1G PERSONAL COMMUNICATION

SYSTEMS: MOBILITY
MANAGEMENT
(PART II)
Ian F. Akyildiz
Broadband & Wireless Networking Laboratory
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
Tel: 404-894-5141; Fax: 404-894-7883
Email: ian@ece.gatech.edu
Web: http://www.ece.gatech.edu/research/labs/bwn

Cellular Network Architecture

Mobile
Switching
Center

Location
Register
(Database)
MSC

Radio
Network
Base Station
Controller

Backbone
Wireline Network
Mobile
Terminal
Base Station
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Cell

Mobility Management
Enables telecomm networks to

Locate roaming MSs for call delivery

Maintain connections as the MSs move between
different cells

Involves two operations

Location Management
Handoff Management

Involves two types of mobility

Terminal mobility
Personal mobility

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Types of Mobility
TERMINAL MOBILITY
(Network should route calls to the MT
regardless of its point of attachment)
PERSONAL MOBILITY
(Users should access the network wherever
they are; UPT (Universal Pers. Tel #))
SERVICE PROVIDER MOBILITY
(Allow user to roam beyond regional
networks).
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Mobility
Management
Location Management Handoff

Management

Base Station
A

MT A is receiving a call !
How will the network
deliver the call to A ?
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Location Management
Location Update
(Registration)

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Call Delivery
(Paging)

Cost Tradeof
Too Many Location Updates

Low Paging Costs

High Update Costs

Too Few Location Updates

High Paging Costs

Low Update Costs

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Solution
Local Areas (GSM) = Registration Areas
(IS-41)
Registration Area Boundary
Center Cell

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Handoff Types
Intra-Cell

Inter-Cell
Soft Handof

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Hard Handof

Mobility Management:
Location Management
Location management enables the system to track the
locations of MTs between consecutive communications
Trade-off between the costs of location update and
paging
design optimal location management
schemes to reduce the overall cost

AUTHENTICATION
LOCATION
REGISTRATION
(UPDATE)
LOCATION
MANAGEMENT

DATABASE UPDATES

DATABASE QUERIES
CALL
DELIVERY
TERMINAL PAGING

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Mobility Management:
Handoff Management
Handoff management: an MT keeps its connection active
when it moves from one access point to another one
Four types of handoffs: Network Controlled Handof (NCHO),
Mobile Controlled Handof (MCHO), Network Assisted
Handof (NAHO), and Mobile Assisted Handof (MAHO)
USER MOVEMENT
INITIATION
NETWORK CONDITIONS

RESOURCE ALLOCATION
HANDOFF
MANAGEMENT

NEW CONNECTION
GENERATION
CONNECTION ROUTING

BUFFERING/SEQUENCING

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DATA FLOW
CONTROL
MULTICAST

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Location Management
Home Location Register
(HLR)

BACKBONE TELEPHONE NETWORK

Visitor Location Register
(VLR)
Mobile Switching Center
(MSC)

MSC
VLR

Mobile Terminal
(MT)
Local Signaling
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Long Distance Signaling

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Location Registration
MT enters a new LA, and
transmits location update to
new BS
New LA is under
same VLR. VLR
updates the LA ID #
for the MT.

BS forwards update to
MSC, which queries VLR

Yes

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VLR determines address

of HLR, and sends
location registration
message

Does the MT have an

existing record?

No

HLR authenticates and

registers MT by updating
the VLR ID # for the MT.
Then, HLR cancels
former VLR.

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Location Registration

BS keeps broadcasting Location Area (LA) ID#.

MT listens to broadcast and will perform a location
update when:
Powering up
Crossing LA boundaries
After a defined period of time

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Location Registration

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Call Delivery
Incoming call for roaming
MT reaches an MSC

The calling MSC determines

the address of the MTs HLR,
and sends a location request
message to the HLR.

The HLR sends a route

request message to the VLR,
which forwards the message
to its MSC
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The MSC gives the MT a Temporary

Local Directory Number, and forwards
the TLDN back to the HLR

The HLR forwards this message to

the calling MSC, which sets up a
route to the MT at its current MSC.

Finally, the current MSC tells all of

the BSs in the MTs LA to send a
polling signal to page the MT. When
the MT responds, the call is
connected.

