SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCED LATENCY TRACKING AREA SELECTION

• US 20110098031A1
• Filed: 10/22/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Munagala, Lingesh, Kamalaraj, Vinod, Chamarty, Ravi, Eipe, Jacob, Navali, Murthyunjaya, DAKSHAYANI, Pradeep
• Granted Patent: US 9,872,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• 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 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

Some embodiments provide methods for selecting tracking areas, including: receiving a plurality of messages from a plurality of base transceiver stations, each message including a list of tracking areas handled by the base transceiver station from which the message is received; performing domain name system queries for the tracking areas to retrieve information identifying serving gateways serving the tracking areas; based on the information identifying serving gateways, storing, in a local memory, a list of tracking area identities handled by each identified serving gateway; receiving a message from user equipment indicating a first tracking area; selecting at least one tracking area handled by a serving gateway serving the first tracking area based on the list of tracking areas handled by each identified serving gateway stored in the memory; and sending a tracking area identity list to the user equipment based on the selected at least one tracking area.

Claims

1. A method for selecting tracking areas in a network, comprising:

receiving a plurality of messages from a plurality of base transceiver stations, each message including a list of tracking areas handled by the base transceiver station from which the message is received;

performing domain name system queries for the tracking areas in the lists of tracking areas to retrieve information identifying serving gateways serving the tracking areas;

based on the information identifying serving gateways serving the tracking areas, storing, in a local memory, a list of tracking area identities handled by each identified serving gateway;

receiving a message from user equipment indicating a first tracking area from which the user equipment is connected to the network;

selecting at least one tracking area handled by a serving gateway serving the first tracking area based on the list of tracking areas handled by each identified serving gateway stored in the memory; and

sending a tracking area identity list to the user equipment based on the selected at least one tracking area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of messages from a plurality of base transceiver stations include S1 setup messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message from the user equipment indicating a first tracking area includes an attach message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message from the user equipment indicating a first tracking area includes an S1 initial user equipment message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a base transceiver station includes an evolved nodeB.

6. A mobility management entity in a communication network comprising:

a local memory;

a first interface which is configured to;

receive a plurality of messages from a plurality of base transceiver stations, each message including a list of tracking areas handled by the base transceiver station from which the message is received; and

receive a message from the user equipment indicating a first tracking area from which the user equipment is connected to the network;

a second interface which configured to perform domain name system queries for the tracking areas in the lists of tracking areas to retrieve information identifying serving gateways serving the tracking areas;

the mobility management entity configured to;

based on the information identifying serving gateways serving the tracking areas, store, in a local memory, a list of tracking area identities handled by each identified serving gateway; and

select at least one tracking area handled by a serving gateway serving the first tracking area based on the list of tracking areas handled by each identified serving gateway stored in the memory; and

the first interface further configured to send a tracking area identity list to the user equipment based on the selected at least one tracking area.

7. The mobility management entity of claim 6, wherein the plurality of messages from a plurality of base transceiver stations include S1 setup messages.

8. The mobility management entity of claim 6, wherein the message from the user equipment indicating a first tracking area includes an attach message.

9. The mobility management entity of claim 6, wherein the message from the user equipment indicating a first tracking area includes an S1 initial user equipment message.

10. The mobility management entity of claim 6, wherein a base transceiver station includes an evolved nodeB.

11. A method for selecting tracking areas for consideration of inclusion in a tracking area identity list in which an access gateway receives messages from base transceiver stations including a list of tracking areas handled by the base transceiver station from which the messages are received and wherein the access gateway performs domain name system queries for the tracking areas in the lists of tracking areas to retrieve and store in a local memory information identifying serving gateways serving the tracking areas, the method comprising:

receiving a message from user equipment indicating a first tracking area from which the user equipment is connected to the network;

selecting at least one tracking area handled by a serving gateway serving the first tracking area based on the list of tracking areas handled by each identified serving gateway stored in the memory; and

sending the tracking area identity list to the user equipment based on the selected at least one tracking area.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of messages from a plurality of base transceiver stations include S1 setup messages.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the message from the user equipment indicating a first tracking area includes an attach message.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the message from the user equipment indicating a first tracking area includes an S1 initial user equipment message.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein a base transceiver station includes an evolved nodeB.