CN101640872B

CN101640872B - Method for updating user location information

Info

Publication number: CN101640872B
Application number: CN200810135397XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 孙敬坤
Original assignee: ZTE Corp
Current assignee: ZTE Corp
Priority date: 2008-08-01
Filing date: 2008-08-01
Publication date: 2012-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 2028-08-01
Also published as: CN101640872A

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for updating user location information. The method comprises the following steps that: a visit location register VLR in which a user is to stay sends an authentication request to a home location register HLR, wherein the authentication request carries the user location information; after receiving the authentication request, the HLR compares whether the user location information carried in the authentication request and user location information stored in the HLR are consistent; and if the user location information carried in the authentication request and the user location information stored in the HLR are not consistent, the user location information carried in the authentication request is used to update the user location information stored in the HLR. Under the condition of not significantly increasing network bandwidth and processing load of the VLR and the HLR, the method for updating the user location information can correct the problem that the user location information registered in the HLR and the actual user location information are not consistent in time to ensure normal operation of services. At the same time, an authentication request message completes the function of registration request, and network communication bandwidth is reduced. The method for updating the user location information can also be applied to other mobile communication systems.

Description

Method for updating user position information

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of mobile communications, and in particular, to a method for updating user location information.

Background

Fig. 1 shows a network architecture of a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) system in which when a mobile station (subscriber) roams from one VLR (Visitor Location Register, referred to as VLRa) to another VLR (referred to as VLRb), the VLRb registers Location information of the mobile station with an HLR (Home Location Register).

Fig. 2 shows a flow of registering location information, which includes the following steps:

step 201: after roaming from VLRa to VLRb, the mobile station sends a location update request to VLRb;

step 202: after receiving the location update request, the VLRb queries whether the VLRb itself stores the subscription information of the user, and if the VLRb stores the subscription information of the user, step 203 is executed; if the subscription information of the user is not stored, executing step 204;

step 203: VLRb considers that the user carries out location updating in the VLRb, sends a location updating response to the mobile station, does not initiate a registered location information flow to the HLR, and ends;

step 204: VLRb sends a registration request to HLR and initiates a registration position information flow;

VLRb information is carried in the registration request, which includes VLRb identity, VLRb capability information, and other update information that needs to be notified to the HLR.

Step 205: after receiving the registration request, the HLR sends a registration cancellation request to the VLRa;

step 206: after receiving the registration cancellation request, the VLRa deletes the stored subscription information of the user and returns a registration cancellation response to the HLR;

step 207: after receiving the registration cancellation response, the HLR updates the location information of the subscriber, which is stored in the HLR, using VLRb information, that is, VLRa information;

step 208: meanwhile, the HLR returns a registration response to the VLRb, and the registration response carries subscription information, an HLR identifier and the like of the user;

step 209: after receiving the registration response, the VLRb returns a location update response to the mobile station, thereby completing the registration procedure.

As shown in fig. 3, it is a comment on the problem of the above-mentioned flow; wherein,

step 301-step 305 are the same as step 201-step 205;

the method comprises the steps that an HLR sends a registration cancellation request to a VLRa, after the VLRa receives the registration cancellation request, subscription information of a user cannot be deleted successfully due to self faults and the like, and at the moment, the VLRa returns a registration cancellation failure response to the HLR; it is also possible that a time-out occurs due to a failure of the communication link between the HLR and the VLRa, which results in the VLRa failing to receive the registration cancellation request sent by the HLR, so that the HLR fails to receive the response message returned by the VLRa.

