System and method for managing subscriber unit location information in an integrated communication network

• US 5,790,953 A
• Filed: 08/22/1995
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Zhonghe, Bernhardt, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US08/517,978
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 455/432, 455/435
• US Class Current: 455/435.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method are shown for registering a subscriber unit (10) in an integrated communication system having a number of subsystems (30, 50) that are capable of operating independently. The subscriber unit (10) stores in a memory (77) a list of outbound subsystems ordered according to the subscriber unit'"'"'s preference for using the subsystem as a outbound home subsystem to which the subscriber unit registers. An inbound preferred home subsystem list is also stored in the memory (77). In order to register to the integrated system, the subscriber unit identifies the most preferred outbound subsystem that covers the current location of the subscriber unit as its outbound home subsystem. If the outbound home subsystem is a two-way subsystem having an inbound channel accessible by the subscriber unit, the subscriber unit uses the inbound channel of the outbound home subsystem to communicate the registration information to the integrated system. If the outbound home subsystem is a one-way subsystem, the subscriber unit utilizes the inbound preferred home subsystem list to identify the most preferred inbound subsystem covering the current location of the subscriber for use in communicating the new registration information to the integrated subsystem.

Claims

1. A method of operating a subscriber unit to register the subscriber unit in an integrated communication system having a plurality of subsystems capable of operating independently including at least one outbound subsystem capable of communicating to the subscriber unit on an outbound frequency channel and at least one inbound subsystem capable of receiving communications from the subscriber unit on an inbound frequency channel, said method comprising:

storing a list of preferred outbound subsystems, said list being ordered according to the preference of said subscriber unit using an outbound subsystem as an outbound home subsystem to which said subscriber unit registers;

identifying the most preferred outbound subsystem in said list covering an area in which said subscriber unit is located as the subscriber unit'"'"'s outbound home subsystem, wherein said step of identifying the subscriber unit'"'"'s outbound home subsystem includes the step of receiving subsystem information from at least one transmitter unit in a zone of an outbound subsystem, said subsystem information including zone identification information identifying said zone of the outbound subsystem and further including the steps of storing information representing the zone identified in said subsystem information received from the outbound subsystem identified as the subscriber unit'"'"'s outbound home subsystem;

comparing a zone identified in subsystem information received from a subsequently identified outbound home subsystem to said stored zone information; and

communicating updated information to said subsequently identified outbound home subsystem if said zone identified in said subsystem information received for said subsequently identified outbound home subsystem is not the same as said stored zone information; and

communicating registration information to said identified outbound home subsystem to register said subscriber unit in said identified outbound home subsystem.

2. A method of operating a subscriber unit to register the subscriber unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 1 including the steps of:

storing a list of preferred inbound subsystems, said list being ordered according to the preference of said subscriber unit using a subsystem for inbound communications from said subscriber unit;

identifying the most preferred inbound subsystem covering the area in which said subscriber unit is located; and

communicating said registration information to said identified outbound subsystem via an inbound channel of said identified preferred inbound subsystem.

3. A method of operating a subscriber unit to register the subscriber unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 2 including the step of determining whether said identified outbound home subsystem is capable of receiving an inbound communication from the subscriber unit on an inbound channel, said identified outbound home subsystem being identified as said preferred inbound subsystem if it is determined that said identified outbound home subsystem is capable of receiving an inbound communication from said subscriber unit.

4. A method of operating a subscriber unit to register the subscriber unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 1 including the steps of:

storing information identifying said outbound home subsystem to which said subscriber unit communicated said registration information to;

comparing a subsequently identified outbound home subsystem to said stored information to determine if said subsequently identified outbound home subsystem is the same as said outbound home subsystem identified by said stored information; and

communicating new registration information to said subsequently identified outbound home subsystem to register said subscriber unit to said subsequently identified outbound home subsystem if it is not the same as said outbound home subsystem identified by said stored information.

5. A method of operating a subscriber unit to register the subscriber unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said subsystems is a wide area subsystem.

6. A method of operating a subscriber unit to register the subscriber unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said subsystems is a small area subsystem.

7. A method of operating a subscriber unit to register the subscriber unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said subsystems is a wired subsystem.

8. A subscriber unit system for operating a subscriber unit to register the unit in an integrated communication system having a plurality of subsystems capable of operating independently including at least one outbound subsystem capable of communicating to the subscriber unit on an outbound frequency channel and at least one inbound subsystem capable of receiving communications from the subscriber unit on an inbound frequency channel, said subscriber unit system comprising:

a memory for storing a list of preferred outbound subsystems, said list being ordered according to the preference of said subscriber unit using an outbound subsystem as an outbound home subsystem for transmitting control information to said subscriber unit;

a processor for determining whether a preferred outbound subsystem in said list covers an area in which said subscriber unit is located;

a transmitter for transmitting registration information identifying the most preferred outbound subsystem covering the area in which the subscriber unit is located as the subscriber unit'"'"'s outbound home subsystem for transmitting control information to said subscriber unit; and

a receiver for receiving subsystem information from at least one transmitter unit in a zone of an outbound subsystem, said subsystem information identifying said zone and said outbound subsystem from which said subsystem information is received;

said memory further storing information representing the zone identified in said subsystem information received from the outbound subsystem identified as the subscriber unit'"'"'s outbound home subsystem;

said processor includes means for comparing a zone identified in subsequently received subsystem information to said stored zone information, and said transmitter transmits updated registration information identifying said zone identified in said subsequently received subsystem information if said zone identified in said subsequently received subsystem information is not the same as said stored zone information.

