Efficient location finding utilising routing functional in 3/sup rd/ generation wireless/mobile systems

One of the core functionalities in wireless/mobile networks, is tracking of mobile terminals (MTs) location. Massive user roaming requires a location management mechanism that provides for speed and signalling efficiency. This paper proposes an efficient location finding mechanism based on flexible routing functionality in the radio access network (RAN) of 3G mobile systems. To assess its applicability, two operational scenarios are identified: a "traditional" one, featuring transaction-based routing updates and paging in the RAN; and an innovative one, that minimises paging and enhances accuracy of the MTs location information, at the cost of more frequent updates. A trade-off analysis between the two approaches is provided, focusing on the incurred air-interface signalling load and identifying the important traffic parameters and thresholds.