Tracking mobile users with uncertain parameters

A method of reducing the wireless cost of tracking mobile users with uncertain parameters is developed in this paper. Such uncertainty arises naturally in wireless networks, since an efficient user tracking is based on a prediction of its future call and mobility parameters. The conventional approach based on dynamic tracking is not reliable in the sense that inaccurate prediction of the user mobility parameters may significantly reduce the tracking efficiency. Unfortunately, such uncertainty is unavoidable for mobile users, especially for a bursty mobility pattern. The two main contributions of this study are a novel method for topology-independent distance tracking, and a combination of a distance-based tracking with a distance-sensitive timer that guarantees both efficiency and robustness. The expected wireless cost of tracking under the proposed method is significantly reduced, in comparison to the existing methods currently used in cellular networks. Furthermore, as opposed to other tracking methods, the worst case tracking cost is bounded from above and governed by the system, such that it outperforms the existing methods. The proposed strategy can be easily implemented, and it does not require a significant computational power from the user.