9. A subscriber unit system for operating a subscriber unit to register the unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 8 wherein said memory further stores a list of preferred inbound subsystems, said list being ordered according to the preference of said subscriber unit using a subsystem for inbound communications from said subscriber unit;

and said processor further includes means for identifying the most preferred inbound subsystem covering the area in which said subscriber unit is located, and said registration information being transmitted by said transmitter via an inbound channel of said identified preferred inbound subsystem.

10. A subscriber unit system for operating a subscriber unit to register the unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 9 wherein said processor includes means for determining whether said identified preferred outbound subsystem is capable of receiving an inbound communication from the subscriber unit on an inbound channel, said identified outbound home subsystem being identified as said preferred inbound subsystem if it is determined that said identified outbound subsystem is capable of receiving an inbound communication from said subscriber unit.

11. A subscriber unit system for operating a subscriber unit to register the unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 8 wherein said memory stores information representing said preferred outbound subsystem identified in said registration information as the subscriber unit'"'"'s outbound home subsystem;

and said processor includes means for comparing a subsequently identified outbound home subsystem to said stored information representing the unit'"'"'s home subsystem to determine if said subsequently identified outbound home subsystem is the same as said outbound home subsystem, and said transmitter transmitting new registration information identifying said subsequently identified outbound home subsystem as the subscriber unit'"'"'s new home subsystem if said subsequently identified outbound home subsystem is not the same as the outbound subsystem identified by said stored information as the subscriber unit'"'"'s outbound home subsystem.

12. A subscriber unit system for operating a subscriber unit to register the unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 8 wherein at least one of said subsystems is a wide area subsystem.

13. A subscriber unit system for operating a subscriber unit to register the unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 8 wherein at least one of said subsystems is a small area subsystem.

14. A subscriber unit system for operating a subscriber unit to register the unit in an integrated communication system as recited in claim 8 wherein at least one of said subsystems is a wired subsystem.

15. A subscriber unit system for operating a subscriber unit to register the unit in an integrated communication system having a plurality of subsystems capable of operating independently including at least one outbound subsystem cable of communicating to the subscriber unit on an outbound frequency channel and at least one inbound subsystem capable of receiving communications from the subscriber unit on an inbound frequency channel, each of said subsystems having one or more zones of coverage area associated therewith and each zone having an associated zone identification, said subscriber unit system comprising:

means for storing a list of preferred outbound subsystems in order of preference, an identification of an outbound home subsystem and an identification of a zone in said outbound home subsystem;

a receiver for receiving radio frequency messages including subsystem information transmitted in a zone of an outbound subsystem included in said list, said subsystem information including an identification of the zone and the outbound subsystem from which said subsystem information is transmitted;

a processor for determining whether the most preferred outbound subsystem from which subsystem information is received and the zone identified in said received subsystem information are the same as said stored outbound home subsystem and stored zone of the outbound home subsystem, said processor updating said storing means to store an identification of said most preferred outbound subsystem and said zone identified in said received subsystem information as a new home outbound subsystem and zone thereof if said most preferred outbound subsystem or zone are not the same as said previously stored home subsystem and zone; and

a transmitter for transmitting registration information whenever a new home subsystem or associated zone is determined.

16. A method of operating a subscriber unit to register the subscriber unit in an integrated communication system having a plurality of subsystems capable of operating independently including at least one outbound subsystem capable of communicating to the subscriber unit on an outbound frequency channel and at least one inbound subsystem capable of receiving communications from the subscriber unit on an inbound frequency channel, said method comprising:

storing in a memory a list of preferred outbound subsystems, an identification of an outbound home subsystem and an identification of a zone in said outbound home subsystem;

receiving radio frequency messages including subsystem information transmitted in a zone of an outbound subsystem included in said list, said subsystem information including an identification of the zone and the outbound subsystem from which said subsystem information is transmitted;

determining whether a most preferred outbound subsystem from which subsystem information is received and the zone identified in said received subsystem information are the same as said stored outbound home subsystem and stored zone of the outbound home subsystem;

updating said memory to store an identification of said most preferred outbound subsystem and said zone identified in said received subsystem information as a new home outbound subsystem and zone thereof if said most preferred outbound subsystem or zone are not the same as said previously stored home subsystem and zone; and

communicating registration information whenever a new home subsystem or associated zone is identified.