WO2013021436A1 - Location registration area setting device, network device, location registration area setting method, network device communication method and wireless communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a location registration area setting method in a wireless communication system (1) provided with: a plurality of network devices (8, 9) which provide a plurality of location registration areas (RA, TA) that each comprise at least one cell; and a location registration area setting device (5) which determines the cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas. The load in one network device which provides one location registration area from among the plurality of location registration areas and the load in another network device which can change in accordance with changes in the cell configuration of the one location registration area are used as the basis for determining the cell configuration of the one location registration area, and the determined cell configuration is notified to at least the one network device.

Description

Location registration area setting device, network device, location registration area setting method, network device communication method, and wireless communication system

The present invention relates to a location registration area setting device, a network device, a location registration area setting method, a communication method for a network device, and a wireless communication system.

In a mobile communication system, the position of a mobile user terminal (hereinafter also simply referred to as UE: User Equipment) in standby (also referred to as idle mode) is managed in units of location registration areas.
This location registration area is referred to as a tracking area (TA) in a system employing the LTE (Long Term Evolution) method. On the other hand, in a system employing a communication system before LTE such as 2G / 3G, it is called a location area (LA) or a routing area (RA). The location registration area is composed of at least one cell.

The idle mode UE performs location registration when moving across the location registration area. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, when a UE moves from one location registration area TA # b to another location registration area TA # c, the UE sends location registration information to MME (Mobility Management Entity). A message for updating (TAU: Tracking Area Update, hereinafter simply referred to as a location registration request) is transmitted. Although not shown, similarly, when the UE moves across different location registration areas RA, the UE updates location registration information to SGSN [Serving GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Support Node]. A message (RAU: Routing Area Update, hereinafter simply referred to as a location registration request together with TAU) is transmitted.

The location registration request is notified to a subscriber information management device such as an HSS (Home Subscriber Server) by a network device (NE: Network Element) such as SGSN or MME. This allows the system to manage which cell the UE or user is in or which NE is connected to.
On the other hand, when the UE moves between cells (for example, Cell #d to Cell #e) in the same location registration area TA # b, the UE does not need to transmit a location registration request.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 1B, when an incoming call occurs to the UE, NEs such as GW (GateWay) and MME all configure the location registration area TA # b in which the UE is located. Call (paging) is performed by Cell # c, Cell # d, and Cell # e.
The UE called by paging transmits a service request to the serving cell Cell # d, whereby a call is established.

As a technique related to UE location registration, even when the UE changes the bearer state, a method is known in which location registration is not performed in the LTE switching center MME when the UE moves from the 3G cell to the LTE cell. (See Patent Document 1 below).
There is also known a method in which the network control entity in each location registration area manages UE movement by holding context information about UEs that can be simultaneously registered in a plurality of tracking areas (see Patent Document 2 below). ).

Furthermore, various techniques relating to optimization of the location registration area have also been proposed (see Non-Patent Document 1 below).

JP 2010-45551 A Special table 2010-524310

For example, the setting of the location registration area may be changed, such as the number of cells constituting the location registration area, the size and range of the location registration area.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the number of cells in the location registration area TA # b is increased from the state of FIG. 1A, the location registration is performed even if the UE moves from Cell # d to Cell # f. Since it is not necessary to transmit a request, the frequency of location registration requests can be reduced.

As a result, the uplink access frequency of the UE accompanying the location registration request can be reduced, and the battery consumption of the UE can be suppressed.
On the other hand, paying attention to paging when the number of cells in the location registration area TA # b is increased, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, paging is transmitted to Cell # d and there is a UE to be called. Not transmitted in Cell # c, Cell # e, Cell # f.

For this reason, as the location registration area is larger, paging increases, so that downlink radio resources are wasted.
As described above, since the location registration request frequency and the paging load are in a trade-off relationship, in order to increase the resource usage efficiency while suppressing the battery consumption of the UE, appropriately configure the cells constituting the location registration area. It is required to set.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to appropriately set a location registration area.
In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described object, and other effects of the present invention can be achieved by the functions and effects derived from the respective configurations shown in the embodiments for carrying out the invention which will be described later. It can be positioned as one of

(1) As a first proposal, a plurality of network devices that respectively provide a plurality of location registration areas each including at least one cell, and a location registration area setting device that determines a cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas The location registration area setting device in a wireless communication system comprising: a load in one network device that provides one location registration area among the plurality of location registration areas; and a change in a cell configuration of the one location registration area. A processing unit that determines a cell configuration of the one location registration area based on a load in another network device that may vary along with the transmission unit, and a transmission unit that notifies the determined cell configuration to at least the one network device Can be used.

(2) As a second proposal, a plurality of network devices that respectively provide a plurality of location registration areas each including at least one cell, and a location registration area setting device that determines a cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas In the wireless communication system comprising: a network device that provides the one location registration area in accordance with a change in the cell configuration of one location registration area among the plurality of location registration areas. Information on load factors that cause both the load and the load on the other network device to fluctuate, and information on load factors that cause only the load on the one network device to fluctuate in accordance with a change in the cell configuration of the one location registration area A load information acquisition unit for acquiring And a transmission unit for notifying the A setting device, it is possible to use a network device.

(3) Further, as a third proposal, a plurality of network devices each providing a plurality of location registration areas each consisting of at least one cell, and a location registration area setting device for determining a cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas A location registration area setting method in a wireless communication system comprising: a load in one network device that provides one location registration area among the plurality of location registration areas, and a change in a cell configuration of the one location registration area A location registration area setting that determines a cell configuration of the one location registration area based on a load on another network device that may vary with the network device and notifies the determined cell configuration to at least the one network device The method can be used.

(4) As a fourth proposal, a plurality of network devices that respectively provide a plurality of location registration areas each including at least one cell, and a location registration area setting device that determines a cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas A communication method for the network device in a wireless communication system comprising: a location registration area provided with a change in a cell configuration of one location registration area among the plurality of location registration areas. Information on load factors that cause both the load on the network device and the load on the other network device to fluctuate, and the load that changes only the load on the one network device in accordance with a change in the cell configuration of the one location registration area Information about the factors, and each of the acquired information is set in the location registration area Notifies the location, a communication method of the network apparatus can be used.