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Call Delivery

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How is a Cell Phone Call made

When a mobile originates a call, a call initiation request is sent on
the control channel to BS.
With this request the mobile transmits its tel number (MIN;
Mobile ID Number), electronic serial number (ESN) and tel number
of the called party.
Base station receives this data and sends it to the MSC.
MSC validates the request make connection to the called party
through the PSTN and instructs base station and mobile to use an
idle forward and reverse voice channel to allow conversation to
begin.
(in AMPS -> 10-60 voice channels; one control channel in each cell
base station).
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Research Areas in
Location Management
Database Architectures
Paging Techniques
Multi-network location management
Location Area Design

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Database Architectures
Centralized

Increase database hierarchy

Cache user locations at switching points
Replicate user profiles at more than one
database
Use pointers to follow a path of VLRs to the
MTs current location

Distributed

Database Trees
Partitioning

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Paging Techniques
Blanket paging
Paging the MS in all cells belonging to an LA
simultaneously.

Advantage: The delay of the response to paging is kept at a

minimum.
Disadvantage: Paging has to be done in several cells.

Closest-cells first
The cell where the MS was last seen is paged first
followed by subsequent equidistant ring of cells.
Several rings may be polled simultaneously in a paging
cycle to keep delay low.
Sequential paging
Subsequent pages are performed in most likely
locations based on past history and distance.
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Paging
VLR
(MSC)

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Location Area Design

Tradeoff

Location Updates versus Terminal

Paging

Goal: Improvements to tradeoff

Geographical
Fixed versus Dynamic
User-based versus Global definition
Network-specific
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Dynamic Location Update Schemes

Movement-based

The MT performs an update each time it crosses

a certain movement threshold, where one
movement is made by crossing a cell boundary.

Distance-based

The MT performs an update when its distance

from the cell where it performed its last update
surpasses a certain distance threshold.

Time-based

The MT performs an update at a constant time

threshold, deltaT.

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Example
A MT is moving through the cellular
network (R= 3 km) as shown in the
figure at a rate of 30km/hour.
Label the cell IDs where the MT
will perform its updates for:

Movement-based (T=3)
Distance-based (T=6km)
Time-based (30 minutes)

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Example Figure
A

K
F

B
G
C
D

Q
M
R
N

I
O

E
J

A MT is moving through
the cellular network
(R= 3 km) at a rate of
30km/hour.

Where will updates be

performed for:

Movement-based (T=3)
Distance-based (T=6km)
Time-based (30 minutes)

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Answer-Movement-based

K
F

B
G
C
D

P
Q

T = 3, 2 h = 3
Update at S and G

R
N

E
J

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Answer-Distance-based
A

K
F

B
G
C

T = 6, 2 h = 3

Q
M
R
N

Update at O, and near the M/G border

E
J
T=6km

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Answer-Time-based
A

30 minutes - -
1 update every 0.5hours * 30km/hour 15km.
2*h 3
Update only at M

K
F

B
G
C
D

P
Q

M
R
N

E
J

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Group Problem
Design a location update and paging
scheme.
Provide a diagram with numbered
steps.
Explain how your scheme reduces
the signaling overhead.

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Handoff
The transfer of a mobile terminals active connection(s) from
one channel to another.
Hard handoffs vs. soft handoffs
Hard handoff: break old connection, then form new
connection.
Soft handoff: Connect to several BSs simultaneously.
In CDMA, handoff does not change the physical
channel, it just changes the BS that handles the
channel.

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SIGNAL STRENGTH
Cellular systems depend on the radio signals
received by an MS throughout the cell and
on the contours of signal strength emanating
from the BSs of two adjacent cells i and j.

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Signal Strength

Cell
i

Signal strength
(in dB)

Cell j

-60
-70
- 60
-80
- 70
-90
- 80
- 90
100
10
Select0cell i on left of Ideal Select cell j on right of
boundary
Boundary
boundary

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Signal Strength (2)

Signal
Strength
(in dB)

Cell j
Cell i
-60
-70
-80
-90
100

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-60

-70
-80
-90
100

Signal strength contours indicating actual cell

tiling. This happens because of terrain, presence
of obstacles and signal attenuation in the
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atmosphere.

SIGNAL STRENGTH
Signal strength goes down as a mobile
terminal moves away from the BS.
As the mobile terminal moves away from the
BS of the cell, the signal strength weakens
and the so-called HANDOFF occurs.
This implies a radio connection to another
adjacent cell.

