CN113259856A

CN113259856A - 5G private network communication system and communication method

Info

Publication number: CN113259856A
Application number: CN202010084746.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李晓华; 王宗茹; 赵顾良
Original assignee: Potevio Information Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Potevio Information Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-02-10
Filing date: 2020-02-10
Publication date: 2021-08-13

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a 5G private network communication system and a communication method, relating to the field of mobile communication. The network system comprises an AMF, a UDM, a UPF and a TCF; the UDM is responsible for cluster user/group data management, and the TCF is in communication connection with the UDM and is used for notifying the UDM of a service TCF of a user, acquiring cluster subscription data of cluster users/groups and retrieving the state of a called user; the AMF is in communication connection with the TCF and is used for providing mobility and reachability information of cluster users for the TCF and providing a control plane transmission channel for cluster signaling transmission between the cluster users and the TCF; the UPF provides functions of copying, routing and forwarding cluster service data, can be in communication connection with the TCF, and is used for providing a user plane transmission channel for cluster signaling transmission between cluster users and the TCF. A safer and more reliable network service is provided for cluster users by setting an independent TCF and increasing functions and interfaces of an associated NF.

Description

5G private network communication system and communication method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of mobile communications, and in particular, to a 5G private network communication system and a communication method.

Background

The fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G or 5G technology for short) is the latest generation cellular mobile communication technology, and is a technology extension behind 4G, 3G and 2G. The 5G system architecture adopts key technologies such as NFV (Network Functions Virtualization), SDN (Software Defined Network), etc., constructs a Network in a Software, modular, and service manner, decomposes, reconstructs, and enhances a 4G EPC (Evolved Packet Core) Network element, disassembles the Network element into NF (Network Functions), and realizes complete separation of a control plane and a user plane. Because of the SBA (Service-Based Architecture) Based Architecture, each NF is independent and autonomous, and no matter whether it is newly added, upgraded or modified, it will not affect other NFs.

Fig. 1 shows a common architecture of a 5G non-roaming system based on a reference point in the prior art, in which an AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) is mainly responsible for functions such as registration Management, Mobility and reachability Management of a user, an SMF (Session Management Function) is responsible for Session Management, the UPF (User plane Function) selects and controls, IP address distributes and manages, UDM (Unified Data Management) is responsible for Unified processing of foreground Data, AUSF (Authentication Server Function) cooperates with UDM to finish User Authentication, UPF finishes routing and forwarding Function of User plane Data, PCF (policy Control Function) provides policy rules for Control plane, NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function) is used for managing information related to Network Slice.

The trunking communication system is a dedicated scheduling communication system, is often used to provide communication services such as dedicated command scheduling for industrial users, and requires very high system reliability. In the current stage, 5G is mainly oriented to public users, a risk that the cluster users cannot access the network exists in a network congestion scene, and the public network has a possibility of being managed in an emergency situation, so that the cluster communication application in the 5G public network has great uncertainty.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the problem of uncertainty caused by the use of trunking communication in a 5G public network in the prior art, the embodiment of the invention provides a 5G private network communication system and a communication method so as to provide safer and more reliable network service.

In one aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a 5G private network communication system, including an AMF, a UDM, and a UPF, further including:

the TCF is used for registration management, cluster context management and cluster service management of cluster users;

the TCF is in communication connection with the UDM and is used for notifying the UDM of the service TCF of the cluster user, acquiring cluster subscription data of the cluster user/group and retrieving the state of a called user;

the AMF is in communication connection with the TCF and is used for providing mobility and reachability information of the cluster user to the TCF; and providing a control plane transmission channel for cluster signaling transmission between the cluster user and the TCF;

the UPF provides functions of copying, routing and forwarding cluster service data, is in communication connection with the TCF, and is used for providing a user plane transmission channel for cluster signaling transmission between the cluster user and the TCF;

the TCF is in communication connection with TCFs of other domains and is used for transmitting cluster signaling when the cluster service is across domains.

Optionally, the 5G private network communication system further includes:

the UDR is in communication connection with the UDM and is used for storing and retrieving the cluster subscription data of the cluster users/groups;

and the UDSF is in communication connection with a control plane NF in the network and is used for storing unstructured cluster data comprising the cluster context.

Optionally, the 5G private network communication system further includes:

AUSF, which is respectively connected with the UDM and the TCF in communication and is used for completing the cluster service authentication in cooperation with the UDM.

