Method for signaling beam angle information for ue-based positioning

Abstract

Embodiments include methods performed by a network node for providing positioning assistance data to one or more user equipment, UEs, in a wireless network. Such methods include determining an angular resolution of angular positioning assistance data for each particular beam of a plurality of beams transmitted by one or more transmission-reception points, TRPs, in the wireless network. Such methods also include transmitting the angular positioning assistance data for the plurality of beams to the one or more UEs. For each particular beam, the angular positioning assistance data includes a first portion having a first resolution and, when the determined angular resolution for the particular beam is greater than the first resolution, a second portion having a second resolution that is greater than the first resolution. Other embodiments include complementary methods performed by UEs, as well as network nodes and UEs configured to perform such methods.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to wireless communication networks, and more specifically to assisting wireless devices in determining their own location based on information provided by the wireless network. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the fifth generation of cellular systems (“5G”) (also known as New Radio (NR)) is being standardized within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). NR is being developed to achieve maximum flexibility to support a wide range of distinct use cases. These use cases include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), machine-type communications (MTC), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), secondary link device-to-device (D2D), and several other use cases. This disclosure generally relates to NR, but the following description of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology is provided for context, as it shares many characteristics with NR.

[0003] LTE is a general term for fourth-generation (4G) radio access technologies (RATs) developed within 3GPP and initially standardized in Releases 8 and 9, also known as Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN). LTE can be used in multiple frequency bands and is accompanied by improvements to non-radio aspects known as System Architecture Evolution (SAE), including the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network. LTE continues to evolve through subsequent releases.

[0004] Figure 1 An overall exemplary architecture of a network including LTE and SAE is shown. E-UTRAN 100 includes one or more evolved Node Bs (eNBs), such as eNBs 105, 110, and 115, and one or more User Equipments (UEs), such as UE 120. When used in 3GPP standards, "User Equipment" or "UE" refers to any wireless communication device (e.g., a smartphone or computing device) capable of communicating with network equipment conforming to 3GPP standards, including E-UTRAN, UTRAN, and / or GERAN, because third-generation ("3G") and second-generation ("2G") 3GPP RANs are well-known.

[0005] According to 3GPP specifications, E-UTRAN 100 is responsible for all radio-related functions in the network, including radio bearer control, radio access control, radio mobility control, scheduling, dynamic resource allocation for UEs on uplink and downlink, and security of communications with UEs. These functions reside in eNBs, such as eNBs 105, 110, and 115. Each eNB can serve a geographic coverage area comprising one or more cells, including cells 106, 111, and 115 served by eNBs 105, 110, and 115, respectively.

[0006] In E-UTRAN, eNBs communicate with each other via the X2 interface, such as Figure 1 As shown. The eNB is also responsible for the E-UTRAN interface to the EPC 130, specifically to the Mobility Management Entity (MME) and the Serving Gateway (SGW) (in Figure 1 The S1 interface (referred to as MME / S-GW134 and 138 in Chinese) is generally used by the MME / S-GW to handle overall control of the UE and data flow between the UE and the rest of the EPC. More specifically, the MME handles signaling (e.g., control plane) protocols between the UE and the EPC, which are referred to as Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocols. The S-GW handles all Internet Protocol (IP) packets (e.g., data or user plane) between the UE and the EPC and acts as a local mobile anchor for data transmission when the UE moves between eNBs (e.g., eNBs 105, 110, and 115).

[0007] EPC 130 may also include a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 131 for managing user and subscriber-related information. HSS 131 may also provide support functions for mobility management, call and session setup, user authentication, and access authorization. The functionality of HSS 131 may be related to that of a traditional Home Location Register (HLR) and Authentication Center (AuC) functions or operations. HSS 131 may also communicate with MMEs 134 and 138 via appropriate S6a interfaces.

[0008] In some embodiments, HSS 131 can connect to the User Data Storage Library (UDR) via the Ud interface (in... Figure 1 The system communicates with users via EPC-UDR 135. EPC-UDR 135 can store user credentials encrypted using the AuC algorithm. These algorithms are not standardized (i.e., vendor-specific), meaning that no vendor other than the vendor of HSS 131 can access the encrypted credentials stored in the EPC-UDR 135.

