Method and apparatus for wireless communication

Abstract

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method includes: receiving, at a user equipment (UE), configuration information indicating zone area information, wherein the zone area information indicates at least one geographic zone; and determining, at the UE, that a Global Positioning System (GPS) function is denied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communication technology, and more particularly to V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication. Background Art

[0002] To extend the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) platform to the automotive industry, standards for V2X services have been proposed and released. The concept of zones has been introduced into the V2X system for efficient resource utilization, range determination, and interference handling.

[0003] In some application scenarios, a geographic area may be divided into multiple rectangular areas, each of which may be referred to as a zone and may be configured with a zone ID. The mapping between zones and resource pools may be configured. For example, each zone may be associated with a corresponding resource pool. When a user equipment (UE) is located in a particular zone, the UE may preferentially select resources from the resource pool corresponding to the zone in which the UE is currently located.

[0004] However, in some cases, the UE may not be able to determine the zone the UE is currently located in. It is necessary to process the determination of the current zone of the UE. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method that may include: receiving, at a user equipment, configuration information indicating zone area information, wherein the zone area information may indicate at least one geographic zone; and determining, at the user equipment, that a global positioning system (GPS) function is denied.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method may further include transmitting a message to a base station indicating that the GPS function is denied. The method may further include receiving a zone ID of the user equipment from the base station. The method may further include receiving a message from the base station indicating that the user equipment enters a default state.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the configuration information may further include parameters for triggering reporting of the GPS status, wherein the parameters include a value of a timer associated with the rejection of the GPS function. The method may further include starting the timer in response to the determination that the GPS function is rejected. The method may further include transmitting a message to a base station indicating that the GPS function is rejected. The method may further include entering a default state in response to expiration of the timer. The method may further include transmitting a message to a base station indicating that the user equipment has entered the default state in response to expiration of the timer.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method may further include: determining a zone ID for the user equipment according to a positioning method in response to the determination that the GPS function is rejected; transmitting a message indicating the determined zone ID of the user equipment and a confidence level associated with the determined zone ID to a base station; and receiving a confirmation message from the base station indicating whether a zone operation is performed according to the determined zone ID. The message may further indicate the positioning method used to determine the zone ID of the user equipment. The method may further include: performing a zone operation according to the determined zone ID when the confirmation message indicates an acknowledgement; or entering a default state when the confirmation message indicates a negative acknowledgement. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the configuration information may further include a threshold for reporting a zone ID, and transmitting the message indicating the determined zone ID may include transmitting the message indicating the determined zone ID when the positioning accuracy associated with the positioning method meets the threshold.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, determining the band ID of the user equipment may include: broadcasting a message indicating that the GPS function is denied; receiving a band ID of a neighboring user equipment of the user equipment, wherein the neighboring user equipment is a paired sidelink user equipment of the user equipment; and determining the band ID of the user equipment based on the band ID of the neighboring user equipment.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, determining the zone ID of the user equipment may include: determining the zone ID of the user equipment based on at least one of: historical GPS positioning information; a moving speed of the user equipment; or route information.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, determining the zone ID of the user equipment may include: requesting GPS information from a neighboring user equipment, wherein the neighboring user equipment is a paired sidelink user equipment of the user equipment; and determining the zone ID of the user equipment based on the GPS information from the neighboring user equipment and beamforming information between the user equipment and the neighboring user equipment.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, entering a default state may include entering the default state when the user equipment is in connected mode and has data to be transmitted. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the default state may be associated with a default resource pool, and the method may further include performing the transmission using resources assigned to the default resource pool after entering the default state.

[0013] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method that may include transmitting configuration information indicating zone area information. The zone area information may indicate at least one geographical zone.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method may further include: receiving a message from the user equipment indicating that a global positioning system (GPS) function is rejected; and transmitting a zone ID of the user equipment or a message instructing the user equipment to enter a default state to the user equipment.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the configuration information may further include parameters for triggering reporting of the global positioning system (GPS) status. The parameters may include a value of a timer associated with the denial of the GPS function. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method may further include at least one of: receiving a message indicating that the GPS function has been denied at the user equipment; or receiving a message indicating that the user equipment has entered a default state.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method may further include: receiving a message indicating a band ID of a user equipment and a confidence level associated with the band ID; and transmitting a confirmation message to the user equipment in response to the message. The message may further indicate a positioning method used to determine the band ID of the user equipment. The confirmation message may include a response instructing the user equipment to perform a band operation according to the band ID; or the confirmation message may include a negative response instructing the user equipment to enter a default state. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the configuration information may further include a threshold for reporting a band ID. The band ID of the user equipment may be determined based on a positioning method, and the positioning accuracy of the positioning method may meet the threshold.

