Global Location Register Proxy for Roaming User Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current global location registers (GLRs) in cellular networks face challenges such as errors causing network malfunctions, difficulty in correcting errors, and potential loss of roamer tracking due to shutdowns, as well as ambiguities in local identification numbers assigned by visitor location registers, which hinder their usability and effectiveness in managing roaming users.
Innovation Solution
A global location register apparatus that appears as a single visitor location register to external networks, tracks roaming users between multiple visitor location registers, relays communications, and includes features like a search unit for lost users, a blacklist mechanism, and a global local identification number assignment to overcome ambiguities, while allowing for soft shutdowns and statistical gathering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a global location register (GLR) is implemented to reduce international signaling and prevent traffic redirection, then signaling efficiency is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to errors causing network malfunctions and loss of roamer tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a backup mechanism that proactively stores roamer location information in both the GLR and the VLR before any potential failure occurs. This cushioning approach ensures that if the GLR fails or loses tracking, the location information is already preserved in the VLR, preventing network malfunctions and loss of roamer tracking without requiring continuous redundant signaling.
2Loss of time
If the GLR tracks roaming users across multiple VLRs to appear as a single VLR to external networks, then location update signaling is reduced, but ambiguities in local identification numbers assigned by different VLRs create tracking difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mapping mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the GLR and multiple VLRs. This mapping stores the correspondence between global identification numbers and local VLR-specific identification numbers, allowing the GLR to track roamers across different VLRs without being confused by ambiguous local identification numbers. The mapping resolves the complexity by providing a clear translation layer.
3Ease of repair
If the GLR is shut down to correct errors or perform maintenance, then system reliability is improved, but roaming user tracking is lost and service interruption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by proactively transferring or preserving roamer location information to the VLR before the GLR is shut down for error correction or maintenance. This ensures that when the GLR is taken offline, the tracking capability is already preserved in the VLR, allowing the system to maintain reliability while still enabling easy repair and error correction of the GLR.
4Productivity
If the GLR emulates VLR and SGSN for the home network to relay all traffic, then location updating is optimized, but the system becomes a single point of failure causing network malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by ensuring that critical location tracking information is preserved in both the GLR and the VLR before any failure can occur. This dual-storage approach creates a safety buffer that prevents network malfunctions even if the GLR fails, as the VLR already has the necessary information to continue tracking roamers without interruption to location update efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A global location register (GLR) provides a proxy for visitor location registers to the home location registers to avoid updating of the external network with location update notifications upon transfer of a roaming user between visitor location registers. The standard GLR is extended by being configured with multiple addresses, has a soft shutdown procedure, has a blacklist mechanism, a searching facility for finding lost roaming users, and has a mechanism for overcoming ambiguities in local identification numbers assigned by visitor location registers.