Method and apparatus for tracking mobile stations in a wireless communications system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method in a communications system for tracking mobile stations comprising:
- tracking a path for a mobile station, wherein the path has a length;
monitoring the path for a presence of a loop; and
removing the loop from the path in response to identifying the presence of a loop, wherein the length of the path changes and a loop-removed path is formed.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus in a communications system for tracking mobile stations. The length and identify of the path of the mobile station is tracked at the mobile station. The path is monitored for a presence of a loop. In response in identifying the presence of a loop, the loop is removed from the path, wherein the length of the path is reduced. Additionally, the length of the path is compared to a threshold and a location update is performed in response to the length of the path being greater than the threshold. The threshold may also be updated at a MSC and then sent to the mobile station.
61 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method in a communications system for tracking mobile stations comprising:
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tracking a path for a mobile station, wherein the path has a length; monitoring the path for a presence of a loop; and removing the loop from the path in response to identifying the presence of a loop, wherein the length of the path changes and a loop-removed path is formed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A communications system for tracking mobile stations comprising:
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tracking means for tracking a path for a mobile station, wherein the path has a length; monitoring means for monitoring the path for a presence of a loop; and removal means for removing the loop from the path in response to identifying the presence of a loop, wherein the length of the path changes to form a loop-removed path. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A mobile station comprising:
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a plurality of mobility history registers, wherein an identification of cells visited by the mobile station are stored within the plurality of mobility history registers; a path length register having a counter identifying a length of a path at the mobile station; a threshold register, wherein a threshold is stored within the threshold register; tracking means for tracking the path for the mobile station, wherein the path has a length; monitoring means for monitoring the path for a presence of a loop; removal means for removing the loop from the path in response to identifying the presence of a loop, wherein the length of the path changes; and transmission means for performing a location update in response to the counter equaling the threshold. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A wireless communications system comprising:
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A mobile station including; a plurality of mobility history registers, wherein an identification of cells visited by the mobile station are stored within the plurality of mobility history registers; a path length register having a counter identifying a length of a path of the mobile station; a threshold register, wherein a threshold is stored within the threshold register; tracking means for tracking the path for the mobile station, wherein the path has a length; monitoring means for monitoring the path for a presence of a loop; and removal means for removing the loop from the path in response to identifying the presence of a loop, wherein the length of the path changes; and transmission means for performing a location update in response to the counter equaling the threshold; and a mobile switching center, wherein the mobile switching center tracks the mobile station in response to the location update performed by the mobile station. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 29, 30)
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27. The wireless communications system of 26, wherein the determination means includes a table used to determine whether a new threshold should be assigned to the mobile station.
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28. The wireless communications system of 25, wherein the table is based on the topology of the network.
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31. A mobile station comprising:
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a plurality of registers, the plurality of registers storing cell identifiers for cells entered by the mobile station, the cell identifiers being arranged in an order in which corresponds to the order the mobile station entered the cells, wherein a first cell identifier in the registers is associated with a first cell entered by the mobile station and a last cell identifier within the registers is a last cell entered by the mobile station; a path length register, wherein a path length traveled by the mobile station after a location update is stored within the path length register; a threshold value register, wherein a threshold value is stored within the threshold value register; a first mode of operation in which the mobile station identifies entry of the mobile station into a cell, the cell having a cell identification; a second mode of operation, responsive to the first mode of operation identifying entry of the mobile station into a cell, in which the mobile station determines whether the cell identifier for the present cell is present within the plurality of registers; a third mode of operation, responsive the second mode of operation determining that the cell identifier for the present cell is present within the registers, wherein the mobile station deletes a first cell identifier within the registers, wherein the mobile station deletes successive cell identifiers within the registers until the cell identifier of the top register is equal to the first cell identifier of the present cell; a fourth mode of operation, responsive to the second mode of operation determining that the cell identifier for the present cell is absent from the registers in which the mobile station adds the cell identifier for the present cell as the first cell identifier within the registers; a fifth mode of operation, responsive to the fourth mode of operation according the cell identifier, in which the mobile station determines whether the path length is equal to the threshold; and a sixth mode of operation, responsive to the fifth mode of operation determining that the path length is equal to the threshold, in which the mobile station performs a location update. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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Specification