[0017] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method. The method may include: receiving, at a user equipment, a broadcast message indicating that a global positioning system (GPS) function is denied at a neighboring user equipment, wherein the neighboring user equipment is a paired sidelink user equipment of the user equipment; and transmitting a zone ID of the user equipment to the neighboring user equipment. The neighboring user equipment may be a paired sidelink user equipment of the user equipment.

[0018] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method. The method may include: receiving a request for GPS information of a user equipment from a neighboring user equipment, wherein the neighboring user equipment is a paired sidelink user equipment of the user equipment; and transmitting the GPS information of the user equipment to the neighboring user equipment. The neighboring user equipment may be a paired sidelink user equipment of the user equipment.

[0019] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the apparatus may include: at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored therein; at least one receiving circuit; at least one transmitting circuit; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, the at least one receiving circuit, and the at least one transmitting circuit, wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and the computer-executable instructions are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to describe the manner in which the advantages and features of the present disclosure can be obtained, the description of the present disclosure is presented by reference to specific embodiments of the disclosure which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These drawings depict only exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a wireless communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 2 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for determining zone information for a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 3 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for determining zone information for a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 4 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for determining zone information for a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 5A A flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for determining a zone ID of a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 5B A flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for determining a zone ID of a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 5C A flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for determining a zone ID of a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The detailed description of the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present disclosure can be practiced. It should be understood that the same or equivalent functions can be achieved by different embodiments, which are intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0030] Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding, the embodiments are provided in the context of specific network architectures and new service scenarios, such as 3GPP 5G (NR) and 3GPP LTE Release 8. It should be understood that as network architectures and new service scenarios develop, all embodiments in this disclosure will also be applicable to similar technical problems. Furthermore, the terminology used in this disclosure may change, which should not affect the principles of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a wireless communication system 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG, wireless communication system 100 may include a base station (e.g., BS 120) and some UEs 110 (e.g., UE 110a, UE 110b, and UE 110c). Figure 1 A specific number of UEs 110 and one BS 120 are depicted in FIG. 1 , but it should be considered that the wireless communication system 100 may also include more BSs and more or fewer UEs within and outside the coverage of the BSs.

[0033] UEs and base stations may support communications based on, for example, 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), or other suitable protocols. For example, BS 120 may include an eNB or gNB. UE 110 may include, for example, but not limited to, a computing device, a wearable device, a mobile device, an IoT device, etc. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, UE 110 may be a V2X UE, such as a vehicle. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the terminology used in this disclosure may change as technology develops and advances, but this should not affect or limit the principles and spirit of this disclosure.

[0034] BS 120 may define one or more cells, and each cell may have a coverage area 130. In exemplary wireless communication system 100, UE 110 (e.g., UE 110a, UE 110b, and UE 110c) is within the coverage area of ​​BS 120, which may not be Figure 1, and may be any of the base stations 120 in the wireless communication system. For example, where UE 110a is a V2X UE and the wireless communication system includes two base stations 120, UE 110a being within the coverage of either base station 120 means that UE 110a is within the coverage of the base station 120 in the wireless communication system (i.e., within coverage); and UE 110a being outside the coverage of both base stations 120 means that UE 110a is outside the coverage of the base station 120 in the wireless communication system (i.e., out of coverage).

[0035] Still refer to Figure 1 UE 110a, UE 110b and UE 110c may communicate via, for example, a Uu link (by Figure 1 120). In some other embodiments, some of the UEs 110 (e.g., UE 110b) may be outside the coverage of the BS 120. In this scenario, since UE 110b is outside the coverage of the BS 120, it cannot communicate with the BS 120 via the Uu link. UE 110a and UE 110b may communicate via the side link (represented by the Figure 1 The UEs 110a and 110b communicate with each other via the PC5 interface defined in 3GPP specification TS 23.303 (indicated by the solid arrows in FIG). In these embodiments, UE 110a may be referred to as a paired sidelink UE of UE 110b, and vice versa.

