Method for location management functions for user equipment, base stations and networks

Abstract

A reduced capability (redcap) user equipment (UE) is configured to receive a positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration from a network component and perform one or more positioning operations based at least in part on the PRS configuration. A base station is configured to receive a positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration for a reduced capability user equipment (redcap UE) from a location management function (LMF) of a network and transmit PRS to the redcap UE based on the PRS configuration.

Description

[0001] Priority / Incorporation by reference

[0002] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 260,863, filed September 2, 2021, entitled “Positioning Capabilities of Reduced Capability New Radio Devices,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to communication technologies, and more specifically, to the positioning capabilities of new air interface devices with reduced capabilities. Background Technology

[0004] New Radio (NR) networks can support redcap devices. Typically, redcap devices are not configured with the same characteristics as non-redcap devices. For example, compared to traditional NR User Equipment (UE), redcap devices may have lower maximum bandwidth, fewer transmit or receive antennas, etc. These types of features provide cost and / or complexity reduction benefits. However, redcap UEs may still need to provide positioning and / or location services that could be affected by the device's reduced capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Some exemplary embodiments relate to a processor of a redcapped user equipment (UE) configured to perform operations. These operations include receiving a positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration from network components and performing one or more positioning operations based at least in part on the PRS configuration.

[0006] Other exemplary embodiments relate to a processor of a base station configured to perform operations. These operations include receiving a Position Reference Signal (PRS) configuration for a user equipment (redcap UE) to reduce its capabilities from the network's Location Management Function (LMF), and transmitting the PRS to the redcap UE based on the PRS configuration.

[0007] Another exemplary embodiment relates to a location management function of a network configured to perform operations. These operations include determining a Position Reference Signal (PRS) configuration for a degraded user equipment (redcap UE) communicating with the network; transmitting the PRS configuration to the redcap UE; receiving a discontinuous reception (DRX) cyclic configuration of the redcap UE from a base station serving the redcap UE; and transmitting the DRX cyclic configuration of the redcap UE to one or more neighboring base stations of the serving base station, wherein the one or more neighboring base stations align the PRS configuration of the redcap UE based on the DRX cyclic configuration. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 Exemplary network arrangements according to various exemplary implementations are shown.

[0009] Figure 2 Exemplary user equipment (UE) according to various exemplary embodiments are shown.

[0010] Figure 3 An exemplary base station according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0011] Figure 4 An exemplary signaling diagram illustrating the configuration of a Position Reference Signal (PRS) for a UE according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The exemplary embodiments can be further understood with reference to the following description and related figures, wherein similar elements have the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments relate to improved support for positioning and / or location services for redcap New Radio (NR) devices.

[0013] The exemplary implementation is described in relation to a redcap device. The term "redcap device" generally refers to a 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) concept for NR devices that offers lower cost and / or complexity compared to traditional NR devices. In some cases, a redcap device can be characterized as a device with lower-end capabilities compared to version 16 Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) devices and Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) devices. To provide some concrete examples, redcap devices can be associated with use cases such as, but not limited to, industrial wireless sensors, video surveillance, and wearable devices.

[0014] Redcap devices can be configured with complexity-reducing features, such as, but not limited to: lower maximum bandwidth compared to traditional NR devices, fewer antenna branches compared to traditional NR devices, half-duplex (HD) frequency division duplex (FDD) capability, relaxed processing time compared to traditional NR devices, and relaxed processing power compared to traditional NR devices. These features can provide cost and / or complexity reduction benefits. However, any reference to redcap devices with specific complexity-reducing features is for illustrative purposes only. Different types of redcap devices may exist, and different networks may use different complexity-reducing features to define redcap devices.

[0015] Throughout this specification, the terms “User Equipment (UE),” “redcap device,” and “redcap UE” are used interchangeably to refer to any electronic component capable of establishing a connection to a network and equipped with capabilities that can be characterized as a 3GPP NR redcap device. Therefore, the terms “UE,” “redcap device,” and “redcap UE” as used herein are not used to refer to any type of UE. Rather, these terms are used to identify a specific NR UE that differs from non-redcap devices (e.g., conventional NR UEs). Exemplary embodiments are configured to address issues related to specific aspects of redcap devices (or devices with similar reduced capabilities).

