Mobile communication system, mobile station, switching station, and location registration method for mobile station

Abstract

A decrease is realized in network load caused by a change in selection of location registration device or an increase or decrease in the number of installations, on a circuit switching network side. A mobile communication system includes a mobile station, a packet switching station, and a plurality of location registration devices that perform location management of the mobile station. With respect to the mobile station, after one location registration device is already selected from among the plurality of location registration devices, when the mobile station performs location registration, an NRI (Network Resource Identifier) included in a TMSI (Temporary Mobile Station Identifier) is transmitted to the packet switching station. The packet switching station makes a request for location registration with respect to the one location registration device, based on the NRI.

1 . A first mobility management node comprising:
 a controller; and   a memory operatively coupled with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to:   receive an attach request message from a mobile terminal upon a change of a mobility management node to the first mobility management node from a second mobility management node, the attach request message including a temporary identifier of a circuit switched (CS) domain for the mobile terminal, a network resource identifier (NRI) of the CS domain being included in the temporary identifier and identifying a location management node in the CS domain;
 select a location management node, from a plurality of location management nodes serving a current location area of the mobile terminal, based on the received temporary identifier including the NRI; and 
 send a request message for updating a location information of the mobile terminal to the selected location management node. 
   
     
     
         2 . The first mobility management node according to  claim 1 , wherein the first or the second mobility management node is a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) or a Mobility Management Entity (MME). 
     
     
         3 . The first mobility management node according to  claim 1 , wherein the location management node is a Mobile Switching Center/Visited Location Register (MSC/VLR). 
     
     
         4 . The first mobility management node according to  claim 1 , wherein the temporary identifier is a Temporary Mobile Station Identifier (TMSI). 
     
     
         5 . A location management node comprising:
 a controller configured to assign a temporary identifier of a circuit switched (CS) domain for a mobile terminal, the temporary identifier including a network resource identifier (NRI) of the CS domain, the NM identifying the location management node in the CS domain;   a transmitter configured to send a message including the temporary identifier to the mobile terminal via a second mobility management node; and   a receiver configured to receive a request message for updating a location information of the mobile terminal from the mobile terminal via a first mobility management node upon a change of a mobility management node to the first mobility management node from the second mobility management node, the first mobility management node selecting the location management node, from a plurality of location management nodes serving a current location area of the mobile terminal, based on the temporary identifier including NRI.   
     
     
         6 . The location management node according to  claim 5 , wherein the first or the second mobility management node is a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) or a Mobility Management Entity (MME). 
     
     
         7 . The location management node according to  claim 5 , wherein the location management node is a Mobile Switching Center/Visited Location Register (MSC/VLR). 
     
     
         8 . The location management node according to  claim 5 , wherein the temporary identifier is a Temporary Mobile Station Identifier (TMSI). 
     
     
         9 . A mobile terminal comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive, from a second mobility management node, a message including a temporary identifier of a circuit switched (CS) domain for the mobile terminal, the temporary identifier including a network resource identifier (NRI) of the CS domain, the NRI identifying a location management node in the CS domain; and   a transmitter configured to send an attach request message for updating a location information of the mobile terminal upon a change of a mobility management node to a first mobility management node from the second mobility management node, the request message including the temporary identifier including the NRI used for selecting the location management node from a plurality of location management nodes serving a current location area of the mobile terminal.   
     
     
         10 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 9 , wherein the first or the second mobility management node is a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) or a Mobility Management Entity (MME). 
     
     
         11 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 9 , wherein the location management node is a Mobile Switching Center/Visited Location Register (MSC/VLR). 
     
     
         12 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 9 , wherein the temporary identifier is a Temporary Mobile Station Identifier (TMSI). 
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a controller; and   a memory operatively coupled with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
 assign a temporary identifier of a circuit switched (CS) domain for a mobile terminal, the temporary identifier including a network resource identifier (NRI) of the CS domain, the NRI identifying a location management node in the CS domain; 
 send a message including the temporary identifier to the mobile terminal via a second mobility management node; 
   receive, by a first mobility management node, an attach request message from the mobile terminal upon a change of a mobility management node to the first mobility management node from a second mobility management node, the attach request message including the temporary identifier including the NRI;   select, by the first mobility management node, the location management node, from a plurality of location management nodes serving a current location area of the mobile terminal, based on the temporary identifier including the NRI; and   receive a request message for updating a location information of the mobile terminal from the first mobility management node.   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the first or the second mobility management node is a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) or a Mobility Management Entity (MME). 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the location management node is a Mobile Switching Center/Visited Location Register (MSC/VLR). 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the temporary identifier is a Temporary Mobile Station Identifier (TMSI).