[0036] As mentioned above, the concept of zones has been introduced into wireless communication systems for efficient resource usage, range determination, interference handling, etc. Each zone can be identified by a corresponding zone ID and can be associated with a corresponding resource pool. In general, a UE (e.g., Figure 1 A UE 110 in the example may determine the zone in which the UE is currently located (current zone) based on its location information from, for example, a GPS function equipped in the UE. The UE may select resources from a resource pool corresponding to the current zone to perform operations according to the corresponding zone configuration (zone operation). For example, the UE may perform transmissions according to the zone ID.

[0037] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a UE (e.g., Figure 1The UE 110 in the UE 110 may be configured with zone configuration information. The zone configuration information may include information necessary to obtain resource pool information allocated to each zone. For example, the zone configuration information may indicate at least one geographical zone. Each geographical zone may be described by at least one of the width of the geographical zone and the length of the geographical zone. For example, the geographical zone may be 10 meters wide and 10 meters long. In some embodiments, the zone configuration information may indicate the total number of zones configured relative to longitude and the total number of zones configured relative to latitude. In some embodiments, the zone configuration information may indicate the corresponding resource pool associated with the corresponding geographical zone (or zone ID). In some embodiments, the zone configuration information may indicate a default resource pool. In some embodiments, the zone configuration information may be provided by the BS (e.g., Figure 1 The BS 120 in the UE is configured via a higher layer (eg, radio resource control (RRC)) signal. In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the zone configuration information may be pre-configured at the UE.

[0038] The UE can determine the zone ID based on the zone configuration information and its own location, for example, from a GPS equipped on the UE. The UE can then determine the resource pool corresponding to the zone ID based on the zone configuration information and use resources in the determined resource pool to perform zone operations, such as transmitting packets. As the UE moves, the UE can re-determine its zone ID and corresponding resource pool. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE operates according to the zone configuration only when the zone function is enabled on the UE.

[0039] However, in some cases (e.g., when the UE's GPS functionality is denied due to, for example, the UE being under a bridge or in a tunnel or satellite failure), the UE may not be able to determine the zone the UE is currently located in. Determination of the UE's current zone needs to be handled to maintain zone operation.

[0040] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for determining the zone information (eg, zone ID) of a UE. More details about the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Figure 2 Flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 200 for determining zone information for a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] Exemplary process 200 shows a process in which a UE (e.g., UE 210) communicates with a base station (e.g., BS 220). In some examples, UE 210 may function as a Figure 1 UE 110 in, and BS 220 can be used as Figure 1 BS 120 in.

[0043] As described above, UE 210 may determine the zone ID based on the zone configuration information and its own location from, for example, a GPS equipped at UE 210. UE 210 may perform operations using resources in a resource pool corresponding to the zone ID. When UE 210 moves, UE 210 may re-determine the zone ID and the corresponding resource pool. However, in some cases, the UE may determine that it cannot determine its location. For example, referring to Figure 2 In operation 231, the UE 210 may determine that the GPS function is rejected for some reason. Since the UE 210 cannot determine its position, it cannot acquire the resource pool corresponding to the zone where the UE 210 is located.

[0044] In operation 233, UE 210 may transmit a message to BS 220 indicating that the GPS function has been denied. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, BS 220 may determine the band ID of UE 210 and may transmit the band ID of UE 210 in operation 235. UE 210 may then determine the resource pool corresponding to the band ID from BS 220. In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, BS 220 may not be able to determine the band ID of UE 210 and may transmit a message instructing UE 210 to enter (or fall back to) a default state in operation 235. The default state may be associated with a default resource pool. UE 210 may obtain resources from the default resource pool after entering the default state. The default resource pool may be configured by a BS (e.g., BS 220) or may be preconfigured at the UE.

[0045] Those skilled in the art will understand that the sequence of operations in exemplary process 200 may be changed, and some operations in exemplary process 200 may be eliminated or modified, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 3 Flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 300 for determining zone information for a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0047] Exemplary process 300 shows a process in which a UE (e.g., UE 310) communicates with a base station (e.g., BS 320). In some examples, UE 310 may function as a Figure 1 UE 110 in, and BS 320 can be used as Figure 1 BS 120 in.