(5) Further, as a fifth plan, a wireless communication system including a plurality of network devices each providing a plurality of location registration areas each including at least one cell and the location registration area setting device is used. it can.
(6) Further, as a sixth proposal, a plurality of the network devices that respectively provide a plurality of location registration areas each including at least one cell, and a location registration area setting that determines a cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas A wireless communication system with a device can be used.

(7) Further, as a seventh plan, a wireless communication system including a plurality of network devices each providing a plurality of location registration areas each including at least one cell and the location registration area setting device is used. Can do.

It becomes possible to set the location registration area appropriately.

(A) is a figure explaining an example of position registration, (B) is a figure explaining an example of paging. (A) is a figure explaining an example of position registration, (B) is a figure explaining an example of paging. (A) is a figure which shows an example of the paging before a location registration area structure change, (B) is a figure which shows an example of the paging after a position registration area structure change. (A) is a figure which shows an example of the position registration request | requirement before a position registration area structure change, (B) is a figure which shows an example of the position registration request after a position registration area structure change. It is a figure explaining the example of transmission of the location registration request in the core network which accommodates 3G network and a LTE network. It is a figure explaining an example of ISR. It is a figure which shows an example of the relationship between a location registration area structure and paging load. It is a figure which shows an example of the relationship between a location registration area structure and paging load. It is a figure which shows an example of the relationship between a location registration area structure and paging load. It is a figure which shows an example of the relationship between a location registration area structure and paging load. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the radio | wireless communications system which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the core network service node shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the management node shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of an area load information message. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of a core network service node. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of a core network service node. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of a management node. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of a management node. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the management node which concerns on a 1st modification. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the management node which concerns on a 1st modification. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of a core network service node. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of a management node.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and technical applications that are not clearly shown in the embodiment and modifications described below. That is, it goes without saying that the following embodiments can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
[1] Description of Embodiment (1.1) Location Registration Area Setting Example As a method of setting the size of the location registration area, for example, the frequency of location registration requests and the frequency of service requests are set for each cell. There is a method of measuring and adding a cell to the location registration area based on the measurement result, or separating the cell from the location registration area.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the frequency of occurrence of a service request (see the dashed arrow in the figure) exceeds a certain threshold in a certain location registration area TA, Cell # a and Cell # that constitute the TA Cell #a having the highest service request occurrence frequency among b and Cell #c is separated from TA as shown in FIG. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, the white arrow indicates paging, and the thickness of the white arrow indicates the paging amount.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 3B, paging to the UE located in Cell #a is not performed in Cell #b and Cell #c, so that the frequency of occurrence of paging can be reduced. It becomes possible to reduce the paging load.
On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, when the frequency of occurrence of a service request (see the dashed arrow in the figure) is less than a certain threshold in a certain location registration area TA, Cell # a having the highest occurrence frequency of the registration request (see the dashed line arrow in the figure) is added (taken in) to the TA as shown in FIG. 4 (B). The threshold value may be the same value as the above-described threshold value that triggered the cell separation, or may be a value smaller than the above-described threshold value that triggered the cell separation. 3A and 3B, in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the white arrow indicates paging, and the thickness of the white arrow indicates the paging amount. Represents.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4B, the location registration request is not transmitted even if the UE moves between Cell #a and Cell #b, so the frequency of location registration requests can be reduced. It is possible to suppress battery consumption of the UE.
As described above, by changing and setting the size of the location registration area according to the frequency of location registration requests and service requests, the paging load can be reduced and the battery consumption of the UE can be reduced. Can be.

(1.2) ISR (Idle mode Signaling Reduction) A core network (EPC: Evolved Packet Core) system that accommodates a 3G radio access network and an LTE radio access network in an integrated manner is being introduced. In such a core network system, as shown in FIG. 5, when the UE moves between location registration areas (for example, from RA to TA), a location registration request is transmitted from the UE to the network side.

Also in the core network system illustrated in FIG. 5, as described above, the battery consumption of the UE increases as the frequency of location registration requests increases.
Therefore, in order to suppress the battery consumption of the UE, a signaling reduction specification called ISR that reduces the frequency of occurrence of location registration requests has been proposed.
In a system that employs ISR, the network device and the UE manage the RA and the TA in association with each other, and as illustrated in FIG. 6, the location when the UE moves between the RA and TA associated with each other. Registration can be made unnecessary. Hereinafter, a state in which RA and TA are associated with each other by ISR may be simply referred to as an ISR state. Whether or not ISR is applied is set for each UE. Hereinafter, a UE to which ISR is applied is referred to as an ISR terminal, and a UE to which ISR is not applied may be referred to as a non-ISR terminal.

When a UE that is an ISR terminal moves from a TA or RA that is in an ISR state to a TA or RA that is not in an ISR state, the ISR state is canceled, and UE location management is performed for each RA and TA.
Further, in a core network system that employs ISR, when an incoming call occurs to a UE that is an ISR terminal, paging processing is performed on both TA and RA in an ISR state.

For this reason, in the core network system adopting ISR, when the location registration area setting method described in (1.1) is used, in addition to the addition or separation of cells performed in a certain location registration area, other The paging load in the location registration area may change.
FIG. 7 shows an example of the relationship between the location registration area configuration and the paging load in the core network system.

In the core network system illustrated in FIG. 7, the SGSN manages the location registration area RA composed of Cell # a, Cell # b, and Cell # c, and the MME is the location registration area composed of Cell # d and Cell # e. I manage TA. In the example shown in FIG. 7, it is assumed that RA and TA are in the ISR state.
At this time, the sum of the paging loads in the SGSN is the paging load a for the ISR terminals located in Cell #a, the paging load b for the non-ISR terminals located in Cell #b, and the non-range existing in Cell #c. This is expressed as the sum of the paging load c to the ISR terminal and the paging load e to the ISR terminal located in Cell #e.

