WO2025236183A1 - Communication methods, communication apparatus, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are communication methods, a communication apparatus, devices and a storage medium. A communication method is executed by a first device, the first device comprising a first communication assembly having a first identifier and a second communication assembly having a second identifier. The communication method comprises: after a first device registers with a first network using a first identifier, determining a network accessed by the first device using a second identifier. Thus, after it is determined that a dual 3GPP access device registers with a first network using a first identifier, a network accessed by the dual 3GPP access device using a second identifier can be determined, so that the network access efficiency of dual 3GPP access devices can be improved.

Description

A communication method, apparatus and storage medium Technical Field

This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, apparatus and storage medium.

Background Technology

Dual 3GPP access devices can be a single terminal with dual Universal Subscriber Identity Modules (USIMs) or two separate terminals each with a USIM. The different Subscription Permanent Identifiers (SUPIs) of the dual 3GPP access devices can access the same or different Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs).

Summary of the Invention

This disclosure proposes a communication method, apparatus, communication device, communication system, and storage medium.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, executed by a first device, the first device including a first communication component having a first identifier and a second communication component having a second identifier, the method including: after the first device registers with a first network using the first identifier, determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier.

In the above method, it can be determined that the first device uses the second identifier to access the network, which can improve the efficiency of the first device accessing the network.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, executed by a second device, the method comprising: sending second information to a first device, the second information being used to assist the first device in determining first information, the first device including a first communication component having a first identifier and a second communication component having a second identifier, the first information being used by the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier after the first device registers with the first identifier to the first network.

In the above method, the second device can assist the first device in determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier by sending second information, which can improve the network selection efficiency of the first device.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided, including a processing module, configured to determine a network accessed by the first device using a second identifier after the first device registers with a first identifier to a first network.

According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a second device is provided, including a transceiver module for sending second information to a first device. The second information is used to assist the first device in determining the first information. The first device includes a first communication component having a first identifier and a second communication component having a second identifier. The first information is used by the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier after the first device registers with the first identifier to the first network.

According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and a processor connected to the transceiver and the memory respectively, configured to control the transmission and reception of wireless signals of the transceiver by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, and capable of performing the method of any one of the embodiments of the first aspect and the second aspect.

According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions which, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a first device and a second device, wherein the first device is configured to implement the method of the first aspect embodiment, and the second device is configured to implement the method of the second aspect embodiment.

Attached Figure Description

The above and/or additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figures 3a-3b are schematic flowcharts of some communication methods provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

Figures 4a-4c are schematic flowcharts of some communication methods provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

Figure 5 is an interactive schematic diagram of some other communication methods provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a network selection method in a dual-connectivity scenario provided by an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another network selection method in a dual-connectivity scenario provided by an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 8a is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 8b is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 9a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

Figure 9b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

Detailed Implementation

This disclosure provides a communication method and apparatus, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a first device, the first device including a first communication component having a first identifier and a second communication component having a second identifier, the method including: after the first device registers with a first network using the first identifier, determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier.

In the above embodiments, it can be determined that the first device uses the second identifier to access the network, which can improve the efficiency of the first device accessing the network.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier includes: determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on first information and/or second information, wherein the first information and/or second information are used to indicate the correspondence between the first identifier and/or the second identifier and network information.

In the above embodiments, it can be determined that the first device uses the second identifier to access the network, which can improve the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the network information includes at least one of the following: access network type; identifier of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); and network access priority.

In the above embodiments, the network information structure of the networks that the first device can access can be determined, which facilitates the first device to determine the network to access using the second identifier based on the correspondence between the first identifier and/or the second identifier and the network information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining first information, the first information being information pre-configured in the first device.

In the above embodiments, the first information can be determined so that the first device can determine the network accessed by the second identifier based on the first information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: registration information of the first device registering to the first network using the first identifier; registration information of the first device during its last registration; wherein the registration information is used to indicate the network information used for registration of the first identifier and/or the second identifier.

In the above embodiments, the second information can be determined, which facilitates the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the second information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: network information determined by the second device that the first device can access using the second identifier; and network information received by the second device from the fourth device that the first device can access using the second identifier.

In the above embodiments, the second information can be determined, which facilitates the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the second information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In some embodiments, in conjunction with the first aspect, the method further includes: sending third information to a second device, the third information being used to identify network information available to the first device at its current location; wherein the second information is determined based on the third information.

In the above embodiments, the first device can send third information to the second device, so that the second device can determine the second information based on the third information, and the first device can determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the second information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, based on first information and/or second information, it is determined that the first device uses second information. The network access identifier includes: a network accessed by the first device using the second identifier, determined according to a first rule and based on first information and/or second information.

In the above embodiments, it can be determined that the first device uses the second identifier to access the network, thereby improving the efficiency of the first device accessing the network.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first rule includes at least one of the following: preferentially selecting the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) to which the first device is subscribed as the network for the first device to access using the second identifier; under a first condition, preferentially selecting an access network type and/or HPLMN different from the first network as the network for the first device to access using the second identifier, wherein the first condition is that the first device has already registered to the subscribed HPLMN using the first identifier; under a second condition, determining the network for the first device to access using the second identifier according to network priority as the network for the first device to access using the second identifier, wherein the second condition is that there is currently no HPLMN available; under a third condition, preferentially selecting a network having a second PLMN and a second access type as the network for the first device to access using the second identifier, wherein the second PLMN is the same as the first PMLN and the second access type is different from the first access type, wherein the third condition is that the first network has a first access type and a first PLMN.

In the above embodiments, a first rule can be determined, which can be used to assist in determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier, thereby improving the efficiency of the first device accessing the network.

In some embodiments, in conjunction with the first aspect, the method further includes: registering to the network using a second identifier; and after registration, saving the network information used by the first device.