[0016] Some of the exemplary implementations described herein relate to implementing dedicated redcap resources and / or resources that can be shared by redcap and non-redcap devices. Throughout this specification, the terms "non-redcap device," "non-redcap UE," and "traditional NR UE" are used interchangeably to refer to any 3GPP NR device other than a 3GPP NR redcap device.

[0017] To determine the location of a UE, a Location Reference Signal (PRS) is provided to the UE from one or more Transmit and Receive Points (TRPs) of the 5G NR network (e.g., from a Next Generation Node (gNB)). The UE measures the resources of the PRS, and these measurements are used to determine the UE's location. In some cases, UE-based positioning is used; for example, the UE calculates its location based on PRS measurements. In other cases, network-based positioning is used; for example, the UE sends measurements to network functions (e.g., location management functions), and the network calculates the UE's location. It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described herein are applicable to both UE-based and network-based positioning.

[0018] However, positioning for a redcap UE can be affected by the reduced capabilities of the redcap UE. For example, reduced bandwidth may affect positioning accuracy, and a reduced number of receive antennas may affect the redcap UE's ability to accurately measure PRS, etc. This disclosure relates to design aspects of positioning for a redcap UE. For example, exemplary embodiments describe positioning operations that can increase accuracy, power savings, the type of ancillary data, and indications of the redcap UE's capabilities. Each of these exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail below.

[0019] Figure 1 An exemplary network arrangement 100 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. The exemplary network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. Those skilled in the art will understand that the UE 110 can be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, desktop computer, smartphone, phablet, embedded device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, wearable device (e.g., medical device, augmented reality goggles, virtual reality goggles, smartwatch, etc.), industrial wireless sensor, food monitoring device, etc. It should also be understood that a practical network arrangement can include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Therefore, for illustrative purposes, only an example with a single UE 110 is provided.

[0020] UE 110 can be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of network deployment 100, the network with which UE 110 can wirelessly communicate is the 5G NR radio access network (RAN) 120. However, UE 110 can also communicate with other types of networks, such as 5G cloud RAN, next-generation RAN (NG-RAN), LTE RAN, legacy cellular networks, WLAN, etc., and UE 110 can also communicate with the network via a wired connection. Regarding an exemplary implementation, UE 110 can establish a connection with 5G NR RAN 120. Therefore, UE 110 may have a 5G NR chipset to communicate with 5G NR RAN 120.

[0021] The 5G NR RAN 120 can be part of a cellular network that can be deployed by network operators (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.). The 5G NR RAN 120 may include, for example, nodes, cells, or base stations (e.g., Node B, eNodeB, HeNB, eNBS, gNB, gNodeB, macrocell base station, microcell base station, small cell base station, femtocell base station, etc.) configured to send and receive communication services from UEs equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets.

[0022] Those skilled in the art will understand that any relevant procedures can be performed for UE 110 to connect to 5G NR-RAN 120. For example, as described above, 5G NR-RAN 120 can be associated with a specific cellular provider, where UE 110 and / or its user have protocol and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card). Upon detecting the presence of 5G NR-RAN 120, UE 110 can transmit the corresponding credential information to associate with 5G NR-RAN 120. More specifically, UE 110 can be associated with a specific base station (e.g., Next Generation Node B (gNB) 120A).

[0023] Network deployment 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, an Internet 140, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network services backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 can be viewed as an interconnected collection of components that manage the operation and traffic of the cellular network. It may include an evolved packet core (EPC) and / or a fifth-generation core (5GC). In this example, the cellular core network 130 includes a location management function (LMF) 132 and an access and mobility management function (AMF) 134. Those skilled in the art will understand that a practical cellular core network may include various other components that perform any of a variety of different functions.

[0024] LMF 132 performs location-related operations, such as, but not limited to, configuring PRS signals for UE 110 to determine and report its location to the radio access network and / or cellular core network 130. The reference to a single LMF 132 is for illustrative purposes only; actual network arrangements may include any appropriate number of LMFs. It should also be understood that while LMF 132 is shown as part of cellular core network 130, LMF 132 may be a separate component (e.g., one or more servers) outside of cellular core network 130 but communicatively connected to it.

