Patent Description:
With the advent of big data technology, it is very important to change the policy of a terminal according to the real-time situation of the terminal. Currently, the terminal cannot report data related to wireless communication, such as a current location of the terminal, current data usage of the terminal, etc. The terminal can only report application-related data to an OTT (Over The Top) server.

A problem to be solved is how the terminal reports data related to wireless communication to a core network.

<CIT>discloses a method which includes: detecting a request for access to a service on the basis of at least one packet transmitted by the user device via the established session; determining, on the basis of at least one criterion, that a new session is to be established; determining another access gateway, the other gateway being suitable for the service required by the user equipment; and triggering the establishment of the new session between the user equipment and the other access gateway.

"<NPL>) discusses that, for the handover procedures, in order to inform the path switch request (in case of handover with Xn interface) the Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext service operation will be used.

"<NPL>) discuss the data forwarding handling, SMF involvement during handover preparation phase, T-TAN SM info allocation for N3 downlink data, Inter AMF handling, etc..

"<NPL>) summarizes the benefits of UE assisted information solution and provides potential solutions.

In order to solve the above technical problem, embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for reporting terminal information, and a computer storage medium.

A method for reporting terminal information according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:.

In an implementation, the UE related information is sent to a PCF entity through the SMF entity.

In an implementation, a GTP layer header of the second message carries the first identifier, and a body of the second message carries the UE related information.

In an implementation, the UE related information includes at least one of the following: URSP information, WLANSP information, and UE status information.

An apparatus for reporting information by a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:.

In an implementation, the UE related information includes at least one of the following:
URSP information, WLANSP information, and UE status information.

A computer storage medium according to an embodiment of the present invention has stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the above method for reporting terminal information.

In the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the terminal sends a first message to a RAN entity, the first message including a first identifier and UE related information, so as to send a second message to a UPF entity through the RAN entity, the second message including the first identifier and the UE related information, and to send the UE related information to a control plane entity through the UPF entity after identifying the first identifier in the second message through the UPF entity, and then to send the UE related information to a PCF entity through the SMF entity. Using the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the terminal can report the UE related information to the PCF entity of the core network through the user plane, enhancing the management of the terminal by the core network.

The drawings described here are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the present application. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and the descriptions thereof are used to explain the present invention but do not constitute an improper limitation on the present invention. In the drawings:.

In order to understand the features and technical contents of embodiments of the present invention in more detail, the implementation of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The accompanying drawings are for reference only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention.

<FIG> is a diagram of a system architecture of a <NUM> network according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in <FIG>, devices involved in the <NUM> network system includes:
a terminal (also known as UE, User Equipment), a radio access network (RAN, Radio Access Network) entity, a user plane function (UPF) entity, a data network (DN), a core access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF) entity, a policy control function (PCF) entity, an application function (AF), an authentication server function (AUSF), and a unified data management (UDM).

The example of <FIG> described above is only an example of a network architecture for implementing the embodiment of the present invention, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above network structure of <FIG>.

<FIG> is a first flowchart of a method for reporting information by a terminal according to an embodiment of the present not part of the claims.

The method for reporting information by a terminal in this embodiment is applied to the RAN entity side. As shown in <FIG>, the method for reporting information by a terminal includes the following steps.

Step <NUM>: a RAN entity receives a first message sent by the terminal, the first message including a first identifier and UE related information.

In an implementation, the terminal can be any device capable of communicating with a network, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, and a desktop computer.

In an implementation, the UE related information can be any information related to the status of the terminal, and the UE related information includes at least one of the following: URSP information, WLANSP information, UE status information (such as UE current power, UE location Information, and UE movement speed).

In an implementation, the first message is transmitted through a user plane protocol between the RAN entity and the terminal.

In an implementation an AS header of the first message carries the first identifier, and the body of the first message carries the UE related information.

In an implementation, the AS header of the first message is an SDAP layer header, a PDCP layer header, an RLC layer header, a MAC layer header, or a PHY layer header. Preferably, the AS layer header of the first message is a PDCP layer header.

Step <NUM>: the RAN entity sends a second message to a UPF entity, the second message including the first identifier and the UE related information, so as to send the UE related information to a control plane entity through the UPF entity after identifying the first identifier in the second message through the UPF entity.

In an implementation, the control plane entity is an SMF entity, and the UE related information is sent to a PCF entity through the SMF entity.

In an implementation, the second message is transmitted through a user plane protocol between the RAN entity and the UPF entity.

