Wireless device positioning

Abstract

A wireless device (12A) is configured to determine one or more characteristics associated with the positioning performance of the wireless device on each of one or more links (14). In some embodiments, the one or more characteristics include one or more of the following: geometrically diluted (GDOP) characteristics of accuracy associated with the link; or line-of-sight (LOS) characteristics or non-LOS characteristics of the link. Alternatively, the wireless device (12A) may also be configured to transmit control signaling (22) indicating the one or more characteristics determined for each of the one or more links (14). Based on the control signaling (22), a network node (16) may adapt a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) configuration on at least one of the one or more links (14).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates generally to wireless communication systems and, more particularly, to positioning of wireless devices in such systems. Background Art

[0002] Many techniques for determining the position of a wireless device in a wireless communication system rely on the wireless device being able to detect signals from multiple base stations. For example, positioning techniques based on Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD) require the wireless device to detect the time of arrival of individual signals from multiple base stations at the wireless device. Although the time of arrival of any type of signal can be measured, certain types of signals suffer from poor hearability in these environments and therefore compromise positioning performance.

[0003] To address this problem, a so-called positioning reference signal (PRS) is a reference signal that is specifically designed and / or dedicated to enable wireless devices to perform positioning measurements on it. For example, compared to other reference signals, the PRS may have a wider range or deeper penetration into neighboring cells so that the PRS has improved measurability over other reference signals. For example, this can be achieved using a pseudo-random quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) sequence that is mapped in a diagonal pattern where frequency and time are shifted to avoid collisions with other signals. In addition, the PRS may be muted in certain situations to further reduce inter-cell interference.

[0004] To date, in order to optimize positioning performance from PRS, each base station has sent PRS according to a pre-planned configuration and has been sending PRS all the time. For example, the configuration can be pre-planned to avoid inter-cell interference and increase measurability. However, the problem is that the pre-planned and always-on nature of PRS has proven to be inefficient in terms of signaling overhead. Summary of the invention

[0005] Some embodiments herein facilitate adapting the configuration of a positioning reference signal (PRS) on a link, for example to take into account or influence the positioning performance on the link. For example, if the positioning performance on a certain link is poor, some embodiments stop sending PRS on the link. Alternatively or additionally, if the positioning performance on a certain link is good, some embodiments send PRS on more radio resources on the link. In these and other embodiments, the positioning performance on the link can be represented or derived according to control signaling sent by the wireless device to the network. In order to support PRS configuration adaptation, the wireless device according to some embodiments then sends control signaling, which indicates one or more characteristics associated with the positioning performance on the link. The characteristics may include, for example, a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) associated with the link, a line of sight (LOS) characteristic of the link, and / or a non-LOS characteristic of the link. In any case, the adaptive PRS configuration according to some embodiments can advantageously avoid wasting radio resources on PRS transmissions that will not contribute to positioning performance, reduce energy consumption, and / or reduce signaling overhead for positioning.

[0006] More specifically, embodiments herein include a method performed by a wireless device. The method includes: for each of one or more links, determining one or more characteristics associated with wireless device positioning performance on the link. In some embodiments, the one or more characteristics include one or more of the following: a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) characteristic associated with the link; or a line of sight (LOS) characteristic or non-LOS characteristic of the link. In any case, the method may also include sending control signaling indicating the one or more characteristics determined for each of the one or more links.

[0007] In some embodiments, the GDOP characteristics associated with a link include whether the link contributes to making the GDOP less than a GDOP threshold.

[0008] In some embodiments, the LOS characteristic or non-LOS characteristic of the link includes whether the probability that the link is in a LOS condition is above a LOS probability threshold.

[0009] In some embodiments, for each of one or more links, the control signaling indicates the extent to which the positioning reference signal PRS transmission on the link contributes to or detracts from the positioning accuracy of the wireless device, or depends on the extent to which the positioning reference signal PRS transmission on the link contributes to or detracts from the positioning accuracy of the wireless device.

[0010] In some embodiments, the control signaling indicates, for each of the one or more links, a statistical measure over time of at least one of the one or more characteristics.

[0011] In some embodiments, determining the one or more characteristics includes: for each of the one or more links, determining the one or more characteristics by measuring a PRS sent on the link according to a first positioning reference signal PRS configuration. In one such embodiment, the method further includes: after sending the control signaling, receiving a second PRS configuration different from the first PRS configuration from the location server, and the wireless device will monitor or measure the PRS on the one or more links according to the second PRS configuration. In this case, the method may also include monitoring or measuring the PRS according to the second PRS configuration.

[0012] In some embodiments, determining the one or more characteristics includes determining LOS characteristics or non-LOS characteristics of each of the one or more links by correlating a positioning reference signal PRS transmitted on the link with a known PRS transmission.

[0013] Embodiments herein also include a method performed by a network node in a wireless communication network. The method includes receiving control signaling, which indicates, for each of one or more links, one or more characteristics associated with the positioning performance of a wireless device on the link. In some embodiments, the one or more characteristics include one or more of the following: a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) characteristic associated with the link; or a line-of-sight (LOS) characteristic or a non-LOS characteristic of the link. Regardless, in some embodiments, the method also includes: adapting a positioning reference signal PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links based on the received control signaling.

[0014] In some embodiments, the GDOP characteristics associated with a link include whether the link contributes to making the GDOP less than a GDOP threshold.

[0015] In some embodiments, the LOS characteristic or non-LOS characteristic of the link includes whether the probability that the link is in a LOS condition is above a LOS probability threshold.

[0016] In some embodiments, for each of one or more links, the control signaling indicates the extent to which the positioning reference signal PRS transmission on the link contributes to or detracts from the positioning accuracy of the wireless device, or depends on the extent to which the positioning reference signal PRS transmission on the link contributes to or detracts from the positioning accuracy of the wireless device.

[0017] In some embodiments, the control signaling indicates, for each of the one or more links, a statistical measure over time of at least one of the one or more characteristics.

[0018] In some embodiments, adapting the PRS configuration includes adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to send PRS on more radio resources on at least one link, or to reduce PRS frequency reuse, in response to determining one or more of the following situations based on control signaling: wireless device positioning performance on at least one link is less than a first performance threshold; at least one of the one or more characteristics is less than a first characteristic threshold; or PRS transmission on at least one link contributes to making the wireless device positioning accuracy less than a first threshold level.

[0019] In some embodiments, adapting the PRS configuration includes adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to send PRS on fewer radio resources or increase PRS frequency reuse on at least one link in response to determining based on control signaling that: wireless device positioning performance on at least one link is less than a second performance threshold; at least one of the one or more characteristics is less than a second characteristic threshold; or PRS transmission on at least one link contributes to making the wireless device positioning accuracy less than a second threshold level.

[0020] In some embodiments, adapting the PRS configuration includes adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to no longer send PRS on at least one link in response to determining based on control signaling that: PRS transmission on at least one link contributes to making the wireless device positioning accuracy less than a third threshold level, the wireless device positioning performance on at least one link is less than a third performance threshold, or at least one of the one or more characteristics is less than a third characteristic threshold.

[0021] In some embodiments, adapting the PRS configuration includes adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to no longer send PRS on the at least one link in response to determining one or more of the following situations based on control signaling: at least one link contributes to making the geometric dilution of precision GDOP above a GDOP threshold; or the probability of at least one link being in a LOS condition is below a LOS probability threshold.

[0022] In some embodiments, the network node is a location server, and / or implements a location management function, LMF.

[0023] In some embodiments, adapting the PRS configuration comprises: determining an adapted configuration of PRS transmission on at least one link; and sending the adapted configuration to a radio network node serving the at least one link.

[0024] In some embodiments, the network node is a radio network node serving at least one of the one or more links.In one such embodiment, the method further comprises sending control signaling to a location server indicating an adapted configuration of PRS transmission on at least one of the one or more links.

[0025] Embodiments herein also include corresponding apparatus, computer programs, and carriers (e.g., non-transitory computer-readable media). For example, embodiments herein include a wireless device. The wireless device is configured to determine (e.g., via communication circuitry and processing circuitry) for each of one or more links, one or more characteristics associated with the wireless device positioning performance on the link. In some embodiments, the one or more characteristics include one or more of the following: a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) characteristic associated with the link; or a line-of-sight (LOS) characteristic or a non-LOS characteristic of the link. In any case, the wireless device may also be configured to send control signaling indicating the one or more characteristics determined for each of the one or more links.

[0026] In addition, an embodiment includes a network node configured for use in a wireless communication network. The network node is configured to receive control signaling (e.g., via communication circuitry and processing circuitry), and for each of one or more links, the control signaling indicates one or more characteristics associated with wireless device positioning performance on the link. In some embodiments, the one or more characteristics include one or more of the following: a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) characteristic associated with the link; or a line-of-sight (LOS) characteristic or a non-LOS characteristic of the link. Regardless, in some embodiments, the network node is further configured to: adapt a positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration on at least one of the one or more links based on the received control signaling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system according to some embodiments.

[0028] Figure 2A is a call flow diagram of a process for a network node to send an adapted PRS configuration to a wireless device according to some embodiments.

[0029] Figure 2B is a call flow diagram of a process for a network node to send an adapted PRS configuration to a radio network node according to some embodiments.

[0030] Figure 3 is a logic flow diagram of a method performed by a wireless device according to some embodiments.

[0031] Figure 4is a logic flow diagram of a method performed by a network node according to some embodiments.

[0032] Figure 5 is a logic flow diagram of a method performed by a radio network node according to some embodiments.

[0033] Figure 6 is a logic flow diagram of a method performed by a network node according to other embodiments.

[0034] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a wireless device according to some embodiments.

[0035] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a wireless device according to other embodiments.

[0036] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a radio network node according to some embodiments.

[0037] Fig.10 is a block diagram of a radio network node according to other embodiments.

[0038] Fig.11 is a block diagram of a network node according to some embodiments.

[0039] Fig.12 is a block diagram of a network node according to other embodiments.

[0040] Fig.13 is a block diagram of a network node according to other embodiments.

[0041] Fig.14 is a block diagram of a positioning architecture in Long Term Evolution (LTE) according to some embodiments.

[0042] Fig.15 is a block diagram of a positioning architecture in New Radio (NR) according to some embodiments.

[0043] Fig.16 is a logic flow diagram of a method performed by a location server according to some embodiments.

[0044] Fig.17 is a logic flow diagram of a method performed by a radio network node according to some embodiments.

[0045] Fig.18 is a logic flow diagram of a method performed by a user equipment (UE) according to some embodiments.

[0046] Fig.19 is a block diagram of a wireless communication network according to some embodiments.

[0047] Fig. 20is a block diagram of a user equipment according to some embodiments.

[0048] Fig.21 is a block diagram of a virtualization environment according to some embodiments.

[0049] Fig. 22 is a block diagram of a communication network with host computers according to some embodiments.

[0050] Fig.23 is a block diagram of a host computer according to some embodiments.

[0051] Fig.24 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment.

[0052] Fig.25 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment.

[0053] Fig.26 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment.

[0054] Fig. 27 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] Figure 1 A wireless communication network 10 (e.g., a 5G network) according to some embodiments is shown. The network 10 provides radio access to wireless devices 12A, 12B and connects the wireless devices 12A, 12B to one or more external data networks (not shown), such as the Internet. In this regard, the network 10 provides links via which the wireless devices 12A, 12B can access the network 10 wirelessly, for example using uplink and / or downlink communications. The network 10 can provide links 14-1, 14-2, ... 14-N (typically link 14), for example in the form of cells, beams, radio network nodes, etc. Some links 14 can provide wireless coverage over different geographic areas.

[0056] A network node 16 (e.g., a location server) in a wireless communication network 10 determines a configuration 18 of a so-called positioning reference signal (PRS) to be sent on one or more links 14. A PRS is a reference signal that is specifically designed and / or dedicated for a wireless device to perform positioning measurements thereon (i.e., measurements based on which the location of the device is determined). For example, a PRS may have a wider range or deeper penetration than other reference signals so that the PRS has improved measurability over other reference signals. Regardless, the configuration 18 of a PRS on a link may configure the PRS in terms of whether to send the PRS on the link, which and / or how many radio resources are used on the link for PRS transmission, PRS frequency resources, etc.

[0057] Some embodiments herein facilitate adapting a PRS configuration 18 on a link. Then, as shown, the network node 16 may perform a PRS configuration adaptation 20 to determine or otherwise obtain an adapted PRS configuration 18B. The adapted PRS configuration 18B for the link may differ from the PRS configuration 18A for the link in terms of, for example, whether to send PRS on the link, which and / or how many radio resources are used on the link for PRS transmission, PRS frequency resources, etc. Regardless, in some embodiments, the adaptation 20 may be performed dynamically or semi-statically.