Step 306: after receiving the registration cancellation request, the VLRa does not successfully delete the subscription information of the user and returns a registration cancellation failure response to the HLR; or the HLR fails to send the registration cancellation request to the VLRa, and the HLR does not receive a response message returned by the VLRa and waits for timeout;

step 307: after receiving the registration cancellation failure response or waiting for timeout, the HLR updates the location information of the subscriber, which is stored in the HLR, by using the VLRb information, that is, VLRa information;

step 308-step 309 are the same as step 208-step 209;

step 310: sending a location update request to the VLRa when the mobile station again roams back from VLRb to VLRa;

step 311: after receiving the location update request, the VLRa queries whether the subscription information of the user is stored, and queries that the subscription information of the user is stored;

step 312: the VLRa sends a location update response to the mobile station, and ends.

The main problem with the above procedure is that in step 308, after the registration response is received by VLRb, the subscription information of the user is stored in both VLRa and VLRb.

When the subscriber roams back to VLRa again from VLRb, in step 311, since the subscription information of the subscriber is still stored in VLRa (not deleted due to abnormal situation), after receiving the location update request sent by the mobile station, it does not initiate the procedure of registering location information to HLR, but directly sends a location update response to VLRa, so that the information of VLRb that the subscriber has roamed out is still stored in HLR, and the service such as the called party of the subscriber cannot be performed normally.

In order to solve this problem, the existing solutions are:

1. after HLR fails to send a registration cancellation request to VLR which the user roams out, the HLR tries to resend the registration cancellation request to the VLR for many times;

2. VLR checks the user state at regular time, if finding that a certain user has no activity in a period of time, then deletes the subscription information of the user;

the above two schemes are to ensure that the user can initiate the registered location information flow to the HLR again when roaming back to the VLR by deleting the subscription information of the user in the VLR.

The above solutions have the following problems, respectively:

in the scheme 1, the HLR retransmits the registration cancellation request to the VLR for multiple times, so that the occupation of communication bandwidth is increased, and even the registration cancellation request is retransmitted to the VLR for multiple times, the subscription information of the user still can not be successfully deleted;

according to the scheme 2, the subscription information of the inactive user is deleted at regular time, the processing period is long, the subscription information of the user is generally set to be deleted in 24 hours in an inactive mode, and the processing is not timely.

Disclosure of Invention

The technical problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a method for updating user location information, when the VLR where the user is to reside stores the subscription information, the HLR can update the user location information in time, and no extra system resource is occupied.

In order to solve the technical problem, the invention discloses a method for updating user location information, a Visitor Location Register (VLR) where a user resides sends an authentication request to a Home Location Register (HLR), and the authentication request carries user location information; after receiving the authentication request, the HLR compares whether the user position information carried in the authentication request is the same as the position information of the user stored in the HLR, if not, the user position information carried in the authentication request is used for updating the position information of the user stored in the HLR.

Further, the user location information carried in the authentication request is an identifier of a VLR where the user is to reside.

Further, the user location information carried in the authentication request is the mobile switching center MSC identifier.

Further, if the user location information carried in the authentication request is different from the location information of the user stored in the HLR, before updating the location information of the user, the HLR sends an authentication response to the VLR, the authentication response carries a registration request initiating identifier, after receiving the authentication response, the VLR sends a registration request to the HLR according to the registration request initiating identifier, and after receiving the registration request, the HLR updates the location information of the user stored in the HLR.

Further, if the user location information carried in the authentication request is different from the location information of the user stored in the HLR, before updating the location information of the user, the HLR sends a registration cancellation request to the VLR identified by the location information of the user stored in the HLR, and notifies the VLR to delete the subscription information of the user.

Further, after the HLR completes updating the location information of the user, the HLR sends an authentication response to the VLR where the user is to reside, where the authentication response carries the HLR identification and the subscription information of the user.

Further, the HLR compares whether the MSC identification carried in the authentication request is the same as the position information of the user stored in the authentication request, and if the MSC identification is not the same as the position information of the user stored in the authentication request, the position information of the user stored in the HLR is updated by using the MSC identification.

Further, the HLR compares whether the user location information carried in the authentication request is the same as the location information of the user stored in the HLR, and if the location information of the user is not found locally, the user location information carried in the authentication request is stored as the location information of the user.

