Location register, location registration system, and location registration method

• US 6,978,135 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2002
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasada, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iqbal, Khawar
• Application Number:
  US10/041,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20020090945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/432.3, 455/433, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/432.1, 455/435.2, 455/414.1, 455/456.3, 455/422.1, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/02 by periodical registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A location registration system 10 comprises a mobile communication terminal 12 and a location register 14 for carrying out location registration of the mobile communication terminal 12. The location register 14 comprises a storage section 16 for storing the number of stays of the mobile communication terminal 12; a location registration period determination section 18 for determining a period of location registration of the mobile communication terminal 12 according to the number of stays of the mobile communication terminal 12 stored in the storage section 16; and a location registration control section 20 for transmitting the period of location registration determined by the location registration period determination section 18 to the mobile communication terminal 12, receiving location information of the mobile communication terminal 12 transmitted therefrom in response to the transmitted period of location registration, and carrying out location registration of the mobile communication terminal 12 according to the received location information.

Claims

1. A location register for carrying out location registration of a mobile communication terminal, said location register comprising:

storage means for storing information concerning a number of consecutive stays of said mobile communication terminal in a location;

determination means for determining a period of location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said number of consecutive stays of said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage means; and

registration means for transmitting said period of location registration determined by said determination means to said mobile communication terminal, receiving location information transmitted from said mobile communication terminal in response to transmitting said period of location registration, and carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said received location information.

2. A location register according to claim 1, wherein said determination means further determines an administrative time for location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information concerning said number of consecutive stays of said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage means;

and wherein said registration means carries out location registration of said mobile communication terminal within a range of said administrative time determined by said determination means.

3. A location registration system comprising:

a mobile communication terminal; and

a location register configured to carry out location registration of said mobile communication terminal;

wherein said location register is the location register according to claim 1.

4. A location register for carrying out location registration of a mobile communication terminal, said location register comprising:

storage means for storing information concerning a frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal;

determination means for determining a period of location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information concerning said frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage means; and

registration means for transmitting said period of location registration determined by said determination means to said mobile communication terminal, receiving location information transmitted from said mobile communication terminal in response to said transmitted period of location registration, and carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said received location information.

5. A location register according to claim 4, wherein said determination means further determines an administrative time for location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information concerning said frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage means;

and

wherein said registration means carries out location registration of said mobile communication terminal within a range of said administrative time determined by said determination means.

6. A location registration system comprising:

a mobile communication terminal; and

a location register for carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal;

wherein said location register is the location register according to claim 4.

7. A location register for carrying out location registration of a mobile communication terminal, said location register comprising:

storage means for storing information concerning a movement status of said mobile communication terminal and information concerning a frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal;

determination means for determining a period of location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information concerning said movement status of said mobile communication terminal and said information concerning said frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage means; and

registration means for transmitting said period of location registration determined by said determination means to said mobile communication terminal, receiving location information transmitted from said mobile communication terminal in response to said transmitted period of location registration, and carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said received location information.

8. A location register according to claim 7, wherein said determination means further determines an administrative time for location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information concerning said movement status of said mobile communication terminal and said information concerning said frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage means;

and

wherein said registration means carries out location registration of said mobile communication terminal within a range of said administrative time determined by said determination means.

9. A location registration system comprising:

a mobile communication terminal; and

a location register for carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal;

wherein said location register is the location register according to claim 7.

10. A location registration method for carrying out location registration of a mobile communication terminal, said location registration method comprising:

a storage step of storing information concerning a number of consecutive stays of said mobile communication terminal in a location into storage means;

a determination step of determining a period of location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said number of consecutive stays of said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage step;

a transmission step of transmitting said period of location registration determined in said determination step to said mobile communication terminal;

a receiving step of receiving location information of said mobile communication terminal transmitted from said mobile communication terminal in response to said period of location registration transmitted in said transmission step; and

a registration step of carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said location information received in said receiving step.