[0048] refer to Figure 3In operation 331, UE 310 may receive configuration information from BS 320. UE 310 may operate according to the configuration information. The configuration information may be transmitted together with the zone configuration information described above or separately from the zone configuration information. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the configuration information may include parameters for triggering a report of the GPS status. The parameters may include a timer value associated with the rejection of the GPS function.

[0049] In some cases, UE 310 may determine that it cannot determine its location. Figure 2 In operation 333, UE 310 may determine that the GPS function is rejected for some reason. In response to determining that the GPS function is rejected, UE 310 may start a timer associated with the rejection of the GPS function (e.g., timer #A). The timer may be set according to the above configuration information.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, exemplary process 300 may include an optional operation for transmitting a message indicating that GPS functionality is denied. For example, in operation 335 (by Figure 3 ), the UE 310 may transmit a message indicating that the GPS function is rejected to the BS 320 in response to determining that the GPS function is rejected.

[0051] In operation 337, UE 310 may determine that Timer #A has expired. UE 310 may enter a default state in response to the expiration of Timer #A. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, UE 310 may further determine whether it can determine its own location after Timer #A expires (e.g., whether GPS functionality is still denied), and if location information is still unavailable, may enter a default state. As mentioned above, the default state may be associated with a default resource pool, which may be configured by a BS (e.g., BS 320) or pre-configured at the UE. UE 310 may then obtain resources from the default resource pool after entering the default state.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, exemplary process 300 may include an optional operation for transmitting the state of the UE to the corresponding base station. For example, in operation 339 (by Figure 3 ), the UE 310 may transmit a message indicating that the UE 310 has entered the default state to the BS 320 in response to expiration of the timer or after the UE 310 enters the default state.

[0053] Those skilled in the art will understand that the sequence of operations in exemplary process 300 may be changed, and some operations in exemplary process 300 may be eliminated or modified, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0054] Figure 4 Flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 400 for determining zone information for a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0055] Exemplary process 400 shows a process in which a UE (e.g., UE 410) communicates with a base station (e.g., BS 420). In some examples, UE 410 may be used as Figure 1 UE 110 in, and BS 420 can be used as Figure 1 BS 120 in.

[0056] As described above, UE 410 may determine the zone ID based on the zone configuration information and its own location from, for example, a GPS equipped at UE 410. UE 410 may perform operations using resources in a resource pool corresponding to the zone ID. When UE 410 moves, UE 410 may re-determine the zone ID and the corresponding resource pool. However, in some cases, the UE may determine that it cannot determine its location. For example, referring to Figure 4 In operation 433, the UE 410 may determine that the GPS function is rejected for some reason. Since the UE 410 cannot determine its position, it cannot acquire the resource pool corresponding to the zone where the UE 410 is located.

[0057] In operation 435, UE 410 may determine a zone ID based on a positioning method in response to determining that the GPS function is denied. UE 410 may employ various positioning methods to determine its zone ID. Further details regarding positioning methods will be described further below. When the GPS function is denied, UE 410 may employ at least one positioning method to determine the zone ID.

[0058] In operation 439, the UE 410 may transmit a message indicating the determined zone ID and the confidence associated with the determined zone ID to the BS 420 for confirmation. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the message may further indicate the positioning method used by the UE 410 to determine the zone ID.

[0059] The confidence level may indicate the reliability level of a result (e.g., a determined zone ID). A network entity (e.g., BS 420) may determine whether the result is applicable based on the associated confidence level. Confidence levels may be expressed in many different ways. In some examples, confidence levels may be expressed as "high," "medium," or "low." In other examples, confidence levels may be expressed as numerical values ​​(e.g., 95% or 90%), with different numerical values ​​representing different confidence levels. Other techniques for expressing confidence or reliability may also be used, allowing for comparison of the corresponding confidence levels of different results.

[0060] For example, if the confidence level is "high" or 95%, the network entity may determine that the result (e.g., the determined zone ID) is reliable; otherwise, the result may be unreliable. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the associated confidence level is equal to or greater than a threshold (e.g., 95%), the network entity may determine that the result is reliable. Various factors (e.g., the type of positioning method) may affect the confidence level.