[0025] AMF 134 performs operations related to mobility management, such as, but not limited to, paging between UE 110 and cellular core network 130, non-access stratum (NAS) management, and registration process management. References to a single AMF 134 are for illustrative purposes only; actual network deployments may include any appropriate number of AMFs.

[0026] Cellular core network 130 also manages traffic flowing between the cellular network and Internet 140. IMS 150 can generally be described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to UE 110 using IP protocols. IMS 150 can communicate with cellular core network 130 and Internet 140 to provide multimedia services to UE 110. Network service backbone 160 communicates directly or indirectly with Internet 140 and cellular core network 130. Network service backbone 160 can generally be described as a set of components (e.g., servers, network storage deployments, etc.) that implement a set of services that can be used to extend the functionality of UE 110 to communicate with various networks.

[0027] Figure 2 An exemplary UE 110 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Reference will be made to... Figure 1 The network layout 100 is used to describe UE 110. UE 110 may include a processor 205, a memory layout 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225, and other components 230. Other components 230 may include, for example, audio input devices, audio output devices, power sources, data acquisition devices, ports for electrically connecting UE 110 to other electronic devices, etc.

[0028] Processor 205 can be configured to execute multiple engines of UE 110. For example, an engine may include positioning engine 235. Positioning engine 235 can perform various operations related to the positioning of UE 110. Examples of these operations will be provided in more detail below.

[0029] The engine 235 described above is provided as an application (e.g., a program) executed by the processor 205 for illustrative purposes only. The functionality associated with engine 235 may also be represented as a separate, integrated component of UE 110, or as a modular component coupled to UE 110, such as an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry for receiving signals and processing circuitry for processing signals and other information. The engine may also be embodied as a single application or multiple separate applications. Furthermore, in some UEs, the functionality described for processor 205 is distributed among two or more processors, such as a baseband processor and an application processor. Exemplary implementations may be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0030] Memory arrangement 210 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by UE 110. Display device 215 may be a hardware component configured to display data to a user, while I / O device 220 may be a hardware component enabling user input. Display device 215 and I / O device 220 may be separate components or may be integrated together (such as a touchscreen). Transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish connections with 5G NR-RAN 120, LTE-RAN (not shown), legacy RAN (not shown), WLAN (not shown), etc. Therefore, transceiver 225 may operate on multiple different frequencies or channels (e.g., a set of consecutive frequencies).

[0031] Figure 3 An exemplary base station according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. The base station may represent a gNB 120A or any other access node that the UE 110 can use to establish connections and manage network operations.

[0032] The gNB 120A may include a processor 305, a memory arrangement 310, input / output (I / O) devices 315, a transceiver 320, and other components 325. Other components 325 may include, for example, audio input devices, audio output devices, a battery, data acquisition devices, and ports for electrically connecting the gNB 120A to other electronic devices.

[0033] Processor 305 can be configured to execute multiple engines of gNB 120A. For example, an engine may include positioning engine 330. Positioning engine 330 can perform various operations related to the positioning of UE 110. Examples of these operations will be provided in more detail below.

[0034] The engine 330 described above, as an application (e.g., a program) executed by the processor 305, is merely exemplary. The functionality associated with the engine 330 can also be represented as a separate integrated component of the gNB 120A, or as a modular component coupled to the gNB 120A, such as an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry for receiving signals and processing circuitry for processing signals and other information. Furthermore, in some base stations, the functionality described for the processor 305 is split among multiple processors (e.g., a baseband processor, an application processor, etc.). Exemplary implementations can be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the base station.

[0035] Memory 310 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by gNB 120A. I / O device 315 may be a hardware component or port enabling a user to interact with gNB 120A. Transceiver 320 may be a hardware component configured to exchange data with UE 110 and any other UE in network arrangement 100. Transceiver 320 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a set of consecutive frequencies). Therefore, transceiver 320 may include one or more components (e.g., radio components) to enable data exchange with various networks and UEs.

