Reporting ue ul tx timing quality for ul or dl-ul based position methods for nr positioning

Abstract

The techniques described herein enable mobile devices to convey timing quality metrics related to uplink (UL) signals used in UL and / or DL-UL positioning technologies. Timing quality metrics can indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of one or more reference signals (e.g., those related to downlink (DL) signals or other UL reference signals) and can be conveyed using index values ​​and / or enumeration values. This information can be included as an information element (IE) in reports provided by the mobile device to receiving network entities or location servers.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates generally to the field of wireless communication, and more specifically to the use of radio frequency (RF) signals to determine the location of a mobile device. [Previous Technology]

[0002] In data communication networks, various positioning technologies can be used to determine the location of a mobile device (referred to herein as User Equipment (UE)). These technologies include uplink (UL) technology and downlink-uplink (DL-UL) technology, in which the mobile device transmits one or more UL reference signals, which are received by a network entity (e.g., a base station of the data communication network). To ensure the accuracy of the location determination of the mobile device based on these one or more reference signals, timing factors that can affect the transmission of these one or more reference signals, such as clock drift or timing advance (TA) adjustments at the mobile device, can be considered. [Summary of the Invention]

[0003] The embodiments described herein enable a mobile device to convey a timing quality metric relating to an uplink signal used in UL positioning technology and / or DL-UL positioning technology. The timing quality metric may indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of one or more reference signals (e.g., those relating to a downlink (DL) signal or other UL reference signal) and may be conveyed using index values ​​and / or enumeration values. This information may be included as an information element (IE) in a message provided by the mobile device to a receiving network entity or location server.

[0004] According to this disclosure, an example method for conveying a timing quality metric for a radio reference signal transmitted by a user equipment (UE) and used to locate the UE in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving at the UE a configuration for transmitting the radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The method also comprises: in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, determining the timing quality metric based on the time interval using the UE, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The method further comprises: sending a message from the UE to a network entity, the message including the timing quality metric; and transmitting the radio reference signal using the UE.

[0005] An example UE according to this disclosure includes a wireless communication interface, memory, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless communication interface and memory. The one or more processors are configured to: receive via the wireless communication interface a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The one or more processors are also configured to: determine a timing quality metric based on the time interval in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The one or more processors are also configured to: send a message via the wireless communication interface to a network entity, the message including the timing quality metric; and transmit the radio reference signal via the wireless communication interface.

[0006] An example apparatus according to this disclosure includes: means for receiving at the apparatus a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The apparatus also includes: means for determining a timing quality metric based on the time interval in response to receiving the configuration at the apparatus, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The apparatus also includes: means for sending a message from the apparatus to a network entity, the message including the timing quality metric; and means for transmitting the radio reference signal using the apparatus.

[0007] According to an example non-transitory computer-readable medium of this disclosure, instructions for conveying a timing quality metric for a radio reference signal transmitted by a UE and used to locate the UE in a wireless communication network are stored. The instructions include code for receiving at the UE a configuration for transmitting the radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between the timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The instructions also include code for determining the timing quality metric based on the time interval using the UE in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The instructions also include code for: sending a message from the UE to a network entity, the message including the timing quality metric; and transmitting the radio reference signal using the UE.

[0008] This invention is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed technical subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed technical subject matter. The technical subject matter should be understood by referring to appropriate portions of the entire specification, any or all drawings, and each claim. The foregoing, as well as other features and examples, will be described in more detail in the following specification, claims, and accompanying drawings.

Implementation Method

[0016] For the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of this disclosure, the following description is directed to certain embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of different ways. The described embodiments can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to any communication standard, such as any of the following: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 802.11 standard (including those recognized as Wi-Fi® technology), Bluetooth® standard, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), GSM / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Relay Radio (TETRA), Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA), Evolved Data Optimized (EV-DO), 1xEV-DO, EV-DO Rev A, EV-DO Rev B. High-speed packet data (HRPD), high-speed packet access (HSPA), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), evolved high-speed packet access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMPS), or any other device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving signals for communication within a wireless, cellular, or Internet of Things (IoT) network, such as a system utilizing technologies of 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or further embodiments thereof.

[0017] As used herein, an "RF signal" includes electromagnetic waves that transmit information through space between a transmitter (or transmitting device) and a receiver (or receiving device). As used herein, a transmitter may transmit a single "RF signal" or multiple "RF signals" to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals through multipath channels, a receiver may receive multiple "RF signals" corresponding to each transmitted RF signal. The same transmitted RF signal on different paths between the transmitter and receiver may be referred to as a "multipath" RF signal.

[0018] FIG1 is a simplified illustration of a positioning system 100 according to an embodiment, in which a UE 105, a location server 160, and / or other components of the positioning system 100 may use the techniques provided herein to communicate timing quality metrics when determining the estimated location of the UE 105. The techniques described herein may be implemented by one or more components of the positioning system 100. The positioning system 100 may include: a UE 105; one or more satellites 110 (also referred to as space vehicles (SVs)) for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), such as Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, or BeiDou; a base station 120; an access point (AP) 130; a location server 160; a network 170; and an external client 180. Generally, the positioning system 100 can estimate the position of the UE 105 based on the known positions of RF signals received and / or transmitted by the UE 105 and other components that transmit and / or receive RF signals (e.g., GNSS satellite 110, base station 120, AP 130). Additional details regarding specific position estimation techniques will be discussed in more detail with reference to Figure 2.

[0019] It should be noted that Figure 1 provides only a generalized illustration of the various components, and any or all of the components may be used where appropriate, and each component may be repeated if necessary. Specifically, although only one UE 105 is shown, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may utilize the positioning system 100. Similarly, the positioning system 100 may include more or fewer base stations 120 and / or APs 130 than shown in Figure 1. The connections shown connecting the various components in the positioning system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, depending on the desired functionality, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted. In some embodiments, for example, an external client 180 may connect directly to the location server 160. Those skilled in the art will recognize many modifications to the illustrated components.

[0020] Depending on the desired functionality, network 170 may include any of a variety of wireless and / or wired networks. Network 170 may include, for example, any combination of public and / or private networks, local area networks, and / or wide area networks. Furthermore, network 170 may utilize one or more wired and / or wireless communication technologies. In some embodiments, network 170 may include, for example, cellular or other mobile networks, wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless wide area networks (WWANs), and / or the Internet. Examples of network 170 include Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless networks, fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks (also known as New Radio (NR) wireless networks or 5G NR wireless networks), Wi-Fi WLANs, and the Internet. LTE, 5G, and NR are wireless technologies defined or being defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Network 170 may also include more than one network and / or more than one type of network.

[0021] Base station 120 and access point (AP) 130 may be communicatively coupled to network 170. In some embodiments, base station 120 may be owned, maintained, and / or operated by a cellular network provider and may employ any of a variety of wireless technologies, as described below. Depending on the technology of network 170, base station 120 may include a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), a Radio Base Station (RBS), an NR NodeB (gNB), a Next Generation eNB (ng-eNB), etc. Base station 120, as a gNB or ng-eNB, may be part of a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN), which may connect to a 5G core network (5GC) if network 170 is a 5G network. AP 130 may include, for example, a Wi-Fi AP or a Bluetooth® AP or an AP with cellular capabilities (e.g., 4G LTE and / or 5G NR). Therefore, UE 105 can send and receive information with devices connected to the network (such as location server 160) via base station 120 by using the first communication link 133 to access network 170. Alternatively, because AP 130 can also be communicatively coupled to network 170, UE 105 can use the second communication link 135 or via one or more other UEs 145 to communicate with devices connected to the network, including location server 160, and devices connected to the Internet.

[0022] As used herein, the term "base station" may generally refer to a single physical transmission point or multiple co-located physical transmission points that may be located at base station 120. A transmit / receive point (TRP) (also referred to as a transmit / receive point) corresponds to this type of transmission point, and the term "TRP" may be used interchangeably herein with the terms "gNB," "ng-eNB," and "base station." In some cases, base station 120 may include multiple TRPs—for example, each TRP is associated with a different antenna or different antenna array of base station 120. A physical transmission point may include the antenna array of base station 120 (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system and / or where the base station employs beamforming). The term "base station" may also refer to multiple non-co-located physical transmission points, which may be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected via a transmission medium to a common source) or a remote radio headend (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station).

[0023] As used herein, the term "cell" can generally refer to a logical communication entity used to communicate with base station 120 and can be associated with an identifier (e.g., Entity Cell Identifier (PCID), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCID)) used to distinguish adjacent cells operating via the same or different carriers. In some examples, a carrier can support multiple cells and can be configured with different protocol types that can provide access to different types of devices (e.g., Machine Type Communication (MTC), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), or other protocol types). In some cases, the term "cell" can refer to a portion of the geographic coverage area on which the logical entity operates (e.g., a sector).

[0024] The location server 160 may include servers and / or other computing devices configured to determine the estimated location of the UE 105 and / or provide data (e.g., “auxiliary data”) to the UE 105 to facilitate location measurement and / or location determination by the UE 105. According to some embodiments, the location server 160 may include a Home Secure Subscriber Plane Positioning (SUPL) location platform (H-SLP) that supports SUPL Subscriber Plane (UP) positioning solutions defined by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and supports location services for the UE 105 based on subscription information of the UE 105 stored in the location server 160. In some embodiments, the location server 160 may include a Discovery SLP (D-SLP) or an Emergency SLP (E-SLP). The location server 160 may also include an Enhanced Service Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) that supports the location of the UE 105 using a Control Plane (CP) positioning solution for LTE Radio Access for the UE 105. The location server 160 may further include a location management function (LMF) that supports the positioning of the UE 105 using a control plane (CP) positioning solution for NR or LTE radio access for the UE 105.