[0009] Figure 2The diagram illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary control plane (CP) protocol stack between the UE, eNB, and MME. The exemplary protocol stack includes the Physical (PHY), Medium Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and Radio Resource Control (RRC) layers between the UE and eNB. The PHY layer focuses on how and with what features data is transmitted over the transport channels on the LTE radio interface. The MAC layer provides data transmission services on logical channels, mapping logical channels to PHY transport channels and reallocating PHY resources to support these services. The RLC layer provides error detection and / or correction, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly, reordering data transmitted to or from upper layers. The PDCP layer provides encryption / decryption and integrity protection for the CP and User Plane (UP), as well as other UP functions such as header compression. The exemplary protocol stack also includes Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling between the UE and MME.

[0010] The RRC layer controls communication between the UE and eNB at the radio interface, as well as the UE's mobility between cells in the E-UTRAN. After power-on, the UE will be in the RRC_IDLE state until an RRC connection is established with the network, at which point the UE will transition to the RRC_CONNECTED state (e.g., where data transmission can occur). The UE returns to RRC_IDLE after the connection with the network is released. In the RRC_IDLE state, the UE does not belong to any cell, no RRC context is established for the UE (e.g., in the E-UTRAN), and the UE is not UL synchronized with the network. Even so, a UE in the RRC_IDLE state is known in the EPC and has an assigned IP address.

[0011] Furthermore, in the RRC_IDLE state, the UE's radio is active in the discontinuous reception (DRX) scheduling configured at the upper layer. During the DRX active period (also known as the "DRX on duration"), the RRC_IDLE UE receives system information (SI) broadcast by the serving cell, performs measurements of neighboring cells to support cell reselection, and monitors the paging channel for paging from the EPC via the eNB (the cell in which its serving UE is camped).

[0012] The UE must perform a Random Access (RA) procedure to move from the RRC_IDLE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state. In the RRC_CONNECTED state, the serving cell of the UE is known, and an RRC context is established for the UE in the serving eNB so that the UE and eNB can communicate. For example, a Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) is configured for a UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state; this is the UE identifier used for signaling between the UE and the network.

[0013] The multiple access scheme of LTE PHY is based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) with a cyclic prefix (CP) in the downlink (DL) and Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) with a cyclic prefix in the uplink (UL). To support transmission in paired and unpaired spectrum, LTE PHY supports Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) (including full-duplex and half-duplex operation) and Time Division Duplex (TDD). LTE FDD downlink (DL) radio frames have a fixed duration of 10ms and consist of 20 0.5ms slots. A 1ms subframe consists of two consecutive slots, each containing N... DL symb OFDM symbols, each symbol including N sc N OFDM subcarriers. Similarly, each UL slot includes N UL symb OFDM symbols, each symbol including N sc Each OFDM subcarrier. A combination of specific subcarriers within a specific symbol is called a resource element (RE).

[0014] The LTE PHY maps various DL and UL physical channels to the resources described above. Generally, a physical channel corresponds to a set of REs carrying information originating from higher layers. Within LTE DL and UL, a specific RE within each LTE subframe is reserved for the transmission of reference signals. A DL demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) is transmitted to assist the UE in receiving the associated physical channel (e.g., PDCCH or PDSCH). Other DL reference signals include cell-specific reference signals (CRS), positioning reference signals (PRS), and CSI reference signals (CSI-RS). Other similar RS-like DL signals include primary synchronization sequences (PSS) and secondary synchronization sequences (SSS), which facilitate UE time and frequency synchronization and the acquisition of system parameters (e.g., via PBCH). UL reference signals include: DM-RS, which is transmitted to assist the eNB in ​​receiving the associated physical channel (e.g., PUCCH or PUSCH); and probe reference signals (SRS), which are not associated with any uplink channel.

[0015] The 3GPP standard provides various methods for positioning (e.g., determining location, positioning, and / or determining position) of UEs operating in LTE networks. Generally, an LTE positioning node (referred to as an "E-SMLC" or "positioning server") configures a target device (e.g., a UE), an eNB, or a dedicated radio network node for positioning measurements (e.g., a "positioning measurement unit" or "LMU") to perform one or more positioning measurements according to one or more positioning methods. For example, positioning measurements may include timing (and / or timing difference) measurements of the UE, network, and / or satellite transmissions. The target device, measurement node, and / or positioning node use positioning measurements to determine the location of the target device.

