# US 11,910,485 B2 · Mobility management method and apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,910,485 B2 - Document ID: US11910485B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/388,980 - Filed: 2021-07-29 - Published: 2021-11-18 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-30 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Changchun Xu; Bo Lin; Yan Wang; Shikun Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910485B2 ## CPC - H04W 8/26: Network addressing or numbering for mobility support - H04W 8/30: Network data restoration; {Network data reliability; Network data fault tolerance} - H04L 61/5038: for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN] - H04W 8/12: between location registers or mobility servers - H04W 36/10: Reselecting an access point controller - H04W 36/12: Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node - H04W 40/36: due to handover - H04W 80/02: Data link layer protocols - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04L 2101/622: Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses - 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) ## Abstract A mobility management method and apparatus are provided, to flexibly switch a forwarding path, and ensure service continuity in a movement process of a terminal device. The method includes: A control plane network element determines a changed media access control address MAC address of a first terminal device after the first terminal device moves. Then, the control plane network element determines at least one second terminal device that belongs to a same terminal device group as the first terminal device, where the first terminal device is a terminal device whose address changes after the movement, and the at least one second terminal device is a terminal device other than the first terminal device in the terminal device group. Finally, the control plane network element notifies the first terminal device and the at least one second terminal device to update to the changed MAC address of the first terminal device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobility management method, applied to a scenario in which a first terminal device moves, the method comprising: determining, by a control plane network element, a changed media access control (MAC) address of the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves; determining, by the control plane network element, at least one second terminal device that belongs to a terminal device group as the first terminal device, wherein the first terminal device is a terminal device whose address changes after the movement, and the at least one second terminal device is a terminal device other than the first terminal device in the terminal device group; and notifying, by the control plane network element, the first terminal device and the at least one second terminal device to update to the changed MAC address of the first terminal device, wherein notifying the first terminal device to update to the changed MAC address of the first terminal device comprises: sending, by the control plane network element, first address update information to the first terminal device through a first device, wherein the first address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device, and the first device is one of a target access device serving the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves, a target user plane function network element serving the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves, and a target integrated device serving the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves, wherein the target integrated device is a device in which an access device and a user plane function network element are integrated. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the at least one second terminal device comprises: querying, by the control plane network element from a group management function network element, member information of the terminal device group to which the first terminal device belongs, wherein the member information comprises identifiers of all terminal devices comprised in the terminal device group; and determining, by the control plane network element, the at least one second terminal device based on the member information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein when a second terminal device in the at least one second terminal device is a terminal device that performs access by using a 3GPP network, notifying the at least one second terminal device to update to the changed MAC address of the first terminal device comprises: sending, by the control plane network element, second address update information to the second terminal device through an access device currently accessed by the second terminal device, wherein the second address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein when a second terminal device in the at least one second terminal device is a terminal device that performs access by using a fixed network, notifying the at least one second terminal device to update to the changed MAC address of the first terminal device comprises: sending, by the control plane network element, third address update information to the second terminal device through a network exposure function network element, wherein the third address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein notifying the at least one second terminal device to update to the changed MAC address of the first terminal device comprises: sending, by the control plane network element, fourth address update information to a second terminal device in the at least one second terminal device through a second device, wherein the fourth address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device, and the second device is one of a user plane function network element currently accessed by the second terminal device, and an integrated device currently accessed by the second terminal device, wherein the integrated device is a device in which an access device and a user plane function network element are integrated. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: initiating, by the control plane network element, a procedure of releasing an original MAC address of the first terminal device, wherein the original MAC address of the first terminal device is a MAC address before the first terminal device moves. ### Claim 7 A control plane network element, applied to a scenario in which a first terminal device moves, and comprising: a processor, configured to: determine a changed media access control (MAC) address of the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves; and determine at least one second terminal device that belongs to a terminal device group as the first terminal device, wherein the first terminal device is a terminal device whose address changes after the movement, and the at least one second terminal device is a terminal device other than the first terminal device in the terminal device group; and a transmitter, configured to, in coordination with the processor notify the first terminal device and the at least one second terminal device to update to the changed MAC address of the first terminal device, wherein the transmitter is further configured to: send first address update information to the first terminal device through a first device, wherein the first address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device, and the first device is one of a target access device serving the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves, a target user plane function network element serving the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves, and a target integrated device serving the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves, wherein the target integrated device is a device in which an access device and a user plane function network element are integrated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The control plane network element according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to: query, from a group management function network element, member information of the terminal device group to which the first terminal device belongs, wherein the member information comprises identifiers of all terminal devices comprised in the terminal device group; and determine the at least one second terminal device based on the member information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The control plane network element according to claim 7, wherein when a second terminal device in the at least one second terminal device is a terminal device that performs access by using a 3GPP network, the transmitter is specifically configured to: send second address update information to the second terminal device through an access device currently accessed by the second terminal device, wherein the second address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The control plane network element according to claim 7, wherein when a second terminal device in the at least one second terminal device is a terminal device that performs access by using a fixed network, the transmitter is specifically configured to: send third address update information to the second terminal device through a network exposure function network element, wherein the third address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The control plane network element according to claim 7, wherein the transmitter is specifically configured to: send fourth address update information to a second terminal device through a second device, wherein the fourth address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device, and the second device is one of a user plane function network element currently accessed by the second terminal device, and an integrated device currently accessed by the second terminal device, wherein the integrated device is a device in which an access device and a user plane function network element are integrated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The control plane network element according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to: initiate a procedure of releasing an original MAC address of the first terminal device, wherein the original MAC address of the first terminal device is a MAC address before the first terminal device moves. ### Claim 13 An apparatus, comprising: a receiver, configured to in coordination with a processor obtain, from a control plane network element, a notification of updating to a changed media access control (MAC) address of a first terminal device; and wherein the processor is configured to update a MAC address to the changed MAC address of the first terminal device, wherein the apparatus is for the first terminal device, wherein the receiver is further configured to: receive first address update information sent by the control plane network element through a first device, wherein the first address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device, and the first device is one of a target access device serving the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves, a target user plane function network element serving the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves, and a target integrated device serving the first terminal device after the first terminal device moves, wherein the target integrated device is a device in which an access device and a user plane function network element are integrated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is for a second terminal device, wherein when the second terminal device is a terminal device that performs access by using a 3GPP network, the receiver is further configured to: receive second address update information sent by the control plane network element through an access device currently accessed by the second terminal device, wherein the second address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is for a second terminal device, wherein when the second terminal device is a terminal device that performs access by using a fixed network, the receiver is further configured to: receive third address update information sent by a session management function network element through a network exposure function network element, wherein the third address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The second terminal device according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is for a second terminal device, wherein the receiver is further configured to: receive fourth address update information sent by the control plane network element through a second device, wherein the fourth address update information comprises the changed MAC address of the first terminal device, and the second device is one of a user plane function network element currently accessed by the second terminal device, and an integrated device currently accessed by the second terminal device, wherein the integrated device is a device in which an access device and a user plane function network element are integrated.