Administrative Area Location Reporting in Mobile Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile communication networks are limited in their ability to report user location information at a granularity level beyond the mobile network-related areas, leading to increased signaling load and inefficiencies, particularly when tracking user location changes across administrative areas defined for administrative purposes such as provinces, states, or counties.
Innovation Solution
The method involves defining a new granularity for user location information reporting at the administrative area level, allowing the Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) or Online Charging System (OCS) to trigger reporting using an administrative area level identifier without mapping to specific mobile network-related areas, and configuring entities like MME/SGSN with mapping tables to detect administrative area changes, thereby reducing unnecessary signaling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If user location information is reported at mobile network related area level (cells, eNBs, tracking areas), then location tracking capability is provided, but signaling load increases and granularity is insufficient for administrative area management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the location reporting function by introducing a new granularity level (administrative area) that is distinct from mobile network related areas. This segmentation allows the system to report location changes only when crossing administrative boundaries rather than reporting every mobility management area change, thereby reducing signaling load while maintaining administrative tracking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces mapping tables as an intermediary mechanism between mobile network related areas and administrative areas. These mapping tables enable the system to determine whether a mobility event corresponds to an administrative area change without requiring direct reporting of all mobility events, thus reducing unnecessary signaling while preserving location tracking accuracy at the administrative level.
2Adaptability or versatility
If mapping between mobile network related areas and administrative areas is implemented, then administrative area tracking is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring mapping tables that define the relationship between mobile network related areas and administrative areas before runtime operations. This allows the system to efficiently determine administrative area changes during mobility events without performing complex real-time calculations, thereby reducing operational complexity while enabling versatile administrative area tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment is a method for support of retrieval and/or reporting and/or triggering the reporting of user location information in a mobile network, wherein said user location information is retrieved and/or reported and/or the reporting of said user location information is triggered, at a granularity of an area referred to as administrative area defined as a set of mobile network related areas, mobile network related areas being defined at mobile network management level, and mobile network related areas being mapped to administrative areas.