Tracking area list handling

Abstract

There is provided a method for a mobility management node (MME) and a mobility management node for collecting mobility data of user entities, UEs, in a mobile communication network comprising a plurality of cells, wherein at least one cell or a group of cells are forming a tracking area, TA, in which paging of a given UE may be undertaken. At least the mobility management node is adapted for holding a TA list for a given UE defining a larger paging area in which paging may be performed throughout the area and in which TA update need not be undertaken by the UE in question before moving out of said area; the UE being required to perform a TA update procedure if moving out of the larger paging area. The method comprises: continuously registering mobility events pertaining to a plurality of UE's in the network, wherein for each of the plurality of UE's: assigning a link strength indicative of the frequency at which UE's are travelling a link in question; and building a table of links and associated link strengths in the network. The method further comprises for a given UE when performing a TA update procedure and upon moving from a second source TA to a second target TA: investigating based on at least the location of at least one of the source TA and the target TA; one or more probable travel paths potentially comprising a series of interconnected links and originating in either the source TA or the target TA; the probable travel paths being selected by taking into account the strength of the associated links in the table; the probable travel paths moreover being selected by taking into account the limit of a TA list length applying for the UE in question; and generating a TA list comprising the TA's constituted by the probable travel paths.