PDP context request message, update PDP context response message, create bearer request message, update bearer request message, modify bearer response message, create session response message, or change notification response message. For example, the first mobility management network element receives a create PDP context response message sent by the gateway device, where the create PDP context response carries the start monitoring indication and the information of the designated reporting area.

In one possible design, the first mobility management element may further send information specifying the reporting area to the second mobility management element. The first mobility management element may send information specifying a reporting area to the second mobility management element in an RAU procedure, a TAU procedure, a handover procedure, or a relocation procedure. For example, after receiving the context request message sent by the second mobility management network element, the first mobility management network element sends a context response message to the second mobility management network element, where the context response message carries information of the designated reporting area. For another example, after receiving the handover request message sent by the base station, the first mobility management network element sends a forward relocation request message to the second mobility management network element, where the forward relocation request message carries information of the designated reporting area. Therefore, the scheme of the embodiment of the invention can support the information of the appointed reporting area to be transmitted among different mobility management network elements, thereby saving interactive signaling caused by the transmission of the information of the appointed reporting area among the PCRF entity or the OCS, the gateway equipment and the second mobility management network element, and enabling the second mobility management network element to acquire the information of the appointed reporting area as soon as possible.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for transmitting information, where the apparatus is used for a gateway device, and the apparatus has a function of implementing a behavior of the gateway device in the above method design. The functions can be realized by hardware, and the functions can also be realized by executing corresponding software by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

In one possible design, the apparatus includes a processing unit and a communication unit in the structure, and the processing unit is configured to support the apparatus to execute the corresponding functions in the above method. The communication unit is used for supporting communication between the device and other equipment. The apparatus may also include a storage unit, coupled to the processing unit, that stores program instructions and data necessary for the gateway device. As an example, the processing unit may be a processor, the communication unit may be a communication interface, and the storage unit may be a memory.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides another information transmission apparatus, where the apparatus is used for a PCRF entity or an OCS, and the apparatus has a function of implementing a PCRF entity or an OCS behavior in the above method design. The functions can be realized by hardware, and the functions can also be realized by executing corresponding software by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

In one possible design, the apparatus includes a processing unit and a communication unit in the structure, and the processing unit is configured to support the apparatus to execute the corresponding functions in the above method. The communication unit is used for supporting communication between the device and other equipment. The apparatus may also include a storage unit for coupling with the processing unit that stores program instructions and data necessary for the apparatus. As an example, the processing unit may be a processor, the communication unit may be a communication interface, and the storage unit may be a memory.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a mobility management network element, which may be referred to as a first mobility management network element, where the first mobility management network element has a function of implementing a behavior of the first mobility management network element in the above method design. The functions can be realized by hardware, and the functions can also be realized by executing corresponding software by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

In one possible design, the first mobility management element includes a processing unit and a communication unit in a structure, and the processing unit is configured to support the first mobility management element to perform corresponding functions in the above method. The communication unit is configured to support communication between the first mobility management network element and other devices. The first mobility management element may further comprise a memory unit, for coupling with the processing unit, which stores program instructions and data necessary for the first mobility management element. As an example, the processing unit may be a processor, the communication unit may be a communication interface, and the storage unit may be a memory.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a communication system, where the communication system includes the apparatus for PCRF entity or OCS and the apparatus for gateway device in the foregoing aspect; or the system includes the apparatus for the PCRF entity or the OCS, the apparatus for the gateway device, and the first mobility management network element described in the above aspect.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a computer storage medium for storing computer software instructions for the apparatus for a gateway device, which includes a program designed to execute the above aspects.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a computer storage medium for storing computer software instructions for the apparatus for a PCRF entity or an OCS, which includes a program designed to execute the above aspects.

In yet another aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a computer storage medium for storing computer software instructions for the first mobility management element, which includes a program designed to execute the above aspects.

Compared with the prior art, in the scheme of the embodiment of the invention, after receiving the first message carrying the information of the specified reporting area, the gateway device sends the information of the specified reporting area and the monitoring start instruction to the mobility management network element, without storing the information of the specified reporting area to the context of the terminal, so that the memory consumption can be reduced, and the resources can be effectively saved. Furthermore, the first message is used for subscribing an event that the terminal enters or exits the specified reporting area, and the first message carries information of the specified reporting area, so that the first message is used for subscribing the event that the terminal enters or exits the specified reporting area and transmitting the information of the specified reporting area, that is, the first message has dual functions, and therefore, the scheme of the embodiment of the invention is beneficial to saving interactive signaling between the PCRF entity or the OCS and the gateway device.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious for those skilled in the art to obtain other drawings based on the drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a possible system architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a schematic flow chart of a method for transmitting information according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a communication diagram of another information transmission method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a communication diagram of another information transmission method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a PDP context activation procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a process for enabling a PRA function according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is another PDP context activation procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is a process for enabling another PRA function according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 9 is a closing process of a PRA function according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a RAU procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates a TAU process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 12 is a handover procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 13A is a schematic structural diagram of a gateway device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 13B is a schematic structural diagram of another gateway device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 14A is a schematic structural diagram of a PCRF entity according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 14B is a schematic structural diagram of another PCRF entity provided in the embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 15A is a schematic structural diagram of a mobility management network element according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 15B is a schematic structural diagram of another mobility management network element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

The network architecture and the service scenario described in the embodiment of the present invention are for more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention, and do not form a limitation on the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present invention, and it can be known by those skilled in the art that the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present invention is also applicable to similar technical problems along with the evolution of the network architecture and the appearance of a new service scenario.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an Evolved Packet System (EPS) network architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention, which mainly includes a terminal, an access network, a core network, and an operator Internet Protocol (IP) service network. As shown in fig. 1, after accessing an access network, a terminal accesses a Serving Gateway (SGW) through a General Packet Radio System (GPRS) service Support Node (SGSN) or an MME, and then accesses a PGW and an operator IP service network. When the terminal accesses the PGW through the SGSN, the terminal accesses the SGW through the S4 interface and then accesses the PGW through the S5 interface. Thus, the SGSN in FIG. 1 may also be referred to as S4-SGSN.

It should be noted that the solution of the embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to a second Generation (2nd Generation, 2G) communication system, a third Generation (3rd Generation, 3G) communication system, or other communication systems. For example, when applying a 2G or 3G communication system, the terminal may access the SGW through the S4-SGSN, and may also access the GGSN through the SGSN, where an interface between the SGSN and the GGSN may be a Gn interface or a GP interface. In this architecture, when the terminal accesses the GGSN through the SGSN, the SGSN may also be referred to herein as a GnGp-SGSN.

In the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "network" and "system" are often used interchangeably, but those skilled in the art can understand the meaning. The terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention may include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, and various forms of User Equipment (UE), Mobile Stations (MS), terminal devices (terminal device), and the like. For convenience of description, the above-mentioned devices are collectively referred to as a terminal. A Base Station (BS) according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device deployed in a radio access network to provide a terminal with a wireless communication function. The base stations may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, access points, and the like. In systems using different radio access technologies, names of devices having a base station function may be different, for example, in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the device is called an evolved node B (eNB or eNodeB), and in a 3G communication system, the device is called a node B (node B). For convenience of description, in the embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned apparatuses providing a terminal with a wireless communication function are collectively referred to as a base station or a BS.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below based on the common aspects of the embodiments of the present invention described above.

