Patent ID: 8179854
Filing Date: 2012-05-15
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of allocating a location area identifier to a cellular base station for wireless communications, the method comprising: receiving information of geographic location of a base station; for each of a plurality of location areas, each having a location area centre, an area allocation controller calculating a distance, d, of the base station from the respective location area centre and calculating a function having said distance as an input, the function also having as an input a range modifying parameter, delta, each location area having an associated range modifying parameter value, the function being a function of the distance, d, and the range modifying parameter, delta; the method further comprising for a location area adjusting the associated range modifying parameter so as to adjust the number of base stations to be allocated to the location area, and recalculating the function for each of a plurality of location areas; selecting the location area giving the lowest recalculated function value as the location area for the base station, and allocating that location area to the base station.