Location reporting of user equipment in a cellular network environment
An example method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving, by a user equipment device, a list including at least one location identifier associated with an area for location reporting and an area identifier identifying the area for location reporting. The method further includes receiving a location identifier broadcast by a wireless network element, and determining whether the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting. The method further includes sending a location reporting message by the user equipment device to a first network node when it is determined that the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting. The location reporting message is indicative of the user equipment device either entering or exiting the area for location reporting.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a user equipment device, from a second network node, a list including at least one location identifier associated with an area for location reporting and an area identifier identifying the area for location reporting;
receiving, by the user equipment device, a location identifier broadcast by a wireless network element while the user equipment device is in an idle mode;
determining, by the user equipment device, whether the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting;
when the user equipment device is in an idle mode, sending, by the user equipment device, a location reporting message to a first network node when it is determined that the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting, the location reporting message including the area identifier identifying the area for location reporting and a status information field, wherein the status information field includes a first indication indicating that the user equipment device has entered the area for location reporting if the user equipment device determines that the user equipment device has entered the area for location reporting, wherein the status information field includes a second indication indicating that the user equipment device has exited the area for location reporting if the user equipment device determines that the user equipment device has exited the area for location reporting, and wherein the location reporting message includes the location identifier broadcast by the wireless network element as a trusted cell identifier; and
upon determining a duration of a specified guard period corresponding to the area for location reporting, disabling sending of a subsequent reporting message to the first network node for a duration of the specified guard period, wherein the user equipment device is configured with a respective specified guard period duration for each of a plurality of areas for location reporting.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location reporting message further includes an identifier associated with the user equipment.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the list is received by the user equipment device via one or more of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) messaging or an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) 514 interface.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second network node includes at least one of a serving GPRS support node (SGSN), a mobile management entity (MME), an Evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG), and a Trusted Wireless Access Gateway (TWAG).
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network node includes a packet data network (PDN) gateway (PGW) and/or a policy and charging rules function (PCRF).
6. One or more non-transitory tangible media encoding logic that include instructions for execution that, when executed by a processor, is operable to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a user equipment device, from a second network node, a list including at least one location identifier associated with an area for location reporting and an area identifier identifying the area for location reporting while the user equipment device is in an idle mode;
receiving, by the user equipment device, a location identifier broadcast by a wireless network element;
determining, by the user equipment device, whether the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting;
when the user equipment device is in an idle mode, sending, by the user equipment device, a location reporting message to a first network node when it is determined that the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting, the location reporting message including the area identifier identifying the area for location reporting and a status information field, wherein the status information field includes a first indication indicating that the user equipment device has entered the area for location reporting if the user equipment device determines that the user equipment device has entered the area for location reporting, wherein the status information field includes a second indication indicating that the user equipment device has exited the area for location reporting if the user equipment device determines that the user equipment device has exited the area for location reporting, and wherein the location reporting message includes the location identifier broadcast by the wireless network element as a trusted cell identifier; and
upon determining a duration of a specified guard period corresponding to the area for location reporting, disabling sending of a subsequent reporting message to the first network node for a duration of the specified guard period, wherein the user equipment device is configured with a respective specified guard period duration for each of a plurality of areas for location reporting.
7. The logic of claim 6 , wherein the location reporting message further includes an identifier associated with the user equipment.
8. The logic of claim 6 , wherein the list is received by the user equipment device via one or more of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) messaging or an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) 514 interface.
9. The logic of claim 6 , wherein the second network node includes at least one of a serving GPRS support node (SGSN), a mobile management entity (MME), an Evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG), and a Trusted Wireless Access Gateway (TWAG).
10. The logic of claim 6 , wherein the first network node includes a packet data network (PDN) gateway (PGW) and/or a policy and charging rules function (PCRF).
11. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory element for storing data; and
a processor that executes instructions associated with the data, wherein the processor and memory element cooperate such that the apparatus is configured for:
receiving, from a second network node, a list including at least one location identifier associated with an area for location reporting and an area identifier identifying the area for location reporting while the apparatus is in an idle mode;
receiving a location identifier broadcast by a wireless network element; determining whether the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting;
when the user equipment device is in an idle mode, sending a location reporting message to a first network node when it is determined that the broadcast location identifier matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting, including the area identifier identifying the area for location reporting and a status information field, wherein the status information field includes a first indication indicating that the apparatus has entered the area for location reporting if the apparatus device determines that the apparatus device has entered the area for location reporting, wherein the status information field includes a second indication indicating that the apparatus device has exited the area for location reporting if the apparatus determines that the apparatus has exited the area for location reporting, and wherein the location reporting message includes the location identifier broadcast by the wireless network element as a trusted cell identifier; and
upon determining a duration of a specified guard period corresponding to the area for location reporting, disabling sending of a subsequent reporting message to the first network node for a duration of the specified guard period, wherein the user equipment device is configured with a respective specified guard period duration for each of a plurality of areas for location reporting.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the location reporting message further includes an identifier associated with the apparatus.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the list is received by the user equipment device via one or more of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) messaging or an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) 514 interface.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second network node includes a serving GPRS support node (SGSN)/mobile management entity (MME).
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first network node includes a packet data network (PDN) gateway (PGW) and/or a policy and charging rules function (PCRF).
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus includes a user equipment device.
17. A method comprising:
sending, by a second network node, to a user equipment device, a list including at least one location identifier associated with an area for location reporting and an area identifier identifying the area for location reporting while the user equipment device is in an idle mode; receiving a location reporting message including the area identifier identifying the area for location reporting and a status information field, wherein the status information field includes a first indication indicating that the user equipment device has entered the area for location reporting if the user equipment device determines that the user equipment device has entered the area for location reporting, and wherein the status information field includes a second indication indicating that the user equipment device has exited the area for location reporting if the user equipment device determines that the user equipment device has exited the area for location reporting, wherein the user equipment is configured to send the location reporting message when the user equipment device is in an idle mode and responsive to determining that a location identifier broadcast by a wireless network element matches the at least one location identifier associated with the area for location reporting, wherein the user equipment device is further configured to, upon determining a duration of a specified guard period corresponding to the area for location reporting, disable sending of a subsequent location reporting message to a first network node for a duration of the specified guard period, wherein the user equipment device is configured with a respective specified guard period duration for each of a plurality of areas for location reporting, and wherein the location reporting message includes the location identifier broadcast by the wireless network element as a trusted cell identifier;
determining that the user equipment device is in an active mode; and
performing location reporting for the user equipment device while the user equipment device is in an active mode, wherein the location reporting is performed based on tracking the user equipment device and using the list.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the location reporting message further includes an identifier associated with the user equipment.