In the prior art, when a PRA function is applied, a PCRF entity first issues PRA information to a PGW when PDN connection is activated, and the PGW stores the PRA information in a context of a corresponding terminal; when the PGW receives the subscription event of the PCRF entity, the PGW is triggered to issue the PRA information to the MME. In this case, the PGW, as an intermediate network element, needs to store PRA information of a large number of terminals, and the PRA information occupies a memory of the PGW. This results in large memory consumption of the PGW due to limited memory of the PGW itself.

Based on this, an embodiment of the present invention provides an information transmission method, and a gateway device, a PCRF entity, an OCS, a mobility management network element, and a system based on this method. In the method, after acquiring information of a designated reporting area, a PCRF entity or an OCS sends a first message to a gateway device, wherein the first message is used for subscribing an event that a terminal enters or exits the designated reporting area, and the first message carries the information of the designated reporting area; after receiving the first message sent by the PCRF entity or the OCS, the gateway device sends a start monitoring instruction and information of a designated reporting area to the mobility management element, where the start monitoring instruction is used to instruct the mobility management element to start monitoring a state in which the terminal enters and exits the designated reporting area; after receiving the start monitoring instruction and the information of the specified reporting area sent by the gateway equipment, the mobility management network element monitors the state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area. It should be noted that, the terminal entering or exiting the designated reporting area refers to the terminal entering or leaving the designated reporting area. For convenience of description, the mobility management element may be referred to as a first mobility management element.

As can be seen from the above, in the scheme provided in the embodiment of the present invention, the gateway device receives the information of the designated reporting area through the first message, where the first message is used to subscribe to an event that the terminal enters or exits the designated reporting area, and the gateway device issues the information of the designated reporting area and a monitoring start instruction to the mobility management element after receiving the first message, without storing the information of the designated reporting area to the context of the terminal, so that memory consumption can be reduced, and resources can be effectively saved. Furthermore, the first message is used for subscribing an event that the terminal enters or exits the specified reporting area, and the first message carries information of the specified reporting area, so that the first message is used for subscribing the event that the terminal enters or exits the specified reporting area and transmitting the information of the specified reporting area, that is, the first message has dual functions.

It is understood that the solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention may be applied to a 2G communication system, a 3G communication system, a 4th Generation (4G) communication system, a fifth Generation (5th Generation, 5G) communication system, and may also be applied to a communication system that may appear in the future. In different application scenarios, the gateway device may be a PGW or a GGSN, and the mobility management network element may be an MME or an SGSN, where the SGSN may be an S4-SGSN or a GnGp-SGSN. For example, the solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention may be applied to the system architecture shown in fig. 1 or other similar system architectures, when the system architecture shown in fig. 1 is applied, the gateway device may be a PGW, and the mobility management network element may be an MME or S4-SGSN.

The PRA function currently defined by the 3GPP protocol only supports deployment on MME and S4-SGSN, and has limitation in application. And a scene that a large number of MME and GnGp-SGSN coexist exists in the current network. As can be seen from the above, by the scheme provided by the embodiment of the present invention, the PRA function can be deployed not only on the MME and the S4-SGSN, but also on the GnGp-SGSN, so that the application field of the PRA function is wider.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an information transmission method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The scheme provided by the embodiment of the invention is explained in the following with reference to the attached figure 2.

In part 201, a PCRF entity or an OCS acquires information specifying a reporting area.

In one example, the PCRF entity may obtain information of a locally configured specified reporting area; the subscription information may also be obtained from the provisioning system, the subscription information including information specifying the reporting area. Or, the OCS may obtain the information of the designated reporting area configured locally; or obtaining the subscription information from the preparation system, wherein the subscription information comprises information of a designated reporting area; and the information of the appointed reporting area can be obtained from the charging system.

In another example, the information specifying the reporting region may include an identifier specifying the reporting region, or the information specifying the reporting region may include an identifier specifying the reporting region and a list of the specified reporting regions. The list of the designated reporting area may be understood as list information of one or more location areas belonging to the designated reporting area. For example, when a list of a specified reporting area has been configured on the first mobility management element, the information of the specified reporting area includes an identifier of the specified reporting area; or, when the list of the designated reporting area is not configured on the first mobility management network element, the information of the designated reporting area includes an identifier of the designated reporting area and the list of the designated reporting area. In the specifications defined by 3GPP, there are two modes for implementing the PRA function: the core network predefines a PRA (core network predefined PRA) mode and a terminal-specific PRA (UE-specified PRA) mode, and in different modes, the information specifying the reporting area may include different contents. For example, in the core network predefined PRA mode, a list (e.g., PRA list) of the specified reporting area is configured on the first mobility management network element, and information (e.g., PRA information) of the specified reporting area, which is acquired by the PCRF entity or the OCS, includes an identifier (e.g., PRA ID) of the specified reporting area; alternatively, in the UE-truncated PRA mode, the PRA information includes a PRA ID and a PRA list.

At part 202, the PCRF entity or the OCS sends a first message to the gateway device, where the first message is used to subscribe to an event that the terminal enters or exits the designated reporting area, and the first message carries information of the designated reporting area.

In one example, the first message may be a CCA-I message, a CCA-U message, or a RAR message. For example, the PCRF entity sends a CCA-I message, a CCA-U message, or an RAR message to the gateway device, where the CCA-I message, the CCA-U message, or the RAR message is used to subscribe to an event that the terminal enters and exits a specified reporting area. For another example, the OCS sends a CCA-I message or a CCA-U message to the gateway device, where the CCA-I or CCA-U message is used to subscribe to an event that the terminal enters or exits the designated reporting area.

In another example, the PCRF entity or the OCS may further send updated information specifying the reporting region to the gateway device. For example, in the core network predefined PRA mode, if the PRA ID changes, the PCRF entity or the OCS sends an updated PRA information to the gateway device, where the updated PRA information includes the updated PRA ID. For another example, in the UE-dedicated PRA mode, if one or both of the PRA ID and the PRA list are changed, the PCRF entity or the OCS sends an updated PRA information to the gateway device, where the updated PRA information includes the updated PRA ID and the original PRA list, or includes the original PRA ID and the updated PRA list, or includes the updated PRA ID and the updated PRA list. In the UE-dedicated PRA mode, the original PRA list refers to an unchanged PRA list, and the original PRA ID refers to an unchanged PRA ID. It can be understood that the PCRF entity or the OCS may send the updated information of the designated reporting area to the gateway device through a message of an event that the subscriber terminal enters or exits the designated reporting area, for example, the PCRF entity or the OCS sends a CCA-I message, a CCA-U message, or a RAR message to the gateway device, where the CCA-I message, the CCA-U message, or the RAR message is used to subscribe the event that the terminal enters or exits the designated reporting area, and the CCA-I message, the CCA-U message, or the RAR message carries the updated information of the designated reporting area.

