Location management for cellular systems

• US 6,898,433 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Networks Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Einola, Heikki, Haumont, Serge, Ahmavaara, Kalle, Rajaniemi, Jaakko, Bäck, Juha, Hulkkonen, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D.
• Application Number:
  US09/763,883
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/560
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/125 involving different types of service backbones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/13 Cell handover without a predetermined boundary, e.g. virtual cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

A method for indicating a mobile station'"'"'s (MS) location. A first radio network controller, RNC, acts as the mobile station'"'"'s serving RNC (SRNC), for reporting the mobile station'"'"'s location to the core network (CN). A second RNC acts as the mobile station'"'"'s drift RNC (DRNC), for maintaining a radio connection with the mobile station. In response to fulfillment of at least one criterion in a first set of criteria, the mobile station (MS) sends location information about its location to the second RNC (DRNC) which forwards the location information to the first RNC (SRNC) for reporting to the core network (CN). There is also a second set of criteria for transforming the location information. In response to fulfillment of at least one criterion in the second set, the first RNC (SRNC) sends falsified information about the mobile station'"'"'s location to the core network (CN).

Claims

1. A method of locating a terminal in a telecommunications system including a core network and an access network, the access network including a first network controller configured to at least temporarily act as a serving network controller of the terminal and to report a location of the terminal to the core network, and a second network controller configured to at least temporarily act as a drift network controller of the terminal and to maintain a connection with the terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting location information of the terminal to the core network based on a first set of predetermined criteria, the location information being indicative of the terminal location;

transmitting location information to the second network controller in response to the first set of predetermined criteria;

transmitting the location information to the first network controller;

reporting the location information to the core network;

transforming the location information into transformed location information based on a second set of predetermined criteria; and

transmitting the transformed information to the core network in response to the second set of predetermined criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating a number of connection-oriented connections with the terminal; and

reporting a real or correct location of the terminal to the core network in response to terminating a last connection-oriented connection with the terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first set of criteria comprises a change of the terminal location, activation of a Packet Data Protocol context for the terminal and expiry of a recurring period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal has an active set including the terminal location when the location of the terminal exists and is controlled by the first network controller.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the location information indicates a virtual location when the active set of the terminal excludes a location controlled by the first network controller.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the location information indicates a current terminal location controlled by the first network controller and the active set of the terminal includes the current terminal location.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the location information indicates a terminal location which is at least partially controlled by the first network controller.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving location information using the terminal, wherein the location information indicates a terminal location from which the terminal last received location information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information indicates a terminal location controlled by the second network controller and the active set excludes a location controlled by the first network controller.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information indicates at least one cell identifier, a routing area identifier or a location area identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second network controllers are associated with a first and a second switching element, respectively,

each of the first and second switching elements being configured to maintain subscription information related to the terminal;

and

the first switching element being configured to receive location information and to send location information to the second switching element without a separate request.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the location information comprises at least a Packet Data Protocol of the terminal, a Mobility Management context, a Packet Data Protocol of the terminal and a Mobility Management context.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and the second switching elements are a support node, a switching center or a support node and a switching center.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the support node is a substantially serving General Packet Radio Service support node and the switching center is a Mobile services Switching Center.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal is a mobile station, the access network is a radio access network and the network controller is a radio network controller.

16. A network controller for supporting a terminal in a telecommunications system including a core network and an access network, the network controller comprising:

a reporting module configured to report location information of the terminal to the core network, and

a transforming module configured to transform the location information into transformed location information,

wherein the transforming module transforms the location information into transformed location information prior to the reporting module reporting the location information of the terminal to the core network,

wherein the core network is configured to determine the terminal location and the access network includes a drift network controller configured to maintain a connection with the terminal,

wherein the network controller is configured to act, at least temporarily, as a serving network controller of the terminal in the access network, and to report the terminal location to the core network, and

wherein the network controller is configured to receive location information from the drift network controller and to report the transformed location information to the core network for determining the terminal location.

17. The network controller of claim 16, wherein the terminal has an active set including the terminal location when the location of the terminal exists and is controlled by the serving network controller.

18. The network controller of claim 17, wherein the location information indicates a virtual location when the active set of the terminal excludes a location controlled by the serving network controller.

19. The network controller of claim 17, wherein the location information indicates a current terminal location controlled by the serving network controller and the active set of the terminal includes the current terminal location.

20. The network controller of claim 17, wherein the location information indicates a terminal location which is at least partially controlled by the serving network controller.

21. The network controller of claim 16, wherein the location information indicates a terminal location controlled by the drift network controller and the active set excludes a location controlled by the serving network controller.