Location registration area configuring method, mobile communication system, base station, and location management server

• US 7,035,637 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• 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: Kayama, Hidetoshi, Umeda, Narumi, Motegi, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary, Erika A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAI, WAYNE HUU
• Application Number:
  US10/310,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20030109254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 455/561, 455/446, 455/433, 455/558, 455/432, 455/435.1, 455/456.1, 455/429, 455/432.3, 370/338, 370/349, 370/395.1, 370/422, 713/151, 713/164, 713/168
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

An object of the invention is to make improvement in the configuration of location registration areas. When a base station 13P is newly installed in a location registration area 30A, the base station 13P recognizes a location of its own with GPS or the like and performs communication with a plurality of surrounding base stations 13Q to select a location registration area 30A to which it should belong, based on the belonging status of the surrounding base stations 13Q and the location of its own. If the base station 13P is located near a boundary between location registration areas and if the surrounding base stations 13Q belong to a plurality of location registration areas, the location registration area to which the base station 13P should belong may be selected so as to average traffics in the respective location registration areas, or the location registration area with the smallest number of base stations belonging thereto may be selected so as to average the numbers of base stations in the respective location registration areas. The base station 13P broadcasts an area identifier of its belonging location registration area 30A to mobile stations under control thereof and starts provision of service thereto.

Claims

1. A location registration area configuring method in a mobile communication system which comprises a plurality of mobile stations, a plurality of base stations connected to a network, and a location information management server connected to the network and configured to manage location registration areas formed of cells established by the base stations and location information about locations of the mobile stations, and in which each of said base stations is allowed to establish communication with surrounding base stations through radio or wire link, said method comprising:

a recognizing step wherein when a base station is newly installed in the mobile communication system, said base station recognizes a location of its own and recognizes state of location registration areas established by surrounding base stations, through communication with the surrounding base stations or through communication with the location information management server;

a selecting step wherein said newly installed base station selects a location registration area to which it should belong, based on the location of its own and the state of the location registration areas thus recognized; and

a broadcasting step wherein the newly installed base station attaches itself to the location registration area thus selected and notifies the location information management server that the base station is newly installed in the location registration area and wherein the newly installed base station broadcasts a location registration area identifier for identifying the location registration area, to said mobile stations through a broadcast channel.

2. The location registration area configuring method according to claim 1, further comprising a registering step wherein the location information management server registers information about the newly installed base station on a registration table for base stations constituting said location registration area.

3. The location registration area configuring method according to claim 2, further comprising:

a removal notifying step wherein when a base station is removed from the mobile communication system, said base station notifies the location information management server that the base station is removed; and

a deleting step wherein the location information management server deletes information about the removed base station from a registration table for base stations constituting a location registration area to which the removed base station has belonged.

4. The location registration area configuring method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a measuring step wherein said base station measures a traffic characteristic in a cell established by the base station;

a traffic notifying step wherein said base station notifies the location information management server of the traffic characteristic obtained by measurement; and

an increasing/decreasing step wherein the location information management server increases or decreases the number of base stations constituting each location registration area so as to average traffics in the respective location registration areas, based on the traffic characteristic thus notified of.

5. The location registration area configuring method according to claim 4, wherein the measuring step is configured to measure both or one of a control data traffic characteristic and a contents data traffic characteristic, as the traffic characteristic in the cell.

6. The location registration area configuring method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a measuring step wherein said base station measures a traffic characteristic in a cell established by the base station;

an information exchanging step wherein said base station exchanges information about the traffic characteristic through communication with surrounding base stations; and

an increasing/decreasing step wherein the number of base stations constituting a location registration area to which the base station belongs is increased or decreased so as to average traffics in respective location registration areas, based on traffic characteristics obtained by exchange.

7. The location registration area configuring method according to claim 6, wherein he measuring step is configured to measure both or one of a control data traffic characteristic and a contents data traffic characteristic, as the traffic characteristic in the cell.

8. The location registration area configuring method according to claim 1, wherein the location registration areas are defined as spaces sectioned by latitude and longitude, three-dimensional structures and floors thereof, individual vehicle, individual train, individual ship, or individual airplane.