[0025] In the CP positioning solution, existing network interfaces and protocols can be used, and from the perspective of network 170, signaling can be exchanged between components of network 170 and with UE 105 for controlling and managing the positioning of UE 105. In the UP positioning solution, from the perspective of network 170, signaling for controlling and managing the positioning of UE 105 can be exchanged between location server 160 and UE 105 as data (e.g., data transmitted using Internet Protocol (IP) and / or Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)).

[0026] As previously described (and discussed in more detail below), the estimated position of UE 105 may be based on measurements of RF signals transmitted from and / or received by UE 105. Specifically, these measurements may provide information about the relative distance and / or angle of UE 105 relative to one or more components in positioning system 100 (e.g., GNSS satellite 110, AP 130, base station 120). The estimated position of UE 105 may be estimated geometrically (e.g., using multi-angle and / or multi-point measurements) based on distance and / or angle measurements and the known positions of one or more components.

[0027] Although ground components such as AP 130 and base station 120 may be fixed, embodiments are not limited thereto. Mobile components may be used. For example, in some embodiments, the location of UE 105 may be estimated at least in part based on measurements of RF signals 140 transmitted between UE 105 and one or more other UEs 145 (which may be mobile or fixed). When one or more other UEs 145 are used in determining the location of a particular UE 105, the UE 105 whose location is to be determined may be referred to as the “target UE,” and each of the one or more other UEs 145 used may be referred to as an “anchor UE.” For the location determination of the target UE, the location of each of the one or more anchor UEs may be known and / or may be jointly determined with the target UE. Direct communication between one or more other UEs 145 and UE 105 may include sidelinks and / or similar device-to-device (D2D) communication technologies. Sidelinks as defined by 3GPP are forms of D2D communication based on cellular-based LTE and NR standards.

[0028] The estimated location of UE 105 can be used for various applications—for example, to assist the user of UE 105 in finding or navigating, or to assist another user (e.g., associated with external client 180) in locating UE 105. “Location” is also referred to herein as “location estimate,” “estimated location,” “location,” “position,” “location estimate,” “location fix,” “estimated location,” “location fix,” or “fix.” The process of determining location may be referred to as “location,” “location determination,” “location determination,” etc. The location of UE 105 may include the absolute location of UE 105 (e.g., latitude and longitude, and possibly altitude) or the relative location of UE 105 (e.g., distances expressed as north or south, east or west, and a location that may be above or below another known fixed location (including, for example, the location of base station 120 or AP 130), or some other location, such as the location of UE 105 at a known previous time, or the location of another UE 145 at a known previous time). Location can be specified as a geodetic location including coordinates, which can be absolute coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and optional altitude), relative coordinates (e.g., relative to a known absolute location), or local coordinates (e.g., X, Y, and optional Z coordinates according to a coordinate system defined relative to a local area such as a factory, warehouse, university campus, shopping mall, stadium, or conference center). Location can alternatively be a city location and thus may include street addresses (e.g., including the name or label of country, state, county, city, road, and / or street, and / or road or street number) and / or locations, buildings, parts of buildings, floors of buildings, and / or labels or names of rooms within buildings. Location may further include indications of uncertainty or error, such as the level of expected location error and possible vertical distance, or an indication of the area or volume (e.g., circular or elliptical) in which UE 105 is expected to be located at a certain confidence level (e.g., 95% confidence).

[0029] External client 180 may be a web server or remote application that has some association with UE 105 (e.g., is accessible by a user of UE 105), or it may be a server, application, or computer system that provides location services to one or more other users, which may include obtaining and providing the location of UE 105 (e.g., to enable services such as friend or related finder, asset tracking, or location of children or pets). Alternatively or alternatively, external client 180 may obtain the location of UE 105 and provide it to emergency service providers, government agencies, etc.

[0030] As previously described, the example positioning system 100 can be implemented using a wireless communication network, such as an LTE-based or 5G NR-based network. Figure 2 illustrates a 5G NR positioning system 200, showing an embodiment of a 5G NR positioning system (e.g., positioning system 100). The 5G NR positioning system 200 can be configured to determine the location of the UE 105 by using access nodes, which may include NR NodeBs (gNBs) 210-1 and 210-2 (collectively referred to herein as gNB 210), ng-eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216 to implement one or more positioning methods. gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214 may correspond to base station 120 of Figure 1, and WLAN 216 may correspond to one or more access points 130 of Figure 1. Optionally, the 5G NR positioning system 200 can also be configured to determine the location of the UE 105 by using one or more positioning methods through the LMF 220 (which may correspond to the location server 160). Here, the 5G NR positioning system 200 includes the UE 105 and components of a 5G NR network, which includes a next-generation (NG) radio access network (RAN) (NG-RAN) 235 and a 5G core network (5G CN) 240. The 5G network may also be referred to as an NR network; the NG-RAN 235 may be referred to as a 5G RAN or NR RAN; and the 5G CN 240 may be referred to as an NG core network. The 5G NR positioning system 200 may further utilize information from GNSS satellites 110 from GNSS systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) or similar systems such as GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). Additional components of the 5G NR positioning system 200 are described below. The 5G NR positioning system 200 may include additional or replaceable components.

[0031] It should be noted that Figure 2 provides only a generalized illustration of the various components. Any or all of the components may be used where appropriate, and each component may be repeated or omitted as necessary. Specifically, although only one UE 105 is shown, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may utilize the 5G NR positioning system 200. Similarly, the 5G NR positioning system 200 may include more (or fewer) numbers of GNSS satellites 110, gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, wireless local area network (WLAN) 216, access and mobility management function (AMF) 215, external client 230, and / or other components. The connections shown connecting the various components in the 5G NR positioning system 200 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, depending on the desired functionality, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted.

[0032] UE 105 may include and / or be referred to as a device, mobile device, wireless device, mobile terminal, terminal, mobile station (MS), Secure User Plane Positioning Enabled (SUPL) terminal (SET), or some other name. Furthermore, UE 105 may correspond to a cellular phone, smartphone, laptop computer, tablet computer, personal data assistant (PDA), tracking device, navigation device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, or some other portable or mobile device. Typically, although not required, UE 105 may support wireless communications using one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs), such as GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, LTE, High-Speed ​​Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth, WiMAX®, 5G NR (e.g., using NG-RAN 235 and 5G CN 240), etc. UE 105 may also support wireless communication using WLAN 216, which (similar to one or more RATs and as previously mentioned with respect to Figure 1) can connect to other networks such as the Internet. Using one or more of these RATs can allow UE 105 to communicate with external client 230 (e.g., via elements of 5G CN 240 not shown in Figure 2, or possibly via Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 225), and / or allow external client 230 to receive location information about UE 105 (e.g., via GMLC 225). External client 230 of Figure 2 may correspond to external client 180 of Figure 1, as implemented in or communicatively coupled to a 5G NR network.

[0033] UE 105 may include a single entity or may include multiple entities, such as in a personal area network (PAN) where a user can employ audio, video, and / or data I / O devices and / or body sensors, as well as a separate wired or wireless modem. The estimation of the location of UE 105 may be referred to as location, location estimate, location fixation, fixation, position, location estimate, or location fixation, and may be geodetic, providing the location coordinates of UE 105 (e.g., latitude and longitude), which may or may not include an altitude component (e.g., altitude above sea level, ground elevation, floor elevation, or basement elevation, or depth below ground elevation, floor elevation, or basement elevation). Alternatively, the location of UE 105 may be represented as a city location (e.g., a postal address or a designation of a point or small area within a building, such as a specific room or floor). The location of UE 105 can also be represented as an area or volume in which UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.) (defined in a geodetic or urban manner). The location of UE 105 can further be a relative location, including, for example, distance and direction defined relative to an origin at a known location, or relative to X, Y (and Z) coordinates, which can be defined geodeticly, in urban terms, or by a point, area, or volume indicated on a reference map, floor plan, or building plan. In the description contained herein, the use of the term "location" can include any of these variations unless otherwise stated. When calculating the location of the UE, local X, Y, and possibly Z coordinates are typically solved, and then, if necessary, the local coordinates are converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., for latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0034] The base station in NG-RAN 235 shown in Figure 2 may correspond to base station 120 in Figure 1 and may include gNB 210. Multiple pairs of gNB 210 in NG-RAN 235 may be connected to each other (e.g., directly connected as shown in Figure 2 or indirectly connected via other gNB 210). The communication interface between base stations (gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) may be referred to as Xn interface 237. Access to the 5G network is provided to UE 105 via wireless communication between UE 105 and one or more gNBs 210, wherein gNB 210 may provide wireless communication access to 5G CN 240 on behalf of UE 105 using 5G NR. The radio interface between the base station (gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) and UE 105 can be referred to as Uu interface 239. 5G NR radio access can also be referred to as NR radio access or 5G radio access. In Figure 2, it is assumed that the serving gNB for UE 105 is gNB 210-1, but other gNBs (e.g., gNB 210-2) can act as serving gNBs if UE 105 moves to another location, or other gNBs (e.g., gNB 210-2) can act as auxiliary gNBs to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 105.