On the other hand, the total paging load in the MME is the paging load d for non-ISR terminals located in Cell # d, the paging load e for ISR terminals located in Cell # e, and the ISR terminals located in Cell # a. It is represented by the sum of paging load a.
Here, when the total paging load in the SGSN increases to a predetermined threshold (hereinafter referred to as the first threshold) or more, for example, it is conceivable that Cell # a having the largest paging load is separated from the RA.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, when Cell # a is separated from the RA, the total paging load in the SGSN is the sum of paging loads b, c, and e.
On the other hand, since the paging load a is eliminated even in TA by separating Cell # a from RA, the total paging load in the MME is the sum of paging loads d and e.

Then, due to the change in the total paging load, for example, when the total paging load in the MME becomes less than another threshold value smaller than the first threshold value, as illustrated in FIG. f may be added.
For example, when many UEs located in Cell #f move to ISR terminals, the total paging load in MME is paging loads d and e, and paging load f to ISR terminals located in Cell #f. The sum of

By adding Cell # f to TA, the total paging load in SGSN becomes the sum of paging loads b, c, and e and paging load f, and the paging load in SGSN increases again.
In this way, the paging load in other location registration areas may change in conjunction with the addition or detachment of cells performed in a location registration area.

However, in Patent Documents 1 and 2 and Non-Patent Document 1, such a situation is not taken into consideration, and when the conventional position registration area setting method is implemented, the position registration area configuration in the system does not converge, and the system May become unstable.
(1.3) Location Registration Area Setting Method of this Example Therefore, in this example, when adding or disconnecting a cell in a certain location registration area, the cell is added or disconnected in consideration of ISR.

For example, when adding or disconnecting a cell in a certain location registration area, the load status in the network device that provides the location registration area and other location registration areas that are in the ISR state with the location registration area A cell to be added or detached can be selected according to the load status of the network device.
Further, when selecting a cell to be added or detached, the frequency of service requests of ISR terminals located in the cell, the frequency of occurrence of location registration requests of ISR terminals, the frequency of service requests of non-ISR terminals, The frequency of ISR terminal location registration requests may be considered.

For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 7, when the total paging load in the SGSN is equal to or greater than the first threshold, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the Cell # c in which no ISR terminal exists is separated from the RA. The paging load in the SGSN can be reduced without changing the paging load in the MME that manages the TA in the ISR state.

As described above, according to this example, since the configuration of the location registration area can be appropriately set, the operation of the system can be stabilized without destabilizing the configuration of the location registration area in the system. It becomes possible.
(1.4) Configuration Example of Radio Communication System According to One Embodiment FIG. 11 shows an example of the configuration of the radio communication system 1 according to one embodiment of the present example.

The wireless communication system 1 shown in FIG. 11 exemplarily includes a GW 3, an HSS 4, a management node 5, an SGSN 8, an MME 9, and RNC / BSS (Radio Network Controller / Base Station System) 10-1, 10-. 2, eNB (evolved NodeB) 11-1, 11-2, and UE 12.
Hereinafter, when RNC / BSSs 10-1 and 10-2 are not distinguished, they are simply expressed as RNC / BSS10, and when eNBs 11-1 and 11-2 are not distinguished, they are simply expressed as eNB11. Moreover, the number of SGSN8, MME9, RNC / BSS10, eNB11, and UE12 is not limited to the number illustrated in FIG. 11, respectively.

GW3 is an entity that serves as an interface to MME9 and SGSN8. For example, the GW 3 transmits / receives a user packet to / from an E-UTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network) eNB 11 via the MME 9, or UTRAN (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network) or GERAN (GEneric) via the SGSN 8. A user packet is transmitted / received to / from the RNC / BSS 10 of Radio Access Network). The E-UTRAN includes a UE 12 as an example of a mobile user terminal and an eNB 11 as an example of a base station apparatus.

GW 3 is also an entity that becomes an interface to the packet network 2. The packet network 2 includes, for example, the Internet, a network within an operator, a private packet data network, a packet data network between operators (for providing an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) service, a PSS (Packet-switched Streaming Service), etc.). May be. Note that the GW 3 may be configured by separating the above interface functions into a PDN-GW (Packet Data Network-GateWay) and an S-GW (Serving-GateWay).

The HSS 4 is a server including a database that manages user information such as a user name and location information of the UE 12.
The MME 9 is an entity that manages the location (mobility) of the UE 12 in cooperation with the HSS 4 and performs bearer management, NAS (Non-Access-Stratum) signaling, and the like. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the MME 9 configures a location registration area TA composed of Cell # c and Cell # d provided by the eNBs 11-1 and 11-2, respectively, and manages the location of the UE 12 in units of this TA. To do.

SGSN 8 is a node provided to connect to a radio access network such as UTRAN or GERAN (more specifically, RNC / BSS 10 as a component thereof) in the GPRS environment. For example, the SGSN 8 manages the location (mobility) of the UE 12 in cooperation with the HSS 4 and performs bearer management, NAS (Non-Access-Stratum) signaling, and the like. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the SGSN 8 configures a location registration area RA composed of Cell # a and Cell # b provided by the RNC / BSSs 10-1 and 10-2, respectively, and the location of the UE 12 in this RA unit. Manage.

As described above, the SGSN 8 and the MME 9 each function as an example of a core network service node that provides a service in the radio communication system 1 or the packet network 2 to the UE 12.
The eNB 11 and the RNC / BSS 10 are entities that terminate a radio interface with the UE 12, and receive a radio packet from the UE 12 and transmit a radio packet addressed to the UE 12.

The UE 12 has a radio interface, is connected to the eNB 11 or the RNC / BSS 10 via a radio link in the service area of the eNB 11 or the RNC / BSS 10, and communicates with other UEs or server devices via the eNB 11 or the RNC / BSS 10 . Here, the radio link includes an uplink (UL) that is a direction from the UE 12 to the eNB 11 or the RNC / BSS 10 and a downlink (DL) that is the opposite direction. The UE 12 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a notebook PC (Personal Computer), and the like. Further, the UE 12 may be a communication terminal connected to the eNB 11 or the RNC / BSS 10 through a wired interface.

Here, in the wireless communication system 1 illustrated in FIG. 11, for example, the RA provided by the SGSN 8 and the TA provided by the MME 9 are associated with each other by application of the ISR technology and managed by the management node 5.
The management node (location registration area setting device) 5 determines the location registration area configuration in the wireless communication system 1 based on various information notified from the SGSN 8 and the MME 9.

