Method for dynamic configuration of reference signals

Abstract

A method for positioning reference signal configuration, comprising: receiving one or more first PRSs in a first positioning reference signal configuration from a network node; performing one or more first measurements on the first PRSs to determine one or more first characteristics of the one or more first PRSs; sending a second PRS configuration determined based on the one or more first characteristics to the network node; receiving a third PRS configuration from the network node, wherein the third PRS configuration includes one or more third PRSs, the one or more third PRSs having at least one different signal characteristic compared to the one or more first characteristics of the first PRSs; and performing one or more second measurements on the one or more third PRSs. The method effectively provides dynamic configuration of the PRS based on feedback from a UE and a location node, a beamforming configuration, or any requirement for a physical layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Certain embodiments relate to the field of signaling configuration; and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for dynamic configuration of reference signals. Background Art

[0002] In LTE, positioning has been a major topic in standardization since 3GPP Release 9. The main purpose is to meet regulatory requirements for positioning emergency calls. Figure 1 Positioning in New Radio (NR) is proposed to be supported by the architecture disclosed in the NG-RAN Release 15 Location Services (LCS) protocol. Figure 1 In NR, gNB and ng-eNB may not always be present at the same time. When both gNB and ng-eNB are present, the NG-C interface exists only for one of them. LMF is the location node in NR. There is also interaction between the location node and gNodeB via the NRPPa protocol. The interaction between gNodeB and the device is supported via the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol.

[0003] In the conventional LTE standard, technologies such as enhanced cell ID, assisted global navigation satellite system (GNSS), observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA), and uplink TDOA (UTDOA) are supported.

[0004] With respect to enhanced cell ID, essentially the cell ID information is used to associate a device to the service area of ​​a serving cell, and then additional information is used to determine a more granular location.

[0005] With respect to Assisted-GNSS, the GNSS information retrieved by the device is supported by assistance information provided to the device from an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centre (E-SMLC).

[0006] With OTDOA, the device estimates the time difference of reference signals from different base stations and sends it to the E-SMLC for multi-lateration.

[0007] With UTDOA, the requesting device transmits a specific waveform detected by multiple location measurement units (e.g., eNBs) at known locations. These measurements are forwarded to the E-SMLC for multilateration.

[0008] According to the NR Positioning study item agreed for Release 16, the 3GPP NR radio technology is uniquely positioned to provide added value in terms of enhanced location capabilities. Operation in low and high bands (i.e. below and above 6 GHz) and the utilization of massive antenna arrays provide additional degrees of freedom to substantially improve positioning accuracy. The possibility to use wide signal bandwidths in low bands and especially in high bands brings new performance boundaries for user location for well-known positioning techniques based on OTDOA and UTDOA, Cell ID or E-Cell ID, etc. (using timing measurements to locate the UE). Recent advances in massive antenna systems (such as Massive MIMO) provide additional degrees of freedom to achieve more accurate user location by exploiting the spatial and angular domains of the propagation channel in combination with temporal measurements.

[0009] Since the 3GPP Release 9 Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) has been introduced for antenna port 6, the Release 8 Cell-Specific Reference Signal is not sufficient for positioning. The simple reason is that the required high probability of detection cannot be guaranteed. A neighbor cell with its synchronization signal (e.g., primary synchronization signal and secondary synchronization signal) and reference signal is considered detectable when the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) is at least -6 dB. Simulations during standardization have shown a neighboring cell with the second best detection, which means that this can only guarantee 70% of all cases of the neighboring cell with the third best detection. This is not enough and has assumed an interference-free environment, which cannot be ensured in real-world scenarios. However, the PRS still has some similarities with the cell-specific reference signal as defined in 3GPP Release 8. It is a pseudo-random quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) sequence that is mapped in a diagonal pattern with a shift in frequency and time to command avoidance of collisions with cell-specific reference signals and overlaps with control channels (e.g., PDCCH).

[0010] There are some challenges currently. For example, in LTE, the PRS configuration is static and cannot be adjusted specific to a certain environment need. Within a cell, the PRS configuration cannot be made user-specific, and the PRS configuration cannot be made beam-specific. Moving forward to NR, it may be desirable to cater for different radio propagation characteristics and UE mobility as input to efficiently provide PRS configuration. Summary of the invention

[0011] In order to solve the aforementioned problems with existing solutions, a method, a user equipment (UE), and a network node for providing dynamic configuration of a reference signal are disclosed. The present disclosure implements a solution for configuring a positioning reference signal (PRS) adaptively to UE mobility, beamforming configuration, and other physical aspects by sending information elements including characteristics of a positioning reference signal (PRS) between a UE and a network node. In addition, the network node determines an updated configuration based on the characteristics of the PRS. By performing measurements on the received characteristics of the PRS, the method disclosed herein can provide a customized PRS configuration for each UE, and thus improve the utilization of resources.

[0012] Several embodiments are elaborated in detail in the present disclosure. According to one embodiment of a method for PRS configuration, the method includes: receiving one or more first PRSs in a first PRS configuration from a network node. The method further includes performing one or more first measurements on the one or more first PRSs to determine one or more first characteristics of the one or more first PRSs. The method additionally includes sending a second PRS configuration to the network node, the second PRS configuration including one or more second PRSs determined based on the one or more first characteristics of the one or more first PRSs. The method further includes receiving a third PRS configuration from the network node. The third PRS configuration includes one or more third PRSs, the one or more third PRSs having at least one different signal characteristic compared to the one or more first characteristics of the first PRS. The method further includes performing one or more second measurements on the one or more third PRSs.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first measurement and the second measurement include estimates of one or more times of arrival of the first PRS and the third PRS, respectively.

[0014] In one embodiment, the third PRS configuration is received via broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or via on-demand system information broadcast.

[0015] In one embodiment, the method further comprises determining one or more third characteristics of the one or more third PRSs based on the second PRS configuration.

[0016] In one embodiment, the method further comprises: sending a request message to the network node. The request message comprises a request for an additional PRS, the additional PRS being configured for one or more subframes in the transmission. The method further comprises receiving from the network node the additional PRS determined based on the third PRS configuration. In one embodiment, the additional PRS is allocated with a bandwidth to avoid overlap with another PRS.

[0017] In one embodiment, the network node is a base station or a location node.

[0018] According to another embodiment of the method for PRS configuration, the method includes sending one or more first PRS configurations including one or more first PRSs to a UE. The method further includes receiving a second PRS configuration from the UE, the second PRS configuration including one or more second PRSs determined based on the one or more first PRSs of the first PRS configuration. The method additionally includes performing a set of measurements on the one or more second PRSs of the second PRS configuration. The method further includes sending a third PRS configuration to the UE. The third PRS configuration includes at least one PRS having a different signal characteristic than the one or more first PRSs of the first PRS configuration.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method further comprises: receiving one or more mutual correlation factors in the one or more second PRSs; and prioritizing one or more measurements from the set of measurements associated with one or more mutual correlation factors above a threshold. In another embodiment, the method further comprises discarding one or more measurements from the set of measurements associated with one or more mutual correlation factors below the threshold.

[0020] In one embodiment, the method further comprises identifying cells having one or more cross-correlation factors above a threshold, and allocating bandwidth to the identified cells.

[0021] In one embodiment, the method further comprises allocating bandwidth for the third PRS configuration. In one embodiment, the bandwidth is allocated to minimize overlap from interfering neighboring cells. In another embodiment, the bandwidth is allocated to avoid overlap with another PRS in time and frequency.

[0022] In one embodiment, the second PRS configuration is received via broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or via on-demand system information broadcast.

[0023] In one embodiment, the network node is a base station or a location node.

[0024] According to an embodiment of a UE for PRS configuration, the UE includes at least one processing circuit, and at least one storage device storing processor executable instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the UE to receive one or more first PRSs in a first PRS configuration from a network node. The UE further performs one or more first measurements on the one or more first PRSs to determine one or more first characteristics of the one or more first PRSs. The UE additionally sends a second PRS configuration to the network node, the second PRS configuration including one or more second PRSs determined based on the one or more first characteristics of the one or more first PRSs. The UE further receives a third PRS configuration from the network node. The third PRS configuration includes one or more third PRSs, the one or more third PRSs having at least one different signal characteristic compared to the one or more first characteristics of the first PRS. The UE further performs one or more second measurements on the one or more third PRSs.

[0025] According to an embodiment of a network node for PRS configuration, the network node comprises: at least one processing circuit; and at least one storage device storing processor executable instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the network node to send one or more first PRS configurations including one or more first PRSs to a UE. The network node further receives a second PRS configuration from the UE, the second PRS configuration including one or more second PRSs determined based on the one or more first PRSs of the first PRS configuration. The network node additionally performs a set of measurements on the one or more second PRSs of the second PRS configuration. The network node further sends a third PRS configuration to the UE. The third PRS configuration includes at least one PRS having a different signal characteristic than the one or more first PRSs of the first PRS configuration.

[0026] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof may provide solutions to these or other challenges.Presented herein are various embodiments that address one or more of the problems disclosed herein.

[0027] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. The method disclosed in the present disclosure may provide an effective solution to customize the PRS configuration for each UE based on the environment near the UE and the movement of the UE, so that the location node or base station avoids assigning bandwidth that interferes with adjacent cells or overlaps with another PRS. Therefore, certain embodiments may effectively utilize resources in the network and then further improve the performance of the network.

[0028] Various other features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.Some embodiments may have none, some, or all of the stated advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0030] Figure 1 A block diagram showing an example architecture for positioning in new air interface;

[0031] Figure 2 A flow chart illustrating an example method for positioning reference signal configuration performed at a location node and a radio node in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0032] Figure 3 A flow chart illustrating an example method performed at a network node for positioning reference signal configuration according to certain embodiments;

[0033] Figure 4 A flow chart illustrating an example method performed at a network node for positioning reference signal configuration according to certain embodiments;

[0034] Figure 5 shows example bandwidth allocations according to certain embodiments;

[0035] Figure 6 An example process for determining a dynamic PRS configuration according to certain embodiments is shown;

[0036] Figure 7 shows an example PRS allocation according to certain embodiments;

[0037] Figure 8 shows an example PRS pattern according to certain embodiments;

[0038] Fig. 9 A diagram illustrating an example architecture for dynamic PRS configuration in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0039] Fig.10 illustrates an example wireless network in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0040] Fig.11 illustrates an example user device according to certain embodiments;

[0041] Fig.12 illustrates an example virtualized environment according to certain embodiments;

[0042] Fig.13illustrates an example telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0043] Fig.14 An example host computer is shown communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments;

[0044] Fig.15 An example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device according to some embodiments is shown;

[0045] Fig.16 Another example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device according to some embodiments is shown;

[0046] Fig.17 Another further example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment according to some embodiments is shown;

[0047] Fig.18 Yet another example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device according to some embodiments is shown;

[0048] Fig.19 A flowchart illustrating an example method performed by a UE according to certain embodiments;

[0049] Fig. 20 A flowchart illustrating an example method performed by a network node according to certain embodiments;

[0050] Fig.21 A flow chart illustrating an example method performed by a radio network node according to certain embodiments;

[0051] Fig. 22 A flowchart illustrating an example method performed by a location network node according to certain embodiments;

[0052] Fig.23 shows an example UE and an example network node according to certain embodiments;

[0053] Fig.24 A flowchart illustrating an example method performed at a user device according to some embodiments;

[0054] Fig.25 A flowchart illustrating an example method performed at a network node according to certain embodiments;

[0055] Fig.26 A block schematic diagram illustrating an example user equipment and an example network node according to some embodiments; and

[0056] Fig. 27 A block schematic diagram of an example network node is shown in accordance with certain embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The positioning reference signal (PRS) in the conventional LTE standardization is not sufficient to provide accurate positioning. Due to the high requirements for detecting interference and insufficient resources for neighboring cells, user equipment (UE) is often provided with a PRS configuration including a PRS that may conflict with other reference signals or be interfered with by neighboring cells. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide dynamic PRS configuration for UEs by updating feedback to the location node. In addition, the location node may request the PRS configuration from the radio node serving the target UE and possibly from the neighboring radio nodes, so that the radio node can allocate appropriate bandwidth for the PRS of the target UE to avoid interference from neighboring cells.

