Communication method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025071546-A1
Application number	US-202418941925-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 8, 2024
Priority date	May 12, 2022
Publication date	Feb 27, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A communication method includes: A terminal device determines a first identifier and first domain information, where the first identifier includes an encrypted identifier of the terminal device, and the first domain information indicates a domain in which a network element that manages data information of the terminal device is located. The terminal device sends the first identifier and the first domain information to a first network element. The method may be implemented with an apparatus.

First claim

1 .- 20 . (canceled)

21 . A method, applied to a first communication apparatus, comprising:
determining a first identifier and first domain information, wherein the first identifier comprises an encrypted identifier of the first communication apparatus, and the first domain information indicates a domain in which a network element that manages data information of the first communication apparatus is located; and sending the first identifier and the first domain information to a third communication apparatus.

22 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein
the first domain information is carried in a field of the first identifier.

23 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the first domain information corresponds to a group to which the first communication apparatus belongs.

24 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein determining the first identifier comprises:
obtaining encryption information; and generating the encrypted identifier of the first communication apparatus based on the encryption information.

25 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein determining the first identifier and the first domain information comprises:
receiving the first identifier or the first domain information.

26 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the first identifier further comprises:
an identifier of a third network element; or an identifier that is of a third network element and that is determined based on a mapping relationship between the identifier of the first communication apparatus and the identifier of the third network element.

27 . A method, applied to a second communication apparatus, comprising:
receiving a first identifier, wherein the first identifier comprises an encrypted identifier of a first communication apparatus; and determining a third network element based on a second identifier, wherein the second identifier is obtained by decrypting the first identifier, and wherein the third network element is configured to determine data information of the first communication apparatus corresponding to the second identifier.

28 . The method according to claim 27 , wherein
the first identifier further comprises an identifier of the third network element; or further comprises an identifier that is of the third network element and that is determined based on a mapping relationship between an identifier of the first communication apparatus and the identifier of the third network element.

29 . The method according to claim 27 , wherein determining the third network element based on the second identifier comprises:
determining related information of the third network element based on the second identifier, wherein the related information of the third network element comprises address information of the third network element or identification information of the third network element; and sending a first message to a third communication apparatus, wherein the first message comprises the related information of the third network element, and the related information of the third network element is for determining the third network element.

30 . The method according to claim 27 , further comprising:
sending a second message to the third network element, wherein the second message is for sending an access request of the first communication apparatus or a request for obtaining the data information of the first communication apparatus.

31 . The method according to claim 27 , wherein
when the second communication apparatus and the third network element belong to a same domain, decryption information of a user identifier is shared between the second communication apparatus and the third network element.

32 . A method, applied to a third communication apparatus, comprising:
receiving a first identifier and first domain information, wherein the first identifier comprises an encrypted identifier of a first communication apparatus, and the first domain information indicates a domain in which a network element that manages data information of the first communication apparatus is located; and sending the first identifier to a second communication apparatus.

33 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein
the first domain information is carried in a field of the first identifier.

34 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein the first domain information corresponds to a group to which the first communication apparatus belongs.

35 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein the first domain information comprises identification information or address information of the domain in which the network element that manages the data information of the first communication apparatus is located.

36 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein the first identifier further comprises an identifier of a third network element; or further comprises an identifier that is of a third network element and that is determined based on a mapping relationship between an identifier of the first communication apparatus and the identifier of the third network element.

37 . The method according to claim 32 , further comprising:
receiving a first message from the second communication apparatus, wherein the first message comprises related information of a third network element, and the related information of the third network element comprises address information of the third network element or identification information of the third network element; and sending a second message to the third network element based on the first message, wherein the second message is for sending an access request of the first communication apparatus or a request for obtaining the data information of the first communication apparatus.

38 . The method according to claim 32 , wherein
the network element that manages the data information of the first communication apparatus is the second communication apparatus, and the method further comprises: performing hash processing on the first domain information, to determine the second communication apparatus.

39 . The method according to claim 38 , further comprising:
sending, by the third communication apparatus, a third message to the first communication apparatus, wherein the third message comprises a third identifier, encryption information, and second domain information, the encryption information indicates a method used by the first communication apparatus to encrypt the third identifier to obtain a fourth identifier, the third identifier is an unencrypted temporary identifier of the first communication apparatus, the fourth identifier is used by the first communication apparatus to perform communication, and the second domain information indicates a network element that manages the data information of the first communication apparatus corresponding to the fourth identifier and that is in a domain corresponding to the fourth identifier.

40 . The method according to claim 38 , further comprising:
sending, by the third communication apparatus, a fourth message to the first communication apparatus, wherein the fourth message comprises a fourth identifier and second domain information, the fourth identifier is obtained by encrypting a third identifier, the third identifier is an unencrypted temporary identifier of the first communication apparatus, the fourth identifier is an encrypted temporary identifier of the first communication apparatus, the fourth identifier is used by the first communication apparatus to perform communication, and the second domain

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xing Weijun
• Wu Shaoyun
• Wang Donghui
• Xi Yan
• Zhao Mingyu
• Yan Xueqiang

Classifications

• H04W12/76

  Group identity · CPC title

• H04W12/75

  Temporary identity · CPC title

• H04W12/02

  Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] · CPC title

• H04W12/037 Primary

  of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic · CPC title

• H04W12/03 Primary

  Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption · CPC title