Optimal Location Area Design to Minimize Registration Signaling Traffic in Wireless Systems

In this paper, a new scheme is developed for optimal location area design in wireless systems. New algorithms based on intercell traffic prediction and traffic-based cell grouping are used to select the optimal set of cells for location areas (LAs). The expected intercell movement patterns of mobiles are determined by using the new intercell traffic prediction algorithm. Further, the cells are partitioned into LAs by applying the new traffic-based cell grouping algorithm where the cell pairs with higher intercell mobile traffic are grouped into the same LA. Hence, the inter-LA mobile traffic is decreased by increasing the intra-LA mobile traffic. Experimental results show that this cell grouping algorithm reduces the number of location updates by 27 percent to 36 percent on average compared to proximity-based cell grouping schemes.