In the above embodiments, the first device can save the network information used. In other words, regardless of whether the network information is accessed using the first identifier or the second identifier, saving this network information allows the first device to provide a reference for the next network access, thereby improving network selection efficiency and increasing network access success rate and accuracy.

Secondly, this disclosure provides a communication method executed by a second device. The method includes: sending second information to a first device, the second information being used to assist the first device in determining first information, the first device including a first communication component having a first identifier and a second communication component having a second identifier, the first information being used by the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier after the first device registers with the first identifier to the first network.

In the above embodiments, the second device can assist the first device in determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier by sending second information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information and/or the second information are used to indicate the correspondence between the first identifier and/or the second identifier and the network information.

In the above embodiments, the first information can be determined so that the first device can determine the network accessed by the second identifier based on the first information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the network information includes at least one of the following: access network type; identifier of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); and network access priority.

In the above embodiments, the composition of network information of the networks that the first device can access can be determined, which facilitates the first device to determine the network accessed by the second identifier based on the correspondence between the first identifier and/or the second identifier and the network information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: registration information of the first device registering to the first network using the first identifier; registration information of the first device during its last registration; wherein the registration information is used to indicate the network information used for registration of the first identifier and/or the second identifier.

In the above embodiments, the second information can be determined, which facilitates the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the second information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: network information determined by the second device that the first device can access using the second identifier; and network information received by the second device from the fourth device that the first device can access using the second identifier.

In the above embodiments, the second information can be determined, which facilitates the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the second information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving third information sent by the first device, the third information being used to identify network information available to the first device at its current location; obtaining fourth information from the third device, the fourth information being used to indicate network information that the first device can access; wherein the second information is determined by the second device or the fourth device based on the third information and/or the fourth information.

In the above embodiments, the second device can obtain third information and fourth information, which facilitates the second device to determine the second information based on the third information and/or the fourth information, and facilitates the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the second information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the second information based on third information and/or fourth information.

In the above embodiments, the second device can determine the second information, which facilitates the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the second information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending third information and/or fourth information to a fourth device; receiving second information sent by the fourth device, the second information being determined by the fourth device based on the third information and/or fourth information.

In the above embodiments, the second device can send third information and/or fourth information to the fourth device, so that the fourth device can determine the second information and the first device can determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the second information, thereby improving the network selection efficiency of the first device.

Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a first device, including a processing module, for determining a network accessed by the first device using a second identifier after the first device registers with a first identifier to a first network.

Fourthly, this disclosure provides a second device, including a transceiver module for sending second information to a first device. The second information is used to assist the first device in determining the first information. The first device includes a first communication component with a first identifier and a second communication component with a second identifier. The first information is used by the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier after the first device registers with the first identifier to the first network.

Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, which includes: wherein a processor is configured to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in optional implementations of the first and second aspects of this disclosure.

In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system comprising: a first device and a second device; wherein the first device is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect and optional implementations thereof, and the second device is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect and optional implementations thereof.

In the above embodiments, the communication system further includes a third device and/or a fourth device. The third device is used to provide fourth information to the second device, and the fourth information is used to indicate the network information that the first device can access. The fourth device is used to determine the second information based on the third information and the fourth information provided by the second device.

In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing computer-executable instructions; after being executed by a processor, the computer-executable instructions are capable of performing the methods described in the first aspect and optional implementations of the first aspect, or can perform the methods described in the second aspect and optional implementations of the second aspect.

It is understood that the first device, the second device, the communication device, the communication system, and the storage medium described above are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

This disclosure provides communication methods and apparatuses, communication devices, communication systems, and storage media. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method" and "information processing method" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "apparatus" and "terminal," "network device," and "communication device," and the terms "information processing system" and "communication system" can be used interchangeably.

This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and/or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “at least one of”, “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

The descriptions in this disclosure, such as "at least one of A, B, C..." or "A and/or B and/or C...", include the case where any one of A, B, C... exists alone, as well as the case where any combination of any of A, B, C... exists alone. Each case can exist alone. For example, "at least one of A, B, C" includes the cases of A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B combination, A and C combination, B and C combination, and A and B and C combination. For example, A and/or B includes the cases of A alone, B alone, and A and B combination.

In some embodiments, the notation "in one case A, in another case B" or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: A is executed regardless of B, i.e., A is executed in some embodiments; B is executed regardless of A, i.e., B is executed in some embodiments; A and B are selectively executed, i.e., A and B are selected for execution in some embodiments; A and B are both executed, i.e., A and B are executed in some embodiments. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

In some embodiments, devices, etc., can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as “device”, “equipment”, “circuit”, “network element”, “node”, “function”, “unit”, “section”, “system”, “network”, “chip”, “chip system”, “entity”, and “subject” can be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission/reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures that replace communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals with communication between multiple terminals (e.g., also referred to as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, uplink link, downlink link, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, the terms "uplink", "uplink", and "physical uplink" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "downlink", "downlink", and "physical downlink", as well as the terms "sidelink", "sidelink", "sidelink communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", and "direct link communication".

In some embodiments, the terms “downlink control information (DCI)”, “downlink (DL) assignment”, “DL DCI”, “uplink (UL) grant”, and “UL DCI” can be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, the terms "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)" and "DL data" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)" and "UL data".

In some embodiments, the terms “radio”, “wireless”, “radio access network (RAN)”, “access network (AN)”, and “RAN-based” can be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, the terms "synchronization signal (SS)," "synchronization signal block (SSB)," "reference signal (RS)," "pilot," and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “get,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” and “send and/or receive” can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, processing and obtaining on their own, or autonomously implementing, among other meanings.

In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and/or receive” can be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, "pre-defined" or "pre-set" can be interpreted as pre-specified in an agreement or the like, or as a device or the like performing a pre-set action.

