Integrated Tracking Area Management in Femtocell Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

In LTE femtocell networks, tracking area management is challenging, especially for user equipment in idle mode, as existing methods struggle to accurately determine locations and optimize paging procedures due to obstacles and varying service demands indoors, leading to suboptimal signal quality and data transmit rates.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of integrated tracking area list management, which combines macrocell and femtocell tracking area information to enhance location tracking and paging efficiency by including overlapped macrocell tracking areas in the femtocell network, allowing for improved user equipment location determination and optimized paging procedures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If tracking areas are managed based on cells only, then location tracking accuracy is improved, but paging load and registration load increase due to frequent tracking area updates in indoor environments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation tracking accuracyVSAvoidpaging load

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges macrocell tracking areas with femtocell tracking areas into a unified tracking area management system. The mobility management entity integrates tracking area information from both macrocells and femtocells, creating a combined tracking area list that reduces the number of separate tracking area updates and paging operations required in indoor environments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The mobility management entity acts as an intermediary that receives tracking area information from both macrocell base stations and femtocell base stations. It processes and integrates this information to create a unified tracking area management approach, reducing the burden on user equipment and network nodes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If tracking area lists are extended to include macrocell tracking areas, then paging success rate is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaging success rateVSAvoidtracking area management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobility management entity performs multiple functions by universally managing tracking areas from both macrocells and femtocells using the same processing logic. This multi-functional approach improves paging success rate while avoiding the need for separate management mechanisms for different cell types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the mobility management entity receives tracking area information from base stations, processes it, and uses it to update tracking area lists. This feedback loop ensures that paging information is accurately transmitted while maintaining manageable complexity through automated processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS9648660B2Tracking area management

Publication Date: 2017.05.09 VALUE INNOVATION PARTNERS CO LTD

AI summary

The disclosure is related tracking area management in a femtocell network. A mobility management entity may receive, from a femtocell base station, macrocell tracking area information associated with the femtocell base station. The mobility management entity may combine the received macrocell tracking area information with femtocell tracking area information associated with the femtocell base station and storing the combined tracking area information as integrated tracking area information.