Patent ID: 7480243

Claim:
A data packet ordering method in a mobile communication network employing hierarchical routing with data packet forwarding comprising the following steps: a) providing at least one data flow comprising a predefined sequence of data packets, b) forwarding at least one of said data packets of the sequence via a first network element (RNC_OLD) over a first transmission path to a user equipment, whereby a part of the data packets are temporarily buffered in the first network element (RNC_OLD) during transmission, c) establishing a second transmission path, while forwarding the data packet sequence, such that the remaining data packets of the sequence not yet transmitted over the first path are forwarded via a second network (RNC_NEW) element, d) forwarding of the data packets buffered in the first network element (RNC_OLD) to the second network (RNC_NEW) element for providing all data packets comprised by the data packet sequence to the user equipment, e) receiving and ordering of the data packets within said second network element (RNC_NEW) according to the packet data priority given by the data packet sequence, f) forwarding the ordered data packets to the user equipment (UE); wherein in the ordering step, the data packets received by the second network element are assigned to separated data queues in the second network element depending on their priority in the data packet sequence.