Signaling handovers of terminals between user plane function network elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12225615-B2
Application number	US-202017136944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2020
Priority date	Jun 30, 2018
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

A communication method includes, after determining first session identifier information for a terminal device and obtaining an address of the terminal device, a session management network element sends a first correspondence between the first session identifier information and the address of the terminal device to a first user plane function network element, so that the first user plane function network element transmits an Ethernet packet to the terminal device based on the first correspondence.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication method comprising:
obtaining, by a session management network element, first session identifier information for a terminal device and comprising a tunnel endpoint identifier;
obtaining, by the session management network element from a source user plane function network element, an address of the terminal device, wherein the address of the terminal device is a media access control (MAC) address of the terminal device, and wherein the terminal device is handed over from the source user plane function network element to a new user plane function network element;
generating, by the session management network element, a packet transmission rule indicating to the new user plane function network element how to transmit an Ethernet packet and comprising a correspondence between the first session identifier information and the MAC address of the terminal device; and
sending, by the session management network element to the new user plane function network element, the packet transmission rule,
wherein the first session identifier information indicates a first session channel of the new user plane function network element.

2. The communication method of claim 1 , further comprising further generating the packet transmission rule based on the first session identifier information and the MAC address of the terminal device.

3. The communication method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining, by the session management network element, the first session identifier information for the terminal device comprises allocating the first session identifier information to the terminal device.

4. The communication method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the MAC address of the terminal device from the source user plane function network element comprises:
sending second session identifier information to the source user plane function network element and receiving the MAC address of the terminal device from the source user plane function network element, wherein the second session identifier information corresponds to the MAC address of the terminal device, and wherein the second session identifier information indicates a second session channel configured for the terminal device before the terminal device is handed over; or
receiving the MAC address of the terminal device from the source user plane function network element, wherein the MAC address of the terminal device corresponds to the second session identifier information.

5. The communication method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining, by the session management network element, handover information indicating a handover of the terminal device from the source user plane function network element to the new user plane function network element; and
determining, by the session management network element according to the handover information, the new user plane function network element for the terminal device.

6. A communication method comprising:
obtaining, by a session management network element, first session identifier information for a terminal device and comprising a tunnel endpoint identifier;
obtaining, by the session management network element from a source user plane function network element, an address of the terminal device, wherein the address of the terminal device is a media access control (MAC) address of the terminal device, and wherein the terminal device is handed over from the source user plane function network element to a new user plane function network element;
generating, by the session management network element, a packet transmission rule comprising a correspondence between the first session identifier information and the MAC address of the terminal device;
sending, by the session management network element, to the new user plane function network element, the packet transmission rule, wherein the first session identifier information indicates a first session channel of the new user plane function network element;
receiving, by the new user plane function network element from the session management network element, the packet transmission rule; and
transmitting, by the new user plane function network element, an Ethernet packet to the terminal device based on the packet transmission rule.

7. The communication method of claim 6 , wherein before transmitting the Ethernet packet, the method further comprises:
receiving, by the new user plane function network element, the Ethernet packet, wherein the Ethernet packet comprises the MAC address of the terminal device; and
determining, by the new user plane function network element, the first session identifier information based on the correspondence, wherein the first session identifier information corresponds to the MAC address of the terminal device, and
wherein the communication method further comprises further transmitting, by the new user plane function network element, the Ethernet packet to the terminal device through the first session channel based on the first session identifier information.

8. The communication method of claim 6 , further comprising:
obtaining, by the session management network element, handover information indicating a handover of the terminal device from the source user plane function network element to the new user plane function network element; and
determining, by the session management network element according to the handover information, the new user plane function network element for the terminal device.

9. The communication method of claim 6 , wherein the packet transmission rule indicates to the new user plane function network element how to transmit the Ethernet packet.

10. An apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store instructions; and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to:
obtain first session identifier information for a terminal device, wherein the first session identifier information comprises a tunnel endpoint identifier;
obtain an address of the terminal device from a source user plane function network element, wherein the address of the terminal device is a media access control (MAC) address of the terminal device, and wherein the terminal device is handed over from the source user plane function network element to a new user plane function network element;
generate a packet transmission rule indicating to the new user plane function network element how to transmit an Ethernet packet and comprising a correspondence between the first session identifier information and the MAC address of the terminal device; and
send, to the new user plane function network element, the packet transmission rule,
wherein the first session identifier information indicates a first session channel of the new user plane function network element.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to further generate the packet transmission rule based on the first session identifier information and the MAC address of the terminal device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to further obtain the first session identifier information for the terminal device by allocating the first session identifier information to the terminal device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to:
obtain handover information indicating a handover of the terminal device from the source user plane function network element to the new user plane function network element; and
determine the

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Yuan
• Chen Zhongping

Classifications

• H04L2101/622

  Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses · CPC title

• H04W76/25 Primary

  Maintenance of established connections · CPC title

• H04L61/103

  across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP] · CPC title

• H04W92/24

  between backbone network devices · CPC title

• H04W88/14

  Backbone network devices · CPC title