US 12,081,403 B2
Communication method and apparatus
Cuili Ge, Beijing (CN); and Yanmei Yang, Beijing (CN)
Assigned to Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd, Shenzhen (CN)
Filed by HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD., Shenzhen (CN)
Filed on Oct. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/971,150.
Application 17/971,150 is a continuation of application No. 17/137,029, filed on Dec. 29, 2020, granted, now 11,522,761.
Application 17/137,029 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CN2019/093866, filed on Jun. 28, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 201810703100.9 (CN), filed on Jun. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0037954 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. H04L 41/0893 (2022.01); H04L 67/00 (2022.01); H04W 24/02 (2009.01); H04W 28/16 (2009.01); H04W 48/18 (2009.01)
CPC H04L 41/0893 (2013.01) [H04L 67/34 (2013.01); H04W 24/02 (2013.01); H04W 28/16 (2013.01); H04W 48/18 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communication method comprising:
receiving, by an application programming interface exposure function (AEF) network element from an application programming interface (API) invoker network element, information about a target area of an application service and network function service information corresponding to the application service, wherein the target area of the application service is an area based on the application service being provided, and wherein the application service is provided by an application service provider (ASP) which is different from a user equipment (UE); and
determining, by the AEF network element based on the information about the target area of the application service and information about a service area of a network element corresponding to the network function service information, a target network element providing a network function service corresponding to the network function service information for the API invoker network element.