Method for distributing paging load in a cellular wireless communication

Abstract

A method for distributing paging load in a multicell wireless communication system establishes a plurality of location areas, with each location area including at least one cell. A load limit is based upon the greatest number of pages that may be transmitted in a particular cell over a given time period for cells of the multicell wireless communication system is determined. A paging load for the cellular wireless communication system is determined based upon historical loading and/or simulations and projections. A plurality of location areas are determined so that the paging load is distributed among the plurality of location areas such that a partial paging load respective to each cell of the multicell wireless communication system is less than a respective load limit. Boundaries of the location areas are then chosen to substantially minimize registration load within the multicell wireless communication system. In reducing registration loading, the location areas may be created so that some of the cells of the multicell wireless communication system reside in a plurality of location areas. A graph partitioning algorithm, such as a modified KL algorithm may be used to create the location areas and set the boundaries. In such operation, weights are determined for each node (cell) and edge in the graph, such weights based upon respective paging loads, non-paging loads and expected mobility between cells for the respective cell. Once these weights have been assigned, a modified KL graph partition is performed to find the location area boundaries which reduce registration loading. A multicell wireless communication system constructed according to the present invention includes a plurality of location areas having boundaries selected to reduce registration loading.