# US 12,225,422 B2 · Data processing method, apparatus, and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,225,422 B2 - Document ID: US12225422B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/680,076 - Filed: 2022-02-24 - Published: 2022-06-09 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-31 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jiangwei Ying - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12225422B2 ## CPC - H04W 36/023: {Buffering or recovering information during reselection} - H04W 28/0268: {using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] (negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24)} - H04W 36/0069: {in case of dual connectivity, e.g. decoupled uplink/downlink} - H04W 36/12: Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node - H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers - H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections - H04W 76/22: Manipulation of transport tunnels - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract This disclosure provides methods, apparatuses, and a system for implementing service continuity in a data flow switch procedure. One example method includes that indication information is used to indicate a data flow for which an end marker message is used. In the data flow switch procedure, after receiving the end marker message, a source access network device can correctly identify, based on the indication information, the data flow on which the end marker message works, and can perform different processing on a data flow switched to a target access network device and a data flow kept on the source access network device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A data processing method, comprising: sending, by a first access network device, indication information to a first core network element, wherein the indication information indicates a first data flow that is in a first session and that is to-be-switched, and the indication information comprises information for triggering to send an end marker message; receiving, by the first access network device, an end marker message from a second core network element, wherein the end marker message indicates that the end marker message works on a switched data flow in the first session; determining, by the first access network device based on the first data flow, that the end marker message works on the first data flow; and when the first access network device receives a second data packet of a second data flow in the first session after receiving the end marker message, sending, by the first access network device, the second data packet to a terminal device, wherein the second data flow is a data flow kept on the first access network device; wherein the first core network element is a session management function network element, and the second core network element is a user plane function network element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: when the first access network device receives a first data packet of the first data flow after receiving the end marker message, discarding, by the first access network device, the first data packet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first access network device is a master base station; or the first access network device is a secondary base station. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first session is a packet data unit (PDU) session, and the data flow is a quality of service (QoS) flow. ### Claim 5 A communication apparatus, comprising at least one transceiver and at least one processor; and one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: sending indication information to a first core network element, wherein the indication information indicates a first data flow that is in a first session and that is to-be-switched, and the indication information comprises information for triggering to send an end marker message; receiving an end marker message from a second core network element, wherein the end marker message indicates that the end marker message works on a switched data flow in the first session; determining based on the first data flow, that the end marker message works on the first data flow; and sending a second data packet of a second data flow in the first session received after the end marker message to a terminal device, wherein the second data flow is a data flow kept on the communication apparatus; wherein the first core network element is a session management function network element, and the second core network element is a user plane function network element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the operations comprise: discarding a first data packet of the first data flow received after the end marker message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the communication apparatus is a master base station; or a secondary base station. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first session is a packet data unit (PDU) session, and the data flow is a quality of service (QoS) flow. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programming instructions executable by at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to execute: sending indication information to a first core network element, wherein the indication information indicates a first data flow that is in a first session and that is to-be-switched, and the indication information comprises information for triggering to send an end marker message; receiving an end marker message from a second core network element, wherein the end marker message indicates that the end marker message works on a switched data flow in the first session; determining based on the first data flow, that the end marker message works on the first data flow; and sending a second data packet of a second data flow in the first session received after the end marker message to a terminal device, wherein the second data flow is a data flow kept on a first access network device; wherein the first core network element is a session management function network element, and the second core network element is a user plane function network element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the one or more programming instructions further cause the at least one processor to execute: discarding a first data packet of the first data flow received after the end marker message. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the first session is a packet data unit (PDU) session, and the data flow is a quality of service (QoS) flow. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the indication information is a N2 QoS flow mobility indication or PDU session resource modify indication. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the indication information comprises a session identifier of the first session, and a quality of service flow identifier (QFI) of the first data flow. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the indication information is a N2 QoS flow mobility indication or PDU session resource modify indication. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the indication information comprises a session identifier of the first session, and a quality of service flow identifier (QFI) of the first data flow. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the indication information is a N2 QoS flow mobility indication or PDU session resource modify indication. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the indication information comprises a session identifier of the first session, and a quality of service flow identifier (QFI) of the first data flow.