Method of location registration, location registration system, mobile communication terminal equipment for setting up location registration area, and program for setting up location registration area

• US 7,113,785 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2002
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• 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: Yabusaki, Masami, Fujiwara, Masumi, Watanabe, Yugo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casca, Fred A.
• Application Number:
  US10/190,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20030027574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/441, 455/456.2
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel

Abstract

One piece of information used in setting up the optimum location registration area is an area of a peripheral cell. However, in the current system, the area of a cell is set up by the predicted number of subscribers in the area, and therefore, depends on the location. Therefore, when a mobile communication terminal computes the optimum location registration area, it is necessary to obtain the size information about the peripheral cell, which can cause the problem of traffic. The mobile communication terminal in a cell signals a plurality of paging point nodes of mobility and traffic characteristic. Then, the plurality of paging point nodes sets up a location registration area of the mobile communication terminal according to the above mentioned information and network information. Thus, the location management of the mobile communication terminal can be efficiently realized, thereby reducing the traffic.

Claims

1. A location registration method for determining a location registration area for a mobile communication terminal, comprising the step of

determining the location registration area according to network information about nodes and cells in a communication network;

wherein mobility characteristics and a frequency of call arrival of the mobile communication terminal are referred to in addition to the network information when the location registration area is determined; and

wherein the network information comprises at least information about the number of hops between base stations and a node which performs a paging operation in the communication network, information about the number of hops between the base station and a location management node in the communication network, information about the number of base stations in the communication network, information about the number of cells, information about cells'"'"' area, and information about the number of nodes.

2. The location registration method according to claim 1, wherein

a total number of signals used in the location registration and paging for the mobile communication terminal is computed, and a location registration area minimizing this computed total number of signals is determined.

3. The location registration method according to claim 1, wherein

in computing the total number of signals, the number of hops between the base stations and the node which performs a paging operation in the communication network is multiplied by the number of cells, and by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops is multiplied by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops between the base station and the location management node managing the location of the mobile communication terminal is multiplied by the frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal, and the multiplication results are added up.

4. The location registration method according to claim 1, wherein

in computing the total number of signals, the number of cells in a range, the number of nodes other than base stations in the range, and a value of −

1 are added up, this addition result is multiplied by a frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops between the base stations and the node which performs the paging operation is multiplied by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops between the base station and the location management node is multiplied by a frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal, and the multiplication results are added up.

5. The location registration method according to claim 3, wherein

the frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal is obtained by multiplying the number of base stations in the communication network by the cell area, and dividing a moving speed of the mobile communication terminal by the multiplication result.

6. The location registration method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein

the total number of signals is computed by increasing the number of base stations by one from a predetermined initial value, and a location registration area is set up according to the base station information minimizing the total number of signals.

7. A location registration system for determining a location registration area of a mobile communication terminal, wherein

the mobile communication terminal comprises means for measuring mobility characteristics and a frequency of call arrival, and signaling to a mobile communication network the measured values together with a location registration request;

a node in the mobile communication network comprises means for managing network information about nodes and cells in the communication network, and determines a location registration area of the mobile communication terminal according to the mobility characteristics, the frequency of call arrival, and the network information; and

the network information comprises at least information about the number of hops between base stations and a node which performs a paging operation in the communication network, information about the number of hops between the base station and a location management node in the communication network, information about the number of base stations in the communication network, information about the number of cells, information about cell'"'"' area, and information about the number of nodes.

8. The location registration system according to claim 7, wherein

a total number of signals used in the location registration and paging for the mobile communication terminal is computed, and a location registration area minimizing this computed total number of signals is determined.

9. The location registration system according to claim 8, wherein

in computing the total number of signals, the number of hops is multiplied by the number of cells, and by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops is multiplied by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops between the base station and the location management node managing the location of the mobile communication terminal is multiplied by the frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal, and the multiplication results are added up.

10. The location registration system according to claim 8, wherein

in computing the total number of signals, the number of cells in a range, the number of nodes other than base stations in the range, and a value of −

1 are added up, this addition result is multiplied by a frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops between the base stations and the node which performs the paging operation is multiplied by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops between the base station and the location management node is multiplied by a frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal, and the multiplication results are added up.