[0058] Indeed, in some embodiments, the PRS configuration adaptation 20 takes into account or influences the positioning performance on one or more links 14. As used herein in this regard, the positioning performance on a link refers to the performance of a positioning method using the link, or refers to the positioning performance attributable to the link. Then, in some embodiments, the PRS configuration adaptation 20 takes into account the positioning performance attributable to one or more links 14.

[0059] For example, if the positioning performance on a link (e.g., attributable to the link) is poor, some embodiments stop sending PRS on the link. Alternatively or additionally, if the positioning performance on a link (e.g., attributable to the link) is good, some embodiments send PRS on more radio resources on the link. In these and other embodiments, the PRS configuration adaptation 20 can advantageously avoid wasting radio resources on PRS transmissions that will not contribute to positioning performance, reduce energy consumption, and / or reduce signaling overhead for positioning.

[0060] In these and other embodiments, positioning performance on a link may be represented or derived based on control signaling sent by the wireless device 12A to the network node 16. To support the PRS configuration adaptation 20, then, according to some embodiments, the wireless device 12A sends control signaling 22 to or toward the network node 16. For each of one or more links 14-1, 14-2, ... 14-N, the control signaling 22 indicates one or more characteristics 24 associated with wireless device positioning performance on the link. As used herein, one or more characteristics associated with wireless device positioning performance on a link refers to one or more characteristics associated with a link that describe, contribute to, or affect (i) the performance of a wireless device positioning method using the link; or (ii) wireless device positioning performance attributable to the link. For example, Figure 1 Control signaling 22 is shown indicating one or more characteristics 24-1 for link 14-1, one or more characteristics 24-2 for link 14-2, and one or more characteristics 24-N for link 14-N. In some embodiments, one or more characteristics 24 are associated with wireless device positioning performance on a link in the sense that characteristics 24 indicate or depend on the extent to which PRS transmissions on the link contribute to or detract from wireless device positioning accuracy.

[0061] The characteristic 24 indicated for a link may, for example, include a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) characteristic associated with the link. GDOP describes error propagation as the mathematical effect of the topology of the PRS transmission points on the accuracy of positioning measurements. A relatively wide angular spacing between PRS transmission points results in better position accuracy, as reflected by a lower GDOP value. A relatively narrow angular spacing between PRS transmission points results in poorer positioning accuracy, as reflected by a higher GDOP value. Then, in some embodiments, the characteristic 24 indicated by the control signaling 22 for a link may indicate the extent to which the link contributes to (i.e., helps provide) a better or worse GDOP, such as the extent to which the link contributes to making the GDOP less than a GDOP threshold or greater than the same GDOP threshold or a different GDOP threshold. For example, if a PRS is transmitted on a link from a point geographically close to other points that transmit PRS, the control signaling 22 may indicate that the link does contribute to making the GDOP less than the GDOP threshold. However, if a PRS is transmitted on a link from a point geographically distant from other points transmitting the PRS, the control signaling 22 may indicate that the link does not contribute to causing the GDOP to be less than a GDOP threshold and / or may actually contribute to causing the GDOP to be above the same GDOP threshold or a different GDOP threshold. As a specific example, a GDOP value above ten (10) may indicate the presence of at least one unreliable or poor quality link that affects overall positioning accuracy.

[0062] Alternatively or additionally, the characteristic 24 indicated for the link may include a line-of-sight (LOS) characteristic of the link and / or a non-LOS characteristic of the link. In this sense, the LOS characteristic of the link refers to a characteristic indicating the extent to which the link provides a LOS path between the PRS transmission point and the wireless device 12A. Conversely, the non-LOS characteristic of the link refers to a characteristic indicating the extent to which the link provides a non-LOS path between the PRS transmission point and the wireless device 12A. In either case, the LOS characteristic or the non-LOS characteristic of the link may include, for example, whether the probability that the link is in a LOS condition is above a LOS probability threshold. For example, in some embodiments, the LOS characteristic or the non-LOS characteristic of the link may be the extent to which the PRS transmitted on the link is correlated with a known PRS transmission. In fact, the higher the correlation, the higher the probability that the link provides a LOS path, which, for example, has fewer reflections that distort the PRS transmission.

[0063] In other embodiments, the characteristic 24 for the link may include the signal quality or strength of the PRS sent on the link, such as received signal quality, Es / Iot, signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), channel state information (CSI), etc. Alternatively or additionally, the characteristic 24 for the link may include channel characteristics of the link and / or statistical accuracy or performance of wireless device positioning on the link.

[0064] However, regardless of the particular type of characteristic 24 indicated for each link 14, in some embodiments, at least one of the characteristics 24 may indicate a statistical measurement over time. Such a statistical measurement may be, for example, a measurement of a mean, an Xth percentile, a median, etc., of a characteristic. For example, a characteristic 24 for a link may indicate whether, on average, the link contributes to making the GDOP less than a GDOP threshold over a given time frame. Alternatively, a characteristic 24 for a link may indicate whether, on average, the probability that the link is in a LOS condition over a given time frame is above a LOS probability threshold.

[0065] Regardless, in some embodiments, the wireless device 12A determines the characteristic 24, for example, by measuring a PRS transmitted on the link according to a PRS configuration 18A (also referred to as a first PRS configuration 18A), for each of the one or more links 14. For example, in one such embodiment, a PRS is transmitted on the link 14 according to the PRS configuration 18A, and the wireless device 12A generates control signaling 22 based on measurements of such PRS. In this case, the control signaling 22 may then directly reflect the positioning performance attributable to the PRS configuration 18A, such that the PRS configuration adaptation 20 may be dynamically performed to account for or influence the positioning performance.

[0066] Indeed, in some embodiments, the network node 16 may receive the same kind of control signaling 22 from one or more other wireless devices (not shown) in the network 10, e.g., the control signaling 22 also indicating characteristics associated with positioning performance on each link 14 from the perspective of the other wireless devices. In this case, the network node's PRS configuration adaptation 20 may generally be based on the control signaling 22 received from the one or more wireless devices. For example, the PRS configuration adaptation 20 may be based on what the control signaling 22 indicates regarding positioning performance on each link 14 from the perspective of a certain number or percentage of wireless devices (i.e., it may not just be the single wireless device 12A).

[0067] For example, in some embodiments, the network node 16 may determine, for example, for N1 wireless devices or Y1% of wireless devices, whether the control signaling 22 from one or more wireless devices indicates that the wireless device positioning performance on the link is less than a first performance threshold. Alternatively, the network node 16 may determine, for example, for N1 wireless devices or Y1% of wireless devices, whether the PRS transmission on the link contributes to making the positioning accuracy less than the first threshold level. Alternatively, the network node 16 may determine, for example, for N1 wireless devices or Y1% of wireless devices, whether at least one of the characteristics 24 indicated for the link is less than the first characteristic threshold. If the network node 16 determines that any of these is true, the network node 16 may adapt the PRS configuration on the link to, for example, send PRS on more radio resources on the link by sending PRS on more radio resources in time, frequency, space and / or code. The network node 16 may do this, for example, by increasing the PRS bandwidth on the link, the PRS density on the link, the number of PRS resource elements within a resource block and / or subframe of the link, the number of PRS subframes per positioning opportunity on the link, and the like. Alternatively or additionally, the network node 16 may reduce PRS frequency reuse, for example, to reduce interference affecting positioning on the link. Adapting the PRS configuration in these or other ways may dynamically improve positioning performance on the link, for example, so that resources are not wasted on sending PRS on a link that is not intended to contribute to positioning performance.

[0068] On the other hand, in other embodiments, the network node 16 may decide in certain circumstances to simply stop sending PRS on a link, rather than trying to improve the positioning performance on the link. For example, in some embodiments, the network node 16 may adapt the PRS configuration on the link to no longer send PRS on the link. For example, the network node 16 may do so in response to determining, for example, for N3 wireless devices or Y3% of wireless devices, that the PRS transmission on the link contributes to making the positioning accuracy less than a third threshold degree. Alternatively, the network node 16 may do so in response to determining, for example, for N3 wireless devices or Y3% of wireless devices, that the positioning performance on the link is less than a third performance threshold. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the network node 16 may do so in response to determining, for example, for N3 wireless devices or Y3% of wireless devices, that at least one of the characteristics 24 is less than a third characteristic threshold. For example, in some embodiments, if a link contributes to making the GDOP higher than the GDOP threshold, that is, if the link contributes to a worse GDOP, the network node 16 may stop sending PRS on the link. Alternatively or additionally, the network node 16 may stop sending PRS on a link if the probability that the link is in a LOS condition is below a LOS probability threshold.

[0069] Conversely, in some embodiments, the network node 16 may determine, for example, for N2 wireless devices (N2=1, 2, ...) or Y2% of wireless devices (where N2 and Y2 may be predefined or configured), whether the control signaling 22 from one or more wireless devices indicates that the wireless device positioning performance on the link exceeds the second performance threshold. Alternatively, the network node 16 may determine whether the PRS transmission on the link contributes to making the positioning accuracy exceed the second threshold level. If the network node 16 determines that any of the items is true, the network node 16 may adapt the PRS configuration on the link to send PRS on fewer radio resources on the link, for example, by sending PRS on fewer radio resources in time, frequency, space, and / or code. The network node 16 may do this, for example, by reducing the PRS bandwidth on the link, the PRS density on the link, the number of PRS resource elements within a resource block and / or subframe of the link, the number of PRS subframes per positioning opportunity on the link, etc. Alternatively or additionally, the network node 16 may increase PRS frequency reuse, for example, to allow more interference that affects positioning on the link. Adapting the PRS configuration in these or other ways can dynamically optimize positioning performance on a link, for example, so that resources are not wasted sending PRS on a link that somehow provides higher positioning performance than required or does not improve the overall positioning performance anyway (given the performance provided by other links).

[0070] Note that in some embodiments, the PRS configuration adaptation 20 may directly benefit or otherwise affect the same wireless device 12A that sent the control signaling 22 on which the adaptation 20 is based. In this case, the wireless device 12A may receive the adapted PRS configuration 18B from the network node 16. Then, based on the adapted PRS configuration 18B, the wireless device 12A may monitor or measure the PRS on one or more links (which may be the same as or different from the link 14). However, in other embodiments, the PRS configuration adaptation 20 may benefit or otherwise affect a different wireless device (which may be referred to as a second wireless device). Then, in these latter embodiments, the PRS sent on the link based on the adapted PRS configuration 18B may be received and measured by the different wireless device.

[0071] Note also that in some embodiments, the network node 16 sends the adapted PRS configuration 18B directly to the wireless device 12A or to a different wireless device. Figure 2A One such embodiment is shown. In this case, the network node 16 sends a PRS configuration 18A to the wireless device 12A and thereafter receives control signaling 22 from the wireless device 12A. Based on the control signaling 22, the network node 16 adapts the PRS configuration and sends the adapted PRS configuration 18B to the wireless device 12B. In contrast, in other embodiments, the network node 16 sends the adapted PRS configuration 18B to a radio network node (e.g., a base station). Figure 2B 18B (also referred to as the second PRS configuration). The radio network node 30 then sends an adapted PRS configuration 18C to the wireless device 12B. The adapted PRS configuration 18C (also referred to as the third PRS configuration) may be the same as or different from the adapted PRS configuration 18B. In fact, in some embodiments, the radio network node 30 may autonomously decide the actual PRS configuration, based on which its PRS transmission is performed. If the radio network node 30 changes the adapted PRS configuration 18B, the radio network node 30 may signal such a change to the network node 16 (not shown).

[0072] In view of the above modifications and variations, Figure 3 A method performed by a wireless device 12A according to certain embodiments is depicted. The method includes determining, for each of one or more links 14, one or more characteristics associated with wireless device positioning performance on the link (block 300). The method also includes sending control signaling 22 indicating the one or more characteristics determined for each of the one or more links 14 (block 310).

[0073] In some embodiments, the one or more characteristics include one or more of the following: a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) characteristic associated with the link; or a line of sight (LOS) characteristic or a non-LOS characteristic of the link. For example, the GDOP characteristic associated with the link may include whether the link contributes to making the GDOP less than a GDOP threshold. The LOS characteristic or the non-LOS characteristic of the link may include whether the probability that the link is in a LOS condition is higher than a LOS probability threshold. In these and other cases, determining the LOS characteristic or the non-LOS characteristic of each of the one or more links may involve correlating a positioning reference signal PRS sent on the link with a known PRS transmission.