For this reason, the management node 5 includes, for example, a 3G area management unit 6 that changes the area configuration of the location registration area RA and an LTE area management unit 7 that changes the area configuration of the location registration area TA. Note that the 3G area management unit 6 and the LTE area management unit 7 may be configured to be integrated, and in the configuration example of the management node 5 described later, an example in which the 3G area management unit 6 and the LTE area management unit 7 are integrated. However, it is not intended to be limited to this.

(1.3) Configuration Example of Core Network Service Node Here, a configuration example of a core network service node taking SGSN 8 and MME 9 as an example is shown in FIG.
The core network service nodes 8 and 9 shown in FIG. 12 exemplarily include a network interface (IF) unit 13, a core network service control unit 14, a statistical information collection unit 15, a device management control unit 16, and an area. A configuration management unit 17 and a user information management unit 18 are provided.

The network IF unit 13 terminates the L1 / L2 protocol specific to the network interface and performs data transmission / reception with the outside. Specifically, for example, the network IF unit 13 has an interface function to the GW 3, HSS 4, management node 5, RNC / BSS 10, and eNB 11, and receives data received from the external devices 3 to 5, 10, and 11 as a core network service. The data is sent to the function units 14 to 18 in the nodes 8 and 9, while the data from the function units 14 to 18 is sent to the external devices 3 to 5, 10, and 11.

Here, the core network service control unit 14 performs signaling processing for providing the mobile communication service to the UE 12, the GW 3 and the HSS 4. Specifically, for example, the core network service control unit 14 controls data such as packets transmitted and received between the GW 3 and the UE 12, and notifies the HSS 4 of user information such as a user name and location information of the UE 12. To do.

The statistical information collection unit 15 collects and holds various pieces of statistical information such as the number of occurrences or frequency of occurrence for each signaling processing type and the number of successes or failures for each signaling processing. Specifically, for example, the statistical information collection unit 15 includes a paging load L ₁ for an ISR terminal, a paging load L ₂ for a non-ISR terminal, and the location registration area for each location registration area provided by the local stations 8 and 9. ISR terminal service request frequency S ₁ , non-ISR terminal service request frequency S ₂ , location registration request frequency R ₁ that triggers ISR cancellation, location registration request frequency R ₂ without ISR cancellation, etc. Collect various statistical information. Then, the statistical information collection unit 15 notifies the management node 5 of the collected various statistical information via the network IF unit 13. The location registration request that triggers ISR cancellation is a location registration request that is transmitted from UE 12 when UE 12 that is an ISR terminal moves from TA or RA that is in the ISR state to TA or RA that is not in the ISR state. I mean. The location registration request without ISR cancellation is a location registration request transmitted from the UE 12 when the UE 12 which is a non-ISR terminal moves from a TA or RA not in the ISR state to a TA or RA not in the ISR state. Among these, a location registration request in which the TA or RA before movement and the RA or TA after movement are set to the ISR state with the location registration request as a trigger. Furthermore, the frequency here refers to the number of occurrences of the target event within a certain predetermined time, but the number of occurrences of the event may be used instead of the frequency.

Here, the statistical information collection unit 15 includes the collected statistical information in a control message (area load information message) illustrated in FIG. 14 and sends it to the management node 5 via the network IF unit 13. It is desirable to notify.
That is, the statistical information collecting unit 15 loads the load in one NE that provides the one location registration area and the load in another NE in accordance with the change in the cell configuration of the one location registration area among the plurality of location registration areas. An example of a load information acquisition unit that acquires information on a load factor that fluctuates together and information on a load factor that fluctuates only the load in the one NE when the cell configuration of the one location registration area changes. Function as.

The network IF unit 13 functions as an example of a transmission unit that notifies the management node 5 of each piece of information acquired by the statistical information collection unit 15.
The device management control unit 16 implements various device configurations including settings related to the configuration of the location registration area provided by the own stations 8 and 9 based on instructions from the network administrator or the management node 5. Specifically, for example, the device management control unit 16 receives information related to the location registration area configuration determined by the management node 5 based on various statistical information collected and notified by the statistical information collection unit 15, and , 9 change the configuration of the location registration area.

The area configuration management unit 17 holds a correspondence relationship between the location registration area provided by the local stations 8 and 9 and at least one cell constituting the location registration area. The correspondence relationship held in the area configuration management unit 17 is appropriately updated according to, for example, the configuration change of the location registration area by the device management control unit 16.
The user information management unit 18 holds and manages user information for each UE 12 generated and acquired based on the signaling processing by the core network service control unit 14. The held contents are appropriately updated according to the signaling process by the core network service control unit 14.

As described above, the core network service nodes 8 and 9 of this example can collect various statistical information as exemplified in FIG. 14 and notify the management node 5 of the collected statistical information. Further, the configuration of the location registration area provided by the own stations 8 and 9 can be changed based on the information regarding the location registration area configuration notified from the management node 5.
(1.4) Configuration Example of Management Node 5 A configuration example of the management node 5 is shown in FIG.

The management node 5 shown in FIG. 13 exemplarily includes a network interface (IF) unit 19, a managed node storage unit 20, a node information collection unit 21, an area information storage unit 22, and an area determination unit 23. The node control unit 24 is provided.
The network IF unit 19 terminates the L1 / L2 protocol specific to the network interface and performs data transmission / reception with the outside. Specifically, for example, the network IF unit 19 has an interface function with respect to the SGSN 8, the MME 9, the RNC / BSS 10, and the eNB 11, and receives data received from the external devices 8 to 11 in the functional units 20 to 24 in the management node 5. On the other hand, data from each of the function units 20 to 24 is sent to the external devices 8 to 11.

The managed node storage unit 20 holds information related to the core network service nodes 8 and 9 that are managed and controlled by the management node 5.
The node information collecting unit 21 is an area load information message including the above-described various statistical information notified from the core network service nodes 8 and 9 to be managed and controlled based on information held in the managed node storage unit 20 To get.

