ALLOCATING METHOD OF MOVING AREA LIST OF USER EQUIPMENT AND CORRESPONDING APPARATUS

• US 20110210845A1
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Company Limited (China Information Communication Technology Group Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Company Limited (China Information Communication Technology Group Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xiong, Chunshan, Liang, Huarui, Xu, Hui, Jiang, Yihua
• Granted Patent: US 8,378,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• 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 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method of allocating the moving area list of user equipment which relating to wireless communication technology. Interacting signaling between network and UE is reduced. The utilization efficiency of network resource is enhanced. The method includes, receiving the area ID which is pre-defined from UE, acquiring the history information of the last allocated moving area list from the mobility management entity (MME) which allocated the last moving area list, allocating new moving area list according to the history information and the received area ID. Accordingly, a MME and UE are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for allocating a new Tracking Area List for a User Equipment, comprising:

receiving a designated Tracking Area Identity from the User Equipment;

obtaining history information when an old Tracking Area List is allocated from an old Mobility Management Entity allocating the old Tracking Area List; and

allocating a new Tracking Area List for the User Equipment according to the obtained history information and the received designated Tracking Area Identity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the new Tracking Area List for the User Equipment comprises:

determining a movement direction of the User Equipment according to a Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where the User Equipment is currently allocated and the received designated Tracking Area Identity;

estimating a movement speed of the User Equipment according to the obtained history information, and

allocating the new Tracking Area List for the User Equipment according to the determined movement direction and the estimated movement speed of the User Equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated Tracking Area Identity from the User Equipment is the Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where User Equipment is located when a Tracking Area having a TA ID within the old Tracking Area List is accessed for the last time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the User Equipment stores and updates the Tracking Area Identity of each Tracking Area to which the User Equipment moves during its the movement within the Tracking Areas having identities within the old Tracking Area List.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the User Equipment stores the Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area to which it moves into its Universal Subscriber Identity Module or nonvolatile storage.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the history information comprises:

allocation time when the old Tracking Area List is allocated and a Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where the User Equipment is located when the old Tracking Area List is located.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein estimating the movement speed of the User Equipment according to the obtained history information comprises:

calculating a time interval between the current time and the allocation time when the old Tracking Area List is allocated;

calculating a distance between a Tracking Area where the User Equipment is currently located and a Tracking Area where the User Equipment is located when the old Tracking Area List is allocated, according the Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where the User Equipment is currently located and the Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where the User Equipment is located when the old Tracking Area List is allocated; and

estimating the movement speed of the User Equipment according to the calculated time interval and the estimated distance.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the history information further comprises the old Tracking Area List allocated to the User Equipment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein estimating the movement speed of the User Equipment according to the obtained history information further comprises:

determining whether the calculated time interval is shorter than the preset time interval;

determining a weight used for adjusting the movement speed of the User Equipment based on the old Tracking Area List allocated for the User Equipment if the calculated time interval is shorter than the preset time interval; and

adjusting the estimated movement speed of the User Equipment by using the determined weight.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the preset time interval is N*MRC_Timer, wherein N denotes a natural number and MRC_Timer denotes a time parameter set by a Mobile Reachable Timer of the User Equipment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein after allocating the old Tracking Area List for the User Equipment, a Mobility Management Entity allocating the old Tracking Area List stores the history information into User Equipment Context corresponding to the User Equipment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the User Equipment stores the new Tracking Area List allocated into a volatile or nonvolatile storage, and indicates the Tracking Area List as invalid or deletes the Tracking Area List after the User Equipment is detached or powered off.

13. A Mobility Management Entity, comprising:

a Tracking Area Identity receiving unit adapted to receive a designated Tracking Area Identity from a User Equipment;

a history information obtaining unit adapted to obtain history information when the old Tracking Area List is allocated from the old Mobility Management Entity allocating the old Tracking Area List; and

a Tracking Area List allocating unit adapted to allocate a new Tracking Area List for the User Equipment according to the obtained history information and the received designated Tracking Area Identity.

14. The Mobility Management Entity of claim 13, wherein the Tracking Area List allocating unit comprises:

a subunit adapted to determine a movement direction of the User Equipment according to the Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where the User Equipment is currently located and the designated Tracking Area Identity sent by the User Equipment;

a subunit adapted to estimate the movement speed of the User Equipment according to the obtained history information; and

a subunit adapted to allocate a new Tracking Area List according to the determined movement direction of the User Equipment and the estimated movement speed of the User Equipment.

15. The Mobility Management Entity of claim 14, wherein the history information obtained by the history information obtaining unit comprises:

allocation time when the old Tracking Area List is allocated and a Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where the User Equipment is located when the old Tracking Area List is located.

16. The Mobility Management Entity of claim 15, wherein the subunit adapted to estimate the movement speed of the User Equipment according to the obtained history information comprise:

a subunit adapted to calculate a time interval between the current time and the allocation time when the old Tracking Area List is allocated;

a subunit adapted to calculate a distance between a Tracking Area where the User Equipment is currently located and a Tracking Area where the User Equipment is located when the old Tracking Area List is allocated, according the Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where the User Equipment is currently located and the Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where the User Equipment is located when the old Tracking Area List is allocated; and

a subunit adapted to estimate the movement speed of the User Equipment according to the calculated time interval and the estimated distance.

17. The Mobility Management Entity of claim 16, wherein the history information obtained by the history information obtaining unit further comprises:

the old Tracking Area List allocated to the User Equipment, and the subunit adapted to estimate the movement speed of the User Equipment according to the obtained history information further comprises;

a subunit adapted to determine whether the calculated time interval is shorter than the preset time interval;

a subunit adapted to determine a weight used for adjusting the movement speed of the User Equipment based on the old Tracking Area List allocated for the User Equipment if the calculated time interval is shorter than the preset time interval; and

a subunit adapted to adjust the estimated movement speed of the User Equipment by using the determined weight.

18. (canceled)

19. A User Equipment comprising:

a receiving unit, which is adapted to receive a Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where the User Equipment is currently located, and receive a Tracking Area List allocated by a Mobility Management Entity;

a Tracking Area List information storage and update unit, which is adapted to store and update the Tracking Area List allocated by the Mobility Management Entity according to the Tracking Area List received by the receiving unit;

a Tracking Area Identity storage and update unit, which is adapted to store and update a Tracking Area Identity of the Tracking Area where the User Equipment is currently located according to each Tracking Area Identity received by the receiving unit, during the movement of the User Equipment within Tracking Areas having identities within the old Tracking Area List; and

a sending unit, which is adapted to send to the Mobility Management Entity the Tracking Area Identity stored and updated by the Tracking Area Identity storage and update unit.

20. The User Equipment of claim 19, wherein the Tracking Area Identity storage and update unit stores and updates the Tracking Area Identity in a nonvolatile storage.

21. The User Equipment of claim 19, wherein the Tracking Area List information storage and update unit comprises:

a subunit adapted to store the Tracking Area List in the volatile or nonvolatile storage; and

a subunit adapted to indicate the Tracking Area List stored in the volatile or nonvolatile storage as invalid or delete the Tracking Area List when the User Equipment is detached or powered off.