[0074] In some embodiments, for each of one or more links 14, control signaling 22 indicates, or depends on, the extent to which PRS transmission on the link contributes to or detracts from wireless device positioning accuracy.

[0075] Alternatively or additionally, for each of one or more links 14, the control signaling 22 may indicate: whether the link provides a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) less than a GDOP threshold; whether the link has a reference signal time difference (RSTD) quality greater than a RSTD threshold; and whether the probability that the link is in a line-of-sight (LOS) condition is greater than a LOS probability threshold.

[0076] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the one or more characteristics include a signal quality or strength of a PRS transmitted on the link.

[0077] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the one or more characteristics include a geometric dilution of precision GDOP over the link.

[0078] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the one or more characteristics include a channel characteristic of the link, a line-of-sight (LOS) characteristic of the link, or a non-LOS characteristic of the link.

[0079] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the one or more characteristics include a correlation of the PRS transmission on the link with known PRS transmissions.

[0080] In some embodiments, the control signaling 22 indicates, for each of the one or more links, a statistical measure over time of at least one of the one or more characteristics.

[0081] In some embodiments, for each of at least one of the one or more quality characteristics, the control signaling 22 indicates, for a link, whether the link contributes to the characteristic being below a threshold.

[0082] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the one or more characteristics include a statistical measure of positioning quality or uncertainty over time.

[0083] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the control signaling 22 indicates a suggestion or preference for one or more PRS transmission parameters on the link. In one such embodiment, the one or more PRS transmission parameters include a suggestion or preference for radio resources used to send PRS on the link. Alternatively or additionally, in one embodiment, the one or more PRS transmission parameters include a suggestion or preference for a PRS bandwidth, a number or density of PRS subframes, and / or a number or density of PRS frames used to send PRS on the link.

[0084] In some embodiments, the sending comprises sending control signaling 22 to the network node 16. In one such embodiment, the network node 16 is a location server or positioning server. In another embodiment, the network node 16 implements a location management function LMF.

[0085] In other embodiments, the sending comprises sending the control signaling 22 to the radio network node 30 .

[0086] In some embodiments, each of the one or more links 14 is a radio network node, a cell or a beam.

[0087] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the control signaling 22 indicates the statistical accuracy or performance of the wireless device positioning on the link.

[0088] In some embodiments, the determining includes determining one or more characteristics for each of the one or more links by measuring a PRS sent on the link according to a first PRS configuration. In one such embodiment, the method may also include receiving a second PRS configuration different from the first PRS configuration from the location server after sending the control signaling 22, and the wireless device 12A is to monitor or measure the PRS on the link according to the second PRS configuration. In this case, the method may also include monitoring or measuring the PRS according to the second PRS configuration.

[0089] In some embodiments, the method further comprises sending capability signaling indicating the capability of the wireless device 12A to send said control signaling 22 .

[0090] Figure 4Another method performed by the network node 16 according to other specific embodiments is depicted. The method includes receiving control signaling 22 indicating, for each of one or more links 14, one or more characteristics associated with wireless device positioning performance on the link (block 400). The method also includes adapting a PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links based on the received control signaling 22 (block 410).

[0091] In some embodiments, the one or more characteristics include one or more of the following: a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) characteristic associated with the link; or a line of sight (LOS) characteristic or a non-LOS characteristic of the link. For example, the GDOP characteristic associated with the link may include whether the link contributes to making the GDOP less than a GDOP threshold. The LOS characteristic or the non-LOS characteristic of the link may include whether the probability that the link is in a LOS condition is above a LOS probability threshold.

[0092] In some embodiments, for each of one or more links 14, control signaling 22 indicates, or depends on, the extent to which PRS transmission on the link contributes to or detracts from wireless device positioning accuracy.

[0093] In some embodiments, the adaptation includes adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to send PRS on more radio resources on at least one link or reduce PRS frequency reuse in response to determining the following situation based on control signaling: the wireless device positioning performance on at least one link is less than a first performance threshold, or at least one of the one or more characteristics is less than a first characteristic threshold.

[0094] In some embodiments, the adaptation includes adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to send PRS on more radio resources on at least one link or reduce PRS frequency reuse in response to determining based on control signaling that the PRS transmission on at least one link contributes to making the wireless device positioning accuracy less than a first threshold level.

[0095] In some embodiments, adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to send PRS on more radio resources on the at least one link includes: adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to send PRS on at least one link over a larger frequency bandwidth, at a higher density in time and / or frequency, on a larger number of PRS resource elements within a resource block and / or subframe, and / or within a larger number of PRS subframes at each positioning occasion.

[0096] In some embodiments, adapting the PRS includes adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to send PRS on fewer radio resources on at least one link or increase PRS frequency reuse in response to determining the following based on control signaling: wireless device positioning performance on at least one link is less than a second performance threshold, or at least one of the one or more characteristics is less than a second characteristic threshold.

[0097] In some embodiments, adapting the PRS includes adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to send PRS on fewer radio resources on at least one link or increase PRS frequency reuse in response to determining based on control signaling that the PRS transmission on at least one link contributes to making the wireless device positioning accuracy less than a second threshold level.

[0098] In some embodiments, adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to send the PRS on fewer radio resources on the at least one link includes: adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to send the PRS on the at least one link over a smaller frequency bandwidth, with a smaller density in time and / or frequency, on a smaller number of PRS resource elements within a resource block and / or subframe, and / or within a smaller number of PRS subframes per positioning occasion.

[0099] In some embodiments, the adaptation includes adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to no longer send PRS on at least one link in response to determining based on control signaling that: PRS transmission on at least one link contributes to making the wireless device positioning accuracy less than a second threshold level, the wireless device positioning performance on at least one link is less than a second performance threshold, or at least one of the one or more characteristics is less than a second characteristic threshold.

[0100] In some embodiments, the adaptation includes: in response to determining one or more of the following situations based on control signaling, adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links to no longer send PRS on at least one link: (i) at least one link provides a GDOP less than a geometric dilution of precision GDOP threshold; (ii) at least one link has an RSTD quality higher than a reference signal time difference RSTD threshold; (iii) the probability that at least one link is in a LOS condition is higher than a LOS probability threshold.

[0101] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the one or more characteristics include a signal quality or strength of a PRS transmitted on the link.

[0102] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links, the one or more characteristics include a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) over the link.

[0103] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the one or more characteristics include a channel characteristic of the link, a line-of-sight (LOS) characteristic of the link, or a non-LOS characteristic of the link.

[0104] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the one or more characteristics include a correlation of the PRS transmission on the link with known PRS transmissions.

[0105] In some embodiments, the control signaling 22 indicates, for each of the one or more links 14, a statistical measure over time of at least one of the one or more characteristics.

[0106] In some embodiments, for each of at least one of the one or more quality characteristics, the control signaling 22 indicates, for a link, whether the link contributes to the characteristic being below a threshold.

[0107] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the one or more characteristics include a statistical measure of positioning quality or uncertainty over time.

[0108] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the control signaling 22 indicates a suggestion or preference for one or more PRS transmission parameters on the link. In one such embodiment, the one or more PRS transmission parameters include a suggestion or preference for radio resources used to send PRS on the link. Alternatively or additionally, in one embodiment, the one or more PRS transmission parameters include a suggestion or preference for a PRS bandwidth, a number or density of PRS subframes, and / or a number or density of PRS frames used to send PRS on the link.

[0109] In some embodiments, network node 16 is a location server.

[0110] In some embodiments, the network node 16 implements a location management function LMF.

[0111] In some embodiments, the adapting comprises: determining an adapted configuration of PRS transmission on at least one link; and sending the adapted configuration to a radio network node serving the at least one link.

[0112] In some embodiments, the network node 16 is a radio network node serving at least one of the one or more links.In one such embodiment, the method further comprises sending control signaling to a location server indicating an adapted configuration of PRS transmission on at least one of the one or more links.

[0113] In some embodiments, each of the one or more links 14 is a radio network node, a cell or a beam.

[0114] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links 14, the control signaling 22 indicates the statistical accuracy or performance of the wireless device positioning on the link.

[0115] In some embodiments, control signaling 22 is received from a wireless device 12A being served on at least one of the one or more links.

[0116] Figure 5 A method performed by a radio network node 30 according to a particular embodiment is depicted. The method includes: performing PRS transmission on a link according to a PRS configuration (block 500); and determining different PRS configurations based on control signaling from a location server and / or from a wireless device (block 510). The method also includes: performing PRS transmission on the link according to the different PRS configurations (block 520).

[0117] In some embodiments, the determining comprises determining a different PRS configuration based on control signaling from a location server.

[0118] In some embodiments, control signaling from the location server indicates different PRS configurations.

[0119] In some embodiments, the determining comprises determining a different PRS configuration based on control signaling from the wireless device.

[0120] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links, control signaling from the wireless device indicates one or more characteristics associated with wireless device positioning performance on the link.

[0121] In some embodiments, for each of one or more links, the control signaling indicates, or is dependent upon, the extent to which PRS transmission on the link contributes to or detracts from wireless device positioning accuracy.

[0122] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links, the one or more characteristics include a signal quality or strength of a PRS sent on the link.Alternatively or additionally, for each of the one or more links, the one or more characteristics include a geometric dilution of precision GDOP on the link.

[0123] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links, the one or more characteristics include a channel characteristic of the link, a line-of-sight (LOS) characteristic of the link, or a non-LOS characteristic of the link.

[0124] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links, the one or more characteristics include a correlation of the PRS transmission on the link with known PRS transmissions.

[0125] In some embodiments, the control signaling indicates, for each of the one or more links, a statistical measure over time of at least one of the one or more characteristics.

[0126] In some embodiments, for each of at least one of the one or more quality characteristics, the control signaling indicates, for a link, whether the link contributes to the characteristic being below a threshold.

[0127] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links, the one or more characteristics include a statistical measure of positioning quality or uncertainty over time.

[0128] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links, the control signaling indicates a suggestion or preference for one or more PRS transmission parameters on the link. In one such embodiment, the one or more PRS transmission parameters include a suggestion or preference for radio resources used to send PRS on the link. Alternatively or additionally, in one embodiment, the one or more PRS transmission parameters include a suggestion or preference for a PRS bandwidth, a number or density of PRS subframes, and / or a number or density of PRS frames used to send PRS on the link.

[0129] In some embodiments, the method further comprises sending control signaling to a location server, the control signaling indicating a different PRS configuration.

[0130] In some embodiments, each of the one or more links is a radio network node, a cell or a beam.

[0131] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more links, the control signaling indicates a statistical accuracy or performance of wireless device positioning on the link.

[0132] Figure 6A method performed by a network node according to a particular embodiment is depicted. The network node may be a radio network node, a location server, or a positioning server. The method includes: configuring PRS transmissions on a link in a wireless communication network (block 600); and receiving feedback related to using the configured PRS transmissions for wireless device positioning (block 610). In some embodiments, the feedback indicates the extent to which the PRS transmissions on the link contribute to or detract from the wireless device positioning accuracy, or depends on the extent to which the PRS transmissions on the link contribute to or detract from the wireless device positioning accuracy. Regardless, the method also includes: adapting the configuration of the PRS transmissions on the link based on the received feedback (block 620).

[0133] In some embodiments, the adapting includes: in response to determining based on the feedback that the PRS transmission on the link contributes to making the wireless device positioning accuracy less than a first threshold level, configuring the PRS to be sent on more radio resources on the link, or reducing PRS frequency reuse. In one such embodiment, configuring the PRS to be sent on more radio resources on the link includes: configuring the PRS to be sent on the link over a larger frequency bandwidth, at a higher density in time and / or frequency, on a larger number of PRS resource elements within a resource block and / or subframe, and / or within a larger number of PRS subframes per positioning opportunity.

[0134] In other embodiments, the adapting includes: in response to determining based on the feedback that the PRS transmission on the link contributes to making the wireless device positioning accuracy less than a second threshold degree or that the PRS transmission on the link deteriorates the wireless device positioning accuracy, configuring the PRS to be sent on fewer radio resources on the link or increasing PRS frequency reuse. In one such embodiment, configuring the PRS to be sent on fewer radio resources on the link includes: configuring the PRS to be sent on the link over a smaller frequency bandwidth, at a smaller density in time and / or frequency, on a smaller number of PRS resource elements within a resource block and / or subframe, and / or within a smaller number of PRS subframes at each positioning opportunity.