In the scheme of the embodiment of the present invention, when the information of the designated reporting area changes during the online period of the PDN connection, the PCRF entity or the OCS may issue the updated information of the designated reporting area in time to monitor the state of the terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area more accurately.

In another example, the PCRF entity or the OCS may further send a second message to the gateway device, where the second message is used to cancel an event that the subscribed terminal enters or exits the specified reporting area.

In part 203, the gateway device sends a monitoring start instruction and information of the designated reporting area to the first mobility management element, where the monitoring start instruction is used to instruct the first mobility management element to start monitoring a state in which the terminal enters or exits the designated reporting area.

In an example, the gateway device may send the start monitoring indication and the information specifying the reporting area to the first mobility management element through any one of the following messages: create Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context response (create PDP context response) message, update PDP context request (update PDP context request) message, update PDP context response (update PDP context response) message, create bearer request (create bearer request) message, update bearer request (update bearer request) message, modify bearer response (modify bearer response) message, create session response (create session response) message, or change notification response (change notification response) message. For example, the gateway device sends a create PDP context response message to the first mobility management network element, where the create PDP context response carries the start monitoring indication and the information of the specified reporting area.

In another example, the gateway device may further send the updated information specifying the reporting area to the first mobility management network element. For example, the gateway device may send the updated information of the specified reporting area to the first mobility management network element after receiving the updated information of the specified reporting area sent by the PCRF entity or the OCS. In a possible implementation manner, the gateway device sends a new start monitoring instruction and updated information of the designated reporting area to the first mobility management network element. The content of the updated information about the designated reporting area may refer to the corresponding description in section 202, which is not described herein again.

In another example, the gateway device may further send a monitoring stop instruction and an identifier of the specified reporting area to the first mobility management element, where the monitoring stop instruction is used to instruct the first mobility pipe network element to stop monitoring the state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area. For example, after receiving the second message sent by the PCRF entity or the OCS, the gateway device sends a monitoring stop instruction and an identifier of the designated reporting area to the first mobility management network element.

In part 204, the first mobility management element monitors the state of the terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area.

In an example, the first mobility management network element may monitor whether a state of the terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area changes. If the terminal enters the designated reporting area, the first mobility management network element may send, to the gateway device, an identifier of the designated reporting area and state information of the designated reporting area, where the state information of the designated reporting area is used to indicate that a state of the terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area changes. For example, if the first mobility management network element monitors that the terminal changes from being located in the designated reporting area (e.g., PRA) to being located in the designated reporting area, the first mobility management network element sends an identifier (e.g., PRA ID) of the designated reporting area and state information (e.g., PRA state information) of the designated reporting area to the gateway device, where the PRA state information is used to indicate that the terminal changes from being located in the PRA to being located in the PRA. For another example, if the first mobility management network element monitors that the terminal is changed from being inside the PRA to being outside the PRA, the first mobility management network element sends the PRA ID and the PRA status information to the gateway device, where the PRA status information is used to indicate that the terminal is changed from being inside the PRA to being outside the PRA.

In the above example, after receiving the identifier of the designated reporting area and the status information of the designated reporting area, which are sent by the first mobility management network element, the gateway device may also send the identifier of the designated reporting area and the status information of the designated reporting area to the PCRF entity or the OCS immediately.

In another example, the first mobility management network element receives location information of the terminal sent by the base station, and monitors a state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area according to the location information of the terminal and information of the specified reporting area. For example, the first mobility management network element determines, according to the location information of the terminal and the information of the specified reporting area, whether the terminal is currently located inside or outside the specified reporting area, and further determines whether a state of the terminal entering or exiting the specified reporting area changes. In a possible implementation manner, the first mobility management element may further send a location reporting control (location reporting control) message to the base station, where the location reporting control message is used to indicate the base station to report the location information of the terminal.

In another example, after receiving the monitoring stop instruction and the identifier of the designated reporting area sent by the gateway device, the first mobility management network element stops monitoring the state of the terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area. In a possible implementation manner, the first mobility management element further sends a cancel location reporting (cancel location reporting) message to the base station, where the cancel location reporting message is used to instruct the base station to stop reporting the location information of the terminal.

In yet another example, the first mobility management element may further send information specifying the reporting region to the second mobility management element. The first mobility management element may send information of a designated reporting area to the second mobility management element in an RAU procedure, a TAU procedure, a handover (handover) procedure, or a relocation (relocation) procedure. For example, after receiving the context request message sent by the second mobility management network element, the first mobility management network element sends a context response message to the second mobility management network element, where the context response message carries information of the designated reporting area. For another example, after receiving the handover request message sent by the base station, the first mobility management network element sends a forward relocation request message to the second mobility management network element, where the forward relocation request message carries information of the designated reporting area.

As can be seen from the above example, compared with the scheme in the prior art, the scheme in the embodiment of the present invention may support that information of the designated reporting area is transmitted between different mobility management network elements, so that an interactive signaling caused by issuing the information of the designated reporting area between the PCRF entity or the OCS, the gateway device, and the second mobility management network element may be saved, and the second mobility management network element may also acquire the information of the designated reporting area as soon as possible.

It should be noted that the information of the designated reporting area according to the embodiment of the present invention may be applicable to a GSM system, a UMTS system, an LTE system, a 5G system, and other communication systems that may appear in the future, or may also be understood that the information of the designated reporting area includes a complete set of information applicable to each of the above systems. In addition, in the solution of the embodiment of the present invention, for the same PDN connection, the information of the designated reporting area issued by the OCS is the same as the information of the designated reporting area issued by the PCRF entity.

Embodiments of the present invention will be further described with reference to the following figures. It should be noted that, the following describes the methods shown in fig. 3 to 8 by taking the designated reporting area as the PRA, the information of the designated reporting area as the PRA information, the identifier of the designated reporting area as the PRA ID, and the list of the designated reporting areas as the PRA list as examples. The method shown in fig. 3 and 4 is described with the PRA implementation mode being a UE-dedicated PRA mode, the application system being an LTE system, the gateway device being a PGW, the mobility management network element being an MME, and the base station being an eNodeB. In the methods shown in fig. 5 and fig. 6, the PRA implementation mode is a UE-dedicated PRA mode, the application system is a UMTS system, the gateway device is a GGSN, the mobility management Network element is an SGSN, and the base station is a Radio Network Controller (RNC) for description. The method shown in fig. 7 and 8 is described with the PRA implementation mode being a UE-dedicated PRA mode, the application system being a GSM system, the gateway device being a GGSN, the mobility management network element being an SGSN, and the Base Station being a Base Station Subsystem (BSS).

Fig. 3 is a communication diagram of another information transmission method according to an embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that, in the method shown in fig. 3, the same or similar contents to those of the method shown in fig. 2 may refer to the detailed description in fig. 2, and are not repeated herein.

At part 301, the PCRF entity obtains subscription information from the provisioning system, where the subscription information carries PRA information. Wherein the PRA information includes a PRA ID and a PRA list.