11. The location registration system according to claim 10, wherein

the frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal is obtained by multiplying the number of base stations in the communication network by the cell area, and dividing a moving speed of the mobile communication terminal by the multiplication result.

12. The location registration system, according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein

the total number of signals is computed by increasing the number of base stations by one from a predetermined initial value, and a location registration area is set up according to the base station information minimizing the total number of signals.

13. A location area setting equipment in a location registration system for determining a location registration area of a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

means for managing network information about nodes and cells in a communication network, wherein the location registration area of the mobile communication terminal is determined according to mobility characteristics, a frequency of call arrival transmitted from the mobile communication terminal, and the network information;

wherein the network information comprises at least information about the number of hops between base stations and a node which performs a paging operation in the communication network, information about the number of hops between the base station and a location management node in the communication network, information about the number of base stations in the communication network, information about the number of cells, information about cell'"'"' area, and information about the number of nodes.

14. A location area setting equipment in a location registration system for determining a location registration area of a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

means for managing network information about nodes and cells in a communication network, wherein the location registration area of the mobile communication terminal is determined according to mobility characteristics, a frequency of call arrival transmitted from the mobile communication terminal, and the network information;

wherein

a total number of signals used in the location registration and paging for the mobile communication terminal is computed, and a location registration area minimizing this computed total number of signals is determined; and

in computing the total number of signals, the number of hops is multiplied by the number of cells, and by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops is multiplied by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops between the base station and the location management node managing the location of the mobile communication terminal is multiplied by the frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal, and the multiplication results are added up.

16. The location area setting equipment according to claim 14, wherein

the frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal is obtained by multiplying the number of base stations in the communication network by the cell area, and dividing a moving speed of the mobile communication terminal by the multiplication result.

17. The location area setting equipment according to any of claims 14 to 16, wherein

the total number of signals is computed by increasing the number of base stations by one from a predetermined initial value, and a location registration area is set up according to the base station information minimizing the total number of signals.

15. A location area setting equipment in a location registration system for determining a location registration area of a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

means for managing network information about nodes and cells in a communication network, wherein the location registration area of the mobile communication terminal is determined according to mobility characteristics, a frequency of call arrival transmitted from the mobile communication terminal, and the network information;

wherein

a total number of signals used in the location registration and paging for the mobile communication terminal is computed, and a location registration area minimizing this computed total number of signals is determined; and

in computing the total number of signals, the number of cells in a range, the number of nodes other than base stations in the range, and a value of −

1 are added up, an addition result is multiplied by a frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops between the base stations and the node which performs the paging operation is multiplied by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal, the number of hops between the base station and the location management node is multiplied by a frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal, and the multiplication results are added up.

18. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for determining a location registration area minimizing this total number of signals by computing a total number of signals used in the location registration and paging for a mobile communication terminal, comprising in computing the total number of signals, the computer program comprising instructions for:

multiplying the number of hops by the number of cells, and by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal;

multiplying the number of hops by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal;

multiplying the number of hops between the base station and the location management node managing the location of the mobile communication terminal by the frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal; and

adding up the multiplication results.

20. The computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program according to claim 18, wherein

a frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal is obtained by multiplying the number of base stations in the communication network by the cell area, and dividing a moving speed of the mobile communication terminal by the multiplication result.

21. The computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein

the total number of signals is computed by increasing the number of base stations by one from a predetermined initial value, and a location registration area is set up according to the base station information minimizing the total number of signals.

19. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for determining a location registration area minimizing this computed total number of signals by computing a total number of signals used in the location registration and paging for a mobile communication terminal, comprising in computing the total number of signals, the computer program comprising instructions for:

adding up the number of cells in a range, the number of nodes other than base stations in the range, and a value of—

1;

multiplying the addition result by a frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal;

multiplying the number of hops between the base stations and the node which performs a paging operation by the frequency of call arrival on the mobile communication terminal;

multiplying the number of hops between the base station and the location management node by a frequency of changing location registration areas of the mobile communication terminal; and

adding up the multiplication results.