[0135] In other embodiments, the adapting includes: in response to determining based on the feedback that the PRS transmission on the link contributes to making the wireless device positioning accuracy less than a minimum or that the PRS transmission on the link is detrimental to the wireless device positioning accuracy, configuring the PRS to no longer be sent on the link. For example, in one embodiment, the method further includes: determining based on the feedback that the PRS transmission on the link contributes to making the wireless device positioning accuracy less than a minimum or that the PRS transmission on the link is detrimental to the wireless device positioning accuracy based on one or more of the following situations: the link provides a GDOP less than a geometric dilution of precision GDOP threshold; the link has an RSTD quality higher than a reference signal time difference RSTD threshold; and the probability that the link is in a LOS condition is higher than a LOS probability threshold.

[0136] In some embodiments, the feedback indicates one or more quality characteristics for positioning of the wireless device based on the configured PRS transmission, or depends on one or more quality characteristics for positioning of the wireless device based on the configured PRS transmission. In one such embodiment, the one or more quality characteristics include the signal quality or strength of the configured PRS transmission. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more quality characteristics include a geometric dilution of precision GDOP. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more quality characteristics include a line-of-sight LOS or non-LOS characteristic of the configured PRS transmission. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more quality characteristics include a correlation of the configured PRS transmission with a known PRS transmission. Alternatively or additionally, for each of at least one of the one or more quality characteristics, the feedback indicates a statistical measurement of the quality characteristic over time. Alternatively or additionally, for each of at least one of the one or more quality characteristics, the feedback indicates whether the link contributes to the quality characteristic being below a threshold.

[0137] In some embodiments, the feedback indicates a statistical measure of positioning quality or uncertainty over time.

[0138] In some embodiments, the feedback indicates a suggestion or preference for one or more PRS transmission parameters on the link. In one such embodiment, the one or more PRS transmission parameters include a suggestion or preference for radio resources used to send PRS on the link. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more PRS transmission parameters include a suggestion or preference for a PRS bandwidth, a number or density of PRS subframes, and / or a number or density of PRS frames used to send PRS on the link.

[0139] In some embodiments, the network node is a location server.

[0140] In some embodiments, the network node implements a location management function LMF.

[0141] In some embodiments, the adapting comprises: determining an adapted configuration of PRS transmission on the link; and sending the adapted configuration to a radio network node serving the link.

[0142] In some embodiments, the network node is a radio network node serving at least one of the one or more links.In this case, the method may further comprise sending control signaling to the location server, the control signaling indicating the adapted configuration of the PRS transmission on the link.

[0143] In some embodiments, the link is a radio network node, a cell or a beam.

[0144] In some embodiments, the feedback indicates a statistical accuracy or performance of wireless device positioning based on the configured PRS transmissions on the link.

[0145] In some embodiments, the feedback indicates one or more characteristics associated with wireless device positioning performance on the link.

[0146] In some embodiments, feedback is received from wireless devices served on the link.

[0147] The embodiments also include corresponding apparatus, wireless devices, radio network nodes, location servers, radio network nodes, computer programs, and carriers (eg, computer readable media).

[0148] Embodiments also include a wireless device 12A that includes a processing circuit and a power supply circuit. The processing circuit is configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments described above for the wireless device 12A. The power supply circuit is configured to supply power to the wireless device 12A.

[0149] Embodiments also include a wireless device 12A that includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments described above for the wireless device 12A. In some embodiments, the wireless device 12A also includes a communication circuit.

[0150] The embodiment also includes a wireless device 12A, which includes a processing circuit and a memory. The memory contains instructions executable by the processing circuit, whereby the wireless device 12A is configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments described above for the wireless device.

[0151] In addition, embodiments include user equipment (UE). The UE includes an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals. The UE also includes a radio front-end circuit connected to the antenna and the processing circuit and configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna and the processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to perform any steps of any embodiment described above for the wireless device. In some embodiments, the UE also includes an input interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to allow information to be input into the UE for processing by the processing circuit. The UE may include an output interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information that has been processed by the processing circuit from the UE. The UE may also include a battery connected to the processing circuit and configured to power the UE.

[0152] Embodiments herein also include a radio network node configured to perform any steps of any embodiment described above for the radio network node.

[0153] Embodiments also include a radio network node comprising a processing circuit and a power supply circuit. The processing circuit is configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments described above for the radio network node. The power supply circuit is configured to supply power to the radio network node.

[0154] Embodiments further include a radio network node comprising a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments described above for the radio network node. In some embodiments, the radio network node further includes a communication circuit.

[0155] The embodiment further comprises a radio network node comprising a processing circuit and a memory. The memory contains instructions executable by the processing circuit, whereby the radio network node is configured to perform any steps of any embodiment described above for the radio network node.

[0156] The embodiments herein also include a network node 16 configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments described above for the network node.

[0157] The embodiment also includes a network node 16 comprising a processing circuit and a power supply circuit. The processing circuit is configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments described above for the network node 16. The power supply circuit is configured to supply power to the network node 16.

[0158] The embodiment further comprises a network node 16 comprising a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments described above for the network node 16. In some embodiments, the network node 16 further comprises a communication circuit.

[0159] The embodiment further comprises a network node 16 comprising a processing circuit and a memory. The memory contains instructions executable by the processing circuit, whereby the network node 16 is configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments described above for the network node 16.

[0160] More specifically, the above-mentioned device can perform the method and any other processing of the present invention by implementing any functional device, module, unit or circuit. In one embodiment, for example, the device includes a corresponding circuit or circuit system configured to perform the steps shown in the method figure. In this regard, the circuit or circuit system may include a circuit dedicated to performing certain functional processing and / or one or more microprocessors combined with a memory. For example, the circuit may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers and other digital hardware, and other digital hardware may include a digital signal processor (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuit may be configured to execute a program code stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory, a cache memory, a flash memory device, an optical storage device, etc. In several embodiments, the program code stored in the memory may include program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, and instructions for executing one or more technologies described herein. In an embodiment using a memory, the memory stores program code, which executes the technology described herein when executed by one or more processors.

[0161] For example, Figure 7 A wireless device 700 (e.g., wireless device 12A) as implemented according to one or more embodiments is shown. As shown, the wireless device 700 includes a processing circuit 710 and a communication circuit 720. The communication circuit 720 (e.g., a radio circuit) is configured to send information to one or more other nodes and / or receive information from one or more other nodes, for example, via any communication technology. Such communication can occur via one or more antennas, which are located inside or outside the wireless device 700. The processing circuit 710 is configured to perform the above-mentioned processing, for example, by executing instructions stored in the memory 730. In this regard, the processing circuit 710 can implement certain functional devices, units or modules.

[0162] Figure 8 Wireless networks according to other embodiments (e.g., Fig.19 Schematic block diagram of a wireless device 800 (e.g., wireless device 12A) in a wireless network shown in FIG. As shown, the wireless device 800 is, for example, connected via Figure 7The processing circuit 710 in the embodiment and / or the software code implement various functional devices, units or modules. For example, these functional devices, units or modules for implementing the method herein include, for example: a characteristic determination unit 810, which is configured to determine one or more characteristics associated with the wireless device positioning performance on the link for each of the one or more links 14; and a signaling sending unit 820, which is configured to send control signaling 22, which indicates one or more characteristics determined for each of the one or more links.

[0163] Fig. 9 A radio network node 900 (e.g., radio network node 30) as implemented according to one or more embodiments is shown. As shown, the radio network node 900 includes a processing circuit 910 and a communication circuit 920. The communication circuit 920 is configured to send information to one or more other nodes and / or receive information from one or more other nodes, for example, via any communication technology. The processing circuit 910 is configured to perform the above-mentioned processing, for example, by executing instructions stored in a memory 930. In this regard, the processing circuit 910 may implement certain functional devices, units or modules.

[0164] Fig.10 Wireless networks according to other embodiments (e.g., Fig.19 Schematic block diagram of a radio network node 1000 in a wireless network shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the radio network node 1000 is, for example, Fig. 9 The processing circuit 910 in the wireless device and / or various functional devices, units or modules are implemented via software code. For example, these functional devices, units or modules for implementing the method herein include: a transmission execution unit 1010, which is configured to perform PRS transmission on the link according to the PRS configuration; and a configuration determination unit 1020, which is configured to determine different PRS configurations based on control signaling from the location server and / or the wireless device. The transmission execution unit 1010 is also configured to perform PRS transmission on the link according to different PRS configurations.

[0165] Fig.11A network node 1100 (e.g., network node 16) as implemented according to one or more embodiments is shown. The network node 1100 may operate as a radio network node, a location server, or a positioning server. As shown, the network node 1100 includes a processing circuit 1110 and a communication circuit 1120. The communication circuit 1120 is configured to send information to one or more other nodes and / or receive information from one or more other nodes, for example, via any communication technology. The processing circuit 1110 is configured to perform the above-mentioned processing, for example, by executing instructions stored in a memory 1130. In this regard, the processing circuit 1110 may implement certain functional devices, units, or modules.

[0166] Fig.12 Wireless networks according to other embodiments (e.g., Fig.19 Schematic block diagram of a network node 1200 (e.g., network node 16) in a wireless network shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the network node 1200 is, for example, connected via Fig.11 The processing circuit 1110 in the embodiment and / or various functional devices, units or modules are implemented via software codes. For example, these functional devices, units or modules for implementing the method herein include: a transmission execution unit 1210, which is configured to configure PRS transmission on a link in a wireless communication network; a feedback receiving unit 1220, which is configured to receive feedback related to using the configured PRS transmission for wireless device positioning; and a configuration adaptation unit 1230, which is configured to adapt the configuration of the PRS transmission on the link based on the received feedback.

[0167] Fig.13 Wireless networks according to other embodiments (e.g., Fig.19 Another schematic block diagram of a network node 1300 (e.g., network node 16) in a wireless network shown in FIG. As shown, the network node 1300 is, for example, connected via Fig.11 The processing circuit 1110 in the embodiment and / or various functional devices, units or modules are implemented via software codes. For example, these functional devices, units or modules for implementing the methods herein include: a signaling receiving unit 1310, which is configured to receive a control signaling 22, which indicates one or more characteristics associated with the wireless device positioning performance on the link for each of the one or more links 14; and a configuration adaptation unit 1320, which is configured to adapt the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links based on the received control signaling.

[0168] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the embodiments herein also include corresponding computer programs.

[0169] The computer program includes instructions, which, when executed on at least one processor of the device, cause the device to perform any corresponding processing described above. In this regard, the computer program may include one or more code modules corresponding to the above-mentioned devices or units.

[0170] The embodiment also includes a carrier containing such a computer program. The carrier may include one of an electric signal, an optical signal, a radio signal or a computer-readable storage medium.

[0171] In this regard, the embodiments herein also include a computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable (storage or recording) medium, and the computer program product includes instructions that, when executed by a processor of the device, cause the device to perform as described above.

[0172] The embodiment also includes a computer program product, which includes a program code portion, and when the computer program product is executed by a computing device, the program code portion is used to perform the steps of any embodiment herein. The computer program product can be stored on a computer readable recording medium.

[0173] Additional embodiments will now be described.For illustrative purposes, at least some of these embodiments may be described as applicable to certain contexts and / or wireless network types, but these embodiments are equally applicable to other contexts and / or wireless network types not explicitly described.

[0174] User equipment (UE) positioning is considered an important feature of 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks because of its potential for large-scale commercial applications (e.g., smart transportation, entertainment, industrial automation, robotics, teleoperation, healthcare, smart parking, etc.) and its relevance to the enhanced 911 requirements implemented by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

[0175] Positioning in LTE is done by Fig.14 The architecture shown supports direct interaction between the UE and the location server (Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center or E-SMLC) through the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP). In addition, there is interaction between the location server and the eNodeB through the LPPa protocol, which is supported to some extent by interaction between the eNodeB and the UE via the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol.

[0176] The following positioning techniques are considered in LTE. First, the enhanced cell ID technique uses cell ID information to associate the UE with the service area of ​​the serving cell, and then uses additional information to determine a finer granularity position. Second, the assisted global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technique uses information acquired by the UE, which is supported by auxiliary information provided to the UE from the E-SMLC. Third, in the OTDOA (Observed Time Difference of Arrival) technique, the UE estimates the time difference of reference signals from different base stations and sends the estimated time difference to the E-SMLC for multi-point positioning. Fourth, in the UTDOA (Uplink TDOA) technique, the UE is requested to send a specific waveform detected by multiple position measurement units (e.g., eNB) at known locations. These measurements are forwarded to the E-SMLC for multi-point positioning.