The invention triggers HLR to update the user position through the authentication request message, completes the update of the user position information in the HLR while carrying out the authentication process, can correct the problem that the user position information registered in the HLR is inconsistent with the actual user position information in time under the condition of not obviously increasing the network bandwidth and the processing load of VLR and HLR, ensures the normal operation of the service, simultaneously completes the function of the registration request through the authentication request message in the invention, reduces the network communication bandwidth, and can also be applied to other mobile communication systems.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a network architecture for a CDMA system;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of registering location information in the prior art;

fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating a problem in registering location information in the prior art;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of example 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of example 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The invention carries VLR information in the authentication request sent to HLR by VLR, after HLR receives the authentication request, if the VLR information carried in the authentication request is different from the stored location information (VLR information) of the user, the VLR information carried in the authentication request is used to update the stored VLR information.

The following description of the embodiments of the present invention is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings:

in fig. 4 to 6, cvlr (current VLR) indicates a VLR to which a mobile station roams or is ready to access, and PVLR (Previous VLR) indicates a VLR to which the mobile station roams out and which stores subscription information thereof.

Example 1:

fig. 4 shows a flow of the method of the present invention carrying CVLR information in the authentication request and registration request initiation identifier in the authentication response, including the following steps:

step 401: the wireless side sends an access request or a position updating request to the CVLR, the CVLR judges whether to initiate an authentication process to the HLR after receiving the access request or the position updating request, if so, the CVLR sends an authentication request to the HLR, and the authentication request carries CVLR information;

the CVLR information includes CVLR identification, its capability information, and other update information that needs to be notified to the HLR.

Whether to perform the authentication process can be configured in the VLR according to the need, and authentication is usually required both when the user accesses and location updates.

Step 402: after receiving the authentication request, the HLR performs authentication operation, and after completing authentication, compares whether the CVLR information carried in the authentication request is the same as the stored location information (PVLR information) of the user, if so, performs step 403;

step 403: HLR sends authentication response to CVLR, the authentication response carries registration request initiating identification, and indicates CVLR initiates registration position information flow to HLR;

in this embodiment, after receiving the authentication request, the HLR compares whether the CVLR identifier is the same as a VLR identifier (PVLR identifier) of the user stored in the HLR, and if not, sends an authentication response to the CVLR, where the authentication response carries a registration request initiation identifier.

If the HLR does not store the VLR information of the user, the authentication response is directly sent to the CVLR.

Step 404: after receiving the authentication response, the CVLR sends a registration request to the HLR according to the registration request initiating identification;

step 405: after receiving the registration request, the HLR sends a registration cancellation request to the PVLR to request the PVLR to delete the subscription information of the user;

step 406: after receiving the request for canceling registration, PVLR deletes the subscription information of the user and returns a response for canceling registration to HLR;

step 407: after receiving the registration cancellation response, the HLR updates the PVLR information of the user stored by the HLR by using the CVLR information and sends a registration response to the CVLR.

In this embodiment, the HLR updates the VLR identity (PVLR identity), VLR capability information (PVLR capability information), etc. of the user, which are stored in the HLR, using the CVLR identity, CVLR capability information, etc. carried in the authentication request.

At this time, the subscription information of the subscriber stored in the PVLR is successfully deleted, and the location information of the subscriber stored in the HLR is identical to the VLR where the subscriber is actually located.

Example 2:

fig. 5 shows a flow of the method of the present invention for directly updating the user location information after the HLR receives the CVLR information carried in the authentication request, which includes the following steps:

step 501: the wireless side sends an access request or a position updating request to the CVLR, the CVLR judges whether to initiate an authentication process to the HLR after receiving the access request or the position updating request, if so, the CVLR sends an authentication request to the HLR, and the authentication request carries CVLR information;

step 502: after receiving the authentication request, the HLR performs authentication operation, and after completing authentication, compares whether the CVLR information carried in the authentication request is the same as the VLR information (PVLR information) of the user stored in the HLR, if so, performs step 503;

if the VLR information for the subscriber is not stored in the HLR, step 503 is performed directly.

