Mobile telecommunications network and method for implementing and identifying hierarchical overlapping radio coverage areas

A mobile telecommunications network comprising:

• a mobile service switching center;
• a serving general packet radio service support node;
• a controller, coupled to the mobile service switching center and the serving general packet radio service support node, for managing a plurality of location areas and a plurality of routing areas, said location areas and said routing areas are controlled by the mobile service switching center and the serving general packet radio service support node, respectively;
• a plurality of cells, each cell accommodating a combination of at least one of said location areas and at least one of said routing areas;
• and
• an identification system for identifying the combination of the at least one of said location areas and the at least one of said routing areas, said identification system including a transceiver station controlled by said controller and located in each cell, said transceiver station including means for broadcasting a combined location code representative of the at least one location area accommodated by each cell.

A method for implementing and identifying hierarchical overlapping radio coverage areas used in a mobile telecommunications network, said method comprising the steps of:

• managing a plurality of location areas using a first switching center;
• managing a plurality of routing areas using a second switching center;
• accommodating at least one of said location areas and at least one of said routing areas within a cell;
• broadcasting at least one location area identifier representative of the at least one location area and broadcasting at least one routing area identifier representative of the at least one routing area accommodated by said cell;
• generating at least one combination identifier representative of the broadcasted at least one location area identifier and the broadcasted at least one routing area identifier;
• and
• assigning each of said at least one combination identifier a respective combination number.

A mobile telecommunications network comprising:

• a service switching center;
• a service support node;
• a controller, coupled to said service switching center and said service support node, for managing at least one location area and at least one routing area, said at least one location area and said at least one routing area are further controlled by said service switching center and said service support node, respectively;
• a plurality of cells, each of said plurality of cells accommodating said at least one location area and said at least one routing area;
• and
• an identification system for identifying at least one combination identifier representative of at least one location area identifier associated with said at least one location area and at least one routing area identifier associated with said at least one routing area, each of said at least one combination identifier being assigned a respective combination number.