Method for initiating local routing communication, base station apparatus, and terminal apparatus

A method, comprising:

• initiating, by an evolved base station (eNB), a local routing service start notification to a plurality of user equipment (UEs), wherein the local routing service start notification is used for notifying that the eNB starts a local routing service;
• receiving, by the eNB, a local routing service request message sent by a first UE of the plurality of UEs;
• determining, according to the local routing service request message, that the first UE supports the local routing service;
• assigning an internet protocol (IP) address to the first UE;
• sending a first assignment message to the first UE, wherein the first assignment message comprises the IP address assigned to the first UE;
• sending a user identifier list to the first UE, wherein the user identifier list comprises an identifier of a second UE that also supports the local routing service;
• receiving an identifier of a target UE sent by the first UE, wherein the identifier of the target UE is an identifier of the second UE in the user identifier list;
• querying, by using the identifier of the target UE, a relationship between the user identifier list and a user IP address to obtain an IP address of the target UE;
• and
• sending the IP address of the target UE to the first UE;
• wherein the IP address assigned to the target UE, and the IP address assigned to the first UE, are used by the eNB when providing the local routing service to the target UE and the first UE.

An evolved base station (eNB), comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, the program including instructions for:
• detecting a situation of a lack of connection or an impaired connection by a local network to a core network outside of the local network, wherein the local network is a network covered by the eNB;
• in response to detecting the situation, determining to start a local routing service that, once implemented, enables a communication to occur within the local network, between a first user equipment (UE) and a second UE, and without interaction with the core network, wherein the first UE and the second UE are in the local network covered by the eNB;
• initiating a local routing service start notification, wherein the local routing service start notification is used for notifying the first UE that the eNB starts the local routing service;
• receiving a local routing service request message sent by the first UE;
• determining, according to the local routing service request message, that the first UE supports the local routing service;
• assigning an internet protocol (IP) address to the first UE;
• and
• sending a first assignment message to the first UE, wherein the first assignment message comprises the IP address assigned to the first UE:
• wherein the IP address assigned to the first UE is used for identifying the first UE in the communication that is with the second UE and that occurs inside the local network.