Optionally, the 5G private network communication system further includes:

and the SMF is in communication connection with the TCF and is used for establishing cluster QoS flow.

On the other hand, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication method performed based on the above-mentioned 5G private network communication system, including:

after receiving the cluster registration request sent by the cluster user, the TCF uses the registration operation of the UE context management service provided by the UDM to inform the UDM that the TCF is the service TCF of the cluster user;

and the TCF acquires the cluster subscription data of the cluster user by using the acquisition operation of the subscription data management service provided by the UDM, and returns a cluster registration response message to the cluster user.

Optionally, the communication method further includes:

and if the cluster user needs cluster service authentication, the TCF cooperates with the AUSF and the UDM after receiving a cluster registration request sent by the cluster user to complete the cluster service authentication of the cluster user.

Optionally, the communication method further includes:

after receiving the call establishment request sent by the calling trunking user, the TCF determines that the state of the called trunking user is an idle state, and then starts a paging process, specifically including:

if the call signaling is transmitted through the control plane, the TCF sends a call establishment request to a called AMF, the called AMF pages a called trunking user to trigger the called trunking user to initiate a service request process, and after the signaling connection and the user plane bearing of the called trunking user are recovered, the called AMF sends the call establishment request to the called trunking user;

if the call signaling is transmitted through the user plane, the TCF sends a call establishment request to a called UPF, the called UPF informs the called SMF that downlink data needs to be sent, the called SMF contacts the called AMF, the called AMF sends a paging message to a called trunked user through an access network to trigger the called trunked user to initiate a service request process, and the called UPF sends the call establishment request to the called trunked user after restoring the signaling connection and the user plane bearing of the called trunked user.

Optionally, after the TCF receives the call establishment request sent by the calling trunking user and before determining that the state of the called trunking user is an idle state, the communication method further includes:

and judging whether the TCF stores the context information of the called user, if not, obtaining the context information of the called user by using the obtaining operation of the UE context management service provided by the UDM to carry out call connection judgment, and if the called user is shut down or the called user does not exist, rejecting the call.

Optionally, the communication method further includes:

after receiving the call establishment request, the called trunking user returns a call establishment response to the calling trunking user through the TCF;

the TCF is matched with the called side to establish a cluster special QoS flow of the called cluster user; and the TCF is matched with the calling side to establish the cluster special QoS flow of the calling cluster user.

Optionally, the communication method further includes:

the media parameters used by the call are decided by the TCF or called trunking users, if the media parameters are decided by the TCF, the decided media parameters are carried in the call establishment request sent by the TCF; if the called trunking user makes a decision, the call establishment request sent by the TCF carries the candidate media parameters of the call, and the call establishment response returned by the called party carries the media parameters after the decision.

The embodiment of the invention provides a 5G private network communication system and a communication method, and solves the problems that end-to-end slicing cannot be supported and the certainty is low due to limitation of public network management and control in the prior art by arranging an independent TCF in the system and adaptively increasing a function and an interface of a related NF (network controller), so that safer and more reliable network service can be provided for industrial users.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a common architecture of a prior art reference point based 5G non-roaming system;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a flowchart of a communication method in a cluster user registration process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a flowchart of a communication method in a cluster user registration process according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for initiating a single call by a registered trunking user according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a flowchart of a method for initiating a single call by a registered group user according to another 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 clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are some, but not all, embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagram of a Network system structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the Network system is newly provided with a TCF (trunk Control Network Function) on the basis of NFs such as AMF, UDM, and UPF in a conventional 5G Network architecture, and the TCF is mainly used for registration management of a cluster user, cluster context management, and cluster service management. Wherein the cluster context management may include: the context and state management related to the trunking service includes call context, trunking UE state (dynamic reconfiguration state, remote stunning and reviving state, etc.), and the trunking service management may include: the system comprises basic functions of call control, talk right management, video transmission control and the like, and cluster supplementary functions of dynamic recombination, remote stunning and resurrection, short data and the like.

The TCF is communicatively connected to the UDM via an Nt1 interface, and is configured to notify the UDM of the service TCF of the trunking user, and to obtain trunking subscription data of the trunking user/group and retrieve the status of the called trunking user by the UDM. Accordingly, the UDM is responsible for existing 5G functions, and adds data management functions for clustered users/groups.

