# US 11,445,525 B1 · Network data traffic buffering in mobile networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,445,525 B1 - Document ID: US11445525B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/168,135 - Filed: 2021-02-04 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-02-04 - Assignees: Juniper Networks, Inc. - Applicants: Juniper Networks, Inc. - Inventors: Jaroslaw J. Sawczuk; Nayan S. Patel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445525B1 ## CPC - H04W 72/569: {of the traffic information} - H04L 47/522: {Dynamic queue service slot or variable bandwidth allocation} - H04L 47/6275: based on priority - H04W 40/02: Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract Techniques are described for buffering data traffic destined for a mobile device when a data path to a base station for the mobile device is unavailable. For example, a network device comprises: a control unit comprising processing circuitry, wherein the control unit is configured to allocate, in response to determining that a data path from the network device to the base station for a mobile device is unavailable, a hardware queue of a packet processor of the network device to the data path; and a forwarding component with access to the hardware queue, wherein the forwarding component is configured to store data traffic for the mobile device to the allocated hardware queue, wherein the control unit is configured to, in response determining that the data path is available, configure the forwarding component to output the data traffic from the allocated hardware queue to the base station along the data path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: in response to determining, by a network device of a mobile network, a data path from the network device to a base station for a mobile device is not available, allocating a hardware queue of a packet processor of the network device to the data path, wherein the allocated hardware queue is configured to disable packet scheduling; storing, by the network device, data traffic for the mobile device to the allocated hardware queue; and in response to determining, by the network device, the data path is available, outputting the data traffic from the allocated hardware queue to the base station along the data path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the data path is available comprises receiving an indication that the mobile device is not in idle or power saving mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the data path is available comprises establishing a data bearer between the network device and the base station, wherein the data path includes the data bearer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the data path is not available comprises receiving an indication that the mobile device is in idle or power saving mode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the allocated hardware queue is configured with a NULL scheduling priority to disable packet scheduling. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the allocated hardware queue is configured to have backpressure applied to disable packet scheduling. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the allocated hardware queue is one of a plurality of hardware queues allocated for use as buffer queues and mapped to a loopback address of the packet processor of the network device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the hardware queue to the data path further comprises: allocating the hardware queue to the data path in response to receiving an initial packet for output to the mobile device on the data path. ### Claim 9 A network device comprising: a control unit comprising processing circuitry configured to allocate, in response to a determination that a data path from the network device to a base station for a mobile device is not available, a hardware queue of a packet processor of the network device to the data path, wherein the allocated hardware queue is configured to disable packet scheduling; and a forwarding component with access to the hardware queue, wherein the forwarding component comprises processing circuitry configured to store data traffic for the mobile device to the allocated hardware queue, wherein the control unit is configured to, in response a determination that the data path is available, configure the forwarding component to output the data traffic from the allocated hardware queue to the base station along the data path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The network device of claim 9, wherein to determine that the data path is available, the control unit is configured to receive an indication that the mobile device not in idle mode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The network device of claim 9, wherein to determine that the data path is available, the control unit is configured to establish a data bearer between the network device and the base station, wherein the data path includes the data bearer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The network device of claim 9, wherein to determine that the data path is not available, the control unit is configured to receive an indication that the mobile device is in idle or power saving mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The network device of claim 9, wherein the network device comprises a serving gateway (SGW). ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The network device of claim 9, wherein the network device comprises a user plane function (UPF). ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The network device of claim 9, wherein the allocated hardware queue is configured with a NULL scheduling priority to disable packet scheduling. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The network device of claim 9, wherein the allocated hardware queue is configured to have backpressure applied to disable packet scheduling. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The network device of claim 9, wherein the allocated hardware queue is one of a plurality of hardware queues allocated for use as buffer queues and configured with a loopback address of the packet processor of the network device. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, that when executed by processing circuitry of a network device of a mobile network, cause the processing circuitry to: allocate, in response to a determination that a data path from the network device to a base station for a mobile device is not available, a hardware queue of a packet processor of the network device to the data path, wherein the allocated hardware queue is one of a plurality of hardware queues allocated for use as buffer queues and mapped to a loopback address of the packet processor of the network device; store data traffic for the mobile device to the allocated hardware queue; and output, in response to a determination that the data path is available, the data traffic from the allocated hardware queue to the base station along the data path.