Group Creation Method, Apparatus, and System

A communications apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a non-transitory memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing a program to be executed by the processor, the program including instructions to:
• receive a group creation request, wherein the group creation request requests creation of a group for performing local area network communication, and wherein the group creation request comprises an identifier of each terminal device in the group;
• allocate a group identifier to the group;
• send the group identifier to a first terminal device that is in the group and whose home network is a first network;
• and
• send, to a group management network element on a second network, in response to the group having a second terminal device whose home network is the second network, the group identifier and an identifier of the second terminal device that is in the group and whose home network is the second network.

A communications system, comprising:

• a first group management network element on a first network;
• and
• a unified data management network element on the first network;
• wherein the first group management network element on the first network is configured to:
• send, after receiving a group creation request that is from a first terminal device, to the unified data management network element on the first network, a first request requesting authentication information of the first terminal device, wherein the group creation request requests creation of a group for performing local area network communication, and wherein the group creation request comprises an identifier of each terminal device in the group;
• wherein the unified data management network element on the first network is configured to:
• receive the first request;
• and
• send, in response to the first request, a response message to the first group management network element on the first network, wherein the response message-comprises the authentication information of the first terminal device, and the authentication information comprises information used to indicate whether the first terminal device has permission to request to create the group;
• and
• wherein the first group management network element on the first network is further configured to:
• receive the response message;
• determine, according to the authentication information of the first terminal device, that the first terminal device has the permission to request to create the group;
• and
• allocate a group identifier to the group.