11. A location registration method according to claim 10, wherein said determination step further determines an administrative time for location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information concerning said number of consecutive stays of said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage means;

and

wherein said registration step carries out location registration of said mobile communication terminal within a range of said administrative time determined in said determination step.

12. A location registration method for carrying out location registration of a mobile communication terminal, said location registration method comprising:

a storage step of storing information concerning a frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal into a storage means;

a determination step of determining a period of location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information concerning said frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage means in said storage step;

a transmission step of transmitting said period of location registration determined in said determination step to said mobile communication terminal;

a receiving step of receiving location information of said mobile communication terminal transmitted from said mobile communication terminal in response to said period of location registration transmitted in said transmission step; and

a registration step of carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said location information received in said receiving step.

13. A location registration method according to claim 12, wherein said determination step further determines an administrative time for location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information concerning said frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage means;

and

wherein said registration step carries out location registration of said mobile communication terminal within a range of said administrative time determined in said determination step.

14. A location registration method for carrying out location registration of a mobile communication terminal, said location registration method comprising:

a storage step of storing information concerning a movement status of said mobile communication terminal and information concerning a frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal into a storage means;

a determination step of determining a period of location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information concerning said movement status of said mobile communication terminal and said information concerning said frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage step;

a transmission step of transmitting said period of location registration determined in said determination step to said mobile communication terminal;

a receiving step of receiving location information of said mobile communication terminal transmitted from said mobile communication terminal in response to said period of location registration transmitted in said transmission step; and

a registration step of carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said location information received in said receiving step.

15. A location registration method according to claim 14, wherein said determination step further determines an administrative time for location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information concerning said movement status of said mobile communication terminal and said information concerning said frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal stored in said storage means;

and

wherein said registration step carries out location registration of said mobile communication terminal within a range of said administrative time determined in said determination step.

16. A location resister for carrying out location registration of a mobile communication terminal, said location resister comprising:

a storage means for storing information concerning a movement status of said mobile communication terminal and/or information concerning a frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal;

determination means for determining a period of location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information stored in said storage means; and

registration means for transmitting said period of location registration determined by said determination means to said mobile communication terminal,

receiving location information transmitted from said mobile communication terminal in response to said transmitted period of location registration, and carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said received location information,

wherein said determination means further individually determines an administrative time for location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information stored in said storage means for each mobile communication terminal,

wherein said administrative time is set longer than said period of location registration, and

wherein said registration means carries out location registration of said mobile communication terminal within a range of said administrative time determined by said determination means.

17. A location register according to claim 16, wherein the storage means is adapted for storing information only concerning a frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal.

18. A location register according to claim 16, wherein the storage means is adapted for storing information concerning a movement status of said mobile communication terminal and information concerning a frequency of arrival incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal.

19. A location registration system comprising:

a mobile communication terminal; and

a location resister for carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal wherein said location register is the location register according to claim 16.

20. A location registration method for carrying out location registration of mobile communication terminal, said location registration method comprising:

a storage step of storing information concerning a movement status of said mobile communication terminal and/or information concerning a frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal into storage means;

a determination step of determining a period of location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information stored in said storage step;

a transmission step of transmitting said period of location registration determined in said determination step to said mobile communication terminal;

a receiving step of receiving location information of said mobile communication terminal transmitted from said mobile communication terminal in response to said period of location registration transmitted in said transmission step;

a registration step of carrying out location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said location information received in said received step,

wherein said determination step further individually determines an administrative time for location registration of said mobile communication terminal according to said information stored in said storage means, for each mobile communication terminal, said administrative time being set longer than said period of location registration; and

said registration step carries out location registration of said mobile communication terminal within a range of said administrative time determined in said determination step.

21. A location registration method according to claim 20, with a storage step of storing information only concerning a frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal.

22. A location registration method according to claim 20, with a storage means of storing information concerning a movement status of said mobile communication terminal and information concerning a frequency of arrival of incoming calls to said mobile communication terminal.