IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,689,892
Granted Patent B2
US 12,689,892 · App. 18/166,140 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Communication method and apparatus

Inventors: Longhua Guo (Shanghai, CN); He Li (Shanghai, CN); Yizhuang Wu (Beijing, CN); Rong Wu (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
H04W12/033H04W12/106H04W80/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,689,892
App. No.
18/166,140
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of this application provide a communication method and a related apparatus, to meet a multicast service data packet transmission security requirement. An access device may determine a user plane security active state of a multicast data radio bearer (DRB) in a protocol data unit (PDU) session, and indicate the user plane security active state of the multicast DRB to a terminal. The user plane security active state includes whether integrity protection is activated and/or whether confidentiality protection is activated. In addition, the access device configures a multicast packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer entity based on the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting multicast service data. The access device may further determine a user plane security active state of a unicast DRB, indicate the user plane security active state to the terminal, and modify a unicast PDCP layer entity.

Claims (42)

1 . A communication apparatus, comprising: a transceiver; at least one processor; and one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the communication apparatus to:

send a first message to a terminal, wherein the first message comprises a first indication, the first indication is used to indicate a user plane security active state of a data radio bearer (DRB) for transmitting multicast service data that is different from a user plane security active state of a DRB for transmitting unicast service data in a same protocol data unit (PDU) session and the user plane security active state indicates at least one of integrity protection being activated or confidentiality protection being activated; and

configure a multicast packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer entity based on the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the multicast service data.

2 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to:

determine, based on a first parameter set, the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the multicast service data, wherein the first parameter set comprises one or both of the following parameters:

the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data in the PDU session or a multicast security policy.

3 . The communication apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to:

determine based on the multicast security policy, the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the multicast service data, wherein the multicast security policy is a required policy, a preferred policy, or a “not needed” policy, the required policy is used to indicate that the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the multicast service data is on, the preferred policy is used to indicate that the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the multicast service data is on or off, and the “not needed” policy is used to indicate that the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the multicast service data is off.

4 . The communication apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to:

when the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data is on or off, and when the multicast security policy is the required policy or the “not needed” policy, determine based on the multicast security policy, the user plane security active state of the DRB, for transmitting the multicast service data in the PDU session.

5 . The communication apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first message further comprises one or more of the following indications: a second indication, a third indication, or a fourth indication;

the second indication is used to indicate a modified user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data in the PDU session;

the third indication is an identifier of the DRB whose user plane security active state needs to be modified; and

the fourth indication is used to indicate the terminal to modify the user plane security active state of the DRB, for transmitting the unicast service data in the PDU session.

6 . The communication apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to:

when the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data is off or on, and the multicast security policy is the required policy, send the first message to the terminal.

7 . A communication method, wherein the method comprises:

receiving, by a terminal, a first message from an access device, wherein the first message comprises a first indication, the first indication is used to indicate a user plane security active state of a data radio bearer (DRB) for transmitting multicast service data that is different from a user plane security active state of a DRB for transmitting unicast service data in a same protocol data unit (PDU) session and the user plane security active state indicates at least one of integrity protection being activated or confidentiality protection being activated; and

configuring, by the terminal, a multicast packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer entity based on the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the multicast service data.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the first message further comprises one or more of the following indications: a second indication, a third indication, or a fourth indication;

the second indication is used to indicate a modified user plane security active state of a DRB, for transmitting unicast service data in the PDU session;

the third indication is an identifier of the DRB whose user plane security active state needs to be modified; and

the fourth indication is used to indicate the terminal to modify the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data in the PDU session.

9 . The method according to claim 8 further comprises:

when the first message comprises the second indication, modifying, by the terminal based on the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the multicast service data or the modified user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data, the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

when the first message comprises the third indication, modifying, by the terminal, the user plane security active state of the identified DRB.

11 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

when the first message comprises the fourth indication, modifying, by the terminal, the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data.

12 . A communication apparatus, comprising: a transceiver; at least one processor; and one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the communication apparatus to:

receive a first message from an access device, wherein the first message comprises a first indication, the first indication is used to indicate a user plane security active state of a data radio bearer (DRB) for transmitting multicast service data that is different from a user plane security active state of a DRB for transmitting unicast service data in a same protocol data unit (PDU) session, and the user plane security active state indicates at least one of integrity protection being activated or confidentiality protection being activated; and

configure a multicast packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer entity based on the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the multicast service data.

13 . The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the first message further comprises one or more of the following indications: a second indication, a third indication, or a fourth indication;

the second indication is used to indicate a modified user plane security active state of a DRB for transmitting unicast service data in the PDU session;

the third indication is an identifier of the DRB whose user plane security active state needs to be modified; and

the fourth indication is used to indicate the communication apparatus to modify the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data in the PDU session.

14 . The communication apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to:

when the first message comprises the second indication, modify, based on the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the multicast service data or the modified user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data, the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data.

15 . The communication apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to:

when the first message comprises the third indication, modify the user plane security active state of the identified DRB.

16 . The communication apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to:

when the first message comprises the fourth indication, modify the user plane security active state of the DRB for transmitting the unicast service data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 11, 2023
From: GUO, LONGHUA; LI, HE; WU, YIZHUANG; WU, RONG
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063608/0247 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2020108300 · Aug 10, 2020
Related Publication 20230188976A1 · Jun 15, 2023
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