[0016] 5G / NR technology shares many similarities with fourth-generation LTE. For example, NR uses CP-OFDM (Cyclic Prefix Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) in the DL and both CP-OFDM and DFT Extended OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) in the UL. As another example, NR DL and UL time-domain physical resources are organized into subframes, time slots, and OFDM-based symbols. NR also uses many of the same physical channels as LTE. Additionally, the NR RRC layer includes the RRC_IDLE and RRC_CONNECTED states, but adds an additional state called RRC_INACTIVE, which has some properties similar to the "pause" condition used in LTE. In addition to providing coverage via cells as in LTE, NR networks also provide coverage via "beams." Generally, a DL "beam" is the coverage area of ​​the RS transmitted by the network that can be measured or monitored by the UE.

[0017] UE positioning is also expected to be an important feature of NR, which can include additional UE positioning use cases, scenarios, and / or applications. UE-based positioning is also expected to become more important for these new use cases, scenarios, and / or applications. Generally, UE-based positioning refers to a technique in which a UE estimates its own location using one or more types of measurements based on ancillary data provided by the network. However, in some cases, the amount of ancillary data required to support UE-based positioning may be relatively large, making timely transmission of the ancillary data via available network resources very expensive and / or difficult. Therefore, better techniques for supplying ancillary data are needed. Summary of the Invention

[0018] Embodiments of this disclosure, for example, provide specific improvements in the localization (e.g., determining the location of a user equipment (UE) operating in a wireless network, by facilitating solutions to overcome the exemplary problems outlined above and described in more detail below.

[0019] Some embodiments include methods (e.g., procedures) for providing angular positioning assistance data to one or more user equipments (UEs). These exemplary methods may be performed by network nodes or functions (e.g., E-SMLC, SLP, LMF, base station, eNB, gNB, ng-eNB, etc., or components thereof) in or associated with a wireless network.

[0020] These exemplary methods may include: determining the angular resolution of angular positioning assistance data for each specific beam of a plurality of beams transmitted by one or more transmit-receive points (TRPs) in the wireless network. These exemplary methods may also include: transmitting the angular positioning assistance data for the plurality of beams to one or more UEs. For each specific beam, the angular positioning assistance data may include: a first portion having a first resolution; and a second portion having a second resolution greater than (i.e., better than) the first resolution when the determined angular resolution for the specific beam is greater than the first resolution.

[0021] In various embodiments, the angular positioning assistance data can be transmitted via unicast signaling from the network node to the one or more UEs or via broadcasting in the cell of the wireless network.

[0022] In various embodiments, the angular resolution for determining the angular positioning assistance data for each specific beam can be based on one or more of the following:

[0023] • The network node knows the accuracy of the angle information used for the specific beam;

[0024] • The number of beams, including the plurality of beams; and

[0025] • One or more size constraints on the messages used to transmit the angular positioning assistance data.

[0026] In some embodiments, these exemplary methods may further include receiving an indication from a first UE regarding whether the first UE can use angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution. In such embodiments, when the indication indicates that the first UE cannot use angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution, the angular positioning assistance data does not include a corresponding second portion. If the indication indicates that the first UE can use angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution, the network node can determine the angular resolution of the angular positioning assistance data sent to the first UE based on other factors. In such embodiments, the network node can, for example, send the angular positioning assistance data to the first UE via unicast signaling in response to the indication.

[0027] In some embodiments, the angular positioning assistance data for the plurality of beams may include a corresponding azimuth angle and a corresponding elevation angle. In such an embodiment, the corresponding azimuth angle includes a corresponding first azimuth angle portion having the first resolution, and the corresponding elevation angle includes a corresponding first elevation angle portion having the first resolution. Furthermore, when the determined angular resolution for a particular beam is greater than the first resolution, the azimuth angle for the particular beam includes a second azimuth angle portion having the second resolution, and the elevation angle for the particular beam includes a second elevation angle portion having the second resolution.

[0028] In some of these embodiments, the angular positioning assistance data further includes coordinate transformations for the corresponding azimuth and elevation angles. In such an embodiment, the coordinate transformation includes a first transformation portion having the first resolution. Furthermore, when the determined angular resolution for at least one of the beams is greater than the first resolution, the coordinate transformation also includes a second transformation portion having the second resolution.

