IP Library › Granted Patent US 12672179

Granted Patent B2

US 12672179 · App. 18/472,805 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Communication method and communication apparatus

Inventors: Chengkun Jiang (Shanghai, CN); Han Zhou (Shanghai, CN); Hancheng Li (Shanghai, CN)

Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

H04W76/12 H04W24/04

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12672179
App. No.: 18/472,805
Granted: Jun 30, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A session management network element determines whether a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus have a redundancy functionality, receives a session establishment request message from a first terminal device, to request to establish a first session between the first terminal device and a data network. When both the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus have the redundancy functionality, and the first session is a redundant session, selects a first user plane function network element to establish the first session, where the second user plane function network element is configured to establish a second session, the first session is a redundant session of the second session, and the first session and the second session are for communication between the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus.

Claims (47)

1 . A method, comprising:

determining, by a session management network element, whether a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus have a redundancy functionality;

receiving, by the session management network element, a session establishment request message from a first terminal device, wherein the session establishment request message requests to establish a first session between the first terminal device and a data network;

when it is determined that both the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus have the redundancy functionality, and the first session is a redundant session, selecting, by the session management network element, a first user plane function network element to establish the first session, wherein the first user plane function network element is different from a second user plane function network element, the second user plane function network element is configured to establish a second session, the first session is a redundant session of the second session, and the first session and the second session are configured for communication between the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus; and

when it is determined that the first communication apparatus does not have the redundancy functionality, and the first session is the redundant session, selecting, by the session management network element, the second user plane function network element to establish the first session, and allocating, by the session management network element, a first port to both the first terminal device and a second terminal device, wherein the second communication apparatus is connected to the first terminal device through the first port, and the second communication apparatus is connected to the second terminal device through the first port.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first port comprises a DS-TT port.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, by the session management network element, a second rule to the first port, wherein the second rule is configured for duplicating uplink data packets in the first session and the second session or deduplicating downlink data packets in the first session and the second session.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, by the session management network element to a data management network element, a first mapping relationship between an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the first user plane function network element.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

when a first data network name (DNN) is the same as a second DNN, first single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) is the same as second S-NSSAI, a first 5G quality of service identifier (5QI) is the same as a second 5QI, the first terminal device and the second terminal device connected to the second communication apparatus are mutually redundant, and address information of the first terminal device is different from address information of the second terminal device, determining, by the session management network element, that the first session is the redundant session, wherein the first DNN, the first S-NSSAI, and the first 5QI are associated with the first session, and the second DNN, the second S-NSSAI, and the second 5QI are associated with the second session.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, by the session management network element, a first rule to the second user plane function network element, wherein the first rule is configured for duplicating downlink data packets in the first session and the second session or deduplicating uplink data packets in the first session and the second session.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining, by the session management network element, whether the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus have the redundancy functionality comprises:

obtaining, by the session management network element from a policy control function network element, information indicating whether the first communication apparatus has the redundancy functionality, and whether the second communication apparatus has the redundancy functionality.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the session establishment request message comprises a first identifier, the first identifier is associated with a second identifier, the first identifier identifies the first terminal device, and the second identifier identifies the second terminal device connected to the second communication apparatus.

9 . An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory memory storing a program that is executable by the at least one processor, the program including instructions to:

determine whether a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus have a redundancy functionality; and

receive a session establishment request message from a first terminal device, wherein the session establishment request message requests to establish a first session between the first terminal device and a data network; and

when it is determined that both the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus have the redundancy functionality, and the first session is a redundant session, select a first user plane function network element to establish the first session, wherein the first user plane function network element is different from a second user plane function network element, the second user plane function network element is configured to establish a second session, the first session is a redundant session of the second session, and the first session and the second session are configured for communication between the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus; and

when it is determined that the first communication apparatus does not have the redundancy functionality, and the first session is the redundant session, select the second user plane function network element to establish the first session, and allocate a first port to both the first terminal device and a second terminal device, wherein the second communication apparatus is connected to the first terminal device through the first port, and the second communication apparatus is connected to the second terminal device through the first port.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first port comprises a DS-TT port.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the program further includes instructions to:

send a first mapping relationship between an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the first user plane function network element to a data management network element.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the program further includes instructions to:

when a first data network name (DNN) is the same as a second DNN, first single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) is the same as second S-NSSAI, a first 5G quality of service identifier (5QI) is the same as a second 5QI, the first terminal device and the second terminal device connected to the second communication apparatus are mutually redundant, and address information of the first terminal device is different from address information of the second terminal device, determine that the first session is the redundant session, wherein the first DNN, the first S-NSSAI, and the first 5QI are associated with the first session, and the second DNN, the second S-NSSAI, and the second 5QI are associated with the second session.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the program further includes instructions to:

send a second rule to the first port, wherein the second rule is configured for duplicating uplink data packets in the first session and the second session or deduplicating downlink data packets in the first session and the second session.

14 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that are executable by at least one processor, wherein execution of the instructions causes a session management network element to:

determine whether a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus have a redundancy functionality;

when it is determined that both the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus have the redundancy functionality, and the first session is a redundant session, select a first user plane function network element to establish the first session, wherein the first user plane function network element is different from a second user plane function network element, the second user plane function network element is configured to establish a second session, the first session is a redundant session of the second session, and the first session and the second session are configured for communication between the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus; and

15 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein the first port comprises a DS-TT port.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the session management network element further to:

when a first data network name (DNN) is the same as a second DNN, first single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) is the same as second S-NSSAI, a first 5G quality of service identifier (5QI) is the same as a second 5QI, the first terminal device and the second terminal device connected to the second communication apparatus are mutually redundant, and address information of the first terminal device is different from address information of the second terminal device, determine that the first session is the redundant session, wherein the first DNN, the first S-NSSAI, and the first 5QI are associated with the first session, and the second DNN, the second S-NSSAI, and the second 5QI are associated with the second session.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the session management network element further to:

send a first rule to the second user plane function network element, wherein the first rule is configured for duplicating downlink data packets in the first session and the second session or deduplicating uplink data packets in the first session and the second session.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein determining whether the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus have the redundancy functionality comprises:

obtaining, from a policy control function network element, information indicating whether the first communication apparatus has the redundancy functionality, and whether the second communication apparatus has the redundancy functionality.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the session management network element further to:

20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the session management network element further to:

send, to a data management network element, a first mapping relationship between an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the first user plane function network element.