In some embodiments, determining can be interpreted as judging, deciding, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, searching, looking up, searching, querying, ascertaining, receiving, transmitting, inputting, outputting, accessing, resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, assuming, expecting, considering, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, assigning, etc., but is not limited to these.

In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values (e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and/or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the receiver to respond to the sent content.

In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained after obtaining user consent. To address the above problems, this disclosure proposes a communication method and apparatus, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

Dual 3GPP access devices have two Subscription Permanent Identifiers (SUPIs) that can share profiles from the same operator. At any given point in time, each SUPI of a dual 3GPP access device can be used to connect to only one 3GPP access.

Alternatively, the name of the dual 3GPP device can also be "dual connectivity device", "dual steer device", "dualsteer device", etc. In this application, the above names can be interchanged.

This application can be applied to the following scenarios:

1. Both SUPIs use the NR/5GC access method to access a PLMN. The PLMN can be the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) or the Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN). The network accessed can be an NR Terrestrial Network (NR TN) or an NR Non-Terrestrial Network (NR NTN).

2. Both SUPIs use the NR/5GC access method to access different PLMNs. The PLMN can be HPLMN or VPLMN, and the accessed network can be NR TN or NR NTN.

3. The two SUPIs are connected to different PLMNs using NR/5GC access and E-UTRA/EPC access respectively. The PLMN can be HPLMN or VPLMN.

4. The two SUPIs are connected to the same PLMN using NR/5GC access method and E-UTRA/EPC access method respectively. The PLMN can be HPLMN or VPLMN.

5. PNI-NPN (integrated with HPLMN or VPLMN) and PLMN access (TN/NTN plus TN or NTN).

To enable dual connectivity and support the above scenarios, the architecture for dual-connectivity devices can be referenced as follows.

1. It features a non-roaming dual-connectivity architecture with two 3GPP access points belonging to the same PLMN.

2. A dual-connectivity architecture with one access point being a roaming access point and the other being a non-roaming access point.

3. A dual-connection architecture for two roaming accesses to the same VPLMN.

4. Two roaming accesses are connected to two different VPLMN roaming dual-connection architectures.

After a dual-connectivity device completes registration via a 3GPP access network using one of two SUPIs, the issues that need to be addressed are how the device decides to register to the second 3GPP access network and how the terminal selects that 3GPP access network.

To address the aforementioned issues, this solution proposes a communication method that enables the determination of the second 3GPP access network for the dual-connectivity device and the selection of that 3GPP access network by the terminal after the dual-connectivity device completes registration via one of two SUPIs through a 3GPP access network.

The specific details of this method are as follows.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 may include a first device 101 and a second device 102.

In some embodiments, the communication system further includes a third device and/or a fourth device, the third device being used to provide fourth information to the second device, the fourth information being used to indicate network information that the first device can access, for example, the fourth information may be used to indicate operator information that the first device can access when roaming; the fourth device being used to determine the second information based on the third information and the fourth information provided by the second device.

In some embodiments, the first device may optionally be a dual 3GPP access device with dual 3GPP access functionality. Optionally, the device may be a single terminal or two terminals, each with its own SUPI, and the two terminals may be associated with each other through a dual 3GPP access layer.

In some embodiments, the second device may optionally be a network device, which may include the radio access network (RAN) and all core network nodes in the device communication process, but specifically may be a core network node, such as the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (optionally, the AMF may be the AMF of a VPLMN or the AMF of an HPLMN).

In some embodiments, the third device may optionally be a network device; specifically, the third device may be a core network node, such as the third... The network device to which a device belongs, such as PCF, Unified Data Management (UDM), SMF, etc., specifically UDM.

In some embodiments, the fourth device may optionally be a network device, specifically a core network node, such as the home network device of the first device (e.g., PCF, UDM, SMF, etc.), specifically a PCF.

In some embodiments, the terminal includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home.

In some embodiments, "network device" can be an access network device, such as a base station. Optionally, network device can also be a broader term including core network devices. In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation evolved Node B (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), wireless backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system.

In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of one or more network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), or a Next Generation Core (NGC).

In some embodiments, the aforementioned one or more network elements may include, for example, AMF, UPF, MME, etc., and may also include other network elements, such as Policy Control Function (PCF), Application Function (AF), Network Application Function (NAF), Authentication and Key Management for Applications Anchor Function (AAnF), Bootstrapping Server Functionality (BSF), Session Management Function (SMF), etc.

It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), and New-Radio Access Technology. RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth, Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems based on them, etc. In addition, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method for a communication system 100. The communication system 100 may include a first device 101 and a second device 102. In some embodiments, the above method includes:

Step 2101: The first device determines the first information.

In some embodiments, the first device includes a first communication component having a first identifier and a second communication component having a second identifier, wherein the first information is used by the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier after the first device registers with the first network using the first identifier.

For example, the first communication component may be terminal 1 of the first device, or it may be USIM1 of the first device; the second communication component may be terminal 2 of the first device, or it may be USIM2 of the first device.

For example, the first identifier could be SUPI#1; the second identifier could be SUPI#2.

In some embodiments, the first information is information pre-configured in the first device. The first information may be information pre-configured for the first device, such as pre-configured network selection information.

In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate the correspondence between the first identifier and/or the second identifier and the network information.

In some embodiments, network information includes at least one of the following:

Access type;

The identifier (PLMN ID) of a public land mobile network (PLMN);

Network access priority.

Step 2102: The first device sends third information to the second device.

In some embodiments, the third information may be used to identify network information available to the first device at its current location.

In some embodiments, the first device sends third information to the second device, which can facilitate the second device in determining the second information based on the third information.

In other words, the first device can report available network information to the network device, so that the second device can determine the second information based on the network information available to the first device.

