TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to the field of communications technologies, and more specifically, to a method and an apparatus for establishing a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) quality of service (QoS) flow in a session.

BACKGROUND

To transmit service data between user equipment (UE) and a data network (DN), a protocol data unit (PDU) session usually needs to be established between the UE and a network device, and one or more QoS flows are established in the PDU session to schedule services with different QoS requirements in the same session.

Specifically, in a conventional solution, a default non-GBR QoS flow is established in a PDU session of UE, and then one or more non-default GBR QoS flows or non-GBR QoS flows are established based on a service requirement of the UE. In other words, in addition to the default GBR QoS flow, other QoS flows exist in the PDU session. Therefore, in a process of transmitting service data, classification is performed on the UE and an access network device according to a specified rule, and QoS flow identifier (QFI) marking is performed. Such a processing procedure causes many processing delays, and how to reduce these delays is a problem to be resolved.

SUMMARY

This application provides a method and an apparatus for establishing a GBR QoS flow in a session, to reduce a delay of transmitting service data by using the GBR QoS flow.

According to a first aspect, a method for establishing a GBR QoS flow in a session is provided. The method includes receiving, by a session management function (SMF), first information from an access and mobility management function (AMF), where the first information includes establishment request information of a PDU session from a terminal device, obtaining, by the SMF, PDU session management subscription information from a unified data management (UDM) module, and establishing, by the SMF based on the first information, a default GBR QoS flow in the PDU session.

Optionally, when dynamic policy and charging control (PCC) is deployed, the SMF obtains PDU session policy information from a policy control function (PCF), and the establishing, by the SMF based on the first information, a default GBR QoS flow in the PDU session includes establishing, by the SMF based on the first information and at least one of the PDU session management subscription information and the PDU session policy information, the default GBR QoS flow in the PDU session of the SMF.

Alternatively, when dynamic PCC is not deployed, the SMF establishes, based on the first information and at least one of the PDU session management subscription information and local PDU session policy information of the SMF, the default GBR QoS flow in the PDU session.

In this application, the local PDU session policy information is stored in the SMF, while the PDU session policy information is obtained from the PCF.

It should be understood that after receiving the first information, the SMF may first establish the PDU session for the terminal device, and then establish the default GBR QoS flow in the PDU session. In addition, the default GBR QoS flow may be a GBR QoS flow that is established at an initial stage of PDU session establishment according to a default QoS rule and that always exists in a life cycle of the PDU session.

Before sending the first information to the SMF, the AMF may receive an establishment request message of the PDU session sent by the terminal device, generate the first information based on the establishment request message of the PDU session, and then send the first information to the SMF. When there are a plurality of available SMFs around the AMF, the AMF may further select one SMF, and then send the first information to the selected SMF.

In this application, after receiving the first information sent by the AMF, the SMF can directly establish the default GBR QoS flow based on related information, so that time required for establishing a GBR QoS flow can be reduced when the GBR QoS flow is needed for transmitting data.

Optionally, the terminal device is a device that supports an ultra-reliable low-latency connection (URLLC) service.

Further, the terminal device may be a device that includes only a URLLC service.

In some implementations, the first information includes second information, and the second information is at least one of a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), a data network name (DNN), single network slice selection assistance information (S-NASSI), service indication information, a default GBR QoS flow indication, QoS index information, and QoS parameter information.

Optionally, the second information may be any combination of the SUPI, the DNN, the S-NASSI, the service indication information, the default GBR QoS flow indication, the QoS index information, and the QoS parameter information.

The second information may indicate that the default GBR QoS flow is to be established in the PDU session.

The second indication information can be used to determine that the default GBR QoS flow needs to be established in the PDU session.

In some implementations, when the dynamic PCC is deployed, the method further includes obtaining, by the SMF, the PDU session management subscription information from the UDM.

Optionally, the obtaining, by the SMF, the PDU session management subscription information from the UDM includes sending, by the SMF, a subscription information request message to the UDM, where the subscription information request message carries the second information, and receiving, by the SMF, the PDU session management subscription information sent by the UDM, where the PDU session management subscription information includes subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow, and the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow includes a 5th generation (5G) QoS identifier (5QI), an allocation and retention priority (ARP), a guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR), and a maximum flow bit rate (MFBR).

The second information may be used to indicate the UDM to send, to the SMF, the PDU session management subscription information that includes the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow.

In some implementations, that the SMF obtains PDU session policy information from a PCF includes sending, by the SMF, a policy information request message to the PCF, where the policy information request message carries the second information, and receiving, by the SMF, the PDU session policy information sent by the PCF, where the PDU session policy information includes a default QoS rule, and the default QoS rule includes a 5QI, an ARP, a GFBR, and a MFBR of the default GBR QoS flow.

The second information may indicate the PCF to send, to the SMF, the PDU session policy information that includes the policy information of the default GBR QoS flow.

In some implementations, the SMF rejects a request for establishing a non-GBR QoS flow in the PDU session.

After the default GBR QoS flow is established, a non-GBR QoS flow is no longer established, but another GBR QoS flow can be established in the PDU session.

In this application, the request for establishing a non-GBR QoS flow is rejected, so that only a GBR QoS flow can be established in the PDU, and a requirement of some specific services (for example, a URLLC service) for transmitting data can be met.