The area information storage unit 22 holds configuration information of each location registration area in the wireless communication system 1. The configuration information may include, for example, information on each location registration area provided by each core network service node 8 or 9 and information on cells constituting each location registration area. The area information storage unit 22 stores various statistical information included in the area load information message acquired by the node information collection unit 21.

The area determination unit 23 controls the configuration of the location registration area provided by the core network service nodes 8 and 9 based on various statistical information stored in the area information storage unit 22. Specifically, for example, the area determination unit 23 determines a cell to be added to the location registration area provided by the core network service nodes 8 and 9 or separates the cell from the location registration area provided by the core network service nodes 8 and 9. To decide.

In other words, the area determination unit 23 can change the load in one NE that provides one location registration area among the plurality of location registration areas and the other NE that can vary with the change in the cell configuration of the one location registration area. It functions as an example of a processing unit that determines the cell configuration of the one location registration area based on the load.
The functions of the 3G area management unit 6 and the LTE area management unit 7 illustrated in FIG. 11 can be provided by the area information storage unit 22 and the area determination unit 23.

The node control unit 24 notifies the contents determined and controlled by the area determination unit 23 to the core network service nodes 8 and 9, thereby changing the configuration of the location registration area provided by the core network service nodes 8 and 9. To reflect.
That is, the node control unit 24 functions as an example of a transmission unit that notifies the cell configuration determined by the area determination unit 23 to at least one NE.

As described above, the management node 5 of this example can control the configuration of the location registration area based on various statistical information as illustrated in FIG.
(1.5) Example of Operation of Wireless Communication System 1 An example of the operation of the wireless communication system 1 having at least the core network service nodes 8 and 9 and the management node 5 will be described with reference to FIGS.

In this example, when a predetermined area change condition is detected, such as when the paging load for a certain location registration area is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the paging load status of other location registration areas that are in a relationship between the location registration area and the ISR state Determine (select) a cell to be added or a cell to be detached.
As illustrated in FIG. 15, first, the core network service nodes 8 and 9 determine whether an opportunity for constructing an ISR or an opportunity for canceling an ISR has occurred (step S <b> 11). Here, the opportunity for constructing the ISR includes, for example, reception of a location registration request transmitted when the UE 12 to which the ISR can be applied moves between the location registration areas RA and TA capable of constructing the ISR. Further, the opportunity to cancel the ISR includes, for example, reception of a location registration request transmitted when the UE 12 moves from the location registration areas RA and TA in the ISR state to the location registration area not in the ISR state. The trigger for establishing the ISR and the trigger for canceling the ISR can be determined from the UE temporary identifier used by the UE 12 when requesting location registration. The UE temporary identifier is assigned from the former area, and includes information for identifying the former area itself. Here, for example, when there is a location registration in the TA with the UE temporary identifier assigned from the RA, it is an opportunity to construct an ISR, and there is a location registration in the TA with the UE temporary identifier assigned from a different TA. It can be determined that this is an opportunity to cancel the ISR.

When it is determined that an opportunity to construct an ISR has occurred (“ISR construction trigger occurrence” route in step S11), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 associate the location registration areas RA and TA before and after the UE 12 moves. A predetermined ISR construction procedure to be managed is executed (step S12). Details of the ISR construction procedure are omitted here.
Next, the core network service nodes 8 and 9 record information about the cell where the UE 12 is located or information about a node such as the RNC / BSS 10 or the eNB 11 that accommodates the UE 12 (step S13).

On the other hand, when it is determined that an opportunity to cancel the ISR has occurred (“ISR cancellation trigger occurrence” route in step S11), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 have the location registration areas RA, An ISR elimination procedure is performed for TA (step S14). The details of the ISR elimination procedure are omitted here.
Then, the core network service nodes 8 and 9 increment and count the number of location registration requests in the area where the UE 12 was located before moving, with ISR cancellation due to movement from the area.

Next, the core network service nodes 8 and 9 delete the information about the area where the UE 12 is located or the information about the nodes such as the RNC / BSS 10 and the eNB 11 that have accommodated the UE 12 (step S16).
Next, the core network service nodes 8 and 9 record information about the cell where the UE 12 is located or information about a node such as the RNC / BSS 10 or the eNB 11 that accommodates the UE 12 (step S13).

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 16, the core network service nodes 8 and 9 determine whether any of a location registration request, a service request, and paging has occurred (step S21).
When it is determined that a location registration request has occurred (“location registration request” route in step S21), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 determine whether or not the ISR state cancellation has occurred in step S11 due to the location registration request. Determination is made (step S22).

If it is determined that the ISR state cancellation has occurred (Yes route in step S22), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 count the location registration request as being a location registration request that triggers the ISR cancellation (step S22). S23).
On the other hand, when it is determined that no ISR state cancellation has occurred (No route in step S22), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 count the location registration request as being a location registration request that does not involve ISR cancellation. (Step S24).

If it is determined that a service request has occurred (“service request” route in step S21), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 determine whether the UE 12 that is the source of the service request is an ISR terminal. (Step S25).
When it is determined that the UE 12 that is the source of the service request is an ISR terminal (Yes route in step S25), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 count the service request as a service request of the ISR terminal (step S26). ).

On the other hand, when it is determined that the UE 12 that is the source of the service request is a non-ISR terminal (No route in step S25), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 count the service request as a service request of the non-ISR terminal. (Step S27).
Further, when it is determined that paging has occurred (“paging” route in step S21), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 determine whether the UE 12 that is the target of paging is an ISR terminal (step S28). ).

When it is determined that the UE 12 that is the target of paging is an ISR terminal (Yes route in step S28), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 count the paging as paging addressed to the ISR terminal (step S29).
On the other hand, when it is determined that the UE 12 that is the target of paging is a non-ISR terminal (No route in step S28), the core network service nodes 8 and 9 count the paging as paging addressed to the non-ISR terminal ( Step S30).

