Method and system for querying attributes in a cellular communications system

• US 20050089011A1
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Bender, Paul E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

In communications networks, network elements require knowledge of other network elements such as when they are added to or deleted from the network configuration and the resources they have available. The protocol allows network elements to communicate resource information dynamically and directly. The protocol also allows direct exchange of network configuration information between network elements for determining wireless communications network paging areas.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining cellular paging areas of a wireless communication network, comprising the steps of:

means for exchanging paging area information directly between network elements without the intervention of a centralized controller; and

means for determination of access terminal paging areas from exchanged paging area information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for sending paging area determination information queries from modem pool controller network elements to modem pool transceiver network elements.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for receiving responses to paging area determination information queries from modem pool transceiver network elements at a modem pool controller network element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for sending location update information from access terminal network elements to modem pool transceiver elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means receiving location update information from access terminal network elements for at a modem pool transceiver network element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for using said network configuration information to determine said paging areas for individual access terminal network elements, wherein said access terminal network elements are paged in said paging areas.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said paging areas are determined without intervention by a central network manager.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said paging areas are determined by zone information.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said paging areas are determined by distance information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said paging area is determined by distance and zone information.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for reducing said paging areas in accordance with said network configuration information.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network configuration information includes an access network ID.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network configuration information includes a network sector ID.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network configuration information includes a network channel frequency.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network configuration information includes a latitude of said network element.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network configuration information includes a longitude of said network element.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network configuration information includes distance location update enabled information.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network configuration information includes zone location update enabled information.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network configuration information includes a location update distance.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network configuration information includes a location update zone.

21. An access point comprising:

network element for generating a Transfer Protocol request message for requesting paging area information from another network element without the intervention of a centralized controller; and

network interface for routing said paging area request message to said another network element.

22. The access point of claim 21, wherein said first network element comprises a memory element for storing paging area information network attributes, and a control processor for generating attribute request and response messages.

23. The access point of claim 22, wherein said memory element is further for storing all paging area information attributes of said first network element.

24. The access point of claim 22, wherein said control processor is further for updating said memory element when a response message is indicative of new paging area attribute information.

25. The access point of claim 22, wherein said control processor is further for generating a response message in response a received paging information attribute query message directed to said first network element from said second network element.

26. A remote station adapted for wireless communications, comprising:

control processor; and

memory for storing instructions for updating paging information;

a first set of computer-readable instructions for determining if distance based location updating is enabled;

a second set of computer-readable instructions for determining if the remote station has moved a distance greater than a configured registration distance;

a third set of computer-readable instructions for performing a location distance update.

27. The remote station as in claim 26, wherein the first set of computer-readable instructions is for determining if distance based location updating is enabled for paging information discovery.

28. The remote station as in claim 26, wherein the third set of computer-readable instructions is for performing a location distance update when distance based location updating is enabled and the current location of the remote station has moved a distance greater than the configured registration distance.