Paging of mobile station in a cellular radio system

• US 6,351,641 B2
• Filed: 07/23/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Verkama, Markku
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/360,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/458, 455/456, 340/311.1, 340/313, 340/825.54, 340/7.2, 340/7.21
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

In cellular radio systems re-paging of a mobile station (MS) loads the mobile communications network very much, especially the limited radio path resources of the network. The present invention concerns a paging method in a cellular radio system including several cells (C1-C10). In the method a first paging of the mobile station (MS) is performed in all cells (C1-C10) of the area according to the stored location information. According to the invention, the paging method is characterized in that in the method the area according to the location information is divided according to the cell division into at least two sub-areas, each one of which is formed of at least one cell, limitation values for the number of pagings are defined for the cells on a sub-area basis and re-paging of the mobile station is limited in each cell of the area based on the said limitation values for the number of pagings.

Claims

1. A paging method in cellular radio system including several cells, mobile stations and a database storing information about a location area of a mobile station, wherein a first paging of a mobile station (MS) is performed within all cells of the area according to the stored location information, wherein the method comprises:

dividing a location area according to a cell division into at least two sub-areas, each one of which is formed of at least one cell,

defining a limitation value for the number of pagings for each cell of each sub-area, wherein the limitation value is based upon radio coverage in a cell, and

re-paging of the mobile station so that the number of re-pagings to be performed in each cell within the location area is limited based on the said limitation values setting the number of pagings for each cell.

2. Method as defined in claim 1, wherein the location area is divided according to the cell division into at least two sub-areas, each one of which is formed of one cell.

3. Method as defined in claim 1, wherein for performing re-paging of the mobile station

re-paging is started in those cells of the location area where the limitation values for the number of pagings allow re-paging, and

paging of the mobile station is interrupted when re-paging is not allowed in any cell of the location area.

4. Method as defined in claim 1, for performing re-paging of the mobile station wherein

the number of performed pagings is calculated,

said number of performed pagings is compared with the limitation values for the number of pagings of the cells and

a paging message is sent to the mobile station (MS) in those cells of the location area where the limitation value for the number of pagings exceeds the number of performed pagings, until the limitation value for the number of pagings does not exceed the number of performed pagings in any cell.

5. Method as defined in claim 1, wherein cell specific limitation values for the number of pagings are defined based on statistics on successful pagings in the radio system.

6. Arrangement in a cellular radio system, including several cells, mobile stations and a database storing information about the location area of a mobile station, the location area comprising at least two cells, the arrangement comprising means for storing cell specific limitation values for the number of pagings in each cell of the location area, wherein the limitation value is based upon radio coverage in a cell, and means for limiting re-pagings to be performed according to said limitation values.

7. Arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein the arrangement also includes means for defining limitation values for the number of pagings in the cells.

8. Arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein the means for limiting re-pagings to be performed include calculating means for counting the number of pagings to be performed, comparing means for comparing the value of the calculating means with the limitation values for the number of pagings in the cells and means for relaying a re-paging command to the cells in the area according to the location information based on the result of the comparison by the said comparing means.

9. Arrangement as defined in claim 7, wherein the means for defining cell specific limitation values include means of keeping statistics for forming statistics on successful pagings in the radio system and means of choosing limitation values for the number of pagings based on the statistics formed by the said means of keeping statistics.

10. Arrangement as defined in claim 9 in a cellular radio system, which cellular radio system includes an operation and maintenance centre, wherein the said means of choosing limitation values for the number of pagings is located in the operation and maintenance centre.

11. Arrangement as defined in claim 6 in a cellular radio system, which cellular radio system includes at least one centre, having subordinated to itself at least one base station controller and several base transceiver stations, wherein at least a part of the arrangement is located in the centre.

12. Arrangement as defined claim 6 in a cellular radio system, which cellular radio system includes at least one centre, having subordinated to itself at least one base station controller and several base transceiver stations, wherein at least a part of the arrangement is located in the base station controller.

13. Arrangement as defined claim 6 in a cellular radio system, which cellular radio system includes at least one centre, having subordinated to itself at least one base station controller and several base transceiver stations, wherein at least a part of the arrangement is located in the base transceiver station.