Session processing method and device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11425202-B2
Application number	US-201916659334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2019
Priority date	Jul 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

Embodiments of a session processing method and a device relating to a data network are provided. The method includes a data-network network element in the data network receiving a data network access request sent by a session management function (SMF) network element of the data network, where the data network access request includes an identifier of user equipment UE and a session address to be used by the UE. The data-network network element sends a response message to the SMF, where the response message instructs the SMF to allow the UE to access the data network, so that the SMF establishes a data packet unit session of the UE. The data-network network element detects, based on the session address or the identifier of the UE, that the data packet unit session of the UE needs to be processed, generates a session processing request, and instructs, by using the session processing request, the SMF to process the data packet unit session of the UE.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A session processing method comprising:
receiving, by a session management function network element, a session establishment request from user equipment (UE) for establishing a session,
wherein the session management function network element is a control plane network element in an operator network, and is responsible for establishing and managing the session of the UE;

determining, by the session management function network element, a session address of the session;
sending, by the session management function network element, a data network access request to a data-network network element in a data network for authenticating and authorizing the session, wherein the data network access request comprises the session address and an identifier of the UE;
receiving, by the session management function network element, a response message from the data-network network element, wherein the response message instructs the session management function network element to allow the UE to access the data network;
establishing, by the session management function network element, the session of the UE;
receiving, by the session management function network element, a session processing request triggered by the data-network network element; and
processing, by the session management function network element, the session according to the session processing request, including modifying or deleting the session.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the session address of the session comprises allocating, by the session management function network element, an IP address to the UE as the session address.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the session processing request triggered by the data-network network element comprises:
receiving, by the session management function network element, a first session processing request from the data-network network element; or
receiving, by the session management function network element, a third session processing request from a policy control function network element,
wherein the third session processing request is sent to the session management function network element after the policy control function network element receives a second session processing request from the data-network network element, and
wherein the policy control function network element is a control plane network element configured to provide a session policy for the session management function network element.

4. A session processing method comprising:
receiving, by a data-network network element in a data network, a data network access request from a session management function network element for establishing and managing the a session of a UE,
wherein the data network access request comprises an identifier of user equipment (UE) and a session address of the session, and
wherein the session management function network element is a control plane network element in an operator network;

performing, by the data-network network element, authentication on the UE;
sending, by the data-network network element, a response message to the session management function network element, wherein the response message indicates an allowance for the UE to access the data network;
determining, by the data-network network element based on the session address or the identifier of the UE, that the session needs to be processed; and
sending, by the data-network network element, the session processing request to the session management function network element, wherein the session processing request comprises the session address and/or the identifier of the UE.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the response message comprises an authentication success identifier.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein determining that the session needs to be processed comprises
determining that a session corresponding to the identifier of the UE needs to be processed in response to detecting that the UE is in an abnormal access state comprising at least one of the following cases: the UE is an unauthorized UE, a subscription status of the UE changes, and a trust level of the UE changes.

7. A session management function network element in an operator network and responsible for establishing and managing a session of a user equipment (UE), the session management function network element comprising:
a processor in communication with a storage medium that includes one or more executable instructions for execution by the processor;
a receiver configured to cooperate with the processor to receive a session establishment request from the UE;
wherein the processor, when executing the one or more executable instructions, is configured to determine a session address to be used by a session of the UE;
a transmitter configured to cooperate with the processor to send a data network access request to a data-network network element in a data network, wherein the data network access request comprises the session address and an identifier of the UE;
the receiver is further configured to cooperate with the processor to receive a response message from the data-network network element, wherein the response message indicates an allowance for the UE to access the data network; and
wherein the processor, when executing the one or more executable instructions, is further configured to
establish the session of the UE,
receive a session processing request triggered by the data-network network element after establishing the session, wherein the session processing request comprises the session address and/or the identifier of the UE, and
process the session according to the session processing request, including modifying or deleting the session.

8. The session management function network element according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to allocate an IP address to the UE as the session address.

9. The session management function network element according to claim 7 , wherein the receiver is further configured to cooperate with the processor to receive a first session processing request sent by the data-network network element.

10. A data-network network element in a data network and responsible for authenticating and authorizing a session of a user equipment (UE), the data-network network comprising:
a processor in communication with a storage medium that includes one or more executable instructions for execution by the processor;
a receiver configured to cooperate with the processor to receive a data network access request sent by a session management function network element in an operator network and responsible for establishing and managing the session, wherein the data network access request comprises an identifier of the UE and a session address to be used by the UE;
a transmitter configured to cooperate with the processor to send a response message to the session management function network element, wherein the response message instructs the session management function network element to allow the UE to access the data network, so that the session management function network element establishes the session of the UE;
wherein the processor, when executing the one or more executable instructions, is configured to:
detect, based on the session address or the identifier of the UE, that the session of the UE needs to be processed, and
generate a session processing request when detecting that the session of the UE needs to be processed; and
the transmitter further configured to cooperate with the processor to instruct, by using the session processing request, the session management function network element to modify or delete the session of the UE.

Assignees

• Huawei Int Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Li Lichun
• Lei Zhongding
• Zhang Bo

Classifications

• H04W76/12 Primary

  Setup of transport tunnels · CPC title

• H04L61/5007

  Internet protocol [IP] addresses · CPC title

• H04W84/042

  Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems · CPC title

• H04W76/11

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title