[0177] Positioning in 3GPP New Radio (NR) will be performed by Fig.15 The architecture shown supports. The Location Management Function (LMF) is the location server in NR. There is also interaction between the location server and the radio network node through the NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) protocol. The interaction between the radio network node and the device is supported through the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol. The interaction between the UE and the LMF has not yet been specified.

[0178] It is recognized herein that certain challenges exist. In existing downlink positioning methods, each radio network node sends positioning reference signals (PRS) in a pre-planned configuration and typically sends these PRSs all the time. There is no true feedback between the positioning accuracy performance received by the UE served by one radio network node and the contribution of the PRSs of each specific radio network node to that accuracy. This results in less efficient downlink transmissions because there is no dynamic change between the positioning accuracy and the transmission of the PRSs.

[0179] Some embodiments herein may dynamically increase the PRS on a cell, which will result in a Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD) that contributes significantly to position accuracy. This may minimize the ratio of downlink waste to accuracy.

[0180] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. In some embodiments, wasteful PRS transmissions may be avoided in downlink subframes for cells that will not contribute to positioning accuracy. Thus, unused downlink subframes may be used for other purposes. In some embodiments, energy consumption of the network is reduced because cells with poor RSTD quality do not transmit PRS. In some embodiments, the total overhead in the OTDOA downlink positioning method is also greatly reduced. Some embodiments may provide an efficient and dynamic method to utilize statistical information from previous positioning results.

[0181] According to some embodiments, a network node 16, such as a location server, receives from a first set of devices (eg, including Figure 1 The network node 16 may collect statistical measurements from the wireless device 12A in the wireless network node 12A to optimize the PRS configuration (i.e., the first PRS configuration) of the radio network node. The new PRS configuration (i.e., the second / or third PRS configuration) is sent to the second set of devices (e.g., including the wireless device 12B) for positioning at a later time. For example, the network node 16 may determine that the PRS resources in the second and / or third PRS configurations are only used to be consumed on cells that provide a low geometric dilution of precision (GDOP), have a high quality reference signal time difference (RSTD) (e.g., cells close to the UE), are in a line-of-sight (LOS) condition with a high probability, etc.

[0182] Fig.16 A method from the perspective of a network node (e.g., network node 16) operating as a location server according to some embodiments is shown. The location server may receive an indication of a UE capability for using statistical measurements from a first device (optional step 1600). In this context, only devices with this capability that are willing to participate in statistical measurements may be targeted as a set of "first devices".

[0183] Next, the location server receives one or more quality characteristics for the UE location from the first device (e.g., wireless device 12A), the one or more quality characteristics being based on radio signals from the set of radio network nodes, based on the first configuration (e.g., Figure 1 18A) (step 1610). One or more quality characteristics may include PRS quality, such as received signal quality and / or strength, Es / Iot, signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), channel state information (CSI), etc. One or more quality characteristics may alternatively or additionally include position quality or uncertainty, for example, for UE-based positioning, the UE can still assist the location server or radio network node that sends the PRS to optimize the PRS to improve its position estimate. Alternatively or additionally, one or more quality characteristics may include GDOP, channel and LOS / NLOS characteristics, and / or related characteristics based on the first configuration and known PRS signals. In this regard, one or more quality characteristics may include statistical measurements of any of the above over time (e.g., mean, Xth percentile, median). Alternatively or additionally, one or more quality characteristics may include an indication of one or more cells that contribute to one or more of the above-mentioned being below the first threshold and / or above the second threshold.

[0184] Alternatively or additionally, the location server receives a second PRS configuration suggested by the UE (step 1610).In one embodiment, the second PRS configuration may be suggested by the first device or may be configured by the location server based on received quality characteristics of the first PRS configuration received by the UE.

[0185] The location server then identifies that the PRS transmission of one or more radio network nodes is not effectively configured and will not contribute to UE positioning accuracy (step 1620). In some embodiments, this step can be performed primarily based on RSTD measurements or other quality characteristics received by the first device. In any case, the location server then sends a second PRS configuration (e.g., an adapted PRS configuration 18B) to the one or more radio network nodes (step 1630). The second PRS configuration can be configured by the location server, or received by the first device as a suggestion.

[0186] In some embodiments, the location server sends a third PRS configuration (e.g., adapted PRS configuration 18B or adapted PRS configuration 18C) of the one or more radio network nodes to the second device (step 1640). The third PRS configuration may be the same as or based on the second PRS configuration. Prior to this step, the location server may receive an acceptance from the target radio network node regarding an acceptance of the second PRS configuration or a proposal for a third PRS configuration. In some subsequent steps, the location server sends assistance information to the new device requesting positioning ("second device"), including the new and updated PRS configuration.

[0187] From the perspective of a radio network node, Fig.17 As shown in the illustrated example embodiment, a radio network node (e.g., radio network node 30) first sends a PRS based on a first configuration (e.g., PRS configuration 18A) (step 1700). The radio network node receives a second PRS configuration (e.g., adapted PRS configuration 18B) from a location server or from a UE (step 1710). In one embodiment, the UE may send the suggested second PRS configuration directly to the radio network node. Regardless, the radio network node determines a third configuration (e.g., adapted PRS configuration 18C) and sends PRS based on the third configuration (step 1720). The third configuration may be the same as or based on the second configuration. If the second and third PRS configurations are different, this should be signaled to the location server (step 1730).

[0188] From the perspective of wireless devices, Fig.18As shown in the example embodiment of , the UE may optionally send an indication of the UE capability for using statistical measurements to the location server (step 1800). In this context, this will classify the UE as a first device. In some embodiments, the UE (e.g., wireless device 12A) determines one or more quality characteristics for the UE location based on a first configuration (e.g., PRS configuration 18A) based on radio signals from a set of radio network nodes (step 1810). The UE sends the determined characteristics for determination of a second PRS configuration by the location server (step 1820). Alternatively, the UE recommends the second PRS configuration to the location server, or sends the second PRS configuration directly to one or more of the set of radio network nodes (step 1820). In a subsequent step, another device (herein referred to as a "second device") (e.g., wireless device 12B) performs RSTD measurements based on a third configuration (e.g., an adapted PRS configuration 18B or 18C), which is the same as or based on the second PRS configuration (step 1830).

[0189] Note that instead of configuring the radio node (manually or through the O&M system) what to send and the radio node then notifying the location server of the content and the location server then notifying the UE when to listen, some embodiments of the present invention include: 1) the UE directly notifies the radio node (e.g., through RRC) of the quality characteristics, which then adjusts and notifies the location server; or 2) the UE notifies the location server of the quality characteristics, and the location server instructs the radio node (directly or via O&M).

[0190] For initial measurements, the CSI-RS-Density value (ρ) can be used to indicate to the UE the UE starting position and the number of resource blocks in which it should assume CSI-RS transmission. In addition, other high-level parameters such as CSI-RS-FreqBand and BWP-Info can be used to indicate adaptive, dense / sparse PRS configurations.

[0191] Now consider some examples of second or third PRS configurations, for example relative to the first PRS configuration. In one example, the second or third PRS configuration for a cell increases one or more of the following: (i) the bandwidth over which the PRS is sent; (ii) the density of the PRS; (iii) the number of PRS resource elements (REs) within a resource block (RB) and / or subframe; and / or (iv) the number of PRS subframes per positioning opportunity. In another example, the second or third PRS configuration in the cell can reduce PRS frequency reuse. In either example, the second or third PRS configuration can be configured in this manner when the quality characteristics of the cell are below a first threshold for N1 UEs (N1=1, 2, ...) or Y1% of UEs (where N1 and Y1 can be pre-defined or configured).

[0192] In another example, the second or third PRS configuration for the cell may reduce one or more of: (i) the bandwidth over which the PRS is transmitted; (ii) the density of the PRS; (iii) the number of PRS REs within an RB and / or subframe; and / or (iv) the number of PRS subframes per positioning opportunity. In yet another example, the second or third PRS configuration for the cell may increase PRS frequency reuse. In either example, the second or third PRS configuration may be configured in such a manner that the quality characteristics of the cell are above a second threshold for N2 UEs (N2=1, 2, ...) or Y2% of UEs (where N2 and Y2 may be predefined or configured).

[0193] Note that in the above, if the UE suggests the second configuration, then N1 and N2 will be 1, and Y1 and Y2 will not apply to this particular embodiment.

[0194] Regarding the combined effect of density and bandwidth, it can also be observed that when PRS is sparse (fewer PRS REs per RB or less frequency reuse), more cells can transmit on overlapping PRS bandwidth without causing interference. But to compensate for fewer REs, a larger bandwidth may be required. The advantage of utilizing overlapping bandwidth in case of sparse PRS is that the UE will be able to receive PRS from different cells without re-tuning to different frequencies and without measuring gaps.

[0195] In some embodiments, if the PRS is transmitted by beam, the above embodiments for the cell will apply to the beam. The UE may transmit the measurement evaluation by beam instead of by cell.

[0196] Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are directed to wireless networks (e.g. Fig.19For simplicity, Fig.19 The wireless network of FIG. 1 depicts only network 1906, network nodes 1960 and 1960b, and WDs 1910, 1910b, and 1910c. In practice, a wireless network may also include any additional elements suitable for supporting communication between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device (e.g., a landline phone, a service provider, or any other network node or terminal device). In the illustrated components, network node 1960 and wireless device (WD) 1910 are depicted in additional detail. A wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate wireless devices to access and / or use services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0197] A wireless network may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular and / or radio network or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, a wireless network may be configured to operate according to a specific standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, specific embodiments of a wireless communication network may implement communication standards such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards; wireless local area network (WLAN) standards such as IEEE 802.11 standards; and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0198] Network 1906 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks to enable communication between devices.

[0199] The network node 1960 and WD 1910 include various components described in more detail below. These components work together to provide network node and / or wireless device functions, such as providing wireless connections in a wireless network. In different embodiments, the wireless network may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals (whether via a wired connection or via a wireless connection).

[0200] As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless device and / or with other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to implement and / or provide wireless access to a wireless device and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in a wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), and NR NodeBs (gNBs)). Base stations can be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or in other words, based on their transmit power levels), so they can also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station can be a relay node or a relay host node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU) (sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH)). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Still other examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment (such as an MSR BS), a network controller (such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC)), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmission node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), a core network node (e.g., MSC, MME), an O&M node, an OSS node, a SON node, a positioning node (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or an MDT. As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node, as described in more detail below. However, more generally, a network node may represent any suitable device (or device group) that is capable of, configured, arranged, and / or operable to enable and / or provide access to a wireless network to a wireless device, or to provide a certain service to a wireless device that has accessed a wireless network.

[0201] exist Fig.19 In FIG. 1 , the network node 1960 includes a processing circuit 1970, a device readable medium 1980, an interface 1990, an auxiliary device 1984, a power supply 1986, a power supply circuit 1987, and an antenna 1962. Fig.19The network node 1960 shown in the example wireless network of can represent a device including a combination of the hardware components shown, but other embodiments can include network nodes with different combinations of components. It should be understood that the network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. In addition, although the components of the network node 1960 are depicted as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality, the network node may include multiple different physical components that constitute a single illustrated component (for example, the device readable medium 1980 may include multiple separate hard drives and multiple RAM modules).

[0202] Similarly, the network node 1960 may be composed of multiple physically separated components (e.g., NodeB components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), each of which may have its own corresponding components. In certain scenarios where the network node 1960 includes multiple separated components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of these separated components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such scenarios, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered as a single separate network node in some instances. In some embodiments, the network node 1960 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be replicated (e.g., separate device-readable media 1980 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 1962 may be shared by RATs). The network node 1960 may also include multiple groups of various components shown for different wireless technologies (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies) integrated into the network node 1960. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within network node 1960 .

[0203] The processing circuit 1970 is configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being provided by the network node. These operations performed by the processing circuit 1970 may include processing the information obtained by the processing circuit 1970 by, for example, converting the obtained information to other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information and making a determination based on the results of the processing.

[0204] The processing circuit 1970 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic, which is operable to provide network node 1960 functions alone or in combination with other network node 1960 components (e.g., device readable medium 1980). For example, the processing circuit 1970 may execute instructions stored in the device readable medium 1980 or stored in a memory within the processing circuit 1970. Such functions may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1970 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0205] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1970 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1972 and baseband processing circuitry 1974. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1972 and baseband processing circuitry 1974 may be located on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units (e.g., a radio unit and a digital unit). In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 1972 and baseband processing circuitry 1974 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0206] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by a processing circuit 1970 that executes instructions stored on a device-readable medium 1980 or a memory within the processing circuit 1970. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by the processing circuit 1970, for example, in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable medium. In any of these embodiments, the processing circuit 1970 may be configured to perform the described functions, whether or not executing instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to the processing circuit 1970 or to other components of the network node 1960, but are enjoyed by the network node 1960 as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks in general.

