Patent ID: 7515912
Filing Date: 2009-04-07
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for progressively changing a mobile communication network from an original network plan to a target network plan, wherein both the original and target network plans comprise at least one location area, each non-empty location area comprises at least one base station controller (BSC) area, and each non-empty BSC area comprises at least one site, wherein each site has a corresponding location area code (LAC) to indicate which location area the site belongs to, the method comprising steps of: (a) selecting a BSC area from a current network plan of the mobile communication network, wherein the selected BSC area has at least one source neighboring BSC area which includes at least one site which belongs to the selected BSC area in the target network plan; (b) performing a first site movement from each source neighboring BSC area of the selected BSC area to the selected BSC area if the selected BSC area is empty, wherein the first site movement comprises changing the LAC of each moved-in site to a target LAC of the selected BSC area which indicates which location area the selected BSC area belongs to in the target network plan; (c) performing a second site movement from each source neighboring BSC area of the selected BSC area to the selected BSC area if the selected BSC area contains at least one unchangeable site which belongs to the same BSC area and the same location area in both the current network plan and the target network plan, wherein each moved-in site of the second site movement is neighboring to one of the at least one unchangeable site or neighboring to another previously moved-in site, and the LAC of each moved-in site is set to the LAC of the at least one unchangeable site; and (d) performing a third site movement to move a second site from one of the at least one source neighboring BSC area of the selected BSC area to the selected BSC area if the selected BSC area is non-empty and contains no unchangeable site, wherein the third site movement comprises setting the LAC of the second site according to current LACs of first sites which are neighboring to the second site and lie within the selected BSC area.