METHOD FOR CONFIGURING A MOBILE COMMUNICATION NETWORK WITH TRACKING AREAS

• US 20070104173A1
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Thiebaut, Laurent, Bultinck, Alain, Drevon, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 10,257,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/341
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

One object of the present invention is a method for for configuring a cellular mobile communication network with Tracking Areas, comprising: a step of configuring a Radio Access Network entity, with at least one Tracking Area it is to be associated with, a step of registering a thus configured Radio Access Network entity onto a Mobility Management function and/or Paging Coordination function, for said at least one Tracking Area.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a cellular mobile communication network with Tracking Areas, comprising:

a step of configuring a Radio Access Network entity, with at least one Tracking Area it is to be associated with,

a step of registering a thus configured Radio Access Network entity onto a Mobility Management function and/or Paging Coordination function, for said at least one Tracking Area.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of registering comprises:

a step wherein said Radio Access Network entity registers onto at least one Mobility Management entity and/or Paging Coordination entity in charge of said Mobility Management function and/or Paging Coordination function, for said at least one Tracking Area.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said step of registering onto said at least one Mobility Management Entity and/or Paging Coordination Entity comprises:

a step of exchanging registration request/registration confirmation messages with said at least one Mobility Management entity and/or Paging Coordination entity.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of configuring comprises:

a step of configuring said Radio Access Network entity with at least one destination address for the sending of said registration request.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of registering comprises:

a step of performing authentication between the registering RAN entity and the Mobility Management/Paging Coordination Entity, upon reception of a registration request by said Mobility Management entity and/or Paging Coordination entity.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of registering comprises:

a step of, upon acceptation of a registration request from a Radio Access Network entity for a Tracking Area, configuring said Mobility Management entity and/or Paging Coordination entity by adding, or removing, a Radio Access Network entity address in a Radio Access Network entity list associated with the Tracking Area.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein, in a transport network having IP multicast capability, said step of registering comprises:

a step wherein a Radio Access Network entity registers onto an IP multicast group, associated with said at least one Tracking Area, for the reception of Mobility Management and/or Paging Coordination signalling.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said step of registering comprises:

a step of associating an IP multicast address with said Tracking Area.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said step of associating comprises:

a step of interrogating a Domain Name Server for translation of this Domain Name associated with said Tracking Area into an IP multicast address.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein said step of associating comprises:

a step of building automatically a DNS name associated with said Tracking Area based on a pre-defined pattern, configured on all RAN and Mobility Management and/or Paging Coordination entities, and on the identity of the tracking Area.

11. A Radio Access Network entity for a mobile communication network, comprising:

means for, upon configuring said Radio Access Network entity with at least one Tracking Area it is to be associated with, registering said Radio Access Network entity onto a Mobility Management function and/or Paging Coordination function, for said at least one Tracking Area.

12. A Radio Access Network entity according to claim 11, wherein said means for registering comprise:

means for registering onto a Mobility Management entity and/or Paging Coordination entity in charge of said Mobility Management function and/or Paging Coordination function, for said at least one Tracking Area.

13. A Radio Access Network entity according to claim 12, wherein said means for registering comprise:

means for sending a registration request to said Mobility Management entity and/or Paging Coordination entity.

14. A Radio Access Network entity according to claim 12, wherein said means for registering comprise:

means for performing authentication, upon reception of a registration request by a Mobility Management entity and/or Paging Coordination entity.

15. A Radio Access Network entity according to claim 11, wherein, in an IP-based transport network having IP multicast capability, said means for registering comprise:

means for registering onto an IP multicast group, associated with said at least one Tracking Area, for the reception of Mobility Management and/or Paging Coordination messages.

16. A Radio Access Network entity according to claim 15, wherein said means for registering comprise:

means for associating an IP multicast address to said Tracking Area.

17. A Radio Access Network entity according to claim 16, wherein said means for associating comprise:

means for interrogating a Domain Name Server for translation of a Domain Name associated with said Tracking Area into an IP multicast address.

18. A Radio Access Network entity according to claim 16, wherein said means for associating comprise:

means for building automatically a DNS name associated with said Tracking Area based on a pre-defined pattern, configured on all RAN and Mobility Management and/or Paging Coordination entities, and on the identity of the tracking Area.

19. An entity of a mobile communication network, in charge of Mobility Management function and/or Paging Coordination function, for at least one Tracking Area, comprising:

means for registering a Radio Access Network entity onto said entity, for said at least one Tracking Area.

20. An entity according to claim 19, wherein said means for registering comprise:

means for receiving a registration request from said Radio Access Network entity.

21. An entity according to claim 19, wherein said means for registering comprise:

means for performing authentication, upon reception of a registration request from said Radio Access Network entity.

22. An entity according to claim 19, wherein said means for registering comprise:

means for, upon acceptation of a registration request, configuring said Mobility Management and/or Paging Coordination entity by adding (and/or possibly removing) this Radio Access Network entity address in the Radio Access Network entity list associated with the Tracking Area.

23. An entity for a mobile communication network, in charge of Mobility Management function and/or Paging Coordination function for at least one Tracking Area, comprising, in an IP-based transport network having IP multicast capability:

means for associating an IP multicast address with said Tracking Area.

24. An entity according to claim 23, wherein said means for associating comprise:

means for interrogating a Domain Name Server for translation of a Domain Name associated with said Tracking Area into an IP multicast address.

25. An entity according to claim 23, wherein said means for associating comprise:

means for building automatically a DNS name associated with said Tracking Area based on a pre-defined pattern, configured on all RAN and Mobility Management and/or Paging Coordination entities, and on the identity of the tracking Area.