Mobile switchboard, mobile unit, mobile communication system, and position-registration extending method

• US 20050186961A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Shimominami, Yoko, Aikawa, Shinichiro, Koizumi, Yoshiko, Noda, Yukihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server

Abstract

A mobile unit transmits a request for position registration to a network when moving from a first area to a second area. When the number of incoming calls does not exceed a threshold and the number of movements between the first area and the second area exceeds a threshold, a mobile switchboard combines the first area and the second area into an extended area, and informs the mobile unit of the extended area.

Claims

1. A mobile switchboard comprising:

an incoming-call recording unit that records number of incoming calls to a mobile unit, which is movable between a plurality of position registration areas, the number of incoming calls within a predetermined time period;

a movement recording unit that records, every time the mobile unit changes a location to a first area that is one of the position registration areas, a moving condition of the mobile unit, the moving condition of movement between the first area and a second area that is one of the position registration areas and in which the mobile unit has previously been located; and

an area extending unit that extends a position registration area to form a third area by combining the first area and the second area, that records the third area in the movement recording unit, and that informs the mobile unit of the third area, wherein

the area extending unit determines whether to combine the first area with the second area based on the number of incoming calls and the moving condition, and

the area extending unit extends the position registration area when it is determined to combine the first area with the second area.

2. The mobile switchboard according to claim 1, wherein

the area extending unit combines the first area with the second area when the number of incoming calls does not exceed a predetermined threshold and when the number of movements between the first area and the second area within a predetermined time period exceeds a predetermined threshold.

3. The mobile switchboard according to claim 1, wherein

every time the mobile unit changes the location to one of the position registration areas, the movement recording unit records the first area, the second area, information on movements between the first area and the second area, and times of the movements.

4. The mobile switchboard according to claim 3, further comprising a paging unit that transmits, when there is an incoming call for the mobile unit, a notification of the incoming-call to all of the position registration areas recorded in the movement recording unit.

5. The mobile switchboard according to claim 1, further comprising an extension canceling unit that cancels extension of the position registration area by clearing the position registration areas recorded in the movement recording unit when the number of incoming calls recorded in the incoming-call recording unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, and that notifies the mobile unit of cancellation of the extension.

6. The mobile switchboard according to claim 5, wherein

every time an incoming call is placed to the mobile unit, the incoming-call recording unit records information on arrival of the incoming call and a time of the arrival.

7. The mobile switchboard according to claim 1, wherein

the movement recording unit includes:

a current-area recording unit that records the first area for notifying the mobile unit of the position registration area in which the mobile unit is currently located; and

an extended-area recording unit that records the third area.

8. The mobile switchboard according to claim 7, further comprising a registration notifying unit that notifies the mobile unit, when the mobile unit changes the location to one of the position registration areas, of the position registration area in which the mobile unit is currently located by outputting a signal, wherein

the signal includes:

a registered area; and

a registered extended area, and

the registration notifying unit sets the first area recorded in current-area recording unit as the registered area, and that sets the third area recorded in the extended-area recording unit as the registered extended area.

9. A mobile unit that performs communication in a plurality of position registration areas in a network that includes a mobile switchboard that manages position information of the mobile unit and that performs switching control of incoming and outgoing calls for the mobile unit, the mobile unit comprising:

an area recording unit that records a first area that is one of the position registration areas and to which the mobile unit moves to change a location and a second area that is one of the position registration areas and in which the mobile unit has previously been located; and

a registration requesting unit that requests the mobile switchboard for registration of the first area, wherein

the area recording unit combines the first area and the second area, and records the first area and the second area combined when the switchboard notifies the mobile unit of completion of the registration that is performed in accordance with the request from the registration requesting unit, and

the registration requesting unit requests the registration only when the first area is a new area that is one of the position registration areas and that has not been recorded in the area recording unit.

10. The mobile unit according to claim 9, wherein

the switchboard notifies the completion of the registration by sending a signal that includes a registered area and a registered extended area, the registered area indicating the first area, the registered extended area indicating all of the position registration areas in which the mobile unit has been located before, and

the area recording unit includes:

a latest area storage unit that stores registered extended area; and

a latest extended-area storage unit that stores registered extended area.

11. The mobile unit according to claim 10, further comprising an area clearing unit that clears all of the position registration areas in both the latest area storage unit and the latest extended-area storage unit when a paging signal, which is an incoming-call notification, is received from the mobile switchboard, and when the paging request signal received includes an extension cancellation notification.

12. The mobile unit according to claim 11, wherein

the area clearing unit notifies the mobile switchboard of clearance of the position registration areas cleared by transmitting a paging response signal to the switchboard, the paging response signal including an extension cancellation response.

