Patent ID: 8538454

Claim:
A method, for determining a location area for in which a particular mobile station is located in a cellular network, comprising: monitoring a specific cell to which the particular mobile station registers; storing data corresponding to the specific cell, the data comprising: a frequency with which the particular mobile station registers with the specific cell over a time period; and historical location data; wherein the frequency indicates a number of times that the particular mobile station visited the specific cell over the time period; and wherein the historical location data includes: information corresponding to a sequence of cells that the particular mobile station has visited; and information corresponding to a time factor associated with one or more visits that the particular mobile station made to the specific cell; determining at least one customized location area based upon the data, wherein each customized location area comprises at least one cell; storing data indicative of each customized location area; determining, from the stored data indicative of each customized location area, using a predictive algorithm, a location area in which to page the particular mobile station; paging the determined location area for the particular mobile station; responsive to receiving a response to the page from the particular mobile station, determining that the particular mobile station is located within the determined location area; and responsive to not receiving a response to the page from the particular mobile station, determining whether another customized location area is available and repeating determining, using the predictive algorithm, another location area in which to page the particular mobile station and paging the other determined location area, wherein determining another location area in which to page the particular mobile station and paging the other determined location area are repeated until a response is received from the particular mobile station, as long as another customized location area is determined to be available.