Enhanced mobile base station

1. A method for assigning a mobile tracking area (TA) for an in-vehicle base station, the in-vehicle base station having a backhaul connection to a fixed base station, comprising:

assigning, by a coordinating node, a TA for the in-vehicle base station, the TA being a mobile TA;

providing, by the in-vehicle base station, an access network to at least one user device located within the mobile TA, the access network being identified using the mobile TA;

moving, by the in-vehicle base station, from the fixed base station to a further fixed base station for backhaul coverage, the fixed base station having a first backhaul TA, the further fixed base station having a second backhaul TA, and the first and the second backhaul TA being different from the mobile TA;

maintaining the mobile TA for User Equipments (UEs) attached to the in-vehicle base station;

wherein UEs attached to the in-vehicle base station do not send a tracking area update (TAU) and remain on the mobile TA regardless of the TA the in-vehicle base station moves to;

and sending, by the coordinating node, paging messages to the UEs attached to the in-vehicle base station using the mobile TA.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle base station is an eNodeB and wherein the mobile TA is identified using a tracking area code (TAC).

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, by the coordinating node, a location of attached UEs from a Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the assigning a mobile TA for an in-vehicle base station includes assigning all in-vehicle base stations to a same mobile TA.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending paging messages to the in-vehicle base station further comprises sending, by the in-vehicle base station a wakeup message to the UE.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein all calls from a TA are known to the coordinating node as coming from a mobile base station, and directing location requests from the core network to the coordinating node for locating the mobile base station.

7. A system for assigning a mobile tracking area (TA), comprising:

a coordinating node;

an in-vehicle base station in wireless communication with the coordinating node; and

a User Equipment (UE) in wireless communication with and disposed within the in-vehicle base station;

wherein the coordinating node assigns a TA for the in-vehicle base station, the TA being a mobile TA; the in-vehicle base station provides an access network to at least one user device located within the mobile TA, the access network being identified using the mobile TA; the in-vehicle base station moves from the fixed base station to a further fixed base station for backhaul coverage, the fixed base station having a first backhaul TA, the further fixed base station having a second backhaul TA, and the first and the second backhaul TA being different from the mobile TA; the mobile TA is maintained for User Equipments (UEs) attached to the in-vehicle base station; wherein UEs attached to the in-vehicle base station do not send a TAU and remain on the mobile TA regardless of the TA the in-vehicle base station moves to; and the coordinating node sends paging messages to the UEs attached to the in-vehicle base station using the mobile TA.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the in-vehicle eNodeB sends a wakeup message to the UE.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein all calls from a TA are known to the coordinating node as coming from a mobile base station, and wherein location requests from the core network are directed to the coordinating node for locating the mobile base station.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the in-vehicle base station is an eNodeB and wherein the mobile TA is identified using a tracking area code (TAC).

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the coordinating node determines a location of attached UEs from a Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein all in-vehicle base stations are assigned to a same mobile TA.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for assigning a mobile tracking area (TA) which, when executed, cause a system including a coordinating node, an in-vehicle base station and a user device, to perform steps comprising:

assigning, by a coordinating node, a TA for the in-vehicle base station, the TA being a mobile TA;

providing, by the in-vehicle base station, an access network to at least one user device located within the mobile TA, the access network being identified using the mobile TA;

moving, by the in-vehicle base station, from the fixed base station to a further fixed base station for backhaul coverage, the fixed base station having a first backhaul TA, the further fixed base station having a second backhaul TA, and the first and the second backhaul TA being different from the mobile TA;

maintaining the mobile TA for User Equipments (UEs) attached to the in-vehicle base station;

wherein UEs attached to the in-vehicle base station do not send a TAU and remain on the mobile TA regardless of the TA the in-vehicle base station moves to; and

sending, by the coordinating node, paging messages to the UEs attached to the in-vehicle base station using the mobile TA.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 including instructions wherein the in-vehicle base station is an eNodeB and wherein the mobile TA is identified using a tracking area code (TAC).

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 further comprising instructions wherein the sending paging messages to the in-vehicle base station further comprises sending, by the in-vehicle base station, a wakeup message to the UE.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions for determining, by the coordinating node, a location of attached UEs from a Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions wherein the assigning a mobile TA for an in-vehicle base station includes assigning all in-vehicle base stations to a same mobile TA.