[0035] The base stations in NG-RAN 235 shown in Figure 2 may also include, or alternatively include, Next Generation Evolved Node B, also referred to as ng-eNB 214. ng-eNB 214 may connect to one or more gNBs 210 in NG-RAN 235—for example, directly or indirectly via other gNBs 210 and / or other ng-eNBs. ng-eNB 214 may provide LTE radio access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) radio access to UE 105. Some gNBs 210 in Figure 2 (e.g., gNBs 210-210) and / or ng-eNB 214 may be configured to function as location-only beacons, which may transmit signals (e.g., Positioning Reference Signal (PRS)) and / or broadcast auxiliary data to assist the positioning of UE 105, but may not receive signals from UE 105 or from other UEs. Some gNBs 210 (e.g., gNB 210-2 and / or another gNB not shown) and / or ng-eNBs 214 can be configured as detection-only nodes that can scan for signals containing, for example, PRS data, ancillary data, or other location data. Such detection-only nodes may not transmit signals or data to the UE, but may transmit signals or data (e.g., involving PRS, ancillary data, or other location data) to other network entities (e.g., one or more components of the 5G CN 240, external client 230, or controller), which can receive, store, or use the data for location of at least the UE 105. Note that although only one ng-eNB 214 is shown in Figure 2, some embodiments may include multiple ng-eNBs 214. Base stations (e.g., gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNBs 214) can communicate directly with each other via the Xn communication interface. Alternatively, the base station may communicate directly or indirectly with other components of the 5G NR positioning system 200, such as LMF 220 and AMF 215.

[0036] The 5G NR positioning system 200 may also include one or more WLANs 216, which may connect to a non-3GPP interoperability function (N3IWF) 250 in the 5G CN 240 (e.g., in the case of an untrusted WLAN 216). For example, the WLAN 216 may support IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi access for the UE 105 and may include one or more Wi-Fi APs (e.g., AP 130 of Figure 1). Here, the N3IWF 250 may connect to other components in the 5G CN 240, such as the AMF 215. In some embodiments, the WLAN 216 may support another RAT such as Bluetooth. The N3IWF 250 may provide support for secure access by the UE 105 to other components in the 5G CN 240, and / or may support interoperability between the WLAN 216 and one or more protocols used by the UE 105 and one or more protocols used by other components of the 5G CN 240 (such as the AMF 215). For example, N3IWF 250 can support IPSec tunnel establishment with UE 105, termination of the IKEv2 / IPSec protocol with UE 105, termination of the N2 and N3 interfaces to 5G CN 240 for the control plane and user plane respectively, and relay of uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) control plane non-access layer (NAS) signaling across the N1 interface between UE 105 and AMF 215. In some other embodiments, WLAN 216 can be directly connected to components in 5G CN 240 (e.g., AMF 215 shown by the dashed line in FIG2) without via N3IWF 250. For example, if WLAN 216 is a trusted WLAN for 5G CN 240 and can be enabled using a Trusted WLAN Interoperability Function (TWIF) (not shown in FIG2), a direct connection from WLAN 216 to 5G CN 240 can be made; this Trusted WLAN Interoperability Function can be a component within WLAN 216. Note that although only one WLAN 216 is shown in Figure 2, some embodiments may include multiple WLANs 216.

[0037] The access node may include any network entity among various network entities that enable communication between UE 105 and AMF 215. This may include gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, WLAN 216, and / or other types of cellular base stations. However, the access node providing the functionality described herein may additionally or alternatively include entities that enable communication with any of the various RATs not shown in FIG. 2, which may include non-cellular technologies. Therefore, the term "access node" as used in the embodiments described below may include, but is not limited to, gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, or WLAN 216.

[0038] In some embodiments, access nodes such as gNB 210, ng-eNB 214 and / or WLAN 216 (alone or in combination with other components of 5G NR positioning system 200) may be configured to: obtain location measurements of uplink (UL) signals received from UE 105 and / or obtain downlink (DL) location measurements from UE 105 in response to a request for location information received from LMF 220, wherein the downlink (DL) location measurements are obtained by UE 105 for DL ​​signals received by UE 105 from one or more access nodes. As described, although Figure 2 shows access nodes (gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and WLAN 216) configured to communicate according to 5G NR, LTE, and Wi-Fi communication protocols respectively, access nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols can be used, such as, for example, a node B using the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) protocol for Universal Mobile Telecommunications Services (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), an eNB using the LTE protocol for Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), or a Bluetooth® beacon using the Bluetooth protocol for WLAN. For example, in a 4G Evolved Packet System (EPS) providing LTE radio access to UE 105, the RAN may include an E-UTRAN, which may include base stations, and the base stations may include eNBs supporting LTE radio access. The core network of the EPS may include an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). EPS can then include E-UTRAN plus EPC, where E-UTRAN corresponds to NG-RAN 235 and EPC corresponds to 5G CN 240 in Figure 2. The methods and techniques described herein for obtaining the city location of UE 105 can be applied to other such networks.

[0039] gNB 210 and ng-eNB 214 can communicate with AMF 215, which in turn communicates with LMF 220 for positioning functions. AMF 215 can support the mobility of UE 105, including cell changes and handovers from the access node of the first RAT (e.g., gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, or WLAN 216) to the access node of the second RAT. AMF 215 can also participate in supporting signaling connections to UE 105 and, possibly, data and voice bearers for UE 105. The LMF 220 can support the positioning of UE 105 using the CP positioning solution when UE 105 accesses NG-RAN 235 or WLAN 216. It supports various positioning procedures and methods, including UE-assisted procedures / methods, UE-based procedures / methods, and / or network-based procedures / methods, such as Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (which can be referred to as Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) in NR), Real-Time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (ECID), Angle of Arrival (AoA), Angle of Departure (AoD), WLAN positioning, Round-Trip Propagation Delay (RTT), Multi-Cell RTT, and / or other positioning procedures and methods. The LMF 220 can also handle location service requests for UE 105 received, for example, from AMF 215 or GMLC 225. The LMF 220 can connect to AMF 215 and / or GMLC 225. In some embodiments, networks such as 5G CN 240 may additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) or SUPL Location Platform (SLP). Note that in some embodiments, at least part of the location function (including determining the location of UE 105) may be performed at UE 105 (e.g., by measuring downlink PRS (DL-PRS) signals transmitted by wireless nodes such as gNB 210, ng-eNB 214 and / or WLAN 216, and / or using auxiliary data provided to UE 105, for example, by LMF 220).

[0040] The Gateway Movement Location Center (GMLC) 225 can support location requests for UE 105 received from external client 230, and can forward such location requests to AMF 215, so that AMF 215 can forward them to LMF 220. The location response from LMF 220 (e.g., containing a location estimate for UE 105) can similarly be returned to GMLC 225 directly or via AMF 215, and GMLC 225 can then return the location response (e.g., containing a location estimate) to external client 230.

[0041] Network Exposure Function (NEF) 245 may be included in 5G CN 240. NEF 245 may support the secure exposure of capabilities and events of 5G CN 240 and UE 105 to external client 230, which may be referred to as Access Function (AF), and may enable the secure provision of information from external client 230 to 5G CN 240. NEF 245 may connect to AMF 215 and / or GMLC 225 to obtain the location of UE 105 (e.g., city location) and provide that location to external client 230.

[0042] As further shown in Figure 2, the LMF 220 can communicate with the gNB 210 and / or the ng-eNB 214 using the NR Positioning Protocol Appendix (NRPPa) as defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. NRPPa messages can be transmitted between the gNB 210 and the LMF 220 and / or between the ng-eNB 214 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215. As further shown in Figure 2, the LMF 220 and the UE 105 can communicate using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) as defined in 3GPP TS 37.355. Here, LPP messages can be transmitted between the UE 105 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215 and the serving gNB 210-1 or serving ng-eNB 214 for the UE 105. For example, LPP messages can be transmitted between LMF 220 and AMF 215 using service-based operation messages (e.g., based on Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)), and between AMF 215 and UE 105 using the 5G NAS protocol. The LPP protocol can be used to support the location of UE 105 using UE-assisted positioning methods and / or UE-based positioning methods such as A-GNSS, RTK, TDOA, multi-cell RTT, AoD, and / or ECID. The NRPPa protocol can be used to support the location of UE 105 using network-based positioning methods (such as ECID, AoA, uplink TDOA (UL-TDOA)), and / or can be used by LMF 220 to obtain location-related information from gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214, such as parameters for defining DL-PRS transmissions from gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214.

[0043] When UE 105 accesses WLAN 216, LMF 220 can obtain the location of UE 105 using NRPPa and / or LPP in a manner similar to that described just for UE 105 accessing gNB 210 or ng-eNB 214. Therefore, NRPPa messages can be transmitted between WLAN 216 and LMF 220 via AMF 215 and N3IWF 250 to support network-based location of UE 105 and / or the transmission of other location information from WLAN 216 to LMF 220. Alternatively, NRPPa messages can be transmitted between N3IWF 250 and LMF 220 via AMF 215 to support network-based positioning of UE 105 based on location-related information and / or location measurements transmitted from N3IWF 250 to LMF 220 using NRPPa, which is known or accessible to N3IWF 250. Similarly, LPP and / or LPP messages can be transmitted between UE 105 and LMF 220 via AMF 215, N3IWF 250, and the serving WLAN 216 for UE 105 to support UE-assisted or UE-based positioning of UE 105 by LMF 220.

[0044] In the 5G NR positioning system 200, the positioning method can be classified as "UE-assisted" or "UE-based". This can depend on where the request to determine the location of UE 105 originates. For example, if the request is initiated at the UE (e.g., from an application or "app" executed by the UE), the positioning method can be classified as UE-based. On the other hand, if the request originates from an external client or other devices or services within the AF 230, LMF 220, or 5G network, the positioning method can be classified as UE-assisted (or "network-based").

