Intersystem location update and paging schemes for multitier wireless networks

Abstract

Global wireless networks enable mobile users to communicate regardless of their locations. One of the most important issues is location management in a highly dynamic environment because mobile users may roam between different wireless networks, network operators, and geographical regions. In this paper, a location tracking mechanism is introduced, which consists of intersystem location updates using the concept of boundary location area (BLA) and paging using the concept of boundary location register (BLR). The BLA is determined by a dynamic location update policy in which the velocity and the quality of service (QoS) are taken into account on a per-user basis. The BLR is used to maintain the records of mobile users crossing the boundary of networks. This mechanism not only reduces location tracking costs but also significantly decreases call loss rates and average paging delays. The performance evaluation of the proposed schemes is provided to demonstrate their effectiveness in multitier wireless networks.