QoS flow processing method and device, and communications system

A terminal device, comprising at least one processor, and non-transitory storage coupled to the at least one processor and having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed, following operations are implemented:

• receiving, a user plane data packet from a radio access network (RAN) device, indicating a second mapping from a quality of service (QoS) flow to a second data radio bearer (DRB);
• determining, by a protocol layer entity of the terminal device, a change of a first mapping from a the QoS flow to a first data radio bearer (DRB) to the second mapping from the QoS flow to the second DRB, wherein the protocol layer entity is above a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer of the terminal device;
• in response to the change of the first mapping from the QoS flow to the first DRB to the second mapping from the QoS flow to the second DRB, generating, by the protocol layer entity of the terminal device, an end marker, wherein the end marker indicates ending of sending a data packet of the QoS flow on the first DRB;
• sending, by the protocol layer entity of the terminal device, the end marker on the first DRB over an air interface to the RAN device, wherein the end marker is sent in a form of a user plane control protocol data unit (PDU), and the user plane control PDU carries an identity of the QoS flow mapped to the first DRB;
• and
• after the end marker is sent, starting to send, by the protocol layer entity of the terminal device, a data packet of the QoS flow on the second DRB over the air interface to the RAN device.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium stores a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer performs operations comprising:

• receiving, by a terminal device a user plane data packet from a radio access network (RAN) device, indicating a second mapping from a quality of service (QoS) flow to a second data radio bearer (DRB);
• determining, by a protocol layer entity of the terminal device, a change of a first mapping from the QoS flow to a first data radio bearer (DRB) to the second mapping from the QoS flow to the second DRB, wherein the protocol layer entity is above a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer of the terminal device;
• in response to the change of the first mapping from the QoS flow to the first DRB to the second mapping from the QoS flow to the second DRB, generating, by the protocol layer entity of the terminal device, an end marker, wherein the end marker indicates ending of sending a data packet of the QoS flow on the first DRB;
• sending, by the protocol layer entity of the terminal device, the end marker on the first DRB over an air interface to the RAN device, wherein the end marker is sent in a form of a user plane control protocol data unit (PDU), and the user plane control PDU carries an identity of the QoS flow mapped to the first DRB;
• and
• after sending the end marker, starting to send, by the protocol layer entity of the terminal device, a data packet of the QoS flow on the second DRB over the air interface to the RAN device.

A communication apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor configured to:
• receive, from a radio access network (RAN) device, a user plane data packet indicating a second mapping from a quality of service (QoS) flow to a second data radio bearer (DRB);
• determine, by a protocol layer entity of the communication apparatus, a change of a first mapping from the QoS flow to a first data radio bearer (DRB) to the second mapping from the QoS flow to the second DRB, wherein the protocol layer entity is above a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer of the communication apparatus;
• in response to the change of the first mapping from the QoS flow to the first DRB to the second mapping from the QoS flow to the second DRB, generate, by the protocol layer entity of the communication apparatus, an end marker, wherein the end marker indicates ending of sending a data packet of the QoS flow on the first DRB;
• send, by the protocol layer entity of the communication apparatus, the end marker on the first DRB over an air interface to the RAN device, wherein the end marker is sent in a form of a user plane control protocol data unit (PDU), and the user plane control PDU carries an identity of the QoS flow mapped to the first DRB;
• and
• after the end marker is sent, starting to send, by the protocol layer entity of the communication apparatus, a data packet of the QoS flow on the second DRB over the air interface to the RAN device.