Adaptive location level

• US 6,223,044 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Schultz, Per Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US09/323,267
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432, 455/434, 455/435, 455/458, 455/456, 455/524, 455/525, 455/440, 455/441
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 60/04 using triggered events

Abstract

The present invention involves apparatus and method for providing page messages to mobile radios based on the mobility rates of the mobile radio. For mobile radios that are relatively stationary, page messages are sent to a cell in which the mobile radio resides, while radios which are increasingly mobile receive their page messages on a local area basis. The mobile radio only performs location updates when the situation is optimized for doing so depending upon the mobility of the radio, the introduction of a new cell, the introduction of a new location area, the expiration of a pre-determined time limit and the status of a new cell location flag. A function is defined for location updating on either a locationary basis or a cell basis in accordance with each of the above factors in order to optimize the burden of location area updating and unwanted page broadcasting.

Claims

1. A method of location updating a mobile radio residing in a geographically defined cell and a geographically defined location area, comprising:

a) determining a mobility factor associated with the mobile radio,

b) setting a timer,

c) setting a flag if the mobile radio leaves the geographically defined cell without leaving the geographically defined location area;

d) if the mobility factor suggests the mobile radio is relatively stationary, then;

1) when the mobile radio leaves the geographically defined cell, performing a location update,

2) when the mobile radio is reassigned from the geographically defined location area and into a new geographically defined location area, yet remains in the geographically defined cell, abstaining from performing a location update, and

e) if the mobility factor suggests the mobile radio is relatively mobile, then;

1) when the mobile radio leaves the geographically defined location area, performing a location update, and

2) when the mobile radio leaves the geographically defined cell and enters a new geographically defined cell, yet remains in the geographically defined location area, abstaining from performing a location update.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein step e) further includes the steps of:

3) when the timer exceeds a predetermined time, testing the flag, and

A) if the flag is not set, performing a location update based on the geographically defined cell area.

3. A method as in claim 2, further including the step, after step d1) of clearing the flag.

4. A method as in claim 3, further including the step, after step e) of:

f) repeating steps a) through e) upon the occurrence of any one of;

i. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined location area,

ii. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined cell, and

iii. the timer exceeding the predetermined time.

5. A method as in claim 2, further including the step, after step e1) of clearing the flag.

6. A method as in claim 5, further including the step, after step e) of:

f) repeating steps a) through e) upon the occurrence of any one of;

i. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined location area,

ii. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined cell, and

iii. the timer exceeding the predetermined time.

7. A method as in claim 2, further including the step, after step e3a) of clearing the flag.

8. A method as in claim 7 further including the step, after step e) of:

f) repeating steps a) through e) upon the occurrence of any one of;

i. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined location area,

ii. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined cell, and

iii. the timer exceeding the predetermined time.

9. A method as in claim 2, further including the step, after step e) of:

f) repeating steps a) through e) upon the occurrence of any one of;

i. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined location area,

ii. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined cell, and

iii. the timer exceeding the predetermined time.

10. A method as in claim 1, further including the step, after step e) of:

f) repeating steps a) through e) upon the occurrence of any one of;

i. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined location area,

ii. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined cell, and

iii. the timer exceeding the predetermined time.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein step c) includes the step of transmitting to the mobile radio the predetermined time.

12. A method as in claim 1, further including the step of resetting the timer whenever:

a) the mobile radio is determined to be relatively stationary and enters a new geographically defined cell,

b) the mobile radio is determined to be relatively mobile and enters a new geographically defined location area.

13. A method as in claim 12, further including the step, after step d1) of resetting the timer.

14. A method as in claim 13, further including the step, after step e) of:

f) repeating steps a) through e) upon the occurrence of any one of;

i. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined location area,

ii. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined cell, and

iii. the timer exceeding the predetermined time.

15. A method as in claim 12, further including the step, after step e1) of resetting the flag.

16. A method as in claim 15, further including the step, after step e) of:

f) repeating steps a) through e) upon the occurrence of any one of;

i. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined location area,

ii. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined cell, and

iii. the timer exceeding the predetermined time.

17. A method as in claim 12, further including the step, after step e3a) of resetting the flag.

18. A method as in claim 17, further including the step, after step e) of:

f) repeating steps a) through e) upon the occurrence of any one of;

i. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined location area,

ii. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined cell, and

iii. the timer exceeding the predetermined time.

19. A method as in claim 12, further including the step, after step e) of:

f) repeating steps a) through e) upon the occurrence of any one of;

i. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined location area,

ii. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined cell, and

iii. the timer exceeding the predetermined time.

20. A method as in claim 1, wherein step e) further includes the steps of:

3) when the timer exceeds a predetermined time, testing the flag, and

A) if the flag is set, resetting the timer, and clearing the flag, and

B) if the flag is not set, performing a location update based on the geographically defined cell area and resetting the timer.

21. A method as in claim 20, further including the step, after step e) of:

f) repeating steps a) through e) upon the occurrence of any one of;

i. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined location area,

ii. the mobile radio leaving the geographically defined cell, and

iii. the timer exceeding the predetermined time.

22. A method as in claim 1, wherein the location update of steps d1), d2), e1) and e2) are performed based on the geographically defined location area.

23. A method as in claim 1, wherein the location update of step d3) is performed based on the geographically defined cell.

24. A method as in claim 1, further including the step, within step c), of:

when the timer exceeds a predetermined time, performing a location update based on the geographically defined cell.

25. A method as in claim 1, wherein step b) includes obtaining a timer value from a periodic registration timer.

27. A method as in claim 24, wherein the mobile radio abstains from performing a location update if:

the categorization identifies the radio as relatively immobile and the radio enters a new location area without entering a new cell.

28. A method as in claim 24, wherein the mobile radio abstains from performing a location update if:

the categorization identifies the radio as relatively mobile and the radio enters a new cell without entering a new location area.

26. A mobile radio, comprising:

a transmission and reception process to receive a categorization identifying a mobility of the radio and to perform location updates to a mobile radio network,

a timer to clock a predefined time duration, and

a flag to identify whether the mobile radio has previously left a geographically defined cell without leaving the geographically defined location area, wherein;

if the categorization identifies the radio as relatively immobile, the mobile radio performs a location update on a location area level whenever the mobile radio enters a new geographically defined cell, and

if the categorization identifies the radio as relatively mobile, the mobile radio;

performs a location update on a location area level whenever the mobile radio enters a new location area, and

performs a location update on a cell level whenever the timer expires and the flag is not set.

29. A method of location updating a mobile radio residing in a geographically defined cell and a geographically defined location area, comprising:

a) determining a mobility factor associated with the mobile radio,

b) setting a periodic registration timer,

c) if the mobility factor suggests the mobile radio is relatively stationary, then;

1) when the mobile radio leaves the geographically defined cell, performing a location update on a location area basis,

2) when the mobile radio and reassigned from the geographically defined location area and into a new geographically defined location area, yet remains in the geographically defined cell, abstaining from performing a location update, and

d) if the mobility factor suggests the mobile radio is relatively mobile, then;

1) when the mobile radio leaves the geographically defined location area and leaves the geographically defined cell, performing a location update on a location area basis,

2) when the mobile radio leaves the geographically defined location area but does not leave the geographically defined cell, performing a location update on a cell basis; and

3) when the mobile radio leaves the geographically defined cell and enters a new geographically defined cell, yet remains in the geographically defined location area, abstaining from performing a location update.

30. A method as in claim 29, further including the step, within step c), of:

when the timer exceeds a predetermined time, performing a location update based on the geographically defined cell.

31. A method as in claim 29, wherein step b) includes obtaining a timer value from a periodic registration timer.