[0036] As will be described in more detail below, exemplary embodiments introduce various positioning operations that can be performed by the redcap UE 110 and scenarios in which each of these operations can be performed. It should be understood that the following exemplary embodiments are described with reference to a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS). However, it should be understood that the redcap UE 110 may also transmit uplink reference signals (RS) for positioning purposes, such as a sounding reference signal (SRS). One or more positioning operations described below for the DL-PRS can also be applied to the transmission of the SRS. Furthermore, some exemplary positioning operations that can be performed by the redcap UE 110 include buffering the PRS when receiving, processing, transmitting measurement reports of the PRS, etc. As will be described in detail below, each exemplary scenario may include different types of positioning operations, and may even include omitting the execution of certain operations. Therefore, it should be understood that the above are merely general examples of positioning operations.

[0037] Figure 4 An exemplary signaling diagram 400 illustrates the configuration of a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) for a UE according to various exemplary embodiments. Signaling diagram 400 assumes that the redcap UE 110 has successfully connected to the 5G NR-RAN 120 via gNB 120A. This means that the cellular core network 130, including LMF 132 and AMF 134, can communicate with the redcap UE 110. Additionally, in this example, the redcap UE 110 can be considered to receive PRS from gNB 120A and from two additional TRPs (TRP1 402 and TRP2 404). However, it should be understood that the example of three TRPs (gNB 120A, TRP1 402, and TRP2 404) is merely exemplary, and more or fewer TRPs may be configured to transmit PRS for the redcap UE 110.

[0038] In step 405, UE 110 sends capability information to gNB 120A. This capability information may be provided as part of the connection procedure in response to a general request for UE capabilities or as part of a specific request for UE location capabilities. Therefore, capability information may include the UE's capabilities regarding the measurement PRS, such as Active Bandwidth Part (BWP), buffering and processing capabilities, etc. Some examples of redcap UE location capabilities are described in more detail below.

[0039] In 410, LMF 132 configures the PRS resources (or resource sets) used for redcap UE 110 as part of the location-assisted data message. In other implementations, the PRS configuration may be provided by a Positioning System Information Block (posSIB) broadcast by gNB 120A. The PRS configuration may include parameters of the PRS, such as, for example, the starting physical resource block (PRB), comb size, slot offset, symbol offset, number of symbols, periodicity, number of repetitions, etc.

[0040] In steps 420 to 440, the corresponding TRP will transmit a PRS based on the PRS configuration received from LMF 132. In step 450, the redcap UE 110 will perform a location operation. As will be described in more detail below, the location operation 450 may include a variety of operations depending on the capabilities, configuration, and / or deployment of the UE 110.

[0041] In some exemplary embodiments, the PRS configuration instructs the redcap UE 110 to perform PRS measurements during the measurement gap. In some scenarios, the bandwidth of the configured PRS exceeds the bandwidth capability of the redcap UE 110. In this scenario, various alternative positioning operations 450 may exist for the redcap UE 110 to perform. In a first alternative, the redcap UE 110 is not expected to measure the PRS. In a second alternative, the redcap UE 110 only measures the portion of the PRS that falls within the capabilities of the redcap UE (e.g., the bandwidth capability of the redcap UE 110). In a third alternative, the redcap UE 110 may allow the bandwidth operation to relax beyond the redcap UE's indication capability during the measurement gap; for example, if the indication bandwidth is 20 MHz, the redcap UE 110 may allow this bandwidth operation to relax beyond 20 MHz during the measurement gap.

[0042] In other exemplary embodiments, the PRS configuration instructs redcap UE 110 to perform PRS measurements within the currently active bandwidth portion (BWP). The bandwidth of the PRS may exceed the active BWP capability of redcap UE 110. Similarly, in this scenario, various alternative positioning operations 450 may exist for redcap UE 110 to perform. In a first alternative, redcap UE 110 is not expected to measure the PRS. In a second alternative, redcap UE 110 only measures the portion of the PRS located within the active BWP of redcap UE 110.

[0043] In any of the exemplary embodiments described above, the redcap UE 110 may be instructed to report PRS measurements using the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) (or the Physical Side Link Shared Channel (PSSCH) when the redcap UE 110 is outside coverage). The minimum time between the last symbol received by the PRS and the first symbol of the uplink (UL) resource used to send the measurement report depends on the location processing capabilities of the redcap UE 110. In some embodiments, the redcap UE 110 does not expect uplink control information (UCI) to be multiplexed on the PUSCH as part of the location operation 450 report. In other embodiments, if present, the PUSCH grant associated with the PRS measurement window may only multiplex high-priority Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) or Scheduling Request (SR). Other lower-priority UCI information (e.g., low-priority HARQ-ACK / SR, Channel State Information I (CSII), CSIII, etc.) may be discarded.