In one example, the PCRF entity may also obtain locally configured PRA information instead of subscription information from the provisioning system.

At 302, the MME sends a create session request to the PGW.

In part 303, the PGW sends a Credit Control Request-Initial (CCR-I) message to the PCRF entity.

At 304, the PCRF entity sends a CCA-I message to the PGW.

At 305, the PGW sends a create session response to the MME.

At 306, the MME sends a modify bearer request to the PGW.

In part 307, the PCRF entity enters and exits the PRA event to the PGW subscriber terminal through an RAR message, where the RAR message carries PRA information. For example, the event may be a "change of UE presence in presence reporting area report" event, which may be referred to as a PRA-change event for short. The above-mentioned PCRF entity subscribing to the PRA-change event may also be understood as that the PCRF entity triggers enabling of the PRA function through the PRA-change event.

The PGW sends a Re-authentication Answer (RAA) message to the PCRF entity, at 308.

At part 309, the PGW sends an update bearer request to the MME, where the update bearer request message carries a start monitoring indication and PRA information, where the start monitoring indication is used to indicate the MME to start monitoring the state of the terminal entering and exiting the PRA.

In part 310, the MME determines whether to turn on a real-time location reporting function of the terminal. For example, if it is determined to be on, then portions 311 and 312 may optionally be performed; if it is determined not to be on, then portions 311 and 312 may not be performed.

In part 311, the MME sends a location reporting control message to the eNodeB, where the location reporting control message is used to instruct the base station to report the location information of the terminal. The location reporting control message may carry reporting times, reporting granularity, and the like. For example, the reporting times may be one time, and the eNodeB is instructed to report the location information of the terminal once; the reporting times can also be multiple times, and the eNodeB is indicated to report the location information of the terminal once the location of the terminal changes. In addition, the reporting granularity may instruct the eNodeB to report based on the granularity of an Evolved Universal Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Cell Global identity (ECGI) and the like.

In part 312, the eNodeB sends a location report message to the MME, where the location report message carries the location information of the terminal.

In part 313, the MME determines the PRA initial state according to the location information of the terminal and the PRA list, and sends an update bearer response to the PGW, where the update bearer response carries the PRA ID and the PRA initial state. The PRA initial state is used for indicating whether the terminal is currently located inside or outside the PRA. Here, the location information of the terminal may be the location information of the terminal transmitted by the eNodeB through the location reporting information in part 312, or may be the location information of the terminal stored in the MME.

In part 314, the PGW sends a Credit Control Request-Update (CCR-U) message to the PCRF entity, where the CCR-U message carries the PRA ID and the PRA initial state.

At 315, the PCRF entity sends a CCA-U message to the PGW.

In part 316, when the terminal location changes, the MME determines that the PRA status changes. The PRA state change means that the state of the terminal entering and exiting the PRA changes, for example: the terminal changes from being inside the PRA to being outside the PRA, or changes from being outside the PRA to being inside the PRA.

In part 317, the MME sends a change notification request (change notification request) to the PGW, where the change notification carries the PRA ID and the PRA status information, where the PRA status information is used to indicate that the status of the terminal entering and exiting the PRA changes, for example: the PRA status information is used to indicate that the terminal is changed from being inside the PRA to being outside the PRA, or the PRA status information is used to indicate that the terminal is changed from being outside the PRA to being inside the PRA.

At 318, the PGW sends a change notification response (change notification response) to the MME.

In part 319, the PGW sends a CCR-U message to the PCRF entity, where the CCR-U message carries the PRA ID and the PRA status information.

And in part 320, the PCRF entity sends a CCA-U message to the PGW, wherein the CCA-U message carries the updated PRA information.

In one example, the updated PRA information includes a new PRA ID and a new PRA list, and the PCRF entity may subscribe to the PRA-change event from the PGW through the CCA-U message.

In part 321, the PGW sends an update bearer request to the MME, where the update bearer request carries the new start monitoring indication and the updated PRA information. Wherein the new start monitoring indication is used for instructing the MME to start monitoring the state of the terminal entering or exiting the new PRA.

At 322, the MME determines that the PRA status has changed. Portions 422 and 416 are similar, and reference may be made to the detailed description of portion 416, which is not repeated here.

In part 323, the MME sends an update bearer response to the PGW, where the update bearer response carries a new PRA ID and new PRA status information, where the new PRA status information is used to indicate that a state of the terminal entering and exiting a new PRA changes, for example: the new PRA status information is used to indicate that the terminal is changed from being inside the new PRA to being outside the new PRA, or the new PRA status information is used to indicate that the terminal is changed from being outside the new PRA to being inside the new PRA.

At part 324, the PGW sends a CCR-U message to the PCRF entity, where the CCR-U message carries the new PRA ID and the new PRA status information.

At 325, the PCRF entity sends a CCA-U message to the PGW.

As can be seen from the method shown in fig. 3, in the scheme of the embodiment of the present invention, the PCRF entity may issue the PRA information when the user is activated, for example, the PCRF entity may issue the PRA information when a PRA-change event is subscribed. Further, when the PRA information changes, the scheme of the embodiment of the invention can support the update of the PRA information during the online of the PDN connection.

Fig. 4 is a communication diagram of another information transmission method according to an embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that, in the method shown in fig. 4, the same or similar contents to those shown in fig. 2 or fig. 3 may refer to the detailed description in fig. 2 or fig. 3, and are not repeated herein.

In part 401, the OCS obtains subscription information from the provisioning system, where the subscription information carries PRA information. Wherein the PRA information includes a PRA ID and a PRA list.

In one example, the OCS entity may also obtain locally configured PRA information instead of the PRA information from the preparation system, or obtain the PRA information from the charging system.

At 402, the MME sends a create session request to the PGW.

At 403, the PGW sends a CCR-I message to the OCS.

In part 404, the OCS enters and exits the PRA event to the PGW subscriber terminal through the CCA-I message, and the RAR message carries PRA information. For example, the event may be a PRA-change event.

In part 405, the PGW sends a create session response to the MME, where the create session response carries a start monitoring indication and PRA information, where the start monitoring indication is used to indicate the MME to start monitoring the state of the terminal entering and exiting the PRA.

In part 406, the MME determines whether to turn on a real-time location reporting function of the terminal. For example, if it is determined to be on, then 407 and 408 may be optionally performed; if it is determined not to be on, then portions 407 and 408 may not be performed.

Portions 407 and 408 are the same as or similar to portions 311 and 312 in fig. 3, respectively, and reference may be made to detailed description of portions 311 and 312, which is not repeated here.

In part 409, the MME determines the PRA initial state according to the location information of the terminal and the PRA list, and sends a bearer modification request to the PGW, where the bearer modification request carries the PRA ID and the PRA initial state. The rest of the part 409 is similar to the part 313 in fig. 3, and the detailed description of the part 313 can be referred to, and is not repeated here.

At element 410, the PGW sends a CCR-U message to the OCS, where the CCR-U message carries the PRA ID and the PRA initial status.

The OCS sends a CCA-U message to the PGW, at 411.