[0061] In operation 441, UE 410 may receive a confirmation message from BS 420 indicating whether the determined zone ID is reliable. The confirmation message may indicate an acknowledgement (e.g., ACK) or a negative acknowledgement (e.g., NACK). When the confirmation message indicates an acknowledgement, UE 410 may perform a zone operation according to the determined zone ID. Otherwise, when the confirmation message indicates a negative acknowledgement, UE 410 may enter a default state.

[0062] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, when the confirmation message indicates a negative acknowledgment, the UE 410 may use a different positioning method to determine the zone ID and may transmit the determined zone ID for confirmation. When the UE 410 attempts all possible positioning methods and the confirmation message still indicates a negative acknowledgment, the UE 410 may enter a default state.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, exemplary process 400 may include an optional operation for determining whether to report the determined zone ID to BS 420 for confirmation. For example, in operation 431 (by Figure 4 In the example shown in FIG4 (indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG4 ), UE 410 may receive configuration information from BS 420. The configuration information may include a threshold for reporting a zone ID. The threshold may be associated with positioning accuracy. The configuration information may be carried in the same or different message as the one carrying the zone configuration information described above.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for each positioning method, a corresponding positioning accuracy may be configured. In these embodiments, different positioning methods may correspond to different or the same positioning accuracy. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a single positioning accuracy may be configured for all types of positioning methods. In some embodiments, a BS (e.g., Figure 4 The BS 420 in the embodiment may transmit the positioning accuracy associated with at least one positioning method to the UE (e.g., Figure 4 In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the positioning accuracy of each positioning method may be preconfigured at the UE.

[0065] In operation 437 (by Figure 4In operation 439, when the positioning accuracy of the positioning method used to determine the band ID is greater than or equal to the threshold value for reporting the band ID, the UE 410 may transmit a message indicating the determined band ID to the BS 420 for confirmation. Otherwise, when the positioning accuracy of the positioning method used to determine the band ID is less than the threshold value, the UE 410 may enter a default state.

[0066] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, when the positioning accuracy of the positioning method used to determine the zone ID is greater than or equal to a threshold, the UE 410 may consider the determined zone ID to be reliable and may perform operations according to the determined zone ID without transmitting the zone ID to the BS 420 for confirmation.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will understand that the sequence of operations in exemplary process 400 may be changed, and some operations in exemplary process 400 may be eliminated or modified, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when a UE (e.g. Figure 1 UE 110 in Figure 2 UE 210 in Figure 3 UE 310 or Figure 4 When the UE 410 in FIG. 4 is in connected mode and has data to be transmitted, the UE may enter (or fall back to) the default state. If the UE is in idle mode or inactive mode or the UE has no data to be transmitted, the UE may not enter the default state when the GPS function is denied at the UE or the UE is instructed to enter the default state. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the default state is designed to handle the transmission of information (e.g., data, signaling, etc.) at the UE, rather than the reception of information. In other words, after entering the default state, the UE may perform transmission using resources assigned to the default resource pool associated with the default state; however, the UE may still perform reception within the entire resource range.

[0069] As mentioned above about Figure 4 Description: When the GPS function is denied, the UE can use various positioning methods to determine its zone ID. Figures 5A to 5C An exemplary process for determining a zone ID of a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is described.

[0070] Figure 5AFlowchart illustrating an exemplary process 500A for determining a zone ID of a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Exemplary process 500A shows a process in which a UE (e.g., UE 510a) communicates with another UE (e.g., UE 511). In some instances, UE 510a or UE 511 may serve as Figure 1 UE 110 or Figure 4 The exemplary process 500A is applicable to the above process 400. The details described in all the above embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to Figure 5A The embodiment shown in .

[0071] As mentioned above, in some cases, UE 510a may determine that it cannot determine its location. For example, UE 510a may determine that GPS functionality is denied for some reason. Since UE 510a cannot determine its location, it cannot acquire a resource pool corresponding to the zone where UE 510a is located.

[0072] refer to Figure 5A In operation 531, UE 510a may broadcast a message indicating that the GPS function is denied. UE 510a may broadcast the message according to a specific power level / range. The specific power level / range may allow a specific number or all neighboring UEs (e.g., paired side link UEs of UE 510a) to receive the broadcast message. In operation 533, the paired side link UE of UE 510a (e.g., UE 511) may transmit its zone ID to UE 510a in response to the message. For example, referring back to FIG. Figure 1 , UE 110a may broadcast a message indicating that the GPS function is denied. UE 110b may be one of the paired sidelink UEs of UE 110a and may transmit its zone ID to UE 110a.