For example, the first device can use the second identifier to search for available network information and report the available network information to the network device through the process of the first identifier.

In some embodiments, the second information may be information sent from the network to the first device, such as network selection information sent from the network device to the first device during the last registration process.

In some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following:

The first device uses the first identifier to register its registration information with the first network;

The registration information of the first device during its last registration;

The registration information is used to indicate the network information used for the registration of the first identifier and/or the second identifier.

In some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following:

The network information that the second device determines is available for the first device to access using the second identifier;

The second device receives network information from the fourth device that allows the first device to access the network using the second identifier.

The second information is used to assist the first device in determining the first information.

The second information is determined by the second or fourth device based on the third and/or fourth information.

Step 2103: The third device sends the fourth message to the second device.

In some embodiments, the fourth information may be used to indicate network information that the first device can access.

In some embodiments, the third device sends fourth information to the second device, which can facilitate the second device in determining the second information based on the fourth information.

In other words, the network device can obtain the network information that the first device can access, and determine the second information based on the network information that can be accessed.

Step 2104: The second device sends third and/or fourth information to the fourth device.

In some embodiments, the second device may send third information and/or fourth information to the fourth device, so that the fourth device can determine the second information based on the third information and/or fourth information.

In some embodiments, for example, the fourth device may obtain third information and/or fourth information from other entities. For instance, the fourth device may obtain fourth information from a third device, or the fourth device may obtain third information from a first device, etc. This disclosure does not limit the scope of the invention.

In other words, the fourth device can determine the second information based on the network information available to the first device at its current location and the network information that the first device can access. For example, the second information may be network selection information.

Step 2105: The fourth device determines the second information.

In some embodiments, the fourth device may determine the second information based on the third information and/or the fourth information.

In some embodiments, this step is optional and can be omitted when the second device can determine the second information based on the third and/or fourth information.

Step 2106: The fourth device sends the second information to the second device.

In some embodiments, after determining the second information, the fourth device may send the second information to the second device.

In some embodiments, this step is optional and can be omitted when the second device can determine the second information.

Step 2107: The second device determines the second information.

In some embodiments, the second information is determined by the second device or the fourth device based on the third information and/or the fourth information.

In some embodiments, this step is optional and can be omitted when the fourth device can determine the second information based on the third information and/or the fourth information.

Step 2108: The second device sends the second information to the first device.

In some embodiments, the second device may send the second information to the first device, so that the first device can determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the second information.

In some embodiments, this step is optional, and can be omitted when the first device determines that it uses the second identifier to access the network based solely on the first information.

Step 2109: The first device determines the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier.

In some embodiments, the first device may determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the first information and/or the second information, wherein the first information and/or the second information are used to indicate the correspondence between the first identifier and/or the second identifier and the network information.

In some embodiments, after the first device registers with the first network using the first identifier, it can be determined that the first device accesses the network using the second identifier.

In some alternative embodiments, determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier according to the first rule can follow the following general principles:

1. Prioritize selecting HPLMN. If HPLMN is selected, consider different access types under HPLMN.

2. If HPLMN cannot be selected, select vPLMN. If vPLMN has already been selected, prioritize other access types under the same vPLMN.

In some embodiments, specifically, determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the first information and/or the second information includes: determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the first information and/or the second information according to a first rule.

In some embodiments, the first rule includes at least one of the following:

The first device shall preferentially select the home public land mobile network (HPLMN) to which it is contracted as the network for access by the first device using the second identifier.

Under the first condition, an access network type and/or HPLMN different from the first network is preferentially selected as the network that the first device accesses using the second identifier. The first condition is that the first device has already registered to the contracted HPLMN using the first identifier.

Under the second condition, the network that the first device uses to access with the second identifier is determined according to the network priority, and the network that the first device uses to access with the second identifier is selected. The second condition is that there is currently no HPLMN available.

Under the third condition, a network with a second PLMN and a second access type is preferentially selected as the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier. The second PLMN is the same as the first PLMN and the second access type is different from the first access type. The third condition is that the first network has a first access type and a first PLMN.

In some embodiments, for example, the first condition may be that the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) subscribed to by the first device has already been accessed by the first device using the first identifier, that is, the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) subscribed to by the first device is the first network. In this case, an access network type and/or HPLMN different from the first network can be selected as the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier, i.e., not... The network type and/or HPLMN of the network accessed by the first device using the first identifier.

In some embodiments, for example, the second condition may be that no HPLMN is currently available, in which case the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier can be determined according to priority.

In some embodiments, for example, the third condition may be that the first network has a first access type and a first PLMN. In this case, the second PLMN may be the same as the first PLMN, and the second access type may be different from the first access type. That is, if the first network has a first access type and a first PLMN, then the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier may be the same as the PLMN accessed by the first network, but with a different access type. For example, when the first device determines, based on the first information, that it will use the second identifier to access the network, the first device can directly determine the network to use the second identifier based on the pre-configured first information.

For example, when the first device determines, based on the second information, that it uses the second identifier to access the network, the first device can directly determine the network to access using the second identifier based on the information sent by the network.

For example, when the first device can determine the network accessed by the second identifier based on the first information and the second information, the first device can determine the network accessed by the second identifier based on the pre-configured information and the information sent by the network.

In some embodiments, when the first device determines, based on the first information, that the first device can access a network using the second identifier, the first device can receive information about available networks to facilitate determining which networks the first device can access using the second identifier.

In some embodiments, when the first device determines, based on the second information or based on the first and second information, that it will use the second identifier to access the network, the first device does not need to receive additional information about the optional network, which can improve the efficiency of the first device in determining the network to use the second identifier.

Step 2110: The first device registers with the network using the second identifier.

In some embodiments, after determining that the first device uses the second identifier to access a network, the first device can use the second identifier to register to the corresponding network.