[0058] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure focus on physical reference signals for positioning, similar to those defined for PRS in LTE. Therefore, the present disclosure is valid for other existing NR physical reference signals, such as channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), timing reference signal (TRS), TPRS, NR reference signal defined for positioning purposes (NR PRS), etc. LTE-like NR PRS configuration will compromise multiple consecutive subframes for PRS transmission, PRS timing, muting mode, PRS hopping, bandwidth and / or cell ID parameters as specified in TS 36.355. In addition, in terms of NR, specific embodiments of the present disclosure are extended to include PRS and beam information in terms of PRS resource sets.

[0059] In the present disclosure, Es may be used to refer to the received energy per resource unit (e.g., power normalized to the subcarrier spacing) during the useful portion of a symbol at the UE antenna connector (i.e., excluding the cyclic prefix). In the present disclosure, Iot may be used to refer to the received power spectral density of the total noise and interference for a certain resource unit as measured at the UE antenna connector (e.g., power integrated over REs and normalized to the subcarrier spacing).

[0060] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to only 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.

[0061] Figure 2An example method for positioning reference signal configuration according to certain embodiments is shown. The method may be performed at a location node and / or a radio node. Steps 200-230 may be performed at a location node, and steps 240-260 may be performed at a radio node. In step 200, the location node configures a first PRS configuration for the first time and provides a first PRS to a UE based on the first PRS configuration.

[0062] In step 210, in some scenarios, the location node receives feedback from the UE or radio node regarding the quality of the PRS. The location node creates a list of OTDOA neighbor cells based on the received feedback regarding the quality of the PRS. The location node varies the density of the PRS based on the received feedback. For example, if cell 1 has better PRS quality than cell 2, the location node will provide more PRS on cell 1. In some embodiments, the transmission of PRS on cell 2 may be stopped. In some embodiments, some cells may impair several beams used to transmit PRS, and therefore, the location node may determine which beams to use for PRS transmission based on the impaired beams.

[0063] At step 220, when estimating the location of the UE, the location node assigns different weights to Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD) measurements based on received feedback on PRS quality and based on PRS transmission density in the cell.

[0064] In step 230, the location node provides a second PRS configuration to the radio node, the second PRS configuration being recommended by the UE or based on one or more characteristics of one or more UEs. In some embodiments, the location node may provide one or more beam lists. For example, a first beam list is used for PRS transmission and a second beam list is not used for PRS transmission. If the quality obtained from a certain beam transmission is below a certain threshold, the location node may recommend that the radio node turn off PRS transmission in the beam. The location node may provide the second PRS configuration on a periodic basis or when more than a certain threshold (UE's active or preferred / recommended bandwidth portion(s)) changes occur.

[0065] At step 240, the radio node adaptively determines a third PRS configuration based on information available in the radio node.If a second PRS configuration is received, the third PRS configuration may be the same as or based on the second PRS configuration.

[0066] In step 250, in certain scenarios, the radio node provides the third PRS configuration to the UE, or to the location node, or to another radio node. In some embodiments, the third PRS configuration may be common or UE-specific.

[0067] At step 260, in certain embodiments, the radio node transmits an additional PRS to the UE based on the third PRS configuration.

[0068] Figure 3 Another example method for positioning reference signal configuration according to some embodiments is shown. The method may be performed at a location node and / or a radio node. If the method is performed at a location node, the radio node may provide relevant information to the location node. In step 300, the network node aims to design a low-interference or non-interference PRS allocation, and allocates PRS bandwidth to minimize or avoid overlap with the PRS bandwidth of neighboring cells when deployed.

[0069] The network node dynamically adjusts the PRS bandwidth to the UE movement at step 310. For example, dynamically adjusting the PRS bandwidth based on UE movement is transmitting the PRS over a larger bandwidth for faster measurements for fast-moving UEs or to counteract Doppler due to UE movement.

[0070] At step 320, the network node receives a request from the location node to assign the PRS to a specific UE or to all UEs in common.

[0071] At step 330, the network node receives a PRS configuration for a specific UE or for all UEs in common from neighboring radio nodes.

[0072] At step 340, the network node provides the PRS configuration using dedicated signaling LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP), broadcast, or using Downlink Control Information (DCI) PDCCH. In some embodiments, broadcast may be used to transmit any UE within coverage.

[0073] Figure 4 Another example method for positioning reference signal configuration according to certain embodiments is shown. The method may be performed at a UE. In step 400, the UE receives a PRS from a location node or a radio node. In some embodiments, based on Figure 2 The received PRS is configured according to the first PRS configuration disclosed in step 200.

[0074] In step 410, the UE determines one or more characteristics of the received PRS and provides the determined characteristics of the PRS or a recommendation of the PRS to a network node (e.g., a radio node or a location node). The UE provides the network node with a second PRS configuration, which is determined based on the characteristics before performing measurements (e.g., measurements in an assistance data request), periodically, or upon a significant change in the characteristics.

[0075] At step 420, the UE obtains a third PRS configuration from the network node via dedicated, multicast or broadcast signaling. For example, the transmission of the PRS configuration may be via LPP-like protocol dedicated signaling, in an on-demand system broadcast for neighboring cells, and / or from a DCI PDCCH for a serving cell. If a second PRS configuration is provided, the third PRS configuration may be the same or may be based on the second PRS configuration.

[0076] At step 430, the UE performs measurement on the received PRS based on the third PRS configuration.

[0077] At step 440, the UE sends measurements to the network node in certain scenarios.

[0078] Figure 2-4 A specific embodiment is disclosed including a method for PRS configuration performed by a wireless device. In a high-level description, the method includes receiving a first PRS. The method also includes providing feedback to a network node about the quality of the PRS. The method further includes receiving a message including a PRS configuration. The PRS configuration specifies one or more additional PRSs having characteristics different from the first PRS, wherein the characteristics of the one or more additional PRSs are based on the feedback provided to the network node. The method additionally includes receiving the one or more additional PRSs based on the PRS configuration.

[0079] In some embodiments, the PRS configuration is received via dedicated, multicast, broadcast on demand, or broadcast signaling. For example, the PRS configuration may be received via RRC, LPP, or DCI.

[0080] In some embodiments, the method further comprises performing one or more measurements on the first PRS. In some embodiments, the method further comprises performing one or more measurements on one or more additional PRSs.

[0081] In some embodiments, the method further includes providing feedback regarding the PRS and information regarding an environment in which the wireless device (eg, UE) is located.

[0082] In some embodiments, the method further comprises sending a request message requesting the PRS configured for a plurality of subframes or positioning occasions.

[0083] In some embodiments, the method further comprises estimating one or more arrival times of the one or more PRSs.

[0084] As another example embodiment, a method for PRS configuration performed by a network node includes providing a first PRS configuration for a UE. The method also includes receiving feedback about the PRS from the UE. The method further includes providing an updated PRS configuration based on the feedback, wherein the updated PRS configuration is different from the first PRS configuration.

[0085] In some embodiments, the network node is a base station or a location node.

[0086] In some embodiments, the method further comprises providing a PRS.

[0087] In some embodiments, the method further comprises allocating bandwidth for the PRS, wherein the bandwidth is allocated to minimize overlap with PRS bandwidth from neighboring cells. In another embodiment, bandwidth is allocated for the PRS to avoid overlap with other PRS in time and frequency.

[0088] In some embodiments, the method further comprises receiving a request to assign a PRS configuration to a specific UE.

[0089] In some embodiments, the method further comprises transmitting the PRS configuration via one of on-demand broadcast, broadcast, multicast, or dedicated signaling.

[0090] In some embodiments, the method further comprises arranging the measurements in the feedback based on the received cross-correlation factor.

[0091] In some embodiments, measurements associated with higher cross-correlation factors are prioritized for better positioning accuracy.

[0092] In some embodiments, the method further comprises arranging the measurements sequentially in a descending order. The descending order may be an order of values ​​of the cross-correlation factor.

[0093] In some embodiments, the method further comprises discarding measurements made using PRS from cells that result in a cross-correlation factor worse than a threshold.

[0094] In some embodiments, the method further comprises identifying a cell having a better cross-correlation factor, and then allocating more PRS resources to the identified cell.

[0095] In some embodiments, cells with better cross-correlation factors are those above a threshold.

[0096] In some embodiments, the cells with better cross-correlation factors are the top "X" percent of cells, where "X" is a value between 0% and 100%.

[0097] In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining whether to use static or dynamic PRS configuration.In some embodiments, the determination is based on the number of UEs in the cell.

[0098] In some embodiments, the method further comprises creating or sorting a list of OTDOA neighbor cells or beams based on feedback received from the UE regarding PRS quality.

[0099] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining which beams are to be used for PRS transmission and which beams are to be stopped from being used for PRS transmission.

[0100] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide dynamic PRS configurations that may have the potential to be customized for different scenario settings. As another example, dynamic PRS configurations are more adaptive when the UE is moving. As another example, better resource utilization than static PRS assignments is provided. For example, certain embodiments assign a large amount of PRS to a particular UE(s) per positioning opportunity without excessively wasting downlink resources.

[0101] Regarding the measurements performed on the PRS, the UE reports back to the location node the quantized PRS signal mutual correlation factor together with the RSTD measurement. The location node then arranges the RSTD measurement based on the received mutual correlation factor and uses the RSTD measurement associated with the higher mutual correlation factor for better positioning accuracy. Based on the RSTD measurement associated with the higher mutual correlation factor, the location node prioritizes the RSTD measurement associated with the highest mutual correlation factor (estimated in principle using the PRS from the serving cell), and then arranges the remaining measurements in descending order. A threshold can be set so that RSTD measurements made using the PRS from the cell that causes the worst mutual correlation factor are discarded during the positioning of the UE. On the other hand, when a cell with a better mutual correlation factor is identified, more PRS resources (e.g., a denser PRS or a wider bandwidth PRS) will be allocated, and new RSTD measurements will therefore be made using the newly configured PRS.