9. The location registration area configuring method according to claim 1, wherein the recognizing step is configured so that said base station recognizes the location of its own through communication with a global positioning system or with surrounding base stations or through communication with the location information management server.

10. A mobile communication system which comprises a plurality of mobile stations, a plurality of base stations connected to a network, and a location information management server connected to the network and configured to manage location registration areas formed of cells established by the base stations and location information about locations of the mobile stations, in which the cells established by the base stations form the location registration areas, and in which each of said base stations is allowed to establish communication with surrounding base stations through radio or wire link,

wherein each of said base stations comprises:

recognizing means for, when the base station is newly installed in the mobile communication system, recognizing a location of its own, and state of location registration areas established by surrounding base stations, through communication with the surrounding base stations or through communication with the location information management server;

selecting means for selecting a location registration area to which the base station should belong, based on the location of its own and the state of the location registration areas thus recognized; and

broadcasting means for notifying the location information management server that the base station is newly installed in the location registration area, and for broadcasting a location registration area identifier for identifying the location registration area, to the mobile stations through a broadcast channel.

11. The mobile communication system according to claim 10, wherein the location information management server further comprises registering means for registering information about the newly installed base station on a registration table for base stations constituting the location registration area.

12. The mobile communication system according to claim 11, wherein said base station further comprises removal notifying means for, when the base station is removed from the mobile communication system, notifying the location information management server that the base station is removed, and

wherein said location information management server further comprises deleting means for deleting information about the removed base station from a registration table for base stations constituting a location registration area to which the removed base station has belonged.

13. The mobile communication system according to claim 10, wherein said base station further comprises:

measuring means for measuring a traffic characteristic in a cell established by the base station; and

traffic notifying means for notifying the location information management server of the traffic characteristic obtained by measurement by the measuring means, and

wherein said location information management server further comprises;

increasing/decreasing means for increasing or decreasing the number of base stations constituting each location registration area so as to average traffics in the respective location registration areas, based on the traffic characteristic thus notified of.

14. The mobile communication system according to claim 13, wherein the measuring means is configured to measure both or one of a control data traffic characteristic and a contents data traffic characteristic, as the traffic characteristic in the cell.

15. The mobile communication system according to claim 10, wherein said base station comprises:

measuring means for measuring a traffic characteristic in a cell established by the base station;

information exchanging means for exchanging information about the traffic characteristic through communication with surrounding base stations; and

increasing/decreasing means for increasing or decreasing the number of base stations constituting a location registration area to which the base station belongs, so as to average traffics in the respective location registration areas, based on the traffic characteristic obtained by exchange by the information exchanging means.

16. The mobile communication system according to claim 15, wherein the measuring means is configured to measure both or one of a control data traffic characteristic and a contents data traffic characteristic, as the traffic characteristic in the cell.

17. The mobile communication system according to claim 10, wherein the location registration areas are defined as spaces sectioned by latitude and longitude, three-dimensional structures and floors thereof, individual vehicle, individual train, individual ship, or individual airplane.

18. The mobile communication system according to claim 10, wherein the recognizing means is configured to recognize the location of its own through communication with a global positioning system or with surrounding base stations or through communication with the location information management server.

19. A base station which constitutes a mobile communication system together with a plurality of mobile stations, and a location information management server connected to a network and configured to manage location registration areas formed of cells and location information about locations of the mobile stations, which is connected to the network, and which is allowed to establish communication with surrounding base stations through radio or wire link, a location registration area being formed of cells established by said base station and surrounding base stations, the base station comprising:

recognizing means for, when the base station is newly installed in the mobile communication system, recognizing a location of its own, and state of location registration areas established by surrounding base stations, through communication with the surrounding base stations or through communication with the location information management server;

selecting means for selecting a location registration area to which the base station should belong, based on the location of its own and the state of the location registration areas thus recognized; and

broadcasting means for notifying the location information management server that the base station is newly installed in the location registration area, and for broadcasting a location registration area identifier for identifying the location registration area, to the mobile stations through a broadcast channel.

