LOCATION REGISTRATION METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM

• US 20100167755A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Dong Ho, Koo, In Hoe
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration

Abstract

A location registration method, apparatus, and system protects against unnecessary power waste by a mobile terminal. The location registration method includes receiving a location registration accept message from a connected network in response to a location registration request message; comparing a connected network information contained in the location registration accept message with a home network information stored in the mobile terminal; and determining, if the connected network information is different from the home network information, whether or not to perform a home network search based on a home network presence indicator contained in location registration accept message. Battery usage of the mobile terminal can be decreased, as well as the energy spent for recharging the battery of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A location registration method for a mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving a location registration accept message from a connected network in response to sending a location registration request message;

comparing a connected network information contained in the location registration accept message from the connected network with a home network information stored in the mobile terminal; and

determining, if the connected network information is different from the home network information, whether to perform a home network search based on a value of a home network presence indicator contained in the location registration accept message.

2. The location registration method of claim 1, wherein each of the connected network information and the home network information comprises a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and a Mobile Network Code (MNC).

3. The location registration method of claim 2, wherein comparing the connected network information contained in the location registration accept message from the connected network with the home network information stored in the mobile terminal comprises:

comparing the MCCs of the connected network information and the home network information with each other; and

comparing the MNCs of the connected network information and the home network information with each other.

4. The location registration method of claim 3, further comprising:

judging that the connected network is a network requiring the home network search, if the MCCs of the connected network information and the home network information are identical with each other and the MNCs of the connected network information and the home network information are different from each other.

5. The location registration method of claim 1, wherein determining whether or to perform a home network search comprises:

checking the home network presence indication information contained in the location registration accept message; and

disabling a home network search timer if the value of the home network presence indicator indicates an absence of the home network.

6. The location registration method of claim 1, wherein determining whether or to perform a home network search comprises:

checking the home network presence indication information contained in the location registration accept message;

starting a home network search timer, if the value of the home network presence indicator indicates presence of the home network;

performing the home network search process, when the home network search timer expires,; and

registering with the home network, if the home network is found in the home network search process.

7. The location registration method of claim 1, wherein the location registration accept message comprises at least one of a location area update accept message, a routing area update accept message, and an attach accept message.

8. The location registration method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the location registration request message to the connected network, when at least one of a plurality of location registration conditions is fulfilled.

9. The location registration method of claim 8, wherein the plurality location registration conditions include a powering-on of the mobile terminal, a change of location of the mobile terminal, and an expiry of a periodic location registration timer.

10. A location registration apparatus of a mobile terminal, comprising:

a radio frequency unit which exchanges via wireless communication signals related to a registration and a home network search with a connected network;

a storage unit which stores a home network information of the mobile terminal;

a control unit which compares a connected network information contained in a location registration accept message received from the connected network with a home network information stored in the storage unit, and for determining, if the connected network information is different from the home network information, whether to perform a home network search based on a value of a home network presence indicator contained in the location registration accept message.

11. The location registration apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the connected network information and the home network information comprises a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and a Mobile Network Code (MNC).

12. The location registration apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit compares the MCCs and MNCs of the connected network information and the home network information with each other respectively and determines, if the MCCs of the connected network information and the home network information are identical with each other and the MNCs of the connected network information and the home network information are different from each other, that the connected network is a network requiring the home network search.

13. The location registration apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit checks the home network presence indication information contained in the location registration accept message and disables a home network search timer, if the value of the home network presence indicator indicates an absence of the home network.

14. The location registration apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit checks the home network presence indication information contained in the location registration accept message and starts, if the value of home network presence indicator indicates presence of the home network, a home network search timer, performs, when the home network search timer expires, the home network search process;

and registers with the home network, if the home network is found in the home network search process.

15. The location registration apparatus of claim 10, wherein the location registration accept message comprises at least one of a location area update accept message, a routing area update accept message, and an attach accept message

16. A location registration system comprising:

a mobile terminal which registers with a network for accessing a specific service;

a home network with which the mobile terminal is registered initially; and

a visited network to which the mobile term is connected currently,

wherein the visited network receives a location registration request message transmitted by the mobile terminal and sends a location registration response message containing a home network presence indicator to the mobile terminal in response to the location registration request message, and the mobile terminal determines whether or not to perform a home network search process based on a value of the home network presence indicator.

17. The location registration system of claim 16, wherein the mobile terminal checks the home network presence indication information contained in the location registration accept message and disables a home network search timer, if the value of the home network presence indicator indicates an absence of the home network.

18. The location registration system of claim 16, wherein the mobile terminal checks the home network presence indication information contained in the location registration accept message, starts a home network search timer, if the value of the home network presence indicator indicates presence of the home network, and performs the home network search process, when the home network search timer expires, and registers with the home network, if the home network is found in the home network search process.

19. The location registration system of claim 16, wherein the location registration accept message comprises at least one of a location area update accept message, a routing area update accept message, and an attach accept message.