[0044] As described above, in some exemplary implementations, the PRS configuration may instruct the redcap UE 110 to perform PRS measurements within the currently active BWP. In this scenario, it may not be expected that the redcap UE 110, operating in half-duplex frequency division duplex (HD-FDD), will transmit configured UL transmissions (e.g., periodic sounding reference signal (SRS), configured licensed PUSCH (CG-PUSCH), etc.) or receive configured downlink (DL) receptions (e.g., CSI-RS, semi-persistent scheduling physical downlink shared channel (SPS-PDSCH), etc.) within the PRS buffer window or processing window. Signal overlap may be permitted, but the redcap UE 110 may only process the PRS.

[0045] In scenarios where the redcap UE 110 performs PRS measurements within the currently active BWP, if a PRS or BWP for measurement is also dynamically indicated, the HD-FDD redcap UE 110 is not expected to transmit dynamically indicated UL transmissions (e.g., Aperiodic SRS (A-SRS), Dynamic Grant PUSCH (DG-PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) associated with DG-PDSCH, etc.) or receive dynamically indicated DL receptions (e.g., DG-PDSCH) within the buffer window or processing window. Signal overlap is not permitted in this case. In scenarios where the PRS or BWP for positioning is not associated with downlink control information (DCI), the redcap UE 110 is not expected to receive or transmit associated measurement reports of the PRS.

[0046] In some exemplary implementations, the redcap UE 110 may need to transmit a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) that conflicts with PRS reception. In some exemplary implementations, receiving PRS is not expected for the redcap UE 110. In other exemplary implementations, if PRACH resources conflict with the PRS reception window and / or processing window, the PRACH may be discarded. The choice to discard the PRACH may depend on the priority associated with the RACH and / or the accuracy required for positioning.

[0047] In some exemplary implementations, the redcap UE 110 may need to transmit a scheduling request (SR) that conflicts with PRS operation. In some exemplary implementations, if the SR overlaps in time or conflicts with the PRS transmission within the PRS's buffer window or processing window, the redcap UE 110 may prioritize the PRS operation over the SR (or vice versa) based on the priority of the logical channel (LCH) that triggered the SR. In other exemplary implementations, if the PRS is associated with a DCI, the SR may always be de-prioritized.

[0048] As described above, some redcap UE 110s can indicate the capability to receive and process PRS within an active BWP. In this scenario, the PRS processing window length can be defined based on the redcap UE 110 capability; for example, the redcap UE 110 indicates that up to Q PRS symbols are expected within P symbols of the processing window. The capability indication can include several pairs (Q, P). The starting symbol of the processing window can be determined based on the first PRS symbol to be received within the active BWP. For example, the processing window begins at the first PRS symbol indicated to be received within that window. In another example, the processing window may begin N symbols before the first PRS symbol. In this example, N symbols provide the redcap UE 110 with time to complete the processing currently underway on the previously received data / signals / channels in the buffer. The value of N can depend on the redcap UE 110 capability. For example, N can be based on N1 symbols for Cap1 / 2 UEs or a new value.

[0049] In some exemplary embodiments, the positioning operation 450 may include power-saving operations. For example, the duration of the discontinuous reception cycle (DRX) may be aligned with the PRS timing within the measurement gap. In some exemplary embodiments, the LMF 132 may provide the proposed DRX configuration of the redcap UE 110 to the gNB 120A based on the PRS configuration determined by the LMF 132. In this way, the on-time duration can be aligned with the UE-specific PRS configuration, meaning that the redcap UE 110 will not need to wake up outside the on-time duration to measure the PRS. In other exemplary embodiments, the serving gNB (e.g., gNB 120A) informs the LMF 132 of the DRX configuration of the redcap UE 110. The LMF 132 may then forward this DRX configuration to neighboring gNBs (e.g., TRP1 402 and TRP2 404), so that the neighboring gNBs can align the PRS configuration to the redcap UE 110.