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Handoff Region

Signal
strength due
to BSj

Signal
strength due
to BSi

Pj(x)

Pi(x)

Pmin
BS
i

MS

X5

Xth

BS

j
Pz(x) (for z=1,2)
denote
the
power
received
at
MS
from
BS z.
1
3
4
2

By looking at the variation of signal strength from either base

station it is
possible to decide on the optimum area where
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handoff can take place.

HANDOFF REGION
At X1 the received signal from BSj is close to 0 and
the signal strength at the mobile terminal could be
primarily attributed to BSi.
Similarly, at distance X2 the signal from BSi is
negligible.
To receive and interpret signals correctly at mobile,
the received signal must be at a minimum power
level Pmin (X3 and X4), i.e., between X3 and X4 the
mobile terminal can be served either by BSi or BSj.

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HANDOFF REGION
The area between X3 and X4 is called
HANDOFF AREA or HANDOFF REGION.
Where to perform HANDOFF depends on
many factors.
* Do handoff at X5 where two BSs have
equal signal strength.
HARD HANDOFF!!!!!
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HANDOFF REGION
* Avoid Ping-Pong Effect, if the mobile
moves back and forth between BSi and BSj
* SOLUTION SOFT HANDOFF!!!!:
Continue to maintain both links with BSi
and BSj until the signal strength from BSj
exceeds that of Bi by some pre-specified
threshold value E as shown by point X in
Figure.
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Handoff Control
NCHO (Network-Controlled Handoff)
All close-by BSs monitor signal strength from the mobile
terminal.
MSC collects data from BSs, decides best candidate BS for the
mobile terminal, and initiates the MSs handoff (CT-2, AMPS).
Results in heavy signaling load, handoff delay of many seconds.
MAHO (Mobile-Assisted Handoff)
MT monitors signal strength from nearby BSs and reports the
measurements back to the BS/MSC (twice per second).
MSC decides best candidate BS and initiates the handoff (GSM)
MCHO (Mobile-Controlled Handoff)
MT monitors signal strength from nearby BSs, decides best
candidate BS, and initiates handoff (DECT)
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Handoff Management

(Detection &
Decision)

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Channel
Assignment

Radio Link
Transfer

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Handoff Management
Initiation (Detection/Decision)
The user, the network, or changing channel
conditions detect the need for handoff.
New connection generation (Channel Assignment)
The network must find new resources for the
handoff call
The network must also perform any needed routing
operations.
Data flow control (Radio Link Transfer)
Delivery of the data from the old path to the new
path is maintained according to agreed-upon
service guarantees.
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Handoff Initiation
A balance of user movement versus
network conditions
Goals:
Keep user connected
Minimize network signaling
Minimize ping-pong handoffs

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Handoff Initiation
What criteria should cause handoff?

Pr1

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Pr 2

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Handoff Management
Handoff in cellular telephony:

Transfer of a voice call from one BS to

another

Handoff in WLANs:

Transfer of a connection from one AP

(Access Point) to another

Handoff in hybrid networks:

From a BS to another, from an AP to

another, from a BS to an AP, or vice versa

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Handoff Decision Time

Algorithms
Traditional algorithms employ thresholds
Channel measurements:
Received Signal Strength (RSS)

Measures the co-channel interference power and noise

Alternatively to RSS or in conjunction:

Path loss
Carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR)
Signal-to-interference ratio (SIR)
BER
Block error rate (BLER)
Symbol error rate (SER)
Etc.

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Handoff Decision Time

Algorithms
Goals:

Keep user connected

Minimize network signaling
Minimize ping-pong handoffs

In order to avoid the ping-pong effect,

additional parameters are used such as
hysteresis margin, dwell timers, and
averaging windows.
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Handoff Decision Time

Algorithms
Received Signal Strength (RSS): The BS whose signal is received
with the largest strength is selected.
RSS + Threshold: If the RSS of a new BS exceeds that of the
current one and the signal strength of the current BS is below a
threshold.
RSS + Hysteresis: If the RSS of a new BS is greater than that
of the old BS by a hysteresis margin.
RSS + Hysteresis + Threshold: If the received signal strength of
a new BS exceeds that of the current one by a hysteresis margin
and the signal strength of the current BS is below a threshold.
Algorithms + Dwell Timer: A timer is started at the instant when
the condition in the algorithm is true. The handoff is performed
is the condition continues to be true until the timer expires.
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Traditional Handoff
Algorithms
What kind of handoff is
Happening in A, B, C, D?

