SCHEDULING LOCATION UPDATE REPORTS OF ACCESS TERMINALS TO AN ACCESS NETWORK WITHIN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20100246467A1
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Santhanam, Arvind V., Song, Bongyong
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to scheduling location update reports of access terminals to an access network within a wireless communications system. The access network acquires a defined location region within a wireless communications system, and determines a location of a given access terminal within the wireless communications system. The access network selects one of a plurality of location update rules for the given access terminal based on a relationship between the defined location region and the determined location, each of the plurality of location update rules specifying different conditions for prompting location update reports from the given access terminal to the access network. The access network informs the given access terminal of the selected location update rule, and the given access terminal sends one or more location update reports to the access network in accordance with the selected location update rule.

Claims

1. A method of scheduling location update reports of access terminals to an access network within a wireless communications system, comprising:

acquiring a defined location region within a wireless communications system;

determining a location of a given access terminal within the wireless communications system;

selecting one of a plurality of location update rules for the given access terminal based on a relationship between the defined location region and the determined location, each of the plurality of location update rules specifying different conditions for prompting location update reports from the given access terminal to the access network; and

transferring one or more location update reports between the given access terminal and the access network in accordance with the selected location update rule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining and selecting steps are performed at the access network, and the transferring step includes receiving the one or more location update reports from the given access terminal in accordance with the selected location update rule.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the acquiring step acquires the defined location region from an application server.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the acquiring step requires the defined location region from an operator of the access network.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining step determines the location of the given access terminal based on (i) the one or more location update reports or (ii) an initial location reporting message sent by the given access terminal to the access network.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

negotiating the selected location update rule between the access network and the given access terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined location corresponds to one or more of a service identifier or a geographic coordinate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service identifier corresponds to a subnet identifier or a sector-level identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the given access terminal has requested de-registration from a multicast group that is associated with the defined location region and to which the given access terminal had previously registered, and

selecting another one of a plurality of location update rules for the given access terminal irrespective of a relationship between the defined location region and a current location of the given access terminal, the selected another location update rule being equal to or less aggressive than the selected location update rule.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring step acquires the defined location region in a downlink transmission from the access network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network wishes to track the location of the given access terminal with more precision inside the defined location region than outside the defined location region.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the determined location of the given access terminal is within the defined location region,

wherein the selected location update rule requires the given access terminal to send more location update reports than at least one non-selected location update rule from the plurality of location update rules.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the determined location of the given access terminal is not within the defined location region,

wherein the selected location update rule requires the given access terminal to send fewer location update reports than at least one non-selected location update rule from the plurality of location update rules.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network wishes to track the location of the given access terminal with less precision inside the defined location region than outside the defined location region.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that the determined location of the given access terminal is within the defined location region,

wherein the selected location update rule requires the given access terminal to send fewer location update reports than at least one non-selected location update rule from the plurality of location update rules.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that the determined location of the given access terminal is not within the defined location region,

wherein the selected location update rule requires the given access terminal to send more location update reports than at least one non-selected location update rule from the plurality of location update rules.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined location region corresponds to a set of service identifiers or a geographic range.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the defined location region corresponds to one or more subnets.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step evaluates the defined location region and the determined location to determine which of the plurality of location update rules to select,

wherein the defined location region and its associated plurality of location update rules from which selection are possible are established on a per-subscriber basis, a per-group basis or a per-service basis.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein if the defined location region and its associated plurality of location update rules from which selection are possible are established on a per-subscriber basis, then the acquiring, determining, selecting and transferring steps are only performed for the given access terminal.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein if the defined location region and its associated plurality of location update rules from which selection are possible are established on a per-group basis, then the acquiring, determining, selecting and transferring steps are performed for each access terminal belonging to a given multicast group.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein if the defined location region and its associated plurality of location update rules from which selection are possible are established on a per-service basis, then the acquiring, determining, selecting and transferring steps are performed for access terminals subscribing to a particular type of service.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the particular type of service is multicast.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of location update rule specifies a different distance radius, and each location update rule requires the given access terminal to traverse at least the associated distance radius before sending a location update report.