In some implementations, the default GBR QoS flow includes a time-sensitive GBR QoS flow.

The time-sensitive GBR QoS flow may be used to transmit time-sensitive service data. For example, the time-sensitive GBR QoS flow may be used to transmit service data of the URLLC service.

According to a second aspect, a method for establishing a GBR QoS flow in a session is provided. The method includes receiving, by a UDM module, a subscription information request message from a SMF, where the subscription information request message is used to request to obtain PDU session management subscription information from the UDM, and the session subscription information includes subscription information of a default GBR QoS flow, and sending, by the UDM, the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow to the SMF, where the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow is used to establish the default GBR QoS flow.

In some implementations, the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow includes a 5QI, an ARP, a GFBR, and a MFBR.

After receiving the subscription information request message, the UDM can send the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow to the SMF, so that the SMF can directly establish the default GBR QoS flow in the PDU session by referring to the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow, thereby reducing time required for establishing the GBR QoS flow.

According to a third aspect, a method for establishing a GBR QoS flow in a session is provided. The method includes receiving, by a UDM module, a subscription information request message from a SMF, where the subscription information request message includes second information, and the second information is at least one of a SUPI, a DNN, S-NASSI, service indication information, a default GBR QoS flow indication, QoS index information, and QoS parameter information, and sending, by the UDM based on the second information, subscription information of a default GBR QoS flow to the SMF, where the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow is used to establish the default GBR QoS flow.

In some implementations, the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow includes a 5QI, an ARP, a GFBR, and a MFBR.

After receiving the second information, the UDM determines to send the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow to the SMF, so that the SMF can directly establish the default GBR QoS flow in the PDU session by referring to the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow after receiving the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow, thereby reducing time required for establishing the GBR QoS flow.

According to a fourth aspect, a method for establishing a GBR QoS flow in a session is provided. The method includes receiving, by a PCF module, a policy information request message from a SMF, where the policy information request message is used to request to obtain PDU session policy information from the PCF, and the PDU session policy information includes policy information of a default GBR QoS flow, and sending, by the PCF, the policy information of the default GBR QoS flow to the SMF, where the policy information of the default GBR QoS flow is used to establish the default GBR QoS flow.

In some implementations, the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow includes a 5QI, an ARP, a GFBR, and a MFBR.

After receiving the policy information request message, the PCF can send the policy information of the default GBR QoS flow to the SMF, so that the SMF can directly establish the default GBR QoS flow in the PDU session by referring to the policy information of the default GBR QoS flow, thereby reducing time required for establishing the GBR QoS flow.

According to a fifth aspect, a method for establishing a GBR QoS flow in a session is provided. The method includes receiving, by a PCF entity, a policy information request message from a SMF, where the policy information request message includes second information, and the second information is at least one of a SUPI, a DNN, S-NASSI, service indication information, QoS index information, QoS parameter information, and session subscription information, determining, by the PCF, whether policy information of a GBR QoS flow corresponding to the second information is policy information of a default GBR QoS flow, and if the policy information of the GBR QoS flow corresponding to the second information is the policy information of the default GBR QoS flow, sending, by the PCF, the policy information of the default GBR QoS flow to the SMF.

In some implementations, the subscription information of the default GBR QoS flow includes a 5QI, an ARP, a GFBR, and a MFBR.

After receiving the second information, the PCF determines to send the policy information of the default GBR QoS flow to the SMF, so that the SMF can directly establish the default GBR QoS flow in the PDU session by referring to the policy information of the default GBR QoS flow after receiving the policy information of the default GBR QoS flow, thereby reducing time required for establishing the GBR QoS flow.

According to a sixth aspect, a method for establishing a GBR QoS flow in a session is provided. The method includes generating, by a terminal device, an establishment request message of a PDU session, where the establishment request message of the PDU session includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate that a default GBR QoS flow is to be established in the PDU session, and sending, by the terminal device, the establishment request message of the PDU session to a SMF, to establish a PDU session that includes the default GBR QoS flow.

By sending, to the AMF, the establishment request message of the PDU session including the first indication information, the terminal device can request the SMF to directly establish the default GBR QoS flow in the PDU session, thereby reducing time required for establishing the GBR QoS flow.

In some implementations, the first indication information includes at least one of service indication information, QoS index information, and QoS parameter information.

In some implementations, the method further includes rejecting, by the terminal device, a message for establishing a non-GBR QoS flow in the PDU session from the SMF.

In this application, a request for establishing a non-GBR QoS flow is rejected, so that only a GBR QoS flow can be established in the PDU, and a requirement of some specific services (for example, a URLLC service) for transmitting data can be met.

In some implementations, the default GBR QoS flow includes a time-sensitive GBR QoS flow.

According to a seventh aspect, an apparatus for establishing a GBR QoS flow in a session is provided. The apparatus includes a module configured to perform the method in any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect.

Specifically, the apparatus may be a network side device or a network device.

According to an eighth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes a module configured to perform the method according to the sixth aspect.

According to a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium stores an instruction. When the instruction is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to perform the method according to any one of the first to the sixth aspects.

According to a tenth aspect, a computer program product including an instruction is provided. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to perform the method according to any one of the first aspect to the sixth aspect.

