Home location register controller capable of dealing with congestion without restriction of access

• US 6,314,291 B1
• Filed: 05/18/1999
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fujimichi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, DORIS HA
• Application Number:
  US09/313,286
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/435, 455/445, 455/456, 455/422, 455/432, 455/412, 455/405, 455/9, 455/67.1
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A home location register controller comprises a monitoring section and a main control section. The monitoring section is connected to an active home location register to monitor simultaneous access from a mobile services switching center to the active home location register. The monitoring section produces a monitoring signal representative of the number of the simultaneous access. The main control section is connected to the monitoring section and the mobile services switching center and decides whether congestion is happened in the active home location register or not on the basis of the monitoring signal. The main control section partially changes destination of access produced by the mobile services switching center from the active home location register to a standby home location register.

Claims

1. A home location register controller used in a mobile communication system including a mobile services switching center, an active home location register connected to said mobile services switching center, and a standby home location register connected to said active home location register, said home location register controller comprising:

monitoring means connected to said active home location register for monitoring simultaneous access from said mobile services switching center to said active home location register to produce a monitoring signal representative of the number of the simultaneous access, and

control means connected to said monitoring means and said mobile services switching center for deciding whether congestion is happened in said active home location register or not on the basis of the monitoring signal to partially change destination of access produced by said mobile services switching center from said active home location register to said standby home location register.

2. A home location register controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monitoring means periodically supplies a health check signal to said active home location register to obtain a health check response and to produce the monitoring signal in response to the health check response.

3. A home location register controller as claimed in claim 1, said mobile services switching center having a routing table to access said active home location register, wherein said control means orders said mobile services switching center to partially change content of the routing table so that said mobile services switching center can access both said active home location and said standby home location register.

4. A home location register controller as claimed in claim 1, said active home location register storing subscriber data which is rewritten by the mobile services changing center, wherein said control means periodically make said standby home location register gather the subscriber data from said active home location register when said active home location register is out of a congested condition.

5. A home location register controller as claimed in claim 1, said standby home location register storing subscriber data which is rewritten by the mobile services changing center, wherein said control means makes said standby home location register supply the subscriber data to said active home location register when the congestion of said active home location register is dissolved.

6. A method of controlling a home location register system having an active home location register and a standby home location register connected to each other, said home location register system used in a mobile communication system including a mobile services switching center connected to said active home location register, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring simultaneous access from said mobile services switching center to said active home location register to produce a monitoring signal representative of the number of the simultaneous access,

deciding whether congestion is happened in said active home location register or not on the basis of the monitoring signal, and

partially changing destination of access produced by said mobile services switching center from said active home location register to said standby home location register.

7. A method of controlling a home location register system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the monitoring step comprise the steps of:

periodically supplying a health check signal to said active home location register to obtain a health check response and,

producing the monitoring signal in response to the health check response.

8. A method of controlling a home location register system as claimed in claim 6, said mobile services switching center having a routing table to access said active home location register, wherein said partially changing step comprises the step of ordering said mobile services switching center to partially change content of the routing table so that said mobile services switching center can access both said active home location and said standby home location register.

9. A method of controlling a home location register system as claimed in claim 6, said active home location register storing subscriber data which is rewritten by the mobile services changing center, wherein said method further comprises the step of periodically making said standby home location register gather the subscriber data from said active home location register when said active home location register is out of a congested condition.

10. A method of controlling a home location register system as claimed in claim 6, said standby home location register storing subscriber data which is rewritten by the mobile services changing center, wherein said method further comprises the step of making said standby home location register supply the subscriber data to said active home location register when the congestion of said active home location register is dissolved.

11. A recording medium having a recorded program for controlling a home location register system having an active home location register and a standby home location register connected to each other, said home location register system used in a mobile communication system including a mobile services switching center connected to said active home location register, said recorded program comprising:

monitoring process for monitoring simultaneous access from said mobile services switching center to said active home location register to produce a monitoring signal representative of the number of the simultaneous access, and

control process related to said monitoring process for deciding whether congestion is happened in said active home location register or not on the basis of the monitoring signal to partially change destination of access produced by said mobile services switching center from said active home location register to said standby home location register.

12. A recording medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein said monitoring process comprises transmitting process for periodically transmitting a health check signal to said active home location register, receiving process for receiving a health check response signal from said active home location register, and producing process related to said receiving process for producing the monitoring signal in response to the health check response.

13. A recording medium as claimed in claim 11, said mobile services switching center having a routing table to access said active home location register, wherein said control process comprises ordering process for ordering said mobile services switching center to partially change content of the routing table so that said mobile services switching center can access both said active home location and said standby home location register.

14. A recording medium as claimed in claim 11, said active home location register storing subscriber data which is rewritten by the mobile services changing center, wherein said control process comprises first making process for making said standby home location register gather the subscriber data from said active home location register when said active home location register is out of a congested condition.

15. A recording medium as claimed in claim 11, said standby home location register storing subscriber data which is rewritten by the mobile services changing center, wherein said control process comprises second making process for making said standby home location register supply the subscriber data to said active home location register when the congestion of said active home location register is dissolved.