In an implementation, a GTP layer header of the second message carries the first identifier, and the body of the first message carries the UE related information.

In an implementation, after receiving the second message, the UPF entity identifies that the second message carries the first identifier, so that it can be known that the UE related information needs to be sent to the SMF entity, and the UE related information is sent to the PCF entity through the SMF entity.

In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention, a new identifier (that is, the first identifier) is added to the PDCP layer header on the terminal side and the GTP-U header on the RAN entity side. After receiving the identifier, the UPF entity will transmit the content of the data packet (that is, the UE related information) to the SMF entity, and the SMF entity can further transmit it to the PCF entity.

<FIG> is a second flowchart of a method for reporting information by a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention not part of the claims. The method for reporting information by a terminal in this embodiment is applied to the terminal side. As shown in <FIG>, the method for reporting information by a terminal includes the following steps.

Step <NUM>: the terminal sends a first message to a RAN entity, the first message including a first identifier and UE related information, so as to send a second message to a UPF entity through the RAN entity, the second message including the first identifier and the UE related information, and to send the UE related information to a control plane entity through the UPF entity after identifying the first identifier in the second message through the UPF entity.

In an implementation, an AS header of the first message carries the first identifier, and the body of the first message carries the UE related information.

In an implementation, the AS header of the first message is an SDAP layer header, a PDCP layer header, an RLC layer header, a MAC layer header, or a PHY layer header.

In an implementation, the first identifier can be an identifier negotiated between the terminal and the network side, or can be an identifier self-defined by the terminal. If the first identifier is an identifier negotiated between the terminal and the network side, the terminal can directly send the first message to the RAN entity, and the RAN entity sends the second message to the UPF entity; the UPF entity sends the UE related information to the SMF entity after identifying the first identifier in the second message, and then the UE related information is forwarded to the PCF entity. If the first identifier is an identifier self-defined by the terminal, before the terminal sends the first message to the RAN entity, the method further includes that:.

In specific implementation, the terminal notifies, through an SM-NAS message (such as PDU Session Modification), the SMF entity of the first identifier and an indication that UE related information needs to be transmitted to the PCF entity. The SMF entity then sends the first identifier to the UPF entity through a session update message. The UPF entity updates the session and installs a filter capable of identifying the first identifier on the corresponding session. After the PDU session modification is completed by the UPF entity, the terminal starts to encapsulate the UE related information that needs to be transmitted, and marks the first identifier onto the PDCP layer header. The RAN entity adds the first identifier onto the corresponding GTP (such as GTP-U) layer header when performing the conversion into a GTP packet. The UPF entity identifies the first identifier, and then sends the UE related information to the SMF entity. The SMF entity further sends the UE related information to the PCF entity. During this period, the SMF entity can sense the UE related information.

<FIG> is a third flowchart of a method for reporting information by a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method for reporting information by the terminal in this embodiment is applied to the UPF entity side. As shown in <FIG>, the method for reporting information by a terminal includes the following steps.

Step <NUM>: a UPF entity receives a second message sent by a RAN entity, the second message including a first identifier and UE related information.

Step <NUM>: the UPF entity sends the UE related information to a control plane entity after identifying the first identifier in the second message.

In an implementation, the first identifier can be an identifier negotiated between the terminal and the network side, or can be an identifier self-defined by the terminal. If the first identifier is an identifier negotiated between the terminal and the network side, the terminal can directly send the first message to the RAN entity, and the RAN entity sends the second message to the UPF entity; the UPF entity sends the UE related information to the SMF entity after identifying the first identifier in the second message, and then the UE related information is forwarded to the PCF entity. If the first identifier is an identifier self-defined by the terminal, before the UPF entity receives the second message sent by the RAN entity, the method further includes that:
the UPF entity receives a session update message sent by the SMF entity and performs a session update, where the UPF entity could identify the first identifier in the second message sent by the RAN entity and send the UE related information to the SMF entity after performing the session update.

<FIG> is a first schematic structural diagram of an apparatus for reporting information by a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention not part of the claims. The apparatus for reporting information by a terminal is applied to the RAN entity side. As shown in <FIG>, the apparatus for reporting information by a terminal includes:.

In an implementation, the AS header of the first message is an SDAP layer header, a PDCP layer header, an RLC layer header, a MAC layer header, or a PHY layer header.

Those skilled in the art should understand that the implementation function of each unit in the apparatus for reporting information by a terminal shown in <FIG> can be understood by referring to the related description of the aforementioned method for reporting information by a terminal. The function of each unit in the apparatus for reporting information by a terminal shown in <FIG> can be implemented by a program running on a processor, or can be implemented by a specific logic circuit.