The core network service nodes 8 and 9 then, based on the information collected in steps S23, S24, S26, S27, S29 and S30, paging load L _{1 of} the ISR terminal and paging of the non-ISR terminal for each location registration area. While calculating the load L _2, for each cell, the service request frequency S ₁ by the ISR terminal, the service request frequency S ₂ by the non-ISR terminal, the location registration request frequency R ₁ that triggers the ISR cancellation, and the location registration without ISR cancellation It calculates a required frequency R _2, and generates an area load information message as illustrated in FIG. 14 including the respective calculation results to the management node 5 (step S31).

As illustrated in FIG. 17, the management node 5 starts the process periodically or when detecting a displacement of the paging load exceeding a predetermined value (step S40), and first monitors the paging load in each location registration area. Then, it is determined whether or not the paging load of a certain location registration area is equal to or greater than the first threshold (step S41).
When it is determined that the paging load of a certain location registration area is greater than or equal to the first threshold (Yes route in step S41), a process of separating the cell from the location registration area is performed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the paging load of a certain location registration area is not equal to or greater than the first threshold (No route in step S41), the processing is moved to reference symbol B to determine whether or not to add a cell to the location registration area. .

In FIG. 17, a process for separating cells will be described.
When it is determined that the paging load of a certain location registration area is equal to or greater than the first threshold (Yes route in step S41), the management node 5 has another location registration area in the ISR state with the location registration area. Whether or not (step S42).
If it is determined that there is another location registration area in the ISR state with the location registration area (Yes route in step S42), the management node 5 has a paging load of the third location registration area in the third location registration area. It is determined whether or not there is a location registration area equal to or greater than a threshold (<first threshold) (step S43).

When it is determined that there is a location registration area where the paging load is equal to or greater than the third threshold (Yes route in step S43), the management node 5 determines that the paging load is determined as equal to or greater than the first threshold in step S41. among the cells constituting the registration area, the service request frequency S ₁ of the ISR terminal decides a cell to separate the maximum cell (step S44). This is because the paging load of other location registration areas is considered to be sufficiently large, so that the paging load is also reduced.

On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no location registration area whose paging load is equal to or greater than the third threshold (No route in step S43), the management node 5 determines in step S41 that the paging load is equal to or greater than the first threshold. It is determined whether or not there is a location registration area having a paging load equal to or greater than a fourth threshold (<third threshold) among the location registration areas that have been set and other location registration areas in the ISR state (step S45).

When it is determined that there is a location registration area where the paging load is equal to or greater than the fourth threshold (Yes route in step S45), the management node 5 determines that the paging load is determined to be equal to or greater than the first threshold in step S41. Regardless of whether the cell is configured by the ISR terminal or the non-ISR terminal among the cells constituting the registration area, the cell having the highest service request frequency is determined as a cell to be separated (step S46). This is because the paging load of other location registration areas is considered to be in an appropriate state, and thus the paging load is adjusted in consideration of the state of only the own location registration area.

In addition, when it is determined that there is no location registration area in which the paging load is determined to be greater than or equal to the first threshold in step S41 and no other location registration area in the ISR state (No route in step S42), paging load If it is determined that there is no location registration area that is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold value (No route of step S45), the management node 5 determines that location registration is determined that the paging load is greater than or equal to the first threshold value in step S41. among the cells constituting the area, service request frequency S ₂ of the non-ISR terminal decides a cell to separate the maximum cell (step S47). This is because the paging load of other location registration areas is considered to be in a small state, and the paging load is not further reduced.

Then, the management node 5 separates the cell determined in steps S44, S46, and S47 from the location registration area in which the paging load is determined to be greater than or equal to the first threshold value in step S41, and the configuration of the location registration area. Is notified to the core network service node (step S48).
On the other hand, the process shifted to the code B is connected to a process of adding a cell as illustrated in FIG.

When it is determined that the paging load of a certain location registration area is less than the second threshold (<first threshold) (Yes route in step S50), the management node 5 is in an ISR state with the location registration area. It is determined whether or not there is a location registration area (step S52). When it is determined that the paging load of a certain location registration area is equal to or greater than the second threshold (No route in step S50), the management node 5 ends the process without adding a cell (step S51).

If it is determined that there is another location registration area in the ISR state with the location registration area (Yes route in step S52), the management node 5 has a paging load of the third location registration area in the third location registration area. It is determined whether or not there is a location registration area that is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S53).
When it is determined that there is a location registration area where the paging load is equal to or greater than the third threshold (Yes route in step S53), the management node 5 determines that the paging load is determined to be less than the second threshold in step S50. for registration area, location registration request frequency R ₂ without ISR eliminated is determined as the cell to add maximum cell (step S54). Since other location registration area paging loads are also considered to be sufficiently large, by adding a cell that is not in the ISR state and has the highest frequency of location registration requests, the frequency of ISR construction after cell addition is increased. This is because a small cell is selected to suppress the possibility of an increase in paging load in other location registration areas.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no location registration area with the paging load equal to or greater than the third threshold (No route in step S53), the management node 5 determines in step S50 that the paging load is less than the second threshold. It is determined whether or not there is a location registration area having a paging load equal to or greater than the fourth threshold value among the location registration areas that have been set and other location registration areas that are in the ISR state (step S55).

When it is determined that there is a location registration area in which the paging load is equal to or greater than the fourth threshold (Yes route in step S55), the management node 5 determines that the paging load is determined to be less than the second threshold in step S50. Regardless of whether or not ISR cancellation is involved, the registration area is determined as a cell to which a cell having the highest location registration request frequency is added (step S56). This is because the paging load of other location registration areas is considered to be in an appropriate state, and thus the paging load is adjusted in consideration of the state of only the own location registration area.

In addition, when it is determined that there is no location registration area in which the paging load is less than the second threshold in step S50 and no other location registration area in the ISR state (No route in step S52), paging load If it is determined that there is no location registration area greater than or equal to the fourth threshold value (No route in step S55), the management node 5 determines that the paging load is determined to be less than the second threshold value in step S50. for the area, the location registration request frequency R ₁ with ISR building is determined as a cell to add maximum cell (step S57). Since the other location registration area paging load is considered to be sufficiently small, the ISR state after the cell addition is maintained by adding a cell that is in the ISR state and has the highest frequency of location registration requests. This is because a cell whose frequency is improved is selected and the paging load of other location registration areas is not further reduced.