At part 412, the PGW sends a CCR-U message to the OCS.

In part 413, the OCS sends a CCA-U message to the PGW, where the CCA-U message carries the updated PRA information.

In one example, the updated PRA information includes a new PRA ID and a new PRA list, and the OCS entity may subscribe to the PRA-change event from the PGW through a CCA-U message.

Portions 414-418 are the same as or similar to portions 321-325 in fig. 3, and reference may be made to the detailed description of portions 321-325, which is not repeated here. Among them, the differences between 417 part, 418 part and 324 part, 325 part are that 417 part, 418 part relate to the interaction between PGW and OCS, and 324 part, 325 part relate to the interaction between PGW and PCRF entity.

As can be seen from the method shown in fig. 4, in the scheme of the embodiment of the present invention, the OCS may independently obtain the PRA information without depending on the gateway device, and may issue the PRA information to the gateway device when the user is activated, for example, may issue the PRA information when subscribing to a PRA-change event. Further, when the PRA information changes, the scheme of the embodiment of the invention can support the update of the PRA information during the online period of the PDN connection. It should be noted that, for the same PDN connection, no matter whether the OCS issues the PRA information or the PCRF entity issues the PRA information, the PRA information issued by the OCS and the PCRF entity is the same.

Fig. 5 shows a PDP context activation procedure, wherein the PCRF entity may issue the PRA information in the activation procedure. It should be noted that, in the method shown in fig. 5, the same or similar contents to those of the method shown in fig. 2 may refer to the detailed description in fig. 2, and are not repeated herein.

In part 501, the terminal sends an activate PDP context request (active PDP context request) to the SGSN.

In part 502, the SGSN sends a Create PDP context request to the GGSN.

At 503, the GGSN sends a CCR-I message to the PCRF entity.

In part 504, the PCRF entity subscribes to the event that the MS enters and exits the PRA to the GGSN through a CCA-I message, where the CCA-I message carries PRA information. The event may be a PRA-change event, for example. Wherein the PRA information includes a PRA ID and a PRA list.

In part 505, the GGSN sends a create PDP context response message to the SGSN, where the create PDP context response message carries a start monitoring indication and PRA information, where the start monitoring indication is used to indicate the SGSN to start monitoring the state of the terminal in and out of the PRA.

In part 506, radio access bearer setup (radio bearer setup) is performed between the terminal, the RNC, and the SGSN.

In part 507, the SGSN sends an invoke trace (invoke trace) message to the RNC.

In part 508, the SGSN sends a location reporting control message to the RNC, where the location reporting control message is used to instruct the RNC to report the location information of the terminal. The position reporting control message may carry reporting times, reporting granularity, and the like. For example, the reporting times may be one time, and the RNC is instructed to report the location information of the terminal once; the reporting times can also be multiple times, and the RNC is indicated to report the position information of the terminal once the position of the terminal changes. In addition, the reporting granularity may instruct the RNC to report based on the granularities of Service Area Identifier (SAI), Cell Global Identifier (CGI), and the like.

In part 509, the SGSN determines the PRA initial state according to the location information of the terminal and the PRA list, and updates a PDP context request to the GGSN, where the PDP context request carries the PRA ID and the PRA initial state. Other contents of the part 509 are similar to those of the part 313 in fig. 3, and reference may be made to the detailed description of the part 313, which is not described herein again.

At 510, the GGSN sends a CCR-U message to the PCRF entity, where the CCR-U message carries the PRA ID and the PRA initial status.

At 511, the PCRF entity sends a CCA-U message to the GGSN.

The GGSN sends an update PDP context response to the SGSN at 512.

In part 513, the SGSN sends an activate PDP context accept (active PDP context accept) message to the terminal.

When the location of the terminal changes, the RNC sends a location report message to the SGSN, where the location report message carries the location information of the terminal, in section 514.

In part 515, the SGSN sends an MS information change notification request (MS info change notification request) to the GGSN according to the location information of the terminal and the PRA list reported by the RNC, where the MS information change notification request carries a PRA ID and PRA state information, where the PRA state information is used to indicate that a state of the terminal in and out of the PRA changes, for example: the PRA status information is used to indicate that the terminal is changed from being inside the PRA to being outside the PRA, or the PRA status information is used to indicate that the terminal is changed from being outside the PRA to being inside the PRA.

At part 516, the GGSN sends a CCR-U message to the PCRF entity, wherein the CCR-U message carries the PRA ID and the PRA state information.

At 517, the PCRF entity sends a CCA-U message to the GGSN.

The GGSN sends a MS info change notification response to the SGSN at 518.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned portions 506, 507, 508 and 514 are optional portions.

Fig. 6 shows a procedure for enabling the PRA function during PDP online, wherein the PCRF entity may issue the PRA information in the enabling procedure. It should be noted that, in the method shown in fig. 6, the same or similar contents to those shown in fig. 2 or fig. 5 may refer to the detailed description in fig. 2 or fig. 5, and are not repeated herein.

At part 601, the PCRF entity subscribes to the event that the terminal enters or exits the PRA to the GGSN through an RAR message, where the RAR message carries PRA information. The event may be a PRA-change event, for example. Wherein the PRA information includes a PRA ID and a PRA list.

At element 602, the GGSN sends an update PDP context request to the SGSN, where the update PDP context request carries a start monitoring indication and PRA information, where the start monitoring indication is used to indicate the SGSN to start monitoring the state of the terminal entering and exiting the PRA.

In part 603, radio access bearer modification (radio access bearer modification) is performed among the terminal, the RNC, and the SGSN.

In part 604, the SGSN sends an MS info change notification request to the terminal.

In part 605, the terminal sends an MS info change notification response to the SGSN.

In part 606, the SGSN sends a location reporting control message to the RNC.

In part 607, the SGSN determines the PRA initial state according to the location information of the terminal and the PRA list, and updates a PDP context response to the GGSN, where the update PDP context response carries the PRA ID and the PRA initial state. The rest of the portion 607 is similar to the portion 313 in fig. 3, and the detailed description of the portion 313 may be referred to, and is not repeated here.

At part 608, the GGSN sends an RAA message to the PCRF entity, the RAA message carrying the PRA ID and the PRA initial status.

609 parts 609 to 613 parts are respectively the same as or similar to 514 parts to 518 parts in fig. 5, and detailed descriptions in 514 parts to 518 parts can be referred to, and are not repeated herein.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned portions 603, 606 and 609 are optional portions.

Fig. 7 shows another PDP context activation procedure, in which the PCRF entity may issue the PRA information during the activation procedure. It should be noted that the method shown in fig. 7 is similar to the method shown in fig. 5, and reference may be made to the detailed description of fig. 5, which is not repeated here.

Fig. 8 shows another procedure for enabling the PRA function during PDP online, wherein the PCRF entity may issue the PRA information in the enabling procedure. It should be noted that the method shown in fig. 8 is similar to the method shown in fig. 6, and reference may be made to the detailed description of fig. 6, which is not repeated herein.

