Method, system and point-to-multipoint service center for performing mobile station location updates

摘要

In a cellular telecommunications network, a method, system, and corresponding Point-to-Multipoint Service Center (PTM-SC) for allowing Mobile Station (MS) location information, such as the cell identification, the routing area identification and the location area identification to be received and stored in the PTM-SC. When the MS triggers a location update, it sends the location information to the SGSN, and further to the PTM-SC. Upon receipt of the location information, the PTM-SC stores it in a memory, such as for example in a subscribers' database. The PTM-SC can respond to a request received from a Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) service provider for IP addresses of a group of intended recipients of PTM transmission, and that satisfy a location criterion, by converting the group identification into IP addresses, and then filtering the IP addresses to asses which ones belong to MSs located within a given location area. The PTM-SC then responds back to the PTM service provider with a list of IP addresses of MSs that belong to subscribers of the given group and that satisfy the given location area criterion. The service provider, in combination with a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), perform the actual PTM transmission to the intended subscribers. The PTM-SC comprises a memory for storing the location information, such as for example a subscriber database having a record per PTM subscriber, each record having a plurality of fields for storing the cell identification, the routing area, the location area, the group identification, and the IP address of each subscriber. <IMAGE>