Then, the management node 5 adds the cells determined in steps S54, S56, and S57 to the location registration area in which the paging load is determined to be less than the second threshold in step S50, and configures the location registration area. Is notified to the core network service node (step S58).
As described above, in this example, for a location registration area in which a predetermined area change condition is detected, a cell to be added in consideration of a change in the cell configuration of the location registration area affecting other location registration areas or Determine the cell to be detached. For this reason, it becomes possible to set a location registration area appropriately, without making the structure of a location registration area unstable.

[2] Description of First Modification Also, as in this example, when a predetermined area change condition is detected, such as when the paging load for a certain location registration area is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the location registration area and the ISR state are detected. The cell to be added or the cell to be detached may be determined (selected) so as not to fluctuate the paging load status of the other location registration areas having the relationship.

As illustrated in FIG. 19, the management node 5 starts the process periodically or when detecting a displacement of the paging load exceeding a predetermined value (step S60), and first monitors the paging load in each location registration area. Then, it is determined whether or not the paging load of a certain location registration area is equal to or greater than the first threshold (step S61).
When it is determined that the paging load of a certain location registration area is greater than or equal to the first threshold (Yes route in step S61), a process of separating the cell from the location registration area is performed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the paging load of a certain location registration area is not equal to or greater than the first threshold (No route in step S61), the process moves to C to determine whether to add a cell to the location registration area. .

In FIG. 19, the process of separating cells will be described.
When it is determined that the paging load of a certain location registration area is greater than or equal to the first threshold (Yes route in step S61), the management node 5 has another location registration area that is in the ISR state with the location registration area. Whether or not (step S62).
If it is determined that there is another location registration area that is in the ISR state with the location registration area (Yes route in step S62), the management node 5 determines in step S61 that the paging load is greater than or equal to the first threshold value. among the cells constituting the location registration area that is, the service request frequency S ₂ of the non-ISR terminal decides a cell to separate the maximum cell (step S63). Thereby, even if the cell configuration of a certain location registration area is changed, the paging load in other location registration areas is not changed, so that it is possible to reliably suppress the area configuration from becoming unstable.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S61 that there is no location registration area in which the paging load is equal to or greater than the first threshold and no other location registration area in the ISR state (No route in step S62), the management node 5 The service request frequency is the highest regardless of whether the cell is configured by the ISR terminal or the non-ISR terminal among the cells constituting the location registration area in which the paging load is determined to be equal to or greater than the first threshold in step S61. The cell is determined as a cell to be separated (step S64). Thereby, the paging load in a certain location registration area can be suppressed.

Then, the management node 5 separates the cell determined in steps S63 and S64 from the location registration area determined in step S61 that the paging load is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and changes the configuration of the location registration area. The contents are notified to the core network service node (step S65).
On the other hand, the process shifted to the code C is connected to a process of adding a cell as illustrated in FIG.

When it is determined that the paging load of a certain location registration area is less than the second threshold (Yes route in step S70), the management node 5 has another location registration area that is in the ISR state with the location registration area. Whether or not (step S72). When it is determined that the paging load of a certain location registration area is equal to or greater than the second threshold (No route in step S70), the management node 5 ends the process without adding a cell (step S71).

If it is determined that there is another location registration area that is in the ISR state with the location registration area (Yes route in step S72), the management node 5 determines in step S70 that the paging load is less than the second threshold value. the location registration area, location registration request frequency R ₂ without ISR eliminated is determined as the cell to add maximum cell (step S73). Thereby, even if the cell configuration of a certain location registration area is changed, the paging load in other location registration areas is not changed, so that it is possible to reliably suppress the area configuration from becoming unstable.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S70 that there is no location registration area in which the paging load is less than the second threshold and no other location registration area in the ISR state (No route in step S72), the management node 5 Is determined as a cell to which a cell having the highest frequency of location registration request is added regardless of whether or not ISR cancellation is performed for the location registration area in which the paging load is determined to be less than the second threshold value in step S70 ( Step S74). Thereby, the location registration request frequency in a certain location registration area can be suppressed.

Then, the management node 5 adds the cell determined in steps S73 and S74 to the location registration area in which the paging load is determined to be less than the second threshold in step S70, and describes the configuration of the location registration area. The change contents are notified to the core network service node (step S75).
As described above, in this example, for a location registration area where a predetermined area change condition is detected, a cell to be added or detached so that a change in the cell configuration of the location registration area does not affect other location registration areas. Determine the cell. For this reason, it becomes possible to set a location registration area appropriately, without making the structure of a location registration area unstable.

[3] Example of Hardware Configuration FIG. 21 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the core network service nodes 8 and 9.
The processor 26 is a device that processes data, and includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a large scale integration (LSI), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like. The memory 27 is a device that stores data, and includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The auxiliary storage device 28 is a device for storing data, and includes, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, and the like. The wired IF 25 is an interface device for performing wired communication with a network (so-called backhaul network) on the network side of the wireless communication system 1 or an external system.

The correspondence relationship between each configuration of the core network service nodes 8 and 9 illustrated in FIG. 12 and each configuration of the core network service nodes 8 and 9 illustrated in FIG. 21 is as follows, for example.
The wired IF 25 corresponds to, for example, the network IF unit 13. The processor 26 corresponds to, for example, the core network service control unit 14 and the device management control unit 16. Further, the memory 27 corresponds to, for example, the core network service control unit 14 and the device management control unit 16. The auxiliary storage device 28 corresponds to, for example, the statistical information collection unit 15, the device management control unit 16, the area configuration management unit 17, and the user information management unit 18.

FIG. 22 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the management node 5.
The processor 30 is a device that processes data, and includes, for example, a CPU, DSP, LSI, FPGA, and the like. The memory 31 is a device that stores data, and includes, for example, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The auxiliary storage prime 32 is a device for storing data, and includes, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, and the like. The wired IF 29 is an interface device for performing wired communication with a network (so-called backhaul network) of the wireless communication system 1 or an external system.