[0073] refer to Figure 5A In operation 535, the UE 510a may determine its own zone ID based on the zone ID received from the neighboring UE (e.g., the paired sidelink UE of the UE 510a). For example, if a certain proportion (e.g., 70%) of the received zone IDs are the same, the UE 510a may determine its own zone ID as the zone ID.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will understand that the sequence of operations in exemplary process 500A may be changed, and some operations in exemplary process 500A may be eliminated or modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0075] Figure 5BFlowchart illustrating an exemplary process 500B for determining a zone ID for a UE 510b according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some instances, the UE 510b may be used as Figure 1 UE 110 or Figure 4 The exemplary process 500B is applicable to the above process 400. The details described in all the above embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to Figure 5B The embodiment shown in .

[0076] As mentioned above, in some cases, UE 510b may determine that it cannot determine its location. For example, UE 510b may determine that GPS functionality is denied for some reason. Since UE 510b cannot determine its location, it cannot acquire the resource pool corresponding to the zone where UE 510b is located.

[0077] refer to Figure 5B In operation 541, the UE 510b may determine its current GPS information (eg, GPS location) based on at least one of the historical GPS positioning information, movement speed, or route information of the UE 510b. In operation 543, the UE 510b may determine its zone ID based on the determined GPS information.

[0078] Those skilled in the art will understand that the sequence of operations in exemplary process 500B may be changed, and some operations in exemplary process 500B may be eliminated or modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0079] Figure 5C Flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 500C for determining a zone ID of a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Exemplary process 500C shows a process in which a UE (e.g., UE 510c) communicates with another UE (e.g., UE 513). In some instances, UE 510c or UE 513 may serve as Figure 1 UE 110 or Figure 4 The exemplary process 500C is applicable to the above process 400. The details described in all the above embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to Figure 5C The embodiment shown in .

[0080] As mentioned above, in some cases, UE 510c may determine that it cannot determine its location. For example, UE 510c may determine that GPS functionality is denied for some reason. Because UE 510c cannot determine its location, it cannot acquire a resource pool corresponding to the zone where UE 510c is located.

[0081] refer to Figure 5CIn operation 551, UE 510c may transmit a message to a paired sidelink UE of UE 510c (e.g., UE 513) to request GPS information of the paired sidelink UE. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, UE 510c may transmit the request to all of its paired sidelink UEs. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, UE 510c may transmit the request to at least one of its paired sidelink UEs, the at least one of which is selected based on specific criteria (e.g., the distance from UE 510c to the paired sidelink UE). In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, UE 510c may broadcast the request based on a specific power level / range. The specific power level / range may allow at least one of UE 510c's paired sidelink UEs to receive the broadcast request.

[0082] In operation 553, UE 510c may receive GPS information of a paired sidelink UE of UE 510c (e.g., UE 513). In operation 555, UE 510c may determine its zone ID based on the GPS information from UE 513 and beamforming information between UE 510c and UE 513. The beamforming information between two UEs communicating via the sidelink may include at least one of the direction, beamwidth, or power of a beam used for communication between the two UEs. For example, UE 510c may determine its GPS information (e.g., GPS location) based on the GPS information from UE 513 and the beamforming information between UE 510c and UE 513. UE 510c may then determine its zone ID based on the determined GPS location.

[0083] Those skilled in the art will understand that the sequence of operations in exemplary process 500C may be changed, and some operations in exemplary process 500C may be eliminated or modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0084] Figure 6 An example block diagram illustrating a device 600 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0085] like Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 6 , apparatus 600 may include at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium ( Figure 6 ), receiving circuit 602, transmitting circuit 604 and coupling to a non-transitory computer readable medium ( Figure 6 ), the receiving circuit 602, and the processor 606 of the transmitting circuit 604. The apparatus 600 may be a BS or a UE.