[0102] In addition, the UE may also report back to the location node information about its current environment. Depending on the environment in which the UE is located, it may require (one or more) PRSs to be configured for multiple subframes or opportunities. If the UE is in a multipath-rich environment (e.g., inside a building), the UE may require the location node to configure the UE's PRS for transmission in multiple consecutive subframes or opportunities. For example, depending on the scenario, if the location node is providing PRS and the location node may be a core network node that is not transmitting any radio signals, the location node may instead instruct the radio network node to transmit PRS and may suggest that the PRS configuration be used. The UE may then be able to estimate multiple TOAs depending on the number of subframes or opportunities for which the PRS is configured, and benefit by selecting the minimum value of the TOA for RSTD measurement. In some embodiments, the minimum value of the TOA may be close to the line of sight (LOS) TOA. Therefore, when configuring the adaptive PRS, the number of subframes or opportunities required depending on the location of the UE is also considered. In this method, when the UE is in an open environment, fewer consecutive frames or opportunities will be used for PRS transmission, and when the UE is in an indoor environment or a multipath-rich environment, more consecutive frames or opportunities should be used for PRS transmission. Thus, dynamic allocation / utilization of resources is achieved.

[0103] Figure 5 Non-overlapping PRS bandwidth allocation in interfering cells according to certain embodiments is shown. Regarding how to achieve dynamic PRS configuration (e.g., as fast as per location opportunity), for PRS bandwidth allocation, interference mitigation of PRS signals in LTE is achieved with the help of muting (e.g., time-based blanking of positioning opportunities). When strong cell PRS signals are muted, weak neighboring PRSs can be detected. However, this leads to a waste of resources, and the configuration needs to be tightly monitored and controlled to achieve muting and no interference. A simplified approach to adopting the available wide bandwidth in NR is needed. Figure 5 A scheme to avoid interference is shown, which may be to have non-overlapping bandwidths for PRS. Thus, PRS opportunities never occur at the same time or frequency, and thus there is no interference.

[0104] The amount of PRS and / or bandwidth will be adjusted based on different opportunities. For example, for high-speed UEs, a larger bandwidth will be allocated for faster measurements. The bandwidth will also be adaptive to offset Doppler caused by UE movement. Similarly, based on the QoS of the UE required for location accuracy and delay, PRS configuration can be adaptively performed. Bandwidth not used for PRS can be used by the radio node for other transmissions (e.g., data transmission), or can be left blank, which can be determined, for example, by the transmitting radio network node and / or by other network nodes (e.g., O&M, SON, location node, etc.) that coordinate the PRS allocation in the transmitting radio node.

[0105] Regarding the density of PRS, it can also be observed that when PRS is sparse (e.g., with fewer PRS resource elements per resource block or with reuse at higher frequencies), more cells transmit on overlapping PRS bandwidth without causing interference. To compensate for fewer REs, a larger bandwidth may be required. The advantage of overlapping bandwidth but sparse PRS is that the UE will be able to receive PRS from different cells without retuning to different frequencies and without measurement gaps.

[0106] Figure 6 The flow sequence between the location node, radio node and UE according to certain embodiments is shown. The UE indicates its behavior and channel characteristics when requesting assistance data. This can be done when the UE requests OTDOA AD in a common request assistance data (AD) message (as shown in Table 1), or it can be part of a common request AD message.

[0107] Indications of UE behavior, including: replacement of previous reports, indication of stillness, rate and speed, acceleration, beam reports, UE parameter sets (e.g., currently used or preferred or supported subcarrier spacing or CP), non-PRS signal (e.g., SSB or CSI-RS) strength or quality characterizing cell and / or beam signals, implicit or explicit indication of the N (N=1, 2, ...) best beams of a cell, and PRS strength or PRS quality measurements (e.g., PRS received power, PRS SINR, PRSEs / Iot, etc.).

[0108] The indication of channel characteristics includes: being in an indoor / semi-indoor or outdoor environment, beam measurement, SINR, reference signal received power (RSRP) of a set of PRS-based cells, and CQI, etc.

[0109] for Figure 2 In step 230, the UE characteristics may be: UE environment type, UE speed, UE parameter set (e.g., currently used or preferred or supported subcarrier spacing or CP), non-PRS signal (e.g., SSB or CSI-RS) strength or quality characterizing cell and / or beam signals, implicit or explicit indication of the N (N=1, 2, ...) best beams of the cell, and / or PRS strength or PRS quality measurement (e.g., PRS received power, PRS SINR, PRS Es / Iot, etc.).

[0110] for Figure 2In step 240, the available information in the radio node may be: a PRS sequence, a PRS parameter set, a PRS density, a PRS bandwidth, a number of PRS opportunities, a number of PRS subframes, a number of beams to be used by the cell to transmit PRS to the UE, beam-specific time-frequency resources for PRS, a CP of a PRS subframe, and / or a PRS center frequency to be within the active or preferred / recommended bandwidth part(s) of the UE.

[0111] The IE OTDOA-RequestAssistanceData is used by the target device to request assistance data from the location node.

[0112] Table 1. IEs of OTDOA-RequestAssistanceData

[0113]

[0114] The location node informs the radio node to allocate PRS. In some embodiments, the radio node may assign PRS based on feedback received from the UE. The location node also sends assignment requests to other neighboring radio nodes. Other radio nodes send their PRS configurations to the serving radio node, such as Fig. 9 The serving radio node may send the PRS configuration by broadcast (eg, on-demand broadcast) or via the PDCCH, such as Fig. 9 As further shown in .

[0115] Figure 7 An example allocation of PRSs relative to bandwidths of two different UEs according to certain embodiments is shown. Dynamic allocation of PRSs may be assigned via DCI. In some embodiments, bandwidth part 1 (BWP1) may be assigned to UE 1, and bandwidth part 2 (BWP2) may be assigned to UE 2, where BWP1 and BWP2 do not overlap.

[0116] Figure 8 An example PRS pattern in a single physical reference block (PRB) is shown in accordance with some embodiments. The PRB is dedicated to Figure 7 UE 1 disclosed in . In some embodiments, the PRS resource elements may be contiguous or non-contiguous. In some embodiments, the PRS resource elements may have a diagonal or non-diagonal pattern. Potentially, all reference elements may be used for PRS.

[0117] Fig. 9An example transmission PRS from a radio node according to certain embodiments is shown. The location node may receive a request for assistance data from a target device. The location node may send a request for a PRS configuration to a radio node (e.g., a serving radio node and a neighboring radio node). In some embodiments, the location node may trigger a request for a PRS reconfiguration of the radio node. In some embodiments, a neighboring radio node may trigger a request for a PRS reconfiguration of the serving radio node that is independent of the request sent from the location node. The radio node may provide dynamic and static configurations of PRS (e.g., PRS configurations for serving and neighboring cells). When the target device is in the serving cell, the target device receives a dynamic PRS configuration from the DCI (PDCCH). The neighboring radio node will send a PRS configuration to the serving radio node, which may then be sent by the serving radio node to the target device via the PDCCH. In some embodiments, the radio node may receive a new request for a new PRS configuration from a location server (e.g., a location node). In addition, the serving and neighboring radio nodes will communicate with each other via the X2 / Xn interface regarding whether to increase / decrease the PRS allocation.

[0118] Alternatively, static configuration may also be performed for all public non-serving UEs. The target device may obtain configuration information from the system information broadcast by the serving radio node as needed.

[0119] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may also provide a combination of a statically configured portion of a PRS pattern and a dynamically configured portion of a PRS pattern. These two together will comprise a PRS pattern transmitted from a radio node (eg, a serving radio node).

[0120] Regarding the determination of the PRS configuration, in particular the dynamic or static PRS configuration and the dense or sparse PRS in the PRS configuration, the location node can decide whether to use a dynamic or static configuration depending on the number of UEs in the cell and the UE capabilities. If the UE is limited, when more UEs are involved in positioning, it will be more appropriate to use a dedicated and similar PRS, and then an on-demand broadcast solution can be adopted. Depending on the feedback provided by the UE on the PRS quality, the network node can decide whether to provide a dense or sparse PRS configuration. If the PRS quality of a certain cell is better, the location node can decide to provide a denser PRS configuration in the better ranked cell and a sparse PRS configuration in the worse ranked cell to save resources. Therefore, better utilization of resources can be achieved.

[0121] Examples of determining a new PRS configuration may include:

[0122] 1. When the quality characteristic of the cell is lower than a first threshold of N1 of the UEs (N1=1, 2, ...) or Y1% of the UEs (where N1 and Y1 may be predefined or configured), increase the PRS configuration in the cell (e.g., increase one or more of the bandwidth, density, number of PRS resource elements within a subframe and / or resource block, number of PRS subframes per positioning occasion, etc.) or reduce PRS frequency reuse; and

[0123] 2. When the quality characteristic of the cell is higher than a second threshold of N2 of the UEs (N2=1, 2, ...) or Y2% of the UEs (where N2 and Y2 may be predefined or configured), reduce the PRS configuration in the cell (e.g., reduce one or more of the bandwidth, density, number of PRS resource elements within a subframe and / or resource block, number of PRS subframes per positioning occasion, etc.) or increase PRS frequency reuse.

[0124] In the above example, if the second PRS configuration is suggested by the UE, then it is straightforward that N1 and N2 will be 1 and Y1 and Y2 will not apply in this particular embodiment.

[0125] In addition, the location node may also create or sort a list of neighboring cells for its OTDOA based on feedback received from the UE regarding PRS quality. For example, the list may include cells with feedback indicating good or acceptable quality or quality above a threshold. The sorting may also be done in an order determined by the feedback, e.g., decreasing or increasing quality.

[0126] Similarly, the location node can give weights to different RSTD measurements based on the perceived PRS quality and based on the PRS transmission density when calculating the UE location. The weights will provide a better estimate of the UE location.

[0127] Fig.10 is an example wireless network according to some embodiments. Although the subject matter described herein can be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are related to wireless networks (e.g. Fig.10 For simplicity, Fig.10The wireless network depicts only the network 1006, the network nodes 1060 and 1060b, and the wireless devices (WD) 1010, 1010b, and 1010c. In practice, the wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable for supporting communications 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 components shown, the network node 1060 and the wireless device (WD) 1010 are depicted with additional details. In some embodiments, the network node 1060 may be a base station, such as an eNB. In the present disclosure, the term eNB may be used to refer to both eNB and ng-eNB, unless there is a specific need to distinguish between the two. In some embodiments, the network node 1060 may be Fig.23 and 27 In some embodiments, network node 1060 may be a source network node. In some embodiments, network node 1060 may be a target network node. In some embodiments, wireless device 1010 may be Fig.23 and 26 A wireless network may provide communications and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate access and / or use by the wireless device of services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0128] 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, the wireless network may be configured to operate according to a specific standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, a specific embodiment of a wireless network may implement a communication standard such as a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G standard; a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard such as an IEEE 802.11 standard; and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard such as a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave and / or ZigBee standard.

[0129] The network 1006 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 that enable communications between devices.

[0130] The network node 1060 and WD 1010 include various components described in more detail below. These components work together to provide network node and / or wireless device functionality, 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 regardless of whether they are connected via wired or wireless connections.

