Location registration method, apparatus, and system

• US 8,463,287 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Dong Ho, Koo, In Hoe
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US12/647,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20100167755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/456.1, 455/404.1, 455/435.1, 455/432.1, 455/574, 455/522
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 network connected to the mobile terminal in response to a location registration request message;

comparing connected network information contained in the location registration accept message from the connected network with 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 home network presence information contained in the location registration accept message,

wherein the search is performed when the home network presence information indicates that a home network is neighboring the connected network;

otherwise the search is not performed.

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 with the home network information stored in the mobile terminal comprises:

comparing the MCC of the connected network information with the MCC of the home network information; and

comparing the MNC of the connected network information with the MNC of the home network information.

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 MCC of the connected network information is identical with the MCC of the home network information and the MNC of the connected network information is different from the MNC of the home network information.

5. The location registration method of claim 1, wherein determining whether 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 home network presence information indicates an absence of the home network in proximity of the mobile terminal.

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

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

activating a home network search timer if the home network presence information indicates presence of the home network neighboring the connected 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 of 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.

20. The location registration method of claim 1, the home network presence information comprises a value, wherein the value includes “

0”

indicating an absence of the home network around the location of the mobile terminal and “

1”

indicating a presence of the home network around the location of the mobile terminal.

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

a radio frequency unit which exchanges signals related to a registration and a home network search with a network connected to the mobile terminal;

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

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

wherein the search is performed when the home network presence information indicates that a home network is neighboring the connected network;

otherwise, the search is not performed.

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 MCC and MNC of the connected network information with the MCC and MNC of the home network information and determines, if the MCC of the connected network information is identical with the MCC of and the home network information and the MNC of the connected network information is different from the MNC of home network information, 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 home network presence information indicates an absence of the home network in proximity of the mobile terminal.

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;

activates, if the home network presence information 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 when the home network is found through 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.

21. The location registration apparatus of claim 10, the home network presence information comprises a value, wherein the value includes “

0”

indicating an absence of the home network around the location of the mobile terminal and “

1”

indicating a presence of the home network around the location of the mobile terminal.

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,

wherein the visited network receives a location registration request message transmitted by the mobile terminal and sends a location registration response message containing home network presence information to the mobile terminal in response to the location registration request message, and the mobile terminal determines whether to perform a home network search process based on the home network presence information, the search being performed when the home network presence information indicates that a home network is neighboring the connected network;

otherwise, the search is not performed.

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 home network presence information indicates an absence of the home network in proximity of the mobile terminal.

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;

activates a home network search timer if the home network presence information indicates presence of the home network neighboring the connected network;

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.

22. The location registration system of claim 16, the home network presence information comprises a value, wherein the value includes “

0”

indicating an absence of the home network around the location of the mobile terminal and “

1”

indicating a presence of the home network around the location of the mobile terminal.