[0086] Although elements such as processor 606, transmit circuitry 604, and receive circuitry 602 are depicted in the singular in this figure, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, receive circuitry 602 and transmit circuitry 604 are combined into a single device, such as a transceiver. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, device 600 may further include an input device, a memory, and / or other components.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may store computer-executable instructions thereon to cause a processor to perform operations related to a UE as described above. For example, when executed, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor 606 interacting with the receiving circuit 602 and the transmitting circuit 604 to perform Figures 1 to 5C Operations in .

[0088] For example, the processor 606 may determine that the GPS function is denied at the device 600 and may determine the zone information according to the process described above. In some other examples, the receiving circuit 602 may receive a broadcast message indicating that the GPS function is denied at a neighboring UE (e.g., a paired sidelink UE), and the transmitting circuit 604 may transmit the zone ID of the device 600 to the neighboring UE. In still other examples, the receiving circuit 602 may receive a request for GPS information of the device 600 from the neighboring UE (e.g., a paired sidelink UE), and the transmitting circuit 604 may transmit the GPS information of the device 600 to the neighboring UE.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may store computer-executable instructions thereon to cause a processor to implement the method for a BS as described above. For example, when executed, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor 606 interacting with the receiving circuit 602 and the transmitting circuit 604 to execute Figures 1 to 4 Operations in .

[0090] For example, the receiving circuit 602 may receive a message from the UE indicating that GPS functionality has been denied. The transmitting circuit 604 may transmit the UE's zone ID or a message instructing the UE to enter a default state to the UE. In some other examples, the transmitting circuit 604 may transmit configuration information indicating parameters for triggering a report of GPS status. The parameters may include a value for a timer associated with the denial of GPS functionality. In yet other examples, the receiving circuit 602 may receive a message indicating the UE's zone ID and a confidence level associated with the zone ID. The transmitting circuit 604 may transmit an acknowledgment message to the UE in response to the message.

[0091] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the steps of the methods described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Additionally, in some aspects, the steps of the methods may reside as one or any combination or set of codes and / or instructions on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0092] While the present disclosure has been described using specific embodiments thereof, it is apparent that many alternatives, modifications, and variations may be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, various components of the embodiments may be interchanged, added, or replaced in other embodiments. Furthermore, not all elements of each figure are necessary for the operation of the disclosed embodiments. For example, those skilled in the art of the disclosed embodiments will be able to make and use the teachings of the present disclosure by simply adopting the elements of the independent claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure as described herein are intended to be illustrative, not restrictive. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0093] In this document, the term "comprise", "include" or any other variant thereof is intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, so that the process, method, article or equipment comprising a list of elements not only comprises these elements, but also may comprise other elements that are not explicitly listed or inherent to this process, method, article or equipment. An element beginning with "one", "an" or the like does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or equipment comprising the element without further restrictions. In addition, the term "another" is defined as at least a second or more. As used herein, the term "having" and the like are defined as "comprising".

Claims

1. A user equipment comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to cause the user equipment to: receiving configuration information indicating respective resource allocations associated with at least one geographic zone; transmitting a message indicating a zone identifier of a geographic zone associated with the user equipment and a confidence level associated with the zone identifier based at least in part on global positioning system (GPS) functionality associated with the at least one geographic zone being denied, wherein the at least one geographic zone includes the geographic zone associated with the user equipment; and A confirmation message indicating whether to perform a zone operation according to the zone identifier is received from the base station.

2. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the user equipment to: A message indicating that the GPS function is denied is transmitted to the base station.

3. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the user equipment to: A zone identifier of the user equipment is received from the base station.

4. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the user equipment to: A message is received from the base station instructing the user equipment to enter a default state. 5 . The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the configuration information further comprises a parameter for triggering reporting of GPS status, and wherein the parameter includes a value of a timer associated with denial of the GPS function.

6. The user equipment of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the user equipment to: The timer is started in response to a determination that the GPS functionality is denied.

7. The user equipment of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the user equipment to: A message indicating that the GPS function is denied is transmitted to the base station.

8. The user equipment of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the user equipment to: A default state is entered in response to expiration of the timer.

9. The user equipment of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the user equipment to: A message is transmitted to the base station in response to the expiration of the timer indicating that the user equipment has entered the default state.

10. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the user equipment to: The zone identifier of the geographic zone associated with the user equipment is determined according to a positioning method in response to the GPS functionality being denied.