When the methods shown in fig. 3 to 8 are applied to a scenario in which the PRA implementation mode is a core network predefined PRA mode, the PRA information includes the PRA ID, but does not include the PRA list.

In the case that the PRA information is issued or the PRA function is enabled, the following will further describe the solution of the embodiment of the present invention with reference to more drawings.

Fig. 9 shows a process of turning off the PRA function during online. The method shown in fig. 9 is described by taking an application system as a 2G system or a 3G system as an example. The gateway device is a GGSN, the mobility management network element is an SGSN, and the base station is a BSS or RNC. It is understood that the method shown in fig. 9 can also be applied to an LTE system or other systems.

In the 901 part, the PCRF entity cancels the event that the subscription terminal enters and exits the designated reporting area to the GGSN through the RAR message. For example, the PCRF entity sends an RAR message to the GGSN, where the RAR message does not carry a PRA-change event, which means that the PCRF entity cancels the subscription of the PRA-change event.

In an example, the PCRF entity may also cancel, by the CCA-U message, an event that the terminal enters or leaves the designated reporting area to the GGSN, for example, the PCRF entity sends the CCA-U message to the GGSN, where the CCA-U message does not carry the PRA-change event, which indicates that the PCRF entity cancels the subscription of the PRA-change event.

At part 902, the GGSN sends an update PDP context request to the SGSN, where the update PDP context request carries a stop monitoring indication and a PRA ID, and the stop monitoring indication is used to instruct the SGSN to stop monitoring the state of the terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area.

In part 903, the SGSN sends a cancel location report message to the BSS or the RNC, where the cancel location report message is used to instruct the BSS or the RNC to stop reporting the location information of the terminal. Wherein the portion 903 is an optional portion.

The SGSN sends an update PDP context response to the GGSN, at 904.

At 905, the GGSN sends an RAA message to the PCRF entity.

Fig. 10 illustrates an RAU procedure in which a first mobility management network element may send PRA information to a second mobility management network element in the RAU procedure. The first mobility management network element may be an MME or a first SGSN, and the second mobility management network element may be a second SGSN. In fig. 10, portions 1003 and 1004, and portions 1005 and 1006 are optional portions. Wherein, when the first mobility management network element is a first SGSN, the 1003 part and the 1004 part can be executed; alternatively, when the first mobility management network element is an MME, parts 1005 and 1006 may be performed.

In part 1001, the terminal sends an RAU request to the BSS or RNC.

In part 1002, the BSS or RNC sends an RAU request to the second SGSN.

In part 1003, the second SGSN sends an SGSN context request to the first SGSN.

At element 1004, the first SGSN sends an SGSN context response to the second SGSN, where the SGSN context response carries the PRA information.

At 1005, the second SGSN sends an SGSN context request to the MME.

At element 1006, the MME sends an SGSN context response to the second SGSN, the SGSN context response carrying the PRA information.

In part 1007, the second SGSN sends the PRA ID and PRA initial status to the GGSN according to the location information and PRA information of the terminal, for example, by updating a PDP context request.

At part 1008, the GGSN sends a CCR-U message to the PCRF entity, where the CCR-U message carries the PRA ID and the PRA initial status.

At 1009, the PCRF entity sends a CCA-U message to the GGSN.

The GGSN sends an update PDP context response to the second SGSN, at 1010.

Fig. 11 shows a TAU procedure. In the TAU procedure, the first mobility management network element may send PRA information to the second mobility management network element. The first mobility management network element may be an SGSN or a first MME, and the second mobility management network element may be a second MME. It should be noted that, in fig. 11, portions 1104 and 1105, and portions 1106 and 1107 are optional portions. Wherein, when the first mobility management network element is the first MME, parts 1104 and 1105 may be performed; alternatively, when the first mobility management network element is an SGSN, sections 1106 and 1107 may be performed. It can be understood that the SGW/PGW in fig. 11 indicates that the SGW and the PGW are combined into one device, and the device has the functions of the SGW and the PGW, and of course, in the scheme shown in fig. 11, the SGW and the PGW may also be separately configured, which is not described herein again.

In part 1101, the terminal triggers the start TAU procedure.

In part 1102, the terminal sends a TAU request to the eNodeB.

In 1103, the eNodeB sends a TAU request to the second MME.

At 1104, the second MME sends a context request to the first MME.

In part 1105, the first MME sends a context response to the second MME, where the context response carries PRA information.

At 1106, the second MME sends an SGSN context request to the SGSN.

In part 1107, the SGSN sends an SGSN context response to the second MME, the SGSN context response carrying the PRA information.

In block 1108, the second MME sends the PRA ID and the PRA initial state to the SGW according to the location information and PRA information of the terminal, e.g., by modifying the bearer request.

In 1109, the SGW/PGW sends a CCR-U message to the PCRF entity, where the CCR-U message carries the PRA ID and the PRA initial state.

At 1110, the PCRF entity sends a CCA-U message to the SGW/PGW.

In part 1111, the SGW/PGW sends a modify bearer response to the second MME.

Fig. 12 shows a handover procedure. In the handover procedure, the first mobility management element may send PRA information to the second mobility management element. The first mobility management network element may be a first SGSN and the second mobility management network element may be a second SGSN.

In part 1201, the terminal moves to the second RNC side. For example, after the terminal has accessed the first SGSN through the first RNC, the terminal moves to the second RNC side.

In part 1202, a first RNC determines that RNC relocation is required.

In part 1203, the first RNC sends a handover request to the first SGSN.

At element 1204, the first SGSN sends a forward relocation request to the second SGSN, the forward relocation request carrying the PRA information.

At 1205, the second SGSN sends a forward relocation response to the first SGSN.

At element 1206, the second SGSN sends a handover command (handover command) to the first RNC.

The terminal maintains the current connection and continues moving to the second RNC side until the connection is broken, 1207. The execution order of the 1206 part and the 1207 part is not limited.

The terminal sends 1208 an RAU request to the second RNC.

The second RNC sends an RAU request to the second SGSN, at 1209.

At part 1210, the second SGSN sends an update PDP context request to the GGSN, the update PDP context request carrying the PRA ID and the PRA initial state. For example, the second SGSN determines the PRA initial state according to the current location information of the terminal and the PRA list included in the PRA information, and sends a PDP context update request to the GGSN.

In 1211, the GGSN sends a CCR-U message to the PCRF entity, where the CCR-U message carries the PRA ID and the PRA initial status.

At 1212, the PCRF entity sends a CCA-U message to the GGSN.

The GGSN sends an update PDP context response to the second SGSN, 1213.

As can be seen from the above description, the solution of the embodiment of the present invention can enable the PRA information to be transferred between different mobility management network elements. Wherein, the handover process in fig. 12 is a handover process between different SGSNs, and it can be understood that the handover process related in the embodiment of the present invention may also be a handover process from an MME to an SGSN, that is, handover inter MME to SGSN; or a handover procedure from SGSN to MME, i.e. handover inter SGSN to MME. In addition to the scenarios shown in fig. 10 to fig. 12, the scheme of the embodiment of the present invention may also enable the PRA information to be transmitted between different mobility management network elements through a relocation process, where a specific implementation process is similar to the method shown in fig. 10, fig. 11, or fig. 12, and is not described herein again.

