Tracking area reconfiguration based on sector load

摘要

A method and corresponding system is provided to help mitigate sector congestion. In one embodiment of the method, a RAN entity evaluates load among sectors of a tracking area and determines that the load is at least a threshold level of load. In response, the RAN entity enlarges the tracking area. In another embodiment of the method, when the RAN entity makes a decision to reconfigure a tracking area, it may consider one or more factors when determining how to reconfigure. In one example, the RAN entity may identify a particular border sector that has at least a threshold level of load or is a border sector in another network. Responsively, the RAN may reconfigure the tracking area such that the identified border sector is no longer a border sector. Other examples are possible.

主权项

1. In a wireless communication system in which a plurality of sectors of a radio access network (RAN) are organized into a plurality of tracking areas with each tracking area of the plurality of tracking areas having a respective size and at least one user equipment (UE) operating therein, a method comprising:
evaluating aggregate load among sectors of a given tracking area by a RAN entity; based on the evaluating, determining that the aggregate load among sectors of the given tracking area is at least a threshold level of aggregate load by the RAN entity; and in response to the determining, increasing the size of the given tracking area by the RAN entity.