[0045] Using a UE-assisted positioning method, UE 105 can obtain location measurements and send them to a location server (e.g., LMF 220) for calculating a location estimate for UE 105. For RAT-related positioning methods, location measurements may include one or more of the following: Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Round-Trip Time (RTT), Reference Received Power (RSRP), Reference Received Quality (RSRQ), Reference Time Difference (RSTD), Time of Arrival (TOA), AoA, Receive Time-Transmit Time Difference (Rx-Tx), Differential AoA (DAoA), AoD, or Timing Advance (TA) of one or more access points of gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216. Alternatively or additionally, similar measurements may be performed on sidelink signals transmitted by other UEs, which, if their locations are known, can be used as anchor points for the positioning of UE 105. Location measurements may also include, or alternatively include, measurements for RAT-independent positioning methods such as GNSS (e.g., GNSS pseudorange, GNSS code phase, and / or GNSS carrier phase of GNSS satellite 110), WLAN, etc.

[0046] Using a UE-based positioning method, the UE 105 can obtain a location measurement (e.g., which may be the same as or similar to the location measurement of a UE-assisted positioning method), and can further calculate the location of the UE 105 (e.g., by means of auxiliary data received from a location server such as LMF 220, SLP or broadcast by gNB 210, ng-eNB 214 or WLAN 216).

[0047] Using a network-based positioning method, one or more base stations (e.g., gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214), one or more APs (e.g., in WLAN 216) or N3IWF 250 can obtain location measurements (e.g., RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, AoA, or TOA) of signals transmitted by UE 105, and / or in the case of N3IWF 250 can receive measurements obtained by UE 105 or by APs in WLAN 216, and can send the measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 220) for calculating the location estimate of UE 105.

[0048] The positioning of UE 105 can also be classified as UL-based, DL-based, or DL-UL-based depending on the type of signal used for positioning. For example, if positioning is based solely on signals received at UE 105 (e.g., from a base station or other UE), positioning can be classified as DL-based. On the other hand, if positioning is based solely on signals transmitted by UE 105 (e.g., which may be received by a base station or other UE), positioning can be classified as UL-based. DL-UL-based positioning includes positioning based on signals transmitted and received by UE 105, such as RTT-based positioning. Sidelink (SL)-assisted positioning includes signals transmitted between UE 105 and one or more other UEs. According to some embodiments, UL positioning, DL positioning, or DL-UL positioning as described herein can use SL signaling as a supplement to or replacement of SL, DL, or DL-UL signaling.

[0049] The type of reference signal used may vary depending on the type of positioning (e.g., UL-based, DL-based, or DL-UL-based). For DL-based positioning, these signals may include, for example, PRS (e.g., DL-PRS transmitted by the base station or SL-PRS transmitted by other UEs), which can be used for TDOA, AoD, and RTT measurements. Other reference signals that can be used for positioning (UL, DL, or DL-UL) may include probe reference signals (SRS), channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS), synchronization signals (e.g., synchronization signal block (SSB) synchronization signals (SS)), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical side uplink shared channel (PSSCH), demodulation reference signals (DMRS), etc. In addition, reference signals may be transmitted in the Tx beam and / or received in the Rx beam (e.g., using beamforming techniques), which may affect angle measurements such as AoD and / or AoA.

[0050] Figure 3 is an illustration of how RTT-based positioning (or multi-RTT) can be performed, provided here as an example of DL-UL positioning. In short, RTT-based positioning includes a positioning method in which the location of UE 105 is determined based on the known location of a base station (e.g., base station 120) and the determined distance between UE 105 and the base station and / or other devices. RTT measurements between UE 105 and each base station are used to determine the distance between UE 105 and the corresponding base station, and multi-point positioning can be used to determine the location of UE 105. It can be noted that in alternative embodiments, other devices with known locations (e.g., other UEs, other types of TRPs, etc.) can be used in addition to or as a replacement for base station 120 shown in Figure 3.

[0051] In RTT-based positioning, the location server can coordinate RTT measurements between UE 105 and each base station. Information provided to UE 105 can be included in RTT auxiliary data. This may include, for example, reference signal (e.g., PRS) timing and other signal characteristics, base station (cell) ID, and / or other base station-related parameters applicable to multiple RTTs or some other positioning method. Depending on the desired functionality, RTT measurements can be performed (and initiated) by UE 105 or base station 120.

[0052] RTT measurement uses over-the-air (OTA) delay to measure distance. The initiating device (e.g., UE 105 or base station 120) transmits a first reference signal at a first time T1, which propagates to the responding device. At a second time T2, the first reference signal arrives at the responding device. The OTA delay (i.e., the propagation time taken for the first reference signal to travel from the initiating device to the responding device) is the difference between T1 and T2. The responding device then transmits a second reference signal at a third time T3, and the second reference signal is received and measured by the initiating device at a fourth time T4. RSRP measurement can be used to determine the TOA at times T2 and T4. Therefore, the distance d between the initiating device and the responding device can be determined using the following equation: (1) (as will be understood, distance d divided by the RF propagation speed c equals the OTA delay) Thus, a precise determination of the distance between the initiating device and the responding device can be achieved.

[0053] Therefore, the RTT measurements between UE 105 and base station 120 allow for the use of multi-point positioning to determine the location of UE 105. That is, the RTT measurements between UE 105 and the first base station 120-1, the second base station 120-2, and the third base station 120-3 (RTT measurements RTT1, RTT2, and RTT3, respectively) result in the determination of the distance between UE 105 and each base station 120. These distances can be used to trace a circle around the known locations of the base stations 120 (where circle 1 corresponds to base station 120-1, circle 2 corresponds to base station 120-2, and circle 3 corresponds to base station 120-3). The location of UE 105 can be determined as the intersection of the circles.

[0054] As those skilled in the art will understand, the timing of the transmission of reference signals used for RTT and / or other measurements can be important in accurately determining the location of UE 105. For example, timing differences between the initiating and responding devices can lead to inaccurate RTT measurements. This is true not only in DL-UL positioning technologies such as RTT-based positioning, but also in UL positioning technologies. Figures 4A and 4B further illustrate this issue for positioning in 5G NR.

[0055] Figure 4A is a graph illustrating the timing of various UL subframes transmitted by UE 105 and received at base station 120. In 5G NR, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is used to transmit data and signaling between UE 105 and base station 120. In OFDM, communication is divided into frames (not shown) and subframes. The length of each subframe can be 1 ms. The timing difference between the start 410 of the DL subframe transmitted by base station 120 (the first detected time path of the DL subframe) and the start 420 of the UL subframe received by base station 120 can be due to a propagation delay 430, which can be used as a timing reference in the location determination of UE 105.

[0056] The difference between the time when the UE 105 receives the DL subframe and the time when the UE 105 transmits the UL subframe can be measured by the UE 105 and reported to the base station 120. This provides the base station 120 with a timing reference for subsequent UL reference signals transmitted by the mobile device. For example, the 5G NR specification allows the UE 105 to provide a UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the difference between the time when the UE 105 receives the DL subframe #i from the base station 120 and the time when the UE 105 transmits the UL subframe #j that is closest in time to subframe #i. This can be used as a timing reference when determining the propagation delay 430 based on the SRS 440 (or other reference signal) subsequently transmitted by the UE 105 and received by the base station 120. That is, using the UE Rx-Tx time difference reported in reference UL subframe j, the time when base station 120 receives SRS 440 in the subsequent UL subframe j+N, and the time for transmitting SRS 440 within UL subframe j+N (e.g., one or more OFDM symbols), the propagation delay 430 can be determined, and thus the distance between UE 105 and base station 120 can be determined. This determination can be made by base station 120 or a location server (e.g., LMF 220) that receives the UE Rx-Tx time difference from UE 105 and the SRS time measurement from base station 120.

[0057] However, it can be noted that the reliability of the UE Rx-Tx time difference as a time reference may decrease over time. That is, if the UE provides the UE Rx-Tx time difference at UL subframe j and transmits SRS 440 at subframe j+N, the reliability of the UE Rx-Tx time difference may decrease as the integer N increases due to one or more factors discussed below. This concept is illustrated in more detail in Figure 4B.

[0058] Figure 4B is a graph showing the timing of a UL subframe relative to the start 410 of a DL subframe, similar to that in Figure 4A. However, here, due to clock drift at the UE, a delay 450 (in addition to the propagation delay 430) accumulates over time. The delay at subframe j (not shown) can be minimal, so if SRS 440 is transmitted at subframe j (where UE 105 provides the UE Rx-Tx time difference), the delay due to clock drift can be negligible. However, because clock drift accumulates over time, and because SRS 440 is transmitted at subframe j+N, there is a significant delay 450-N that is not considered in the UE Rx-Tx time difference calculated for timing at reference subframe j. Therefore, any distance determination based on the measurement of SRS 440 transmitted in subframe j+N at base station 120 (e.g., distance determination made by base station 120 or the location server) may incorrectly attribute the delay 450-N to the propagation delay 430, which could ultimately lead to errors in the location determination of UE 105.

[0059] It can be noted that other effects may affect the delay 450-N. For example, adjustments to the timing advance (TA) of UE 105 (which may be performed autonomously by UE 105 or as a result of a command from another device) can affect the relative timing of UL and DL subframes. Furthermore, the effects of TA adjustments and / or time drift may not necessarily result in delay. For example, time drift at UE 105 may cause UL subframes to be transmitted earlier rather than later. In any case, these effects will affect the accuracy of the location determination of transmissions based on one or more UL reference signals (e.g., SRS 440).