[0050] In other exemplary embodiments, it may not be expected that the redcap UE performs PRS measurements during the DRX off duration. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the redcap UE 110 may relax the off duration and perform PRS measurements during that off duration, depending on the capabilities of the redcap UE 110 and the required positioning accuracy. It should be understood that whenever required positioning accuracy is mentioned in this disclosure, it refers to whether the positioning accuracy of the redcap UE 110 takes precedence over other operations currently being performed by the redcap UE 110. For example, if the redcap UE 110 is performing an emergency application that requires high-accuracy location, positioning operations may take precedence over other operations. Specific priorities for any particular application or operation are outside the scope of this disclosure.

[0051] In current 3GPP standards, a gNB (e.g., gNB 120A) can broadcast auxiliary data information received from the LMF in a Positioning System Information message (e.g., PosSIB). However, in some scenarios, the PRS configuration for non-redcap UEs in the PosSIB is not available for redcap UEs. Therefore, in some exemplary embodiments, new auxiliary data for redcap UEs can be transmitted by the gNB. This new auxiliary data may be referred to as the redcap PosSIB (R-PosSIB). The PRS configuration within the R-PosSIB can be specifically designed for redcap devices. For example, the auxiliary data may include a bandwidth limited to 20 MHz, a shorter periodicity, and / or association with more TRPs. The shorter periodicity and / or association with more TRPs can compensate for the loss of accuracy due to the smaller bandwidth. Additionally, the redcap UE 110 may request the R-PosSIB at least for Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection status. This request may include an indication of the acceptable bandwidth of the PRS. It should be understood that non-redcap UEs can also perform and report measurements on the PRS configuration indicated by R-PosSIB.

[0052] As described above, the redcap UE 110 can provide location capability information to the 5G NR RAN 120 and / or cellular core network 130 via the gNB 120A. These location capabilities may differ from those of non-redcap UEs. For example, location capabilities may include the maximum supported PRS bandwidth that the redcap UE 110 can receive. This bandwidth may be explicitly reported or implicitly associated with the redcap UE 110 bandwidth. In some examples, this maximum supported bandwidth may be 20 MHz or a fraction of 20 MHz.

[0053] In another example, positioning capability may include PRS buffering capability. In yet another example, a value of (N, T) may be provided, where N is the duration in milliseconds of the PRS symbols the UE can process every T ms, assuming the UE supports and reports a maximum PRS bandwidth in MHz. The value of (N, T) may come from a reduced set and / or new numbers may be available. To provide some concrete examples, T may include the value set {20, 30, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280} ms; and N may include the value set {0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 25, 30, 32, 35, 40, 45, 50} ms. In another exemplary implementation, different (N, T) sets may be reported based on RS type (e.g., PRS vs. Detection Reference Signal (SRS)) or positioning technology (e.g., OTDOA, AOA, AOD, etc.).

[0054] In another example, positioning capabilities may include a maximum number of PFLs. For redcap UE 110, this number may be reduced, for example, to 1. This value can be across all positioning methods and across all frequency bands. Another example of reported positioning capabilities could be the maximum number of PRS resources that redcap UE 110 can handle. Again, this value may depend on the RS type and / or positioning technology.

[0055] Example

[0056] In a first embodiment, a processor of a decapped user equipment (UE) is configured to perform operations including receiving a location reference signal (PRS) configuration from a network component and performing one or more location operations based at least in part on the PRS configuration.

[0057] In the second embodiment, the processor of the first embodiment is configured such that the PRS configuration instructs the redcap UE to perform the positioning operation within the current active bandwidth portion (BWP) of the redcap UE.

[0058] In the third embodiment, the processor of the second embodiment, wherein the redcap UE is further configured to transmit a scheduling request (SR) that conflicts with either i) the reception of the PRS or (ii) the transmission of a probe reference signal (SRS) by the redcap UE.

[0059] In the fourth embodiment, the processor of the third embodiment, wherein the location operation includes discarding the SR based on the priority of the logical channel (LCH) that triggered the SR.

[0060] In the fifth embodiment, the processor of the third embodiment, wherein the positioning operation includes discarding the SR based on the PRS being activated by downlink control information (DCI).

[0061] In the sixth embodiment, the processor of the third embodiment, wherein the positioning operation includes omitting either i) the reception of the PRS or (ii) the transmission of the probe reference signal (SRS) by the redcap UE based on the priority of the logical channel (LCH) that triggered the SR.

