US 8,571,583 B2 · Tracking area management method and apparatus for long term evolution telecommunication systems

Abstract

An MME keeps track of network tracking mobility characteristics by periodically updating a TA transition probability matrix derived from a global table that maintains UE movement data in the network by noting current TA and most recently known previous TA of each EU for every TAU event and paging event. The MME also maintains data of the number of paging events and TAUs performed by each UE and stores a paging ratio versus TAU for each UE. The UE characteristics, UE paging ratio, and network mobility characteristic are utilized in an algorithm that constructs a TA list for each UE designed to minimize the overall traffic cost function for paging events and TAU events for that UE and the overall network. Optionally, the TA list for each EU is constrained to meet certain minimum performance characteristics such as a predetermined paging success rate target and/or a predetermined delay bound target.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of building a tracking area list for a user equipment in a network having a plurality of tracking areas and a plurality of user equipments capable of being moved between tracking areas of the network, comprising:

maintaining in a computer memory data disclosing a frequency of tracking area management events of user equipments between every pair of tracking areas of the network over a time period, the tracking area management events comprising paging events and tracking area update events;
receiving relative cost data of real time costs of a paging event relative to real time costs of a tracking area update event in the network, the real time costs being defined by a network operator, wherein the real time costs comprise an average load required to perform a paging event or a tracking area update event;
determining, using a processor, a ratio of paging event to tracking area update event in the network for at least one user equipment;
predicting, using a processor, based on the frequency data, the relative cost data, and the ratio data, a number of tracking areas, n, to include in a tracking area list for the at least one user equipment, which number predictively reduces a sum cost of paging events and tracking area update events in the network;
and
constructing, using a processor, a tracking area list for the at least one user equipment having n tracking areas.

3 more elements

A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium for building a tracking area list in a network having a plurality of tracking areas and a plurality of user equipments capable of being moved between tracking areas of the network comprising:

computer executable instructions for maintaining data disclosing a frequency of tracking area management events of user equipment between every pair of tracking areas of the network over a time period, the tracking area management events comprising paging events and tracking area update events;
computer executable instructions for receiving relative cost data of real time costs of a paging event relative to real time costs of a tracking area update event in the network, the real time costs being defined by a network operator, wherein the real time costs comprise an average load required to perform a paging event or a tracking area update event;
computer executable instructions for determining a ratio of paging event to tracking area update event for at least one user equipment;
computer executable instructions for predicting, based on the frequency data, the relative cost data, and the ratio data, a number of tracking areas, n, to include in a tracking area list for the at least one user equipment, which number predictively reduces a sum cost of paging events and tracking area update events in the network;
and
computer executable instructions for constructing a tracking area list for the at least one user equipment having n tracking areas.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tracking area management method and apparatus for long term evolution telecommunication systems

Life of this patent

Tracking area management method and apparatus for long term evolution telecommunication systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21