[0060] According to embodiments herein, UE 105 may determine a timing quality metric that indicates the timing accuracy of the transmission timing of a UL reference signal used in UL-based or DL-UL-based positioning. The timing quality metric can then be provided to a network entity for use in estimating the location of UE 105. For example, the network entity may determine whether to use the UL reference signal (e.g., if the timing quality metric indicates that the UL reference signal meets a minimum threshold timing accuracy), and / or how the accuracy of the transmission timing of the UL reference signal might ultimately affect the accuracy of the location estimation.

[0061] Depending on the desired functionality, the network entity provided with timing quality metrics may include base station 120 or a location server. According to some embodiments, this may depend on the type of positioning used (e.g., UE-based, UE-assisted, UL-based, DL-UL-based, etc.). Furthermore, according to some embodiments, timing quality metrics may be provided in reports communicated by UE 105 as part of a positioning session (e.g., a positioning session with a location server).

[0062] UE 105 may determine a timing quality metric corresponding to the UL reference signal based on known conditions that may affect the timing quality of the reference signal. For example, based on the time difference between the timing reference (e.g., the UE Rx-Tx time difference reported for UL sub-block j in Figure 4B) and the corresponding UL reference signal (e.g., SRS 440 in Figure 4B), UE 105 may determine the maximum / worst-case time drift of the clock used by the UE to transmit the UL reference signal, and based on this calculation, indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the UL reference signal (e.g., indicating the maximum type of drift that the UL reference signal may experience). A given time drift of UE 105 is known to UE 105 and may further be based on current operating conditions (e.g., current temperature). Other conditions (e.g., TA adjustment) may also be considered when determining the accuracy of the transmission timing of the UL reference signal. As an example, if UE 105 determines that it experiences a TA adjustment between the timing reference (e.g., the UE Rx-Tx time difference reported for UL sub-block j in Figure 4B) and the corresponding UL reference signal (e.g., SRS 440 in Figure 4B) (e.g., advancing or delaying the UL timing by 1 nanosecond, or more generally, changing the UL timing as a function of 2^N * Tc, where N is an integer and Tc = 0.5 nanoseconds), then UE 105 can use this information to reduce the quality of the UL timing measurement by an amount reflecting the adjustment.

[0063] According to some embodiments, timing quality metrics can be passed to the receiving network entity in an information element (IE) included in a report or other message. Table 1 below includes a description of example columns for values ​​that can be included in an example NR-TimingQuality IE that can be used in 5G NR applications. NR-TimingQuality field description timingQualityValue This field provides an estimate of the uncertainty of the timing value, for which IE NR-timing quality is provided in meters. timingQualityResolution This field provides the resolution used in the TimingQualityValue field. The enumerated values ​​mdot1, m1, m10, and m30 correspond to 0.1m, 1m, 10m, and 30m, respectively. Table 1: Example 5G NR IE Field Description

[0064] According to Table 1, the NR-TimingQuality IE can indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the UL reference signal in meters or another distance metric, but alternative embodiments can indicate the accuracy in time. Furthermore, the accuracy can be indicated as one of a plurality of enumerated values. Of course, this is provided as a non-limiting example, and alternative embodiments may vary in terms of the transmitted values ​​and how they are transmitted.

[0065] The values ​​enumerated in Table 1 are example values, and newer implementations may reflect higher timing resolution in 5G NR implementations. According to an embodiment, Table 2 below includes values ​​with higher timing resolution. value rice mdot01 0.01 mdot05 0.05 mdot1 0.1 m1 1 m10 10 m30 30 Table 2: Example 5G NR IE Field Description

[0066] Additionally, these higher resolution values ​​can be smaller than the values ​​used to report the DL timing quality of the DL reference signal (e.g., in the DL-UL positioning method). That is, according to the prior art, the UE can measure the DL timing quality of the DL reference signal and report the DL timing quality to the location server or base station using enumerated values ​​(where the minimum value (highest resolution) is 0.1m). However, the UE can also determine the timing quality metric for the UL reference signal (according to embodiments herein) and report the timing quality metric to the location server or base station using the set of higher resolution values ​​indicated in Table 2 (possibly in the same report as the DL timing quality). That is, according to some embodiments, the first set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the timing quality metric for the radio reference signal includes values ​​indicating a smaller error than the second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal.

[0067] As mentioned in the previously described embodiments, the accuracy of the timing quality metric can vary depending on the length of the time interval between the transmission of the timing reference and the UL reference signal. Furthermore, although the timing reference provided by the UE can indicate a timing reference relative to the base station timing (e.g., the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the timing between the UL subframe and the DL subframe), the embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, in embodiments where the UL reference signal is transmitted periodically, the timing quality metric can indicate the timing accuracy of the UL reference signal relative to an earlier UL reference signal. Additionally or alternatively, embodiments can indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the UL reference signal relative to a general clock / time.

[0068] The type of UL reference signal used by the UE can vary and may depend on, for example, the positioning type used by base station 120 and / or the measurements to be performed. According to some embodiments, the UL reference signal may include an SRS, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink common channel (PUSCH), a physical sidelink common channel (PSSCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), or a sidelink reference signal (SL RS) (e.g., SL CSI-RS). Additional or alternative reference signals may be used depending on the desired functionality.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the timing quality metric provided by the UE can indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of each of a plurality of radio reference signals. For example, in the case where the UE transmits a series of SRS signals 440, the scenario shown in FIG4B can be repeated. If the timing quality metric is the same for all SRS signals (e.g., if the value of N is the same for all signals), the UE can report a single timing quality metric for all SRS signals. In this case, the UE can provide a timing quality metric and an indication of the signal to which the timing quality metric is applied.

[0070] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method 500 for conveying a timing quality metric for a wireless reference signal, transmitted by a UE and used for positioning in a wireless communication network (e.g., positioning of the UE and / or another wireless device), according to an embodiment. Positioning may include determining the absolute or relative position of the UE, as indicated in the previously described embodiments. Therefore, positioning may include ranging, or determining the distance between the UE and another wireless device. Components for performing the functions shown in one or more blocks of Figure 5 may be performed by hardware and / or software components of the UE. Example components of the UE are shown in Figure 6, which will be described in more detail below.

[0071] At block 510, the function includes: receiving at the UE a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and a radio reference signal. As described, the timing reference may include the timing of a UE's UL subframe, time slot, or frame boundary (e.g., a reference DL subframe, as indicated by the UE Rx-Tx time difference); or may include the transmission timing of another radio reference signal, such as a previously transmitted radio reference signal in a series of radio reference signals.

[0072] As previously described, the UE can be configured by a base station and / or location server to transmit a radio reference signal. Based on this configuration, the UE can determine the interval between the timing reference signal and the radio reference signal, which can be used to determine a timing quality metric. As previously discussed with respect to the examples shown in Figures 4A and 4B, for example, the timing quality metric may depend on a value N, where N is the number of subframes between the timing reference (UE Rx-Tx time difference) provided in reference UL subframe j and the radio reference transmitted at UL subframe j+N. For embodiments where the timing reference includes a previously transmitted radio reference signal, the interval between the timing reference and the radio reference signal may include the period between radio reference signal transmissions.

[0073] The components used to perform the functions at block 510 may include bus 605, wireless communication interface 630, digital signal processor (DSP) 620, processor (various) 610 and / or other components of UE 105, as shown in FIG6.

[0074] At block 520, the function includes: in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, determining the timing quality metric based on the time interval using the UE, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. As discussed in the embodiments provided herein, the timing quality metric can be determined based on TA adjustments for the UE and / or clock drift of the UE's clock, which can be known at the time of determining the timing quality metric. (For example, clock drift can depend on a particular UE or a particular type of UE.) As mentioned above, the timing quality metric can be determined based on the maximum timing variation that may occur at the UE during the time interval. As further noted in the examples provided herein, the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal can be provided in terms of time or distance metrics (e.g., meters, centimeters, feet, etc.). Furthermore, depending on the desired functionality, the timing quality metric can use enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal.

[0075] The components used to perform the functions at block 520 may include bus 605, wireless communication interface 630, DSP 620, processors 610, and / or other components of UE 105, as shown in FIG6.

[0076] At block 530, the function includes: sending a message including the timing quality metric from the UE to a network entity. As described, the timing quality metric may be included in a report provided by the UE as part of a positioning session with a base station or location server. For example, depending on the type of positioning, the report may include different types of information. The measurement report provided by the UE in a location determination using multiple RTTs may include not only the timing quality metric of the radio reference signal transmitted by the UE, but also the quality metric of the reference signal received by the UE (e.g., from a base station or other UE). Thus, according to some embodiments, the message may include a report that further includes an indication of the quality of the DL signal received by the UE.

[0077] The components used to perform the function at block 530 may include bus 605, DSP 620, processors 610, and / or other components of UE 105, as shown in FIG6.

[0078] At block 540, the function includes: transmitting the radio reference signal using the UE. Again, the radio reference signal provided by the UE may include any of a variety of reference signals that can be used to locate the UE in UL-based positioning and / or DL-UL-based positioning. Therefore, according to some embodiments of method 500, the radio reference signal may include SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH, PSSCH, DMRS, or SLRS.