[0029] In some embodiments, these exemplary methods may further include receiving from a first UE one of the following: an estimated position of the first UE, or an angle measurement of at least a portion of the plurality of beams for which angular positioning assistance data for its use has been transmitted. In some embodiments, the angle measurement for each particular beam may include the measured azimuth and elevation angles.

[0030] In some of these embodiments, the angle measurement for each measured beam may include the following:

[0031] • A first measuring portion having a first measuring resolution (e.g., 1 degree); and

[0032] • When the resolution of the angle measurement for the measured beam is greater than the first measurement resolution, a second portion has a second measurement resolution (e.g., 0.1 degrees) that is greater than the first measurement resolution.

[0033] In some embodiments, these exemplary methods may further include estimating the position of the UE based on the received angle measurements.

[0034] Other embodiments include methods (e.g., procedures) for locating within a wireless network. These exemplary methods may be performed by a UE (e.g., a wireless device, MTC device, NB-IoT device, modem, etc., or components thereof).

[0035] These exemplary methods may include receiving angular positioning assistance data from a network node (e.g., E-SMLC, LMF, etc.) for multiple beams transmitted by one or more TRPs in the wireless network. For each specific beam, the angular positioning assistance data may include: a first portion having a first resolution; and a second portion having a second resolution greater than (i.e., better than) the first resolution when the angular resolution of the angular positioning assistance data for the specific beam is greater than the first resolution. These exemplary methods may further include determining an angular configuration of the multiple beams based on the angular positioning assistance data. These exemplary methods may further include performing angular measurements on at least a portion of the multiple beams based on the determined angular configuration. In some embodiments, the angular measurements for each measured beam may include the measured azimuth and elevation angles.

[0036] In some embodiments, when the angle positioning assistance data for a specific beam includes only the first portion, the angle configuration for the specific beam can be determined based on the first resolution. Similarly, when the angle positioning assistance data for the specific beam includes both the first portion and the second portion, the angle configuration for the specific beam can be determined based on the second resolution.

[0037] In various embodiments, the angular positioning assistance data can be received via unicast signaling from the network node or via broadcasting in the cell of the wireless network.

[0038] In some embodiments, these exemplary methods may further include sending an indication to the network node regarding whether the UE can use angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution. In such an embodiment, when the indication indicates that the UE cannot use angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution, the angular positioning assistance data does not include the corresponding second portion. If the indication indicates that the first UE can use angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution, the network node may determine the angular resolution of the angular positioning assistance data sent to the first UE based on other factors. In any case, the UE may, for example, receive the angular positioning assistance data via unicast signaling in response to the indication.

[0039] In some embodiments, the angular positioning assistance data for the plurality of beams may include a corresponding azimuth angle and a corresponding elevation angle. In such an embodiment, the corresponding azimuth angle includes a corresponding first azimuth angle portion having the first resolution, and the corresponding elevation angle includes a corresponding first elevation angle portion having the first resolution. Furthermore, when the determined angular resolution for a particular beam is greater than the first resolution, the azimuth angle for the particular beam includes a second azimuth angle portion having the second resolution, and the elevation angle for the particular beam includes a second elevation angle portion having the second resolution.

[0040] In some of these embodiments, the angular positioning assistance data may further include coordinate transformations for the plurality of beams. In such embodiments, the determination operation may include applying the coordinate transformation to the corresponding azimuth and the corresponding elevation angle. In some of these embodiments, the coordinate transformation includes a first transformation portion having the first resolution. Furthermore, when the angular resolution for at least one of the beams is greater than the first resolution, the coordinate transformation further includes a second transformation portion having the second resolution.

[0041] In some embodiments, these exemplary methods may further include: determining the resolution of the angle measurement for the measured beam, and sending the angle measurement to the network node. The sent angle measurement for each measured beam may include: a first measurement portion having a first measurement resolution (e.g., 1 degree); and a second portion having a second measurement resolution (e.g., 0.1 degree) greater than the first measurement resolution when the determined resolution of the angle measurement for the measured beam is greater than the first measurement resolution.

[0042] In other embodiments, these exemplary methods may also include: estimating the position of the UE (i.e., its own) based on the angle measurement performed; and sending the estimated position to the network node.