11. The user equipment of claim 10, wherein determining the zone identifier comprises: broadcasting a message indicating that the GPS function is denied; receiving a zone identifier of a neighboring user equipment of the user equipment, wherein the neighboring user equipment is a paired sidelink user equipment of the user equipment; and The band identifier of the user equipment is determined based on the band identifiers of the neighboring user equipments.

12. The user equipment of claim 10, wherein determining the band identifier comprises determining the band identifier based on at least one of: Historical GPS location information; the moving speed of the user equipment; or Route information.

13. The user equipment of claim 10, wherein determining the zone identifier comprises: requesting GPS information from a neighboring user equipment, wherein the neighboring user equipment is a paired sidelink user equipment of the user equipment; and The zone identifier of the user equipment is determined based on the GPS information from the neighboring user equipment and beamforming information between the user equipment and the neighboring user equipment.

14. The user equipment of claim 10, wherein the message further indicates the positioning method used to determine the zone identifier.

15. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the user equipment to: When the confirmation message indicates an answer, performing a zone operation according to the zone identifier; or When the confirmation message indicates a negative response, the default state is entered.

16. The user equipment of claim 10, wherein: The configuration information further includes a threshold value for reporting a zone identifier, and Transmitting the message indicating the zone identifier includes transmitting the message indicating the determined zone ID when a positioning accuracy associated with the positioning method satisfies the threshold.

17. The user equipment of any one of claims 4, 8, and 15, wherein entering a default state comprises: The default state is entered when the user equipment is in connected mode and has data to be transmitted.

18. The user equipment of any one of claims 4, 8, and 15, wherein the default state is associated with a default resource pool, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the user equipment to: Transmission is performed using resources assigned to the default resource pool after entering the default state.

19. A base station, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the base station to: transmitting configuration information to a user equipment, the configuration information indicating a respective resource allocation associated with at least one geographic zone; receiving a message indicating a zone identifier of a geographic zone associated with the user equipment and a confidence level associated with the zone identifier based at least in part on Global Positioning System (GPS) functionality associated with the at least one geographic zone being denied at the UE, wherein the at least one geographic zone includes the geographic zone associated with the user equipment; and A confirmation message indicating whether to perform a zone operation according to the zone identifier is transmitted to the user equipment.

20. The base station of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the base station to: receiving a message from the user equipment indicating that the GPS functionality is denied at the user equipment; and A zone identifier of the user equipment or a message instructing the user equipment to enter a default state is transmitted to the user equipment.

21. The base station of claim 19, wherein the configuration information further comprises a parameter for triggering a report of a GPS status, and wherein the parameter includes a value of a timer associated with the denial of the GPS function.

22. The base station of claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the base station to perform at least one of: receiving a message indicating that the GPS functionality is denied at the user equipment; or A message is received indicating that the user equipment has entered a default state.

23. The base station of claim 19, wherein the message further indicates a positioning method used to determine the zone identifier of the user equipment.

24. The base station according to claim 19, wherein: The confirmation message includes a response instructing the user equipment to perform a zone operation according to the zone identifier; or The confirmation message includes a negative acknowledgement instructing the user equipment to enter a default state.

25. The base station according to claim 19, wherein the configuration information further comprises a threshold for reporting a band identifier, and wherein the band identifier of the user equipment is determined according to a positioning method, and a positioning accuracy of the positioning method satisfies the threshold.

26. A method for wireless communication, comprising: receiving, at a user equipment, configuration information indicating respective resource allocations associated with at least one geographic zone; transmitting a message indicating a zone identifier of a geographic zone associated with the user equipment and a confidence level associated with the zone identifier based at least in part on global positioning system (GPS) functionality associated with the at least one geographic zone being denied, wherein the at least one geographic zone includes the geographic zone associated with the user equipment; and A confirmation message indicating whether to perform a zone operation according to the zone identifier is received from the base station.

27. A method for wireless communication, comprising: transmitting configuration information to a user equipment, the configuration information indicating a respective resource allocation associated with at least one geographic zone; receiving a message indicating a zone identifier of a geographic zone associated with the user equipment and a confidence level associated with the zone identifier based at least in part on Global Positioning System (GPS) functionality associated with the at least one geographic zone being denied at the UE, wherein the at least one geographic zone includes the geographic zone associated with the user equipment; and A confirmation message indicating whether to perform a zone operation according to the zone identifier is transmitted to the user equipment.

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