Local location manager, home location manager and mobile communication system

• US 7,643,829 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• 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: Suzuki, Toshihiro, Hiyama, Satoshi, Yamashita, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost; Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US11/646,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20070105556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/435.1, 455/445, 455/436, 455/433, 455/432.1, 701/207, 701/210
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• 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 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/04 multi-step notification using statistical or historical mobility data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• 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 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

Time required for location registration is reduced and concentration of location update signals caused when a group moves is prevented. Each mobile node and a mobile router sends a location update request to a local location manager near to the area in which it exists, so that time required for location registration can be reduced, and it is possible to prevent pressure on wireless resources and temporary increase in communication traffic within a mobile network, which may be caused by concentration of location update signals when a group moves as in the case of a train with a lot of passengers having mobile nodes. Thereby, even if location registration is not correctly performed by a mobile router, which sends a location update request on behalf of mobile nodes existing in the space of a moving body, due to the communication condition or a failure, it can be dealt with.

Claims

1. A local location manager, comprising:

means for updating location information registered with the local location manager, wherein

the location updating is in response to a location update request sent by a mobile router moving together with a group of mobile nodes in a master-slave relationship on behalf of the group,

local location manager information is registered and stored in a home location manager provided in association with multiple local location managers, and indicates a correspondence relationship of the mobile router and the mobile nodes with the local location manager, and

the local location manager is adapted to register location information of the mobile router and the group of mobile nodes when each mobile node sends a location update request to the local location manager nearest to an area where the group of mobile nodes exists so that a time required for location registration is reduced;

means for sending a deletion request for deleting location information on the mobile router or the mobile nodes, which has requested registration of location information, to a different local location manager storing the location information on the mobile router and the mobile node; and

means for sending an update request for updating local location manager information on the mobile router or the mobile node, to the home location manager storing the local location manager information on the mobile router or the mobile nodes;

wherein when the mobile router moves between areas managed by the different local location manager the mobile router sends a location request for updating its own location information to the nearest local location manager.

2. The local location manager according to claim 1;

wherein the home location manager is identified based on identifications specific to the mobile router and the mobile nodes.

4. The local location manager according to any one of claims 1 to 3;

wherein, when a master-slave relationship is newly generated between the mobile router and a mobile node, it is confirmed whether there is any difference between the location information on the mobile router and location information on the mobile node, and, if there is any difference, the location information on the mobile router is corrected and the master-slave relationship is registered.

5. The local location manager according to any one of claims 1 to 3;

wherein, when the master-slave relationship between the mobile router and a mobile node is released, it is confirmed whether there is any difference between the location information on the mobile router and location information on the mobile node, and, if there is any difference, the location information on the mobile router is corrected and registration of the master-slave relationship is deleted.

3. A local location manager, comprising:

means for, in response to receiving a deletion request for deleting location information on the mobile router from a different local location manager, deleting registered contents of location information on the mobile router with the local location manager itself and notifying the different location manager of registered contents for the mobile nodes in a master-slave relationship with the mobile router registered with the local location manager itself, wherein

the location deletion is in response to a location update request sent by a mobile router moving together with a group of mobile nodes in a master-slave relationship on behalf of the group,

local location manager information is registered and stored in a home location manager provided in association with multiple local location managers, and indicates a correspondence relationship of the mobile router and the mobile nodes with the local location manager, and

the local location manager is adapted to register location information of the mobile router and the group of mobile nodes when each mobile node sends a location update request to the local location manager nearest to an area where the group of mobile nodes exists, so that time required for location registration is reduced; and

means for, in response to receiving the deletion request for deleting information on the mobile nodes, deleting registered contents of location information and information indicating a master-slave relationship on the mobile router registered with the local location manager itself,

wherein when the mobile router moves between areas managed by different local location manager and the mobile router sends a location request for updating its own location information to the nearest local location manager.

