Local location manager, home location manager and mobile communication system

• US 20070105556A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• 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
• Granted Patent: US 7,643,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.100
• 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 for receiving registration of location information sent by a mobile router moving together with a group of mobile nodes in a master-slave relationship on behalf of the group;

the location manager comprising;

means for updating location information registered with the local location manager;

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; 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.

2. The local location manager according to claim 1;

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 manger 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 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 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 local location manager itself.

6. A home location manager for managing local location manager information indicating a correspondence relationship of mobile nodes and a mobile router with a local location manager, with which location information on the mobile nodes and the mobile router are registered;

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.

7. A mobile communication system comprising:

a first local location manager for receiving 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; and

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;

wherein

the first local location manager comprises;

means for updating location information registered with the first local location manager itself;

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

the home location manager comprises;

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 first local location manager which has sent the update request.

8. The 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.

9. The mobile communication system according to claim 7 or 8;

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.

10. The mobile communication system according to any one of claims 7 to 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.

11. The mobile communication system according to any one of claims 7 to 9;

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.