Patent ID: 8605679

Claim:
A method for avoiding a resource being released mistakenly, comprising: during a tracking area update or handover process from an area controlled by one eNodeB to another area controlled by another eNodeB in a System Architecture Evolution, (1) determining, by a target Mobility Management Entity, a Serving Gateway for use after the tracking area update or handover process is completed, the target Mobility Management Entity determining the Serving Gateway from at least one of a new Serving Gateway and an old Serving Gateway; and (2) when the target Mobility Management Entity determines to select a new Serving Gateway, sending a notification message by the target Mobility Management Entity to an original Mobility Management Entity indicating that the target Mobility Management Entity has selected a new Serving Gateway, the original Mobility Management Entity sending a request for deleting bearer context directly to the old Serving Gateway according to the notification message; and (3) when the target Mobility Management Entity determines to use the old Serving Gateway, avoiding by the original Mobility Management Entity a transmission of a request for deleting bearer context to the old Serving Gateway; wherein, when the target Mobility Management Entity determines to select a new Serving Gateway and after step (2) is performed, the old Serving Gateway returns a response of bearer context deleted to the original Mobility Management Entity after releasing a subscriber resource.