Step 2111: After the first device completes registration, it saves the network information used by the first device.

In some embodiments, after registration is completed, the first device can save the network information used by the first device, such as the network registered using the first identifier and the second identifier. For example, it can be saved in the network selection information of the first device.

The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps 2101 to 2111. For example, step 2109 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, as can step 2101+2102+2103+2104+2105+2106+2107+2108+2109+2110+2111, as can step 2101+2102+2103+2107+2108+2109+2110+2111, as can step 2101+2102+2103+2104+2105+2106+2107+2 Steps 108+2109+2110+2111 can be implemented as independent embodiments, as can steps 2101+2109+2110+2111, 2102+2103+2107+2108+2109+2110+2111, 2102+2103+2104+2105+2106+2107+2108+2109+2110+2111, and can be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the execution order of steps 2102 and 2103 can be interchanged, or they can be executed simultaneously.

In this implementation or embodiment, unless there is contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined, and can be arbitrarily combined with any steps of other implementations or other embodiments.

Figure 3a is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3a, the present disclosure relates to a communication method for a first device 101, the method comprising:

Step 3101: Determine the first information.

For optional implementations of step 3101, please refer to the optional implementations of step 2101 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps in Figure 2.

Step 3102: Send the third message.

For optional implementations of step 3102, please refer to the optional implementations of step 2102 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps in Figure 2.

In some embodiments, the second device may receive third information.

In some embodiments, the first device may send third information to the second device, but is not limited thereto; the first device may also send third information to other entities.

Step 3103: Receive the second information.

An optional implementation of step 3103 can be found in the optional implementation of step 2108 in Figure 2 and in the embodiments involved in the steps in Figure 2. Other related parts.

In some embodiments, the first device receives second information sent by the second device, but is not limited thereto; it may also receive second information sent by other entities.

In some embodiments, the first device acquires second information as defined by the protocol.

In some embodiments, the first device obtains the second information from the upper layer(s).

In some embodiments, the first device processes information to obtain the second information.

Step 3104: Determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier.

For optional implementations of step 3104, please refer to optional implementations of step 2109 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps in Figure 2.

Step 3105: Register to the network using the second identifier.

For optional implementations of step 3105, please refer to the optional implementations of step 2110 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps in Figure 2.

Step 3106: After registration is complete, save the network information used by the first device.

For optional implementations of step 3106, please refer to the optional implementations of step 2111 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps in Figure 2.

In this implementation or embodiment, unless there is contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined, and can be arbitrarily combined with any steps of other implementations or other embodiments.

Figure 3b is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3b, the present disclosure relates to a communication method for a first device 101, the method comprising:

Step 3201: Determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier.

Optional implementations of step 3201 can be found in step 2109 of Figure 2, step 3104 of Figure 3a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps of Figure 2 and Figure 3a.

Figure 4a is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4a, this embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method for a second device 102, the method comprising:

Step 4101: Receive third information.

For optional implementations of step 4101, please refer to optional implementations of step 2101 in Figure 2, step 3102 in Figure 3a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps of Figure 2 and Figure 3a.

In some embodiments, the second device receives third information sent by the first device, but is not limited thereto; it may also receive third information sent by other entities.

In some embodiments, the second device acquires third information as defined by the protocol.

In some embodiments, the second device processes the information to obtain the third information.

Step 4102: Receive the fourth message.

For optional implementations of step 4102, please refer to optional implementations of step 2103 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps in Figure 2.

In some embodiments, the second device receives fourth information sent by the third device, but is not limited thereto; it may also receive fourth information sent by other entities.

In some embodiments, the second device acquires fourth information as defined by the protocol.

In some embodiments, the second device processes the information to obtain the fourth information.

Step 4103: Send the third and/or fourth information.

For optional implementations of step 4103, please refer to optional implementations of step 2104 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps in Figure 2.

In some embodiments, the fourth device may receive third information and/or fourth information.

In some embodiments, the second device may send third and/or fourth information to the fourth device.

Step 4104: Receive the second information.

For optional implementations of step 4104, please refer to optional implementations of step 2106 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps in Figure 2.

In some embodiments, the second device receives second information sent by the fourth device, but is not limited thereto; it may also receive second information sent by other entities.

In some embodiments, the second device acquires second information as defined by the protocol.

In some embodiments, the second device processes the information to obtain the second information.

Step 4105: Determine the second information.

For optional implementations of step 4105, please refer to optional implementations of step 2107 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps in Figure 2.

Step 4106: Send the second message.

For optional implementations of step 4106, please refer to optional implementations of step 2108 in Figure 2, step 3103 in Figure 3a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps of Figure 2 and Figure 3a.

In some embodiments, the first device may receive second information.

In some embodiments, the second device may send second information to the first device, but is not limited thereto; the second device may also send second information to other entities.

Figure 4b is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4b, this embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method for a second device 102, the method comprising:

Step 4201: Receive third information.

Optional implementations of step 4201 can be found in step 2101 of Figure 2, optional implementations of step 4101 of Figure 4a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps of Figure 2 and Figure 4a.

Step 4202: Receive the fourth message.

Optional implementations of step 4202 can be found in step 2103 of Figure 2, optional implementations of step 4102 of Figure 4a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps of Figure 2 and Figure 4a.

Step 4203: Determine the second information.

Optional implementations of step 4203 can be found in step 2107 of Figure 2, optional implementations of step 4105 of Figure 4a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps of Figure 2 and Figure 4a.

Step 4204: Send the second message.

Optional implementations of step 4204 can be found in step 2108 of Figure 2, step 3103 of Figure 3a, step 4106 of Figure 4a, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps of Figures 2, 3a, and 4a.

