Adaptive threshold scheme for tracking and paging mobile users

• US 6,163,699 A
• Filed: 09/15/1997
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ramot University Authority For Applied Research and Industrial Development Limited
• Inventors: Levy, Hanoch, Naor, Zohar
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAVER, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US08/929,100
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/432, 455/456, 455/457, 455/458, 455/435, 455/443, 455/444, 455/440, 455/509, 340/825.44, 379/113, 379/458, 379/426, 379/525, 379/526, 379/435, 370/332, 370/326, 370/338, 370/465, 370/522
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0875 with assigned priorities based access

Abstract

A method of allocating access to a shared media network, with specific application to tracking and paging mobile users of a cellular telephone network. Each cell of the network broadcasts a load factor α, representative of the load on the cell'"'"'s control channel. Each user in a cell determines a registration priority for itself, and also a registration threshold based on α. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each user is assigned a base threshold time T, and each user in a cell computes a registration threshold time T'"'"', based on T and α, and registers its location with the network if the last such registration was longer ago than T'"'"'. Users are paged only in cells to which they could have traveled since their most recent location updates.

Claims

1. In a shared media network including a plurality of users, a method for allocating network resources among the users, comprising the steps of:

(a) computing at least one load factor α

;

an

(b) transmitting, to each user, one of said at least one α

;

(c) for each user, computing an access threshold, based on said α

transmitted to said each user, said computing of said access threshold being effected by said each user;

(d) for each user, computing an access priority; and

(e) for each user, accessing the network at a time depending on said access threshold and said access priority.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said access priority is based on a parameter reflecting user activity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said parameter is selected from the group consisting of a distance traversed since a previous access and a time since a previous access.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of assigning each user a certain base priority.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said base priority includes a base priority time T.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said access threshold includes an access threshold time T'"'"' based on T and α

.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein T'"'"' is based on a product of T and α

.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said access priority includes a time since a previous access, said access being effected when said time since said previous access satisfies a condition selected from the group consisting of equaling T'"'"' and exceeding T'"'"'.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(f) updating said at least one α

.

10. In a shared media network including a plurality of users moving among a plurality of cells defined by boundaries, a method for tracking the users, comprising the steps of:

(a) for each cell;

(i) computing a load factor α

, and

(ii) transmitting α

to each user located in said each cell;

(b) for each user, computing a registration threshold, based on α

, said computing of said registration threshold being effected by said each user;

(c) for each user, computing a registration priority; and

(d) for each users registering, with the network, an identity of a cell whereat said each user is located, at a time depending on said registration threshold and said registration priority, said registering thereby constituting a location update for said each user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said registration priority is based on a user parameter selected from the group consisting of a distance traversed since a previous location update, a number of boundary crossings performed since a previous location update, and a time since a previous location update.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of assigning each user a certain base priority.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said base priority includes a base priority time T.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said registration threshold includes a registration threshold time T'"'"' based on T and α

.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein T'"'"' is based on a product T and α

.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said registration priority includes a time since a previous location update, said registering being effected when said time since said previous location update satisfies a condition selected from the group consisting of equaling T'"'"' and exceeding T'"'"'.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

(e) for each cell;

updating α

.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said registering is effected via an up-link control channel, and wherein said updating is effected by replacing α

with the product of α and

a function of U_r, U_c, ρ

_d and ρ

_ucc, wherein U_r is a bandwidth of said up-link control channel that is used for said registering, U_c is a bandwidth of said up-link control channel used for call requests initiated by the users, ρ

_d is a desired utilization of said up-link control channel, and ρ

_ucc is an actual utilization of said up-link control channel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said function is ##EQU15##20.

20. In a shared media network including a plurality of users, a method for allocating network resources among the users, comprising the steps of:

(a) computing at least one load factor α

;

(b) transmitting, to each user, one of said at least one α

;

(c) assigning to each user a base priority that includes a base priority time T;

(d) for each user, computing an access threshold, based on said α

transmitted to said each user, said access threshold including an access threshold time based on T and α

;

(e) for each user, computing an access priority; and

(f) for each user, accessing the network at a time depending on said access threshold and said access priority.

21. In a shared media network including a plurality of users moving among a plurality of cells defined by boundaries, a method for tracking the users, comprising the steps of:

(a) for each cell;

(i) computing a load factor α

, and

(ii) transmitting α

to each user located in said each cell;

(b) assigning to each user a base priority that includes a base priority time T;

(c) for each user, computing a registration threshold, based on α

, said registration threshold including a registration threshold time based on T and α

;

(d) for each user, computing a registration priority; and

(e) for each user, registering, with the network, an identity of a cell whereat said each user is located, at a time depending on said registration threshold and said registration priority, said registering thereby constituting a location update for said each user.

22. In a shared media network including a plurality of users moving among a plurality of cells defined by boundaries, a method for tracking the users, comprising the steps of:

(a) for each cell;

(i) computing a load factor α

, and

(ii) transmitting α

to each user located in said each cell;

(b) for each user, computing a registration threshold, based on α

;

(c) for each user, computing a registration priority;

(d) for each user, registering, with the network, via an tip-link control channel, an identity of a cell whereat said each user is located, at a time depending on said registration threshold and said registration priority, said registering thereby constituting a location update for said each user; and

(e) updating α

by replacing α

with the product of α and

a function of U_r, U_c, ρ

_d and ρ

_ucc, wherein U_r is a bandwidth of said up-link control channel that is used for said registering, U_c is a bandwidth of said up-link control channel used for call requests initiated by the users, ρ

_d is a desired utilization of said up-link control channel, and ρ

_ucc is an actual utilization of said up-link control channel.

23. In a shared media network including a plurality of users moving among a plurality of cells, a method for paging the users, comprising the steps of:

(a) for each cell, providing a load factor α

; and

(b) for each user;

(i) determining a personal location area, based on α

, by constructing a mobility graph including a plurality of vertices, one of said vertices being an initial vertex and at least one of said vertices being a non-reporting vertex connected to said initial vertex by a feasible roaming path, said personal location area including only cells corresponding to said at least one non-reporting vertex, and

(ii) paging said each user only in cells located in said personal location area.

24. In a shared media network including a plurality of users moving among a plurality of cells, a method for paging the users, comprising the steps of:

(a) for each cell, providing a load factor α

;

by constructing a mobility graph including a plurality of vertices, one of said vertices being an initial vertex and at least one of said vertices being a non-reporting vertex, said personal location area including only cells corresponding to said at least one non-reporting vertex,

(b) for each user;

(i) determining a personal location area, based on α

, and

(ii) paging said each user only in cells located in said personal location area;

(c) assigning each user a base priority including a base priority time T; and

(d) for each cell corresponding to each of said vertices, computing a registration threshold time T'"'"' based on T and α

, said at least one non-reporting vertex being defined as having a time associated therewith that exceeds a time associated with said initial vertex by less than T'"'"'.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein T'"'"' is based on a product of T and α

.