[0043] Other embodiments include network nodes or functions (e.g., E-SMLC, SLP, LMF, base station, eNB, gNB, ng-eNB, etc., or components thereof) and UEs (e.g., wireless devices, IoT devices, or components thereof) configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the exemplary methods described herein. Other embodiments include non-transitory computer-readable media storing program instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, configure such network nodes or functions and UEs to perform operations corresponding to the various exemplary methods described herein.

[0044] These and other objects, features, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure will become apparent when reading the following "Detailed Description" based on the "Brief Description of the Drawings" which are briefly described below. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Figure 1 This is a high-level illustration of an exemplary architecture for Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN) and Evolved Packet Core (EPC) networks;

[0046] Figure 2 An exemplary control plane (CP) protocol layer of the radio interface between a user equipment (UE) and an E-UTRAN is shown;

[0047] Figure 3-4 Two views of an exemplary positioning architecture for an LTE network are shown;

[0048] Figure 5 A high-level view of the 5G / NR network architecture is shown;

[0049] Figure 6 An exemplary positioning architecture for 5G / NR networks is shown;

[0050] Figure 7 An exemplary ASN.1 data structure for a DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 information element (IE) is shown, which includes beam angle auxiliary data for UE-based DL AoD positioning;

[0051] Figure 8 Another exemplary ASN.1 data structure of the DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 IE is shown according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure;

[0052] Figure 9 An exemplary ASN.1 data structure of an NR-AoD-MeasElement-r16 IE according to various embodiments of this disclosure is shown;

[0053] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method (e.g., process) for a network node (e.g., E-SMLC, LMF, etc.) according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0054] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method (e.g., process) for a UE (e.g., a wireless device) according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0055] Figure 12This is a block diagram of an exemplary wireless device or UE according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0056] Figure 13 This is a block diagram of an exemplary network node according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0057] Figure 14 This is a block diagram of an exemplary network configured to provide over-the-top (OTT) data services between a host computer and a UE, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0058] Some embodiments conceived 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 being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0059] Generally, all terms used herein should be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant art, unless a different meaning is explicitly given and / or implied from the context of their use. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all references to one / an element, device, component, part, step, etc., should be interpreted as referring to at least one instance of that element, device, component, part, step, etc. The steps of any method and / or process disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as occurring after or before another step and / or implied that a step must occur after or before another step. Where appropriate, any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment may be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Other objects, features, and advantages of the appended embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0060] As used herein, the term "network node" can refer to any type of network node included in a radio network. A network node can also include any of the following: base station (BS), radio base station, base transceiver station (BTS), base station controller (BSC), radio network controller (RNC), g node B (gNB), evolved node B (eNB or eNodeB), node B, multi-standard radio (MSR) radio node (e.g., MSR BS), multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), relay node, donor node of control relay, radio access point (AP), transport point (TP), transmit / receive point (TRP), transport node, remote radio unit (RRU), remote radio headend (RRH), core network node (e.g., MME, SGW), core network function (e.g., AMF, LMF, etc.), ad hoc network (SON) node, coordination node, location node, MDT node, etc., external node (e.g., third-party node, node outside the current network), node in distributed antenna system (DAS), spectrum access system (SAS) node, unit management system (EMS), etc. A network node can also include test equipment.

[0061] The term "radio network node" can refer to any type of "network node," i.e., a radio access network (RAN) that operates to wirelessly transmit and / or receive signals. A radio network node can include any type of base station, radio base station, base transceiver station, base station controller, network controller, RNC, evolved Node B (eNB), Node B, gNB, multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), relay node, access point, radio access point, remote radio unit (RRU), remote radio headend (RRH), integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, transport point (TP), and transmit / receive point (TRP). Furthermore, a location measurement unit (LMU) or equivalent location measurement node and / or function is a type of radio network node.

[0062] In some embodiments, a TRP may be associated with a network node or a radio network node. In some embodiments, a multi-TRP scenario may include more than one TRP associated with one or more network nodes.

[0063] Unless otherwise stated, the terms "wireless device" (or "WD") and "user equipment" (or "UE") are used interchangeably. A WD can be any type of wireless device capable of communicating with a network node or another WD via radio signals, such as a wireless device (WD). A WD can also be a radio communication device, a target device, a device-to-device (D2D) WD, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a Voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless camera, a game console or device, a music storage device, a playback device, a wearable device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a smart device, a wireless client device (CPE), a USB dongle, a mobile communication (MTC) device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an in-vehicle wireless terminal device, a ProSe UE, a V2V UE, a V2X UE, etc.