[0207] Device readable medium 1980 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer readable memory, including but not limited to permanent storage devices, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and / or computer executable memory device that stores information, data and / or instructions that can be used by processing circuit 1970. Device readable medium 1980 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that can be executed by processing circuit 1970 and used by network node 1960. Device readable medium 1980 may be used to store any calculations made by processing circuit 1970 and / or any data received via interface 1990. In some embodiments, processing circuit 1970 and device readable medium 1980 may be considered integrated.

[0208] The interface 1990 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between the network node 1960, the network 1906 and / or the WD 1910. As shown, the interface 1990 includes a port / terminal 1994 for sending data to the network 1906 and receiving data from the network 1906, for example, via a wired connection. The interface 1990 also includes a radio front-end circuit 1992, which can be coupled to the antenna 1962, or in some embodiments is part of the antenna 1962. The radio front-end circuit 1992 includes a filter 1998 and an amplifier 1996. The radio front-end circuit 1992 can be connected to the antenna 1962 and the processing circuit 1970. The radio front-end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal communicated between the antenna 1962 and the processing circuit 1970. The radio front-end circuit 1992 can receive digital data, which will be sent out to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front end circuit 1992 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 1998 and / or amplifiers 1996. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna 1962. Similarly, when receiving data, the radio signal may be collected by antenna 1962 and then converted into digital data by the radio front end circuit 1992. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 1970. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0209] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 1960 may not include a separate radio front end circuit 1992, and instead, the processing circuit 1970 may include the radio front end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 1962 without a separate radio front end circuit 1992. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit 1972 may be considered part of the interface 1990. In other embodiments, the interface 1990 may include one or more ports or terminals 1994, the radio front end circuit 1992, and the RF transceiver circuit 1972 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface 1990 may communicate with the baseband processing circuit 1974 as part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0210] Antenna 1962 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 1962 may be coupled to radio front-end circuit 1990 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 1962 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector or flat panel antennas operable to send / receive radio signals between, for example, 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas may be used to send / receive radio signals in any direction, sector antennas may be used to send / receive radio signals to / from devices in a specific area, and flat panel antennas may be line-of-sight antennas for sending / receiving radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some cases, using more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In some embodiments, antenna 1962 may be separated from network node 1960 and may be connected to network node 1960 via an interface or port.

[0211] Antenna 1962, interface 1990 and / or processing circuit 1970 can be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain obtaining operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal can be received from a wireless device, another network node and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 1962, interface 1990 and / or processing circuit 1970 can be configured to perform any sending operation performed by a network node described herein. Any information, data and / or signal can be sent to a wireless device, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0212] The power circuit 1987 may include a power management circuit or be coupled to a power management circuit and is configured to provide power to the components of the network node 1960 to perform the functions described herein. The power circuit 1987 may receive power from the power supply 1986. The power supply 1986 and / or the power circuit 1987 may be configured to provide power to the various components of the network node 1960 in a form suitable for the various components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). The power supply 1986 may be included in the power circuit 1987 and / or the network node 1960 or outside the power circuit 1987 and / or the network node 1960. For example, the network node 1960 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power outlet) via an input circuit or an interface such as a cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit 1987. As another example, the power supply 1986 may include a power source in the form of a battery or a battery pack, which is connected to or integrated in the power circuit 1987. If the external power source fails, the battery can provide backup power. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0213] Alternative embodiments of network node 1960 may include beyond Fig.19 , which may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality required to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 1960 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 1960 and to allow information to be output from the network node 1960. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for the network node 1960.

[0214] As used herein, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device that can, is configured to, is arranged to and / or is operable to communicate wirelessly with a network node and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise specified, the term WD may be used interchangeably with a user equipment (UE) in this article. Wireless transmission may include using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information through the air to send and / or receive wireless signals. In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a WD may be designed to send information to a network with a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from a network. Examples of WD include, but are not limited to, smart phones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, portable computers, portable embedded devices (LEEs), portable installation devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, etc. WD can support device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-anything (V2X) communication, for example, by implementing the 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, and in this case can be referred to as a D2D communication device. As another specific example, in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, WD can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another WD and / or network node. In this case, WD can be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which can be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, WD can be a UE that implements the 3GPP narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices (e.g., electric meters), industrial machines, or household or personal devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearable devices (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, WD can represent a vehicle or other device that can monitor and / or report its operating status or other functions associated with its operation. As mentioned above, WD can represent the end point of wireless connection, in which case, the device can be referred to as a wireless terminal. In addition, as mentioned above, WD can be mobile, in which case, it can also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

[0215] As shown, wireless device 1910 includes antenna 1911, interface 1914, processing circuit 1920, device readable medium 1930, user interface device 1932, auxiliary device 1934, power supply 1936 and power supply circuit 1937. WD 1910 can include multiple groups of one or more of the components shown for different wireless technologies supported by WD 1910 (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, NB-IoT or Bluetooth wireless technologies, just to mention some). These wireless technologies can be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets as other components within WD 1910.

[0216] Antenna 1911 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals, and is connected to interface 1914. In some alternative embodiments, antenna 1911 may be separated from WD 1910 and may be connected to WD 1910 via an interface or port. Antenna 1911, interface 1914, and / or processing circuit 1920 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operation described herein as being performed by WD. Any information, data, and / or signal may be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front-end circuitry and / or antenna 1911 may be considered as an interface.

[0217] As shown, the interface 1914 includes a radio front-end circuit 1912 and an antenna 1911. The radio front-end circuit 1912 includes one or more filters 1918 and an amplifier 1916. The radio front-end circuit 1914 is connected to the antenna 1911 and the processing circuit 1920, and is configured to condition the signals transmitted between the antenna 1911 and the processing circuit 1920. The radio front-end circuit 1912 may be coupled to the antenna 1911 or may be part of the antenna 1911. In some alternative embodiments, the WD 1910 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 1912; instead, the processing circuit 1920 may include the radio front-end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 1911. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 1922 may be considered to be part of the interface 1914. The radio front-end circuit 1912 may receive digital data, which will be sent out to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front end circuit 1912 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 1918 and / or amplifiers 1916. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna 1911. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 1911 may collect the radio signal, which may then be converted into digital data by the radio front end circuit 1912. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuit 1920. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0218] The processing circuit 1920 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or coded logic, which is operable to provide WD 1910 functions alone or in combination with other WD 1910 components (e.g., device-readable medium 1930). Such functions may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, the processing circuit 1920 may execute instructions stored in the device-readable medium 1930 or in a memory within the processing circuit 1920 to provide the functions disclosed herein.

[0219] As shown, the processing circuit 1920 includes one or more of the RF transceiver circuit 1922, the baseband processing circuit 1924, and the application processing circuit 1926. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may include different components and / or different combinations of components. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1920 of the WD 1910 may include a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 1922, the baseband processing circuit 1924, and the application processing circuit 1926 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In an alternative embodiment, part or all of the baseband processing circuit 1924 and the application processing circuit 1926 may be combined into one chip or chipset, and the RF transceiver circuit 1922 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In another alternative embodiment, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 1922 and the baseband processing circuit 1924 may be on the same chip or chipset, and the application processing circuit 1926 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In other alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 1922, baseband processing circuit 1924, and application processing circuit 1926 may be combined in the same chip or chipset. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 1922 may be part of the interface 1914. The RF transceiver circuit 1922 may condition the RF signal for the processing circuit 1920.

[0220] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as being performed by the WD may be provided by a processing circuit 1920 that executes instructions stored on a device-readable medium 1930, which in some embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by the processing circuit 1920, for example, in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium. In any of these specific embodiments, the processing circuit 1920 may be configured to perform the described functions, regardless of whether instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuit 1920 or to other components of the WD 1910, but are enjoyed by the WD 1910 as a whole and / or by the end user and the wireless network as a whole.

[0221] Processing circuit 1920 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain acquisition operations) described herein as being performed by WD. Such operations performed by processing circuit 1920 may include processing information obtained by processing circuit 1920 by, for example, converting the obtained information to other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information to information stored by WD 1910, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information and making a determination based on the results of the processing.

[0222] Device-readable medium 1930 is operable to store computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by processing circuit 1920. Device-readable medium 1930 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by processing circuit 1920. In some embodiments, processing circuit 1920 and device-readable medium 1930 may be considered integrated.

[0223] The user interface device 1932 can provide a component that allows a human user to interact with the WD 1910. This interaction can have a variety of forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device 1932 is operable to generate output to the user and allow the user to provide input to the WD 1910. The type of interaction can vary according to the type of user interface device 1932 installed in the WD 1910. For example, if the WD 1910 is a smart phone, the interaction can be carried out via a touch screen; if the WD 1910 is a smart meter, the interaction can be carried out through a screen that provides the amount (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alarm (e.g., if smoke is detected). The user interface device 1932 can include an input interface, device and circuit, and an output interface, device and circuit. The user interface device 1932 is configured to allow information to be input into the WD 1910, and is connected to the processing circuit 1920 to allow the processing circuit 1920 to process the input information. User interface device 1932 may include, for example, a microphone, proximity or other sensors, keys / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, USB ports or other input circuits. User interface device 1932 is also configured to allow information to be output from WD 1910, and allows processing circuit 1920 to output information from WD 1910. User interface device 1932 may include, for example, a speaker, display, vibration circuit, USB port, headphone jack or other output circuits. By using one or more input and output interfaces, devices and circuits of user interface device 1932, WD 1910 can communicate with terminal users and / or wireless networks, and allow them to benefit from the functions described herein.

[0224] Auxiliary device 1934 is operable to provide more specific functions that may not normally be performed by a WD. This may include specialized sensors for measuring for various purposes, interfaces for other types of communications such as wired communications, etc. The inclusion and type of components of auxiliary device 1934 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0225] In some embodiments, the power supply 1936 may be in the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power supplies may also be used, such as an external power source (e.g., a power outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery cell. WD 1910 may also include a power supply circuit 1937 for delivering power from the power supply 1936 to various parts of WD 1910, and various parts of WD 1910 require power from the power supply 1936 to perform any functions described or indicated herein. In some embodiments, the power supply circuit 1937 may include a power management circuit. The power supply circuit 1937 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source; in this case, the WD 1910 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power outlet) through an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. In some embodiments, the power supply circuit 1937 may also be operable to deliver power from an external power source to the power supply 1936. For example, this may be used for charging the power supply 1936. The power supply circuit 1937 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modifications to the power from the power supply 1936 so that the power is suitable for the various components of the WD 1910 being powered.

[0226] Fig. 20 An embodiment of a UE according to various aspects described herein is shown. As used herein, "user equipment" or "UE" may not necessarily have a "user" in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user but may not or may not initially be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter). UE 20200 may be any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a NB-IoT UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. As Fig. 20 As shown, UE 2000 is an example of a WD configured for communication according to one or more communication standards promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. As previously mentioned, the terms WD and UE may be used interchangeably. Therefore, although Fig. 20 It is UE, but the components discussed in this article are also applicable to WD and vice versa.

[0227] exist Fig. 20In the embodiment, UE 2000 includes a processing circuit 2001, which is operably coupled to an input / output interface 2005, a radio frequency (RF) interface 2009, a network connection interface 2011, a memory 2015 including a random access memory (RAM) 2017, a read-only memory (ROM) 2019, and a storage medium 2021, a communication subsystem 2031, a power supply 2033, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 2021 includes an operating system 2023, an application 2025, and data 2027. In other embodiments, the storage medium 2021 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may use Fig. 20 All components shown in the UE may be used, or only a subset of these components may be used. The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another. In addition, some UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0228] exist Fig. 20 , the processing circuit 2001 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 2001 may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored as a machine-readable computer program in a memory, such as: one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., implemented in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored programs, general-purpose processors (e.g., microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs)) together with suitable software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 2001 may include two central processing units (CPUs). The data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0229] In the depicted embodiment, the input / output interface 2005 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, an output device, or an input and output device. The UE 2000 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 2005. The output device may use an interface port of the same type as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to and output from the UE 2000. The output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, a transmitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. The UE 2000 may be configured to use an input device via the input / output interface 2005 to allow a user to capture information into the UE 2000. The input device may include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a touchpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from the user. The sensor can be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another similar sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device can be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor.