Figure 4c is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4c, this embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method for a second device 102, the method comprising:

Step 4301: Send the second message.

Optional implementations of step 4301 can be found in the optional implementations of step 2108 in Figure 2, step 3103 in Figure 3a, step 4106 in Figure 4a, and step 4204 in Figure 4b, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps of Figures 2, 3a, 4a, and 4b.

Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the present disclosure relates to a communication method for a communication system, which includes a first device 101 and a second device 102. For example, the communication system may further include a third device and/or a fourth device. The method includes:

Step 5101: The second device sends the second information to the first device.

Optional implementations of step 5101 can be found in the optional implementations of step 2108 in Figure 2, step 3103 in Figure 3a, step 4106 in Figure 4a, step 4204 in Figure 4b, and step 4301 in Figure 4c, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps of Figures 2, 3a, 4a, 4b, and 4c.

Step 5102: The first device determines the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier.

Optional implementations of step 5102 can be found in the optional implementations of step 2109 in Figure 2, step 3104 in Figure 3a, and step 3201 in Figure 3b, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in the steps of Figures 2, 3a, and 3b.

The method illustrated in this disclosure relates to a network selection method in a dual-connectivity scenario.

Option 1: The dual 3GPP access devices store network selection information. This network selection information can be pre-configured in the dual 3GPP access devices as part of their subscription information, or it can be the network selection information sent to the dual 3GPP access devices by the network during their last registration process.

Network selection information can include the combination of access network and PLMN, and configure the corresponding priorities, for example:

In the table above, PLMN1 is the home PLMN or the contracted PLMN; the smaller the priority value in the table above, the higher the priority.

Dual 3GPP access devices initiate registration using SUPI#1, and select a network based on the saved network selection information, following these principles:

1. Prioritize network PLMNs with dual 3GPP access equipment contracts, i.e., HPLMMNs.

2. If the HPLMN/VPLMN has been selected and registered by another SUPI (SUPI#1) of the dual 3GPP access equipment, the RAN/HPLMN used by a different SUPI#1 shall be selected first. For example, if SUPI#1 has selected TN-NR/PLMN1, then SUPI#2 shall select NTN-NR/PLMN1.

3. If no HPLMN is available, select the Accesstype/PLMN ID in order of priority.

4. If the selected access type/PLMN ID has already been selected and registered by SUPI#2, then the entries corresponding to different access types under the same PLMN ID will be selected as network access. For example, if SUPI#2 has already selected TN-NR/PLMN2, then SUPI#1 will select LTE/PLMN2 as the access method.

After a dual 3GPP access device completes registration using SUPI, it needs to mark the network selection information entries that have been selected.

Option 2:

The home network equipment (e.g., PCF, UDM, SMF) of the dual 3GPP access devices determines the available network selection information and sends it to the dual 3GPP access devices.

When dual 3GPP access devices perform the first registration using SUPI#1, the home network device determines the network selection information available for access during the second registration and sends it to the dual 3GPP access devices via the registration acceptance message from the first registration. The second registration is initiated by the dual 3GPP access devices using SUPI#2.

Dual 3GPP access devices use SUPI#2 to search for available network access and report the available network access to the home network device through the SUPI#1 process (e.g., through the SUPI#1 registration and update process). The home network device then determines the network information that can be accessed through SUPI#2.

The home network device determines the available network selection information based on at least one of the following:

Network selection information for dual 3GPP access equipment contracts;

Available network access information reported by dual 3GPP access devices.

The methods described in the examples above will be explained below through specific examples.

Example 1:

As shown in Figure 6, this process assumes the following:

A dual 3GPP access device has two terminals, each with a SUPI. The two terminals are connected through the dual 3GPP access layer.

RAN1/PLMN1 and RAN2/PLMN2 are VPLMNs of dual 3GPP access devices.

The Authentication Server Function (AUSF), PCF, and UDM are NFs controlled by the device's HPLMN.

601-606: Terminal 1 of the dual 3GPP access equipment registers to the network using SUPI#1. The network selection can be based on the existing network selection mechanism. RAN1/PLMN1 is selected as the VPLMN of Terminal 1, and Terminal 1 completes the registration process on RAN1/PLMN1 as specified in the relevant protocol.

Optionally, as part of the process, the network may provide dual 3GPP access devices with network selection information that can be used in the next terminal registration.

Specifically, step 601 involves terminal 1 requesting to register with the roaming network using SUPI#1; step 602 involves inter-device security authentication; step 603 involves the roaming network registering with the local network using SUPI#1 via Nudm_UECM_Registration signaling and obtaining the registration result; step 604 involves AMF1 retrieving the dual 3GPP access device configuration file, including the subscribed RAT/PLMN, from the UDM using Nudm_SDM_Get; step 605 involves the roaming network associating with the local network through Access and Mobility Management (AM) policies; and step 606 involves the roaming network accepting the registration request from the dual 3GPP access devices.

607: Terminal 2 of the dual 3GPP access devices registers to the network using SUPI#2. It can determine how to trigger the dual 3GPP access devices to start the second registration based on the UE Route Selection Policy (URSP) provided to the dual 3GPP access devices during the first registration process.

Before registration, Terminal 2 should select an available access network for registration. Terminal 2, with dual 3GPP access devices, considers the network selection information pre-configured at the dual 3GPP access devices and the information provided by the network (the network can provide information in step 606) to select a suitable access network.

The structure of the network selection information can refer to the information mentioned in Scheme 1, and the selection process can follow the principles mentioned in Scheme 1. RAN2/PLMN2 can be selected for serving terminal 2.

608-610: Terminal 2 has completed the registration process on RAN2/PLMN2 as specified in the relevant protocol.

Specifically, step 608 is for terminal 2 of the dual 3GPP access devices to request registration with the roaming network using SUPI#2; step 609 is for the roaming network and the local network to interact and complete other steps of registration; and step 610 is for the roaming network to accept the registration request from the dual 3GPP access devices.