6. A home location manager for managing local location manager information, comprising:

means for, in response to receiving an update request for updating the local location manager information on the mobile router or the mobile nodes from the local location manager in association with the home location manager itself, updating the local location manager information on the mobile router or the mobile nodes registered with the home location manager itself; and

providing a response to the local location manager which has sent the update request to permit the local location manager to send a deletion request for deleting location information on the mobile router or the mobile nodes to a different local location manager storing location information on the mobile router or the mobile node; and

means for sending registered contents of the local location manager information on the mobile router or the mobile nodes before update to the local location manager which has sent the update request, wherein

the local location manager information managed by the home location manager is registered with the home location manager and provided in association with multiple local location managers,

the local location manager information indicating a correspondence relationship of mobile nodes and a mobile router with a local location manager, the local location manager receiving a location update request sent by a mobile router moving together with a group of mobile nodes in a master-slave relationship on behalf of the group, and the local location manager being adapted to register location information of the mobile router and the group of mobile nodes when each mobile node sends a location update request to the local location manager nearest to the area where the group of mobile nodes exist, so that time required for location registration is reduced, and wherein when the mobile router moves between areas managed the different local location manager, the mobile router sends a location request for updating its own location information to the nearest local location manager.

7. A mobile communication system, comprising:

a local location manager, the local location manager receiving a registration of location information from a mobile router moving together with a group of mobile nodes in a master-slave relationship on behalf of the group, wherein the local location manager comprises;

means for updating location information registered with the local location manager itself and

means for sending an update request for updating local location manager information indicating a correspondence relationship of the mobile router and the mobile nodes with the local location manager;

an a home location manager for managing local location manager information indicating a correspondence relationship of the mobile nodes and the mobile router with the local location manager, the home location manager comprising;

means for, in response to receiving an update request for updating the local location manager information from a local location manager in association with the home location manager itself, updating the local location manager information registered with the home location manager itself, and

means for sending registered contents before update to the local location manager which has sent the update request,

wherein the local location manager further comprises means for sending a deletion request for deleting location information on the mobile router which has requested registration of location information, to a different local location manager storing the location information on the mobile router.

8. Mobile communication system according to claim 7;

wherein the mobile router is designated to send a location update request for updating its own location information to the nearest local location manager when the mobile router moves between areas managed by different local location managers.

9. Mobile communication system according to claim 7;

wherein the local location manager information is registered with a home location manager provided in association with multiple local location managers, and a home location manager is identified based on identifications specific to the mobile router and the mobile nodes.

10. Mobile communication system according to claim 7,

wherein, the different local location manager comprising means for, in response to receiving the deletion request for deleting location information from the local location manager, notifying the location manager of registered contents for the mobile nodes in a master-slave relationship with a mobile router registered with the different local location manager;

and means for deleting registered contents of location information and information indicating a master-slave relationship on the mobile router registered with the different local location manager.

11. Mobile communication system according to claim 7;

wherein, the local location manager is designated to confirm, when a master-slave relationship is newly generated between the mobile router and a mobile node, whether there is any difference between the location information on the mobile router and location information on the mobile node, and, if there is any difference, to correct the location information on the mobile router and to register the master-slave relationship.

12. Mobile communication system according to claim 7;

wherein the local location manager is designated to confirm, when the master-slave relationship between the mobile router and a mobile node is released, whether there is any difference between the location information on the mobile router and location information on the mobile node, and, if there is any difference, to correct the location information on the mobile router and to delete the master-slave relationship.

13. The mobile communication system according to claim 9, the mobile communication system further comprising a second local location manager comprising:

means for, in response to receiving the deletion request for deleting location information to a different local location manager, notifying the different location manager of registered contents for the mobile nodes in a master-slave relationship with a mobile router registered with the second local location manager itself; and

means for deleting registered contents of location information and information indicating a master-slave relationship on the mobile router registered with the second local location manager itself.

14. The mobile communication system according to claim 9;

wherein, when a master-slave relationship is newly generated between the mobile router and a mobile node, the first local location manager confirms whether there is any difference between the location information on the mobile router and location information on the mobile node, and, if there is any difference, corrects the location information on the mobile router and registers the master-slave relationship.

15. The mobile communication system according to claim 13;

wherein, when the master-slave relationship between the mobile router and a mobile node is released, the first local location manager confirms whether there is any difference between the location information on the mobile router and location information on the mobile node, and, if there is any difference, corrects the location information on the mobile router and deletes registration of the master-slave relationship.