[0079] The network entity to which the message is sent and the entity receiving the radio reference signal can include any combination of devices, which may depend on the type of location used and / or other factors. For example, the network entity at block 530 may include a location server, the UE's serving TRP (e.g., a serving base station), the UE's neighboring TRP (e.g., a neighboring TRP), or another UE. The radio reference signal transmitted by the UE may be received by the UE's serving TRP, the UE's neighboring TRP, or another UE. In some instances, the network entity receiving the message at block 530 may be the same entity receiving the radio reference signal at block 540. In other instances, the network entity and the receiving entity may be different. The configuration received by the UE at block 510 may also be the same device or different devices. Therefore, according to some embodiments of method 500, the UE may receive the configuration from a location server or from the UE's serving TRP.

[0080] The components used to perform the functions at block 540 may include bus 605, wireless communication interface 630, DSP 620, processors 610, and / or other components of UE 105, as shown in FIG6.

[0081] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of UE 105 that can be used as described herein (e.g., associated with FIG. 1-5). For example, UE 105 can perform one or more functions of the method shown in FIG. 5. It should be noted that FIG. 6 is intended only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, and any or all of the components may be utilized where appropriate. It should be noted that in some instances, the components shown in FIG. 6 may be located in a single physical device and / or distributed across various networking devices that may be located in different physical locations. Furthermore, as previously stated, the functions of the UE discussed in the foregoing embodiments may be performed by one or more of the hardware and / or software components shown in FIG. 6.

[0082] UE 105 is shown as including hardware elements capable of being electrically coupled (or otherwise communicated) via bus 605. The hardware elements may include processors 610, which may include, but are not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., application processors), one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processor (DSP) chips, graphics accelerator processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.), and / or other processing structures or components. Processors 610 may include one or more processing units, which may be housed in a single integrated circuit (IC) or multiple ICs. As shown in FIG6, some embodiments may have a separate DSP 620, depending on the desired functionality. Wireless communication-based location determination and / or other determinations may be provided in processors 610 and / or the wireless communication interface 630 (discussed below). UE 105 may also include: one or more input devices 670, which may include, but are not limited to, one or more keyboards, touch screens, touchpads, microphones, buttons, dial pads, switches, etc.; and one or more output devices 615, which may include, but are not limited to, one or more displays (e.g., touch screens), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), speakers, etc.

[0083] UE 105 may also include a wireless communication interface 630, which may include, but is not limited to, a modem, network card, infrared communication device, wireless communication device and / or chipset (e.g., Bluetooth® device, IEEE 802.11 device, IEEE 802.15.4 device, Wi-Fi device, WiMAX device, WAN device and / or various cellular devices), enabling UE 105 to communicate with other devices as described in the embodiments above. As described herein, the wireless communication interface 630 may allow data and signaling communication (e.g., transmission and reception) with the TRP of the network, for example via eNB, gNB, ng-eNB, access point, various base stations and / or other access node types, and / or other network components, computer systems and / or any other electronic device communicatively coupled to the TRP. This communication may be performed via wireless communication antennas 632 that transmit and / or receive wireless signals 634. According to some embodiments, the wireless communication antennas 632 may include a plurality of discrete antennas, antenna arrays or any combination thereof. Antenna 632 can use beams (e.g., Tx beams and Rx beams) to transmit and receive wireless signals. Digital and / or analog beamforming techniques can be used, utilizing corresponding digital and / or analog circuitry to perform beamforming. Wireless communication interface 630 may include such circuitry.

[0084] Depending on the desired functionality, the wireless communication interface 630 may include separate receivers and transmitters, or any combination of transceivers, transmitters, and / or receivers, to communicate with base stations (e.g., ng-eNBs and gNBs) and other terrestrial transceivers such as wireless devices and access points. The UE 105 may communicate with various data networks, including a variety of network types. For example, a wireless wide area network (WWAN) may be a CDMA network, a time-division multiple access (TDMA) network, a frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) network, an orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) network, a single-carrier frequency-division multiple access (SC-FDMA) network, a WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) network, etc. A CDMA network may implement one or more RATs, such as CDMA2000®, WCDMA, etc. CDMA2000® includes the IS-95, IS-2000, and / or IS-856 standards. TDMA networks can implement GSM, Digital Advanced Mobile Telephone Systems (D-AMPS), or some other RAT. OFDMA networks can employ LTE, Advanced LTE, 5G NR, etc. 5G NR, LTE, Advanced LTE, GSM, and WCDMA are described in 3GPP documents. CDMA2000® is described in documents from the consortium known as “3rd Generation Partnership Project 2” (3GPP2). 3GPP and 3GPP2 documents are publicly available. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) can also be IEEE 802.11x networks, while Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs) can be Bluetooth networks, IEEE 802.15x, or some other type of network. The technologies described herein can also be used in any combination of WWAN, WLAN, and / or WPAN.

[0085] UE 105 may further include sensors 640. Sensors 640 may include, but are not limited to, one or more inertial sensors and / or other sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, magnetometers, altimeters, microphones, proximity sensors, light sensors, barometers, etc.), some of which may be used to obtain position-related measurements and / or other information.

[0086] Embodiments of UE 105 may also include a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 680 capable of receiving signals 684 from one or more GNSS satellites using antenna 682 (which may be the same as antenna 632). Positioning based on GNSS signal measurements may be used to supplement and / or incorporate the techniques described herein. GNSS receiver 680 may use conventional techniques to extract the position of UE 105 from GNSS satellites of GNSS systems such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, GLONASS, Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), India's IRNSS, China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), etc. In addition, the GNSS receiver 680 can be used with various augmentation systems, such as satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS), which can be associated with or otherwise enabled to be used with one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems, such as the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the European Geostationary Navigation Satellite Coverage Service (EGNOS), the Multifunctional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), and the Geographic Augmentation Navigation System (GAGAN).

[0087] It should be noted that although the GNSS receiver 680 is shown as a different component in FIG. 6, the embodiments are not limited thereto. As used herein, the term "GNSS receiver" may include hardware and / or software components configured to obtain GNSS measurements (measurements from GNSS satellites). Thus, in some embodiments, the GNSS receiver may include a measurement engine executed by one or more processors (such as processors 610, DSP 620, and / or a processor within the wireless communication interface 630 (e.g., in a modem)) (as software). The GNSS receiver may also optionally include a positioning engine that can use GNSS measurements from the measurement engine to determine the location of the GNSS receiver using an extended Kalman filter (EKF), a weighted least squares method (WLS), a shadow filter, a particle filter, etc. The positioning engine may also be executed by one or more processors (such as processors 610 or DSP 620).

[0088] UE 105 may further include and / or communicate with memory 660. Memory 660 may include, but is not limited to, locally accessible and / or network-accessible storage devices, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM), which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices can be configured to implement any suitable data storage, including but not limited to various file systems, database structures, etc.

[0089] The memory 660 of UE 105 may also include software elements (not shown in FIG. 6), including operating systems, device drivers, executable libraries and / or other code, such as one or more applications, which may include computer programs provided by various embodiments and / or may be designed to implement methods and / or configure systems provided by other embodiments, as described herein. By way of example only, one or more processes described with respect to the methods discussed above may be implemented as code and / or instructions in memory 660, which may be executed by UE 105 (and / or processors 610 or DSP 620 within UE 105). In some embodiments, such code and / or instructions may then be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations according to the described methods.

[0090] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial changes can be made to suit specific requirements. For example, custom hardware may be used, and / or specific components may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or both. Furthermore, connections to other computing devices, such as network input / output devices, may be employed.

[0091] Referring to the accompanying drawings, components capable of including memory may include non-transitory machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable media" and "computer-readable media" refer to any storage medium involved in providing data that enables a machine to operate in a particular manner. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media may involve providing instructions / code to a processor and / or / other devices for execution. Additionally or alternatively, machine-readable media may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code. In many embodiments, computer-readable media are physical and / or tangible storage media. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile and volatile media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, magnetic and / or optical media, any other physical media with a perforated pattern, RAM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other media from which a computer can read instructions and / or code.

[0092] The methods, systems, and apparatuses discussed herein are exemplary. Various processes or components may be appropriately omitted, substituted, or added in various embodiments. For example, features described for some embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of embodiments may be combined in a similar manner. The various components of the drawings provided herein may be implemented in hardware and / or software. Furthermore, as technology evolves, many elements are exemplary and do not limit the scope of this disclosure to those specific examples.

[0093] Primarily for general reasons, referring to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, terms, numbers, digits, etc., has proven convenient in some cases. However, it should be understood that all these or similar terms are associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient notations. Unless otherwise specifically stated, as is apparent from the above discussion, it can be understood that throughout this specification, discussions using terms such as “processing,” “calculation,” “operation,” “decision,” “identification,” “association,” “measurement,” “performance,” etc., refer to the operation or process of a specific device such as a dedicated computer or similar dedicated electronic computing device. Therefore, in the context of this specification, a dedicated computer or similar dedicated electronic computing device is capable of manipulating or transforming signals, which are generally represented as physical electronic quantities, electrical quantities, or magnetic quantities within the memory, registers, or other information storage, transmission, or display devices of the dedicated computer or similar dedicated electronic computing device.

[0094] As used herein, the terms “and” and “or” can have a variety of meanings, which are also expected to depend at least in part on the context in which such terms are used. Generally, “or” when used in an associated list, such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean: A, B, and C, used herein in an inclusive sense, and A, B, or C, used herein in an exclusive sense. Additionally, the term “one or more” as used herein can be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in the singular form, or can be used to describe some combination of features, structures, or characteristics. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example, and the claimed technical subject matter is not limited to this example. Furthermore, the term “at least one” when used in an associated list, such as A, B, or C, can be interpreted as meaning any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, AB, AA, AAB, AABBCCC, etc.

