Optimal paging load balance with total delay constraint in macrocell-microcell hierarchical cellular networks

Paging is a search process conducted in a paging area to locate a mobile terminal (MT) in terms of a cell. In this paper, we propose two paging schemes, called separated macro-micro paging (SMMP) and combined macro-micro paging (CMMP) for macrocell-microcell hierarchical cellular networks. In this kind of networks, MTs can receive signals from both macrocells and overlaid microcells. In the SMMP scheme, an MT can be paged from either the macrocell-tier or its overlaid microcell-tier. In the CMMP scheme, an MT is paged in a mix of the macrocell-tier and its overlaid microcell-tier. Optimal paging load balance between the macrocell-tier and the microcell-tier has been studied. The SMMP scheme when location probabilities are available is also studied. Analytical models are developed to evaluate the proposed schemes.