Example 2:

As shown in Figure 7, this process assumes the following:

A dual 3GPP access device has two terminals, each with a SUPI. The two terminals are connected through the dual 3GPP access layer.

RAN2/PLMN1 is a VPLMN that provides services for dual 3GPP access equipment, and AMF2 belongs to PLMN1.

AMF1, AUSF, PCF, and UDM are the NFs of the dual 3GPP access device HOLMN.

701: Terminal 1, a dual 3GPP access device, registers with the network using SUPI#1. The network selection can be based on the existing network selection mechanism. RAN1/PLMN1 is selected as the VPLMN of Terminal 1, and Terminal 1 sends a registration request to the network.

Optionally, the network device can report available RAT/PLMNs that are accessible at the current location.

702-703: Terminal 1 and the network complete the authentication and service AMF (AMF1) registration process as specified in the relevant protocols.

Specifically, step 702 involves security authentication between devices; step 703 involves the roaming network registering with the local network using SUPI#1 via Nudm_UECM_Registration signaling and obtaining the registration result.

704: AMF1 uses Nudm_SDM_Get to retrieve dual 3GPP access device profiles from the UDM, including the contracted RAT/PLMN.

705a: AMF1 performs AM policy association establishment with PCF. Available RAT/PLMN (which can be reported in step 701) and reserved RAT/PLMN are sent to PCF.

705b: The PCF can determine the network selection policy based on the information received from the AMF1 and provide it to the AMF1. The network selection policy indicates the RAT/PLMN that can be accessed by dual 3GPP access devices.

706: The network selection policy is included in the registration acceptance message and is sent to the dual 3GPP access device.

707: Terminal 2 of the dual 3GPP access devices uses SUPI#2 to register to the network. Based on the URSP rules provided to the dual 3GPP access devices during the first registration process, it can be determined how to trigger the dual 3GPP access devices to initiate the second registration.

Before registration, terminal 2 should select an available access network for registration. Terminal 2, with dual 3GPP access devices, can select a suitable access network based on the network selection policy received from the first registration process.

The structure of the network selection information can refer to the information mentioned in Scheme 1.

The selection process can follow the principles mentioned in Option 1. RAN2/PLMN2 was selected for serving terminal 2.

708-710: Terminal 2 completes the registration process on RAN2/PLMN2 as specified in the relevant protocol.

Specifically, step 708 is for terminal 2 of the dual 3GPP access devices to request registration with the roaming network using SUPI#2; step 709 is for the roaming network and the local network to interact and complete other registration steps; and step 710 is for the roaming network to accept the registration request from the dual 3GPP access devices.

In summary, the above examples of this disclosure can determine how the dual 3GPP access devices decide to register to the second 3GPP access network and how the terminal selects that 3GPP access network after the dual 3GPP access devices have completed registration using one of the two SUPIs through a 3GPP access network.

Figure 8a is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first device 101 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 8a, the first device 101 includes: a processing module 8101, configured to determine the network accessed by the first device using a second identifier after the first device registers with the first network using a first identifier; Selectively, the above processing module is used to execute at least one of the processing steps (such as step 2101, step 2109, step 2110, step 2111, etc., but not limited thereto) executed by the first device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

In some embodiments, the processing module 8101 can also be used to determine the first information.

In some embodiments, the processing module 8101 can also be used to register to the network using a second identifier.

In some embodiments, the processing module 8101 can also be used to save the network information used by the first device after registration is completed.

In some embodiments, the first device further includes a transceiver module for sending third information.

In some embodiments, the transceiver module can also be used to receive second information.

Figure 8b is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second device 102 proposed in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 8b, the second device 102 includes: a transceiver module 8201, used to send second information to a first device, the second information being used to assist the first device in determining the first information, the first device including a first communication component with a first identifier and a second communication component with a second identifier, the first information being used by the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier after the first device registers with the first network using the first identifier; Optionally, the transceiver module is used to execute at least one of the transceiver steps (e.g., steps 2102, 2103, 2104, 2106, 2108, etc., but not limited thereto) executed by the second device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

In some embodiments, the transceiver module 8201 can also be used to receive third information.

In some embodiments, the transceiver module 8201 can also be used to receive fourth information.

In some embodiments, the transceiver module 8201 can also be used to send third and/or fourth information.

In some embodiments, the transceiver module 8201 can also be used to receive second information.

In some embodiments, the second device further includes a processing module for determining the second information.

As shown in Figure 9a, the communication device 9100 includes one or more processors 9101. The processor 9101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The processor 9101 is used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 9100 to execute any of the above methods.

In some embodiments, the communication device 9100 further includes one or more memories 9102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 9102 may also be located outside the communication device 9100.

In some embodiments, the communication device 9100 further includes one or more transceivers 9103. When the communication device 9100 includes one or more transceivers 9103, the communication steps such as sending and receiving in the above method are performed by the transceivers 9103, and other steps are performed by the processor 9101.

In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably.

Optionally, the communication device 9100 further includes one or more interface circuits 9104, which are connected to the memory 9102. The interface circuits 9104 can be used to receive signals from the memory 9102 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 9102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 9104 can read instructions stored in the memory 9102 and send the instructions to the processor 9101.

The communication device 9100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 9100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 9100 may not be limited by FIG. 9a. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

Figure 9b is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 9200 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 9100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the chip 9200 shown in Figure 9b, but it is not limited thereto.

Chip 9200 includes one or more processors 9201, which are used to invoke instructions to cause chip 9200 to perform any of the above methods.

In some embodiments, chip 9200 further includes one or more interface circuits 9202 connected to memory 9203. Interface circuits 9202 can be used to receive signals from memory 9203 or other devices, and can also be used to send signals to memory 9203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 9202 can read instructions stored in memory 9203 and send those instructions to processor 9201. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver can be used interchangeably.