[0131] As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, 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 the wireless device and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in the 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, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR NodeBs (gNBs)). Base stations can be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmit power levels), and then may also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay station. 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 device. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Still further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment (e.g., MSR BS), network controllers (e.g., radio network controllers (RNC) or base station controllers (BSC)), base transceiver stations (BTS), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCE), core network nodes (e.g., MSC, MME), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or MDTs. 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 group of devices) that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to enable and / or provide access to a wireless network by a wireless device or to provide a certain service to a wireless device that has accessed the wireless network.

[0132] exist Fig.10In the embodiment, the network node 1060 includes a processing circuit 1070, a device readable medium 1080, an interface 1090, an auxiliary device 1088, a power source 1086, a power circuit 1087, and an antenna 1062. Fig.10 The network node 1060 illustrated in the example wireless network of can represent a device including the illustrated combination of hardware components, but other embodiments can include network nodes with different combinations of components. It is to 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 1060 are depicted as being located within a larger box or nested within a plurality of boxes, in reality, the network node can include multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component (for example, the device readable medium 1080 can include multiple separate hard drives and multiple RAM modules).

[0133] Similarly, the network node 1060 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 1060 includes multiple individual components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the individual components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered as a single individual network node in some instances. In some embodiments, the network node 1060 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such an embodiment, some components may be replicated (e.g., separate device readable media 1080 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., RATs may share the same antenna 1062). The network node 1060 may also include multiple sets of various illustrated components for different wireless technologies (such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies) integrated into the network node 1060. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within network node 1060 .

[0134] The processing circuit 1070 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 1070 may include, for example, processing information obtained by the processing circuit 1070 by converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with 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 as a result of the processing.

[0135] The processing circuit 1070 may include 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 a combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide network node 1060 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 1060 components (e.g., device readable medium 1080). For example, the processing circuit 1070 may execute instructions stored in the device readable medium 1080 or in a memory within the processing circuit 1070. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1070 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0136] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1070 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1072 and baseband processing circuitry 1074. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1072 and baseband processing circuitry 1074 may be 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 1072 and baseband processing circuitry 1074 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0137] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by processing circuitry 1070 executing instructions stored in a memory within processing circuitry 1070 or on a device-readable medium 1080. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 1070, for example, in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable medium. In any of those embodiments, processing circuitry 1070 may be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not executing instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. In a particular embodiment, processing circuitry 1070 of network node 1060 may execute instructions stored in a memory within processing circuitry 1070 or on a device-readable medium 1080. Figure 20-22and the methods further illustrated in 25. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to individual processing circuits 1070 or other components of network node 1060, but are generally enjoyed by network node 1060 as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks.

[0138] The device-readable medium 1080 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 may be used by the processing circuit 1070. The device-readable medium 1080 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 are executable by the processing circuit 1070 and utilized by the network node 1060. The device-readable medium 1080 may be used to store any computations performed by the processing circuit 1070 and / or any data received via the interface 1090. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1070 and device readable medium 1080 may be considered integrated.

[0139] Interface 1090 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network node 1060, network 1006 and / or WD 1010. As shown, interface 1090 includes (one or more) ports / (one or more) terminals 1094 to send data to network 1006 and receive data from network 1006 through a wired connection, for example. Interface 1090 also includes radio front-end circuit 1092, which can be coupled to antenna 1062 or a part of antenna 1062 in some embodiments. Radio front-end circuit 1092 includes filter 1098 and amplifier 1096. Radio front-end circuit 1092 can be connected to antenna 1062 and processing circuit 1070. The radio front-end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between antenna 1062 and processing circuit 1070. Radio front-end circuit 1092 can receive digital data that will be sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front end circuit 1092 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 1098 and / or amplifiers 1096. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna 1062. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 1062 may collect the radio signal, which may then be converted into digital data by the radio front end circuit 1092. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuit 1070. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0140] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 1060 may not include a separate radio front end circuit 1092, and instead, the processing circuit 1070 may include the radio front end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 1062 without the separate radio front end circuit 1092. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit 1072 may be considered to be part of the interface 1090. In still other embodiments, the interface 1090 may include one or more ports or terminals 1094, the radio front end circuit 1092, and the RF transceiver circuit 1072 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface 1090 may communicate with the baseband processing circuit 1074 as part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0141] Antenna 1062 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 1062 may be coupled to radio front-end circuit 1090 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 1062 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector or flat panel antennas operable to transmit / receive radio signals between, for example, 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas may be used to transmit / receive radio signals in any direction, sector antennas may be used to transmit / receive radio signals from devices within a specific area, and flat panel antennas may be line-of-sight antennas for transmitting / receiving radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some instances, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In some embodiments, antenna 1062 may be separated from network node 1060 and may be connectable to network node 1060 via an interface or port.

[0142] Antenna 1062, interface 1090 and / or processing circuit 1070 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 equipment. Similarly, antenna 1062, interface 1090 and / or processing circuit 1070 can be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal can be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[0143] The power circuit 1087 may include or be coupled to a power management circuit and is configured to supply power to the components of the network node 1060 in order to perform the functionality described herein. The power circuit 1087 may receive power from the power supply 1086. The power supply 1086 and / or the power circuit 1087 may be configured to provide power to the various components of the network node 1060 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current level required by each respective component). The power supply 1086 may be included in the power circuit 1087 and / or the network node 1060 or outside the power circuit 1087 and / or the network node 1060. For example, the network node 1060 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., an electrical socket) via an input circuit or interface (e.g., a cable), whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit 1087. As another example, the power supply 1086 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 1087. The battery may provide backup power in the event of a failure of the external power supply. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0144] Alternative embodiments of network node 1060 may include Fig.10 , which may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 1060 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 1060, and to allow information to be output from the network node 1060. This may allow a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other management functions of the network node 1060.

[0145] As used herein, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with a network node and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise specified, the term WD may be used interchangeably with user equipment (UE) herein. In some embodiments, the wireless device 1010 may be Fig.23 and 26. Wireless communication may involve the use of electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information through the air to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. In some embodiments, the WD may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the WD may be designed to transmit information to the network on a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the 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, laptop computers, devices embedded with laptop computers (LEEs), devices installed with laptop computers (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, etc. WD can support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for direct link communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-anything (V2X), and can be referred to as a D2D communication device in this case. As another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, WD can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits 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 such as power meters, industrial machinery, or household or personal appliances (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 is capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions associated with its operation. As described above, the WD may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. In addition, as described above, the WD may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

[0146] As shown, wireless device 1010 includes antenna 1011, interface 1014, processing circuit 1020, device readable medium 1030, user interface device 1032, auxiliary device 1034, power supply 1036 and power supply circuit 1037. WD 1010 can include multiple sets of one or more of the components shown for different wireless technologies supported by WD 1010, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX or Bluetooth wireless technology, just to name a few examples. These wireless technologies can be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets as other components within WD 1010.

[0147] Antenna 1011 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays, which are configured to send and / or receive wireless signals and are connected to interface 1014. In some alternative embodiments, antenna 1011 can be separated from WD 1010 and can be connected to WD 1010 through an interface or port. Antenna 1011, interface 1014 and / or processing circuit 1020 can be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operation described herein as being performed by WD. Any information, data and / or signal can be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front-end circuit and / or antenna 1011 can be considered as an interface.

[0148] As shown, the interface 1014 includes a radio front-end circuit 1012 and an antenna 1011. The radio front-end circuit 1012 includes one or more filters 1018 and an amplifier 1016. The radio front-end circuit 1014 is connected to the antenna 1011 and the processing circuit 1020, and is configured to adjust the signals transmitted between the antenna 1011 and the processing circuit 1020. The radio front-end circuit 1012 may be coupled to the antenna 1011 or be part of the antenna 1011. In some embodiments, the WD 1010 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 1012; instead, the processing circuit 1020 may include the radio front-end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 1011. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 1022 may be considered to be part of the interface 1014. The radio front-end circuit 1012 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 1012 may convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 1018 and / or amplifiers 1016. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna 1011. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 1011 may collect the radio signal, which may then be converted into digital data by radio front end circuit 1012. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 1020. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0149] The processing circuit 1020 may include a combination of one or more of 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 a combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide WD 1010 functionality either alone or in combination with other WD 1010 components (e.g., device readable medium 1030). Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, the processing circuit 1020 may execute instructions stored in the device readable medium 1030 or in a memory within the processing circuit 1020 to provide the functionality disclosed herein. In a particular embodiment, the processing circuit 1020 of the WD 1010 may execute instructions to perform measurements of certain cells in the network 1006, which is further described below. In a particular embodiment, the processing circuit 1020 of the wireless device ... Fig.19 and 24 The method is further shown in .

[0150] As shown, the processing circuit 1020 includes one or more of the RF transceiver circuit 1022, the baseband processing circuit 1024, and the application processing circuit 1026. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may include different components and / or different combinations of components. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1020 of the WD 1010 may include a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 1022, the baseband processing circuit 1024, and the application processing circuit 1026 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In alternative embodiments, part or all of the baseband processing circuit 1024 and the application processing circuit 1026 may be combined into one chip or chipset, and the RF transceiver circuit 1022 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In some further alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 1022 and the baseband processing circuit 1024 may be on the same chip or chipset, and the application processing circuit 1026 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In yet other alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 1022, baseband processing circuit 1024, and application processing circuit 1026 may be combined in the same chip or chipset. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 1022 may be part of the interface 1014. The RF transceiver circuit 1022 may condition RF signals for the processing circuit 1020.

[0151] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by the WD may be provided by a processing circuit 1020 executing instructions stored on a device-readable medium 1030, which in some embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit 1020, for example, in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium. In any of those specific embodiments, the processing circuit 1020 can be configured to perform the described functionality, regardless of whether instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to separate processing circuits 1020 or other components of the WD 1010, but are generally enjoyed by the WD 1010 as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks.

[0152] Processing circuit 1020 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 as performed by processing circuit 1020 may include, for example, processing information obtained by processing circuit 1020 by converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored by WD 1010, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information, and making determinations as a result of the processing.

[0153] The device-readable medium 1030 may be operable to store a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by the processing circuit 1020. The device-readable medium 1030 may include a computer memory (e.g., a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM)), a mass storage medium (e.g., a hard disk), a removable storage medium (e.g., a compact disk (CD) or a 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 the processing circuit 1020. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1020 and the device-readable medium 1030 may be considered integrated.