Step 503: HLR sends registration cancel request to PVLR to request PVLR to delete the user's subscription information;

step 504: after receiving the request for canceling registration, PVLR deletes the subscription information of the user and returns a response for canceling registration to HLR;

step 505: after receiving the registration cancellation response, the HLR updates the PVLR information of the user stored by the HLR by using the CVLR information;

step 506: meanwhile, the HLR sends an authentication response to the CVLR, and the authentication response carries the HLR identification, the subscription information (Profile) of the user and other parameters carried in the registration response.

Example 3:

fig. 6 shows a flow of the method of the present invention using the MSC identifier as the CVLR information, which includes the following steps:

step 601: the wireless side sends an access request or a position updating request to the CVLR, the CVLR judges whether to initiate an authentication flow to the HLR after receiving the access request or the position updating request, and if the authentication flow is initiated, the CVLR sends the authentication request to the HLR;

step 602: after receiving the authentication request, the HLR performs an authentication operation, and after completing the authentication, compares whether an MSC (Mobile Switching Center) identifier carried in the authentication request is the same as a VLR (PVLR) identifier of the user stored in the HLR, and if not, performs step 603;

at present, the authentication request carries the MSC identifier, the MSC and the VLR are integrated in the current network, and the MSC identifier is the same as the VLR identifier, so that the MSC identifier can be used for comparing with the VLR identifier stored in the HLR, and CVLR information does not need to be additionally added in the authentication request.

Step 603: HLR sends registration cancel request to PVLR to request PVLR to delete the user's subscription information;

step 604: after receiving the request for canceling registration, PVLR deletes the subscription information of the user and returns a response for canceling registration to HLR;

step 605: after receiving the response of canceling the registration, the HLR updates the PVLR identification of the user stored by the HLR by using the MSC identification;

step 606: meanwhile, the HLR sends an authentication response to the CVLR, and the authentication response carries the HLR identification, the subscription information of the user and other parameters carried in the registration response.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it should be understood that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of updating user location information,

after receiving an access request or a location updating request of a wireless side, a Visitor Location Register (VLR) where a user is to reside sends an authentication request to a Home Location Register (HLR), wherein the authentication request carries user location information;

after receiving the authentication request, the HLR compares whether the user position information carried in the authentication request is the same as the position information of the user stored in the HLR, if not, the HLR updates the position information of the user stored in the HLR by using the user position information carried in the authentication request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user location information carried in the authentication request is an identification of a VLR where the user is to reside.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber location information carried in the authentication request is a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) identity.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the location information of the user carried in the authentication request is different from the location information of the user stored in the HLR, before updating the location information of the user, the HLR sends an authentication response to the VLR, which carries a registration request initiation identifier, the VLR sends a registration request to the HLR according to the registration request initiation identifier after receiving the authentication response, and after receiving the registration request, the HLR performs the update of the location information of the user stored therein.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that if the location information of the subscriber carried in the authentication request is different from the location information of the subscriber stored in the HLR, before updating the location information of the subscriber, the HLR sends a registration cancellation request to the VLR identified by the location information of the subscriber stored in the HLR, and informs the VLR to delete the subscription information of the subscriber.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said HLR sends an authentication response to VLR where said subscriber is to reside after completing updating of said subscriber's location information, said authentication response carrying HLR identification and said subscriber's subscription information.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein said HLR compares whether the MSC ID carried in the authentication request is the same as the location information of the subscriber stored therein, and if not, updates the location information of the subscriber stored in said HLR using the MSC ID.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the HLR compares whether the location information of the subscriber carried in the authentication request is the same as the location information of the subscriber stored therein, and if the location information of the subscriber is not found locally, stores the location information of the subscriber carried in the authentication request as the location information of the subscriber.