20. The base station according to claim 19, further comprising:

measuring means for measuring a traffic characteristic in a cell established by the base station; and

traffic notifying means for notifying the location information management server of the traffic characteristic obtained by measurement by the measuring means.

21. The base station according to claim 20, wherein the measuring means is configured to measure both or one of a control data traffic characteristic and a contents data traffic characteristic, as the traffic characteristic in the cell.

22. The base station according to claim 19, further comprising:

measuring means for measuring a traffic characteristic in a cell established by the base station;

information exchanging means for exchanging information about the traffic characteristic through communication with surrounding base stations; and

increasing/decreasing means for increasing or decreasing the number of base stations constituting a location registration area to which the base station belongs, so as to average traffics in the respective location registration areas, based on the traffic characteristic obtained by exchange by the information exchanging means.

23. The base station according to claim 22, wherein the measuring means is configured to measure both or one of a control data traffic characteristic and a contents data traffic characteristic, as the traffic characteristic in the cell.

24. The base station according to claim 19, wherein the recognizing means is configured to recognize the location of its own through communication with a global positioning system or with surrounding base stations or through communication with the location information management server.

25. A location registration area configuring method in a mobile communication system which comprises a plurality of mobile stations, a plurality of base stations connected to a network, and a location information management server connected to the network and configured to manage location registration areas formed of cells established by the base stations and location information about locations of the mobile stations, and in which each of said base stations is allowed to establish communication with surrounding base stations through radio or wire link, said method comprising:

a recognizing step wherein a newly installed base station recognizes a location of its own and a state of location registration areas established by surrounding base stations;

a selecting step wherein said newly installed base station selects a location registration area to which it should belong based on the location of its own and the state of the location registration areas thus recognized;

a measuring step wherein said base station measures a traffic characteristic in a cell established by the base station;

a measuring step wherein said base station measures a traffic characteristic in a cell established by the base station;

a traffic notifying step wherein said base station notifies the location information management server of the traffic characteristic obtained by measurement; and

an increasing/decreasing step wherein the location information management server increases or decreases the number of base stations constituting each location registration area so as to average traffics in the respective location registration areas, based on the traffic characteristic thus notified of.

26. A location registration area configuring method in a mobile communication system which comprises a plurality of mobile stations, a plurality of base stations connected to a network, and a location information management server connected to the network and configured to manage location registration areas formed of cells established by the base stations and location information about locations of the mobile stations, and in which each of said base stations is allowed to establish communication with surrounding base stations through radio or wire link, said method comprising:

a recognizing step wherein a newly installed base station recognizes a location of its own and a state of location registration areas established by surrounding base stations;

a selecting step wherein said newly installed base station selects a location registration area to which it should belong based on the location of its own and the state of the location registration areas thus recognized;

a measuring step wherein said base station measures a traffic characteristic in a cell established by the base station;

an information exchanging step wherein said base station exchanges information about the traffic characteristic through communication with surrounding base stations; and

an increasing/decreasing step wherein the number of base stations constituting a location registration area to which the base station belongs is increased or decreased so as to average traffics in respective location registration areas, based on traffic characteristics obtained by exchange.

27. A base station which constitutes a mobile communication system together with a plurality of mobile stations, and a location information management server connected to a network and configured to manage location registration areas formed of cells and location information about locations of the mobile stations, which is connected to the network, and which is allowed to establish communication with surrounding base stations through radio or wire link, a location registration area being formed of cells established by said base station and surrounding base stations, the base station comprising:

recognizing means for, when the base station is newly installed in the mobile communication system, recognizing a location of its own and a state of location registration areas established by surrounding base stations;

selecting means for selecting a location registration area to which the base station should belong based on the location of its own and the state of the location registration areas thus recognized;

measuring means for measuring a traffic characteristic in a cell established by the base station;

information exchanging means for exchanging information about the traffic characteristic through communication with surrounding base stations; and

increasing/decreasing means for increasing or decreasing the number of base stations constituting a location registration area to which the base station belongs, so as to average traffics in the respective location registration areas, based on the traffic characteristic obtained by exchange by the information exchanging means.