It may be understood that, in all or part of the methods shown in fig. 5 to fig. 12, the behavior executed by the PCRF entity may also be completed by the OCS, and for the sake of brevity, the details are not described herein again.

In the methods shown in fig. 2 to 12, for the same terminal, PDPs belonging to the same Access Point Name (APN) and IP have the same corresponding PRA information, that is, the PRA information of the primary PDP and the secondary PDP under PDN connection is the same.

In addition, part of the information involved in the above method may be transmitted through some cells. For example, some or all of the information involved in processes 309 and 321 of fig. 3, processes 405 and 414 of fig. 4, process 505 of fig. 5, process 602 of fig. 6, process 707 of fig. 7, process 802 of fig. 8, process 902 of fig. 9, processes 1004 and 1006 of fig. 10, processes 1105 and 1107 of fig. 11, and process 1204 of fig. 12 may be transmitted via a presence reporting area action cell. Also for example, some or all of the information involved in processes 301, 307, 313, 314, 317, 319, 320, 323, and 324 of fig. 3, processes 401, 404, 409, 410, 413, 416, and 417 of fig. 4, processes 504, 509, 510, 515, and 516 of fig. 5, processes 601, 607, 608, 610, and 611 of fig. 6, processes 706, 709, 710, 714, and 715 of fig. 7, processes 801, 806, 807, 808, and 809 of fig. 8, processes 1007 and 1008 of fig. 10, processes 1108 and 1109 of fig. 11, and processes 1210 and 1211 of fig. 12 may be transmitted using a presence reporting area information cell. The content of the presence reporting area action cell may refer to the introduction of the 3GPP protocol TS 29.274, and the content of the presence reporting area information cell may refer to the introduction of the 3GPP protocol TS 29.274.

The above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention have been introduced mainly from the perspective of interaction between network elements. It is to be understood that, in order to implement the above functions, each network element, for example, a PCRF entity, an OCS, a gateway device, a mobility management network element, etc., includes a hardware structure and/or a software module corresponding to the execution of each function. Those of skill in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software, with the exemplary elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein. Whether a function is performed as hardware or computer software drives hardware depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the solution. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

In the embodiment of the present invention, according to the above method example, the gateway device, the mobility management network element, and the like may be divided into the functional units, for example, each functional unit may be divided corresponding to each function, or two or more functions may be integrated into one processing unit. The integrated unit can be realized in a form of hardware, and can also be realized in a form of a software functional unit. It should be noted that the division of the unit in the embodiment of the present invention is schematic, and is only a logic function division, and there may be another division manner in actual implementation.

In the case of an integrated unit, fig. 13A shows a schematic diagram of a possible structure of the gateway device involved in the above embodiment. The gateway apparatus 1300 includes: a processing unit 1302 and a communication unit 1303. Processing unit 1302 is configured to control and manage actions of the gateway device, for example, processing unit 1302 is configured to support the gateway device to execute process 203 in fig. 2, processes 303, 305, 308, 309, 314, 318, 319, 321, and 324 in fig. 3, processes 403, 405, 410, 412, 414, and 417 in fig. 4, processes 503, 505, 510, 512, 516, and 518 in fig. 5, processes 602, 608, 611, and 613 in fig. 6, processes 705, 707, 710, 712, 715, and 717 in fig. 7, processes 802, 807, 809, and 811 in fig. 8, processes 902 and 905 in fig. 9, processes 1008 and 1010 in fig. 10, process 1109 in fig. 11, processes 1211 and 1213 in fig. 12, and/or other processes for the techniques described herein. The communication unit 1303 is used to support communication between the gateway device and other network entities, for example, the network entities shown in fig. 1. The gateway device may further comprise a storage unit 1301 for storing program codes and data of the gateway device.

The Processing Unit 1302 may be a Processor or a controller, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a general purpose Processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other Programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. Which may implement or perform the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the disclosure. The processor may also be a combination of computing functions, e.g., comprising one or more microprocessors, DSPs, and microprocessors, among others. The communication unit 1303 may be a communication interface, a transceiver circuit, or the like, where the communication interface is generically referred to, and in a specific implementation, the communication interface may include a plurality of interfaces, which may include, for example: an interface between the gateway device and the PCRF entity or the OCS, an interface between the gateway device and the mobility management network element, and/or other interfaces. The storage unit 1301 may be a memory.

When the processing unit 1302 is a processor, the communication unit 1303 is a communication interface, and the storage unit 1301 is a memory, the gateway device according to the embodiment of the present invention may be the gateway device shown in fig. 13B.

Referring to fig. 13B, the gateway device 1310 includes: a processor 1312, a communication interface 1313, and a memory 1311. Optionally, the gateway device 1310 may also include a bus 1314. Wherein, the communication interface 1313, the processor 1312, and the memory 1311 may be connected to each other through a bus 1314; the bus 1314 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, or the like. The bus 1314 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and the like. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is shown in FIG. 13B, but this is not intended to represent only one bus or type of bus.

The gateway device shown in fig. 13A or fig. 13B may also be understood as an apparatus for a gateway device, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

In the case of using an integrated unit, fig. 14A shows a possible structural diagram of the PCRF entity involved in the above embodiment. The PCRF entity 1400 includes: a processing unit 1402 and a communication unit 1403. Processing unit 1402 is configured to control and manage actions of the PCRF entity, e.g., processing unit 1402 is configured to support the PCRF entity to perform

processes

201 and 202 in fig. 2, processes 304, 307, 315, 320, and 325 in fig. 3, processes 504, 511, and 517 in fig. 5, processes 601, and 612 in fig. 6, processes 706, 711, and 716 in fig. 7, processes 801 and 810 in fig. 8, process 901 in fig. 9, process 1009 in fig. 10, process 1110 in fig. 11, process 1212 in fig. 12, and/or other processes for the techniques described herein. A communication unit 1403 is used for supporting communication between the PCRF entity and other network entities, for example, the network entities shown in fig. 1. The PCRF entity may further comprise a storage unit 1401 for storing program codes and data of the PCRF entity.

The Processing Unit 1402 may be a Processor or a controller, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a general-purpose Processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other Programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. Which may implement or perform the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the disclosure. The processor may also be a combination of computing functions, e.g., comprising one or more microprocessors, DSPs, and microprocessors, among others. The communication unit 1403 may be a communication interface, a transceiver circuit, or the like, where the communication interface is referred to as a generic term, and in a specific implementation, the communication interface may include a plurality of interfaces, which may include, for example: an interface between the PCRF entity and the gateway device, an interface between the PCRF entity and the provisioning system, and/or other interfaces. The storage unit 1401 may be a memory.

When the processing unit 1402 is a processor, the communication unit 1403 is a communication interface, and the storage unit 1401 is a memory, the PCRF entity according to the embodiment of the present invention may be the PCRF entity shown in fig. 14B.

