Low power passive MIMO surface using aperture-type radiators

Abstract

Design and control techniques for passive multiple-input multiple-output (pMIMO) surfaces are provided. An example reconfigurable reflective element array includes a plurality of unit cells each including a cross-slot radiating element, a first varactor disposed across a first end of the cross-slot radiating element and configured to control polarization in a first plane, and a second varactor disposed across a second end of the cross-slot radiating element and configured to control polarization in a second plane. And a second varactor disposed across a second end of the cross-slot radiating element and configured to control polarization in a second plane; and a controller coupled to the first varactor and the second varactor and configured to provide a control signal to the first varactor and the second varactor to change a direction of the reflected signal.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 951,827, filed on September 23, 2022, entitled "LOW POWER PASSIVE MIMO SURFACE USING APERTURE TYPE RADIATORS", which is assigned to the assignee of the present application, and the entire content of the U.S. patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. Background Art

[0003] Wireless communication systems have evolved through several generations, including first - generation analog wireless telephone services (1G), second - generation (2G) digital wireless telephone services (including transitional 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third - generation (3G) high - speed data wireless services with Internet capabilities, fourth - generation (4G) services (e.g., Long - Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax), and fifth - generation (5G) services (e.g., 5G New Radio (NR)). There are many different types of wireless communication systems currently in use, including cellular and personal communication services (PCS) systems. Examples of known cellular systems include cellular analog Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), GSM TDMA variants, etc.

[0004] It is generally desirable to know the location of a user equipment (UE), such as a cellular phone, where the terms "location" and "positioning" are synonymous and used interchangeably herein. A Location Services (LCS) client may desire to know the location of the UE and may communicate with a location center to request the location of the UE. The location center and the UE may appropriately exchange messages to obtain an estimate of the UE's location. The location center may return the location estimate to the LCS client, for example, for use in one or more applications.

[0005] The location of a mobile device accessing a wireless network can be used for many applications, including, for example, emergency calls, personal navigation, asset tracking, locating friends or family members, etc. Existing location methods include methods based on measuring radio signals transmitted from multiple devices, which include satellite vehicles and terrestrial wireless power sources in a wireless network, such as base stations and access points. In addition, the capabilities of the UE can vary, and the location method can be based on the capabilities of the device. The orientation of the UE relative to other wireless nodes in the network (e.g., base stations, UEs, and other wireless devices) can be used for beamforming and / or location applications. Techniques for controlling beamforming signals can be used to increase the coverage area of a base station and improve the strength of signals transmitted and received by the base station. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] An exemplary reconfigurable reflectarray element array according to the present disclosure includes: a plurality of unit cells, each of the plurality of unit cells including a radiating element, a first power divider aligned with a first polarization and electrically coupled to a first phase shift component, and a second power divider aligned with a second polarization and electrically coupled to a second phase shift component; and a controller coupled to the first phase shift component and the second phase shift component and configured to provide control signals to the first phase shift component and the second phase shift component to change the direction of the reflected signal.

[0007] An exemplary reconfigurable reflectarray element array according to the present disclosure includes: a plurality of unit cells, each of the plurality of unit cells including a cross-slot radiating element, a first varactor disposed across a first end of the cross-slot radiating element and configured to control polarization in a first plane, and a second varactor disposed across a second end of the cross-slot radiating element and configured to control polarization in a second plane; and a controller coupled to the first varactor and the second varactor and configured to provide control signals to the first varactor and the second varactor to change the direction of the reflected signal.

[0008] An example method of configuring a reconfigurable reflectarray element array according to the present disclosure includes: receiving initialization information from a wireless node; determining a first reactance value and a second reactance value for one or more unit cells in the reconfigurable reflectarray element array at least in part based on the initialization information; and configuring the one or more unit cells based on the first reactance value and the second reactance value.

[0009] The projects and / or technologies described herein may provide one or more of the following capabilities and other capabilities not mentioned. A reconfigurable reflective element array may include a plurality of unit cells, which may be configured to reflect received radio signals at a desired angle. A unit cell may include a radiating element coupled to a controller and a configurable phase control device, and the controller may provide control signals to the unit cell based on the desired reflection angle. Each polarization orientation of the unit cell may include one phase control device. The reconfigurable reflective element array may receive configuration information from network resources such as base stations, user equipment, and location servers. The reconfigurable reflective element array may reduce the need for active repeaters and may improve the quality of service in non-line-of-sight usage scenarios. The number of phase control devices in the reconfigurable reflective element array may be reduced, and the cost and complexity of controlling the reconfigurable reflective element array may also be reduced. Other capabilities may be provided, and not every specific implementation according to the present disclosure must provide any of the capabilities discussed, let alone all of them. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of an example wireless communication system.

[0011] Figure 2 is a block diagram of components of an example user equipment.

[0012] Figure 3 is a block diagram of components of an example transmit / receive point.

[0013] Figure 4 is a block diagram of components of an example server.

[0014] Figure 5 、 Figure 6A and Figure 6B are diagrams illustrating example techniques for determining the location of a mobile device using information obtained from one or more base stations.

[0015] Figure 7 include example reference signal received power values of different radio frequency beams transmitted by a base station.

[0016] Figure 8A and Figure 8B are functional diagrams of an example passive multiple-input multiple-output (pMIMO) surface.

[0017] Figure 9A and Figure 9B depict example usage scenarios for a pMIMO surface.

[0018] Figure 10 is an example pMIMO hardware implementation.

[0019] Figure 11Is a view of an exemplary dual-polarized pMIMO unit cell with a hole radiator.

[0020] Figures 12A to 12F Is a view of an exemplary pMIMO design variant.

[0021] Figure 13 Is a side view of an exemplary pMIMO unit cell.

[0022] Figure 14A And Figure 14B Is a top view of an exemplary pMIMO surface with multiple unit cells.

[0023] Figures 15A to 15C Is an exemplary angular response curve for a pMIMO surface.

[0024] Figures 16A to 16B Is an exemplary angular and bandwidth graph for a pMIMO surface.

[0025] Figure 17 Is an exemplary angular response curve for a reciprocal signal impinging on a pMIMO surface.

[0026] Figure 18 Includes a perspective view and a top view of an exemplary dual-polarized cross-slot pMIMO unit cell without parasitic elements.

[0027] Figure 19 Is for Figure 18 The unit cell reflection response of the pMIMO unit cell in

[0028] Figures 20A to 20C Is an exemplary pMIMO surface with variations in unit cell orientation.

[0029] Figure 21 Includes exemplary angular response curves for pMIMO surfaces with different unit cell orientations.

[0030] Figure 22 Is an exemplary message flow for utilizing a pMIMO surface in a cellular network.

[0031] Figure 23 Is a flowchart of an exemplary method for configuring a pMIMO surface. Detailed Description

[0032] Design and control techniques for passive multi-input multi-output (pMIMO) surfaces are discussed herein. Passive MIMO (pMIMO) surfaces can be used to extend the coverage area of wireless stations in a wireless network. In an example, in a 5G NR network, a pMIMO surface can be implemented to extend the coverage area of a gNB as an alternative option to installing a repeater station. Compared to repeater installation, the pMIMO surface consumes less power because the pMIMO surface does not require the power amplifiers (PAs) and low noise amplifiers (LNAs) utilized in a repeater station. The pMIMO aperture design proposed herein enables single polarization or dual polarization with multiple bandwidth enhancement options and improves performance for typical 5G and beyond applications.

[0033] Existing reconfigurable reflector array configurations typically require two phase shift components per polarization for balance control to improve co-polarization to cross-polarization isolation. However, in some embodiments, the tolerance of the in-phase setting of the phase shifter pair may cause phase imbalance, thus degrading the isolation and gain performance of the reflector array. Compared with such existing reflector array configurations, the aperture design herein reduces the number of active components, thus providing a technical improvement in reducing the complexity of the beam steering controller. This reduction also reduces the calibration time, the number of control lines, and the wiring complexity within the pMIMO surface. Compared with existing reflector array designs, the component reduction can also reduce the controller power consumption and also reduce the unit cost of the pMIMO array.

[0034] The pMIMO surface described herein can utilize an integrated power combiner to reduce the number of active components (such as varactors or phase shifters) required for phase shifting. In an example, compared with an existing reflector surface, the number of varactors utilized can be reduced by 50%. These designs can enhance the frequency bandwidth performance by avoiding the imbalance (e.g., due to tolerance) of the existing paired varactor method. The bandwidth can be further enhanced by adding parasitic radiation elements on top of the slot apertures. These techniques can be extended to support dual polarization (e.g., vertical / horizontal or dual-inclined 45 degrees) without affecting the performance of the existing polarization due to minimizing the coupling with orthogonal embodiments. These techniques and configurations are examples, and other techniques and configurations can be used.

[0035] This specification may recite action sequences to be performed by elements of, for example, a computing device. The various actions described herein can be performed by special-purpose circuitry (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. The action sequences described herein can be embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a corresponding set of computer instructions that, when executed, will cause an associated processor to perform the functionality described herein. Accordingly, the various aspects described herein can be implemented in several different forms, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure, including the claimed subject matter.

[0036] As used herein, the terms “wireless node,” “user equipment” (UE), and “base station” are not dedicated to or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT), unless otherwise specified. In general, such a UE can be any wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, router, tablet computer, laptop computer, consumer asset tracking device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, virtual reality headset, etc.) used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network. The UE can be mobile or can be stationary (e.g., at certain times) and can communicate with a radio access network (RAN). As used herein, the term “UE” can be interchangeably referred to as “access terminal” or “AT,” “client device,” “wireless device,” “subscriber device,” “subscriber terminal,” “subscriber station,” “user terminal” or “UT,” “mobile terminal,” “mobile station,” “mobile device,” or variations thereof. In general, a UE can communicate with a core network via a RAN, and through the core network, the UE can connect to external networks such as the Internet and to other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for connecting to the core network and / or the Internet are possible for a UE, such as via a wired access network, a WiFi network (e.g., based on IEEE 802.11, etc.).

[0037] Depending on the network in which the base station is deployed, the base station can operate according to one of several RATs when communicating with a UE. Examples of base stations include access points (APs), network nodes, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), or general Node Bs (gNodeBs, gNBs). Additionally, in some systems, the base station can provide only edge node signaling functionality, while in other systems, the base station can provide additional control functionality and / or network management functionality.

[0038] The UE may be implemented by any of several types of devices, including but not limited to printed circuit (PC) cards, compact flash devices, external or internal modems, wireless or wired telephones, smart phones, tablet devices, consumer asset tracking devices, asset tags, etc. The communication link by which the UE is capable of transmitting signals to the RAN is referred to as an uplink channel (e.g., reverse traffic channel, reverse control channel, access channel, etc.). The communication link by which the RAN is capable of transmitting signals to the UE is referred to as a downlink or forward link channel (e.g., paging channel, control channel, broadcast channel, forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term "traffic channel (TCH)" may refer to an uplink / reverse traffic channel or a downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0039] As used herein, depending on the context, the term "cell" or "sector" may correspond to one of a plurality of cells of a base station or to the base station itself. The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity for communicating with a base station (e.g., on a carrier), and may be associated with an identifier to distinguish adjacent cells operating via the same or different carriers (e.g., physical cell identifier (PCID), virtual cell identifier (VCID)). In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells and may be configured with different cells according to different protocol types that may provide access for different types of devices (e.g., machine type communication (MTC), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), or other protocol types). In some examples, the term "cell" may refer to a portion of the geographic coverage area over which a logical entity operates (e.g., a sector).

[0040] Reference Figure 1, examples of the communication system 100 include User Equipment (UE) 105, UE 106, a Radio Access Network (RAN) (here, the 5th Generation (5G) Next Generation (NG) RAN (NG-RAN) 135), a 5G Core Network (5GC) 140, and a server 150. UE 105 and / or UE 106 can be, for example, IoT devices, location tracker devices, cellular phones, vehicles (such as cars, trucks, buses, ships, etc.), or other devices. The 5G network can also be referred to as a New Radio (NR) network; the NG-RAN 135 can be called 5G RAN or NR RAN; and the 5GC 140 can be referred to as the NG Core Network (NGC). The standardization of the NG-RAN and 5GC is being carried out in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Accordingly, the NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140 can follow the current or future standards from 3GPP for 5G support. The NG-RAN 135 can be another type of RAN, for example, 3G RAN, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAN, etc. UE 106 can be similarly configured and coupled to UE 105 to transmit and / or receive signals from / to other similar entities in the system 100, but for simplicity of the drawings, such signaling is not indicated in Figure 1 . Similarly, for simplicity, the discussion focuses on UE 105. The communication system 100 can utilize information from a constellation 185 of satellite vehicles (SV) 190, 191, 192, 193 of a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) (such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), Galileo, or Beidou, or some other local or regional SPS (such as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), or the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)). Additional components of the communication system 100 are described below. The communication system 100 can include additional or alternative components.

[0041] As Figure 1As shown, the NG-RAN 135 includes NR nodeBs (gNBs) 110a, 110b, and next-generation eNodeBs (ng-eNBs) 114, and the 5GC 140 includes an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 115, a Session Management Function (SMF) 117, a Location Management Function (LMF) 120, and a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 125. The gNBs 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 are communicatively coupled to each other, each is configured to perform two-way wireless communication with the UE 105, and each is communicatively coupled to the AMF 115 and is configured to perform two-way communication with the AMF. The gNBs 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 may be referred to as base stations (BSs). The AMF 115, SMF 117, LMF 120, and GMLC 125 are communicatively coupled to each other, and the GMLC is communicatively coupled to an external client 130. The SMF 117 may serve as an initial contact point for a Service Control Function (SCF) (not shown) to create, control, and delete media sessions. A base station (such as gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) may be a macro cell (e.g., a high-power cellular base station), or a small cell (e.g., a low-power cellular base station), or an access point (e.g., a short-range base station that is configured to communicate using short-range technologies such as WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), low-power (BLE), Zigbee, etc.). One or more BSs (e.g., one or more of gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) may be configured to communicate with the UE 105 via multiple carriers. Each of the gNBs 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 may provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographical area (e.g., a cell). Each cell may be divided into multiple sectors according to the base station antenna.

[0042] Figure 1Generalized illustrations of the various components are provided, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate, and each component may be repeated or omitted as needed. Specifically, although one UE 105 is illustrated, many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may be utilized in the communication system 100. Similarly, the communication system 100 may include a greater (or lesser) number of SVs (i.e., more or fewer than the four SVs 190 - 193 shown), gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115, external client 130, and / or other components. The illustrated connections that connect the various components in the communication system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Additionally, the components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted according to the desired functionality.

[0043] Although Figure 1 a 5G-based network is illustrated, similar network implementations and configurations may be used for other communication technologies, such as 3G, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), etc. The specific implementations described herein (which are for 5G technology and / or for one or more other communication technologies and / or protocols) may be used to transmit (or broadcast) directional synchronization signals, receive and measure directional signals at a UE (e.g., UE 105), and / or provide location assistance to the UE 105 (via the GMLC 125 or other location server), and / or calculate the location of the UE 105 at a device with positioning capabilities (such as the UE 105, gNB 110a, gNB 110b, or LMF 120) based on measurement parameters of the signals transmitted in a directional manner received at the UE 105. The Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 125, Location Management Function (LMF) 120, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 115, SMF 117, ng-eNB (eNodeB) 114, and gNB (gNodeB) 110a, 110b are examples and may be replaced or include various other location server functionality and / or base station functionality, respectively, in various embodiments.

[0044] System 100 is capable of wireless communication because the components of System 100 can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (at least sometimes using a wireless connection) via, for example, gNBs 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, and / or 5GC 140 (and / or one or more other devices not shown, such as one or more other transceiver base stations). For indirect communication, the communication can be changed during transmission from one entity to another, for example, to change the header information of a data packet, change the format, etc. UE 105 can include multiple UEs and can be a mobile wireless communication device, but can communicate wirelessly as well as via a wired connection. UE 105 can be any of a variety of devices, such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a vehicle-based device, etc., but these are only examples because UE 105 does not need to be any of these configurations and other configurations of the UE can be used. Other UEs can include wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart jewelry, smart glasses, or head-mounted devices, etc.). Other UEs can also be used, whether currently existing or developed in the future. In addition, other wireless devices (whether mobile or not) can be implemented within System 100 and can communicate with each other and / or with UE 105, gNBs 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, 5GC 140, and / or external client 130. For example, such other devices can include Internet of Things (IoT) devices, medical devices, home entertainment, and / or automation devices, etc. 5GC 140 can communicate with external client 130 (e.g., a computer system), for example, to allow external client 130 (e.g., via GMLC 125) to request and / or receive location information about UE 105.

[0045] UE 105 or other devices may be configured to communicate in various networks and / or for various purposes and / or using various technologies (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi communication, multi-frequency Wi-Fi communication, satellite positioning, one or more types of communication (e.g., GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), such as V2P (Vehicle-to-Pedestrian), V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure), V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle), etc.), IEEE 802.11p, etc.). V2X communication may be cellular (Cellular-V2X (C-V2X)) and / or Wi-Fi-based (e.g., DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications)). System 100 may support operation on multiple carriers (waveform signals of different frequencies). A multi-carrier transmitter may simultaneously transmit modulated signals on multiple carriers. Each modulated signal may be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) signal, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) signal, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) signal, a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) signal, etc. Each modulated signal may be transmitted on a different carrier and may carry pilots, overhead information, data, etc. UEs 105, 106 may communicate with each other via UE-to-UE sidelink (SL) communication by transmitting on one or more sidelink (SL) channels such as the Physical Sidelink Synchronization Channel (PSSCH), the Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH), or the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH).

[0046] UE 105 may include and / or may be referred to as a device, mobile device, wireless device, mobile terminal, terminal, mobile station (MS), Secure User Plane Location (SUPL)-enabled terminal (SET), or some other name. Additionally, UE 105 may correspond to a cellular phone, smartphone, laptop computer, tablet device, PDA, consumer asset tracking device, navigation device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, health monitor, security system, smart city sensor, smart meter, wearable tracker, or some other portable or mobile device. Generally, although not necessarily, UE 105 may use one or more radio access technologies (RATs) to support wireless communication, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), LTE, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi (also known as Wi-Fi), (BT), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), 5G New Radio (NR) (e.g., using NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140), etc. The UE 105 may use a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) to support wireless communication, and the WLAN may be connected to other networks (e.g., the Internet) using, for example, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or packet cable. Using one or more of these RATs may allow the UE 105 (e.g., via elements of the 5GC 140 ( Figure 1 not shown in the figure), or possibly via the GMLC 125) to communicate with an external client 130 and / or allow the external client 130 (e.g., via the GMLC 125) to receive location information about the UE 105.

[0047] The UE 105 may include a single entity or may include multiple entities, such as in a personal area network, where the user may employ audio, video, and / or data I / O (Input / Output) devices, and / or body sensors, as well as separate wired or wireless modems. The estimation of the location of the UE 105 may be referred to as location, location estimation, position fixing, fixing, positioning, positioning estimation, or position fixing, and may be geographical, thereby providing location coordinates of the UE 105 (e.g., latitude and longitude), which may or may not include an elevation component (e.g., height above mean sea level; height above or depth below a ground plane, floor plane, or basement plane). Alternatively, the location of the UE 105 may be expressed as a civic location (e.g., a postal address or a designation of a point or smaller area within a building, such as a specific room or floor). The location of the UE 105 may be represented as an area or volume (geographically or in civic form) within which the UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of the UE 105 may be represented as a relative location, which includes, for example, distance and direction relative to a known location. The relative location may be represented as relative coordinates (e.g., X, Y (and Z) coordinates) defined relative to an origin at a known location, which may be defined, for example, geographically, in civic form, or with reference to a point, area, or volume indicated on a map, floor plan, or building plan. In the descriptions contained herein, unless otherwise indicated, the use of the term "location" may include any of these variations. When calculating the location of the UE, local x, y, and (possibly) z coordinates are typically solved for and then (if necessary) converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., with respect to latitude, longitude, and elevation above or below mean sea level).

[0048] The UE 105 may be configured to communicate with other entities using one or more of a variety of techniques. The UE 105 may be configured to indirectly connect to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links. The D2D P2P links may be supported using any suitable D2D radio access technology (RAT), such as Long Term Evolution Direct (LTE-D), Wi-Fi Direct (Wi-Fi-D), etc. One or more UEs in a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographical coverage area of a transmit / receive point (TRP) (such as one or more of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114). Other UEs in the group may be outside such geographical coverage area or may be unable to receive transmissions from the base station for other reasons. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE may transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP may facilitate the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication may be performed between UEs without involving the TRP. One or more UEs in a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographical coverage area of a TRP. Other UEs in the group may be outside such geographical coverage area or may be unable to receive transmissions from the base station for other reasons. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE may transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP may facilitate the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication may be performed between UEs without involving the TRP.

[0049] Figure 1 The base stations (BSs) in the illustrated NG-RAN 135 include NR node Bs (referred to as gNBs 110a and 110b). Pairs of gNBs 110a, 110b in the NG-RAN 135 may be connected to each other via one or more other gNBs. Wireless communication between the UE 105 and one or more of gNB 110a, gNB 110b provides the UE 105 with access to the 5G network, and these gNBs may provide wireless communication access to the 5GC 140 on behalf of the UE 105 using 5G. In Figure 1 it is assumed that the serving gNB of the UE 105 is gNB 110a, but another gNB (e.g., gNB 110b) may act as the serving gNB if the UE 105 moves to another location, or may act as a secondary gNB to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to the UE 105.

[0050] Figure 1The base station (BS) in the NG-RAN 135 shown may include an ng-eNB 114, which is also referred to as a next-generation evolved Node B. The ng-eNB 114 may be connected to one or more of the gNBs 110a, 110b in the NG-RAN 135 via one or more other gNBs and / or one or more other ng-eNBs. The ng-eNB 114 may provide LTE radio access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) radio access to the UE 105. One or more of the gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may be configured to function as a positioning beacon only, which may send signals to assist in determining the location of the UE 105 but may not receive signals from the UE 105 or other UEs.

[0051] Each of the gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may include one or more TRPs. For example, each sector within a cell of the BS may include a TRP, but multiple TRPs may share one or more components (e.g., share a processor but have separate antennas). The system 100 may include only macro TRPs, or the system 100 may have different types of TRPs, such as macro TRPs, pico TRPs, and / or femto TRPs, etc. A macro TRP may cover a relatively large geographical area (e.g., with a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access by terminals with a service subscription. A pico TRP may cover a relatively small geographical area (e.g., a pico cell) and may allow unrestricted access by terminals with a service subscription. A femto or home TRP may cover a relatively small geographical area (e.g., a femto cell) and may allow restricted access by terminals associated with the femto cell (e.g., terminals of users in a home).

[0052] Each of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may include a Radio Unit (RU), a Distributed Unit (DU), and a Central Unit (CU). For example, gNB 110a includes RU 111, DU 112, and CU 113. RU 111, DU 112, and CU 113 divide the functionality of gNB 110a. Although gNB 110a is shown as having a single RU, a single DU, and a single CU, a gNB may include one or more RUs, one or more DUs, and / or one or more CUs. The interface between CU 113 and DU 112 is referred to as the F1 interface. RU 111 is configured to perform Digital Front End (DFE) functions (e.g., analog-to-digital conversion, filtering, power amplification, transmit / receive) and digital beamforming, and includes a part of the Physical (PHY) layer. RU 111 may use massive Multiple-Input / Multiple-Output (MIMO) to perform DFE and may be integrated with one or more antennas of gNB 110a. DU 112 hosts the Radio Link Control (RLC), Medium Access Control (MAC), and Physical layers of gNB 110a. One DU may support one or more cells, and each cell is supported by a single DU. The operation of DU 112 is controlled by CU 113. CU 113 is configured to perform functions for passing user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, session management, etc., although some functions are only assigned to DU 112. CU 113 hosts the Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) protocols of gNB 110a. UE 105 may communicate with CU 113 via the RRC, SDAP, and PDCP layers, communicate with DU 112 via the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers, and communicate with RU 111 via the PHY layer.

[0053] As mentioned, while Figure 1 nodes configured to communicate according to a 5G communication protocol are depicted, nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols (such as, for example, the LTE protocol or the IEEE 802.11x protocol) may also be used. For example, in an Evolved Packet System (EPS) that provides LTE radio access to UE 105, the Radio Access Network (RAN) may include an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), which may include base stations containing evolved Node Bs (eNBs). The core network for EPS may include an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). EPS may include E-UTRAN plus EPC, where E-UTRAN corresponds to Figure 1 NG-RAN 135 in the figure and EPC corresponds to 5GC 140 in the figure.

[0054] gNBs 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 can communicate with AMF 115; for positioning functionality, the AMF communicates with LMF 120. AMF 115 can support the mobility of UE 105 (including cell change and handover), and can participate in supporting the signaling connection with UE 105 and (possibly) data and voice bearers for UE 105. LMF 120 can communicate directly with UE 105, for example, via wireless communication, or directly with gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114. LMF 120 can support the positioning of UE 105 when UE 105 accesses NG-RAN 135, and can support various positioning processes / methods, such as Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (e.g., Downlink (DL) OTDOA or Uplink (UL) OTDOA), Round Trip Time (RTT), Multi-Cell RTT, Real Time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID), Angle of Arrival (AoA), Angle of Departure (AoD), and / or other positioning methods. LMF 120 can process, for example, location service requests for UE 105 received from AMF 115 or GMLC 125. LMF 120 can be connected to AMF 115 and / or GMLC 125. LMF 120 can be referred to by other names, such as Location Manager (LM), Location Function (LF), Commercial LMF (CLMF), or Value-Added LMF (VLMF). The node / system implementing LMF 120 can additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) or Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (SLP). At least a portion of the positioning functionality (including the derivation of the location of UE 105) can be performed at UE 105 (e.g., using signal measurements of signals transmitted by radio nodes (such as gNBs 110a, gNBs 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) obtained by UE 105, and / or auxiliary data provided to UE 105 by LMF 120, for example). AMF 115 can act as a control node for handling signaling between UE 105 and 5GC 140, and can provide QoS (Quality of Service) flow and session management. AMF 115 can support the mobility of UE 105 (including cell change and handover), and can participate in supporting the signaling connection with UE 105.

[0055] The server 150 (e.g., a cloud server) is configured to obtain a location estimate of the UE 105 and provide it to the external client 130. The server 150 can be configured, for example, to run a microservice / service that obtains a location estimate of the UE 105. The server 150 can obtain, for example, a location estimate from one or more of the UE 105, gNBs 110a, 110b (e.g., via RUs 111, DUs 112, and CUs 113), and / or ng-eNB 114, and / or LMF 120 (e.g., by transmitting a location request). As another example, one or more of the UE 105, gNBs 110a, 110b (e.g., via RUs 111, DUs 112, and CUs 113), and / or LMF 120 can push a location estimate of the UE 105 to the server 150.

[0056] The GMLC 125 can support a location request for the UE 105 received from the external client 130 via the server 150, and can forward the location request to the AMF 115 for the AMF 115 to forward to the LMF 120, or can forward the location request directly to the LMF 120. A location response from the LMF 120 (e.g., containing a location estimate of the UE 105) can be returned to the GMLC 125 directly or via the AMF 115, and the GMLC 125 can then return the location response (e.g., containing the location estimate) to the external client 130 via the server 150. The GMLC 125 is shown connected to both the AMF 115 and the LMF 120, but in some embodiments may not be connected to the AMF 115 or the LMF 120.

[0057] As Figure 1 Further illustrated, the LMF 120 can use the New Radio Positioning Protocol A (which can be referred to as NPPa or NRPPa) to communicate with the gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114, which can be defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. The NRPPa can be the same as, similar to, or an extension of the LTE Positioning Protocol A (LPPa) defined in 3GPP TS 36.455, where NRPPa messages are passed between the gNB 110a (or gNB 110b) and the LMF 120, and / or between the ng-eNB 114 and the LMF 120 via the AMF 115. As Figure 1As a further example, the LMF 120 and the UE 105 may communicate using the LTE positioning protocol (LPP), which may be defined in 3GPP TS 36.355. The LMF 120 and the UE 105 may alternatively or additionally communicate using a new radio positioning protocol (which may be referred to as NPP or NRPP), which may be the same as, similar to, or an extension of the LPP. Here, LPP and / or NPP messages may be passed between the UE 105 and the LMF 120 via the AMF 115 and the serving gNB 110a, gNB 110b, or serving ng-eNB 114 of the UE 105. For example, LPP and / or NPP messages may be passed between the LMF 120 and the AMF 115 using the 5G location service application protocol (LCS AP), and may be passed between the AMF 115 and the UE 105 using the 5G non-access stratum (NAS) protocol. The LPP and / or NPP protocol may be used to support positioning the UE 105 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based positioning methods such as A-GNSS, RTK, OTDOA, and / or E-CID. The NRPPa protocol may be used to support positioning the UE 105 using network-based positioning methods such as E-CID (e.g., in conjunction with measurements obtained by the gNB 110a, gNB 110b, or ng-eNB 114), and / or may be used by the LMF 120 to obtain location-related information from the gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114, such as parameters defining the directional SS transmission from the gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114. The LMF 120 may be co-located with or integrated into the gNB or TRP, or may be arranged remote from the gNB and / or TRP and configured to communicate directly or indirectly with the gNB and / or TRP.

[0058] Using UE-assisted positioning methods, the UE 105 may obtain position measurements and transmit these measurements to a location server (e.g., the LMF 120) for calculating a position estimate of the UE 105. For example, the position measurements may include one or more of received signal strength indication (RSSI), round-trip signal propagation time (RTT), reference signal time difference (RSTD), reference signal received power (RSRP), and / or reference signal received quality (RSRQ) of the gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, and / or WLAN AP. The position measurements may alternatively or additionally include measurements of GNSS pseudorange, code phase, and / or carrier phase of the SVs 190-193.

[0059] Using a UE-based positioning method, the UE 105 can obtain position measurements (e.g., which can be the same as or similar to the position measurements of a UE-assisted positioning method), and can calculate the position of the UE 105 (e.g., by means of assistance data received from a position server such as the LMF 120 or broadcast by the gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114 or other base stations or APs).

[0060] Using a network-based positioning method, one or more base stations (e.g., gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) or APs can obtain position measurements (e.g., measurements of RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, or time of arrival (ToA) of signals transmitted by the UE 105) and / or can receive measurements obtained by the UE 105. One or more base stations or APs can transmit the measurements to a position server (e.g., the LMF 120) for calculating a position estimate of the UE 105.

[0061] The information provided by the gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 to the LMF 120 using NRPPa can include timing and configuration information of the directional SS transmission and position coordinates. The LMF 120 can provide some or all of this information to the UE 105 as assistance data in LPP and / or NPP messages via the NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140.

[0062] The LPP or NPP message transmitted from the LMF 120 to the UE 105 can instruct the UE 105 to perform any of a variety of things according to the desired functionality. For example, the LPP or NPP message can contain instructions for the UE 105 to obtain measurements of GNSS (or A-GNSS), WLAN, E-CID, and / or OTDOA (or some other positioning method). In the case of E-CID, the LPP or NPP message can instruct the UE 105 to obtain one or more measurement parameters (e.g., beam ID, beam width, average angle, RSRP, RSRQ measurements) of a directional signal transmitted within a specific cell supported by one or more of the gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 (or supported by some other type of base station such as an eNB or WiFi AP). The UE 105 can transmit these measurement parameters back to the LMF 120 in an LPP or NPP message (e.g., within a 5G NAS message) via the serving gNB 110a (or serving ng-eNB 114) and the AMF 115.

[0063] As noted, while the communication system 100 has been described with respect to 5G technology, the communication system 100 may be implemented to support other communication technologies (such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, etc.), which are used to support and interact with mobile devices (such as UE 105) (e.g., to enable voice, data, positioning, and other functionality). In some such embodiments, the 5GC 140 may be configured to control different air interfaces. For example, the 5GC 140 may use the non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF, Figure 1 not shown in FIG.) in the 5GC 140 to connect to a WLAN. For example, the WLAN may support IEEE802.11WiFi access for the UE 105 and may include one or more WiFi APs. Here, the N3IWF may be connected to the WLAN as well as other elements in the 5GC 140, such as the AMF 115. In some embodiments, both the NG-RAN 135 and the 5GC 140 may be replaced by one or more other RANs and one or more other core networks. For example, in EPS, the NG-RAN 135 may be replaced by an E-UTRAN including eNBs, and the 5GC 140 may be replaced by an EPC, which includes a mobility management entity (MME) instead of the AMF 115, an E-SMLC instead of the LMF 120, and a GMLC that may be similar to the GMLC 125. In such an EPS, the E-SMLC may use LPPa instead of NRPPa to transmit location information to and receive location information from the eNBs in the E-UTRAN, and may use LPP to support the positioning of the UE 105. In these other embodiments, the positioning of the UE 105 using the directional PRS may be supported in a manner similar to that described herein for the 5G network, except that the functions and processes described herein for the gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115, and LMF 120 may alternatively be applied to other network elements in some cases, such as eNBs, WiFi APs, MMEs, and E-SMLCs.

[0064] As noted, in some embodiments, positioning functionality may be implemented at least in part using directional SS beams transmitted by base stations (such as gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) that are within range of the UE (e.g., Figure 1 UE 105) for which the positioning is to be determined. In some instances, the UE may use directional SS beams from multiple base stations (such as gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, etc.) to calculate the positioning of the UE.

[0065] Also refer to Figure 2, UE 200 is an example of UE 105 and includes a computing platform that includes one or more processors 210, a memory 211 that includes software (SW) 212, one or more sensors 213, a transceiver interface 214 for a transceiver 215 (which includes one or more wireless transceivers 240 and a wired transceiver 250), a user interface 216, a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver 217, a camera 218, and a positioning (motion) device 219. The processor 210, the memory 211, the sensors 213, the transceiver interface 214, the user interface 216, the SPS receiver 217, the camera 218, and the positioning (motion) device 219 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 220 (which may be configured for, e.g., optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., one or more of the camera 218, the positioning (motion) device 219, and / or one or more of the sensors 213, etc.) may be omitted from the UE 200. The processor 210 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 210 may include multiple processors, including a general-purpose / application processor 230, a digital signal processor (DSP) 231, a modem processor 232, a video processor 233, and / or a sensor processor 234. One or more of the processors 230 to 234 may include multiple devices (e.g., multiple processors). For example, the sensor processor 234 may include, e.g., processors for radio frequency (RF) sensing (where one or more wireless signals transmitted and reflections are used to identify, map, and / or track objects) and / or ultrasound, etc. The modem processor 232 may support dual SIM / dual connectivity (or even more SIMs). For example, a SIM (subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module) may be used by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and another SIM may be used by an end user of the UE 200 to obtain connectivity. The memory 211 is a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, optical disk memory, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. The memory 211 stores software 212, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code that includes instructions configured to cause the processor 210 to perform various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, the software 212 may not be directly executable by the processor 210, but may be configured to (e.g., when compiled and executed) cause the processor 210 to perform functions. This specification may refer to the processor 210 performing functions, but this includes other specific implementations, such as specific implementations where the processor 210 executes software and / or firmware. This specification may refer to the processor 210 performing functions as an abbreviation for one or more of the processors 230 to 234 performing the function.This specification may refer to the UE 200 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of the UE 200 performing the functions. The processor 210 may include a memory with stored instructions as a supplement to and / or alternative to the memory 211. The functionality of the processor 210 is discussed more fully below.

[0066] Figure 2 The configuration of the UE 200 shown is an example and is not limiting of the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, example configurations of the UE include one or more of the processors 230 to 234 of the processor 210, the memory 211, and the wireless transceiver 240. Other example configurations include one or more of the processors 230 to 234 of the processor 210, the memory 211, the wireless transceiver 240, and one or more of the following: the sensor 213, the user interface 216, the SPS receiver 217, the camera 218, the positioning (motion) device PMD 219, and / or the wired transceiver 250.

[0067] The UE 200 may include a modem processor 232 that may be capable of performing baseband processing of signals received and downconverted by the transceiver 215 and / or the SPS receiver 217. The modem processor 232 may perform baseband processing of signals to be upconverted for transmission by the transceiver 215. Additionally or alternatively, the baseband processing may be performed by the general-purpose processor 230 and / or the DSP 231. However, other configurations may be used to perform the baseband processing.

[0068] The UE 200 may include a sensor 213, which may include, for example, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 270, one or more magnetometers 271, and / or one or more environmental sensors 272. The IMU 270 may include one or more inertial sensors, such as one or more accelerometers 273 (e.g., which collectively respond to the acceleration of the UE 200 in three dimensions) and / or one or more gyroscopes 274. The magnetometer may provide measurements to determine an orientation (e.g., relative to magnetic north and / or true north) that may be used for any of a variety of purposes (e.g., to support one or more compass applications). The environmental sensors 272 may include, for example, one or more temperature sensors, one or more barometric pressure sensors, one or more ambient light sensors, one or more camera imagers, and / or one or more microphones, etc. The sensor 213 may generate analog and / or digital signals, indications of which may be stored in the memory 211 and processed by the DSP 231 and / or the general-purpose processor 230 to support one or more applications (such as, for example, applications involving positioning and / or navigation operations).

[0069] The sensor 213 can be used for relative position measurement, relative position determination, motion determination, etc. The information detected by the sensor 213 can be used for motion detection, relative displacement, dead reckoning, sensor-based position determination, and / or sensor-assisted position determination. The sensor 213 can be used to determine whether the UE 200 is fixed (stationary) or moving and / or whether to report certain useful information related to the mobility of the UE 200 to the LMF 120. For example, based on the information obtained / measured by the sensor 213, the UE 200 can notify / report to the LMF 120 that the UE 200 has detected movement or the UE 200 has moved, and report the relative displacement / distance (e.g., via dead reckoning implemented by the sensor 213, or sensor-based position determination, or sensor-assisted position determination). In another example, for relative positioning information, the sensor / IMU can be used to determine the angle and / or orientation, etc. of another device relative to the UE 200.

[0070] The IMU 270 can be configured to provide measurements of the motion direction and / or motion speed of the UE 200, and these measurements can be used for relative position determination. For example, one or more accelerometers 273 and / or one or more gyroscopes 274 of the IMU 270 can detect the linear acceleration and rotational speed of the UE 200, respectively. The linear acceleration measurement and rotational speed measurement of the UE 200 can be integrated over time to determine the instantaneous motion direction and displacement of the UE 200. The instantaneous motion direction and displacement can be integrated to track the position of the UE 200. For example, the reference position of the UE 200 at a certain moment can be determined, for example, using the SPS receiver 217 (and / or by some other means), and the measurements obtained from the accelerometer 273 and gyroscope 274 after that moment can be used for dead reckoning to determine the current position of the UE 200 based on the movement (direction and distance) of the UE 200 relative to the reference position.

[0071] The magnetometer 271 can determine the magnetic field strength in different directions, and these magnetic field strengths can be used to determine the orientation of the UE 200. For example, this orientation can be used to provide a digital compass for the UE 200. The magnetometer 271 can include a two-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect the magnetic field strength in two orthogonal dimensions and provide an indication of the magnetic field strength. Additionally or alternatively, the magnetometer 271 can include a three-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect the magnetic field strength in three orthogonal dimensions and provide an indication of the magnetic field strength. The magnetometer 271 can provide components for sensing the magnetic field and, for example, providing an indication of the magnetic field to the processor 210.

[0072] The transceiver 215 may include a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250 configured to communicate with other devices via a wireless connection and a wired connection, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 240 may include a transmitter 242 and a receiver 244 coupled to one or more antennas 246, the transmitter and receiver being used to transmit and / or (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) receive wireless signals 248, and to convert signals from the wireless signals 248 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and from wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals to wireless signals 248. Thus, the transmitter 242 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the receiver 244 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 240 may be configured to communicate signals (e.g., with a TRP and / or one or more other devices) according to a variety of radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-Vehicle to Everything (V2X), PC5, IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Zigbee, etc.). The New Radio may use millimeter wave frequencies and / or sub-6 GHz frequencies. The wired transceiver 250 may include a transmitter 252 and a receiver 254 configured for wired communication (e.g., with the NG-RAN 135) to, for example, convey communications to and receive communications from the gNB 110a. The transmitter 252 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the receiver 254 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 250 may be configured for optical communication and / or electrical communication, for example. The transceiver 215 may be communicatively coupled to the transceiver interface 214 via an optical connection and / or an electrical connection, for example. The transceiver interface 214 may be at least partially integrated with the transceiver 215.

[0073] The user interface 216 may include one or more of several devices such as, for example, a speaker, a microphone, a display device, a vibration device, a keyboard, a touch screen, etc. The user interface 216 may include more than one of any of these devices. The user interface 216 may be configured to enable a user to interact with one or more applications hosted by the UE 200. For example, the user interface 216 may store an indication of an analog and / or digital signal in the memory 211 for processing by the DSP 231 and / or the general-purpose processor 230 in response to an action from the user. Similarly, an application hosted on the UE 200 may store an indication of an analog and / or digital signal in the memory 211 to present an output signal to the user. The user interface 216 may include an audio input / output (I / O) device that includes, for example, a speaker, a microphone, a digital-to-analog circuitry, an analog-to-digital circuitry, an amplifier, and / or a gain control circuitry (including more than one of any of these devices). Other configurations of the audio I / O device may be used. Additionally or alternatively, the user interface 216 may include one or more touch sensors that respond to a touch and / or pressure on, for example, the keyboard and / or the touch screen of the user interface 216.

[0074] The SPS receiver 217 (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver) may be capable of receiving and acquiring an SPS signal 260 via the SPS antenna 262. The antenna 262 is configured to convert the wireless SPS signal 260 into a wired signal (e.g., an electrical signal or an optical signal) and may be integrated with the antenna 246. The SPS receiver 217 may be configured to fully or partially process the acquired SPS signal 260 to estimate the location of the UE 200. For example, the SPS receiver 217 may be configured to determine the location of the UE 200 by using trilateration with the SPS signal 260. The general-purpose processor 230, the memory 211, the DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors (not shown) may be utilized in conjunction with the SPS receiver 217 to fully or partially process the acquired SPS signal and / or calculate the estimated location of the UE 200. The memory 211 may store an indication (e.g., a measurement) of the SPS signal 260 and / or other signals (e.g., signals acquired from the wireless transceiver 240) for performing location operations. The general-purpose processor 230, the DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors, and / or the memory 211 may provide or support a location engine for processing measurements to estimate the location of the UE 200.

[0075] UE 200 may include a camera 218 for capturing still or moving images. The camera 218 may include, for example, an imaging sensor (e.g., a charge-coupled device or a CMOS imager), a lens, analog-to-digital circuitry, a frame buffer, etc. Additional processing, conditioning, encoding, and / or compression of the signal representing the captured image may be performed by the general-purpose processor 230 and / or the DSP 231. Additionally or alternatively, the video processor 233 may perform conditioning, encoding, compression, and / or manipulation of the signal representing the captured image. The video processor 233 may decode / decompress the stored image data for presentation on a display device (not shown) (e.g., of the user interface 216).

[0076] The PMD 219 may be configured to determine the location and possible movement of the UE 200. For example, the PMD 219 may communicate with the SPS receiver 217 and / or may include part or all of the SPS receiver. The PMD 219 may additionally or alternatively be configured to: perform trilateration using ground-based signals (e.g., at least some of the wireless signals 248), assist in obtaining and using SPS signals 260, or both to determine the location of the UE 200. The PMD 219 may be configured to: use one or more other techniques (e.g., relying on the self-reported location of the UE (e.g., part of a location beacon of the UE)) to determine the location of the UE 200, and may use a combination of techniques (e.g., SPS and ground location signals) to determine the location of the UE 200. The PMD 219 may include one or more sensors 213 (e.g., a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, etc.), which may sense the orientation and / or movement of the UE 200 and provide an indication of the orientation and / or movement, and the processor 210 (e.g., the general-purpose processor 230 and / or the DSP 231) may be configured to use the indication to determine the movement of the UE 200 (e.g., a velocity vector and / or an acceleration vector). The PMD 219 may be configured to provide an indication of the uncertainty and / or error of the determined location and / or movement.

[0077] Also refer to Figure 3, examples of the TRP 300 of a BS (e.g., gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114) include: a computing platform including a processor 310, a memory 311 including software (SW) 312, a transceiver 315, and (optionally) an SPS receiver 317. The processor 310, the memory 311, the transceiver 315, and the SPS receiver 317 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 320 (e.g., which may be configured for optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., the radio interface and / or the SPS receiver 317) may be omitted from the TRP 300. The SPS receiver 317 may be configured similarly to the SPS receiver 217 to be capable of receiving and acquiring the SPS signal 360 via the SPS antenna 362. The processor 310 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 310 may include multiple processors (e.g., including a general-purpose / application processor, a DSP, a modem processor, a video processor, and / or a sensor processor, as Figure 2 shown). The memory 311 is a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, optical disc memory, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. The memory 311 stores software 312, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that are configured to cause the processor 310 to perform various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, the software 312 may not be directly executable by the processor 310, but may be configured to cause the processor 310 to perform functions when compiled and executed, for example. This specification may refer to the processor 310 performing functions, but this includes other specific implementations, such as specific implementations where the processor 310 executes software and / or firmware. This specification may refer to the processor 310 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more of the processors included in the processor 310 performing functions. This description may refer to the TRP 300 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of the TRP 300 (and thus one of gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114) performing the function. The processor 310 may include a memory with stored instructions as a supplement to and / or alternative to the memory 311. The functionality of the processor 310 is discussed more fully below.

[0078] The transceiver 315 may include a wireless transceiver 340 and a wired transceiver 350 configured to communicate with other devices via a wireless connection and a wired connection, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 340 may include a transmitter 342 and a receiver 344 coupled to one or more antennas 346 for transmitting and / or (e.g., on one or more uplink or downlink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) receiving wireless signals 348 and converting the signals from the wireless signals 348 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and from the wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals to wireless signals 348. Thus, the transmitter 342 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the receiver 344 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 340 may be configured to communicate signals (e.g., with the UE 200, one or more other UEs, and / or one or more other devices) according to a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Zigbee, etc.). The wired transceiver 350 may include a transmitter 352 and a receiver 354 configured for wired communication with, for example, the network 140 to, for example, convey communications to the LMF 120 and receive communications from the LMF. The transmitter 352 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the receiver 354 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 350 may be configured for, for example, optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0079] Figure 3 The configuration of the TRP 300 shown is an example and is not limiting of the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, this specification discusses the TRP 300 being configured to perform several functions or the TRP performing several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by the LMF 120 and / or the UE 200 (i.e., the LMF 120 and / or the UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0080] Also refer to Figure 4, examples of the LMF 120 include a computing platform including a processor 410, a memory 411 including software (SW) 412, and a transceiver 415. The processor 410, the memory 411, and the transceiver 415 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 420 (which may be configured for, e.g., optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., wireless interfaces) may be omitted from the server 400. The processor 410 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 410 may include multiple processors (e.g., including a general-purpose / application processor, a DSP, a modem processor, a video processor, and / or a sensor processor, as Figure 2 shown). The memory 411 is a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, optical disk memory, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. The memory 411 stores software 412, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that are configured to cause the processor 410 to perform various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, the software 412 may not be directly executable by the processor 410 but may be configured to cause the processor 410 to perform these functions when compiled and executed. This specification may refer to the processor 410 performing functions, but this includes other specific implementations, such as specific implementations where the processor 410 executes software and / or firmware. This specification may refer to the processor 410 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more processors included in the processor 410 performing the functions. This specification may refer to the server 400 (or the LMF 120) performing functions as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of the server 400 (e.g., the LMF 120) performing the functions. The processor 410 may include a memory with stored instructions as a supplement and / or alternative to the memory 411. The functionality of the processor 410 is discussed more fully below.

[0081] The transceiver 415 may include a wireless transceiver 440 and a wired transceiver 450 configured to communicate with other devices via a wireless connection and a wired connection, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 440 may include a transmitter 442 and a receiver 444 coupled to one or more antennas 446 for transmitting and / or (e.g., on one or more uplink channels) receiving wireless signals 448 and converting the signals from the wireless signals 448 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and from the wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals to the wireless signals 448. Thus, the transmitter 442 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the receiver 444 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 440 may be configured to transmit signals (e.g., to the UE 200, one or more other UEs, and / or one or more other devices) according to various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Zigbee, etc.). The wired transceiver 450 may include a transmitter 452 and a receiver 454 configured for wired communication, e.g., for wired communication with the NG-RAN 135 to convey communication to and receive communication from, e.g., the TRP 300. The transmitter 452 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the receiver 454 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 450 may be configured for, e.g., optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0082] Figure 4 The configuration of the illustrated server 400 is an example and is not limiting of the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, the wireless transceiver 440 may be omitted. Additionally or alternatively, this specification discusses the server 400 being configured to perform several functions or the server performing several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by the TRP 300 and / or the UE 200 (i.e., the TRP 300 and / or the UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0083] One or more of many different techniques may be used to determine the location of an entity, such as UE 105. For example, known location determination techniques include RTT, multi-RTT, RSTD (e.g., OTDOA, also known as TDOA and including UL-TDOA and DL-TDOA), enhanced cell identification (E-CID), DL-AoD, UL-AoA, etc. RTT uses the time for a signal to travel from one entity to another and back to determine the range between the two entities. This distance, plus the known location of the first entity in the pair and the angle (e.g., azimuth) between the two entities, can be used to determine the location of the second entity in the pair. In multi-RTT (also known as multi-cell RTT), multiple distances from one entity (e.g., UE) to other entities (e.g., TRP) and the known locations of the other entities can be used to determine the location of the one entity. In RSTD techniques, the time difference of arrival between one entity and other entities can be used to determine the relative distance to the other entities, and this relative distance combined with the known locations of the other entities can be used to determine the location of the one entity. Angle of arrival and / or angle of departure can be used to assist in determining the location of an entity. For example, the angle of arrival or departure of a signal, combined with the distance between the devices (determined using a signal, such as the time of travel of the signal, the received power of the signal, etc.) and the known location of one of the devices, can be used to determine the location of the other device. The angle of arrival or departure can be an azimuth angle relative to a reference direction, such as true north. The angle of arrival or departure can be a zenith angle relative to directly up from the entity (i.e., radially outward from the center of the earth). E-CID uses the identification of the serving cell, timing advance (i.e., the difference between the receive time and transmit time at the UE), the estimated timing and power of detected neighbor cell signals, and possibly the angle of arrival (e.g., the angle of arrival of a signal from a base station at the UE, or vice versa) to determine the location of the UE. In RSTD, the time difference of arrival of signals from different sources at a receiving device, along with the known locations of these sources and the known offsets of the transmit times from these sources, is used to determine the location of the receiving device.

[0084] Referring Figure 5 , an example wireless communication system 500 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In Figure 5In the example, UE 504 (which may correspond to any UE described herein) is attempting to calculate an estimate of its location or assisting another entity (e.g., a base station or core network component, another UE, a location server, a third-party application, etc.) in calculating an estimate of its location. UE 504 may communicate wirelessly with multiple base stations 502-1, 502-2, and 502-3 (which may correspond to any combination of base stations described herein) using RF signals and standardized protocols for modulating RF signals and exchanging information packets. By extracting different types of information from the exchanged RF signals and leveraging the layout of the wireless communication system 500 (e.g., base station locations, antenna orientations, geometries, etc.), UE 504 may determine its location or assist in determining its location in a predefined reference coordinate system. In one aspect, UE 504 may use a two-dimensional (2D) coordinate system to specify its location; however, the aspects disclosed herein are not limited thereto and may also be applicable to using a three-dimensional (3D) coordinate system to determine location in cases where additional dimensions are desired. Additionally, although Figure 5 illustrates one UE 504 and three base stations 502-1, 502-2, 502-3, it should be understood that there may be more UE 504s and more or fewer base stations.

[0085] To support location estimation, base stations 502-1, 502-2, 502-3 may be configured to broadcast location reference signals (e.g., PRS, NRS, TRS, CRS, etc.) to UEs in their coverage areas so that UE 504 can measure the characteristics of such reference signals. For example, the observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) location method is a multi-point location method where UE 504 measures the time difference (referred to as the reference signal time difference (RSTD)) between specific reference signals (e.g., PRS, CRS, CSI-RS, etc.) sent by different network node pairs (e.g., base station pairs, base station antenna pairs, etc.) and reports these time differences to a location server such as server 400 (e.g., LMF 120) or calculates a location estimate based on these time differences itself.

[0086] Generally, at a reference network node (e.g., Figure 5 base station 502-1 in the example) and one or more neighboring network nodes (e.g., Figure 5Measure RSTD between the base stations 502-2 and 502-3 in the example of. For any single positioning use of OTDOA, the reference network node remains the same for all RSTDs measured by the UE 504 and will typically correspond to the serving cell of the UE 504 or another neighboring cell with good signal strength at the UE 504. In one aspect, in the case where the measured network node is a cell supported by a base station, the neighboring network node will typically be a cell supported by a base station different from the base station for the reference cell and may have good or bad signal strength at the UE 504. The position calculation can be based on the measured time difference (e.g., RSTD) and the knowledge of the positions and relative transmission timings of the network nodes (e.g., regarding whether the network nodes are accurately synchronized or whether each network node transmits with a known time difference relative to other network nodes).

[0087] To assist in the positioning operation, for the reference network node (e.g., Figure 5 the base station 502-1 in the example of) and the neighboring network nodes relative to the reference network node (e.g., Figure 5 the base stations 502-2 and 502-3 in the example of), the position server (e.g., the server 400, LMF 120) can provide OTDOA assistance data to the UE 504. For example, the assistance data can provide the center channel frequency of each network node, various reference signal configuration parameters (e.g., the number of consecutive positioning subframes, the periodicity of the positioning subframes, the silence sequence, the frequency hopping sequence, the reference signal identifier (ID), the reference signal bandwidth), the network node global ID, and / or other cell-related parameters applicable to OTDOA. The OTDOA assistance data can indicate the serving cell of the UE 504 as the reference network node.

[0088] In some cases, the OTDOA assistance data may also include an "expected RSTD" parameter together with the uncertainty of the expected RSTD parameter. The "expected RSTD" parameter provides the UE 504 with information about the RSTD value that the UE 504 expects to measure when it is at its current position between the reference network node and each neighboring network node. The expected RSTD and the associated uncertainty can define a search window for the UE 504, and it is expected that the UE 504 will measure the RSTD value within this search window. The OTDOA assistance information may also include reference signal configuration information parameters that allow the UE 504 to determine when the reference signal positioning occasion occurs on the signals received from the respective neighboring network nodes relative to the reference signal positioning occasion for the reference network node, and to determine the reference signal sequences transmitted from the respective network nodes to measure the time of arrival (ToA) or RSTD.

[0089] In one aspect, while a location server (e.g., server 400, LMF 120) may transmit assistance data to the UE 504, alternatively, the assistance data may directly originate from the network node (e.g., base station 502) itself (e.g., in periodically broadcast overhead messages, etc.). Alternatively, the UE 504 may detect neighboring network nodes on its own without using assistance data.

[0090] The UE 504 (e.g., partly based on the assistance data if provided) may measure and (optionally) report the RSTD between reference signals received from network nodes. Using the RSTD measurements, the known absolute or relative transmission timing of each network node, and the known positioning of the transmission antennas for the reference network node and neighboring network nodes, the network (e.g., server 400, LMF 120, base station 502) or the UE 504 may estimate the positioning of the UE 504. More specifically, the RSTD of neighboring network node "k" relative to reference network node "Ref" may be given as (ToAk - ToARef), where the ToA values may be measured modulo one subframe duration (1 ms) to eliminate the effect of measuring different subframes at different times. In Figure 5 an example, the time differences measured between the reference cell of base station 502-1 and the cells of neighboring base stations 502-2 and 502-3 are represented as τ2 - τ1 and τ3 - τ1, where τ1, τ2, and τ3 respectively represent the ToA of the reference signals from the transmission antennas of base stations 502-1, 502-2, and 502-3. The UE 504 may then convert the ToA measurements for different network nodes into RSTD measurements and (optionally) transmit them to the server 400 / LMF 120. Using (i) the RSTD measurements, (ii) the known absolute or relative transmission timing of each network node, (iii) the known positioning of the physical transmission antennas for the reference network node and neighboring network nodes, and / or (iv) the directional reference signal characteristics (such as the direction of transmission), the positioning of the UE 504 (determined by the UE 504 or the server 400 / LMF 120) may be determined.

[0091] Still referring to Figure 5, when the UE 504 uses the time differences measured by OTDOA to obtain a position estimate, necessary additional data (e.g., the positions and relative transmission timings of network nodes) can be provided to the UE 504 by a location server (e.g., server 400, LMF 120). In some specific implementations, the position estimate of the UE 504 can be obtained (e.g., by the UE 504 itself or by the server 400 / LMF 120) from the time differences measured by OTDOA and from other measurements performed by the UE 504 (e.g., from the Global Positioning System GPS) or the signal timings of other Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites). In these specific implementations (referred to as hybrid positioning), the OTDOA measurements can help obtain the position estimate of the UE 504, but may not be able to fully determine the position estimate.

[0092] Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UTDOA) is a positioning method similar to OTDOA, but based on uplink reference signals (e.g., sounding reference signals (SRS), uplink positioning reference signals (ULPRS), SRS for positioning signals) transmitted by the UE (e.g., UE 504). In addition, transmit and / or receive beamforming at the base stations 502-1, 502-2, 502-3 and / or the UE 504 can achieve broadband bandwidth at the cell edge to improve accuracy. Beam refinement can also utilize the channel reciprocity process in 5G NR.

[0093] In NR, precise timing synchronization across the network is not required. Instead, having a rough timing synchronization across gNBs (e.g., within the cyclic prefix (CP) duration of an OFDM symbol) is sufficient. Rough timing synchronization is generally sufficient for round-trip time (RTT)-based methods and the sidelink-assisted methods described herein, and is thus a practical positioning method in NR.

[0094] Referring to Figure 6A , an exemplary wireless communication system 600 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In Figure 6AIn an example, UE 604 (which may correspond to any UE described herein) is attempting to compute an estimate of its location or assisting another entity (e.g., a base station or core network component, another UE, a location server, a third-party application, etc.) in computing an estimate of its location. UE 604 may wirelessly communicate with multiple base stations 602-1, 602-2, and 602-3 (which may correspond to any of the base stations described herein) using RF signals and standardized protocols for modulating RF signals and exchanging information packets. By extracting different types of information from the exchanged RF signals and leveraging the layout of the wireless communication system 600 (i.e., base station locations, geometries, etc.), UE 604 may determine its location or assist in determining its location in a predefined reference coordinate system. In one aspect, UE 604 may use a two-dimensional coordinate system to specify its location; however, aspects disclosed herein are not limited thereto and may also be applicable to using a three-dimensional coordinate system to determine location in cases where additional dimensions are desired. Additionally, although Figure 6A illustrates one UE 604 and three base stations 602-1, 602-2, 602-3, it should be understood that there may be more UEs 604 and more base stations.

[0095] To support location estimation, base stations 602-1, 602-2, 602-3 may be configured to broadcast reference RF signals (e.g., PRS, NRS, CRS, TRS, CSI-RS, PSS, SSS, etc.) to UEs 604 in their coverage areas so that UE 604 can measure characteristics of such reference RF signals. For example, UE 604 may measure the ToA of a particular reference RF signal (e.g., PRS, NRS, CRS, CSI-RS, etc.) transmitted by at least three different base stations and may use an RTT location method to report these ToAs (and additional information) back to a serving base station (e.g., base station 602-2) or another location entity (e.g., server 400, LMF 120).

[0096] In one aspect, although described as UE 604 measuring reference RF signals from base stations 602-1, 602-2, 602-3, UE 604 may measure reference RF signals from one of the multiple cells supported by base stations 602-1, 602-2, 602-3. In the case where UE 604 measures a reference RF signal transmitted by a cell supported by base station 602-2, at least two other reference RF signals measured by UE 604 for performing an RTT process will come from cells supported by base stations 602-1, 602-3 different from the first base station 602-2 and may have good or poor signal strength at UE 604.

[0097] To determine the location (x, y) of the UE 604, the entity determining the location of the UE 604 needs to know the locations of base stations 602-1, 602-2, 602-3, and the locations of these base stations can be represented as (x k , y k ) in a reference coordinate system, where k = 1, 2, 3 in the example of Figure 6A . In the case where the location of the UE 604 is determined in either the base station 602-2 (e.g., serving base station) or the UE 604, the locations of the involved base stations 602-1, 602-3 can be provided by a location server with network geometry (e.g., server 400, LMF 120) to the serving base station 602-2 or the UE 604. Alternatively, the location server can use the known network geometry to determine the location of the UE 604.

[0098] Each of the UE 604 or the corresponding base stations 602-1, 602-2, 602-3 can determine the distance (d k ) between the UE 604 and the corresponding base stations 602-1, 602-2, and 602-3, where k = 1, 2, 3. In one aspect, determining the RTTs 610-1, 610-2, 610-3 of the signals exchanged between the UE 604 and any of the base stations 602-1, 602-2, 602-3 can be performed and converted into distances (d k ). RTT techniques can measure the time between transmitting a signaling message (e.g., a reference RF signal) and receiving a response. These methods can utilize calibration to remove any processing and hardware delays. In some environments, it can be assumed that the processing delays of the UE 604 and the base stations 602-1, 602-2, 602-3 are the same. However, such an assumption may not hold in practice.

[0099] Once each distance d k is determined, the UE 604, the base stations 602-1, 602-2, 602-3, or the location server (e.g., server 400, LMF 120) can solve for the location (x, y) of the UE 604 by using various known geometric design techniques (such as trilateration, for example). It can be seen from Figure 6A that the location of the UE 604 ideally lies at the common intersection of three semi-circles, each semi-circle being defined by a radius d k and a center (x k , y k ), where k = 1, 2, 3.

[0100] Refer to Figure 6B, shows an illustration 650 of an example location estimate based on beamforming. In one example, additional location information in the form of an angle of arrival (AoA) or an angle of departure (AoD) can be obtained, which defines a straight-line direction (e.g., which can be in a horizontal plane or in three dimensions) or a range of directions (e.g., of the UE 604 as viewed from the locations of base stations 602-1, 602-2, 602-3). The intersection of the two directions at or near a point (x,y) can provide another estimate of the location of the UE 604. For example, a first beam 652-1 transmitted from a first station 602-1 can define a coverage area within the dimension of the expected propagation path of the beam. In one example, a combination of the dimension of the beam and range measurements can be used to generate a location for the UE 604. Other beams can also be used to refine or determine the location of the UE 604. For example, a second beam 652-2 transmitted from a third base station 602-3 can be used to determine the orientation of the UE 604 relative to the third base station 602-3. The location estimate of the UE 604 can be based on the intersection area between the first beam 652-1 and the second beam 652-2. Other range measurements and beam angles can also be used to determine the location of the UE 604.

[0101] Location estimates (e.g., for the UE 604) can be referred to by other names, such as position estimate, position, location, location fix, fix, etc. A location estimate can be geodesic and include coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude), or it can be civic and include a street address, postal address, or some other textual description of the location. A location estimate can be further defined relative to some other known location or (e.g., using latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude) in absolute terms. A location estimate can include an expected error or uncertainty (e.g., by including a region or volume within which the location is expected to be included with a certain specified or default confidence).

[0102] Refer to Figure 7, a diagram 700 showing example reference signal received power (RSRP) values of different radio frequency beams transmitted by a base station. The base station 702 may be configured to transmit reference signals (RS), such as PRS, NRS, TRS, CRS, etc., using beamforming, and a mobile device (such as UE 704) may be configured to receive and measure the reference signals. For example, the base station may transmit a first RS 702a at a first angle, a second RS 702b at a second angle, and a third RS 702c at a third angle. The angles of the RS 702a - b may be based on 3D coordinates and may include azimuth and elevation angles. In one example, the UE 704 may be configured to use receive beamforming and may receive the RS 702a - c through a receive beam 704a. The relative RSRP of each of the RS 702a - c as received by the UE 704 is illustrated as a curve in the diagram 700. A first RSRP value 706a is associated with the first RS 702a, a second RSRP value 706b is associated with the second RS 702b, and a third RSRP value 706c is associated with the third RS 702c. In an example, the UE 704 may use the beam angle information associated with the first RS 702a (e.g., the beam with a relatively high first RSRP value 706a) to inform the base station 702 to use a similar beam configuration (e.g., azimuth and / or elevation) for subsequent data communication. The pMIMO surface described herein may be used to extend the capabilities of the base station to enable a subsequent beam manipulation of the signals transmitted between the base station 702 and the UE 704.

[0103] Reference Figure 8A and Figure 8B , and further reference Figure 7 , shows an example pMIMO surface 802. The pMIMO surface 802 is configured to receive any incoming signal 803 from wireless nodes (such as gNB, UE, RSU, AP, etc.) within the field of view (FoV) and redirect the signal towards a specified direction (e.g., to a receiving station). For example, the pMIMO surface 802 may redirect the signal 803 to form a first beam 804a in a first direction, a second beam 804b in a second direction, or a third beam 804c in a third direction. The number and direction of the beams 804a to 804c are examples and not limitations. Reference Figure 8B, in the exemplary usage scenario shown in FIG. 820, when the line-of-sight path is blocked, the pMIMO surface 802 can be used to extend the coverage of the base station. In this usage scenario, the building 826 blocks the first RS 702a, resulting in a decrease in the first RSRP value 706a. The pMIMO surface 802 can be positioned and configured to receive the third RS 702c and redirect the signal based on the location of the UE 704 to form a redirected beam 822. The third RSRP value 706c is increased based on the redirected beam 822, and the UE 704 can be configured to generate a receive beam 824a based on the orientation of the redirected beam 822. The pMIMO surface 802 can also be configured to perform reciprocal redirection so that the signal transmitted from the UE 704 can be redirected towards the base station 702. In the example, the pMIMO surface 802 can be used to enhance the positioning techniques described in Figure 5 , Figure 6A and Figure 6B . For example, the position of the pMIMO surface and the corresponding AoA information and AoD information can be used to determine the location of the UE. In the example, the timing group information associated with the pMIMO surface can be used for the time-of-flight calculation of the signal redirected between the base station and the UE.

[0104] Referring to Figure 9A and Figure 9B , an exemplary usage scenario for the pMIMO surface is shown. The first illustration 900 depicts an urban environment (e.g., an urban canyon) including a base station 902 (e.g., a gNB) installed on top of a first building 904a having a first coverage area 902a. At least a portion of a second building 904b and a first user 906 are within the first coverage area 902a. A second user 908 is outside the first coverage area 902a and within an uncovered area (e.g., a coverage blind spot 910). The ability of the base station to cover a large area is of particular concern for high-frequency systems (e.g., mmW) due to the attenuation and reflection of high-frequency signals caused by obstacles. One or more pMIMO devices can be used to extend the coverage of the base station 902 and reduce the size of the coverage blind spot 910. For example, referring to Figure 9B, the second illustration 920 includes a first pMIMO surface 922 mounted on the second building 904b and a second pMIMO surface 924 mounted on the traffic light device or at other locations in the urban canyon. The first pMIMO surface 922 is configured to redirect the signal transmitted by the base station 902 into the second coverage area 922a, and the second pMIMO surface 924 is configured to redirect the signal transmitted by the base station 902 into the third coverage area 924a and the fourth coverage area 924b. The pMIMO surfaces 922, 924 are also configured for reciprocal redirection such that the signals transmitted in the corresponding coverage areas 922a, 924a, 924b can be redirected to the base station 902. The second user 908 can establish communication with the base station 902 via the second pMIMO surface 924. Compared with repeater installation (which can also be used to increase the coverage area of the base station), the pMIMO surfaces 922, 924 can be configured to provide the same coverage at a reduced cost and while consuming less power. In an example, the pMIMO surfaces 922, 924 can be communicatively coupled to the base station 902 (e.g., via a wired or wireless protocol) such that the base station 902 can provide instructions to configure the redirection angles of the pMIMO surfaces 922, 924. The pMIMO surfaces 922, 924 can include corresponding controllers and power sources that are configured to modify the impedance of the radiators in the pMIMO surfaces 922, 924 to control the angle of the redirected signal.

[0105] Reference Figure 10 , an example pMIMO hardware implementation 1000 is shown. The schematic of the pMIMO hardware includes a plurality of radiating elements 1002, corresponding phase shift components 1004, and a controller 1006 (and an optional power source unit). Generally, the radiating elements 1002 can be similar to the radiator elements used in existing active phased arrays. Other designs such as those described herein can also be used. The selection of the radiating elements can be based on operational and manufacturing priorities such as signal performance, cost, and hardware complexity. The phase shift components 1004 can use 2 to 4 phase shift components for each dual-polarized radiator. Separate phase shifters may be required for each polarization (e.g., co-polarization and cross-polarization). Switchable capacitor arrays, analog varactors, switchable arrays of delay lines, switchable arrays of inductors and capacitors, and other standard phase shift devices can be used as the phase shift components 1004. The operating frequency band and bandwidth requirements may affect the selection of the phase shift components. The designs described herein provide the technical advantage of reducing the number of phase shift components per radiator. Compared with the designs for existing reactive surfaces, the reduction in components can reduce the calibration time, cost, power consumption, and complexity of the pMIMO surface.

[0106] In an example, the pMIMO hardware implementation 1000 may include or may be communicatively coupled to one or more components of the TRP 300 such that the pMIMO surface can communicate with a wired or wireless network. For example, the processor 310 and transceiver 315 may be used to transmit configuration and control information to other network resources such as the gNB 110a, UE 105, and other networking servers such as the LMF 120 and receive the configuration and control information from these network resources and these networking servers.

[0107] Reference Figure 11 , a diagram of an example dual-polarized pMIMO unit cell 1100 with a hole radiator is shown. The pMIMO surface may include an array of unit cells 1100 (e.g., 4x4, 8x8, 9x11, etc.). The unit cell 1100 is an example of a reconfigurable reflecting element and includes components on different layers of a printed circuit board (PCB) or includes a similar dielectric material as an example for ease of description of the components. In the manufactured device, as Figure 13 shown, the components may be disposed on top of or beneath the dielectric material and / or disposed within a layer of the PCB substrate. In an example, an air gap or other dielectric material may be disposed between the components. The components may be disposed on the PCB material via metallization or other deposition techniques for setting copper, silver, or other conductors on or within the PCB, as known in the art. The parasitic element 1102 may be disposed above the hole / slot type radiator 1110 for bandwidth and gain improvement. In an example, the hole / slot type radiator 1110 may be etched in a metal layer. The combination of the hole / slot type radiator 1110 and the parasitic element 1102 serves as a combined radiating element (i.e., one of the plurality of radiating elements 1002). The first power divider 1108 and the second power divider 1112 may be disposed close to the hole / slot type radiator 1110 such that the hole / slot type radiator 1110 excites the first power divider 1108 and the second power divider 1112. The first power divider 1108 is configured for a first polarization (e.g., co-polarization), and the second power divider 1112 is configured for a second polarization (e.g., cross-polarization). The first phase shift component 1104 is electrically coupled to the first power divider 1108, and the second phase shift component 1106 is electrically coupled to the second power divider 1112. The first phase shift component 1104 and the second phase shift component 1106 may be varactors, digital capacitor arrays, switchable arrays of delay lines, switchable arrays of inductors and capacitors, phase shifters, or other phase shift components and are coupled to the controller 1006. The metal reflector 1114 may be disposed beneath the power dividers and the hole / slot type radiator. The pMIMO unit cell 1100 is an example and not a limitation, as other unit cells may be included in the pMIMO surface.

[0108] Reference Figures 12A to 12F , and further reference is made to Figure 11 , which shows a diagram of an exemplary pMIMO design variant. Figure 12A is a slot radiator design variant without parasitic elements. Figure 12B is a slot radiator design variant with a rectangular parasitic element 1202. Figure 12C is a slot radiator design variant with a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) or lens parasitic element 1204. Figure 12D is a variant of the slot radiator configuration, including a slot radiator having a finite-shaped ground 1206 disposed near the first power divider 1108 and the second power divider 1112. Figure 12E is an edge-fed slot radiator 1208 with a finite-shaped ground configuration. The first phase shift component 1104 and the second phase shift component 1106 are disposed across an edge of the orthogonal magnetic poles. This design uses one phase component per magnetic pole, which is a reduction from the existing design that uses two phase components per magnetic pole. Figure 12F is a slot radiator variant having a finite-shaped ground and a plurality of parasitic dipole elements 1210 electrically coupled to the finite-shaped ground. Figures 12A to 12F The variants in

[0109] Reference Figure 13 , and further reference is made to Figures 11 to 12B , which shows a side view of an exemplary pMIMO unit cell 1300. The unit cell 1300 is an example of a reconfigurable reflective element and is configured for dual polarization using 1 phase shift component (e.g., varactor) per polarization. The unit cell includes a rectangular parasitic element 1202 disposed on a first dielectric substrate 1302. The first power divider 1108 is disposed on a second dielectric substrate 1304, and the second power divider 1112 is disposed on a third dielectric substrate 1306. As Figure 13 depicted, a hole / slot radiator 1110 having a hole ground 1110a is disposed between the second substrate 1304 and the third substrate 1306. The first phase shift component 1104( Figure 13(not shown) is electrically coupled to the first power divider 1108, and the second phase shift component 1106 is electrically coupled to the second power divider 1112. A first air gap 1308 exists between the first dielectric substrate 1302 and the second dielectric substrate 1304, and a second air gap 1310 exists between the third dielectric substrate 1306 and the metal reflector 1114. The size of the unit cell 1300 can vary based on the operating frequency at which the pMIMO surface will be utilized. In an example, for the n78 band (i.e., 3.2 GHz to 3.8 GHz), the unit cell size is approximately 39 mm by 39 mm, which is 0.45 of the wavelength at 3.5 GHz.

[0110] Reference Figure 14A and Figure 14B , example pMIMO surfaces 1400 and 1410 can each include a plurality of unit cells 1300 assembled into an array, where each of the corresponding phase shift components is coupled to the controller 1006. The example pMIMO surface 1410 can also include a plurality of direction-of-arrival (DoA) arrays 1412 configured to detect the direction of an incoming beam. In an example, the DoA arrays 1412 can include a plurality of unit cells 1300 operatively coupled to the controller 1006. The controller 1006 can be configured to detect the phase difference of the received signals across the unit cells in the DoA arrays 1412 and calculate the corresponding azimuth and elevation angles of the received signals. Compared to a surface without the DoA arrays 1412, the DoA arrays 1412 can provide a technical improvement in reducing the time required for the pMIMO surface 1410 to acquire a beam. The size of the array can be based on operating and other physical requirements (such as gain, incident and reflection angle resolution, installation location, power requirements, etc.). Generally speaking, compared to a smaller array, a larger array will have increased gain and angular resolution. The pMIMO surface 1400 includes an 8x8 array of reconfigurable reflective elements (such as the unit cell 1300) and can be configured for dual polarization. The performance results for the pMIMO surface 1400 are provided in the following response curves based on 3.5 GHz signals received at incident angles of 0°, -60° with normal polarization, and -60° with parallel polarization. Response curves of the reflected signals at 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60° are generated and included in Figures 15A to 15C In. The bandwidth response is provided at Figure 16A and Figure 16B . Figures 15A to 15C and Figures 16A to 1 The response curves in 6C are examples and not limitations, as other pMIMO surfaces can have different signal strengths and different angular performances.

[0111] Figure 15AIt includes a response curve for an incident angle 1402 of 0° on the pMIMO surface 1400, and the corresponding signal strength (in dB) at antenna port Y1 when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect the received signals at 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, and 55°. The first curve 1502 includes a signal peak at 0° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 0°. The second curve 1504 includes a signal peak at 15° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 15°. The third curve 1506 includes a signal peak at 30° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 30°. The fourth curve 1508 includes a signal peak at 45° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 45°. The fifth curve 1510 includes a signal peak at 55° when the pMIMO surface is configured to reflect at 55°.

[0112] Figure 15B It includes a response curve for an incident angle 1404 of -60° with normal polarization on the pMIMO surface 1400, and the corresponding signal strength (in dB) at antenna port Y1 when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect the received signals at 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, and 55°. The first curve 1512 includes a signal peak at 0° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 0°. The second curve 1514 includes a signal peak at 15° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 15°. The third curve 1516 includes a signal peak at 30° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 30°. The fourth curve 1518 includes a signal peak at approximately 45° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 45°. The fifth curve 1520 includes a signal peak at approximately 55° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 55°.

[0113] Figure 15CInclude the response curve for an incident angle of -60° with parallel polarization on the pMIMO surface 1400, and the corresponding signal strength (in dB) at antenna port Y1 when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect the received signals at 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45°. The first curve 1522 includes a signal peak at approximately -2.5° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 0°. The second curve 1524 includes a signal peak at 15° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 15°. The third curve 1526 includes a signal peak at 30° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 30°. The fourth curve 1528 includes a signal peak at approximately 57° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 45°.

[0114] Figure 16A Include the response curve for an incident angle of 0° on the pMIMO surface 1400, and the corresponding signal strength (in dB) at antenna port Y1 when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect the received signal at 30° and the frequency varies from 3.4 GHz to 3.6 GHz. The first curve 1602 includes a signal peak at 30° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 30° and the input signal is 3.4 GHz. The second curve 1604 includes a signal peak at 30° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 30° and the input signal is 3.5 GHz. The third curve 1606 includes a signal peak at 30° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect at 30° and the input signal is 3.6 GHz. Figure 16B Include a fourth curve 1608 indicating the maximum directivity as a function of frequency when the frequency of the incident beam (at 0°) is scanned from 3.4 GHz to 3.6 GHz. The fourth curve 1608 indicates a gain variation of 0.8 dB within a 200 MHz bandwidth. Figure 16A and Figure 16B The response curves in

[0115] are examples of performance and not limitations, as other pMIMO configurations, incident angles, and frequencies can have different responses. Figure 17 Refer to Figure 17Include response curves for incident angles of 30°, 45°, and 60° on the pMIMO surface 1400, and the corresponding signal strength (in dB) at antenna port Y1 when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect the received signal to 0°. The first curve 1702 includes the signal peak at 0° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect the signal received at an incident angle of 30° to an angle of 0°. The second curve 1704 includes the signal peak at 0° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect the signal received at an incident angle of 45° to an angle of 0°. The third curve 1706 includes the signal angle peak at 0° when the pMIMO surface 1400 is configured to reflect the signal received at an incident angle of 60° to an angle of 0°. The reciprocity property allows the pMIMO surface 1400 to be used for two-way communication and signaling between a base station (such as a gNB) and a UE.

[0116] Reference Figure 18 , shows a perspective view and a top view of an exemplary dual-polarized cross-slot pMIMO unit cell 1800 without parasitic elements. The unit cell 1800 includes a metal cross-slot 1802 disposed on a dielectric substrate 1804 such as a printed wiring board (PWB). For example, the dielectric substrate 1804 can be a 0.8 mm FR4 material disposed on a 3.0 mm dielectric foam 1806. A metal ground layer 1808 can be disposed below the dielectric foam 1806. The unit cell includes two varactor diodes coupled to a controller 1006 ( Figure 18 not shown in). The unit cell 1800 includes a first varactor diode 1810 disposed across the first end of the cross-slot 1802 for controlling the x polarization, and a second varactor diode 1812 disposed across the second end of the cross-slot 1802 for controlling the y polarization. The unit cell 1800 provides the technical advantage of using a single phase control element (such as varactor diodes 1810, 1812) for each polarization. The dimensions of the unit cell 1800, the cross-slot 1802, and the ratings of the varactor diodes can vary based on the operating frequency. Generally, the length of the unit cell 1800 can be approximately 0.42 of the frequency wavelength. For example, for an operating frequency of 3.5 GHz, the unit cell 1800 is a square with each side length of 36 mm. Each of the first varactor diode 1810 and the second varactor diode 1812 can have a capacitance value in the range of 0.5 picofarads (pF) to 1.5 pF. In an example, reference Figure 19 , the unit cell reflection response curve 1814 illustrates that the unit cell 1800 is capable of inducing a phase change of more than 200 degrees within the operating range of the varactor diodes 1810, 1812.

[0117] Reference Figures 20A to 20C, showing an example pMIMO surface with orientation variations of the unit cell 1800. The orientation of the unit cell 1800 in the pMIMO surface is based on the relative positioning of the first varactor 1810 and the second varactor 1812 within the array. Different specific implementation unit orientation variations within the pMIMO surface can be used to achieve symmetry and reduce cross-polarization in the redirected signals. The first pMIMO surface 2002 (i.e., no unit flip variation) includes a plurality of unit cells 1800 arranged in an array such that each unit cell in the unit cells 1800 maintains the same relative orientation to each other. Each unit cell in the unit cells 1800 in the surface 2002 maintains the same orientation of the first varactor 1810 and the second varactor 1812 relative to the surface orientation. The second pMIMO surface 2004 (i.e., alternating unit flip variation) includes a plurality of unit cells 1800 arranged in an array such that the orientation of the unit cells 1800 flips from one cell to the next. The third pMIMO surface 2006 (i.e., random unit flip variation) includes a plurality of unit cells 1800 arranged in an array such that the orientation of the unit cells 1800 varies randomly from one cell to the next. In the example, the orientations of the unit cells in the second pMIMO surface 2004 and the third pMIMO surface 2006 are configured such that the orientation of the first unit cell among the plurality of unit cells in the pMIMO surface is different from at least one adjacent unit cell among the plurality of unit cells in the pMIMO surface. Although the pMIMO surfaces 2002, 2004, 2006 are depicted as 4x4 arrays, other array sizes (e.g., 4x2, 8x4, 8x8, 9x11, etc.) can utilize similar variations of the unit cell orientation.

[0118] In operation, the variation of the unit cell orientation may affect the directivity of the pMIMO surface. Refer to Figure 21 , showing example angular response curves for pMIMO surfaces with different unit cell orientations. The angular response curves are based on the 0° incident beam reflected to 30° by three different pMIMO surfaces corresponding to the orientations described in Figures 20A to 20C , and these three different pMIMO surfaces are in Figure 21are collectively labeled as the pMIMO surface 2102. While each variant exhibits a main lobe at a selected reflection angle (e.g., 30°), these orientations produce different sidelobe patterns. For example, the first response curve 2104 corresponds to the first pMIMO surface 2002 (i.e., the no-cell flip variant) and includes a relatively high reflection sidelobe at 0°. The second response curve 2106 corresponds to the second pMIMO surface 2004 (i.e., the alternating cell flip variant), which generally exhibits improved sidelobe performance but does include a relatively high sidelobe at approximately -50°. The third response curve 2108 corresponds to the third pMIMO surface 2006 (i.e., the random cell flip variant) and exhibits improved sidelobe performance compared to the first pMIMO surface 2002 and the second pMIMO surface 2004. The response curves 2104, 2106, 2108 are examples and not limitations, as other surface configurations, incident angles, and reflection angles can produce different directivity characteristics.

[0119] Reference Figure 22, illustrates an example message flow 2200 for leveraging a pMIMO surface in a cellular network. The message flow 2200 can be utilized by a communication system 100 that includes, for example, at least one pMIMO surface 2202 between a gNB 110a and a UE 105. The LMF 120 can be configured to maintain location information for the UE 105, the gNB 110a, and the pMIMO surface 2202 via mobility management or other positioning operations. The gNB 110a (and / or the AMF 115) can be configured to maintain location information associated with the UE 105. In an example, the pMIMO surface 2202 can be operatively coupled to a TRP 300 or other hardware such that the pMIMO surface 2202 can communicate via a wired or wireless channel. At stage 2210, the LMF 120, the gNB 110a, and the pMIMO can be configured to exchange messages to establish configuration capability parameters for the pMIMO surface 2202. For example, the angle and elevation capabilities, the frequency domain, the time constant, the polarization, the codebook values, and other physical and electrical properties of the pMIMO surface 2202 can be established or confirmed. Configuration capability messages can exchange configuration information using network protocols such as LPP / NPP, NRPPa, etc. The gNB 110a can be configured to transmit one or more initialization messages 2212 indicating the required reflection angle (e.g., based on the location of the UE 105) to prepare for communication with the UE 105. Other configuration information (such as the codebook values used by the controller 1006 to configure the phase shift components) can be included in the initialization message 2212 such that the pMIMO surface 2202 can reflect signals between the gNB 110a and the UE 105. In an example, the initialization message 2212 can utilize the RRC, MAC-CE, or downlink control information (DCI) protocol to convey the required configuration information. Other wired and wireless signaling techniques can also be used to initialize the pMIMO surface 2202. For example, the pMIMO surface can be configured to communicate with the gNB 110a via the X2 interface. The pMIMO surface 2202 can optionally be configured to transmit a response message 2214 to confirm the initialization message 2212 or indicate non-compliance status. In an example, the initialization message 2212 can include angle information, control voltage information, or other parameters such that the controller 1006 can set the capacitance of each of the two varactor diodes 1810, 1812 in each unit cell in the pMIMO surface 2202. The gNB 110a transmits one or more signals 2216a directed towards the pMIMO surface 2202, and the one or more signals generate corresponding reflected signals 2216b that are guided to the UE 105 via a reflection operation 2220a.UE 105 may send one or more response signals 2218a that are directed towards the pMIMO surface 2202, and the one or more response signals generate corresponding reflected response signals 2218b that are directed towards the gNB 110a via the reciprocal reflection operation 2220b. The roles of the gNB 110a and the UE 105 may be reversed such that the UE 105 may be configured to send one or more initialization messages 2212 to configure the pMIMO surface 2202 to reflect signals transmitted by the UE 105 to the gNB 110a (or another station). The message flow 2200 is an example and not a limitation as other signaling may be included and messages may be removed, rearranged, combined, or executed concurrently.

[0120] Reference Figure 23 , and further reference Figures 1 to 22 , the method 2300 for configuring the pMIMO surface includes the stages shown. However, the method 2300 is an example and not a limitation. The method 2300 may be changed, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, executing concurrently, and / or splitting a single stage into multiple stages.

[0121] At stage 2302, the method includes: receiving initialization information from a wireless node. The pMIMO hardware implementation 1000 including the processor 310 and the transceiver 315 is the component for receiving the initialization information. In an example, a wireless node such as the gNB 110a or the UE 105 may be configured to provide an initialization message including a codebook value, a controller power setting, location information, or desired reflection angle information to the pMIMO surface 2202. The initialization information is configured such that the pMIMO surface 2202 can perform the required phase shift adjustment in a unit cell to enable the desired reflected beam direction based on the received beam at the expected incident angle.

[0122] At stage 2304, the method includes determining a first reactance value and a second reactance value for one or more unit cells in a reconfigurable reflectarray, at least in part based on one or more initialization messages. The pMIMO hardware implementation 1000, including the controller 1006, is the component for determining the first reactance value and the second reactance value. In an example, the controller 1006 can include a codebook, a look-up table, or other data structures containing control voltage settings for two phase-shift components 1104, 1106 (or two varactors 1810, 1812 based on the pMIMO configuration) such that the pMIMO surface can reflect signals at a desired angle. In an example, the initialization information can include the location of the receiving wireless node, and the controller 1006 can be configured to determine the first reactance value and the second reactance value based on the location of the receiving wireless node, the location of the pMIMO surface, and the location of the transmitting wireless node. Other combinations of information can be included in the initialization information. In an example, the initialization information can indicate a desired reflection angle, and the controller 1006 can be configured to determine the control voltages required to achieve the first reactance value and the second reactance value based on the expected angle of incidence of the transmitted signal. In an example, a wireless node or other network resource can have a codebook associated with the pMIMO surface, and the initialization information can include the control voltages for the controller to obtain the required first reactance value and second reactance value. For each unit cell in the pMIMO surface, the first reactance value and the second reactance value can vary or can be the same. The codebook can be configured to correlate the first reactance value with the second reactance value for individual unit cells or groups of unit cells based on the angle of incidence and polarization of the incoming signal to achieve a desired reflection angle. In an example, the initialization information can include one or more index values associated with one or more beam angles (e.g., azimuth and elevation angles), and the controller 1006 can be configured to obtain control values from the codebook based on the one or more index values.

[0123] At stage 2306, the method includes: configuring one or more unit cells based on a first reactance value and a second reactance value. The pMIMO hardware implementation 1000 including the controller 1006 is the component for configuring one or more unit cells. In an example, the phase shift components 1104, 1106 (including varactors 1810, 1812) can change the reactance of the components using an analog voltage signal. Other variable capacitor configurations can also be used. For example, digital capacitor arrays, phase shifters, and other phase shift components can have configurable reactance values. Two phase shift components in each unit cell in the unit cells in the pMIMO surface can be coupled to the controller 1006, and the controller 1006 can provide control signals to cause the phase shift components to change their respective reactance values and generate corresponding phase shifts. The control signals can be based on locally stored codebook values for one or more unit cells. The control signals can be based on parameters provided in the initialization information received at stage 2302. The controller 1006 can be configured to transmit control signals for two phase shift components in the unit cells in the pMIMO surface. In an example, the controller 1006 can be configured to transmit control signals to a group of unit cells. Other control signal configurations can also be used.

[0124] Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software and computers, the above functions can be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof executed by a processor. The features implementing the functions can also be physically located at different positions, including being distributed such that parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0125] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" also include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the term "comprising" specifies the presence of the recited features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0126] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, a recitation that a function or operation is "based on" an item or condition means that the function or operation is based on the recited item or condition and can be based on one or more other items and / or conditions in addition to the recited item or condition.

[0127] Likewise, as used herein, the "or" used in a listing of items that is preceded by "at least one of" or preceded by "one or more of" indicates a disjunctive listing such that, for example, a listing of "at least one of A, B, or C" or a listing of "one or more of A, B, or C" means A or B or C or AB (A and B) or AC (A and C) or BC (B and C) or ABC (i.e., A and B and C), or combinations with more than one feature (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.). Thus, a recitation that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform a function with respect to at least one of A or B means that the item can be configured to perform a function with respect to A, or can be configured to perform a function with respect to B, or can be configured to perform a function with respect to A and B. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of A or B" means that the processor can be configured to measure A (and may or may not be configured to measure B), or can be configured to measure B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or can be configured to measure A and measure B (and can be configured to select which one or both of A and B to measure). Similarly, a recitation of a component for measuring at least one of A or B includes: a component for measuring A (which may or may not measure B), or a component for measuring B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or a component for measuring A and B (which may be able to select which one or both of A and B to measure). As another example, a recitation that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform at least one of function X or perform function Y means that the item can be configured to perform function X, or can be configured to perform function Y, or can be configured to perform function X and perform function Y. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of X or Y" means that the processor can be configured to measure X (and may or may not be configured to measure Y), or can be configured to measure Y (and may or may not be configured to measure X), or can be configured to measure X and measure Y (and can be configured to select which one or both of X and Y to measure).

[0128] Substantial variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized hardware may also be used, and / or specific elements may be implemented in hardware, in software executed by a processor (including portable software such as applets, etc.), or in both. Additionally, connections to other computing devices such as network input / output devices may be employed. Unless otherwise indicated, components (functional or otherwise) shown in the figures and / or discussed herein as being connected or communicating with each other are communicatively coupled. That is, these components can be directly or indirectly connected to enable communication between them.

[0129] The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may appropriately omit, substitute, or add various processes or components. For example, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of the configurations may be combined in a similar manner. Additionally, technology is constantly evolving, and thus many elements are examples and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure or the claims.

[0130] A wireless communication system is a system in which communication is conveyed wirelessly, i.e., by electromagnetic waves and / or acoustic waves propagating through the atmosphere rather than through wires or other physical connections. A wireless communication network may not have all communications sent wirelessly, but is configured to have at least some communications sent wirelessly. Additionally, the term "wireless communication device" or similar terms do not require that the functionality of the device be exclusively or uniformly primarily for communication, or that the device be a mobile device, but rather indicate that the device includes wireless communication capabilities (one-way or two-way), e.g., including at least one radio component (each radio component being part of a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver) for wireless communication.

[0131] Specific details are given in this specification to provide a thorough understanding of example configurations, including specific implementations. However, the configurations may be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring these configurations. This specification provides example configurations without limiting the scope, applicability, or configurations of the claims. Instead, the previous description of the configurations provides a description for implementing the described techniques. Various changes may be made to the functions and arrangements of the elements.

[0132] As used herein, the terms "processor-readable medium", "machine-readable medium", and "computer-readable medium" refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific manner. Using a computing platform, various processor-readable media may be involved in providing instructions / code for execution to a processor, and / or may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code (e.g., as a signal). In many specific implementations, the processor-readable medium is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such media may take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical disks and / or magnetic disks. Volatile media includes but is not limited to dynamic memory.

[0133] After describing several example configurations, various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used. For example, the above elements may be components of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over the application of the present disclosure or otherwise modify the application of the present disclosure. Additionally, several operations may be taken before, during, or after considering the above elements. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the claims.

[0134] Unless otherwise indicated, as used herein, the terms "about" and / or "approximately" when referring to measurable values such as amounts, durations of time, and the like cover variations of ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, or ±0.1% from the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other specific embodiments described herein. Unless otherwise indicated, the term "substantially" as used herein when referring to measurable values such as amounts, durations of time, physical properties such as frequency, and the like also covers variations of ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, or ±0.1% from the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other specific embodiments described herein.

[0135] A statement that a value exceeds (or is greater than or higher than) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value meets or exceeds a second threshold that is slightly greater than the first threshold. For example, in the resolution of a computing system, the second threshold is higher than the first threshold by a value. A statement that a value is less than a first threshold (or within or below the first threshold) is equivalent to a statement that the value is less than or equal to a second threshold that is slightly lower than the first threshold. For example, in the resolution of a computing system, the second threshold is lower than the first threshold by a value.

[0136] Specific example embodiments are described in the numbered clauses below:

[0137] Clause 1. A reconfigurable reflective element array, comprising: a plurality of unit cells, each of the plurality of unit cells including a radiating element, a first power divider aligned with a first polarization and electrically coupled to a first phase shift component, and a second power divider aligned with a second polarization and electrically coupled to a second phase shift component; and a controller coupled to the first phase shift component and the second phase shift component and configured to provide control signals to the first phase shift component and the second phase shift component to change the direction of a reflected signal.

[0138] Clause 2. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of unit cells further includes a parasitic element configured to electromagnetically couple with the radiating element.

[0139] Clause 3. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 2, wherein the parasitic element is one of a metal patch, a dielectric resonator antenna, a lens parasitic element, one or more parasitic dipole elements, or any combination thereof.

[0140] Clause 4. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 1, wherein the radiating element is a slot radiator.

[0141] Clause 5. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 1, wherein the first power divider is disposed on a first side of the first dielectric substrate, the second power divider is disposed on a second side of the first dielectric substrate, and the radiating elements are disposed within the first dielectric substrate between the first power divider and the second power divider.

[0142] Clause 6. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 5, further comprising: parasitic elements disposed on a second dielectric substrate and a first air gap disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate.

[0143] Clause 7. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 5, further comprising: a metal reflector and a second air gap disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the metal reflector.

[0144] Clause 8. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 1, wherein the first phase shift component and the second phase shift component include varactors, digital capacitor arrays, switchable arrays of delay lines, switchable arrays of inductors and capacitors, phase shifters, or any combination thereof.

[0145] Clause 9. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 1, wherein a subset of the plurality of unit cells is configured as one or more direction-of-arrival arrays, and the controller is configured to determine at least one of an azimuth angle and an elevation angle of an incoming radio frequency signal based at least in part on phase information obtained using the direction-of-arrival arrays.

[0146] Clause 10. A reconfigurable reflective element array, comprising: a plurality of unit cells, each of the plurality of unit cells including a cross-slot radiating element, a first varactor disposed across a first end of the cross-slot radiating element and configured to control polarization in a first plane, and a second varactor disposed across a second end of the cross-slot radiating element and configured to control polarization in a second plane; and a controller coupled to the first varactor and the second varactor and configured to provide control signals to the first varactor and the second varactor to change a direction of a reflected signal.

[0147] Clause 11. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 10, wherein the cross-slot radiating element is disposed on a printed wiring board including a dielectric material.

[0148] Clause 12. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 11, further comprising: a metal ground layer disposed below the printed wiring board.

[0149] Clause 13. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 12 further includes: a dielectric foam disposed between the printed wiring board and the metal ground layer.

[0150] Clause 14. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 10, wherein the orientation of a unit cell is based on the position of the first varactor diode relative to the second varactor diode, and the orientation of a first unit cell among the plurality of unit cells in the reconfigurable reflective element array is different from the orientation of at least one adjacent unit cell among the plurality of unit cells in the reconfigurable reflective element array.

[0151] Clause 15. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 10, wherein a subset of the plurality of unit cells is configured as one or more direction-of-arrival arrays, and the controller is configured to determine at least one of the azimuth angle and the elevation angle of an incoming radio frequency signal based at least in part on phase information obtained using the direction-of-arrival arrays.

[0152] Clause 16. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to Clause 10, wherein the plurality of unit cells are arranged in an array including 9 columns and 11 rows of unit cells.

[0153] Clause 17. A method of configuring a reconfigurable reflective element array, including: receiving initialization information from a wireless node; determining first and second reactance values for one or more unit cells in the reconfigurable reflective element array based at least in part on the initialization information; and configuring the one or more unit cells based on the first and second reactance values.

[0154] Clause 18. The method according to Clause 17, wherein the initialization information includes a requested reflection angle, and determining the first and second reactance values for the one or more unit cells includes obtaining one or more control parameters from a codebook based on the requested reflection angle.

[0155] Clause 19. The method according to Clause 17, wherein the initialization information includes one or more index values, and determining the first and second reactance values for the one or more unit cells includes obtaining one or more control parameters from a codebook based on the one or more index values.

[0156] Clause 20. The method according to Clause 17, wherein the initialization information is included in at least one of a radio resource control message, a medium access control control element, or a downlink control information message.

[0157] Clause 21. The method according to Clause 17, wherein the wireless node is a base station.

[0158] Clause 22. The method according to Clause 21, wherein the initialization information is received via a wired network connection.

[0159] Clause 23. The method according to Clause 17, wherein the wireless node is a user equipment.

[0160] Clause 24. An apparatus, comprising: a memory; at least one transceiver; at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver and configured to: receive initialization information from a wireless node; determine a first reactance value and a second reactance value for one or more unit cells in a reconfigurable reflectarray element array at least partially based on the initialization information; and configure the one or more unit cells based on the first reactance value and the second reactance value.

[0161] Clause 25. The apparatus according to Clause 24, wherein the initialization information includes a requested reflection angle, and the at least one processor is further configured to obtain one or more control parameters from a codebook based on the requested reflection angle to determine the first reactance value and the second reactance value for the one or more unit cells.

[0162] Clause 26. The apparatus according to Clause 24, wherein the initialization information includes one or more index values, and the at least one processor is further configured to obtain one or more control parameters from a codebook based on the one or more index values to determine the first reactance value and the second reactance value for the one or more unit cells.

[0163] Clause 27. The apparatus according to Clause 24, wherein the initialization information is included in at least one of a radio resource control message, a medium access control control element, or a downlink control information message.

[0164] Clause 28. The apparatus according to Clause 24, wherein the wireless node is a base station.

[0165] Clause 29. The apparatus according to Clause 28, wherein the initialization information is received via a wired network connection.

[0166] Clause 30. The apparatus according to Clause 24, wherein the wireless node is a user equipment.

[0167] Clause 31. An apparatus for configuring a reconfigurable reflectarray element array, comprising: means for receiving initialization information from a wireless node; means for determining a first reactance value and a second reactance value for one or more unit cells in the reconfigurable reflectarray element array at least in part based on the initialization information; and means for configuring the one or more unit cells based on the first reactance value and the second reactance value.

[0168] Clause 32. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium including processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to configure a reconfigurable reflectarray element array, the processor-readable instructions including code for: receiving initialization information from a wireless node; determining a first reactance value and a second reactance value for one or more unit cells in the reconfigurable reflectarray element array at least in part based on the initialization information; and configuring the one or more unit cells based on the first reactance value and the second reactance value.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable reflective element array, comprising: A plurality of unit cells, each of the plurality of unit cells including a radiating element, a first power divider aligned with a first polarization and electrically coupled to a first phase shift component, and a second power divider aligned with a second polarization and electrically coupled to a second phase shift component; And A controller coupled to the first phase shift component and the second phase shift component and configured to provide control signals to the first phase shift component and the second phase shift component to change the direction of a reflected signal.

2. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of unit cells further includes a parasitic element configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the radiating element.

3. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 2, wherein the parasitic element is one of a metal patch, a dielectric resonator antenna, a lens parasitic element, one or more parasitic dipole elements, or any combination thereof.

4. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 1, wherein the radiating element is a slot radiator.

5. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 1, wherein the first power divider is disposed on a first side of a first dielectric substrate, the second power divider is disposed on a second side of the first dielectric substrate, and the radiating element is disposed within the first dielectric substrate between the first power divider and the second power divider.

6. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 5, further comprising: A parasitic element disposed on a second dielectric substrate and a first air gap disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate.

7. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 5, further comprising: A metal reflector and a second air gap disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the metal reflector.

8. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 1, wherein the first phase shift component and the second phase shift component include varactors, a digital capacitor array, a switchable array of delay lines, a switchable array of inductors and capacitors, phase shifters, or any combination thereof.

9. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 1, wherein a subset of the plurality of unit cells is configured as one or more direction-of-arrival arrays, and the controller is configured to determine at least one of an azimuth angle and an elevation angle of an incoming radio frequency signal at least partially based on phase information obtained using the direction-of-arrival arrays.

10. A reconfigurable reflective element array, comprising: A plurality of unit cells, each of the plurality of unit cells including a crossed slot radiating element, a first varactor disposed across a first end of the crossed slot radiating element and configured to control polarization in a first plane, and a second varactor disposed across a second end of the crossed slot radiating element and configured to control polarization in a second plane; And A controller coupled to the first varactor and the second varactor and configured to provide control signals to the first varactor and the second varactor to change the direction of a reflected signal.

11. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 10, wherein the cross-slot radiating element is disposed on a printed wiring board including a dielectric material.

12. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 11, further comprising: A metal ground layer disposed under the printed wiring board.

13. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 12, further comprising: A dielectric foam disposed between the printed wiring board and the metal ground layer.

14. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 10, wherein the orientation of a unit cell is based on the position of the first varactor diode relative to the second varactor diode, and the orientation of a first unit cell among the plurality of unit cells in the reconfigurable reflective element array is different from the orientation of at least one adjacent unit cell among the plurality of unit cells in the reconfigurable reflective element array.

15. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 10, wherein a subset of the plurality of unit cells is configured as one or more direction-of-arrival arrays, and the controller is configured to determine at least one of an azimuth angle and an elevation angle of an incoming radio frequency signal based at least in part on phase information obtained using the direction-of-arrival arrays.

16. The reconfigurable reflective element array according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of unit cells are arranged in an array including 9 columns and 11 rows of unit cells.

17. A method of configuring a reconfigurable reflective element array, comprising: Receiving initialization information from a wireless node; Determining a first reactance value and a second reactance value for one or more unit cells in the reconfigurable reflective element array based at least in part on the initialization information; and configuring the one or more unit cells based on the first reactance value and the second reactance value.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the initialization information includes a requested reflection angle, and determining the first reactance value and the second reactance value for the one or more unit cells includes obtaining one or more control parameters from a codebook based on the requested reflection angle.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the initialization information includes one or more index values, and determining the first reactance value and the second reactance value for the one or more unit cells includes obtaining one or more control parameters from a codebook based on the one or more index values.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the initialization information is included in at least one of a radio resource control message, a media access control control element, or a downlink control information message.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the wireless node is a base station.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the initialization information is received via a wired network connection.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the wireless node is a user equipment.

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