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Sample RSS seen by MS traveling in

a straight line between them

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Performance of Handoff
Algorithms
Performance measures (related to voice
connections):
Call blocking probability
Handoff blocking probability
Delay between handoff request and execution
Call dropping probability
Objective: Minimize unnecessary handoffs
Overlooked issues:
Throughput maximization
Maintaining QoS guarantees during and after
handoff
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Generic Handoff
Management Process

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)

Decision to handoff is made (network-controlled, mobile-assisted or controlled)

MT registers with visiting database via a handoff announcement
New visiting database communicates with home database for authentication
and subscriber profile
Home database responds with authentication. Both databases are updated.
Home database communicates with old visiting database to clear registration information
for the MT
The old visiting database flushes or redirect packets to the new visiting database and removes
the MT form its list.

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Problem
Time(s)

2.5

7.5

10

12.5

15

17.5

20

BS1

-47

-57

-52

-55

-60

-62

-60

-65

-66

BS2

-59

-56

-55

-54

-52

-51

-49

60.5

-52

BS3

-70

-72

-75

-70

-58

-50

60.5

-62

-75

BS4

-72

-71

-65

-60

-55

-53

-50

-49

-56

Show the handoff times for:

a)
b)
c)
d)

RSS
RSS + threshold of -60 dBm
RSS + hysteresis of 10 dB
RSS + hysteresis of 5 dB + threshold of -55 dBm

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Problem
Time(s)

2.5

7.5

10

12.5

15

17.5

20

BS1

-47

-57

-52

-55

-60

-62

-60

-65

-66

BS2

-59

-56

-55

-54

-52

-51

-49

60.5

-52

BS3

-70

-72

-75

-70

-58

-50

60.5

-62

-75

BS4

-72

-71

-65

-60

-55

-53

-50

-49

-56

Show the handoff times for:

a)
b)
c)
d)

RSS
RSS + threshold of -60 dBm
RSS + hysteresis of 10 dB
RSS + hysteresis of 5 dB + threshold of -55 dBm

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Problem
Time(s)

2.5

7.5

10

12.5

15

17.5

20

BS1

-47

-57

-52

-55

-60

-62

-60

-65

-66

BS2

-59

-56

-55

-54

-52

-51

-49

60.5

-52

BS3

-70

-72

-75

-70

-58

-50

60.5

-62

-75

BS4

-72

-71

-65

-60

-55

-53

-50

-49

-56

Show the handoff times for:

a)
b)
c)
d)

RSS
RSS + threshold of -60 dBm
RSS + hysteresis of 10 dB
RSS + hysteresis of 5 dB + threshold of -55 dBm

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Problem
Time(s)

2.5

7.5

10

12.5

15

17.5

20

BS1

-47

-57

-52

-55

-60

-62

-60

-65

-66

BS2

-59

-56

-55

-54

-52

-51

-49

60.5

-52

BS3

-70

-72

-75

-70

-58

-50

60.5

-62

-75

BS4

-72

-71

-65

-60

-55

-53

-50

-49

-56

Show the handoff times for:

a)
b)
c)
d)

RSS
RSS + threshold of -60 dBm
RSS + hysteresis of 10 dB
RSS + hysteresis of 5 dB + threshold of -55 dBm

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Problem
Time(s)

2.5

7.5

10

12.5

15

17.5

20

BS1

-47

-57

-52

-55

-60

-62

-60

-65

-66

BS2

-59

-56

-55

-54

-52

-51

-49

60.5

-52

BS3

-70

-72

-75

-70

-58

-50

60.5

-62

-75

BS4

-72

-71

-65

-60

-55

-53

-50

-49

-56

Show the handoff times for:

a)
b)
c)
d)

RSS
RSS + threshold of -60 dBm
RSS + hysteresis of 10 dB
RSS + hysteresis of 5 dB + threshold of -55 dBm

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Problem: Solution

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Exercise
Time(s)

2.5

7.5

10

BS1

-50

-58

-60

-65

-62

BS2

-55

-53

-57

-65

-54

BS3

-72

-70

-55

-70

-60

BS4

-78

-75

-68

-60

-57

Show the handoff times for:

a) RSS
BS1-BS?-BS?-BS?-BS?
b) RSS + threshold of -60 dBm
BS1-BS?-BS?-BS?-BS?
c) RSS + hysteresis of 5 dB
BS1-BS?-BS?-BS?-BS?
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