In some embodiments, chip 9200 further includes one or more memories 9203 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 9203 may be located outside of chip 9200.

This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 9100, cause the communication device 9100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 9100, causes the communication device 9100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

The correspondences shown in the tables of this disclosure can be configured or predefined. The values of the information in each table are merely examples and can be configured to other values; this disclosure is not limiting. When configuring the correspondences between information and parameters, it is not necessarily required to configure all the correspondences shown in each table. For example, the correspondences shown in some rows of the tables in this disclosure may not be configured. Furthermore, appropriate modifications and adjustments can be made based on the above tables, such as splitting, merging, etc. The names of the parameters shown in the headers of the above tables can also use other names that the communication device can understand, and the values or representations of the parameters can also be other values or representations that the communication device can understand. In the implementation of the above tables, other data structures can also be used, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables, etc.

The predefined terms in this disclosure can be understood as defined, predefined, stored, pre-stored, pre-negotiated, pre-configured, solidified, or pre-burned.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims (25)

A communication method, characterized in that the method is executed by a first device, the first device comprising a first communication component having a first identifier and a second communication component having a second identifier, the method comprising: After the first device registers with the first network using the first identifier, it is determined that the first device accesses the network using the second identifier. According to the method of claim 1, the step of determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier includes: Based on the first information and/or the second information, it is determined that the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier is... Wherein, the first information and/or the second information are used to indicate the correspondence between the first identifier and/or the second identifier and the network information. The method according to claim 2, wherein the network information includes at least one of the following: Network access type; The identifier of a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); Network access priority. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the method further comprises: The first information is determined, and the first information is information pre-configured in the first device. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the method further comprises: Receive the second information sent by the second device. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second information includes at least one of the following: The first device uses the first identifier to register with the registration information of the first network; The registration information of the first device during its last registration; The registration information is used to indicate the network information used for registration of the first identifier and/or the second identifier. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second information includes at least one of the following: The network information that the second device determines is available for the first device to access using the second identifier; The second device receives network information from the fourth device that the first device can access using the second identifier. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the method further comprises: Send a third message to the second device, the third message being used to identify network information available to the first device at its current location; The second information is determined based on the third information. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that, determining the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier based on the first information and/or the second information includes: According to the first rule, based on the first information and/or the second information, it is determined that the first device uses the second identifier to access the network. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first rule comprises at least one of the following: The home public land mobile network (HPLMN) to which the first device is contracted is preferentially selected as the network that the first device accesses using the second identifier. Under the first condition, an access network type and/or HPLMN different from the first network is preferentially selected as the network that the first device accesses using the second identifier, wherein the first condition is that the first device has already registered to the contracted HPLMN using the first identifier; Under the second condition, the network that the first device uses to access with the second identifier is determined according to network priority, and the second condition is that there is currently no HPLMN available. Under the third condition, a network having a second PLMN and a second access type is preferentially selected as the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier. The second PLMN is the same as the first PMLN and the second access type is different from the first access type. The third condition is that the first network has a first access type and a first PLMN. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the method further comprises: Register to the network using the second identifier; After registration is complete, save the network information used by the first device. A communication method, characterized in that the method is executed by a second device, the method comprising: Sending second information to the first device, the second information being used to assist the first device in determining the first information, the first device including a... A first communication component having a first identifier and a second communication component having a second identifier, wherein the first information is used by the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier after the first device registers to the first network using the first identifier. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first information and/or the second information are used to indicate the correspondence between the first identifier and/or the second identifier and the network information. The method according to claim 13, wherein the network information includes at least one of the following: Network access type; The identifier of a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); Network access priority. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the second information includes at least one of the following: The first device uses the first identifier to register with the registration information of the first network; The registration information of the first device during its last registration; The registration information is used to indicate the network information used for registration of the first identifier and/or the second identifier. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the second information includes at least one of the following: The network information that the second device determines is available for the first device to access using the second identifier; The second device receives network information from the fourth device that allows the first device to access the network using the second identifier. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the method further comprises: Receive third information sent by the first device, the third information being used to identify network information available to the first device at its current location; Obtain fourth information from a third device, the fourth information being used to indicate network information that the first device can access; The second information is determined by the second device or the fourth device based on the third information and/or the fourth information. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the method further comprises: The second information is determined based on the third information and/or the fourth information. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the method further comprises: Send the third information and/or the fourth information to the fourth device; The device receives the second information sent by the fourth device, wherein the second information is determined by the fourth device based on the third information and/or the fourth information. A first device, characterized in that it comprises: The processing module is configured to determine the network that the first device accesses using the second identifier after the first device registers with the first network using the first identifier. A second device, characterized in that it comprises: The transceiver module is used to send second information to a first device. The second information is used to assist the first device in determining the first information. The first device includes a first communication component with a first identifier and a second communication component with a second identifier. The first information is used by the first device to determine the network accessed by the first device using the second identifier after the first device registers with the first network using the first identifier. A communication system, characterized in that it includes a first device and a second device, the first device being configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 19, and the second device being configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 15. The communication system according to claim 22 is characterized in that it further includes a third device and/or a fourth device, wherein the third device is used to provide fourth information to the second device, the fourth information being used to indicate network information that the first device can access; and the fourth device is used to determine the second information based on the third information provided by the second device and the fourth information. A communication device includes: a transceiver; a memory; and a processor connected to the transceiver and the memory, respectively, configured to control the transmission and reception of wireless signals of the transceiver by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, and capable of implementing the method of any one of claims 1-19. A computer storage medium, wherein the computer storage medium stores computer-executable instructions; the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor, are capable of implementing the method of any one of claims 1-19.