A correspondence relationship between each configuration of the management node 5 illustrated in FIG. 13 and each configuration of the management node 5 illustrated in FIG. 22 is, for example, as follows.
The wired IF 29 corresponds to, for example, the network IF unit 19. The processor 30 corresponds to, for example, the node information collection unit 21, the area determination unit 23, and the node control unit 24. Furthermore, the memory 27 corresponds to, for example, the node information collection unit 21, the area determination unit 23, and the node control unit 24. The auxiliary storage device 32 corresponds to, for example, the management target node storage unit 20, the node information collection unit 21, and the area information storage unit 22.

[4] Others The configurations and functions of the core network service nodes 8 and 9 and the management node 5 in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be selected as necessary, or may be used in appropriate combinations. Also good. In other words, the above-described configurations and functions may be selected or used in appropriate combination so that the functions of the present invention can be exhibited.

Further, for example, the wireless communication system 1 may be configured to include at least one of the core network service nodes 8 and 9 and the management node 5 in the above-described embodiments and modifications.

1 wireless communication system 2 packet network 3 GW
4 HSS
5 Management node 6 3G area management unit 7 LTE area management unit 8 SGSN
9 MME
10-1, 10-2, 10-3 RNC / BSS
11-1, 11-2, 11-3 eNB
12 UE
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 Network IF part 14 Core network service control part 15 Statistical information collection part 16 Device management control part 17 Area configuration management part 18 User information management part 19 Network IF part 20 Management object node storage part 21 Node information collection part 22 Area information storage part 23 Area determination unit 24 Node control unit 25 Wired IF
26 processor 27 memory 28 auxiliary storage device 29 wired IF
30 processor 31 memory 32 auxiliary storage device

Claims (15)

1. The location registration area in a wireless communication system comprising: a plurality of network devices each providing a plurality of location registration areas each comprising at least one cell; and a location registration area setting device for determining a cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas. A setting device,
   Based on the load on one network device that provides one location registration area among the plurality of location registration areas and the load on other network devices that may change as the cell configuration of the one location registration area changes. A processing unit for determining a cell configuration of the one location registration area;
   A transmission unit for notifying the determined cell configuration to at least the one network device;
   A location registration area setting device.
2. The processor is
   If the load on the one network device is greater than or equal to a first threshold, a cell to be separated from the one location registration area among the cells constituting the one location registration area according to the load on the other network device. decide,
   The position registration area setting device according to claim 1, wherein:
3. The processor is
   When the load in the one network device is less than a second threshold value that is smaller than a first threshold value, a cell to be added to the one location registration area is determined according to the load in the other network device.
   The position registration area setting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that
4. The processor is
   If the load on the one network device is greater than or equal to a first threshold and the load on the other network device can vary with a change in the cell configuration of the one location registration area, the one location registration Among the cells constituting the area, the cell that does not change the load in the other network device by being separated from the one location registration area is determined as the cell to be separated from the one location registration area.
   The position registration area setting device according to claim 1, wherein:
5. The processor is
   When the load on the one network device is equal to or greater than the first threshold and the load on the other network device cannot change in accordance with the change of the cell configuration of the one location registration area, Regardless of whether it is a cell that fluctuates the load in the other network device by being separated from the location registration area, one of the cells constituting the one location registration area is separated from the one location registration area. Decide as a cell,
   The position registration area setting device according to claim 4, wherein:
6. The processor is
   The load on the one network device is less than a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value, and the load on the other network device can vary as the cell configuration of the one location registration area changes. Determining a cell that does not change the load on the other network device as a cell to be added to the one location registration area by adding to the one location registration area;
   The position registration area setting device according to claim 1, wherein:
7. The processor is
   When the load on the one network device is less than the second threshold and the load on the other network device cannot change in accordance with the change of the cell configuration of the one location registration area, Regardless of whether or not it is a cell that fluctuates the load in the other network device by adding to the location registration area, the cell to be added to the one location registration area is determined.
   The position registration area setting device according to claim 6, wherein:
8. The plurality of location registration areas include at least a location area (LA) or a routing area (RA) and a tracking area (TA).
   The position registration area setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that:
9. The one location registration area and another location registration area provided by the other network device are associated with each other by applying an ISR (Idle mode Signaling Reduction) technique.
   The position registration area setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein
10. A network device in a wireless communication system, comprising: a plurality of network devices each providing a plurality of location registration areas each comprising at least one cell; and a location registration area setting device for determining a cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas. There,
    Along with a change in the cell configuration of one location registration area among the plurality of location registration areas, both the load on one network device that provides the one location registration area and the load on the other network device are varied. A load information acquisition unit that acquires information on load factors, and information on load factors that change only the load in the one network device in accordance with a change in the cell configuration of the one location registration area;
    A transmission unit for notifying each of the acquired information to the location registration area setting device;
    A network device characterized by the above.
11. Location registration area setting in a wireless communication system comprising a plurality of network devices each providing a plurality of location registration areas each consisting of at least one cell and a location registration area setting device for determining a cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas A method,
    Based on the load on one network device that provides one location registration area among the plurality of location registration areas and the load on other network devices that may change as the cell configuration of the one location registration area changes. , Determine the cell configuration of the one location registration area,
    Notifying the determined cell configuration to at least the one network device;
    A location registration area setting method.
12. The network device in a wireless communication system, comprising: a plurality of network devices each providing a plurality of location registration areas each comprising at least one cell; and a location registration area setting device for determining a cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas. A communication method,
    Along with a change in the cell configuration of one location registration area among the plurality of location registration areas, both the load on one network device that provides the one location registration area and the load on the other network device are varied. Information on load factors, and information on load factors that fluctuate only the load in the one network device in accordance with a change in the cell configuration of the one location registration area,
    Notifying the acquired location information to the location registration area setting device,
    A communication method for a network device.
13. A plurality of network devices each providing a plurality of location registration areas each consisting of at least one cell;
    A location registration area setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is provided.
    A wireless communication system.
14. A plurality of network devices according to claim 10, each providing a plurality of location registration areas each comprising at least one cell;
    A location registration area setting device for determining a cell configuration of the plurality of location registration areas;
    A wireless communication system.
15. A plurality of network devices according to claim 10, each providing a plurality of location registration areas each comprising at least one cell;
    A location registration area setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is provided.
    A wireless communication system.

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