<FIG> is a second schematic structural diagram of an apparatus for reporting information by a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention not part of the claims. The apparatus for reporting information by a terminal is applied to the terminal side. As shown in <FIG>, the apparatus for reporting information by a terminal includes:
a first sending unit <NUM>, configured to send a first message to a RAN entity, the first message including a first identifier and UE related information, so as to send a second message to a UPF entity through the RAN entity, the second message including the first identifier and the UE related information, and to send the UE related information to a control plane entity through the UPF entity after identifying the first identifier in the second message through the UPF entity.

In an implementation, an access stratum (AS) header of the first message carries the first identifier, and the body of the first message carries the UE related information.

In an implementation, the apparatus further includes:.

<FIG> is a third structural schematic diagram of an apparatus for reporting information by a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus for reporting information by a terminal is applied to the UPF entity side. As shown in <FIG>, the apparatus for reporting information by a terminal includes:.

If the above apparatuses for reporting information by a terminal in the embodiments of the present invention are implemented in the form of software function modules and sold or used as an independent product, they can also be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention can be embodied in the form of a software product in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the methods described in the embodiments of the present invention. The foregoing storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read only memory (ROM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. In this way, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

Correspondingly, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer storage medium which has stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the above methods for reporting information by a terminal.

<FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computer device may be a terminal or a network device. As shown in <FIG>, the computer device <NUM> can include one or more (only one shown in the figure) processors <NUM> (which can include, but are not limited to, a processing apparatus such as a micro controller unit (MCU) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), a memory <NUM> for storing data, and a transmission apparatus <NUM> for communication functions. Those skilled in the art can understand that the structure shown in <FIG> is only schematic, and does not limit the structure of the above computer device <NUM>. For example, the computer device <NUM> can also include more or fewer components than those shown in <FIG>, or have a different configuration from that shown in <FIG>.

The memory <NUM> can be used to store software programs and modules of application software, such as program instructions/modules corresponding to the methods in the embodiments of the present invention. The processor <NUM> executes various functional applications and data processing, that is, implementing the above methods, by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory <NUM>. The memory <NUM> can include a high-speed random access memory, and can further include a non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage apparatuses, flash memories, or other non-volatile solid-state memories. In some examples, the memory <NUM> can further include memories remotely disposed with respect to the processor <NUM>, and these remote memories can be connected to the computer device <NUM> through a network. Examples of the above network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

The transmission apparatus <NUM> is used to receive or send data via a network. The specific examples of the above network can include a wireless network provided by a communication provider of the computer device <NUM>. In an example, the transmission apparatus <NUM> includes a network interface controller (NIC), which can be connected to other network devices through a base station so as to communicate with the Internet. In an example, the transmission apparatus <NUM> can be a radio frequency (RF) module which is used to communicate with the Internet in a wireless manner.

The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present invention can be arbitrarily combined without conflict.

In the several embodiments provided in the present invention, it should be understood that the disclosed methods and smart devices can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, e.g., the division of the units is only a division in terms of logical functions, and there could be other forms of division in practical implementation. For example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not be performed. For another, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection of various components as shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection via some interfaces, devices or units, and can be electrical, mechanical or in other forms.

The units described above as separate components may be or not be separated physically, and the components shown as units may be or not be physical units, i.e., they can be located in one place, or can be distributed on a plurality of network elements. Some or all units can be selected to achieve the purpose of the solutions of the embodiments according to the actual needs.

In addition, the functional units in the embodiment of the present invention may be integrated in one second processing unit, or each unit may be separately used as a unit, or two or more units may be integrated in one unit. The above integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware, or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

Claim 1:
A method for reporting terminal information, comprising:
receiving (<NUM>), by a user plane function, UPF, entity, a second message sent by a radio access network, RAN, entity, the second message comprising a first identifier from user equipment, UE, and UE related information; and
sending (<NUM>), by the UPF entity, the UE related information to a session management function, SMF, entity, after the UPF entity identifies the first identifier in the second message;
characterized in that, before receiving, by the UPF entity, the second message sent by the RAN entity, the method further comprises:
receiving, by the UPF entity, a session update message sent by the SMF entity and performing a session update, wherein the UPF entity is capable of identifying the first identifier in the second message sent by the RAN entity and sending the UE related information to the control plane entity, after performing the session update.