[0154] The user interface device 1032 may provide a component that allows a human user to interact with the WD 1010. This interaction may have many forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device 1032 may be operable to generate output to the user, and allow the user to provide input to the WD 1010. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface device 1032 installed in the WD 1010. For example, if the WD 1010 is a smart phone, the interaction may be via a touch screen; if the WD 1010 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen that provides usage (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 1032 may include an input interface, device, and circuit, as well as an output interface, device, and circuit. The user interface device 1032 is configured to allow information to be input into the WD 1010, and is connected to the processing circuit 1020 to allow the processing circuit 1020 to process the input information. User interface device 1032 may include, for example, a microphone, proximity or other sensor, key / button, touch display, one or more cameras, USB port or other input circuit. User interface device 1032 is also configured to allow information to be output from WD 1010, and allows processing circuit 1020 to output information from WD 1010. User interface device 1032 may include, for example, a loud speaker, display, vibration circuit, USB port, headphone jack or other output circuit. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices and circuits of user interface device 1032, WD 1010 can communicate with end users and / or wireless networks, and allow them to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0155] Auxiliary device 1034 is operable to provide more specific functionality that may not normally be performed by a WD. This may include specialized sensors for making measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communications such as wired communications, etc. The contents and types of components of auxiliary device 1034 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0156] In some embodiments, power supply 1036 may take 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., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. WD 1010 may also include a power circuit 1037 for delivering power from power supply 1036 to various parts of WD 1010, which require power from power supply 1036 to perform any functionality described or indicated herein. In some embodiments, power circuit 1037 may include a power management circuit. Power circuit 1037 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source; in this case, WD 1010 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet) via an interface or input circuit such as a power cable. In some embodiments, power circuit 1037 may also be operable to deliver power from an external power source to power supply 1036. This may be used, for example, to charge power supply 1036. Power circuit 1037 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modifications to the power from power supply 1036 so that the power is suitable for the corresponding components of the WD 1010 being powered.

[0157] Fig.11 An embodiment of a UE in accordance with various aspects described herein is illustrated. As used herein, a user equipment or UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user owning and / or operating an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user, but the device may not, or the device 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 power meter). UE 400 may be any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a NB-IoT UE, an MTC UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. As Fig.11 The UE 1100 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a WD that is configured to communicate in accordance with one or more communication standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. In some embodiments, the user equipment 1100 may be Fig.23 and 26As mentioned above, the terms WD and UE can be used interchangeably. Therefore, although Fig.11 It is a UE, but the components discussed in this article are also applicable to WD, and vice versa.

[0158] exist Fig.11 In the embodiment, UE 1100 includes a processing circuit 1101, which is operably coupled to an input / output interface 1105, a radio frequency (RF) interface 1109, a network connection interface 1111, a memory 1115 including a random access memory (RAM) 1117, a read-only memory (ROM) 1119, and a storage medium 1121, a communication subsystem 1131, a power supply 1133, and / or any other components or any combination thereof. The storage medium 1121 includes an operating system 1123, an application 1125, and data 1127. In other embodiments, the storage medium 1121 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may utilize Fig.11 All components shown in the , or only a subset of the components may be utilized. The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another. In addition, some UEs may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0159] exist Fig.11 In the embodiment, the processing circuit 1101 can be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 1101 can be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored in a memory as a machine-readable computer program, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored program, general-purpose processors, such as microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs) together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 1101 may include two central processing units (CPUs). The data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer. In a certain embodiment, the processing circuit 1101 may execute Fig.19 and 24 The method is further shown in .

[0160] In the depicted embodiment, the input / output interface 1105 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, an output device, or an input and output device. The UE 1100 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 1105. The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to the UE 1100 and output from the UE 1100. 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 1100 may be configured to use an input device via the input / output interface 1105 to allow a user to capture information into the UE 1100. 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 direction pad, a track pad, 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, a light 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 a light sensor.

[0161] exist Fig.11 In the embodiment of the present invention, the RF interface 1109 can be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as transmitters, receivers, and antennas. The network connection interface 1111 can be configured to provide a communication interface with the network 1143a. The network 1143a can cover 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 1143a may include a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 1111 can be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface, which is 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 1111 can implement receiver and transmitter functionality 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.

[0162] RAM 1117 may be configured to be connected to processing circuit 1101 via bus 1102 by an interface to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs such as operating systems, applications, and device drivers. ROM 1119 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuit 1101. For example, ROM 1119 may be configured to store unchanged low-level system code or data for basic system functions, such as basic input and output (I / O), startup, or receiving keystrokes from a keyboard, which are stored in non-volatile memory. Storage medium 1121 may 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), magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable cartridge disk, or flash drive. In one example, storage medium 1121 may be configured to include operating system 1123, application 1125 such as a web browser application, a small device or gadget engine or another application, and data file 1127. The storage medium 1121 may store any of a variety of operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 1100 .

[0163] The storage medium 1121 may be configured to include a plurality of 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, an internal 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 memory, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 1121 may allow the UE 1100 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 1121, which may include a device-readable medium.

[0164] exist Fig.11In the embodiment, the processing circuit 1101 can be configured to communicate with the network 1143b using the communication subsystem 1131. The network 1143a and the network 1143b can be the same network or multiple networks or different networks or multiple networks. The communication subsystem 1131 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with the network 1143b. For example, the communication subsystem 1131 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with the network 1143b according to one or more communication protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.5, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc.) and one or more remote transceivers of another device (e.g., another WD, UE, or a base station of a radio access network (RAN)) capable of wireless communication. Each transceiver may include a transmitter 1133 and / or a receiver 1135 to respectively implement transmitter or receiver functionality (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.) suitable for a RAN link. Furthermore, the transmitter 1133 and receiver 1135 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively may be implemented separately.

[0165] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 1131 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 1131 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 1143b may cover wired and / or wireless networks, 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 1143b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power supply 1113 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 1100.

[0166] The features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of UE 1100, or may be divided between multiple components of UE 1100. In addition, the features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented with any combination of hardware, software or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 1131 may be configured to include any component described herein. In addition, the processing circuit 1101 may be configured to communicate with any of such components via the bus 1102. In another example, any such component may be represented by a program instruction stored in a memory, which, when executed by the processing circuit 1101, performs the corresponding function described herein. In another example, the functionality of any such component may be divided between the processing circuit 1101 and the communication subsystem 1131. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0167] Fig.12 An example virtualization environment is shown in accordance with certain embodiments. Fig.12 12 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment 1200 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or apparatus, which may include a virtualized hardware platform, storage, and networking 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 involves an implementation in which at least a portion of functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers executed on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0168] 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 1200 hosted by one or more hardware nodes 1230. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not radio access nodes or do not require radio connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), then the network nodes may be fully virtualized.

[0169] Functionality may be implemented by one or more applications 1220 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) that are operable to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 1220 run in a virtualized environment 1200 that provides hardware 1230 including a processing circuit 1260 and a memory 1290. The memory 1290 contains instructions 1295 executable by the processing circuit 1260, whereby the applications 1220 are operable to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0170] The virtualized environment 1200 includes a general or special purpose network hardware device 1230, which includes a collection of one or more processors or processing circuits 1260, 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 1290-1, which may be a non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 1295 or software executed by the processing circuit 1260. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 1270, also known as network interface cards, which include a physical network interface 1280. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory, permanent machine-readable storage medium 1290-2, in which software 1295 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuit 1260 are stored. The software 1295 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 1250 (also known as a hypervisor), software for executing virtual machines 1240, and software that allows them to perform the functions, features, and / or benefits described with respect to some embodiments described herein.

[0171] The virtual machines 1240 include virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage devices, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1250 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of instances of the virtual devices 1220 may be implemented on one or more of the virtual machines 1240 and may be implemented in different ways.

[0172] During operation, processing circuitry 1260 executes software 1295 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 1250, which may sometimes be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Virtualization layer 1250 may present to virtual machines 1240 a virtual operating platform that appears to be networked hardware.

[0173] like Fig.12As shown in , hardware 1230 can be an independent network node with general or specialized components. Hardware 1230 can include antenna 12225, and some functions can be implemented via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1230 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., such as in a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration (MANO) 12100, which, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of application 1220.

[0174] Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many network device types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices that can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0175] In the context of NFV, a virtual machine 1240 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the virtual machines 1240 and the portion of the hardware 1230 that executes the virtual machine, if it is hardware dedicated to the virtual machine and / or hardware shared by the virtual machine with other virtual machines 1240, forms a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0176] Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for handling a specific network function running in one or more virtual machines 1240 on top of the hardware networking infrastructure 1230 and corresponds to Fig.12 Application 1220.

[0177] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 12200, each including one or more transmitters 12220 and one or more receivers 12210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 12225. The radio units 12200 may communicate directly with the hardware nodes 1230 via one or more appropriate network interfaces, and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide radio capabilities to virtual nodes, such as radio access nodes or base stations.

[0178] In some embodiments, some signaling may be implemented using a control system 12230 , which may alternatively be used for communications between the hardware node 1230 and the radio unit 12200 .

[0179] Fig.13 An example telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network is shown in accordance with some embodiments. Fig.13According to an embodiment, the communication system includes a telecommunication network 1310, such as a 3GPP type cellular network, which includes an access network 1311 such as a radio access network and a core network 1314. The access network 1311 includes a plurality of base stations 1312a, 1312b, 1312c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each of which defines a corresponding coverage area 1313a, 1313b, 1313c. Each base station 1312a, 1312b, 1312c is connectable to the core network 1314 via a wired or wireless connection 1315. A first UE 1391 located in the coverage area 1313c is configured to be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 1312c, or to be paged by the base station 1312c. A second UE 1392 in the coverage area 1313a is wirelessly connectable to the corresponding base station 1312a. Although multiple UEs 1391, 1392 are illustrated in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only a UE is in the coverage area or where only a UE is connecting to the corresponding base station 1312. In some embodiments, the multiple UEs 1391, 1392 may be such as with respect to Fig.23 and 26 Describes the user device.

[0180] The telecommunications network 1310 itself is connected to a host computer 1330, which may be embodied in the hardware and / or software of a stand-alone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server farm. The host computer 1330 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. Connections 1321 and 1322 between the telecommunications network 1310 and the host computer 1330 may extend directly from the core network 1314 to the host computer 1330, or may pass through an optional intermediate network 1320. The intermediate network 1320 may be one or a combination of more than one of a public, private, or hosted network; the intermediate network 1320 (if any) may be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, the intermediate network 1320 may include two or more subnets (not shown).

[0181] Fig.13The communication system as a whole implements connectivity between connected UEs 1391, 1392 and a host computer 1330. This connectivity can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1350. The host computer 1330 and the connected UEs 1391, 1392 are configured to use the access network 1311, the core network 1314, any intermediate networks 1320, and possible additional infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries to pass data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 1350. The OTT connection 1350 can be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 1350 passes are unaware of the routing of uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 1312 may not be informed or need not be informed of the past routing of incoming downlink communications having data originating from the host computer 1330 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 1391. Similarly, base station 1312 need not be aware of future routing of outgoing uplink communications originating from UE 1391 to host computer 1330 .

[0182] Fig.14 An example host computer is shown communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. Fig.14 Describe the example implementation of the UE, base station and host computer discussed in the previous paragraph according to the embodiment. In the communication system 1400, the host computer 1410 includes hardware 1415, which includes a communication interface 1416 configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with different communication devices of the communication system 1400. The host computer 1410 also includes a processing circuit 1418, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, the processing circuit 1418 may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The host computer 1410 also includes software 1411, which is stored in the host computer 1410 or accessible by the host computer 1410, and executable by the processing circuit 1418. The software 1411 includes a host application 1412. The host application 1412 may be operable to provide services to remote users (e.g., UE 1430 connected via an OTT connection 1450 terminated at the UE 1430 and the host computer 1410). When providing services to remote users, the host application 1412 may provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 1450 .

