# US 11,115,350 B2 · Method for processing information, forwarding plane device and control plane device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,350 B2 - Document ID: US11115350B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/530,558 - Filed: 2019-08-02 - Published: 2020-01-23 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-29 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shiyong Tan; Hui Ni; Hui Cai; Weihua Hu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115350B2 ## CPC - H04L 49/252: {Store and forward routing} - H04L 12/14: Charging, metering or billing arrangements specially adapted for data communications, e.g. authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA] framework - H04L 12/1407: {Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture} - H04L 45/74: Address processing for routing - H04M 15/64: {On-line charging system [OCS]} - H04M 15/65: {Off-line charging system} - H04M 15/66: {Policy and charging system} - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - H04W 76/12: Setup of transport tunnels - H04W 88/16: Gateway arrangements - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for processing information, a forwarding plane device and a control plane device. The method includes: receiving a data packet, and extracting the data packet's characteristic information; searching for context information corresponding to the data packet's characteristic information; buffering or discarding the data packet if the context information is not found; and sending an event reporting message to a gateway control plane device, wherein the event reporting message carries the data packet's characteristic information, so that the gateway control plane device acquires the context information corresponding to the data packet's characteristic information. forwarding of the data packet to the greatest extent. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving, by a gateway forwarding plane device, a data packet; searching, by the gateway forwarding plane device, for context information corresponding to the data packet; when there is no context information corresponding to the data packet already stored in the gateway forwarding plane device, buffering, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the data packet in the gateway forwarding plane device; sending, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the data packet's characteristic information to a gateway control plane device; acquiring, by the gateway control plane device, the context information corresponding to the data packet's characteristic information, and sending, by the gateway control plane device, the context information to the gateway forwarding plane device; and in response to receiving, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the context information from the gateway control plane device, forwarding, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the buffered data packet according to the context information; wherein the gateway control plane device and the gateway forwarding plane device are separate and different devices, the gateway control plane device is connected to a first mobility management network element, and the gateway forwarding plane device is connected to a packet data network, wherein the first mobility management network element operates according to a first radio access technology, and the first mobility management network element is connected to a second mobility management network that operates according to a second radio access technology that is different than the first radio access technology. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: triggering, by the gateway control plane device when a user equipment (UE) corresponding to the data packet is in an Idle state, the UE to exit the Idle state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet is a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnel protocol (GTP) packet, the data packet's characteristic information includes tunnel information, and the tunnel information includes a GTP tunnel end identifier (TEID). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to the gateway control plane device not successfully acquiring the context information, sending, by the gateway control plane device, a first message to the gateway forwarding plane device, wherein the first message instructs the gateway forwarding plane device to discard the data packet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: before receiving, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the data packet, deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device, part or all of context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the part or all of the context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device comprises: receiving, by the gateway forwarding plane device, a second message from the gateway control plane device, and deleting the context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device according to the second message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the part or all of the context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device comprises: deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device when the gateway forwarding plane device does not transmit any data packet of a UE within a predefined time period, the context information of the UE stored by the gateway forwarding plane device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the part or all of the context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device comprises: deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device, part of the context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device, wherein remaining context information after the deleting comprises a UE internet protocol (IP) address. ### Claim 9 A system, comprising: a gateway control plane device; and a gateway forwarding plane device, wherein the gateway forwarding plane device is configured to: receive a data packet; search for context information corresponding to the data packet; when there is no context information corresponding to the data packet already stored in the gateway forwarding plane device, buffer the data packet in the gateway forwarding plane device; send the data packet's characteristic information to a gateway control plane device; and in response to receiving the context information corresponding to the data packet's characteristic information from the gateway control plane device, forward the buffered data packet according to the context information corresponding to the data packet's characteristic information; wherein the gateway control plane device is configured to: receive the data packet's characteristic information from the gateway forwarding plane device; and acquire the context information corresponding to the data packet's characteristic information, and send the context information to the gateway forwarding plane device for forwarding of the data packet; and wherein the gateway control plane device and the gateway forwarding plane device are separate and different devices, the gateway control plane device is connected to a first mobility management network element, and the gateway forwarding plane device is connected to a Packet data network, wherein the first mobility management network element operates according to a first radio access technology, and the first mobility management network element is connected to a second mobility management network that operates according to a second radio access technology that is different than the first radio access technology. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the gateway control plane device is further configured to trigger, when a user equipment (UE) corresponding to the data packet is in an Idle state, the UE to exit the Idle state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the data packet is a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnel protocol (GTP) packet, the data packet's characteristic information includes tunnel information, and the tunnel information includes a GTP tunnel end identifier (TEID). ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the gateway control plane device is further configured to: in response to the gateway control plane device not successfully acquiring the context information, send a first message to the gateway forwarding plane device, wherein the first message instructs the gateway forwarding plane device to discard the data packet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the gateway forwarding plane device is further configured to: before receiving the data packet, delete part or all of context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device. ### Claim 14 An apparatus, comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory memory storing a program for execution by the processor, the program comprising instructions for: receiving a data packet; searching for context information corresponding to the data packet; when there is no context information corresponding to the data packet already stored in the apparatus, buffering the data packet in the apparatus; sending the data packet's characteristic information to a gateway control plane device; and receiving the context information corresponding to the data packet's characteristic information from the gateway control plane device, and forwarding the buffered data packet according to the context information corresponding to the data packet's characteristic information; wherein the gateway control plane device and the apparatus are separate and different devices, the gateway control plane device is connected to a first mobility management network element, and the apparatus is connected to a packet data network, wherein the first mobility management network element operates according to a first radio access technology, and the first mobility management network element is connected to a second mobility management network that operates according to a second radio access technology that is different than the first radio access technology. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the data packet is a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunnel protocol (GTP) packet, the data packet's characteristic information includes tunnel information, and the tunnel information includes a GTP tunnel end identifier (TEID). ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the program further comprises instructions for: deleting at least part of context information stored by the memory of the apparatus before receiving the data packet. ### Claim 17 A method, comprising: receiving, by a gateway forwarding plane device, a data packet; searching, by the gateway forwarding plane device, for context information corresponding to the data packet; when there is no context information corresponding to the data packet already stored in the gateway forwarding plane device, buffering, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the data packet in the gateway forwarding plane device; sending, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the data packet's characteristic information to a gateway control plane device; receiving, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the context information corresponding to the data packet's characteristic information from the gateway control plane device; and forwarding, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the buffered data packet according to the context information; wherein the gateway control plane device and the gateway forwarding plane device are separate and different devices, the gateway control plane device is connected to a first mobility management network element, and the gateway forwarding plane device is connected to a packet data network, and wherein the first mobility management network element operates according to a first radio access technology, and the first mobility management network element is connected to a second mobility management network that operates according to a second radio access technology different than the first radio access technology. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the data packet is a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnel protocol (GTP) packet, the data packet's characteristic information includes tunnel information, and the tunnel information includes a GTP tunnel end identifier (TEID). ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: receiving, by the gateway forward plane device, a first message from the gateway control plane device in response to the gateway control plane device not successfully acquiring the context information, wherein the first message instructs the gateway forwarding plane device to discard the data packet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: before receiving, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the data packet, deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device, part or all of context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the part or all of the context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device comprises: receiving, by the gateway forwarding plane device, a second message from the gateway control plane device, and deleting the context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device according to the second message. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the part or all of the context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device comprises: deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device when the gateway forwarding plane device does not transmit any data packet of a UE within a predefined time period, the context information of the UE stored by the gateway forwarding plane device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device, the part or all of the context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device comprises: deleting, by the gateway forwarding plane device, part of the context information stored by the gateway forwarding plane device, wherein remaining context information after the deleting comprises a UE internet protocol (IP) address.