The AMF is in communication connection with the TCF through an Nt2 interface, and is used for providing mobility and reachability information of the cluster user to the TCF, and meanwhile, if a control plane is used for transmitting cluster signaling, a control plane transmission channel can be provided for the transmission of the cluster signaling between the cluster user and the TCF.

The UPF not only completes the routing and forwarding functions of the existing user plane data, but also provides the functions of copying, routing and forwarding the cluster service data. In addition, if the user plane is used for transmitting the cluster signaling, the UPF is in communication connection with the TCF through an N6 interface, and provides a user plane data transmission channel for the cluster signaling transmission between the cluster users and the TCF.

It should be noted that the cluster signaling transmission between the UE and the TCF may be transmitted through a control plane (UE- > AMF- > TCF) or a user plane (UE- > UPF- > TCF). If the user plane transmission is used, the UPF on the signaling transmission path has the same function as the UPF carrying the 5G universal service, and the cluster function does not need to be enhanced. Only the UPF used for the user plane data transmission of the trunking service needs to enhance the functions of copying, routing and forwarding the trunking service data.

The network system solves the problem of low certainty caused by limitation of cluster communication to public network management and control in the prior art by setting an independent TCF and adaptively increasing the function and the interface of the associated NF, thereby providing safer and more reliable network service for cluster users.

In addition to the above network system, the UDM may be communicatively connected to the UDR through the UDR to store and retrieve structured data such as subscription data and policy data of the existing 5G system, as well as structured data such as cluster subscription data of the cluster users/groups, and may also be communicatively connected to each control plane NF through the UDSF to store unstructured data such as cluster contexts other than the existing unstructured data.

Meanwhile, the AUSF and the TCF are in communication connection through an Nt5 interface, so that when cluster service authentication is required in the cluster service registration process (except for access authentication in a 5G general registration process), the AUSF and the UDM and the TCF can be in communication connection to cooperate with the UDM to complete the cluster service authentication.

Meanwhile, the SMF and the TCF are connected in communication through an Nt3 interface to establish cluster QoS flows.

In addition, TCFs of different domains may be communicatively connected via an Nt4 interface, through which cluster signaling is transmitted when the cluster service is across domains.

Fig. 3 shows a communication method in the cluster user registration process of the communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention, which mainly includes the following steps:

step 301, after receiving the cluster registration request sent by the cluster user, the TCF uses the registration operation of the UE context management service provided by the UDM to notify the UDM that the TCF is the service TCF of the cluster user;

specifically, after the 5G universal Registration process is completed, the cluster user needs to perform cluster Registration to use the cluster service, and the Registration of the cluster service first needs to send a request for cluster Registration to the TCF, and the TCF calls the numm _ UECM _ Registration to register to the UDM, so as to inform the UDM that the TCF is the serving TCF.

The cluster user sends a cluster registration request to the TCF through the UE, where the cluster registration request carries information such as a registration type, a cluster user identifier, a cluster capability of the UE, a supported codec format, and a remote halo state. The registration type can be initial registration, periodic registration and mobility registration; the cluster capability of the UE comprises cluster security capability, end-to-end encryption capability and the like; the coding and decoding format comprises supported audio and video coding and decoding capabilities and related parameters and is used for media negotiation in the subsequent calling process; the reported vignetting state is used for maintaining the consistency of the vignetting state by the network side.

Step 302, the TCF invokes an obtaining operation of the subscription data management service provided by the UDM to obtain cluster subscription data of the cluster user, and returns a cluster registration response message to the cluster user.

Specifically, the TCF obtains the cluster subscription data of the UE through the numm _ SDM _ Get operation. The cluster subscription data returned to the UE may be a full set or a subset of the UE cluster subscription data obtained by the TCF, and part of information in the UE cluster subscription data, such as permission control correlation, may be processed only by the network side without notifying the UE.

In addition, the transmission of the cluster signaling between the cluster user and the TCF involved in steps 301 and 302 may be completed through a control plane (UE- > AMF- > TCF) or a user plane (UE- > UPF- > TCF), and when the transmission is performed through the user plane, the interaction between the UPF and the TCF is completed through an N6 interface, and at this time, the UPF on the cluster signaling transmission path and the UPF carrying the 5G universal service have the same function, and the cluster function does not need to be enhanced.

The method realizes the decoupling of the cluster registration process and the 5G general registration process, executes the cluster registration after the 5G general registration is finished, and the two processes are independent.