[0183] The communication system 1400 also includes a base station 1420, which is provided in the telecommunications system and includes hardware 1425 that enables it to communicate with the host computer 1410 and with the UE 1430. In some embodiments, the UE 1430 may be a base station such as a base station 1420 provided in the telecommunications system and including hardware 1425 that enables it to communicate with the host computer 1410 and with the UE 1430. Fig.23 and 26 The hardware 1425 may include a communication interface 1426 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with different communication devices of the communication system 1400, and a radio interface 1427 for establishing and maintaining at least a connection with a user device located in a coverage area ( Fig.14 1470 to the UE 1430 in the communication interface 1426. The communication interface 1426 may be configured to facilitate the connection 1460 to the host computer 1410. The connection 1460 may be direct, or it may be passed through the core network ( Fig.14 1420) and / or through one or more intermediate networks external to the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 1425 of the base station 1420 further includes processing circuitry 1428, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The base station 1420 further has software 1421 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0184] The communication system 1400 also includes the already mentioned UE 1430. In some embodiments, the UE 1430 may be as described above. Fig.23 and 261430 is a user equipment described herein. Its hardware 1435 may include a radio interface 1437, which is configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 1470 with a base station serving the coverage area where the UE 1430 is currently located. The hardware 1435 of the UE 1430 further includes a processing circuit 1438, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The UE 1430 also includes software 1431, which is stored in the UE 1430 or accessible by the UE 1430 and executable by the processing circuit 1438. The software 1431 includes a client application 1432. The client application 1432 may be operable to provide services to human or non-human users via the UE 1430 with the support of the host computer 1410. In the host computer 1410, the executing host application 1412 can communicate with the executing client application 1432 via the OTT connection 1450 terminated at the UE 1430 and the host computer 1410. When providing services to users, the client application 1432 can receive request data from the host application 1412 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1450 can transmit both the request data and the user data. The client application 1432 can interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0185] Notice, Fig.14 The host computer 1410, base station 1420, and UE 1430 shown in FIG. 1 can be respectively connected to the host computer 1330, one of the base stations 1312a, 1312b, 1312c, and Fig.13 That is, the internal workings of these entities may be similar to or identical to one of the UEs 1391, 1392. Fig.14 As shown in , and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Fig.13 network topology.

[0186] exist Fig.14 , an OTT connection 1450 has been abstractly drawn to illustrate communications between a host computer 1410 and a UE 1430 via a base station 1420, without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via those devices. The network infrastructure may determine the routing, which may be configured to hide the routing from the UE 1430 or from the service provider operating the host computer 1410, or both. While the OTT connection 1450 is active, the network infrastructure may further make decisions by which it dynamically changes the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network).

[0187] The wireless connection 1470 between the UE 1430 and the base station 1420 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of an OTT service provided to the UE 1430 using the OTT connection 1450, wherein the wireless connection 1470 forms the final segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the handling of redundant data in a transmit buffer and thereby provide benefits such as improved efficiency in the use of radio resources (e.g., not transmitting redundant data) and reduced latency in receiving new data (e.g., by removing redundant data in the buffer, new data may be transmitted faster).

[0188] For the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors improved by one or more embodiments, a measurement process may be provided. There may also be optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1450 between the host computer 1410 and the UE 1430 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1450 may be implemented in the software 1411 and hardware 1415 of the host computer 1410 or in the software 1431 and hardware 1435 of the UE 1430 or both. In an embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with a communication device through which the OTT connection 1450 passes; the sensor may participate in the measurement process by providing the values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above or providing the values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software 1411, 1431 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1450 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not need to affect the base station 1420, and it may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 1420. Such processes and functionality may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling, thereby facilitating the host computer 1410 to measure throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be achieved because the software 1411 and 1431 uses the OTT connection 1450 to transmit messages, particularly empty messages or "dummy" messages, while it monitors propagation time, errors, etc.

[0189] Fig.15 An example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device according to some embodiments is shown. More specifically, Fig.15 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station (which may be a reference Fig.23 and 27 network node described) and UE (which may be a reference Fig.23 and 26To simplify this disclosure, only the description of the user equipment will be included in this section. Fig.15 In step 1510, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 1511 of step 1510 (which may be optional), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 1520, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In step 1530 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the base station transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host computer to the UE. In step 1540 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0190] Fig.16 An example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device according to some embodiments is shown. More specifically, Fig.16 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station (which may be a reference Fig.23 and 27 network node described) and UE (which may be a reference Fig.23 and 26 To simplify this disclosure, only the description of the user equipment will be included in this section. Fig.16 Reference is made to the accompanying drawings of the present invention. In step 1610 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 1620, 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 can be transmitted via a base station. In step 1630 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0191] Fig.17 Another further example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user device according to some embodiments is shown. More specifically, Fig.17 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station (which may be a reference Fig.23 and 27 network node described) and UE (which may be a reference Fig.23 and 26 To simplify this disclosure, only the description of the user equipment will be included in this section. Fig.17Reference is made to the accompanying drawings of . In step 1710 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 1720, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 1721 of step 1720 (which may be optional), the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 1711 of step 1710 (which may be optional), the UE executes the client application that provides user data as a reaction to the received input data provided by the host computer. When providing the user data, the executed client application may further consider the user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, in sub-step 1730 (which may be optional), the UE initiates the transmission of the user data to the host computer. In step 1740 of the method, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the host computer receives the user data transmitted from the UE.

[0192] Fig.18 Another example method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user device according to some embodiments is shown. More specifically, Fig.18 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE. In one embodiment, the base station may be a reference Fig.23 and 27 In one embodiment, the UE may be a reference Fig.23 and 26 To simplify this disclosure, this section will only include Fig.18 In step 1810 (which may be optional), according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the base station receives user data from the UE. In step 1820 (which may be optional), the base station initiates a transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 1830 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0193] Fig.19 An example method performed at a UE according to certain embodiments is shown. The flow chart shows some steps of the method from the perspective of a UE or wireless device. The method starts at step 1902, where the UE receives a first PRS transmitted by a first radio node.

[0194] At step 1904, the UE performs one or more measurements on the first PRS transmitted by the first radio node. The measurements may determine the quality (e.g., signal strength, noise, etc.) of the received PRS. In some embodiments, the measurements may include estimates of one or more arrival times of the one or more PRSs. In some embodiments, the first radio node may be a location node or a base station.

[0195] At step 1906, the UE provides feedback to the first radio node regarding the measured quality of the PRS. In some embodiments, information regarding the environment in which the UE is located may be provided along with the feedback.

[0196] At step 1908, the UE receives a message including a PRS configuration. The message with the PRS configuration may be received via dedicated, multicast, on-demand broadcast or broadcast signaling, or system information. The PRS configuration may specify one or more additional PRSs to be transmitted by the first radio node. These additional PRSs may have different signal characteristics than the first PRS received at step 1902. In some embodiments, the characteristics of the one or more additional PRSs are based on the feedback provided to the network node at step 1906.

[0197] At step 1910, the UE receives an additional PRS or multiple additional PRSs based on the PRS configuration received at step 1908. From here, the method may repeat steps 1904-1908 using only the additional PRSs. In some embodiments, the additional PRSs may be received in response to the UE having sent a request message requesting the PRSs. In some embodiments, the request may further request PRSs configured for multiple subframes or opportunities.

[0198] Although not shown, in some embodiments the method may also include providing user data and forwarding the user data to the host computer via transmission to the base station.

[0199] Fig. 20 An example method performed at a network node according to certain embodiments is shown. The flow chart shows some steps of the method from the perspective of a network node (e.g., a radio node such as an eNB or a core network node such as a location node). The method begins at step 2002, where the network node receives a request to assign a PRS configuration to a particular UE. In some embodiments, this step may occur after a first PRS configuration has been provided for the UE. The request may be received directly from the UE, or it may be received from a radio node, which receives it from the UE.

[0200] At step 2004, the network node determines whether to use a static or dynamic PRS configuration. In some embodiments, the network node may determine to use a combination of dynamic and static PRS configurations. Depending on the embodiment, the determination may be made with respect to factors such as the total number of UEs in the cell, the number of UEs served by the cell and configured to use the cell's PRS, or the number of UEs served by this or a neighboring cell and configured to use the cell's PRS.

[0201] At step 2006, the network node allocates bandwidth for the PRS. The bandwidth may be allocated so as to minimize overlap with PRS bandwidth from interfering neighboring cells. In some embodiments, the bandwidth may be allocated to avoid overlap with other PRS in time and frequency.

[0202] At step 2008, the network node provides the UE with a PRS configuration. The PRS configuration may be provided to the radio node to then be transmitted to the UE, or if the network node is the radio node, the PRS configuration may be provided directly to the UE. The updated PRS configuration may be different from the first PRS configuration.

[0203] Fig.21 An example method performed at a radio network node according to certain embodiments is shown. The flowchart shows some steps of the method from the perspective of a radio network node (eg, an eNB). The method may include Fig. 20 The method starts at step 2102, where a network node transmits one or more PRSs.

[0204] At step 2104, the network node provides a first PRS configuration. In some embodiments, steps 2104 and 2102 may be reversed. The PRS configuration may be provided via a wireless connection with the UE. The PRS configuration may be provided via one of on-demand broadcast, broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or system information.

[0205] In step 2106, the network node receives feedback about the quality of the PRS from the UE. The feedback may include various measurements of the quality of the PRS. The network node may arrange measurements of the feedback based on the received mutual correlation factor. In some embodiments, the network node may determine that measurements related to higher mutual correlation factors are prioritized for better positioning accuracy. In some embodiments, the network node may arrange the measurements in descending order. In some scenarios, the network node may discard one or more measurements. This may be done using PRS from a cell that causes the mutual correlation factor to be worse than a threshold. In some embodiments, the feedback may include OTDOA. The network node may create or classify an OTDOA neighbor cell list based on feedback about the quality of the PRS received from the UE.

[0206] At step 2108, the network node receives a request to update a PRS configuration for one or more UEs.

[0207] In step 2110, the network node obtains a dynamically adjusted PRS configuration. The adjusted PRS configuration may be obtained from the location node. In some embodiments, the PRS configuration may be received via a message received from the location node. In some embodiments, the PRS configuration may be obtained by a determination / calculation performed by the network node. In some embodiments, the network node may identify cells with better mutual correlation factors and allocate more PRS resources to the identified cells. In some embodiments, the cells with better mutual correlation factors may be those cells whose mutual correlation factors are above a threshold, or it may be those cells whose mutual correlation factors are in the top "X" percentage of cells (where "X" is a value between 0% and 100% (e.g., top 25%)). In some embodiments, the network node may also allocate bandwidth for PRS, for example, in step 2006.

[0208] In some embodiments, the network node may first determine whether to use static or dynamic PRS configuration or a combination of both static and dynamic parts before step 2110. This determination may be based on factors such as the total number of UEs in the cell, the number of UEs served by the cell and configured to use the cell's PRS, or the number of UEs served by this or a neighboring cell and configured to use this cell's PRS.

[0209] At step 2112, the network node provides the adjusted PRS to the UE. Before providing the adjusted PRS, the network node may first provide the UE with an updated PRS configuration based on the feedback. The updated PRS configuration is different from the first PRS configuration and provides details of the adjusted PRS provided at step 2112.