25. An apparatus configured to schedule location update reports of access terminals to an access network within a wireless communications system, the apparatus comprising:

logic configured to acquire a defined location region within a wireless communications system;

logic configured to determine a location of a given access terminal within the wireless communications system;

logic configured to select one of a plurality of location update rules for the given access terminal based on a relationship between the defined location region and the determined location, each of the plurality of location update rules specifying different conditions for prompting location update reports from the given access terminal to the access network; and

logic configured to transfer one or more location update reports between the given access terminal and the access network in accordance with the selected location update rule.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the determined location corresponds to one or more of a service identifier or a geographic coordinate.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the service identifier corresponds to a subnet identifier or a sector-level identifier.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the access network is configured to track the location of the given access terminal with different precision inside the defined location region than outside the defined location region.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

logic configured to determine that the given access terminal has requested de-registration from a multicast group that is associated with the defined location region and to which the given access terminal had previously registered, and

logic configured to select another one of a plurality of location update rules for the given access terminal irrespective of a relationship between the defined location region and a current location of the given access terminal, the selected another location update rule being equal to or less aggressive than the selected location update rule.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

logic configured to determine that the determined location of the given access terminal is within the defined location region,

wherein the selected location update rule requires the given access terminal to send more location update reports than at least one non-selected location update rule from the plurality of location update rules.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

logic configured to determine that the determined location of the given access terminal is not within the defined location region,

wherein the selected location update rule requires the given access terminal to send fewer location update reports than at least one non-selected location update rule from the plurality of location update rules.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the defined location region corresponds to a set of service identifiers or a geographic range.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein logic configured to evaluate is configured to evaluate the defined location region and the determined location to determine which of the plurality of location update rules to select,

wherein the defined location region and its associated plurality of location update rules from which selection are possible are established on a per-subscriber basis, a per-group basis or a per-service basis.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of location update rule specifies a different distance radius, and each location update rule requires the given access terminal to traverse at least the associated distance radius before sending a location update report.

35. An apparatus for scheduling location update reports of access terminals to an access network within a wireless communications system, comprising:

means for acquiring a defined location region within a wireless communications system;

means for determining a location of a given access terminal within the wireless communications system;

means for selecting one of a plurality of location update rules for the given access terminal based on a relationship between the defined location region and the determined location, each of the plurality of location update rules specifying different conditions for prompting location update reports from the given access terminal to the access network; and

means for transferring one or more location update reports between the given access terminal and the access network in accordance with the selected location update rule.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the determined location corresponds to one or more of a service identifier or a geographic coordinate.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the service identifier corresponds to a subnet identifier or a sector-level identifier.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the access network is configured to track the location of the given access terminal with different precision inside the defined location region than outside the defined location region.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

logic configured to determine that the given access terminal has requested de-registration from a multicast group that is associated with the defined location region and to which the given access terminal had previously registered, and

logic configured to select another one of a plurality of location update rules for the given access terminal irrespective of a relationship between the defined location region and a current location of the given access terminal, the selected another location update rule being equal to or less aggressive than the selected location update rule.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

logic configured to determine that the determined location of the given access terminal is within the defined location region,

wherein the selected location update rule requires the given access terminal to send more location update reports than at least one non-selected location update rule from the plurality of location update rules.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

logic configured to determine that the determined location of the given access terminal is not within the defined location region,

wherein the selected location update rule requires the given access terminal to send fewer location update reports than at least one non-selected location update rule from the plurality of location update rules.

42. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the defined location region corresponds to a set of service identifiers or a geographic range.

43. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein logic configured to evaluate is configured to evaluate the defined location region and the determined location to determine which of the plurality of location update rules to select,

wherein the defined location region and its associated plurality of location update rules from which selection are possible are established on a per-subscriber basis, a per-group basis or a per-service basis.

44. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein each of the plurality of location update rule specifies a different distance radius, and each location update rule requires the given access terminal to traverse at least the associated distance radius before sending a location update report.

45. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which can be executed by a processor to schedule location update reports of access terminals to an access network within a wireless communications system, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions to acquire a defined location region within a wireless communications system;

instructions to determine a location of a given access terminal within the wireless communications system;

instructions to select one of a plurality of location update rules for the given access terminal based on a relationship between the defined location region and the determined location, each of the plurality of location update rules specifying different conditions for prompting location update reports from the given access terminal to the access network; and

instructions to transfer one or more location update reports between the given access terminal and the access network in accordance with the selected location update rule.