In some optional embodiments, besides the access authentication in the 5G general registration process, the cluster user also needs to perform service authentication in the cluster registration process to enhance security, and for this purpose, an authentication step is further set in the cluster registration process, including:

and if the cluster user needs cluster service authentication, the TCF is matched with the AUSF and the UDM to complete the cluster service authentication of the cluster user.

Optionally, after the TCF sends the cluster registration response message to the cluster user, the cluster user also sends a cluster registration completion message to the TCF, so that the network side may confirm that the cluster registration response message has been successfully received by the cluster user.

As a specific embodiment, fig. 4 shows a communication method in a cluster user registration process, where the method includes:

step 401, the UE completes a 5G universal registration process, which is the same as the existing 5G protocol (3GPP TS 23.502), and is not described again;

step 402, the UE sends a cluster registration request to the TCF, carrying information such as a registration type, a cluster user identifier, a cluster capability of the UE, a supported codec format, and a remote halo state. The registration type can be initial registration, periodic registration and mobility registration; the cluster capability of the UE comprises cluster security capability, end-to-end encryption capability and the like; the coding and decoding format comprises supported audio and video coding and decoding capabilities and related parameters and is used for media negotiation in the subsequent calling process; the reported remote halo state is used for maintaining the consistency of the remote halo state by the network side;

if the UE needs the group service authentication, steps 403 and 404 are executed, and if only the access authentication in the 5G generic registration process is used and the group service authentication is no longer performed, steps 403 and 404 may be skipped:

step 403: TCF selects a proper AUSF and UDM;

step 404: the TCF is matched with AUSF and UDM to complete the cluster service authentication of the UE;

step 405 a: the TCF uses Nudm _ UECM _ Registration to register to the UDM, and informs the UDM that the TCF is the service TCF of the UE;

step 405 b: the TCF obtains cluster subscription data of the UE by using the Nudm _ SDM _ Get;

step 406: the TCF returns a cluster registration response to the UE, and carries cluster subscription data of the UE;

the cluster subscription data returned to the UE may be a full set or a subset of the UE cluster subscription data obtained by the TCF, and part of information in the UE cluster subscription data, such as permission control correlation, may be processed only by the network side and is not notified to the UE.

Step 407: and the UE sends cluster registration completion to the TCF and confirms the completion of the cluster registration.

Fig. 5 shows a method for initiating a single call by a registered trunking user based on the above network system of the present invention, which mainly comprises the following steps:

step S501, after receiving a call establishment request sent by the trunking user, if the TCF judges that the state of the called trunking user is idle, starting a paging process;

step S502, if the call signaling is transmitted through the control plane, the TCF sends a call establishment request to the called AMF, the called AMF pages the called trunking user to trigger the called trunking user to initiate a service request process, and after the signaling connection and the user plane bearing of the called trunking user are recovered, the called AMF sends the call establishment request to the called trunking user;

step S503, if the call signaling is transmitted through the user plane, the TCF sends a call establishment request to the called UPF, the called UPF informs the called SMF that downlink data needs to be sent, the called SMF contacts the called AMF, the called AMF sends a paging message to the called trunked user through the access network to trigger the called trunked user to initiate a service request process, and after the signaling connection and user plane bearing of the called trunked user are recovered, the called AMF sends the call establishment request to the called trunked user.

Specifically, since both the control plane and the user plane of the network system have the transmission capability of trunking signaling, one of them can be selected for implementation when the network is actually deployed, so that the call establishment request is sent to the called trunking user by using the above step S502 or S503. If the TCF judges that the state of the called trunking user is the connection state, a paging process is not needed, and a call establishment request is directly sent to the called trunking user through a control plane or a user plane.

After receiving the call establishment request, the called trunking user may return a call establishment response to the TCF through a corresponding control plane (called UE- > AMF- > TCF) or user plane (called UE- > UPF- > TCF), so that the TCF returns a call establishment response to the calling trunking user through a corresponding control plane (TCF- > AMF- > calling UE) or user plane (TCF- > UPF- > calling UE). The TCF is matched with the called side to establish the cluster special QoS flow of the called cluster user; and the TCF is matched with the calling side to establish the cluster special QoS flow of the calling cluster user.

