Method for establishing multiple connections, and network device and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12389482-B2
Application number	US-202117926759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2021
Priority date	May 29, 2020
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

Provided are a method for establishing multiple connections, and a network device and a system, which relate to the field of mobile communications. The method comprises: a first-mode network device receiving a connection request sent by a terminal of a user; according to the priority of the user, selecting a combination, the level of which corresponds to the priority of the user, of a connection policy of a first-mode network and a connection policy of a second-mode network; establishing at least one first-mode network connection with the terminal according to the connection policy of the first-mode network; and notifying a second-mode network device of information of the connection policy of the second-mode network, such that the second-mode network device establishes at least one second-mode network connection with the terminal according to the connection policy of the second-mode network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for establishing multiple connections, comprising:
a first-mode network device receiving a connection request sent by a terminal of a user;
the first-mode network device, according to a priority of the user, selecting a combination of a connection policy of a first-mode network and a connection policy of a second-mode network that is at a level corresponding to the priority of the user, wherein in the case that the user belongs to a contractor operator, the selected connection policy of the first-mode network comprises a control plane connection policy and a user plane connection policy of the first-mode network, and the selected connection policy of the second-mode network comprises a user plane connection policy of the second-mode network; or in the case that the user belongs to a shared operator, the selected connection policy of the first-mode network comprises a control plane connection policy of the first-mode network, and the selected connection policy of the second-mode network comprises a user plane connection policy of the second-mode network;
the first-mode network device establishing at least one first-mode network connection with the terminal of the user according to the connection policy of the first-mode network; and
the first-mode network device notifying a second-mode network device of information of the connection policy of the second-mode network, so that the second-mode network device establishes at least one second-mode network connection with the terminal of the user according to the connection policy of the second-mode network.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first-mode network device selecting a combination of a connection policy of a first-mode network and a connection policy of a second-mode network, the level of which corresponds to the priority of the user comprises:
the first-mode network device, according to the priority of the user and an operator to which the user belongs, selecting the combination of the connection policy of the first-mode network and the connection policy of the second-mode network that is at the level corresponding to the priority of the user and matched with the operator to which the user belongs.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the establishing at least one first-mode network connection and the establishing at least one second-mode network connection comprises:
in the case that the user belongs to the contractor operator, the second-mode network device establishing at least one user plane connection of the second-mode network with the terminal of the user according to the user plane connection policy of the second-mode network, the first-mode network device establishing at least one control plane connection and at least one user plane connection of the first-mode network with the terminal of the user according to the control plane connection policy and the user plane connection policy of the first-mode network, and turning on a shunt switch for shunting user plane data from the at least one user plane connection of the second-mode network to the at least one user plane connection of the first-mode network, so that the user plane data of the user is transmitted in the at least one user plane connection of the first-mode network and the at least one user plane connection of the second-mode network.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the establishing at least one first-mode network connection and the establishing at least one second-mode network connection comprises: in the case that the user belongs to the shared operator, the second-mode network device establishing at least one user plane connection of the second-mode network with the terminal of the user according to the user plane connection policy of the second-mode network, the first-mode network device establishing at least one control plane connection of the first-mode network with the terminal of the user according to the control plane connection policy of the first-mode network, and turning off a shunt switch for shunting user plane data from the second-mode network to the first-mode network, so that the user plane data of the user is transmitted in the at least one user plane connection of the second-mode network.

5. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
the first-mode network device determining that the operator to which the user belongs is the contractor operator or the shared operator according to a public land mobile network (PLMN) number sent by the terminal of the user.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first-mode network device selecting a combination of a connection policy of a first-mode network and a connection policy of a second-mode network that is at a level corresponding to the priority of the user comprises:
the first-mode network device selecting a combination of a connection policy of a first-mode network and a connection policy of a second-mode network that is at a level corresponding to the priority of the user from frequency points that can be measured by the terminal of the user;
the connection policy of the first-mode network comprising at least one connection configuration of the first-mode network, each connection configuration of the first-mode network comprising frequency point information and bandwidth information of one first-mode network connection; or
the connection policy of the second-mode network comprising at least one connection configuration of the second-mode network, each connection configuration of the second-mode network comprising frequency point information and bandwidth information of one second-mode network connection.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first-mode network device selecting a combination of a connection policy of a first-mode network and a connection policy of a second-mode network that is at a level corresponding to the priority of the user comprises:
the first-mode network device, according to the priority of the user and the operator to which the user belongs, selecting the combination of the connection policy of the first-mode network and the connection policy of the second-mode network that is at the level corresponding to the priority of the user and matched with the operator to which the user belongs from the frequency points that can be measured by the terminal of the user;
the connection policy of the first-mode network comprising at least one connection configuration of the first-mode network, each connection configuration of the first-mode network comprising frequency point information and bandwidth information of one first-mode network connection; or
the connection policy of the second-mode network comprising at least one connection configuration of the second-mode network, each connection configuration of the second-mode network comprising frequency point information and bandwidth information of one second-mode network connection.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the higher the priority of the user, the better performance of the selected combination,
wherein the performance comprises at least one of a coverage performance or a capacity performance.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein
a frequency point of the control plane connection in the control plane connection policy of the first-mode network is less than a frequency point of the user plane connection in the user plane connection policy of the second-mode network.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first-mode network device is a base station of fourth generation mobile communication or a base station of third generation mobile communication;
the second-mode network device is a base station of fifth generation mobile communi

Assignees

• China Telecom Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xie Weiliang
• Zhang Xin
• Chen Jiangang
• Li Peng
• Lu Na
• Li Zhijun

Classifications

• H04W88/10

  adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W76/16 Primary

  Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer · CPC title