13. The mobile unit according to claim 11, wherein

when clearing all of the position registration areas, the area clearing unit writes identification information for re-registration for re-requesting the area recording unit for position registration, and

the registration requesting unit requests, based on the identification information, the mobile switchboard for registration of the position registration area in which the mobile unit is currently located.

14. A mobile communication system comprising:

a mobile unit that is communicable while moving within a plurality of position registration areas in a network; and

a mobile switchboard that manages position information of the mobile unit and that performs switching control of incoming and outgoing calls for the mobile unit, wherein

the mobile switchboard includes;

an incoming-call recording unit that records number of incoming calls to the mobile unit within a predetermined time period;

a movement recording unit that records, every time the mobile unit changes a location to a first area that is one of the position registration areas, a moving condition of the mobile unit, the moving condition of movement between the first area and a second area that is one of the position registration areas and in which the mobile unit has previously been located; and

an area extending unit that extends a position registration area to form a third area by combining the first area with the second area, that records the third area in the movement recording unit, and that informs the mobile unit of the third area, wherein

the area extending unit extends the position registration area when the number of incoming calls does not exceed a predetermined threshold and the number of movements between the position registration areas within a predetermined time period exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

the mobile unit includes;

an area recording unit that records the third area that is notified by the mobile switchboard; and

a registration requesting unit that requests the mobile switchboard for registration of the first area, wherein

the registration requesting unit requests the registration only when the first area is a new area that is one of the position registration areas and that has not been recorded in the area recording unit.

15. The mobile communication system according to claim 14, wherein

the mobile switchboard includes an extension canceling unit that cancels extension of the position registration area by clearing the position registration areas recorded in the movement recording unit when the number of incoming calls recorded in the incoming-call recording unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, and that notifies the mobile unit of cancellation of the extension, and

the mobile unit includes an area clearing unit that clears all of the position registration areas in the area recording unit when a notification of an incoming-call is received from the mobile switchboard, and when the notification received includes a notification for cancellation of the position registration areas.

16. A method for extending position registration in a mobile switchboard that communicates with a mobile unit, that manages position information of the mobile unit, and that performs switching control of incoming and outgoing calls for the mobile unit, the method comprising:

recording number of incoming calls to the mobile unit within a predetermined time period;

recording, every time the mobile unit changes a location to a first area that is one of the position registration areas, a moving condition of the mobile unit, the moving condition of movement between the first area and a second area that is one of the position registration areas and in which the mobile unit has previously been located; and

extending a position registration area to form a third area, when the number of incoming calls does not exceed a predetermined threshold and number of movements within a predetermined time period exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein

the extending includes;

combining the first area and the second area; and

notifying the mobile unit of the third area.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

detecting an incoming call to the mobile unit;

checking the number of incoming calls upon detecting the incoming call;

clearing the position registration areas that are recorded for the mobile unit when the number of incoming calls checked exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

notifying the mobile unit of the clearing.

18. A method for extending position registration in a mobile unit that moves in a plurality of position registration areas in a network, the method with which the mobile unit requests a mobile switchboard for registration of a position, the mobile switchboard managing position information that relates to movement of the mobile unit, the method comprising:

requesting the mobile switchboard, when the mobile unit changes a location to a first area that is one of the position registration areas, and when the first area is different area from a second area that is one of the position registration areas and in which the mobile unit has previously been located, for registration of the first area, the first area determined to be different from the second area with reference to a record that indicates a position registration area in which the mobile unit has previously been located; and

adding, based on a notification of a response from the mobile switchboard to the requesting, the first area to the record.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising clearing all of position registration areas that are recorded in the mobile unit when a notification of an incoming-call is received from the mobile switchboard, and when the notification received includes a notification for cancellation of the position registration areas.

20. A method for extending position registration in which a mobile unit moves in a plurality of position registration areas in a network, and position information of the mobile unit is managed by a mobile switchboard, the method comprising:

recording position registration areas in which the mobile unit has been located before;

recording number of incoming calls to the mobile unit within a predetermined time period;

extending a position registration area when the number of incoming calls does not exceed a predetermined threshold and number of movements between the position registration areas within a predetermined time period exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein

the extending includes;

combining a first area with a second area to form a third area, the fist area being one of the position registration areas and in which the mobile unit moves to change a location, the second area being one of the position registration areas and in which the mobile unit has previously been located; and

recording the third area; and

notifying the mobile unit of the third area.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising requesting the switchboard for registration of a position of the mobile unit only when the first area is a position registration area in which the mobile unit has not previously been located based on the third area.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising clearing the third area when there is an incoming call to the mobile unit, and when the number of incoming calls exceeds the predetermined threshold.