[0095] Several embodiments have been described, and various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the above-described elements may simply be components of a larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over the application of various embodiments or otherwise modify the application of various embodiments. Moreover, multiple steps may be taken before, during, or after considering the above elements. Therefore, the above description does not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0096] In view of this specification, embodiments may include different combinations of features. Examples of implementations are described in the following numbered clauses: Clause 1: A method for conveying a timing quality metric for a radio reference signal transmitted by a user equipment (UE) and used for positioning in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving at the UE a configuration for transmitting the radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, determining, using the UE, the timing quality metric based on the time interval, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; sending from the UE a message including the timing quality metric to a network entity; and transmitting the radio reference signal using the UE. Clause 2: The method of Clause 1, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal according to a distance metric. Clause 3: The method of Clause 1 or 2, wherein the timing quality metric uses an enumerated value to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. Clause 4: The method of any one of Clauses 1-3, wherein the message includes a report, the report further including an indication of the quality of the downlink (DL) signal received by the UE. Clause 5: The method of Clause 4, wherein the first enumerated set of values ​​used to indicate the timing quality metric for the radio reference signal includes a value indicating a smaller error than the second enumerated set of values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal. Clause 6: The method of any one of Clauses 1-5, wherein the timing reference includes: the timing of an uplink (UL) subframe, time slot, or frame boundary of the UE; or the transmission timing of another radio reference signal; or both. Clause 7: The method of any one of Clauses 1-6, wherein: the timing reference includes the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates a measurement of the time difference between the start of a first detected time path of a DL subframe received at the UE and the start of the UL subframe that is temporally closest to the DL subframe; and the timing quality metric indicates the time difference between a first timing used in determining the UE Rx-Tx time difference and a second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal. Clause 8: The method of any one of Clauses 1-7, wherein: the radio reference signal is one of a plurality of radio reference signals transmitted by the UE; and the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of more than one of the plurality of radio reference signals. Clause 9: The method of any one of Clauses 1-8, wherein the timing quality metric is further based on: timing advance (TA) adjustments for the UE, clock drift of the UE's clock, or both.Clause 10: The method of any one of Clauses 1-9, wherein the radio reference signal includes: a sounding reference signal (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), or a sidelink reference signal (SLRS). Clause 11: The method of any one of Clauses 1-10, wherein the network entity includes: a location server, a serving transport receiving point (TRP) of the UE, a neighboring TRP of the UE, or another UE. Clause 12: The method of any one of Clauses 1-11, wherein the radio reference signal is received by: a serving TRP of the UE, a neighboring TRP of the UE, or another UE. Clause 13: The method of any one of Clauses 1-12, wherein the UE receives the configuration from: a location server, or a serving TRP of the UE. Clause 14: A user equipment (UE) comprising: a wireless communication interface; memory; one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless communication interface and the memory, and configured to: receive via the wireless communication interface a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, determine a timing quality metric based on the time interval, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; transmit via the wireless communication interface a message including the timing quality metric to a network entity; and transmit the radio reference signal via the wireless communication interface. Clause 15: The UE of Clause 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal in the timing quality metric according to a distance metric. Clause 16: The UE of Clause 14 or 15, wherein the one or more processors are configured to use an enumerated value to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. Clause 17: A UE as described in any of Clauses 14-16, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include in the message an indication of the quality of a downlink (DL) signal received by the UE. Clause 18: A UE as described in Clause 17, wherein the one or more processors are configured to use a first set of enumerated values ​​to indicate the timing quality metric for the radio reference signal, wherein the first set of enumerated values ​​includes values ​​indicating a smaller error than a second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal. Clause 19: A UE as described in any of Clauses 14-18, wherein the one or more processors are configured to use the following as the timing reference: the timing of an uplink (UL) subframe, time slot, or frame boundary of the UE; or the transmission timing of another radio reference signal; or both.Clause 20: A UE as described in any of Clauses 14-19, wherein: the timing reference includes the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates a measurement of the time difference between the start of a first detected time path of a DL subframe received at the UE and the start of the UL subframe that is temporally closest to the DL subframe; and the timing quality metric indicates the time difference between a first timing used in determining the UE Rx-Tx time difference and a second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal. Clause 21: A UE as described in any of Clauses 14-20, wherein: the radio reference signal is one of a plurality of radio reference signals transmitted by the UE; and the one or more processors are configured to use the timing quality metric to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of more than one of the plurality of radio reference signals. Clause 22: For any UE of Clauses 14-20, wherein the one or more processors are configured such that the timing quality metric is based at least in part on: timing advance (TA) adjustment for the UE, clock drift of the UE's clock, or both. Clause 23: For any UE of Clauses 14-21, wherein, in order to transmit the radio reference signal, the one or more processors are configured to transmit: a probe reference signal (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), or a sidelink reference signal (SLRS). Clause 24: For any UE of Clauses 14-23, wherein, in order to send the message to the network entity, the one or more processors are configured to send the message to: a location server, the UE's serving transport receiving point (TRP), the UE's neighboring TRP, or another UE. Clause 25: A UE as described in any of Clauses 14-24, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the radio reference signal such that the radio reference signal is received by: the UE's serving TRP, the UE's neighboring TRP, or another UE. Clause 26: A UE as described in any of Clauses 14-25, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive the configuration from: a location server, or the UE's serving TRP. Clause 27: An apparatus comprising: means for receiving at the apparatus a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; means for determining a timing quality metric based on the time interval in response to receiving the configuration at the apparatus, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; means for sending a message including the timing quality metric from the apparatus to a network entity; and means for transmitting the radio reference signal using the apparatus.Clause 28: The apparatus of Clause 27, wherein the component for determining the timing quality metric includes: a component for indicating the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal according to a distance metric. Clause 29: The apparatus of Clause 27 or 28, wherein the component for determining the timing quality metric includes: a component for using enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. Clause 30: The apparatus of any one of Clauses 27-29, wherein the component for transmitting the message includes: a component for including in the message an indication of the quality of a downlink (DL) signal received by the apparatus. Clause 31: The apparatus of Clause 30, wherein the component for determining the timing quality metric includes: a component for using a first set of enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of the radio reference signal, the first set of enumerated values ​​indicating a smaller error than a second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal. Clause 32: An apparatus as described in any of Clauses 27-31, wherein the component for receiving the configuration includes a component for using the following as the timing reference: the timing of an uplink (UL) subframe, time slot, or frame boundary of the apparatus; or the transmission timing of another radio reference signal; or both. Clause 33: An apparatus as described in any of Clauses 27-32, wherein: the timing reference includes a device Rx-Tx time difference indicating a measurement of the time difference between a first detected time path of a DL subframe received at the apparatus and the start of the UL subframe that is temporally closest to the DL subframe; and the component for determining the timing quality metric includes: a component for including in the timing quality metric an indication of the time difference between a first timing used in determining the device Rx-Tx time difference and a second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal. Clause 34: An apparatus as described in any of Clauses 27-33, wherein: the radio reference signal is one of a plurality of radio reference signals transmitted by the apparatus; and the means for determining the timing quality metric includes: means for using the timing quality metric to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of more than one of the plurality of radio reference signals. Clause 35: An apparatus as described in any of Clauses 27-34, wherein the means for determining the timing quality metric includes means for making the timing quality metric at least in part based on: timing advance (TA) adjustment of the apparatus, clock drift of the apparatus's clock, or both.Clause 36: An apparatus as described in any of Clauses 27-35, wherein the component for transmitting the radio reference signal includes components for transmitting: a probe reference signal (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), or a sidelink reference signal (SLRS). Clause 37: An apparatus as described in any of Clauses 27-36, wherein the component for sending the message to the network entity includes components for sending the message to: a location server, a serving transport receiving point (TRP) of the apparatus, a neighboring TRP of the apparatus, or another apparatus. Clause 38: An apparatus as described in any of Clauses 27-37, wherein the component for transmitting the radio reference signal includes components for transmitting the radio reference signal such that the radio reference signal is received by: a serving TRP of the apparatus, a neighboring TRP of the apparatus, or another apparatus. Clause 39: An apparatus of any one of Clauses 27-38, wherein the component for receiving the configuration includes a component for receiving the configuration from: a location server, or a serving TRP of the apparatus. Clause 40: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for conveying a timing quality metric for a radio reference signal transmitted by a user equipment (UE), the instructions including code for: receiving at the UE a configuration for transmitting the radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, determining the timing quality metric based on the time interval using the UE, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; sending a message including the timing quality metric from the UE to a network entity; and transmitting the radio reference signal using the UE. Clause 41: A non-transitory computer-readable medium of Clause 40, wherein the code for determining the timing quality metric includes: code for indicating the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal according to a distance metric. Clause 42: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in Clauses 40 or 41, wherein the code for determining the timing quality metric includes: code for using an enumerated value to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. Clause 43: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any of Clauses 40-42, wherein the code for transmitting the message includes: code for including in the message an indication of the quality of the downlink (DL) signal received by the UE.Clause 44: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in Clause 43, wherein the code for determining the timing quality metric includes: code for indicating the accuracy using a first set of enumerated values, the first set of enumerated values ​​indicating a smaller error than a second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal. Clause 45: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any of Clauses 40-44, wherein the code for receiving the configuration includes code for using the following as the timing reference: the timing of an uplink (UL) subframe, time slot, or frame boundary of the UE; or the transmission timing of another radio reference signal; or both. Clause 46: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any of Clauses 40-45, wherein: the timing reference includes a UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates a measurement of the time difference between the start of a first detected time path of a DL subframe received at the UE and the start of the UL subframe that is temporally closest to the DL subframe; and the code for determining the timing quality metric includes: code for including in the timing quality metric the time difference between a first timing used in determining the UE Rx-Tx time difference and a second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal. Clause 47: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any of Clauses 40-46, wherein: the radio reference signal is one of a plurality of radio reference signals transmitted by the UE; and the code for determining the timing quality metric includes: code for using the timing quality metric to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of more than one of the plurality of radio reference signals. Clause 48: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any of Clauses 40-47, wherein the code for determining the timing quality metric includes code for making the timing quality metric at least in part based on: timing advance (TA) adjustment for the UE, clock drift of the UE's clock, or both. Clause 49: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any of Clauses 40-48, wherein the code for transmitting the radio reference signal includes code for transmitting: a sounding reference signal (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), or a sidelink reference signal (SLRS). Clause 50: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any of Clauses 40-49, wherein the code for sending the message to the network entity includes code for sending the message to: a location server, a serving transport receiving point (TRP) of the UE, a neighboring TRP of the UE, or another UE.Clause 51: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any of Clauses 40-50, wherein the code for transmitting the radio reference signal includes code for transmitting the radio reference signal such that the radio reference signal is received by: the serving TRP of the UE, the neighboring TRP of the UE, or another UE. Clause 52: A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any of Clauses 40-51, wherein the code for receiving the configuration includes code for receiving the configuration from: a location server, or the serving TRP of the UE. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram of a positioning system according to an embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 is a diagram of a 5th generation (5G) new radio (NR) positioning system, which illustrates an embodiment of a positioning system (e.g., the positioning system of Figure 1) implemented in a 5G NR communication system.