[0062] In the seventh embodiment, the processor of the first embodiment further includes providing an indication that the redcap UE is capable of receiving and processing the PRS within the active bandwidth portion (BWP) of the redcap UE.

[0063] In the eighth embodiment, the processor of the seventh embodiment further includes providing an indication of the processing window of the redcapUE to process the PRS based on the expected number (Q) of PRS symbols within a certain number (P) of symbols in the processing window.

[0064] In the ninth embodiment, the processor of the eighth embodiment, wherein the starting symbol of the processing window is based on the first PRS symbol to be received within the active BWP.

[0065] In the tenth embodiment, the processor of the eighth embodiment, wherein the starting symbol of the processing window is based on the number (N) of symbols preceding the first PRS symbol to be received within the active BWP, wherein N is based on at least the capability of the redcap UE.

[0066] In the eleventh embodiment, the processor of the first embodiment is used, wherein the redcap UE is configured to operate in a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle.

[0067] In the twelfth embodiment, the processor of the eleventh embodiment includes omitting the measurement of the PRS during the off duration of the DRX cycle.

[0068] In the thirteenth embodiment, the processor of the eleventh embodiment includes the location operation comprising waking up the redcap UE during the off duration of the DRX cycle to measure the PRS.

[0069] In the fourteenth embodiment, the processor of the first embodiment further includes receiving positioning assistance information from a base station, wherein the positioning assistance information is received via a reduced-capacity Positioning System Information Block (R-PosSIB) broadcast by the base station, wherein the R-PosSIB includes one of the following: limited bandwidth of the PRS, shorter periodicity of the PRS, or the PRS being associated with more transmit and receive points (TRPs) compared to the case of a non-redcap UE.

[0070] In the fifteenth embodiment, the processor of the fourteenth embodiment further includes issuing a request for the R-PosSIB, wherein the request includes an indication of the expected bandwidth of the PRS.

[0071] In the sixteenth embodiment, the processor of the first embodiment further includes providing an indication of the capabilities of the redcap UE relative to the PRS.

[0072] In the seventeenth embodiment, the processor of the sixteenth embodiment includes one of the following capabilities: (i) maximum supported PRS bandwidth, (ii) PRS buffering capacity, (iii) PRS processing capacity, (iv) maximum number of PFLs, and (v) maximum PRS resources that the redcap UE can process.

[0073] In the eighteenth embodiment, a processor of a base station configured to perform operations including receiving a Position Reference Signal (PRS) configuration for a user equipment (redcap UE) to reduce capabilities from a location management function (LMF) of the network, and transmitting the PRS to the redcap UE based on the PRS configuration.

[0074] In the nineteenth embodiment, the processor of the eighteenth embodiment further includes broadcasting positioning assistance information via a reduced-capacity Positioning System Information Block (R-PosSIB), wherein the R-PosSIB includes one of the following: limited bandwidth of the PRS, shorter periodicity of the PRS, or the PRS being associated with more transmit and receive points (TRPs) compared to the case of a non-redcap UE.

[0075] In the twentieth embodiment, the processor of the nineteenth embodiment further includes receiving a request for the R-PosSIB from the redcap UE, wherein the request includes an indication of the expected bandwidth of the PRS.

[0076] In the twenty-first embodiment, the processor of the eighteenth embodiment is configured to operate in half-duplex frequency division duplex (HD-FDD) mode, and the PRS configuration instructs the redcap UE to perform the positioning operation within the currently active bandwidth portion (BWP) of the redcap UE.

[0077] In the twenty-second embodiment, the processor of the twenty-first embodiment further includes omitting dynamic authorization scheduling where the redcap UE and the PRS overlap in time.

[0078] In the twenty-third embodiment, the processor of the twenty-first embodiment further includes scheduling dynamic granting for the redcap UE when the PRS is not associated with downlink control information (DCI), wherein the dynamic granting indicates to the redcap UE that it does not expect the redcap UE to receive the PRS at the time when the dynamic granting is scheduled.

