A method for controlling paging and registration of a mobile device in a wireless communications system

Abstract

A method for locating a mobile device in a wireless communications system comprised of a plurality of base stations is provided. The method comprises associating the mobile device with a first base station of the plurality of base stations. Thereafter, a paging signal is delivered from a subset of base stations associated with the first base station to the mobile device. The subset of base stations may correspond to a network active set of base stations associated with the mobile device. Thereafter, when a signal from one of the base stations in the subset of base stations is received, indicating that the mobile device responded to the paging signal from the one base station, then the mobile device is located and may be associated with the one base station for future paging attempts.

1 . A method for locating a mobile device in a wireless communications system comprised of a plurality of base stations, comprising: 
 associating the mobile device with a first base station of the plurality of base stations;    delivering a paging signal from a subset of base stations associated with the first base station to the mobile device;    receiving a signal from one of the base stations in the subset of base stations indicating that the mobile device responded to the paging signal from the one base station; and    associating the mobile device with the one base station.    
   
   
       2 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein delivering the paging signal from the subset of base stations associated with the first base station to the mobile device further comprises delivering a signal from the first base station to the subset of base stations requesting that the subset of base stations deliver a paging signal to the mobile device.  
   
   
       3 . A method, as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein delivering a signal from the first base station to the subset of base stations requesting that the subset of base stations deliver a paging signal to the mobile device further comprises: 
 receiving a request at the first base station to deliver the paging signal to the mobile device; and    identifying at the first base station a plurality of base stations as being contained within the subset of base stations.    
   
   
       4 . A method, as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein identifying at the first base station a plurality of base stations as being contained within the subset of base stations further comprises identifying at the first base station a plurality of base stations having common location areas as being contained within the subset of base stations.  
   
   
       5 . A method, as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein identifying at the first base station a plurality of base stations as being contained within the subset of base stations further comprises identifying at the first base station a plurality of base stations located within a preselected distance of the first base station as being contained within the subset of base stations.  
   
   
       6 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein associating the mobile device with the first base station of the plurality of base stations further comprises maintaining a file that correlates the mobile device with the base station.  
   
   
       7 . A method, as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein maintaining the file that correlates the mobile device with a base station further comprises maintaining a database that correlates the mobile device with the base station.  
   
   
       8 . A method, as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein maintaining the file that correlates the mobile device with a base station further comprises maintaining a file in a server that correlates the mobile device with a base station.  
   
   
       9 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein associating the mobile device with the first base station of the plurality of base stations further comprises registering the mobile device through the first base station.  
   
   
       10 . A method, as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein registering the mobile device through the first base station further comprises registering the mobile device through the first base station in response to the mobile device being powered up in a region serviced by the first base station.  
   
   
       11 . A method, as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein registering the mobile device through the first base station further comprises registering the mobile device through the first base station in response to the mobile device moving a preselected distance from a base station with which the mobile device was previously registered.  
   
   
       12 . A method, as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein registering the mobile device through the first base station further comprises registering the mobile device through the first base station in response to a preselected period of time expiring since the mobile device was previously registered.  
   
   
       13 . A method, as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein registering the mobile device through the first base station further comprises registering the mobile device through the first base station in response to the first base station being outside of a subset of base stations associated with a base station with which the mobile device was previously registered.  
   
   
       14 . A method for registering a mobile device in a wireless communications system comprised of a plurality of base stations, comprising: 
 receiving a signal from a first one of the base stations indicating that the mobile device is communicating with the first one of the base stations; and    associating the mobile device with at least the first one of the base stations.    
   
   
       15 . A method, as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein associating the mobile device with at least the first one of the base stations further comprises maintaining a file that correlates the mobile device with at least the first one of the base stations.  
   
   
       16 . A method, as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein maintaining the file that correlates the mobile device with at least the first one of the base stations further comprises maintaining a database that correlates the mobile device with at least the first one of the base stations.  
   
   
       17 . A method, as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein maintaining the file that correlates the mobile device with at least the first one of the base stations further comprises maintaining a file in the server that correlates the mobile device with at least the first one of the base stations.  
   
   
       18 . A method, as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein associating the mobile device with the first one of the base stations further comprises registering the mobile device through the first one of the base stations.  
   
   
       19 . A method, as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein registering the mobile device through the first one of the base stations further comprises registering the mobile device through the first one of the base stations in response to the mobile device being powered up in a region serviced by the first one of the base stations.  
   
   
       20 . A method, as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein registering the mobile device through the first one of the base stations further comprises registering the mobile device through the first one of the base stations in response to the mobile device moving a preselected distance from a base station with which the mobile device was previously registered.  
   
   
       21 . A method, as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein registering the mobile device through the first one of the base stations further comprises registering the mobile device through the first one of the base stations in response to a preselected period of time expiring since the mobile device was previously registered.  
   
   
       22 . A method, as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein registering the mobile device through the first one of the base stations further comprises registering the mobile device through the first one of the base stations in response to the first one of the base stations being outside of a subset of base stations associated with a base station with which the mobile device was previously registered.  
   
   
       23 . A method, as set forth in  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 identifying a first location area comprised of a plurality of base stations including the first one of the base stations;    registering the mobile device with a new base station in response to the mobile device communicating with a new base station outside the location area.    
   
   
       24 . A method, as set forth in  claim 23 , wherein identifying a first location area comprised of a plurality of base stations including the first one of the base stations further comprises identifying the first location area including base stations selected based on load balancing.  
   
   
       25 . A method, as set forth in  claim 23 , wherein identifying a first location area comprised of a plurality of base stations including the first one of the base stations further comprises identifying the first location area including base stations selected based on an identifying characteristic of the mobile device.  
   
   
       26 . A method, as set forth in  claim 23 , wherein identifying a first location area comprised of a plurality of base stations including the first one of the base stations further comprises identifying the first location area including base stations selected based on a random sampling.  
   
   
       27 . A method, as set forth in  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 receiving a signal from the first one of the base stations indicating that a second mobile device is communicating with the first one of the base stations; and    registering the mobile device through the first one of the base stations;    identifying a second location area comprised of a plurality of base stations including the first one of the base stations, wherein the first and second location areas include at least some unique base stations.