[0230] exist Fig. 20 In the embodiment of the present invention, the RF interface 2009 can be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as transmitters, receivers and antennas. The network connection interface 2011 can be configured to provide a communication interface to the network 2043a. The network 2043a can include a wired and / or wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network or any combination thereof. For example, the network 2043a can include a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 2011 can be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface, and the receiver and transmitter interface are used to communicate with one or more other devices through a communication network according to one or more communication protocols (e.g., Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc.). The network connection interface 2011 can implement receiver and transmitter functions suitable for communication network links (e.g., optical, electrical, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functions can share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively can be implemented separately.

[0231] RAM 2017 can be configured to interface with processing circuit 2001 via bus 2002 to provide storage or cache of data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs such as operating systems, applications and device drivers. ROM 2019 can be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuit 2001. For example, ROM 2019 can be configured to store unchanged low-level system code or data for basic system functions stored in non-volatile memory, such as basic input and output (I / O), start-up or reception of keystrokes from keyboard. Storage medium 2021 can be configured to include memory, such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable tape cassette or flash drive. In one example, storage medium 2021 can be configured to include operating system 2023, application 2025 such as web browser application, widget or gadget engine or another application and data file 2027. The storage medium 2021 may store any one of various operating systems or a combination of operating systems for use by the UE 2000 .

[0232] The storage medium 2021 may be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy disk drive, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical drive, a built-in hard drive, a Blu-ray optical drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory such as a user identity module or a removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) module, other memories or any combination thereof. The storage medium 2021 may allow the UE 2000 to access computer executable instructions, applications, etc. stored on a temporary or non-temporary storage medium to unload data or upload data. Articles such as articles utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied in the storage medium 2021, which may include a device-readable medium.

[0233] exist Fig. 20In the embodiment of the present invention, the processing circuit 2001 can be configured to communicate with the network 2043b using the communication subsystem 2031. The network 2043a and the network 2043b can be one or more identical networks or one or more different networks. The communication subsystem 2031 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with the network 2043b. For example, the communication subsystem 2031 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with another device (e.g., another WD, UE) or one or more remote transceivers of a base station of a radio access network (RAN) according to one or more communication protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.20, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc.) capable of wireless communication. Each transceiver may include a transmitter 2033 and / or a receiver 2035 to respectively implement a transmitter or receiver function (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.) suitable for a RAN link. In addition, the transmitter 2033 and the receiver 2035 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may be implemented separately instead.

[0234] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 2031 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication (such as use of a global positioning system (GPS) for determining location), another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 2031 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 2043b may include a wired and / or wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 2043b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power supply 2013 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 2000.

[0235] The features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of UE 2000, or divided between multiple components of UE 2000. In addition, the features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 2031 may be configured to include any components described herein. In addition, the processing circuit 2001 may be configured to communicate with any such component via bus 2002. In another example, any such component may be represented by a program instruction stored in a memory, and when executed by the processing circuit 2001, the program instruction performs the corresponding function described herein. In another example, the function of any such component may be divided between the processing circuit 2001 and the communication subsystem 2031. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented with software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented with hardware.

[0236] Fig.21 21 is a schematic block diagram showing a virtualized environment 2100 in which the functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualized hardware platforms, storage devices, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization may be applied to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or a component thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functions are implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., by one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers executed on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0237] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 2100 hosted by one or more hardware nodes 2130. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not radio access nodes or do not require radio connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), the network nodes may be fully virtualized at this point.

[0238] These functions may be implemented by one or more applications 2120 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual devices, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.), which are operable to implement some features, functions, and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 2120 run in a virtualized environment 2100, which provides hardware 2130 including processing circuits 2160 and memory 2190. The memory 2190 contains instructions 2195 executable by the processing circuits 2160, whereby the applications 2120 are operable to provide one or more features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0239] The virtualized environment 2100 includes a general or special purpose network hardware device 2130, which includes a set of one or more processors or processing circuits 2160, which may be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuit including digital or analog hardware components or special purpose processors. Each hardware device may include a memory 2190-1, which may be a non-permanent memory for temporarily storing instructions 2195 or software executed by the processing circuit 2160. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 2170, also known as network interface cards, which include a physical network interface 2180. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory, permanent machine-readable storage medium 2190-2 in which software 2195 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuit 2160 are stored. The software 2195 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 2150 (also known as hypervisors), software for executing virtual machines 2140, and software that allows them to perform the functions, features, and / or benefits described in connection with some embodiments described herein.

[0240] The virtual machine 2140 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and can be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 2150 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of instances of the virtual device 2120 can be implemented on one or more of the virtual machines 2140, and the implementation can be done in different ways.

[0241] During operation, processing circuit 2160 executes software 2195 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 2150, which may sometimes be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Virtualization layer 2150 may present a virtual operating platform that appears to virtual machine 2140 as networked hardware.

[0242] like Fig.21As shown, hardware 2130 can be an independent network node with common or specific components. Hardware 2130 can include antenna 21225 and some functions can be implemented through virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 2130 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (for example, in a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed by management and coordination (MANO) 21100, which oversees the life cycle management of application 2120, etc.

[0243] In some contexts, virtualization of hardware is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to unify numerous network equipment types onto industry-standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0244] In the context of NFV, a virtual machine 2140 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 2140 and the portion of hardware 2130 that executes the virtual machine (which may be hardware dedicated to the virtual machine and / or hardware shared by the virtual machine and other virtual machines in virtual machines 2140) form a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0245] Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for handling specific network functions running in one or more virtual machines 2140 on top of the hardware network infrastructure 2130 and corresponds to Fig.21 Applications in 2120.

[0246] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 21200, each including one or more transmitters 21220 and one or more receivers 21210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 21225. The radio units 21200 may communicate directly with the hardware nodes 2130 via one or more suitable network interfaces, and may be used in conjunction with virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or base station.

[0247] In some embodiments, some signaling may be implemented using a control system 21230 , which may alternatively be used for communications between the hardware node 2130 and the radio unit 21200 .

[0248] Fig. 22 A telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network according to some embodiments is shown. Fig. 22According to an embodiment, a communication system includes a telecommunication network 2210 (e.g., a cellular network of the 3GPP type), the telecommunication network 2210 including an access network 2211 (e.g., a radio access network) and a core network 2214. The access network 2211 includes a plurality of base stations 2212a, 2212b, 2212c (e.g., NB, eNB, gNB or other types of wireless access points), each base station defining a corresponding coverage area 2213a, 2213b, 2213c. Each base station 2212a, 2212b, 2212c is connectable to the core network 2214 via a wired or wireless connection 2215. A first UE 2291 located in the coverage area 2213c is configured to be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 2212c or to be paged by the corresponding base station 2212c. A second UE 2292 in the coverage area 2213a is wirelessly connectable to the corresponding base station 2212a. Although multiple UEs 2291, 2292 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only a UE is in the coverage area or a only UE is connected to the corresponding base station 2212.

[0249] The telecommunications network 2210 itself is connected to a host computer 2230, which may be implemented in hardware and / or software as a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server cluster. The host computer 2230 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. The connections 2221 and 2222 between the telecommunications network 2210 and the host computer 2230 may extend directly from the core network 2214 to the host computer 2230, or may be made via an optional intermediate network 2220. The intermediate network 2220 may be a combination of one or more of a public, private, or carrier network; the intermediate network 2220 (if present) may be a backbone network or the Internet; specifically, the intermediate network 2220 may include two or more subnetworks (not shown).

[0250] Fig. 22The communication system as a whole implements a connection between the connected UEs 2291, 2292 and the host computer 2230. The connection can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 2250. The host computer 2230 and the connected UEs 2291, 2292 are configured to use the access network 2211, the core network 2214, any intermediate networks 2220 and possible other infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries to transmit data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 2250. The OTT connection 2250 can be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 2250 passes are not aware of the routing of uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 2212 may not be informed or the base station 412 may not need to be informed of the past routing of the incoming downlink communication with data originating from the host computer 2230 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 2291. Similarly, the base station 2212 need not be aware of the future routing of outgoing uplink communications originating from the UE 2291 to the host computer 2230.

[0251] Now refer to Fig.23 Detailed description of the drawings is given below. Detailed description of the drawings is given below. Fig.23 A host computer that communicates with a user device via a base station through a partial wireless connection according to some embodiments is shown. In the communication system 2300, the host computer 2310 includes hardware 2315, and the hardware 2315 includes a communication interface 2316, and the communication interface 2316 is configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection of an interface with different communication devices of the communication system 2300. The host computer 2310 also includes a processing circuit 2318, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. Specifically, the processing circuit 2318 may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The host computer 2310 also includes software 2311, which is stored in the host computer 2310 or can be accessed by the host computer 2310 and can be executed by the processing circuit 2318. Software 2311 includes a host application 2312. The host application 2312 is operable to provide services to a remote user (e.g., UE 2330), which is connected via an OTT connection 2350 terminated at the UE 2330 and the host computer 2310. In providing services to the remote user, the host application 2312 may provide user data sent using the OTT connection 2350.

[0252] The communication system 2300 also includes a base station 2320 provided in the telecommunication system, the base station 2320 including hardware 2325 enabling it to communicate with the host computer 2310 and with the UE 2330. The hardware 2325 may include: a communication interface 2326 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with an interface of different communication devices of the communication system 2300; and a radio interface 2327 for establishing and maintaining at least a connection with a network located in a coverage area ( Fig.23 The communication interface 2326 may be configured to facilitate a connection 2360 to the host computer 2310. The connection 2360 may be direct, or it may pass through a core network (eg, a wireless network) of the telecommunications system. Fig.23 23) and / or through one or more intermediate networks external to the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 2325 of the base station 2320 also includes processing circuitry 2328, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The base station 2320 also has software 2321 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0253] The communication system 2300 also includes the UE 2330 already mentioned. Its hardware 2335 may include a radio interface 2337, which is configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 2370 with a base station serving the coverage area where the UE 2330 is currently located. The hardware 2335 of the UE 2330 also includes a processing circuit 2338, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination thereof (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The UE 2330 also includes software 2331, which is stored in the UE 2330 or can be accessed by the UE 2330 and can be executed by the processing circuit 2338. The software 2331 includes a client application 2332. The client application 2332 is operable to provide services to human or non-human users via the UE 2330 with the support of the host computer 2310. In the host computer 2310, the executing host application 2312 can communicate with the executing client application 2332 via the OTT connection 2350 terminated at the UE 2330 and the host computer 2310. When providing services to users, the client application 2332 can receive request data from the host application 2312 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 2350 can transmit both the request data and the user data. The client application 2332 can interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0254] Notice, Fig.23The host computer 2310, base station 2320 and UE 2330 shown can be respectively Fig. 22 The host computer 2230, one of the base stations 2212a, 2212b, 2212c and one of the UEs 2291, 2292 may be similar or identical. That is, the internal workings of these entities may be similar to or identical to those of the host computer 2230, one of the base stations 2212a, 2212b, 2212c and one of the UEs 2291, 22 Fig.23 As shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Fig. 22 network topology.

[0255] exist Fig.23 23, an OTT connection 2350 has been abstractly drawn to show communications between a host computer 2310 and a UE 2330 via a base station 2320, without explicitly mentioning any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing, which can be configured to be hidden from the UE 2330 or from the service provider operating the host computer 2310, or from both. While the OTT connection 2350 is active, the network infrastructure can also make decisions that dynamically change the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network).

[0256] The wireless connection 2370 between the UE 2330 and the base station 2320 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improves the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 2330 using the OTT connection 2350, wherein the wireless connection 2370 forms the last segment in the OTT connection 2350. More precisely, the embodiments described herein contribute to avoiding wasteful PRS transmission in downlink subframes for cells that will not contribute to positioning accuracy. Therefore, unused downlink subframes can be used for other purposes. Since cells with poor RSTD quality do not send PRS, the energy consumption of the network is reduced. The total overhead in the OTDOA downlink positioning method is also greatly reduced. The embodiments can provide an effective and dynamic method to utilize statistical information from previous positioning results, and the teachings of these embodiments can improve the data rate, latency and power consumption of devices and networks, thereby providing benefits such as better responsiveness, capacity and battery life.