[0064] The term “radio node” (or simply “node”) used in this article can also be used to refer to a wireless device (WD) (e.g., a wireless device (WD)) or a node in a radio network.

[0065] Unless otherwise stated, the functions performed by the UE, network node, radio network node, etc., as described herein can be distributed across multiple devices and / or network nodes. In other words, the functions of the network nodes and UE described herein are not limited to being performed by a single physical device, and can actually be distributed across multiple physical devices.

[0066] Unless otherwise specified, the term "channel" can refer to a logical, transport, or physical channel. A channel may include and / or be arranged on one or more carriers, such as multiple subcarriers. A channel carrying and / or used to carry control signaling / control information can be considered a control channel, especially if it is a physical layer channel and / or if it carries control plane information. Similarly, a channel carrying and / or used to carry data signaling / user information can be considered a data channel (e.g., PDSCH), especially if it is a physical layer channel and / or if it carries user plane (UP) information. A channel can be defined for a specific communication direction or two complementary communication directions (e.g., UL and DL, or secondary links in both directions), in which case it can be considered to have two component channels, one in each direction.

[0067] Although terms from specific wireless systems (such as LTE and / or NR) may be used herein, this should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure to the aforementioned systems. Other wireless systems (including, but not limited to, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMax), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)) may also benefit from utilizing the concepts covered within this disclosure.

[0068] As briefly mentioned above, in some cases, the amount of auxiliary data required to support UE-based positioning can be relatively large, making its timely transmission via available network resources very expensive and / or difficult. Therefore, better technologies are needed for supplying auxiliary data. These issues are discussed in more detail below.

[0069] Figure 3 An exemplary positioning architecture within an LTE network is illustrated. The three key functional units of the LTE positioning architecture are the LCS client, the LCS target, and the LCS server. The LCS server is a physical or logical entity (e.g., as provided by...). Figure 3 Implemented using E-SMLC or SLP, the LCS server manages LCS targets through the following operations (e.g., as by...). Figure 3 The LCS client (implemented by the UE in the system) performs positioning: collecting measurement and other location information, assisting the terminal in measurement when necessary, and estimating the location of LCS targets. The LCS client is a software and / or hardware entity that interacts with the LCS server to obtain one or more LCS targets (i.e., the entities being located) (e.g.,...). Figure 3 The LCS client can reside within the LCS target itself to obtain the location information of the UE (User Equipment). The LCS client sends a request to the LCS server to obtain location information, and the LCS server processes and serves the received request, sending the location result and, optionally, a speed estimate, to the LCS client. Location requests can originate from the terminal, network node, or external client.

[0070] exist Figure 3 In the LTE architecture shown, location can be calculated, for example, by an LCS server (e.g., E-SMLC or SLP) or by the LCS target (e.g., UE). The former corresponds to UE-assisted positioning mode when it is based on UE measurements, while the latter corresponds to UE-based positioning mode. The following positioning methods are supported in LTE:

[0071] • Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID). This uses information to associate the UE with the geographic area of ​​the serving cell, and then uses additional information to determine a finer-grained location. The following measurements are supported for E-CID: AoA (Base Station Only), UE Rx-Tx time difference, Timing Advance (TA) Type 1 and 2, Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), and Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ).

[0072] • Auxiliary GNSS. GNSS information is obtained by the UE and supported by auxiliary information provided to the UE from the E-SMLC.

[0073] • OTDOA (Observed Time Difference of Arrival). The UE receives and measures Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, which are supported by auxiliary information provided to the UE from the E-SMLC.

[0074] • UTDOA (Uplink TDOA). The UE is requested to transmit specific waveforms detected by multiple location measurement units (LMUs) at known locations (which can be independent, co-located, or integrated into the eNB). These measurements are forwarded to the E-SMLC for multipoint positioning.

[0075] In addition, one or more of the following positioning modes can be used in each of the positioning methods listed above:

[0076] • UE Assistance: The UE performs measurements with or without network assistance and sends these measurements to the E-SMLC, which can perform location calculations.