Referring to fig. 14B, the PCRF entity 1410 includes: processor 1412, communication interface 1413, and memory 1411. Optionally, PCRF entity 1410 may also include bus 1414. The communication interface 1413, the processor 1412, and the memory 1411 may be interconnected via a bus 1414; the bus 1414 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, or the like. The bus 1414 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and the like. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is shown in FIG. 14B, but this does not indicate only one bus or one type of bus.

The PCRF entity shown in fig. 14A or fig. 14B may also be understood as a device for the PCRF entity, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

It should be noted that, an OCS or a device for an OCS is further provided in the embodiments of the present invention, and the OCS or the device has a structure the same as or similar to that of the PCRF entity shown in fig. 14A or fig. 14B. For the structural description of the OCS or the device, reference may be made to the above detailed description of fig. 14A and 14B, and for the sake of brevity, the description is not repeated here.

In case of using integrated units, fig. 15A shows a possible structural schematic diagram of the mobility management network element involved in the above embodiment. The mobility management network element 1500 includes: a processing unit 1502 and a communication unit 1503. The processing unit 1502 is configured to control and manage actions of the mobility management network element, for example, the processing unit 1502 is configured to support the mobility management network element to perform the process 204 in fig. 2, the processes 302, 306, 310, 311, 313, 316, 317, 322, and 323 in fig. 3, the processes 402, 406, 407, 409, 415, and 416 in fig. 4, the processes 502, 506, 507, 508, 509, 513, and 515 in fig. 5, the processes 603, 604, 606, 607, and 610 in fig. 6, the processes 702, 703, 704, 709, 713, and 714 in fig. 7, the processes 803, 804, 806, and 808 in fig. 8, the processes 903 and 904 in fig. 9, the processes 1004 or 1006 in fig. 10, the processes 1105 or 1107 in fig. 11, the processes and 1206 in fig. 12, and/or other processes for the technologies described herein; also for example, processing unit 1502 is configured to support the mobility management network element to perform processes 1003, 1005, and 1007 in fig. 10, processes 1104, 1106, and 1108 in fig. 11, processes 1205 and 1210 in fig. 12, and/or other processes for the techniques described herein. The communication unit 1503 is used to support communication between the mobility management network element and other network entities, for example, the network entity shown in fig. 1. The mobility management element may further comprise a storage unit 1501 for storing program codes and data of the mobility management element.

The Processing Unit 1502 may be a Processor or a controller, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a general-purpose Processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other Programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. Which may implement or perform the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the disclosure. The processor may also be a combination of computing functions, e.g., comprising one or more microprocessors, DSPs, and microprocessors, among others. The communication unit 1503 may be a communication interface, a transceiver, a transceiving circuit, or the like, wherein the communication interface is generically referred to, and in a specific implementation, the communication interface may include a plurality of interfaces, which may include, for example: an interface between the mobility management network element and the gateway device, an interface between the mobility management network element and the base station, and/or other interfaces. The storage unit 1501 may be a memory.

When the processing unit 1502 is a processor, the communication unit 1503 is a communication interface, and the storage unit 1501 is a memory, the mobility management network element according to the embodiment of the present invention may be the mobility management network element shown in fig. 15B.

Referring to fig. 15B, the mobility management element 1510 comprises: a processor 1512, a communications interface 1513, and a memory 1511. Optionally, the mobility management element 1510 may further include a bus 1514. The communication interface 1513, the processor 1512, and the memory 1511 may be connected to each other by a bus 1514; the bus 1514 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, or the like. The bus 1514 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and the like. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is shown in FIG. 15B, but this is not intended to represent only one bus or type of bus.

The mobility management network element shown in fig. 15A or fig. 15B may also be understood as an apparatus for a mobility management network element, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

The Processor for performing the functions of the gateway device, the PCRF entity, the OCS or the mobility management element in the foregoing embodiments of the present invention may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a general purpose Processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other Programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. Which may implement or execute the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiment disclosure. The processor may also be a combination of computing functions, e.g., comprising one or more microprocessors, DSPs, and microprocessors, among others.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied in hardware or in software executed by a processor. The software instructions may be comprised of corresponding software modules that may be stored in Random Access Memory (RAM), flash Memory, Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a compact disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium may also be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC may reside in a gateway device or a mobility management network element. Of course, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a gateway device or a mobility management network element.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that, in one or more of the examples described above, the functions described in connection with the embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.

The above-mentioned embodiments are intended to illustrate the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention in further detail, and it should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments are only specific embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transmission method for specifying reporting area information is characterized by comprising the following steps:

the method comprises the steps that gateway equipment receives a first message sent by an online charging system, wherein the first message is used for subscribing an event that a terminal enters and exits a specified reporting area, and the first message carries information of the specified reporting area;

the gateway equipment sends a monitoring start instruction and the information of the specified reporting area to a mobility management network element, wherein the monitoring start instruction is used for indicating the mobility management network element to start monitoring the state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area;

the gateway equipment receives an identifier of a specified reporting area and state information of the specified reporting area, which are sent by the mobility management network element, wherein the state information of the specified reporting area indicates that the state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area changes;

the gateway equipment sends the identifier of the specified reporting area and the state information of the specified reporting area to the online charging system;

and the gateway equipment receives the updated information of the designated reporting area sent by the online charging system and sends the updated information of the designated reporting area to the mobility management network element.

2. The method of claim 1,

when the list of the specified reporting area is configured on the mobility management network element, the information of the specified reporting area comprises an identifier of the specified reporting area; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

when the list of the designated reporting area is not configured on the mobility management network element, the information of the designated reporting area includes the identifier of the designated reporting area and the list of the designated reporting area.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising:

the gateway equipment receives a second message sent by the online charging system, wherein the second message is used for canceling the subscription of an event that the terminal enters and exits a specified reporting area;

and the gateway equipment sends a monitoring stopping instruction and the identifier of the specified reporting area to the mobility management network element, wherein the monitoring stopping instruction is used for indicating the mobility management network element to stop monitoring the state of the terminal entering and exiting the specified reporting area.

4. A transmission method for specifying reporting area information is characterized by comprising the following steps:

the online charging system acquires information of a designated reporting area;

the online charging system sends a first message to a gateway device, wherein the first message is used for subscribing an event that a terminal enters and exits the specified reporting area, and the first message carries information of the specified reporting area;

the online charging system receives an identifier of a designated reporting area and state information of the designated reporting area, which are sent by gateway equipment, wherein the state information of the designated reporting area indicates that the state of the terminal entering and exiting the designated reporting area changes;

and the online charging system sends the updated information of the designated reporting area to the gateway equipment.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

and the online charging system sends a second message to the gateway equipment, wherein the second message is used for canceling the subscription of the event that the terminal enters and exits the appointed reporting area.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the information specifying the reporting area comprises an identifier of the specified reporting area.

7. A gateway device, comprising:

a processor, a memory coupled with the processor, the processor executing software instructions stored in the memory to cause the gateway device to perform the method of any of claims 1-3 above.

8. An online charging system, comprising:

a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, the processor executing software instructions stored in the memory to cause the online charging system to perform the method of any of the preceding claims 4-6.