After the TCF receives the call establishment request sent by the calling trunking user and before the TCF determines that the state of the called trunking user is the idle state or the connected state, the TCF may obtain called context information including the current location of the called UE through a trunking registration process of the called UE or subscription of reachability and mobility information of the called UE to the AMF. If the TCF does not have the context information of the called UE, the context information of the called user is obtained by using the obtaining operation of the UE context management service provided by the UDM, and accordingly, call connection judgment is carried out to judge whether the call is connected or rejected because the called party is powered off or does not exist.

In addition, the media parameters used by the call can be decided by the TCF or by the called trunking user, and if the media parameters used by the call are decided by the TCF, the decided media parameters are carried in the call establishment request sent by the TCF; if the called trunking user makes a decision, the call establishment request sent by the TCF carries the candidate media parameters of the call, and the call establishment response returned by the called party carries the media parameters after the decision.

As a specific embodiment, fig. 6 shows a method for initiating a single call by a registered trunking user, where the method includes:

step 601: if the calling party is in the Idle state when initiating the single call, restoring the signaling connection and the user plane bearer of the calling UE through the Service Request process;

step 602: the calling UE sends a call establishment request to the TCF, the message carries information such as call type, single call answering mode (off-hook and non-off-hook), called number, call priority attribute (indicating emergency call, pre-occupation priority call and common call), candidate media parameter of the call and the like, and the call establishment request can be transmitted through a control plane or a user plane;

step 603: if the TCF has no context of the called UE, the context information of the called UE is obtained from the UDM through the Nudm _ UECM _ Get, and whether the call is continued or rejected because the called is shut down or the called does not exist or the like is judged;

if the called UE is in idle state, starting the paging procedure, and executing step 604 or step 605:

step 604: if the call signaling is transmitted through the control plane, the TCF sends a call establishment Request to the called AMF, the called AMF pages the called UE through (R) AN, and the called UE sends the call establishment Request to the called UE after restoring signaling connection and user plane bearing through a Service Request process;

step 605: if the call signaling is transmitted through the user plane, the TCF sends a call establishment Request to a called UPF, the called UPF informs the SMF of downlink Data to be sent through a Data Notification message, the SMF calls a Namf _ Communication _ N1N2message transfer Service operation of the AMF to contact the AMF, the AMF sends a paging message to called UE through an access network, and the called UE sends the call establishment Request to the called UE after restoring signaling connection and user plane bearing through a Service Request process;

the media parameters used by the call can be decided by a network side (TCF) or by a called party, and if the decision is made by the network side, the decided media parameters are carried in a call establishment request sent by the TCF; if the called party decides, the candidate media parameters of the call are carried in the call establishment request. TCF also distributes the call identification, call priority and other parameters of this call, and informs the called party through the call establishment request message;

step 606-607: the called UE sends a progress indication to the calling UE through the TCF, and the progress indication carries information such as the call type, the call identifier, the call priority, the single call answering mode, the used media parameters and the like of the call;

step 608: the TCF is matched with the called side to establish the called cluster special QoS flow;

step 609: the TCF is matched with a calling side to establish a cluster special QoS flow of the calling side;

step 610-611: the called UE sends ringing message to the calling UE through TCF, if the network plays the ring back tone, the ringing message sent to the calling UE by TCF carries the media parameter of the ring back tone;

step 612 to 613: the called party picks up the phone, the called UE sends a call connection message to the calling UE through the TCF, if the ringing message carries the media information of the ring back tone, the call connection message carries the media information of the call again;

step 614-615: and the calling UE sends a call connection confirmation to the called UE through the TCF to confirm that the single call is successfully established.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above examples are only intended to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, but not to limit it; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some technical features may be equivalently replaced; and such modifications or substitutions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the corresponding technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A5G private network communication system comprises an AMF, a UDM and a UPF, and is characterized by further comprising:

2. The 5G private network communication system according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The 5G private network communication system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. The 5G private network communication system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

5. A communication method performed based on the 5G private network communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising:

6. The communication method according to claim 5, further comprising:

and if the cluster user needs cluster service authentication, the TCF is matched with AUSF and UDM after receiving a cluster registration request sent by the cluster user, so as to complete the cluster service authentication of the cluster user.

7. The communication method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising:

after receiving a call establishment request sent by a calling trunking user, if the TCF determines that the state of a called trunking user is an idle state, starting a paging procedure, specifically including:

8. The communication method according to claim 7, wherein:

after the TCF receives the call establishment request sent by the calling trunking user and before determining that the state of the called trunking user is the idle state, the communication method further includes:

9. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising:

10. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising: