System and method for reporting single round trip time measurements for positioning

Abstract

A method (900) by a first network node (115) for utilizing and / or reporting measurement information for positioning comprises receiving (902) a request for measurement information from a user equipment (UE) (105) from a second network node (110) operating as a positioning server. The first network node receives (904), from the UE, at least one value associated with at least one UE receive-transmit (UE Rx-Tx) time difference measurement. The first network node sends (906) to a second network node operating as a positioning server. The measurement information includes at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE and an indication of at least one reference signal and / or at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to systems and methods for reporting round-trip time (RTT) measurements for positioning purposes. Background Technology

[0002] Figure 1 An architecture suitable for Next Generation Radio Access Networks (NG-RAN) is shown, supporting user equipment (UE) positioning in New Radio (NR). The Location Management Function (LMF) is the positioning node in NR. Interaction exists between the positioning node and the gNodeB (gNB) via NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa). Interaction between the gNB and the device is supported by the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol, while the positioning node interfaces with the UE via the Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP). The LPP is common to both NR and LTE.

[0003] The location process can be, for example, the NRPPa uplink (UL) enhanced cell identifier (E-CID) process. See 3GPPTS 38.455 v.18.1.0 NR Location Protocol A (NRPPa). Figure 2 The E-CID measurement initiation process that triggers on-demand measurements is shown.

[0004] In the E-CID positioning method, the UE's location is estimated based on knowledge of its serving next-generation eNodeB (ng-eNB), gNB, and cell. Information about the serving ng-eNB, gNB, and cell can be obtained through paging, registration, or other methods.

[0005] E-CID based on LTE signal location refers to a technique that uses additional UE measurements and / or Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) radio resources and other measurements to improve UE location estimation. In the case of ng-eNB service, uplink E-CID can be supported based on NR, GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) signals.

[0006] While E-CID based on LTE signal positioning can utilize some of the same measurements as the measurement control system in the RRC protocol, it is generally not expected that the UE will perform additional measurements solely for positioning purposes. For example, the positioning process does not provide measurement configuration or measurement control messages, and the UE reports the measurements it has available, rather than being required to take additional measurement actions.

[0007] NR E-CID measurements may include:

[0008] UE Measurements (3GPP TS 38.215 v.18.3.0):

[0009] - Synchronization signal-reference signal received power (SS-RSRP);

[0010] - Synchronization signal-reference signal reception quality (SS-RSRQ);

[0011] - Channel State Information - Reference Signal Received Power (CSI-RSRP);

[0012] - Channel State Information - Reference Signal Received Quality (CSI-RSRQ).

[0013] The aforementioned UE measurements can be aggregated at the cell level or measured by synchronization signal block (SSB) or channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) resources.

[0014] NR E-CID UE measurements for other radio access technologies (RAT) may include:

[0015] - E-UTRA Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP);

[0016] - E-UTRA Reference Signal Receive Quality (RSRQ);

[0017] Note 2: The E-UTRA measurements performed by the UE described above are only used for uplink (UL) NR E-CID positioning.

[0018] gNB measurement (3GPP TS 38.215 v.18.3.0):

[0019] - UL Angle of Arrival (Azimuth and Elevation);

[0020] - Timed advance (T) ADV ).

[0021] There are various techniques that use these measurements to estimate the location of the UE.

[0022] Timely advance measurement (TA)

[0023] Timed advance (T) ADV The gNB measurement for positioning in NR, introduced under TEI17 in 3GPP TS 38.215 v17.1.0, is as follows:

[0024] Timed advance (T) ADV The time difference T is defined as... ADV = (T gNB-RX – T gNB-TX )

[0025] in:

[0026] - T gNB-RX It is the Transmit and Receive Point (TRP) reception timing of the uplink subframe #i containing the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmitted from the UE, which is defined by the first detected path in time.

[0027] - T gNB-TX It is the TRP transmission timing of the downlink subframe #j that is closest in time to the subframe #i received from the UE.

[0028] However, some challenges exist. For example, a problem with current NR E-CID is that the gNB cannot report another type of TA, namely the UE receiver-transmitter (Rx-Tx) time difference. In Section 5.1.30 of 3GPP TS 38.215 v17.1.0, the UE Rx–Tx time difference is defined as shown in Table 1 below:

[0029] Table 1

[0030]

[0031] In the absence of UE Rx-Tx reports, there are gaps in the use of the LTE E-CID method, where, in the case of NG-RAN being ng-eNB, such measurements are reported on LTE Positioning Protocol A (LPPA) and NRPPA, but not from gNB.

[0032] For example, 3GPP TS 36.305 v.18.0.0 disclosed:

[0033] In cases where tight time coupling is required between UE and eNode B measurements (e.g., TADV Type 1 and UE Tx-Rx time difference), the eNode B configures the appropriate RRC measurements and is responsible for maintaining the coupling between the required measurements. The operation of the enhanced cell ID method is described in Section 8.3.

[0034] Therefore, for the UE Rx-Tx time difference, the eNB can configure appropriate RRC measurements for the UE to report the desired UE measurements.

[0035] Furthermore, gNN can now also acquire UE Rx-Tx time difference measurements via tracking reference signal (TRS) or positioning reference signal (PRS) to perform propagation delay compensation (PDC) in the primary cell (PCell) of the primary cell group (MCG). Figure 3 This is a copy of Figure 15.8-2 from Section 16.8 of 3GPP TS 38.300, and illustrates the signaling process of the PDC based on RTT on the gNB side.

[0036] As disclosed in 3PGP TS 38.331 v.17.4.0, the UE Rx-Tx time difference also exists as a measurement for signaling notifications from the UE to the gNB via the RRC protocol:

[0037] RxTxTimeDiff

[0038] IE RxTxTimeDiff includes the Rx-Tx time difference measurement at the UE or gNB.

[0039] RxTxTimeDiff information element

[0040]

[0041]

[0042] In its measurement configuration, the gNB can request a one-time or periodic report of the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement from the UE via an RRC message. Therefore, the gNB can calculate the UE Rx-Tx based on an existing reference signal (e.g., PRS or TRS). Summary of the Invention

[0043] Certain aspects of this disclosure and its embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. For example, according to some embodiments, methods and systems are provided for LMF including a new request indicator for UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0044] According to some embodiments, a method for a first network node to utilize and / or report measurement information for positioning includes: receiving a request for measurement information from a UE from a second network node operating as a positioning server. The first network node receives from the UE at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement. The first network node transmits the measurement information to the second network node operating as a positioning server. The measurement information includes at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE and at least one reference signal and / or an indication of at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE.

[0045] According to some embodiments, a first network node for utilizing and / or reporting measurement information for positioning is configured to receive a request for measurement information from a UE from a second network node operating as a positioning server. The first network node is configured to receive from the UE at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement. The first network node is configured to send this information to the second network node operating as a positioning server. The measurement information includes at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE and at least one reference signal and / or an indication of at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE.

[0046] According to some embodiments, an example method for a second network node operating as a positioning server includes: sending a request for measurement information from a UE to a first network node. The second network node receives the measurement information from the first network node, the measurement information including at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE, and at least one reference signal and / or an indication of at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE.

[0047] According to some embodiments, a second network node operating as a positioning server is configured to send a request for measurement information from the UE to a first network node. The second network node is configured to receive measurement information from the first network node, the measurement information including at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE, and at least one reference signal and / or an indication of at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE.

[0048] According to some embodiments, a method for a UE to utilize and / or report measurement information for positioning includes: receiving a request for measurement information from a first network node; the UE receiving at least one reference signal from the first network node and performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement based on the at least one reference signal to obtain at least one value; and the UE sending measurement information to the first network node, the measurement information including at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0049] According to some embodiments, a UE for utilizing and / or reporting measurement information for positioning is configured to receive a request for measurement information from a first network node. The UE is configured to receive at least one reference signal from the first network node and perform at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement based on the at least one reference signal to obtain at least one value. The UE is configured to send measurement information to the first network node, the measurement information including at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0050] Some embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, some embodiments may provide the following technical advantage: by requesting from the LMF to the gNB, the gNB then provides serving cell UE Rx-Tx measurement information based on CSI-RS or PRS for tracking, enabling the LMF to obtain enhanced UE Rx-Tx measurement measurements.

[0051] As another example, certain embodiments may provide the following technical advantages: enabling the LMF to request the gNB to provide any measurement already available for UE Rx-Tx for any cell (e.g., via propagation-compensated delay features) or to provide new measurements from the serving cell.

[0052] As another example, certain embodiments can provide the following technical advantage: enhancing measurement reporting from the gNB to the LMF by adding reports of new TA types (serving cell UE Rx-Tx) based on PRS and / or TRS. For example, when the LMF queries the gNB for a new TA type based on a previous PDC report, if the timestamp of an existing UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement is close to the current time, and therefore the UE Rx-Tx time difference is not too old, the gNB centralized unit (gNB-CU or CU) can report the UE Rx-Tx time difference. This can be determined based on the CU implementation, taking into account the age of previous PDC TA reports.

[0053] Other advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Some embodiments may lack or have some or all of the advantages described. Attached Figure Description

[0054] To gain a more complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments and their features and advantages, reference is now made to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0055] Figure 1 An architecture suitable for NG-RAN is shown, which supports UE positioning in NR;

[0056] Figure 2 The E-CID measurement initiation process that triggers on-demand measurement is illustrated.

[0057] Figure 3 The signaling process of PDC based on RTT on the gNB side is shown;

[0058] Figure 4 Example methods for requesting and reporting UE Rx-Tx via the NG-RAN interface, according to certain embodiments, are shown;

[0059] Figure 5 An example communication system according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0060] Figure 6 An example UE according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0061] Figure 7 An example network node according to some embodiments is shown;

[0062] Figure 8 A virtualized environment is shown, according to some embodiments, in which functionality implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized;

[0063] Figure 9 Example methods for a UE to utilize and / or report RTT measurements for positioning, according to certain embodiments, are shown;

[0064] Figure 10 An example method is shown, according to certain embodiments, for a first network node to utilize and / or report RTT measurements for localization.

[0065] Figure 11 An example method of operating as a second network node as a location server according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0066] Figure 12 Another example method, according to certain embodiments, is shown whereby a first network node uses and / or reports measurement information for localization.

[0067] Figure 13 Another example method of a second network node 110 operating as a location server according to certain embodiments is shown; and

[0068] Figure 14 Another example method, according to certain embodiments, is shown for a UE to utilize and / or report measurement information for positioning. Detailed Implementation

[0069] Some embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0070] As used herein, a node can be a network node or a UE. In some embodiments, the generic term "radio network node" or simply "network node" is used to refer to any kind of network node. Examples of network nodes are NodeBs, base stations (BSs), multi-standard radio (MSR) radio nodes (such as MSR BSs), eNodeBs (eNBs), gNodeBs (gNBs), primary eNBs (MeNBs), secondary eNBs (SeNBs), integrated access backhaul (IAB) nodes, network controllers, radio network controllers (RNCs), base station controllers (BSCs), relays, donor nodes of control relays, base transceiver stations (BTSs), central units (e.g., in gNBs), distributed units (e.g., in gNBs), baseband units, centralized baseband, centralized radio access network (C-RAN), access points (APs), transmission points, transmission nodes, remote radio units (RRUs), remote radio heads (RRHs), nodes in distributed antenna systems (DASs), core network nodes (e.g., mobile switching centers (MSCs), mobility management entities (MMEs), etc.), operations and maintenance (O&M), operations support systems (OSSs), self-organizing networks (SONs), location nodes (e.g., e-SMLCs), etc.

[0071] Another example of a node is a User Equipment (UE), which is a non-limiting term and refers to any type of wireless device that communicates with network nodes and / or with another UE in a cellular or mobile communication system. Examples of UEs include target devices, device-to-device (D2D) UEs, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) UEs, machine-type UEs (MTC UEs) or UEs capable of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, mobile terminals, smartphones, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), unified serial bus (USB) dongles, etc.

[0072] The term Radio Access Technology (RAT) can refer to any RAT, such as, for example, Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRA), Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), WiFi, Bluetooth, Next Generation RAT, NR, Fourth Generation (4G), Fifth Generation (5G), etc. Any device represented by the terms Node, Network Node, or Radio Network Node may be able to support one or more RATs.

[0073] As used herein, the term "signal" or "radio signal" can refer to any physical signal or physical channel. Examples of downlink (DL) physical signals include reference signals (RS) such as the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), channel state information (CSI) reference signal (CSI-RS), demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in the SS / PBCH block (SSB), discovery reference signal (DRS), cell-specific reference signal (CRS), location reference signal (PRS), etc. RS can be periodic. For example, an RS carrying one or more RSs may occur at a certain period (e.g., 20 ms, 40 ms, etc.). RS can also be aperiodic.

[0074] Each SSB carries a new radio-primary synchronization signal (NR-PSS), a new radio-secondary synchronization signal (NR-SSS), and a new radio-physical broadcast channel (NR-PBCH) in four consecutive symbols. One or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) are transmitted in an SSB burst that repeats at a certain period (e.g., 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, and 160 ms). The UE configures information about the SSBs on a cell for a given carrier frequency through one or more SS / PBCH block measurement timing configurations (SMTC). The SMTC configuration includes parameters such as SMTC periodicity, SMTC timing duration or length, and SMTC time offset with respect to a reference time (e.g., the serving cell's SFN). Therefore, SMTC timing can also occur at a certain period (e.g., 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, and 160 ms). Examples of uplink (UL) physical signals are reference signals such as the Sound Reference Signal (SRS) and the Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS). The term physical channel refers to any channel that carries higher-layer information (such as data, control, etc.). Examples of physical channels are the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Short PUSCH (sPUCCH), Short PDSCH (sPDSCH), Short PUCCH (sPUCCH), Short PUSCH (sPUSCH), MTC PDCCH (MPDCCH), Narrowband PBCH (NPBCH), Narrowband PDCCH (NPDCCH), Narrowband PDSCH (NPDSCH), Narrowband PUSCH (NPUSCH), Enhanced PDCCH (E-PDCCH), etc.

[0075] The term "time resource" as used herein can refer to any type of physical or radio resource expressed in terms of time length. Examples of time resources are: symbols, time slots, subframes, radio frames, TTI, interleaving time, slots, sub-slots, micro-slots, System Frame Number (SFN) periods, Super SFN (H-SFN) periods, etc.

[0076] According to certain embodiments, methods and systems are provided for LMF including a new request indicator for UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement. In this document, this measurement may be referred to as a single RTT measurement, which distinguishes it from gNB Rx-Tx.

[0077] According to some embodiments, upon receiving the request indicator, the gNB centralized unit (gNB-CU) configures resources to obtain UE measurements. For example, the gNB-CU may configure the UE via RRC messages to measure reference signals, report the UE Rx-Tx time difference, and signal a new request with resource indication to the gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) to send downlink (DL) reference signals (e.g., DL PRS, DL CSI-RS for tracking, i.e., TRS) for the UE to measure. Ultimately, the gNB-CU can obtain the UE measurements via the RRC protocol.

[0078] According to some embodiments, when a UE measurement is received via RRC, the gNB-CU reports the received UERx-Tx time difference measurement to the LMF via an NRPPA E-CIDMEASUREMENT INITIATION RESPONSE message.

[0079] Figure 4 An example method 100 for requesting and reporting UE Rx-Tx according to certain embodiments is shown. For example, UE Rx-Tx may include a single RTT measurement reported from UE 105 to LMF 110 via the NG-RAN interface through NRPPA.

[0080] As shown in the figure, the method includes, at step 120, the LMF sending a request for measurement to gNB 115. Specifically, the LMF 110 requests the RTT or UE Rx-Tx based on the serving cell of UE 105. Further, in a particular embodiment, the LMF 110 may indicate that it prefers measurements based on TRS or PRS or both.

[0081] At step 125, gNB 115 sends UE measurement configuration to UE 105.

[0082] At step 130, gNB 115 sends a TS or PRS to UE 105.

[0083] At step 135, UE 105 sends SRS to gNB 115.

[0084] At step 140A, UE 105 performs UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0085] At step 140B, gNB 115 performs gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0086] At step 145, UE 105 reports the UE Rx-Tx measurement to gNB 115.

[0087] At step 150, gNB 115 sends gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement to UE 105.

[0088] At step 155, UE 105 executes PDC.

[0089] At step 160, gNB 115 reports UE Rx-Tx or both UE Rx-Tx and gNB Rx-Tx, and also specifies which reference signal to use.

[0090] Compared with previous methods and techniques, the new steps described and illustrated in method 100 include steps 120, 145 and 160.

[0091] Example for NRPPA

[0092] In certain embodiments, a new request information element (IE) is included in the E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST, as shown below in the example modification implemented in section 9.1.1.1 of 3GPP TS 38.455, for reporting a single RTT (i.e., UE Rx-Tx time difference), also known as the serving cell RTT measurement:

[0093] E-CID Measurement Initiation Request

[0094] This message is sent by LMF to initiate E-CID measurement.

[0095] Direction: LMF → NG-RAN node.

[0096]

[0097]

[0098]

[0099] In certain embodiments, a single RTT (Serving Cell RTT) (i.e., UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement) is included in the E-CID measurement result between the gNB-CU and LMF, as shown below in the example modification implemented in Section 9.2.5 of 3GPP TS 38.455:

[0100] E-CID measurement results

[0101] The purpose of the E-CID measurement result information element is to provide E-CID measurement results.

[0102]

[0103]

[0104]

[0105]

[0106]

[0107] Startup request message from LMF

[0108] In a particular embodiment, the LMF requests the UE Rx Tx time difference from the gNB-CU with a granularity factor (such as, for example, k1, k2, k3, etc.) indicating the accuracy of the report via E-CID.

[0109] In a further specific embodiment, the receiving node with the requesting granularity factor reports the value of the UE Rx Tx time difference measurement, which indicates which granularity factor was used (e.g., if different from the requested granularity factor).

[0110] In another specific embodiment, the LMF requests a UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement from the gNB-CU within a time period (e.g., between time t1 and time t2). If the gNB-CU has some stored measurements with timestamps for that time period, it responds with the measurement. If the current time is earlier than t2, the gNB-CU may request a UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0111] In another specific embodiment for periodic reporting, the LMF can indicate to the gNB-CU an acceptable time difference with any instance of periodic reporting time. For example, if the acceptable time difference is Δ and the gNB-CU should report the measurement at time point t1, then the gNB-CU can report the UE Rx-Tx time difference at any time between (t1 – Δ, t1 + Δ). This would allow the reuse of any potential measurement that the gNB-CU can perform in any way for PDC purposes.

[0112] Figure 5 An example of a communication system 200 according to some embodiments is shown. In this example, the communication system 200 includes a telecommunications network 202, which includes an access network 204 such as a radio access network (RAN) and a core network 206. The core network 206 includes one or more core network nodes 208. The access network 204 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 210a and 210b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network node 210), or any other similar 3GPP access node or non-3GPP access point. Network node 210 facilitates direct or indirect connections of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 212a, 212b, 212c, and 212d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE 212) to the core network 206 via one or more wireless connections.

[0113] Examples of wireless communication via wireless connection include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information without the use of wires, cables, or other conductors. Furthermore, in various embodiments, communication system 200 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that can facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via a wired or wireless connection. Communication system 200 may include and interface with any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0114] UE 212 can be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices that are arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network node 210 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node 210 is arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE 212 and / or with other network nodes or devices in telecommunications network 202 to enable and / or provide network access (such as wireless network access) and / or perform other functions (such as management in telecommunications network 202).

[0115] In the depicted example, core network 206 connects network node 210 to one or more hosts, such as host 216. These connections can be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes can be directly coupled to hosts. Core network 206 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 208) constructed with hardware and software components. The characteristics of these components can be substantially similar to those described with respect to UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the description generally applies to the corresponding components of core network node 208. Example core network nodes include one or more of the following functions: Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier Dehiding Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Agent (SEPP), Network Open Function (NEF), and / or User Plane Function (UPF).

[0116] Host 216 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than the operator or provider of access network 204 and / or telecommunications network 202, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. Host 216 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (such as retrieving and compiling data on various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analytics functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarms and monitoring centers, or any other such functions performed by the server.

[0117] on the whole, Figure 5 The communication system 200 enables connections between the UE, network nodes, and hosts. In this sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards including but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi); and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards, such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0118] In some examples, telecommunications network 202 is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, telecommunications network 202 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to it. For example, telecommunications network 202 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or massive machine-type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to yet another UE.

[0119] In some examples, UE 212 is configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to send information to access network 204 according to a predetermined schedule when triggered by internal or external events or in response to a request from access network 204. Furthermore, the UE may be configured to operate in single RAT, multi-RAT, or multi-standard modes. For example, the UE may operate using any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as e-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0120] In the example, hub 214 communicates with access network 204 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 212c and / or 212d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 210b). In some examples, hub 214 may be a controller, router, content source, and analytics, or any other communication device relating to the UE described herein. For example, hub 214 may be a broadband router that enables the UE to access core network 206. As another example, hub 214 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. Commands or instructions may be received from the UE, network node 210, or via executable code, scripts, procedures, or other instructions in hub 214. As another example, hub 214 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data, and in some embodiments, data analytics or other processing may be performed. As another example, hub 214 may be a content source. For example, for a UE acting as a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, hub 214 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via network nodes, and then provide them directly to the UE after performing local processing and / or adding additional local content. In yet another example, hub 214 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UE, particularly when one or more devices in the UE are low-power IoT devices.

[0121] Hub 214 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to network node 210b. Hub 214 may also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between hub 214 and UEs (e.g., UEs 212c and / or 212d) and between hub 214 and core network 206. In other examples, hub 214 is connected to core network 206 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Furthermore, hub 214 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider via access network 204 and / or to another UE via a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection to network node 210 while still being connected via hub 214 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, hub 214 may be a dedicated hub—that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communication from network node 210b to / from UE to network node 210b. In other embodiments, hub 214 may be a non-dedicated hub—that is, capable of operating to route communication between the UE and network node 210b, but additionally capable of operating as a device for the initiation and / or termination of communication for certain data channels.

[0122] Figure 6 The UE 300 shown according to some embodiments may be... Figure 5 Examples of UE 112. As used herein, UE refers to a device capable of, configured, positioned, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, handsets, VoIP phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptops, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted or vehicle-mounted embedded / integrated wireless devices, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, Machine Type Communication (MTC) UEs, and / or Enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0123] The UE can support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communication, dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, the UE may not necessarily be a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated equipment. Instead, the UE may represent a device intended to be sold to or operated by a human user, but which may not be associated with a particular human user, or may not initially be associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, the UE may represent a device not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user, but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter).

[0124] UE 300 includes processing circuitry 302, which is operatively coupled via bus 304 to input / output interface 306, power supply 308, memory 310, communication interface 312, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Some UEs may utilize... Figure 6 The components shown may be all or a subset. The level of integration between components can vary from one UE to another. Furthermore, some UEs may contain multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0125] Processing circuitry 302 is configured to process instructions and data and can be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in memory 310 as a machine-readable computer program. Processing circuitry 302 can be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic along with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors such as microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs), along with appropriate software; or any combination thereof. For example, processing circuitry 302 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0126] In the example, input / output interface 306 can be configured to provide one or more interfaces to input devices, output devices, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, transmitters, smart cards, other output devices, or any combination thereof. Input devices can allow users to capture information into UE 300. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, webcams, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, arrow keys, trackpads, scroll wheels, smart cards, etc. Presence-sensitive displays may include capacitive or resistive touch sensors to sense input from the user. Sensors may be, for example, accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt sensors, force sensors, magnetometers, optical sensors, proximity sensors, biometric sensors, etc., or any combination thereof. Output devices can use the same type of interface port as input devices. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port can be used to provide both input and output devices.

[0127] In some embodiments, power supply 308 is configured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources can be used, such as external power sources (e.g., electrical outlets), photovoltaic devices, or power batteries. Power supply 308 may also include power circuitry for delivering power from power supply 308 itself and / or external power sources to various parts of UE 300 via input circuitry or an interface such as a power cable. The delivery of power can, for example, be used to charge power supply 308. The power circuitry can perform any formatting, conversion, or other modifications on the power from power supply 308 to suit the appropriate components of the UE 300 being powered.

[0128] Memory 310 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable tape cartridge, flash drive, etc. In one example, memory 310 includes one or more applications 314, such as an operating system, web browser application, gadget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 316. Memory 310 can store any operating system or combination of operating systems for use by UE 300.

[0129] The memory 310 can be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital universal optical disc (HD-DVD) drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray disc drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) disc drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory, a tamper-proof module (such as in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) which includes one or more user identity modules (SIMs), such as USIM and / or ISIM), other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC can be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC commonly referred to as a "SIM card." The memory 310 can allow the UE 300 to access instructions, applications, etc., stored on transient or non-transient memory media to offload or upload data. Articles of art (such as articles of art utilizing communication systems) may be tangibly implemented as or implemented in memory 310, which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0130] Processing circuitry 302 can be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using communication interface 312. Communication interface 312 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include antenna 322 or be communicatively coupled to antenna 322. Communication interface 312 may include one or more transceivers for communication, such as through one or more remote transceivers communicating with another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include transmitter 318 and / or receiver 320 adapted to provide network communication (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Furthermore, transmitter 318 and receiver 320 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 322) and may share circuitry, software, or firmware, or alternatively, may be implemented separately.

[0131] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication interface 312 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication (such as Bluetooth), near-field communication, location-based communication (such as using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location), another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. Communication may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so on.

[0132] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE can provide the output of data captured by its sensors via a wireless connection to the network node through its communication interface 312. Data captured by the UE's sensors can be wirelessly transmitted to the network node via another UE. The output can be periodic (e.g., every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to balance the load of reports from several sensors), responsive to a triggered event (e.g., sending an alarm when humidity is detected), responsive to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., real-time video feed of a patient).

[0133] As another example, the UE includes an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. The state of the actuator, motor, or switch can change in response to the received wireless input. For example, the UE may include a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotor of a drone in flight based on the received input, or regulate a robotic arm performing a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0134] When taking the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the UE can be a device used in one or more application areas, including but not limited to urban wearable technology, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices include devices as or embedded in the following: connected refrigerators or freezers, televisions, connected lighting fixtures, electricity meters, robotic vacuum cleaners, voice-controlled smart speakers, home security cameras, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detectors, door / window sensors, flood / humidity sensors, electric door locks, connected doorbells, heat pump-like air conditioning systems, autonomous vehicles, surveillance systems, weather monitoring equipment, vehicle parking monitoring equipment, electric vehicle charging stations, smartwatches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), wearable devices for haptic or sensory enhancement, sprinklers, animal or object tracking devices, sensors for monitoring plants or animals, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and any kind of medical device, such as heart rate monitors or remote-controlled surgical robots. In addition to the above... Figure 6 In addition to the other components described in the UE 300 shown, a UE in the form of an IoT device includes circuitry and / or software that depends on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0135] As another specific example, in IoT scenarios, a UE can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another UE and / or network node. In this case, the UE can be an M2M device, which can be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, the UE can implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE can represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and aircraft, or other devices capable of monitoring and / or reporting their operational status or other functions associated with their operation.

[0136] In practice, any number of UEs can be used together for a single use case. For example, a first UE can be integrated into or incorporated into a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE acting as a remote controller. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE can adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling actuators) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and / or second UEs can also include more than one of the functions described above. For example, the UE can include sensors and actuators and handle communication of data for the speed sensors and actuators.

[0137] Figure 7 A network node 400 according to some embodiments is shown, which may be Figure 5An embodiment of network node 110. As used herein, a network node means a device that is capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or devices in a telecommunications network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points) and base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NRNode Bs (gNBs)).

[0138] Base stations can be classified based on the coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmit power levels), and therefore, depending on the coverage provided, can be called femtocells, picocells, microcells, or macrocells. A base station can be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. Network nodes can also include one or more (or all) portions of a distributed radio base station, such as centralized digital units and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as remote radio heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units can be integrated with an antenna or can be used as antenna-integrated radios without an antenna. A portion of a distributed radio base station can also be referred to as a node in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0139] Other examples of network nodes include multi-TRP 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment (such as MSR BS), network controllers (such as Radio Network Controller (RNC) or Base Station Controller (BSC)), Base Transceiver Station (BTS), transport points, transport nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCE), operation and maintenance (O&M) nodes, operation support system (OSS) nodes, self-organizing network (SON) nodes, location nodes (e.g., evolved Serving Mobility Location Center (e-SMLC)), and / or minimized drive test (MDT).

[0140] Network node 400 includes processing circuitry 402, memory 404, communication interface 406, and power supply 408. Network node 400 may include multiple physically separate components (e.g., NodeB and RNC components, or BTS and BSC components, etc.), each with its own corresponding components. In some scenarios where network node 400 includes multiple individual components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of these individual components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC can control multiple NodeBs. In such scenarios, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered a single, separate network node in some instances. In some embodiments, network node 400 may be configured to support multiple Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 404 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 410 may be shared by different RATs). Network node 400 may also include multiple sets of various illustrated components for integrating different wireless technologies into network node 400, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within network node 400.

[0141] Processing circuitry 402 may include one or more of the following: a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or coding logic, operable to provide network node 400 functionality, either alone or in combination with other network node 400 components (such as memory 404).

[0142] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 402 includes a system-on-a-chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 402 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 412 and a baseband processing circuitry 414. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 412 and the baseband processing circuitry 414 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In other alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 412 and the baseband processing circuitry 414 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0143] Memory 404 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to persistent storage devices, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drives, optical discs (CDs), or digital video discs (DVDs)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile non-transitory device-readable memory device and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions usable by processing circuitry 402. Memory 404 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including computer programs, software, applications including logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions executable by processing circuitry 402 and usable by core network node 400. Memory 404 may be used to store any calculations performed by processing circuitry 402 and / or any data received via communication interface 406. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 402 and memory 404 are integrated.

[0144] Communication interface 406 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, and / or UEs. As shown, communication interface 406 includes, for example, one or more ports / terminals 416 for sending data to and receiving data from a network via a wired connection. Communication interface 406 also includes radio front-end circuitry 418, which may be coupled to antenna 410 or, in some embodiments, is part of antenna 410. Radio front-end circuitry 418 includes filter 420 and amplifier 422. Radio front-end circuitry 418 may be connected to antenna 410 and processing circuitry 402. Radio front-end circuitry 418 may be configured to modulate the signal transmitted between antenna 410 and processing circuitry 402. Radio front-end circuitry 418 may receive digital data to be transmitted wirelessly to other network nodes or UEs. Radio front-end circuitry 418 may use a combination of filter 420 and / or amplifier 422 to convert digital data into radio signals with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signals may then be transmitted via antenna 410. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 410 can collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front-end circuitry 418. The digital data can then be passed to processing circuitry 402. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0145] In some alternative embodiments, network node 400 does not include a separate radio front-end circuitry 418; instead, processing circuitry 402 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to antenna 410. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 412 is part of communication interface 406. In other embodiments, communication interface 406 includes one or more ports or terminals 416, radio front-end circuitry 418, and RF transceiver circuitry 412 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and communication interface 406 communicates with baseband processing circuitry 414, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0146] Antenna 410 may include one or more antennas or an antenna array configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 410 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry 418 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 410 is decoupled from network node 400 and may be connected to network node 400 via an interface or port.

[0147] Antenna 410, communication interface 406, and / or processing circuitry 402 can be configured to perform any receive operation and / or certain acquire operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals can be received from the UE, another network node, and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 410, communication interface 406, and / or processing circuitry 402 can be configured to perform any transmit operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals can be transmitted to the UE, another network node, and / or any other network device.

[0148] Power supply 408 provides power to the various components of network node 400 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., with voltage and current levels required for each respective component). Power supply 408 may also include or be coupled to power management circuitry to provide power to the components of network node 400 for performing the functions described herein. For example, network node 400 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, power outlet) via input circuitry or interface such as a cable, thereby supplying power to the power circuitry of power supply 408. As another example, power supply 408 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack, which is connected to or integrated into the power circuitry. The battery can provide backup power in the event of an external power failure.

[0149] Implementations of network node 400 may include, in addition to Figure 7Additional components, other than those shown, are used to provide certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any of the functions described herein and / or any functions required to support the topics described herein. For example, network node 400 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into and output from network node 400. This can allow users to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for network node 400.

[0150] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment 500 that can virtualize functionality implemented by some embodiments.

[0151] In the current context, virtualization means creating virtual versions of devices or equipment, which may include virtualized hardware platforms, storage devices, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device or component thereof described herein, and at least a portion of the functionality involved is implemented as an implementation of one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein can be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 500 hosted in one or more hardware nodes, such as hardware computing devices operating as network nodes, UEs, core network nodes, or hosts. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), the node can then be fully virtualized.

[0152] Application 502 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, virtual device, network function, virtual node, virtual network function, etc.) runs in virtualization environment 500 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0153] Hardware 504 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. The software can be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 508A and 508B (one or more of which may generally be referred to as VM 508), and / or perform any functionality, features, and / or benefits described in conjunction with some embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer 506 can present a virtual operating platform to VM 508 that appears to be network hardware.

[0154] VM 508 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networks or interfaces, and virtual storage, and can be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 506. Different embodiments of instances of virtual devices 502 can be implemented on one or more VMs 508, and can be implemented in different ways. Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as Network Functions Virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many network device types onto industry-standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can reside in data center and customer premises facilities.

[0155] In the context of NFV, a VM 508 can be a software implementation of a physical machine, whose programs run as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 508, along with a portion of the hardware 504 that executes that VM (i.e., software specific to that VM and / or software shared by that VM and other VMs within it), forms a separate virtual network element. Still within the context of NFV, the virtual network function is responsible for handling the specific network functions running on one or more VMs 508 above the hardware 504 and corresponding to application 502.

[0156] Hardware 504 can be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware 504 can implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 504 can be a larger hardware cluster (e.g., in a data center or CPE), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 510, which in particular oversees the lifecycle management of application 502. In some embodiments, hardware 504 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that can be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units can communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more suitable network interfaces and can be combined with virtual components to provide a radio-capable virtual node, such as a radio access node or base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided using a control system 512, which can alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes and the radio units.

[0157] Figure 9 An example method 600, according to certain embodiments, is illustrated for a UE to utilize and / or report RTT measurements for positioning. In the illustrated embodiment, the method includes a transmission step at 602. For example, at step 602, the UE may transmit RTT measurement information associated with the UE to a first network node.

[0158] According to various specific embodiments, the UE can perform any of the steps in the example embodiments of Group C provided below and / or any other operations described herein.

[0159] Figure 10 An example method 700, according to certain embodiments, is illustrated for a first network node to utilize and / or report RTT measurements for positioning. In the illustrated embodiment, the method includes a transmission step at 702. For example, at step 702, the first network node may transmit RTT measurement information associated with the UE to a second network node operating as a positioning server.

[0160] According to various specific embodiments, the first network node may perform any of the steps in the example embodiments of Group D provided below and / or any other operations described herein.

[0161] Figure 11 An example method 800 for a second network node operating as a location server according to certain embodiments is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the method includes a receiving step at 802. For example, at step 802, the second network node may receive RTT measurement information associated with the UE from the first network node.

[0162] According to various specific embodiments, the second network node can perform any of the steps in the example embodiments of Group E provided below and / or any other operations described herein.

[0163] Figure 12 Another example method 900, according to certain embodiments, is illustrated for a first network node 115 to utilize and / or report measurement information for positioning. As shown, the method begins at step 902, where the first network node 115 receives a request for measurement information from a second network node 110 operating as a positioning server. At step 904, the first network node 115 receives from the UE 105 at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement. At step 906, the first network node 115 sends the measurement information to the second network node 110, which is also operating as a positioning server. The measurement information includes at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE 105 and an indication of at least one reference signal and / or at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE 105.

[0164] In a particular embodiment, the request instructs the second network node 110 to prefer measurement information based on at least one of PRS, TRS, and CSI-RS.

[0165] In a particular embodiment, the request indicates at least one of the following: a granularity factor for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement, a start time for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement, a stop time for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement, and a duration for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0166] In a particular embodiment, the first network node 115 sends a UE measurement configuration to the UE 105, the UE measurement configuration including at least one of the following: the second network node 110 prefers measurement information based on at least one of PRS, TRS and CSI-RS; a granularity factor for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement; a start time for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement; a stop time for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement; and a duration for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0167] In a particular embodiment, the indication of at least one reference signal and / or at least one reference signal type includes the indication of PRS and / or TRS and / or CSI-RS used by the UE to perform at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0168] In a particular embodiment, the measurement information is associated with a PDC report.

[0169] In a particular embodiment, the first network node 115 sends at least one reference signal to the UE 105, and at least one value received from the UE 105 associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement is based on the at least one reference signal.

[0170] In a particular embodiment, at least one reference signal includes at least one PRS, at least one TRS, and / or at least one CSI-RS.

[0171] In a particular embodiment, the request for measurement information is received via an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENTINITIATION REQUEST message.

[0172] In a particular embodiment, the request is included in the information element of the NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST message.

[0173] In a particular embodiment, when sending measurement information to a second network node operating as a location server, the first network node 115 sends at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement in an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION RESPONSE message.

[0174] In a particular embodiment, the measurement information includes an indication of the cell's PCI.

[0175] In a particular embodiment, the first network node 115 sends at least one value associated with at least one gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the first network node to the UE 105, and / or the first network node 115 configures the UE 105 to perform PDC for at least one cell based on at least one value associated with at least one gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement and at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0176] Figure 13 Another example method 1000 of a second network node 110 operating as a location server according to certain embodiments is illustrated. As shown, the method begins at step 1002, whereby the second network node 110 sends a request for measurement information from the UE 105 to the first network node 115. At step 1004, the second network node 110 receives measurement information from the first network node 115, which includes at least one value associated with at least one user equipment receive-transmit UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE 105, and at least one reference signal and / or an indication of at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE 105.

[0177] In a particular embodiment, the request instructs the second network node 110 to prefer measurement information based on at least one of PRS, TRS, and CSI-RS.

[0178] In a particular embodiment, the request indicates at least one of the following: a granularity factor for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement; a start time for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement; a stop time for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement; and a duration for performing at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0179] In a particular embodiment, the indication of at least one reference signal and / or at least one reference signal type includes the indication of PRS, and / or TRS, and / or CSI-RS.

[0180] In a particular embodiment, the second network node 110 determines the location of the UE 105 based on measurement information.

[0181] In a particular embodiment, the measurement information is associated with a PDC report.

[0182] In a particular embodiment, at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement is based on at least one reference signal sent to UE 105 by a first network node.

[0183] In a particular embodiment, at least one reference signal includes at least one PRS, and / or at least one TRS, and / or at least one CSI-RS.

[0184] In a particular embodiment, the request for measurement information is sent via an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENTINITIATION REQUEST message.

[0185] In a particular embodiment, the request is included in the information element of the NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST message.

[0186] In a particular embodiment, when receiving measurement information from the first network node 115, the second network node 110 receives at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement in an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION RESPONSE message.

[0187] Figure 14 An example method 1100, performed by UE 105 according to certain embodiments, for utilizing and / or reporting measurement information for positioning is illustrated. As shown, the method begins at step 1102, where UE 105 receives a request for measurement information from a first network node 115. At step 1104, UE 105 receives at least one reference signal from the first network node. At step 1106, based on the at least one reference signal, UE 105 performs at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement to obtain at least one value. At step 1108, UE 105 sends measurement information to the first network node 115, the measurement information including at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

[0188] In a particular embodiment, the indication of at least one reference signal and / or at least one reference signal type includes indications of PRS, TRS, and / or CSI-RS.

[0189] In a particular embodiment, the request indicates that the second network node preference measurement information is based on at least one of PRS, TRS, and CSI-RS.

[0190] In a particular embodiment, at least one reference signal includes at least one PRS, and / or at least one TRS, and / or at least one CSI-RS.

[0191] In a particular embodiment, the request indicates at least one of the start time, stop time, and / or duration. At least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement is associated with a time period determined based on at least one of the start time, stop time, and / or duration.

[0192] In a particular embodiment, UE 105 receives from first network node 115 at least one value associated with at least one gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the first network node. Based on at least one of the at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement and at least one gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement, UE 105 performs PDC for at least one cell.

[0193] In a particular embodiment, UE 105 sends first timing information to first network node 115 indicating when at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement is performed by UE 105.

[0194] While the computing devices described herein (e.g., UE, network node, host) may include combinations of the hardware components shown, other embodiments may include computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determination, calculation, acquisition, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry that processes information by, for example, converting acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored in a network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, and making a determination as a result of said processing. Furthermore, although components are depicted as single boxes within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, a computing device may include multiple different physical components constituting a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between individual components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of a component may be partitioned between processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0195] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry that executes instructions stored in memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of these particular embodiments, the processing circuitry may be configured to perform the described functionality regardless of whether instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited solely to other components of the processing circuitry, but are enjoyed in general by the computing device and / or typically by the end user and wireless network.

[0196] Example Implementation

[0197] Group A Example Implementation

[0198] Example Implementation A1. A method performed by a user equipment for utilizing and / or reporting RTT measurements for positioning, the method comprising: any one of the user equipment steps, features, or functions described above, either alone or in combination with other steps, features, or functions described above.

[0199] Example Implementation A2. The method according to the foregoing embodiments further includes one or more additional user equipment steps, features, or functions described above.

[0200] Example Implementation A3. The method according to any of the foregoing embodiments further includes: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host computer via transmission to a network node.

[0201] Group B Example Implementation

[0202] Example Implementation B1. A method performed by a network node for utilizing and / or reporting RTT measurements for location purposes, the method comprising: any one of the network node steps, features, or functions described above, either alone or in combination with other steps, features, or functions described above.

[0203] Example Implementation B2. The method according to the foregoing embodiments further includes one or more additional network node steps, features, or functions described above.

[0204] Example Implementation B3. The method according to any of the foregoing embodiments further includes: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or user equipment.

[0205] Group C Example Implementation

[0206] Example Implementation C1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for utilizing and / or reporting RTT measurements for location purposes, the method comprising: sending round-trip time (RTT) measurement information associated with the UE to a first network node.

[0207] Example Implementation C2A. The method according to Example Implementation C1 includes: receiving additional RTT measurement information associated with the first network node from the first network node; and performing propagation delay compensation (PDC) for at least one cell based on at least one of the RTT measurement information associated with the UE and / or the additional RTT measurement information associated with the first network node.

[0208] Example Implementation C2B. According to the method described in Example Implementation C2A, the additional RTT measurement information associated with the first network node includes at least one value associated with at least one gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed, measured, determined and / or calculated by the first network node.

[0209] Example Implementation C3. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C1 to C2B, wherein the first network node includes gNodeB, i.e., gNB.

[0210] Example Implementation C4. The method according to Example Implementation C3, wherein the gNB includes a centralized unit CU and a distributed unit DU, and wherein the RTT measurement information is sent to the CU.

[0211] Example Implementation C5. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C1 to C4, wherein the first network node is configured to forward the RTT measurement information to a second network node operating as a location server and / or location management function LMF.

[0212] Example Implementation C6. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C1 to C5 further includes: sending first time information to the first network node indicating when the RTT measurement information is measured, determined, and / or obtained by the UE.

[0213] Example Implementation C7. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C1 to C6 includes: receiving at least one reference signal from the first network node, and performing at least one measurement based on the at least one reference signal, wherein the RTT measurement information includes at least one RTT measurement value obtained based on the at least one measurement.

[0214] Example Implementation C8. The method according to Example Implementation C7, wherein the at least one RTT measurement value includes at least one of the following: at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed, measured, determined and / or calculated by the UE; and / or a single RTT measurement value associated with a single RTT measurement performed, measured, determined and / or calculated by the UE.

[0215] Example Implementation C9. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C7 to C8, wherein the at least one reference signal is received via a distributed unit of the first network node.

[0216] Example Implementation C10. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C7 to C9, wherein the at least one reference signal includes at least one positioning reference signal PRS, and / or at least one tracking reference signal TRS, and / or at least one channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0217] Example embodiment C11. The method according to any one of example embodiments C1 to C10, wherein the RTT measurement information is transmitted to the first network node via at least one Radio Resource Control (RRC) signal.

[0218] Example Implementation C12. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C1 to C11 includes: receiving a request for RTT measurement information from the first network node.

[0219] Example Implementation C13. The method according to Example Implementation C12, wherein the request indicates at least one of a start time, a stop time, and / or a duration, and wherein the RTT measurement information includes at least one RTT measurement value associated with a time period determined based on the at least one of the start time, the stop time, and / or the duration.

[0220] Example Implementation C14. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C1 to C13, wherein the UE is configured to periodically report the RTT measurement information to the first network node based on time intervals.

[0221] Example Implementation C15. The method according to Example Implementation C14 includes: receiving the time interval from the first network node.

[0222] Example Implementation C16. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C1 to C15 includes: receiving at least one signal from the first network node.

[0223] Example Implementation C17. The method according to Example Implementation C16, wherein the at least one signal is sent by the first network node based on and / or in response to receiving a request for RTT measurement information from the second network node operating as the positioning server.

[0224] Example Implementation C18. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C16 to C17, wherein receiving the at least one signal from the first network node includes at least one of: receiving a request for the RTT measurement information; receiving an indication from the UE for sending the RTT measurement information to the first network node for at least one resource; and receiving a measurement configuration that configures the UE to send the RTT measurement information to the first network node.

[0225] Example Implementation C19. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C16 to C18, wherein the signal includes a Radio Resource Control (RRC) signal.

[0226] Example Implementation C20. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C16 to C19, wherein the signal includes at least one reference signal and / or an indication of at least one reference signal type to be measured by the UE to obtain the RTT measurement information.

[0227] Example Implementation C21. The method according to Example Implementation C20, wherein the indication of the at least one reference signal and / or the type of the at least one reference signal includes an indication of a positioning reference signal PRS and / or a tracking reference signal TRS and / or a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0228] Example Implementation C22. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C1 to C21, wherein the RTT measurement information is associated with the serving cell in which the UE is served.

[0229] Example Implementation C23. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C1 to C21, wherein the RTT measurement information is associated with the primary cell in which the UE is served.

[0230] Example Implementation C24. The method according to any one of Example Implementations C1 to C21, wherein the RTT measurement information is associated with a cell that is not associated with the serving cell associated with the UE.

[0231] Example Implementation C25. The method according to Example Implementations C1 to C24 further includes: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host via a transmission to a network node.

[0232] Example embodiment C26. A user equipment includes processing circuitry configured to perform the method described in any one of example embodiments C1 to C25.

[0233] Example Implementation C27. A user equipment configured and / or adapted to perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations C1 to C25.

[0234] Example Implementation C28. A wireless device includes processing circuitry configured to perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations C1 to C25.

[0235] Example Implementation C29. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations C1 to C25.

[0236] Example Implementation C30. A computer program product including a computer program, the computer program including instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations C1 to C25.

[0237] Example Implementation C31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations C1 to C25.

[0238] Example Implementation of Group D

[0239] Example Implementation D1. A method performed by a first network node for utilizing and / or reporting RTT measurements for positioning, the method comprising: sending round-trip time (RTT) measurement information associated with a user equipment (UE) to a second network node operating as a positioning server.

[0240] Example Implementation D2. The method according to Example Implementation D1, wherein the first network node includes gNodeB, i.e., gNB.

[0241] Example Implementation D3. The method according to Example Implementation D2, wherein the gNB includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit, and wherein the RTT measurement information is transmitted to the second network node via the CU.

[0242] Example Implementation D4. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D3, wherein the second network node operating as the location server includes a location management function (LMF).

[0243] Example Implementation D5. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D4, wherein the second network node operating as the positioning server includes and / or is associated with the core network.

[0244] Example Implementation D6. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D5 further includes: receiving the RTT measurement information from the UE before sending the RTT measurement information to the second network node.

[0245] Example Implementation D7. The method according to Example Implementation D6 includes at least one of the following: storing the RTT measurement information received from the UE; and / or storing first time information indicating when the RTT measurement information was received from the UE.

[0246] Example embodiment D8. The method according to any one of example embodiments D6 to D7 further includes: sending at least one reference signal to the UE, wherein the RTT measurement information received from the UE is based on the at least one reference signal.

[0247] Example Implementation D9. The method according to Example Implementation D8, wherein the at least one reference signal is transmitted to the UE via a distributed unit of the first network node.

[0248] Example Implementation D10. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D8 to D9, wherein the at least one reference signal includes: at least one positioning reference signal PRS; at least one tracking reference signal TRS; and / or at least one channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0249] Example Implementation D11. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D6 to D10, wherein the RTT measurement information received from the UE is based on the at least one reference signal sent to the UE.

[0250] Example Implementation D12. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D6 to D11, wherein the RTT measurement information is received from the UE via at least one Radio Resource Control (RRC) signal.

[0251] Example Implementation D13. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D12, wherein the RTT measurement information associated with the UE includes at least one RTT measurement value.

[0252] Example Implementation D14. The method according to Example Implementation D13, wherein the at least one RTT measurement value includes at least one of the following: at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed, measured, determined and / or calculated by the UE; and / or a single RTT measurement value associated with a single RTT measurement performed, measured, determined and / or calculated by the UE.

[0253] Example Implementation D15. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D13 to D14, wherein the at least one RTT measurement is associated with at least one measurement performed by the UE based on at least one reference signal.

[0254] Example Implementation D16. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D15 includes: receiving a request for RTT measurement information from a second network node operating as the location server.

[0255] Example Implementation D17. The method according to Example Implementation D16, wherein the request for the RTT measurement information is received via an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST message.

[0256] Example Implementation D18. The method according to Example Implementation D17, wherein the request includes information elements in the NRPPAE-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST message.

[0257] Example Implementation D19. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D16 to D18 includes: obtaining first time information associated with when the RTT measurement information is received from the UE; obtaining second time information associated with when the request is received from the second network node; determining that the difference between the first time information and the second time information is less than (and / or equal to) a maximum time threshold; and sending the RTT measurement information to the second network node operating as the location server based on the fact that the difference between the first time information and the second time information is less than (and / or equal to) the maximum time threshold.

[0258] Example Implementation D20. A method according to any one of Example Implementations D16 to D18, comprising: obtaining first time information associated with when previously received RTT measurement information was received from the UE; obtaining second time information associated with when the request was received from the second network node; determining that the difference between the first time information and the second time information is greater than (and / or equal to) a maximum time threshold; and sending a request for the RTT measurement information from the UE based on the difference between the first time information and the second time information being greater than (and / or equal to) the maximum time threshold; and receiving the RTT measurement information from the UE based on the request, wherein the RTT information sent to the second network node includes the RTT measurement information received from the UE in response to the request for the RTT measurement information sent to the UE.

[0259] Example Implementation D21. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D19 to D20 includes: receiving the maximum time threshold from a second network node operating as the location server.

[0260] Example Implementation D22. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D16 to D21, wherein the request indicates a granularity factor, and wherein the RTT measurement information is based on the granularity factor.

[0261] Example Implementation D23. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D16 to D22, wherein the request indicates a time period, and wherein the RTT measurement information includes at least one RTT measurement value associated with the time period.

[0262] Example Implementation D24. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D16 to D23, wherein the request indicates at least one of a start time, a stop time, and / or a duration, and wherein the RTT measurement information includes at least one RTT measurement value associated with a time period determined based on the at least one of the start time, the stop time, and / or the duration.

[0263] Example Implementation D25. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D23, wherein the first network node is configured to periodically report the RTT measurement information to the second network node based on time intervals.

[0264] Example Implementation D26. The method according to Example Implementation D25 includes: receiving the time interval from the second network node.

[0265] Example Implementation D27. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D25 to D26, wherein the first network node is configured to report the RTT measurement information at a first time (t1) determined based on the time interval, and wherein the method further includes: receiving a time difference (Δ) from the second network node, and wherein the RTT measurement information is reported to the second network node at a time between (t1–Δ, t1 + Δ).

[0266] Example Implementation D28. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D27 includes: sending at least one signal to the UE.

[0267] Example Implementation D29. The method according to Example Implementation D28, wherein the at least one signal is sent to the UE based on and / or in response to receiving a request for RTT measurement information from the second network node operating as the positioning server.

[0268] Example Implementation D30. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D28 to D29, wherein sending the at least one signal to the UE includes at least one of: sending a request for the RTT measurement information to the UE; sending an indication to the UE of at least one resource for the UE to send the RTT measurement information to the first network node; configuring the UE to send the RTT measurement information to the first network node; and / or sending a measurement configuration to the UE, the measurement configuration configuring the UE to send the RTT measurement information to the first network node.

[0269] Example Implementation D31. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D28 to D30, wherein the signal includes a Radio Resource Control (RRC) signal.

[0270] Example Implementation D32. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D28 to D31, wherein the signal includes at least one reference signal and / or an indication of at least one reference signal type to be measured by the UE to obtain the RTT measurement information.

[0271] Example Implementation D33. The method according to Example Implementation D32, wherein the indication of the at least one reference signal and / or the type of the at least one reference signal includes an indication of a positioning reference signal PRS and / or a tracking reference signal TRS and / or a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0272] Example Implementation D34. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D33, wherein the RTT measurement information is associated with the serving cell in which the UE is served.

[0273] Example Implementation D35. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D33, wherein the RTT measurement information is associated with the primary cell in which the UE is served.

[0274] Example Implementation D36. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D33, wherein the RTT measurement information is associated with a cell that is not associated with the serving cell of the UE.

[0275] Example Implementation D37. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D36, wherein the RTT measurement information is sent together with at least one E-CID measurement value.

[0276] Example Implementation D38. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D37, wherein sending the RTT measurement information to the second network node operating as the positioning server includes: sending the RTT measurement information in an NRPPA E-CIDMEASUREMENT INITIATION RESPONSE message.

[0277] Example Implementation D39. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D38 includes at least one of the following: sending additional RTT measurement information associated with the first network node to the UE; and configuring the UE to perform propagation delay compensation (PDC) for at least one cell based on at least one of the RTT measurement information associated with the UE and / or the additional RTT measurement information associated with the first network node.

[0278] Example Implementation D40. The method according to Example Implementation D39, wherein the additional RTT measurement information associated with the first network node includes at least one value associated with at least one gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed, measured, determined and / or calculated by the first network node.

[0279] Example Implementation D41. The method according to any one of Example Implementations D1 to D40 further includes: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or user equipment.

[0280] Example Implementation D42. A network node including processing circuitry configured to perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations D1 to D41.

[0281] Example Implementation D43. A network node configured and / or adapted to perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations D1 to D41.

[0282] Example Implementation D44. A computer program including instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations D1 to D41.

[0283] Example Implementation D45. A computer program product including a computer program, the computer program including instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations D1 to D41.

[0284] Example Implementation D46. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations D1 to D41.

[0285] Example Implementation of Group E

[0286] Example Implementation E1. A method performed by a second network node operating as a location server, the method comprising: receiving round-trip time (TT) measurement information associated with a user equipment (UE) from a first network node.

[0287] Example Implementation E2. The method according to Example Implementation E1, wherein the first network node includes gNodeB, i.e., gNB.

[0288] Example Implementation E3. The method according to Example Implementation E2, wherein the gNB includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit, and wherein the RTT measurement information is received via the CU.

[0289] Example Implementation E4. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E3, wherein the second network node operating as the location server includes a location management function (LMF).

[0290] Example Implementation E5. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E4, wherein the second network node operating as the positioning server includes and / or is associated with the core network.

[0291] Example Implementation E6. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E5 includes: determining the location of the UE based on the RTT measurement information.

[0292] Example Implementation E7. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E6, wherein the RTT measurement information is based on the at least one reference signal sent by the first network node to the UE.

[0293] Example Implementation E8. The method according to Example Implementation E7, wherein the at least one reference signal includes at least one positioning reference signal PRS and / or at least one tracking reference signal TRS and / or at least one channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0294] Example Implementation E9. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E8, wherein the RTT measurement information associated with the UE includes at least one RTT measurement value.

[0295] Example Implementation E10. The method according to Example Implementation E9, wherein the at least one RTT measurement value includes at least one of the following: at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed, measured, determined and / or calculated by the UE; and / or a single RTT measurement value associated with a single RTT measurement performed, measured, determined and / or calculated by the UE.

[0296] Example Implementation E11. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E9 to E10, wherein the at least one RTT measurement is associated with at least one measurement performed by the UE on at least one reference signal.

[0297] Example Implementation E12. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E11 includes: sending a request for the RTT measurement information to the first network node.

[0298] Example Implementation E13. The method according to Example Implementation E12, wherein the request for the RTT measurement information is sent via an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST message.

[0299] Example Implementation E14. The method according to Example Implementation E13, wherein the request includes information elements in the NRPPAE-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST message.

[0300] Example Implementation E15. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E12 to D18, wherein the difference between the time when the RTT measurement information is received by the first network node from the UE and the time when the request is received by the first network node from the second network node is less than the maximum time threshold from the RTT measurement information to the second network node operating as the positioning server.

[0301] Example Implementation E16. The method according to Example Implementation E15 includes: sending the maximum time threshold to the first network node.

[0302] Example Implementation E17. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E12 to E16, wherein the request indicates a granularity factor, and wherein the RTT measurement information is based on the granularity factor.

[0303] Example Implementation E18. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E12 to E17, wherein the request includes a time period, and wherein the RTT measurement information includes at least one RTT measurement value associated with the time period.

[0304] Example Implementation E19. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E12 to E18, wherein the request indicates at least one of a start time, a stop time, and / or a duration, and wherein the RTT measurement information includes at least one RTT measurement value associated with a time period based on at least one of the start time, the stop time, and / or the duration.

[0305] Example Implementation E20. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E9 includes: configuring the first network node to periodically report the RTT measurement information based on time intervals.

[0306] Example Implementation E21. The method according to Example Implementation E21 includes: sending the time interval to the first network node.

[0307] Example Implementation E22. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E20 to E21, wherein the first network node is configured to report the RTT measurement information at a first time (t1) determined based on the time interval, and wherein the method further comprises: sending a time difference (Δ) to the first network node, and wherein the RTT measurement information is received by the second network node at a time between (t1–Δ, t1 + Δ).

[0308] Example Implementation E23. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E22, wherein the RTT measurement information is associated with the serving cell in which the UE is served.

[0309] Example Implementation E24. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E22, wherein the RTT measurement information is associated with the primary cell in which the UE is served.

[0310] Example Implementation E25. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E22, wherein the RTT measurement information is associated with a cell that is not associated with the serving cell of the UE.

[0311] Example Implementation E26. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E25, wherein the RTT measurement information is received together with at least one E-CID measurement value.

[0312] Example Implementation E27. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E26, wherein receiving the RTT measurement information from the first network node includes: receiving the RTT measurement information in an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATIONRESPONSE message.

[0313] Example Implementation E28. The method according to any one of Example Implementations E1 to E27 further includes: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or user equipment.

[0314] Example Implementation E29. A network node including processing circuitry configured to perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations E1 to E28.

[0315] Example Implementation E30. A network node configured and / or adapted to perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations E1 to E28.

[0316] Example Implementation E31. A computer program including instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations E1 to E28.

[0317] Example Implementation E32. A computer program product including a computer program, the computer program including instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the method described in any one of Example Implementations E1 to E28.

[0318] Example 33. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method described in any of Example 33 through Example 28.

[0319] Example Implementation of Group F

[0320] Example Implementation F1. A user equipment comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps described in any of the example embodiments of Group A and Group C; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0321] Example Implementation F2. A network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps described in any of the example embodiments of groups B, D, and E; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0322] Example Implementation F3. A user equipment (UE) includes: an antenna configured to transmit and receive radio signals; a radio front-end circuit connected to the antenna and processing circuitry and configured to modulate signals transmitted between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps described in any of the example embodiments of Groups A and C; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow information to be input into the UE for processing by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to power the UE.

Claims

1. A method (900) for a first network node (115) to utilize and / or report measurement information for positioning, the method comprising: Receive (902) a request for measurement information from the user equipment (UE) (105) from the second network node (110) operating as a positioning server; Receive (904) from the UE at least one value associated with at least one UE receive-transmit UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement; as well as The measurement information (906) is sent to the second network node, which operates as a positioning server, and the measurement information includes: The at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE, and An indication of at least one reference signal and / or at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The request indicates that the second network node prefers the measurement information to be based on at least one of the Position Reference Signal (PRS), Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), and Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The request indicates at least one of the following: Granularity factor used to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement The start time used to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement. The stop time used to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement, and The duration for performing the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

4. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 3, comprising: Send a UE measurement configuration to the UE, the UE measurement configuration including at least one of the following: The second network node prefers the measurement information based on an indication of at least one of the PRS, TRS, and CSI-RS. The granularity factor used to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement The start time used to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement The stop time used to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement, and The duration used to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The indication of the at least one reference signal and / or the at least one reference signal type includes an indication of the PRS and / or TRS and / or CSI-RS used by the UE to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The measurement information is associated with the propagation delay compensation (PDC) report.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: At least one reference signal is sent to the UE, wherein the at least one value received from the UE and associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement is based on the at least one reference signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The at least one reference signal includes: At least one positioning reference signal (PRS); At least one tracking reference signal (TRS); and / or At least one Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The request for the measurement information is received via an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST message.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The request is included in the information element of the NRPPA E-CIDMEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST message.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, Sending the measurement information to the second network node operating as the location server includes sending the at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement in an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATIONRESPONSE message.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The measurement information includes an indication of the cell's Physical Cell Identifier (PCI).

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising at least one of the following: Send to the UE at least one value associated with at least one gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the first network node; and The UE is configured to perform propagation delay compensation (PDC) for at least one cell based on at least one value associated with the at least one gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement and at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

14. A method (1000) performed by a second network node (110) operating as a location server, the method comprising: Send (1002) a request for measurement information from the user equipment (UE) (105) to the first network node (115); as well as The measurement information (1004) is received from the first network node, the measurement information including: At least one value associated with at least one user equipment receive-transmit UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE, and An indication of at least one reference signal and / or at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The request indicates that the second network node prefers the measurement information to be based on at least one of the Position Reference Signal (PRS), Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), and Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The request indicates at least one of the following: Granularity factor used to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement The start time used to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement. The stop time used to perform the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement, and The duration for performing the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein, The indication of the at least one reference signal and / or the at least one reference signal type includes indications of PRS, and / or TRS, and / or CSI-RS.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, comprising: Based on the measurement information, the location of the UE is determined.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein, The measurement information is associated with the propagation delay compensation (PDC) report.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein, The at least one value associated with at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement is based on at least one reference signal sent from the first network node to the UE.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The at least one reference signal includes at least one PRS, and / or at least one TRS, and / or at least one CSI-RS.

22. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein, The request for the measurement information is sent via an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST message.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein, The request is included in the information element of the NRPPA E-CIDMEASUREMENT INITIATION REQUEST message.

24. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 23, wherein, Receiving the measurement information from the first network node includes receiving the at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement in an NRPPA E-CID MEASUREMENT INITIATION RESPONSE message.

25. A method (1100) performed by a user equipment (UE) (105) for utilizing and / or reporting measurement information for positioning, the method comprising: Receive (1102) a request for measurement information from the first network node (115); Receive at least one reference signal (1104) from the first network node; Based on the at least one reference signal, perform at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement (1106) to obtain at least one value; as well as (1108) Measurement information is sent to the first network node, the measurement information including the at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, The indication of the at least one reference signal and / or the at least one reference signal type includes an indication of a positioning reference signal (PRS) and / or a tracking reference signal (TRS) and / or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

27. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 26, wherein, The request indicates that the second network node prefers the measurement information to be based on at least one of PRS, TRS, and CSI-RS.

28. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein, The at least one reference signal includes at least one PRS, and / or at least one TRS, and / or at least one CSI-RS.

29. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein, The request indicates at least one of the following: Start time, Stop time, and / or Duration, and The at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement is associated with a time period determined based on at least one of the start time, the stop time, and / or the duration.

30. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 29, comprising: Receive at least one value associated with at least one gNB Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the first network node; as well as Propagation delay compensation (PDC) is performed for at least one cell based on at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement and at least one of the at least one gNBRx-Tx time difference measurement.

31. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 30, comprising: Send first time information to the first network node indicating when the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement was performed by the UE.

32. A first network node (115) for utilizing and / or reporting measurement information for location purposes, the first network node being configured to: Receive (902) a request for measurement information from the user equipment (UE) (105) from the second network node (110) operating as a positioning server; Receive (904) from the UE at least one value associated with at least one UE receive-transmit UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement; and The measurement information (906) is sent to the second network node, which operates as a positioning server, and the measurement information includes: The at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE, and An indication of at least one reference signal and / or at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE.

33. The network node of claim 32, configured to perform the method of any one of claims 2 to 13.

34. A second network node (110) operating as a location server, the second network node being configured to: Send (1002) a request for measurement information from the user equipment (UE) (105) to the first network node (115); and The measurement information (1004) is received from the first network node, the measurement information including: At least one value associated with at least one user equipment receive-transmit UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE, and An indication of at least one reference signal and / or at least one reference signal type associated with the UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement performed by the UE.

35. The second network node of claim 34, configured to perform the method of any one of claims 15 to 24.

36. A user equipment (UE) (105) for utilizing and / or reporting measurement information for positioning, the UE being configured to: Receive (1102) a request for measurement information from the first network node (115); Receive at least one reference signal (1104) from the first network node; Based on the at least one reference signal, perform at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement (1106) to obtain at least one value; and (1108) Measurement information is sent to the first network node, the measurement information including the at least one value associated with the at least one UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement.

37. The UE of claim 36, configured to perform the method of any one of claims 25 to 31.

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