Registering a mobile terminal in an area of overlapping cell coverage by first and second networks

• US 8,649,786 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Casati, Alessio, Palat, Sudeep Kumar, Demarez, Christophe, Tatesh, Said
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US12/526,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20100113015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/422.1, 455/449, 715/736, 345/419
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• 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

Abstract

A method is provided of registering a mobile terminal in an area of overlapping cell coverage by first and second networks for wireless mobile telecommunications. The networks are of different types. The method comprises: storing an identifier of the mobile terminal; storing in a controller a first record of in which cell or group of cells the mobile terminal is located in the first network and a second record of in which cell or group of cells the mobile terminal is located in the second network; and providing the mobile terminal with information of both records and said identifier.

Claims

1. A method of registering a mobile terminal in an area of overlapping cell coverage of first and second networks for wireless mobile telecommunications, the first and second networks being of different types and the first network comprising a controller, the method comprising registering the mobile terminal in respect of both networks by:

storing in the controller an identifier of the mobile terminal;

storing in the controller a first record of in which routing/tracking area the mobile terminal is located in the first network and a second record of in which routing/tracking area the mobile terminal is located in the second network; and

the first network providing the mobile terminal with information of both records and said identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which the mobile terminal is provided with information of both records such that upon the mobile terminal roaming between the overlapping cells or groups of cells of the two networks, location update signalling to or from the mobile terminal does not occur.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which the controller which is in the first network performs a proxy/registration of the mobile terminal with a controller of the second network.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which the controller comprises a core network node.

5. The method according to claim 1, in which the mobile terminal moves out of an area covered by at least one of the cells that overlap, and the controller in the first network provides to a controller in the second network further records of into which new cells or groups of cells in each network the mobile terminal has moved.

6. The method according to claim 5, in which one of said further records is provided in consequence of the mobile terminal performing location update signalling.

7. The method according to claim 6, in which another of said further records is provided by look-up of a table of records relating cells or groups of cells in the first network to overlapping cells or groups of cells in the second network.

8. The method according to claim 5, in which the further records are used to determine whether the mobile terminal has roamed out of a coverage area of the controller in the second network.

9. The method according to claim 8, in which it is determined that the mobile terminal has roamed out of the coverage area of the controller in the second network, then the further records are used to identify a new controller.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which the mobile terminal is in idle mode.

11. The method according to claim 1, in which the first network is a WCDMA based network and the second network is an OFDMA based network.

12. The method according to claim 1, in which the first network is a UMTS network and the second network is a UMTS Long Term Evolution network.

13. The method according to claim 1, in which the first network is an OFDMA based network and the second network is a WCDMA based network.

14. The method according to claim 1, in which the first network is a UMTS-Long Term Evolution network and the second network is a UMTS network.

15. A method of a mobile terminal roaming in an area of overlapping cell coverage by first and second networks for wireless mobile telecommunications, the first and second networks being of different types and the first network comprising a controller, the method comprising registering the mobile terminal in respect of both networks by:

storing an identifier of the mobile terminal in the controller;

storing in the controller a first record of in which routing/tracking area the mobile terminal is located in the first network and a second record of in which routing/tracking area the mobile terminal is located in the second network;

the first network providing the mobile terminal with information of both records such that upon the mobile terminal roaming between the overlapping cells or groups of cells of the two networks, location update signalling to or from the mobile terminal does not occur.

16. A telecommunications system first and second networks for wireless telecommunications;

the first and second networks having overlapping cell coverage;

the first and second networks being of different types, and the first network comprising a controller and a transmitter;

the controller being operative to store an identifier of a user terminal, a first record of in which routing/tracking area the user terminal is located in the first network, and a second record of in which routing/tracking area the user terminal is located in the second network so as to register the user terminal in respect of both networks;

the transmitter being operative to provide the user terminal with information of both records and the identifier.

17. A controller configured to be used in a telecommunications system comprising first and second networks for wireless telecommunications, in which the networks have overlapping cell coverage and are of different types, and wherein the first network comprises the controller and a transmitter, wherein

the controller being operative to store an identifier of a user terminal, a first record of in which routing/tracking area the user terminal is located in the first network, and a second record of in which routing/tracking area the user terminal is located in the second network so as to register the user terminal in respect of both networks;

and

the controller being operative to supply both records and the identifier to the transmitter for providing the user terminal with information of both records and the identifier.

18. The controller according to claim 17, in which the controller is operative to supply both records and the identifier to the transmitter for providing the user terminal with information of both records and the identifier, such that upon the user terminal roaming between the overlapping cells or groups of cells of the two networks, location update signalling to or from the user terminal does not occur.

19. The controller according to claim 17, in which the controller which is in the first network performs a proxy registration of the user terminal with a controller of the second network.

20. The controller according to claim 17, in which the controller comprises a core network node.

21. The controller according to claim 17, in which, in use, upon the user terminal moving out of an area covered by at least one of the cells that overlap, the controller provides to a controller in the second network further records of into which new cells or groups of cells in each network the user terminal has moved.

22. The controller according to claim 21, in which the further records are used to determine whether the user terminal has roamed out of a coverage area of the controller in the second network.

23. The controller according to claim 22, in which it is determined that the user terminal has roamed out of the coverage area of the controller in the second network, then the further records are used to identify a new controller.

24. The controller according to claim 21, in which one of said further records is provided in consequence of the user terminal performing location update signalling.

25. The controller according to claim 24, in which another of said further records is provided by look-up of a table of records relating cells or groups of cells in the first network to overlapping cells or groups of cells in the second network.

26. The controller according to claim 17, in which the first network is a WCDMA based network and the second network is an OFDMA based network.

27. The controller according to claim 17, in which the first network is a UMTS network and the second network is a UMTS-Long Term Evolution network.

28. The controller according to claim 17, in which the first network is an OFDMA based network and the second network is a WCDMA based network.

29. The controller according to claim 17, in which the first network is a UMTS-Long Term Evolution network and the second network is a UMTS network.

30. A mobile terminal comprising means to receive from a controller in a first network in a telecommunications system comprising first and second networks for wireless telecommunications, said networks having overlapping cell coverage and being of different types, an identifier of the mobile terminal, a first record of in which routing/tracking area the mobile terminal is located in the first network, and a second record of in which routing/tracking area the user terminal is located in the second network, such that upon the mobile terminal roaming between the overlapping cells of the two networks, location update signalling to or from the mobile terminal does not occur.

31. The mobile terminal according to claim 30, in which the controller which is in the first network performs a proxy registration of the mobile terminal with a controller of the second network.

32. The mobile terminal according to claim 30, in which, in use, the mobile terminal moves out of an area covered by at least one of the cells that overlap, and the controller provides to a controller in the second network further records of into which new cells or groups of cells in each network the mobile terminal has moved.

33. The mobile terminal according to claim 32, in which one of said further records is provided in consequence of the mobile terminal performing location update signaling.

34. The mobile terminal according to claim 33, in which, in use, another of said further records is provided by look-up of a table of records relating cells or groups of cells in the first network to overlapping cells or groups of cells in the second network.

35. The mobile terminal according to claim 32, in which the further records are used to determine whether the mobile terminal has roamed out of a coverage area of the controller in the second network.

36. The mobile terminal according to claim 35, in which it is determined that the mobile terminal has roamed out of the coverage area of the controller in the second network, then the further records are used to identify a new controller.

37. The mobile terminal according to claim 30, in which the mobile terminal is in idle mode.