[0257] For the purpose of monitoring the data rate, latency and other factors improved by one or more embodiments, a measurement process may be provided. There may also be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 2350 between the host computer 2310 and the UE 2330 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 2350 may be implemented in software 2311 and hardware 2315 of the host computer 2310 or in software 2331 and hardware 2335 of the UE 2330 or in both. In an embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with a communication device through which the OTT connection 2350 passes; the sensor may participate in the measurement process by providing the value of the monitoring quantity exemplified above or providing the value of other physical quantities that the software 2311, 2331 can use to calculate or estimate the monitoring quantity. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 2350 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration need not affect the base station 2320, and it may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 2320. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In a particular embodiment, the measurement may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the host computer 2310 to measure throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurement may be implemented as follows: the software 2311 and 2331 enables the use of the OTT connection 2350 to send messages (specifically, empty messages or "fake" messages) while it monitors propagation time, errors, etc.

[0258] Fig.24 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Fig. 22 and Fig.23 For the sake of simplicity of this disclosure, only the host computer, base station and UE described in this section will be included. Fig.24 In step 2410, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 2411 of step 2410 (which may be optional), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 2420, the host computer initiates a transmission to the UE carrying the user data. In step 2430 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the base station sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host computer to the UE. In step 2440 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0259] Fig.25is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Fig. 22 and Fig.23 For the sake of simplicity of this disclosure, only the host computer, base station and UE described in this section will be included. Fig.25 In step 2510 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 2520, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission may be via a base station. In step 2530 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0260] Fig.26 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Fig. 22 and Fig.23 For the sake of simplicity of this disclosure, only the host computer, base station and UE described in this section will be included. Fig.26 . In step 2610 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 2620, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 2621 of step 2620 (which may be optional), the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 2611 of step 2610 (which may be optional), the UE executes a client application, which provides user data in response to input data provided by the received host computer. When providing user data, the executed client application may also consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner of providing user data, the UE initiates transmission of user data to the host computer in sub-step 2630 (which may be optional). In step 2640 of the method, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the host computer receives user data sent from the UE.

[0261] Fig. 27 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Fig. 22 and Fig.23 For the sake of simplicity of this disclosure, only the host computer, base station and UE described in this section will be included. Fig. 27In step 2710 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the base station receives user data from the UE. In step 2720 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 2730 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0262] Any suitable steps, methods, features, functions or benefits disclosed herein may be performed by one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual devices. Each virtual device may include a plurality of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented by a processing circuit, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers and other digital hardware, which may include a digital signal processor (DSP), a dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuit may be configured to execute program codes stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a cache memory, a flash memory device, an optical storage device, etc. The program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, and instructions for executing one or more of the technologies described herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit may be used to cause the corresponding functional unit to perform the corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0263] Therefore, in view of the above, embodiments herein generally include a communication system including a host computer. The host computer may include a processing circuit configured to provide user data. The host computer may also include a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE). The cellular network includes a base station having a radio interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the base station being configured to perform any steps of any embodiment described above for the base station.

[0264] In some embodiments, the communication system further includes a base station.

[0265] In some embodiments, the communication system further comprises a UE, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with the base station.

[0266] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application to provide user data; in this case, the UE includes processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

[0267] Embodiments herein also include a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE). The method includes: providing user data at the host computer. The method may also include: at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying user data to the UE via a cellular network including the base station. The base station performs any steps of any embodiment described above for the base station.

[0268] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: sending user data at the base station.

[0269] In some embodiments, the user data is provided at the host computer by executing a host application. In this case, the method further comprises: at the UE, executing a client application associated with the host application.

[0270] The embodiments herein also include a user equipment (UE), the UE being configured to communicate with a base station. The UE comprises a radio interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit being configured to perform any of the embodiments described above for the UE.

[0271] Embodiments herein also include a communication system including a host computer. The host computer includes: a processing circuit configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE). The UE includes a radio interface and a processing circuit. The components of the UE are configured to perform any steps of any embodiment described above for the UE.

[0272] In some embodiments, the cellular network also includes a base station configured to communicate with the UE.

[0273] In some embodiments, the processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application to provide user data; the processing circuit of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

[0274] The embodiment also includes a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE). The method includes: providing user data at the host computer; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the base station. The UE performs any steps of any embodiment described above for the UE.

[0275] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving, at the UE, user data from the base station.

[0276] Embodiments herein also include a communication system including a host computer. The host computer includes a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a base station. The UE includes a radio interface and a processing circuit. The processing circuit of the UE is configured to perform any steps of any embodiment described above for the UE.

[0277] In some embodiments, the communication system further includes a UE.

[0278] In some embodiments, the communication system further comprises a base station. In this case, the base station comprises: a radio interface configured to communicate with the UE; and a communication interface configured to forward user data carried by the transmission from the UE to the base station to the host computer.

[0279] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, and the processing circuitry of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to provide user data.

[0280] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application to provide the request data, and the processing circuitry of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to provide the user data in response to the request data.

[0281] The embodiments of the present invention also include a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment (UE). The method includes: receiving user data sent from the UE to the base station at the host computer. The UE performs any steps of any embodiment described above for the UE.

[0282] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: at the UE, providing user data to the base station.

[0283] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: executing, at the UE, a client application to provide user data to be transmitted. The method may further comprise: executing, at a host computer, a host application associated with the client application.

[0284] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: executing a client application at the UE; and receiving input data of the client application at the UE. The input data is provided at the host computer by executing a host application associated with the client application. The user data to be sent is provided by the client application in response to the input data.

[0285] Embodiments also include a communication system including a host computer. The host computer includes a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a base station. The base station includes a radio interface and a processing circuit. The processing circuit of the base station is configured to perform any steps of any embodiment described above for the base station.

[0286] In some embodiments, the communication system further includes a base station.

[0287] In some embodiments, the communication system further comprises a UE. The UE is configured to communicate with the base station.

[0288] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application. And the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data to be received by the host computer.

[0289] In addition, an embodiment includes a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE). The method includes: at the host computer, receiving user data from the base station, the user data originating from a transmission that the base station has received from the UE. The UE performs any steps of any embodiment described above for the UE.

[0290] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: receiving, at the base station, user data from the UE.

[0291] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: at the base station, initiating transmission of the received user data to a host computer.

[0292] Generally, unless clearly given and / or different meanings are implied from the context of use, all terms used in this article will be interpreted according to their common meaning in the relevant technical field. Unless otherwise clearly stated, all references to "one / an / the element, equipment, component, device, step" etc. should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one example in an element, equipment, component, device, step etc. Unless a step must be explicitly described as after or before another step and / or implicitly a step must be after or before another step, the steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed. Where appropriate, any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment may be applicable to any other embodiment, and vice versa. By description, other purposes, features and advantages of the attached embodiments will be apparent.

[0293] The term "unit" may have a conventional meaning in the field of electronic products, electrical devices and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing various tasks, processes, calculations, output and / or display functions, etc. (such as those described herein).

[0294] Some embodiments contemplated herein are more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein. The subject matter of the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method performed by a wireless device (12A), the method comprising: For each of the one or more links (14), determining (300) one or more line-of-sight (LOS) or non-LOS characteristics of the link associated with wireless device positioning performance on the link by measuring a PRS transmitted on the link according to a first positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration; sending (310) control signaling (22), the control signaling (22) indicating: for each of the one or more links (14), the determined line-of-sight LOS characteristic or non-LOS characteristic of the link includes whether the probability that the link is in a LOS condition is above a LOS probability threshold; as well as The wireless device (12A) receives a second PRS configuration adapted according to the instruction of the control signaling, and monitors or measures the PRS on one or more links (14) according to the second PRS configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: A GDOP characteristic associated with the link is included in the control signaling and indicates whether the link contributes to making the GDOP less than a GDOP threshold.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: For each of the one or more links (14), the control signaling (22) indicates to what extent the transmission of a positioning reference signal (PRS) on the link contributes to or detracts from the positioning accuracy of the wireless device, or the control signaling (22) depends on the extent to which the transmission of a positioning reference signal (PRS) on the link contributes to or detracts from the positioning accuracy of the wireless device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The control signaling (22) indicates, for each of the one or more links (14), a statistical measure over time of at least one of the one or more characteristics.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The determining includes determining a LOS characteristic or a non-LOS characteristic of each of the one or more links (14) by correlating a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted on the link with a known PRS transmission.

6. A method performed by a network node (16) in a wireless communication network (10), the method comprising: For each of the one or more links (14), determining a positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration on the link and sending the PRS; receiving (400) control signaling (22), the control signaling (22) indicating: for each of one or more links (14), one or more line-of-sight LOS characteristics or non-LOS characteristics of the link including whether a probability that the link is in a LOS condition is above a LOS probability threshold; as well as Based on the received control signaling (22), a positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration on at least one of the one or more links (14) is adapted (410).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: A GDOP characteristic associated with the link is included in the control signaling and indicates whether the link contributes to making the GDOP less than a GDOP threshold.

8. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein: For each of the one or more links (14), the control signaling (22) indicates the extent to which the transmission of a positioning reference signal (PRS) on the link contributes to or detracts from the positioning accuracy of the wireless device, or the control signaling (22) depends on the extent to which the transmission of a positioning reference signal (PRS) on the link contributes to or detracts from the positioning accuracy of the wireless device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein: The control signaling (22) indicates, for each of the one or more links (14), a statistical measure over time of at least one of the one or more characteristics.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein: The adapting comprises: in response to determining one or more of the following situations based on the control signaling (22), adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links (14) to send the PRS on more radio resources on the at least one link or to reduce PRS frequency reuse: The wireless device positioning performance on the at least one link is less than a first performance threshold; At least one of the one or more characteristics is less than a first characteristic threshold; or The contribution of the PRS transmission on the at least one link to the positioning accuracy of the wireless device is less than a first threshold level.

11. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein: The adapting comprises adapting a PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links (14) to send PRS on fewer radio resources on the at least one link or to increase PRS frequency reuse in response to determining based on the control signaling (22) that: The wireless device positioning performance on the at least one link is greater than a second performance threshold; At least one of the one or more characteristics is greater than a second characteristic threshold; or The contribution of the PRS transmission on the at least one link to the positioning accuracy of the wireless device exceeds a second threshold level.

12. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein: The adapting includes adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links (14) to no longer transmit PRS on the at least one link in response to determining based on the control signaling (22) that: the contribution of PRS transmission on the at least one link to wireless device positioning accuracy is less than a third threshold degree, the wireless device positioning performance on the at least one link is less than a third performance threshold, or at least one of the one or more characteristics is less than a third characteristic threshold.

13. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein: The adapting comprises: in response to determining one or more of the following situations based on the control signaling (22), adapting the PRS configuration on at least one of the one or more links (14) to no longer send the PRS on the at least one link: The at least one link contributes to causing a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) to be above a GDOP threshold; or The probability that the at least one link is in a LOS condition is below a LOS probability threshold.

14. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein: The network node (16) is a location server and / or implements a location management function LMF.

15. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein: The adapting comprises: determining an adapted configuration of PRS transmission on the at least one link; and sending the adapted configuration to a radio network node serving the at least one link.

16. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein: The network node (16) is a radio network node serving at least one of the one or more links (14), and wherein the method further comprises: sending control signaling (22) to a location server, the control signaling (22) indicating an adapted configuration of PRS transmission on at least one of the one or more links (14).

17. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of a wireless device (12A), cause the wireless device (12A) to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of a network node (16), cause the network node (16) to perform the method according to any one of claims 6 to 16.

19. A wireless device (12A, 700), comprising: Communication circuit (720); as well as The processing circuit (710) is configured to: For each of the one or more links (14), determining one or more line-of-sight (LOS) characteristics or non-LOS characteristics of the link associated with wireless device positioning performance on the link by measuring a PRS transmitted on the link according to a first positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration; sending control signaling (22), the control signaling (22) indicating: for each of the one or more links (14), the determined line-of-sight LOS characteristic or non-LOS characteristic of the link includes whether the probability that the link is in a LOS condition is above a LOS probability threshold; as well as The wireless device (12A) receives a second PRS configuration adapted according to the instruction of the control signaling, and monitors or measures the PRS on one or more links (14) according to the second PRS configuration.

20. The wireless device of claim 19, wherein: The processing circuit (710) is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

21. A network node (16, 1100), configured to be used in a wireless communication network, the network node (16) comprising: Communication circuit (1120); as well as The processing circuit (1110) is configured to: For each of the one or more links (14), determining a positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration on the link and sending the PRS; receiving control signaling (22) indicating: for each of one or more links (14), one or more line-of-sight LOS characteristics or non-LOS characteristics of the link including whether a probability that the link is in a LOS condition is above a LOS probability threshold; as well as Based on the received control signaling (22), a positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration on at least one of the one or more links (14) is adapted.

22. The network node according to claim 21, wherein: The processing circuit (1110) is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 7 to 16.

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