[0011] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating round-trip signal propagation delay (RTT) based positioning as an example of DL-UL positioning, in which the techniques described herein can be used.

[0012] Figures 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating examples of subframe timing between the UE and the base station.

[0013] Figure 5 is a flowchart of conveying a timing quality metric for a wireless reference signal according to an embodiment, the wireless reference signal being transmitted by the UE and used to locate the UE in a wireless communication network.

[0014] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the UE that can be used in the embodiments described herein.

[0015] According to certain example embodiments, the same symbols in the various figures indicate the same elements. Furthermore, multiple instances of an element can be indicated by a letter or hyphen following a first digit of the element, followed by a second digit. For example, multiple instances of element 110 can be indicated as 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, etc., or as 110a, 110b, 110c, etc. When only the first digit is used to refer to such an element, it will be understood that any instance of that element (e.g., element 110 in the previous example would refer to elements 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3, or elements 110a, 110b, and 110c).

Claims

1. A method for conveying a timing quality metric for a radio reference signal, the radio reference signal being transmitted by a user equipment (UE) and used for positioning in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving at the UE a configuration for transmitting the radio reference signal; determining a timing reference including a UE Rx-Tx time difference, the UE Rx-Tx time difference indicating a measurement of the time difference between a first detected time path of a downlink (DL) subframe received at the UE and the start of an uplink (UL) subframe that is temporally closest to the DL subframe; determining, by the UE, a time interval between the timing reference and one or more additional UL transmissions of the radio reference signal transmitted by the UE; and, in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, determining the timing quality metric based on the time interval using the UE, wherein... The timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the timing of the transmission of the radio reference signal; the UE sends a message containing the timing quality metric to the network entity; and the UE transmits the radio reference signal.

2. As in request item 1, where, The timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal according to the distance metric.

3. As in request item 1, where, The timing quality metric uses enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal.

4. As in request item 1, where, The message contains a report, which further includes an indication of the quality of the DL signal received by the UE.

5. As in request item 4, where, The first set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the timing quality metric for the wireless reference signal contains values ​​indicating a smaller error than the second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal.

6. As in request item 1, where, The timing reference includes: the timing of the UE's UL subframe, time slot, or frame boundary; or the transmission timing of another radio reference signal; or both.

7. As in request item 1, where: The timing quality metric indicates the time difference between the first timing used to determine the UE Rx-Tx time difference and the second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal.

8. As in request item 1, where: The radio reference signal is one of a plurality of radio reference signals transmitted by the UE; and the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of more than one of the plurality of radio reference signals.

9. As in request item 1, wherein, The timing quality metric is further based on: timing advance (TA) adjustment for the UE, clock drift of the UE's clock, or both.

10. As in request item 1, wherein, The radio reference signal includes: a sounding reference signal (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical side-link shared channel (PSSCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), or a side-link reference signal (SL RS).

11. As in request item 1, wherein, The network entity includes: a location server, the service transport receiving point (TRP) of the UE, the neighboring TRP of the UE, or another UE.

12. As in request item 1, wherein, The radio reference signal is received from: the UE's serving TRP, the UE's neighboring TRP, or another UE.

13. As in request item 1, wherein, The UE receives this configuration from either the location server or the UE's service TRP.

14. A user equipment (UE) comprising: a wireless communication interface; memory; one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless communication interface and the memory, and configured to: receive a configuration via the wireless communication interface for transmitting a radio reference signal; determine a timing reference including a UE Rx-Tx time difference, the UE Rx-Tx time difference indicating a measurement of the time difference between a first detected time path of a downlink (DL) subframe received at the UE and the start of an uplink (UL) subframe that is temporally closest to the DL subframe; determine a time interval between the timing reference and one or more additional UL transmissions of the radio reference signal transmitted by the UE; and, in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, determine a timing quality metric based on the time interval, wherein... The timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the timing of the transmission of the wireless reference signal; a message containing the timing quality metric is sent to the network entity via the wireless communication interface; and the wireless reference signal is transmitted via the wireless communication interface.

15. For the UE in request item 14, where, The one or more processors are configured to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal in the timing quality metric according to the distance metric.

16. For the UE in request item 14, where, The one or more processors are configured to use enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal.

17. For the UE in request item 14, where, The one or more processors are configured to include an indication of the quality of the DL signal received by the UE in the message.

18. For the UE in request item 17, where, The one or more processors are configured to use a first set of enumerated values ​​to indicate the timing quality metric for the wireless reference signal, wherein the first set of enumerated values ​​contains values ​​indicating a smaller error than a second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal.

19. For the UE in request item 14, where, The one or more processors are configured to use the following as the timing reference: the timing of the UE's UL subframe, time slot, or frame boundary; or the transmission timing of another radio reference signal; or both.

20. For the UE in request item 14, where: The timing quality metric indicates the time difference between the first timing used to determine the UE Rx-Tx time difference and the second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal.

21. For the UE in request item 14, where: The radio reference signal is one of a plurality of radio reference signals transmitted by the UE; and the one or more processors are configured to use the timing quality metric to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of more than one of the plurality of radio reference signals.

22. For the UE in request item 14, where, The one or more processors are configured such that the timing quality metric is based at least in part on: timing advance (TA) adjustment for the UE, clock drift of the UE's clock, or both.

23. For example, in request item 14, the UE, where, In order to transmit the radio reference signal, the one or more processors are configured to transmit: a probe reference signal (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink common channel (PUSCH), a physical sidelink common channel (PSSCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), or a sidelink reference signal (SLRS).

24. For the UE in request item 14, where, In order to send the message to the network entity, one or more processors are configured to send the message to: a location server, the UE's service transport receiving point (TRP), the UE's neighboring TRP, or another UE.

25. For the UE in request item 14, where, The one or more processors are configured to transmit the radio reference signal such that the radio reference signal is received by: the serving TRP of the UE, the neighboring TRP of the UE, or another UE.

26. For the UE in request item 14, where, The one or more processors are configured to receive the configuration from: a location server, or the UE's service TRP.

27. A communication apparatus comprising: means for receiving at the apparatus a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal; means for determining at the apparatus a timing reference, the timing reference including a device Rx-Tx time difference, the device Rx-Tx time difference indicating a measurement of the time difference between a first detected time path of a downlink (DL) subframe received at the apparatus and the start of an uplink (UL) subframe that is temporally closest to the DL subframe; means for determining by the apparatus a time interval between the timing reference and one or more additional UL transmissions of the radio reference signal transmitted by the apparatus; and means for determining a timing quality metric based on the time interval in response to receiving the configuration at the apparatus, wherein... The timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the timing of the transmission of the wireless reference signal; a component for sending a message containing the timing quality metric from the device to a network entity; and a component for transmitting the wireless reference signal from the device.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein, The component for receiving the configuration includes a component for using the following as the timing reference: the timing of the UL subframe of the device; or the transmission timing of another wireless reference signal; or both.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein: The component used to determine the timing quality metric includes: a component for including in the timing quality metric an indication of the time difference between a first timing used in determining the Rx-Tx time difference of the device and a second timing used to transmit the wireless reference signal.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for conveying a timing quality metric for a radio reference signal transmitted by a user equipment (UE), the instructions comprising code for: receiving at the UE a configuration for transmitting the radio reference signal; determining a timing reference including a UE Rx-Tx time difference, the UE Rx-Tx time difference indicating a measurement of the time difference between a first detected time path of a downlink (DL) subframe received at the UE and the start of an uplink (UL) subframe that is temporally closest to the DL subframe; determining, by the UE, a time interval between the timing reference and one or more additional UL transmissions of the radio reference signal transmitted by the UE; and, in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, determining the timing quality metric using the UE based on the time interval, wherein... The timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the timing of the transmission of the radio reference signal; the UE sends a message containing the timing quality metric to the network entity; and the UE transmits the radio reference signal.

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