[0210] Fig. 22 An example method performed at a location network node according to certain embodiments is shown. The flowchart shows some steps of the method from the perspective of the location network node. The method may include Fig. 20 The method starts at step 2202, where a network node provides a first PRS configuration. The first PRS configuration may be provided from a location network node to a radio network node, and then transmitted from the radio network node to a UE.

[0211] In step 2204, the network node receives UE feedback about PRS from the radio network node. That is, the radio network node may receive UE feedback and then forward or transmit the feedback to the location network node. The network node may arrange the measurements in the feedback based on the received mutual correlation factor. Measurements related to higher mutual correlation factors may be prioritized for better positioning accuracy. In some embodiments, the measurements may be arranged sequentially in descending order. In some embodiments, the network node may discard measurements made using (based on) PRS from cells that result in a mutual correlation factor worse than a threshold.

[0212] At step 2206, the network node receives a request to update the PRS configuration. The request may be for a specific UE or multiple UEs (eg, all or some of the UEs of a specific cell). The request may have originated from one or more UEs or from a radio network node.

[0213] In step 2208, the network node dynamically adjusts the PRS configuration. This adjusted or updated PRS configuration may be determined based on feedback from the UE. The updated PRS configuration is different from the first PRS configuration. In some embodiments, the network node may also allocate bandwidth for the PRS, for example in step 2006. In some embodiments, the network node may identify cells with better mutual correlation factors and allocate more PRS resources to the identified cells. In some embodiments, the cells with better mutual correlation factors are those cells above a threshold. In some embodiments, the cells with better mutual correlation factors are the top "X" percentage of cells, where "X" is a value between 0% and 100% (e.g., 25%).

[0214] In some embodiments, the network node may determine whether to use static or dynamic PRS configuration or a combination of both static and dynamic parts. The determination may be based on factors such as the total number of UEs in the cell, the number of UEs served by the cell and configured to use the cell's PRS, or the number of UEs served by this or a neighboring cell and configured to use this cell's PRS.

[0215] At step 2210, the network node provides the adjusted PRS configuration to the radio network node.

[0216] Despite Figure 20-22 Not shown, but any of these methods may further include obtaining user data and forwarding the user data to a host computer or UE.

[0217] Fig.23 An example virtualized device in a network according to some embodiments is shown. The network includes a wireless network (e.g., Fig.10UE 2300 and network node 2330 used in the wireless network shown in FIG. UE 2300 and network node 2330 may be operable to perform the example method described with reference to the above flowchart and may perform any other process or method disclosed herein. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0218] The UE 2300 and the network node 2330 may include their own separate processing circuits (which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers), as well as other digital hardware (which may include a digital signal processor (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc.). The processing circuit may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory, which may include one or several 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 includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols and instructions for executing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuit may be used to cause the various illustrated units and any other suitable units to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0219] like Fig.23 As shown in FIG. 2 , UE 2300 includes a receiver unit 2302 , a feedback unit 2304 , a PRS configuration unit 2306 , a measurement unit 2308 , a transmission unit 2310 , and an estimation unit 2312 .

[0220] The receiver unit 2302 is configured to receive an additional PRS and a first PRS transmitted by a first radio node (e.g., network node 2330). The receiver unit 2302 is also configured to receive a message including a PRS configuration. The PRS configuration specifies one or more additional PRSs to be transmitted by the first radio node. The received PRS configuration may specify a PRS having characteristics different from the first PRS, wherein the characteristics of the one or more additional PRSs are based on feedback provided to the network node. The PRS configuration may be received via dedicated, multicast, on-demand broadcast or broadcast signaling, or system information.

[0221] The feedback unit 2304 is configured to provide feedback on the quality of the PRS to the network node. The feedback unit 2304 may be further configured to include feedback information on the environment in which the UE 2300 is located.

[0222] The PRS configuration unit 2306 is configured to configure the UE 2300 to receive the PRS.

[0223] The measuring unit 2308 is configured to perform one or more measurements indicative of the quality of the received PRS.

[0224] The transmitting unit 2310 is configured to send a request message requiring a PRS configured for a plurality of subframes or opportunities. The transmitting unit 2310 is also configured to transmit feedback.

[0225] The estimation unit 2312 is configured to estimate one or more arrival times of one or more PRSs.

[0226] like Fig.23 , the network node 2330 includes a PRS configuration unit 2332, a receiver unit 2334, an allocation unit 2336, a transmitter unit 2338, a measurement arrangement unit 2340, a measurement discarding unit 2342, and a cell identification unit 2344. The network node 2330 may be a radio network node, a location network node, or a combination of both. Although shown in a single box, these units may be divided between multiple boxes. For example, the network node 2330 may be a radio base station with all the units, or it may be a radio base station with some of the units while the location node has other units.

[0227] The PRS configuration unit 2332 is configured to provide a first PRS configuration for a UE (e.g., UE 2300). The PRS configuration unit 2332 is also configured to provide an updated PRS configuration based on feedback received from the UE. The updated PRS configuration is different from the first PRS configuration. In some embodiments, the PRS configuration unit 2332 is configured to determine whether to use a static or dynamic PRS configuration or a combination of both a static part and a dynamic part. This can be determined based on factors such as the total number of UEs in the cell, the number of UEs served by the cell and configured to use the PRS of the cell, or the number of UEs served by this or a neighboring cell and configured to use the PRS of this cell.

[0228] The receiver unit 2334 is configured to receive feedback from the UE regarding the PRS. In some embodiments, the receiver unit 2334 may also be configured to receive a request to assign a PRS configuration to a specific UE.

[0229] The allocating unit 2336 is configured to allocate bandwidth for the PRS, wherein the bandwidth is allocated to minimize overlap with PRS bandwidth from interfering neighboring cells. In some embodiments, allocating bandwidth may include avoiding overlap with other PRS in time and frequency.

[0230] The transmitter unit 2338 is configured to provide the PRS to the UE. It can also be configured to transmit the PRS configuration. For example, it can transmit the PRS to the UE using one of on-demand broadcast, broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or system information.

[0231] The measurement arrangement unit 2340 is configured to arrange the measurements in the feedback based on the received cross-correlation factor. In some embodiments, it may prioritize measurements associated with higher cross-correlation factors for better positioning accuracy. In some embodiments, the measurements may be arranged sequentially in descending order.

[0232] The measurement discarding unit 2342 is configured to discard measurements from cells that result in a cross-correlation factor worse than a threshold.

[0233] The cell identification unit 2344 is configured to identify cells with better mutual correlation factors and allocate more PRS resources to the identified cells. In some embodiments, the cells with better mutual correlation factors are those cells above a threshold. In some embodiments, the cells with better mutual correlation factors are the top "X" percentage of cells, where "X" is a value between 0% and 100%. In some embodiments, the cell identification unit 2344 can create or sort the neighboring cell list of OTDOA based on feedback received from the UE about PRS quality.

[0234] The term unit may have a conventional meaning in the field of electronics, 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 corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, output and / or display functions, etc., such as those described herein.

[0235] Fig.24 1500 is a flowchart of an example method according to some embodiments. The method 1500 may be performed by a UE or a wireless device. The UE may be Fig.10 The wireless device depicted in or Fig.11 The method 2400 begins at step 2410, where a first PRS in a first PRS configuration is received from a first network node. In some embodiments, the first network node may be Fig.10 In some embodiments, the first network node may be a base station or a location node.

[0236] At step 2420, method 2400 performs one or more first measurements on one or more first PRSs to determine one or more first characteristics of the first PRSs. In some embodiments, the first measurements may include estimates of arrival times of the first PRSs.

[0237] At step 2430, the method 2400 sends a second PRS configuration determined based on one or more first characteristics of the first PRS to the second network node. In some embodiments, the second PRS configuration may include one or more second PRSs determined based on the first characteristics of the first PRS. In some embodiments, the second network node may be a base station or a location node. In some embodiments, the second network node is a base station and the first network node is a location node.

[0238] At step 2440, the method 2400 further receives a third PRS configuration from the second network node, the third PRS configuration including one or more third PRSs having at least one different signal characteristic compared to the one or more first characteristics of the first PRS. In some embodiments, the third PRS configuration may be received via broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or via an on-demand system information broadcast.

[0239] At step 2450, the method 2400 further performs one or more second measurements on the one or more third PRSs. In some embodiments, the second measurements may include an estimate of the arrival time of the third PRS. In some embodiments, the method 2400 may determine one or more third characteristics of the one or more third PRSs based on the second PRS configuration.

[0240] In some embodiments, the method 2400 further sends a request message to the first or second network node. The request message may include a request for an additional PRS, the additional PRS configured for one or more subframes in the transmission. The method 2400 further receives an additional PRS determined based on the third PRS configuration from the first or second network node. In some embodiments, the additional PRS may be allocated with a bandwidth to avoid overlapping with another PRS.

[0241] Fig.25 A flowchart of another example method according to some embodiments is shown. The method may be performed by a network node. The network node may be Fig.10 The method 2500 starts at step 2510, where a first PRS configuration including one or more first PRSs is sent to a UE. In some embodiments, the network node may be a base station or a location node.

[0242] At step 2520, method 2500 receives from the UE a second PRS configuration including one or more second PRSs determined based on one or more first PRSs. In some embodiments, method 2500 receives the second PRS configuration via broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or via on-demand system information broadcast.

[0243] At step 2530, the method 2500 performs a set of measurements on one or more second PRSs in the second PRS configuration. In some embodiments, the method 2500 may further receive one or more cross-correlation factors in the one or more second PRSs and prioritize one or more measurements from the set of measurements associated with the one or more cross-correlation factors being above a threshold. In some embodiments, the method 2500 may discard one or more measurements from the set of measurements associated with the one or more cross-correlation factors being below a threshold.

[0244] In some embodiments, method 2500 may allocate bandwidth for a third PRS configuration. Bandwidth may be allocated to minimize overlap from interfering neighboring cells. In another embodiment, bandwidth may be allocated to avoid overlap with another PRS in time and frequency.

[0245] In some embodiments, method 2500 may identify cells having one or more cross-correlation factors above a threshold and allocate bandwidth to the identified cells.

[0246] Fig.26 2600 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary user device 2600 according to some embodiments. The user device 2600 may be configured to communicate with a wireless network (e.g., Fig.10 In some embodiments, the user device 2600 may be used in a wireless network 1006 as shown in FIG. Fig.10 In some embodiments, the user equipment 2600 may be implemented in the wireless device 1010 shown in FIG. Fig.11 The UE 1100 shown in FIG. 2600 is operable to perform the reference Fig.24 and 25 The example methods described herein and possibly any other process or method disclosed herein. It is also understood that Fig.24 and 25 The method in is not necessarily performed only by the user equipment 2600. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0247] User device 2600 may include processing circuitry that may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers and other digital hardware that may include a digital signal processor (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry of user device 2600 may be Fig.10 In some embodiments, the processing circuit of the user equipment 2600 may be Fig.11 The processor 1101 is shown in FIG. The processing circuit may be configured to execute the stored Fig.11The program code in the memory 1115 shown in the figure may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory device, optical storage device, etc. In several embodiments, 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 techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuit can be used to cause the receiving unit 2610, the executing unit 2620 and the sending unit 2630 and any other suitable units of the user equipment 2600 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, such as a transmitter, a processor and a receiver.