[0079] Those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments described above can be implemented with any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof. Exemplary hardware platforms for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, Intel x86-based platforms with compatible operating systems, Windows OS, Mac platforms and MAC OS, and mobile devices with operating systems such as iOS, Android, etc. Exemplary embodiments of the methods described above may be embodied as programs comprising lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, at compile time, can be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

[0080] Although this patent application describes various combinations of various embodiments, each with different features, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of an embodiment can be combined with features of other embodiments or features that are not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation or function of the device of the disclosed embodiment of the invention in any manner not explicitly denied.

[0081] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0082] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to this disclosure without departing from its spirit or scope. Therefore, this disclosure is intended to cover all modifications and variations thereof, provided that such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for redcap user equipment (UE) with reduced capabilities, comprising: Receive Position Reference Signal (PRS) configuration from network components; One or more positioning operations are performed, at least in part, based on the PRS configuration; as well as It is determined that a scheduling request (SR) to be transmitted to the network conflicts with the reception of a PRS in time, wherein the location operation includes discarding the SR based on the priority of the logical channel (LCH) that triggered the SR.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the PRS configuration instructs the redcap UE to perform the positioning operation in the measurement gap, and wherein the bandwidth of the PRS configuration is greater than the bandwidth capability indicated by the redcap UE.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the positioning operation includes the redcap UE omitting the measurement of the PRS.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the positioning operation includes measuring a portion of the PRS within the bandwidth capability indicated by the redcapUE.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the positioning operation includes relaxing the indicated bandwidth capability of the redcap UE within the measurement gap.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the PRS configuration instructs the redcap UE to perform the positioning operation within the current active bandwidth portion (BWP) of the redcap UE, and the bandwidth of the configured PRS is greater than the current active BWP of the redcap UE.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the positioning operation includes omitting the measurement of the PRS.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the positioning operation includes measuring a portion of the PRS within the active BWP of the redcapUE.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning operation includes transmitting a measurement report of the PRS on the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), wherein the PUSCH for transmitting the measurement report is selected based on the time between the last symbol received by the PRS and the first symbol of the PUSCH, wherein the time is based on the processing capacity of the redcap UE.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the measurement report is not multiplexed with any uplink control information UCI on the PUSCH.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the measurement report is multiplexed with one or more of a high-priority hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) or a high-priority scheduling request (SR).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the PRS configuration instructs the redcap UE to perform the positioning operation within the current active bandwidth portion (BWP) of the redcap UE.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the redcap UE is configured to operate in half-duplex frequency division duplex (HD-FDD) mode, and the positioning operation includes omitting configured uplink UL transmission and configured downlink DL reception within the PRS buffer window and PRS processing window.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the redcap UE is configured to operate in half-duplex frequency division duplex (HD-FDD) mode, and the positioning operation includes omitting the transmission of UL transmissions dynamically indicated within the PRS buffer window and the PRS processing window, and the reception of DL receptions dynamically indicated within the PRS processing window.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the positioning operation further includes omitting the measurement of the PRS.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the redcap UE is further configured to transmit a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission that conflicts with the reception of the PRS, and the positioning operation includes omitting the reception of the PRS.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the redcap UE is further configured to transmit a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission that conflicts with the reception of the PRS, and the positioning operation includes discarding the PRACH transmission.

18. A method for a base station includes: Receive the Position Reference Signal (PRS) configuration from the Network Location Management Function (LMF) for the Reduced Capability User Equipment (UE) redcap. Based on the PRS configuration, transmit the PRS to the redcap UE; and Configure the discontinuous reception DRX cycle of the redcap UE, wherein the DRX cycle is based on the PRS configuration received from the LMF, and wherein the PRS is configured to be aligned with the on-duration of the DRX cycle.

19. A method for location management functions in a network, comprising: Determine the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) configuration for the user equipment (UE) with reduced communication capabilities with the network (redcap UE). The PRS configuration is transmitted to the redcap UE; Receive discontinuous reception DRX cyclic configuration of the redcap UE from the base station serving the redcap UE; as well as The DRX cyclic configuration of the redcap UE is transmitted to one or more neighboring base stations of the serving base station, wherein the one or more neighboring base stations align the PRS configuration of the redcap UE based on the DRX cyclic configuration.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable program instructions, which, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. A degraded redcap user equipment (UE) comprising a processor configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

22. A base station, comprising a processor configured to perform the method of claim 18.

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