Assigning wireless coverage area identifiers based on tracking area groups

摘要

Data identifying a plurality of wireless coverage areas in a region may be obtained. The data may identify geographic locations of the wireless coverage areas. Possibly based on the data, the wireless coverage areas may be arranged into a plurality of mutually exclusive tracking area groups. Each of the tracking area groups may include multiple wireless coverage areas and may be identified by respective unique tracking area identifiers. The tracking area groups may form a geographically-defined sequence across the region. A numerical sequence of wireless coverage area identifiers may be assigned to the wireless coverage areas in the region, one wireless coverage area identifier per wireless coverage area. The wireless coverage areas of the tracking area groups may be provisioned to use the assigned wireless coverage area identifiers.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
obtaining, at a computing device, data identifying a plurality of wireless coverage areas in a region, wherein the data identifies geographic locations of the wireless coverage areas; based on the data, arranging the wireless coverage areas into a plurality of tracking area groups, wherein the tracking area groups define disjoint sets of tracking areas, the tracking areas identified by respective unique tracking area identifiers and each including multiple wireless coverage areas, and wherein the respective unique tracking area identifiers form a geographically-defined sequence of tracking areas across the region; assigning a numerical sequence of wireless coverage area identifiers to the wireless coverage areas in the region, one wireless coverage area identifier per wireless coverage area, wherein assigning the numerical sequence of wireless coverage area identifiers includes (i) assigning numerically sequential sub-sequences of the wireless coverage area identifiers to tracking areas in a first tracking area group taken in order of the geographically-defined sequence of tracking areas, and (ii) after exhausting assignment of the numerically sequential sub-sequences of the wireless coverage area identifiers, assigning the numerically sequential sub-sequences of the wireless coverage area identifiers to tracking areas in a second tracking area group taken in continued order of the geographically-defined sequence of tracking areas, such that (a) the wireless coverage area identifiers are assigned at most once to any particular tracking area group, and (b) at least some of the wireless coverage area identifiers are assigned to multiple tracking area groups; and provisioning the wireless coverage areas of the tracking area groups to use the assigned wireless coverage area identifiers.