[0248] like Fig.26 As shown in FIG. 1 , the user equipment 2600 includes a receiving unit 2610, an executing unit 2620, and a sending unit 2630. The receiving unit 2610 may be configured to receive a first PRS in a first PRS configuration from a first network node. In some embodiments, the first network node may be Fig.10 In some embodiments, the first network node may be a base station or a location node.

[0249] The performing unit 2620 may be configured to perform one or more first measurements on the one or more first PRSs to determine one or more first characteristics of the first PRSs. In some embodiments, the first measurements may include estimates of arrival times of the first PRSs.

[0250] The sending unit 2630 may be configured to send a second PRS configuration determined based on one or more first characteristics of the first PRS to the second network node. In some embodiments, the second PRS configuration may include one or more second PRSs determined based on the first characteristics of the first PRS. In some embodiments, the second network node may be a base station or a location node. In some embodiments, the second network node is a base station and the first network node is a location node.

[0251] The receiving unit 2610 may be further configured to receive, from the second network node, a third PRS configuration including one or more third PRSs having at least one different signal characteristic compared to the one or more first characteristics of the first PRS. In some embodiments, the receiving unit 2610 may receive the third PRS configuration via broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or via an on-demand system information broadcast.

[0252] The execution unit 2620 may be further configured to perform one or more second measurements on the one or more third PRSs. In some embodiments, the second measurements may include an estimate of the arrival time of the third PRS. In some embodiments, the execution unit 2620 may determine one or more third characteristics of the one or more third PRSs based on the second PRS configuration.

[0253] In some embodiments, the sending unit 2630 may be further configured to send a request message to the first or second network node. The request message may include a request for an additional PRS, the additional PRS configured for one or more subframes in the transmission. The receiving unit 2610 may be further configured to receive an additional PRS determined based on the third PRS configuration from the first or second network node. In some embodiments, the additional PRS may be allocated with a bandwidth to avoid overlapping with another PRS.

[0254] Fig. 27 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary network node 2700 in a wireless network according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be Fig.10 The wireless network 1006 shown in FIG. 1006 is shown in FIG. 1006. The network nodes may be Fig.10 The network node 2700 is operable to perform the reference Fig.24 and 25 The example methods described herein and possibly any other process or method disclosed herein. It is also understood that Fig.24 and 25 The method in is not necessarily performed only by the network node 2700. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0255] The network node 2700 may include processing circuitry that may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware that may include a digital signal processor (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry of the network node 2700 may be Fig.10. The processing circuit 1070 shown in . The processing circuit can be configured to execute program codes stored in a memory, which may include one or several 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 includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols and instructions for executing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuit can be used to cause the sending unit 2710, the receiving unit 2720, the execution unit 2730, and any other suitable units of the network node 2700 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, such as a processor, a receiver, and a transmitter.

[0256] like Fig. 27 As shown in FIG. 2 , the network node 2700 includes a sending unit 2710, a receiving unit 2720, and an executing unit 2730. The sending unit 2710 may be configured to send a first PRS configuration including one or more first PRSs to the UE. In some embodiments, the network node 2700 may be a base station or a location node.

[0257] The receiving unit 2720 may be configured to receive from the UE a second PRS configuration including one or more second PRSs, the one or more second PRSs being determined based on the one or more first PRSs. In some embodiments, the receiving unit 2720 may receive the second PRS configuration via broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or via on-demand system information broadcast.

[0258] The performing unit 2730 may be configured to perform a set of measurements on one or more second PRSs in the second PRS configuration. In some embodiments, the receiving unit 2720 may receive one or more cross-correlation factors in the one or more second PRSs, and the performing unit 2730 may prioritize one or more measurements from the set of measurements associated with the one or more cross-correlation factors above a threshold, and discard one or more measurements from the set of measurements associated with the one or more cross-correlation factors below the threshold.

[0259] In some embodiments, the execution unit 2730 may be further configured to allocate bandwidth for the third PRS configuration. The bandwidth may be allocated to minimize overlap from interfering neighboring cells. In another embodiment, the bandwidth may be allocated to avoid overlap with another PRS in time and frequency.

[0260] In some embodiments, the execution unit 2730 may be further configured to identify cells having one or more cross-correlation factors above a threshold, and allocate bandwidth to the identified cells.

[0261] 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 multiple of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented via a processing circuit, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and the digital hardware may include a digital signal processor (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuit may be configured to execute 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 (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 techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuit may be used to cause the corresponding functional unit to perform the corresponding function according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0262] The term unit may have a conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, receivers, transmitters, memories, logical solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, output and / or display functions, etc., such as those described herein.

[0263] According to various embodiments, the advantages of the features herein are that a network node can continuously perform measurements on the most updated PRS received from a UE, so that the network node can provide dynamic configuration for each UE in a neighboring cell to avoid interference. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure enable a location node to coordinate with a base station to effectively provide user-specific, beam-specific PRS configurations for each UE. Certain embodiments of the present application provide PRS configurations for UEs based on signal characteristics and UE mobility to improve network performance and save energy for devices in the network.

[0264] Although the processes in the accompanying figures may illustrate a particular order of operations performed by certain embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that such order is exemplary (e.g., alternative embodiments may perform operations in a different order, combine certain operations, overlap certain operations, etc.).

[0265] Although the present invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments and can be practiced with modifications and changes within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Therefore, this description is to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A method for positioning reference signal configuration performed by a user equipment UE, wherein the positioning reference signal configuration is customized for the UE based on the mobility of the UE, the method comprising: receiving one or more first positioning reference signal (PRS) in a first positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration from a network node; performing one or more first measurements on the one or more first PRSs to determine one or more first characteristics of the one or more first PRSs; sending a second PRS configuration to the network node, the second PRS configuration comprising one or more second PRSs determined based on the one or more first characteristics of the one or more first PRSs; receiving a third PRS configuration from the network node, wherein the third PRS configuration comprises one or more third PRSs having at least one different signal characteristic compared to the one or more first characteristics of the first PRS; and One or more second measurements are performed on the one or more third PRSs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first measurements and the one or more second measurements comprise estimates of one or more arrival times of the one or more first PRSs and the one or more third PRSs.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the third PRS configuration is received via broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or via on-demand system information broadcast. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining one or more third characteristics of the one or more third PRSs based on the second PRS configuration.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: sending a request message to the network node, wherein the request message includes a request for additional PRS, the additional PRS configured for one or more subframes in a transmission; and The additional PRS determined based on the third PRS configuration is received from the network node. The method of claim 5 , wherein the additional PRS is allocated a bandwidth to avoid overlapping with another PRS.

7. A method for positioning reference signal configuration performed by a network node, the method comprising: Sending one or more first positioning reference signals (PRS) configurations including one or more first positioning reference signals (PRS) to a user equipment (UE); receiving, from the UE, a second PRS configuration comprising one or more second PRSs determined based on the one or more first PRSs of the first PRS configuration; performing a set of measurements on the one or more second PRSs of the second PRS configuration; and A third PRS configuration is sent to the UE, wherein the third PRS configuration includes at least one PRS having a different signal characteristic than the one or more first PRSs of the first PRS configuration.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein performing a set of measurements comprises: receiving one or more cross-correlation factors in the one or more second PRSs; prioritizing one or more measurements in the set of measurements associated with one or more cross-correlation factors above a threshold; and One or more measurements in the set of measurements associated with one or more cross-correlation factors below the threshold are discarded.

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein the performing a set of measurements comprises allocating bandwidth for the third PRS configuration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the bandwidth is allocated to minimize overlap from interfering neighboring cells.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the bandwidth is allocated to avoid overlap with another PRS in time and frequency.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second PRS configuration is received via broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or via an on-demand system information broadcast.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein performing a set of measurements comprises: identifying cells having one or more cross-correlation factors above a threshold; as well as Bandwidth is allocated to the identified cells.

14. A user equipment UE for positioning reference signal configuration, wherein the positioning reference signal configuration is customized for the UE based on the mobility of the UE, comprising: at least one processing circuit; as well as at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the user device to: receiving one or more first positioning reference signal (PRS) in a first positioning reference signal (PRS) configuration from a network node; performing one or more first measurements on the one or more first PRSs to determine one or more first characteristics of the one or more first PRSs; sending a second PRS configuration to the network node, the second PRS configuration comprising one or more second PRSs determined based on the one or more first characteristics of the one or more first PRSs; receiving a third PRS configuration from the network node, wherein the third PRS configuration comprises one or more third PRSs having at least one different signal characteristic compared to the one or more first characteristics of the first PRS; and One or more second measurements are performed on the one or more third PRSs.

15. The user equipment of claim 14, wherein the one or more first measurements and the one or more second measurements comprise estimates of one or more arrival times of the one or more first PRSs and the one or more third PRSs.

16. The user equipment according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the third PRS configuration is received via broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or via on-demand system information broadcast.

17. The user equipment according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the instructions further cause the UE to determine one or more third characteristics of the one or more third PRSs based on the second PRS configuration.

18. The user equipment according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the instruction further causes the UE to: sending a request message to the network node, wherein the request message includes a request for additional PRS, the additional PRS configured for one or more subframes in a transmission; and The additional PRS determined based on the third PRS configuration is received from the network node.

19. The user equipment of claim 18, wherein the additional PRS is allocated with a bandwidth to avoid overlapping with another PRS.

20. A network node for positioning reference signal configuration, comprising: at least one processing circuit; as well as at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the network node to: Sending one or more first positioning reference signals (PRS) configurations including one or more first positioning reference signals (PRS) to a user equipment (UE); receiving, from the UE, a second PRS configuration, the second PRS configuration comprising one or more second PRSs determined based on the first PRS of the first PRS configuration; performing a set of measurements on the one or more second PRSs of the second PRS configuration; and A third PRS configuration is sent to the UE, wherein the third PRS configuration includes at least one PRS having a different signal characteristic than the one or more first PRSs of the first PRS configuration.

21. The network node of claim 20, wherein the performing a set of measurements comprises: receiving one or more cross-correlation factors in the one or more second PRSs; prioritizing one or more measurements in the set of measurements associated with one or more cross-correlation factors above a threshold; and One or more measurements in the set of measurements associated with one or more cross-correlation factors below the threshold are discarded.

22. The network node of claim 20 or 21, wherein the performing a set of measurements comprises allocating bandwidth for the third PRS configuration.

23. The network node of claim 22, wherein the bandwidth is allocated to minimize overlap from interfering neighboring cells.

24. The network node of claim 22, wherein the bandwidth is allocated to avoid overlap with another PRS in time and frequency.

25. The network node of claim 20 or 21, wherein the second PRS configuration is received via broadcast, multicast or dedicated signaling or via an on-demand system information broadcast.

26. The network node according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the performing a set of measurements comprises: identifying cells having one or more cross-correlation factors above a threshold; as well as Bandwidth is allocated to the identified cells.

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