[0077] • UE-based: The UE performs measurements and calculates its own location with network assistance.

[0078] • Independent: The UE performs measurements and calculates its own position without network assistance.

[0079] Detailed ancillary data may include information such as network node locations and beam direction. Ancillary data can be provided to the UE via unicast or broadcast.

[0080] Figure 4 Another view of an exemplary positioning architecture in an LTE network is shown. For example, Figure 4This demonstrates how Secure User Plane Positioning (SUPL) technology can be supported in LTE networks. Generally, SUPL operates on top of the common LTE user plane protocol stack. A SUPL solution includes a positioning server (called the SUPL Positioning Platform SLP(460)) that communicates with a SUPL-enabled terminal (SET), which can be a software and / or hardware component of the UE. The SLP may also have a proprietary interface to the E-SMLC(440), the positioning server used for control plane positioning in LTE.

[0081] The E-SMLC can communicate with the Positioning Measurement Unit (LMU) via the SLm interface. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the LMU can be standalone (e.g., LMU 450) or integrated with the eNB 420. The eNB can also include or be associated with one or more Transport Points (TPs). E-SMLC uses... Figure 4 The corresponding SLs, S1, and Uu interfaces shown communicate with the UE (e.g., UE 410) via the serving MME (430) and eNB. Although not shown, the RRC protocol is used to carry location-related information (e.g., to / from E-SMLC) between the UE and the eNB.

[0082] The E-SMLC 440 may also include or be associated with various processing circuits 442, through which the E-SMLC performs the various operations described herein. The processing circuits 442 may include processing circuits of similar type as described herein with respect to other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 The E-SMLC 440 may also include a non-transitory computer-readable medium 443 storing instructions (also known as computer programs) that may facilitate the operation of processing circuitry 442. Medium 443 may include computer memory of a similar type as described herein with respect to other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 (as described herein). Additionally, the E-SMLC 440 may include various communication interface circuits 441, which can be used for communication, for example, via an SLs interface. For example, the communication interface circuit 441 may be similar to other interface circuits described herein for other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 (Description).

[0083] As mentioned above, location services are also expected to be an important application in 5G / NR networks. Figure 5A high-level view of an exemplary 5G network architecture is shown, including a Next-Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) 599 and a 5G Core (5GC) 598. As shown, the NG-RAN 599 may include gNBs 510 (e.g., 510a, b) and ng-eNBs 520 (e.g., 520a, b), which are interconnected with each other via corresponding Xn interfaces. The gNBs and ng-eNBs are also connected to the 5GC 598 via NG interfaces, and more specifically, to AMFs (Access and Mobility Management Functions) 530 (e.g., AMF 530a, b) via corresponding NG-C interfaces, and to UPFs (User Plane Functions) 540 (e.g., UPF 540a, b) via corresponding NG-U interfaces. In some embodiments, the 5GC 598 may also include one or more Location Management Functions (LMFs, such as LMF 550a, b), which will be described in more detail below.

[0084] NG-RAN 599 is layered into a Radio Network Layer (RNL) and a Transport Network Layer (TNL). The NG-RAN architecture (i.e., NG-RAN logical nodes and the interfaces between them) is defined as part of the RNL. For each NG-RAN interface (NG, Xn, F1), the associated TNL protocols and functions are specified. The TNL provides services for user plane transport and signaling transport. In some exemplary configurations, each gNB can connect to all 5GC nodes within an “AMF area” defined in 3GPP TS 23.501. If security protection for CP and UP data on the TNL of the NG-RAN interface is required, NDS / IP, as defined in 3GPP TS 33.501, can be applied.

[0085] Each of the gNB 510a and b can support an NR radio interface, including Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), or a combination thereof. In contrast, each of the ng-eNB 520a and b supports an LTE radio interface, but not with a conventional LTE eNB (e.g., Figure 1 Unlike the eNBs 105-115 shown, they are connected to the 5GC via the NG interface.

[0086] Each of the gNB and ng-eNB can serve one or more cells (including...). Figure 5The geographical coverage areas of the exemplary cells 511a-b and 521a-b shown are illustrated. Depending on the specific cell it belongs to, the UE 505 can communicate with the gNB or ng-eNB serving that specific cell via the NR or LTE radio interface, respectively. Furthermore, gNBs 510a, b and ng-eNBs 520a, b can provide the UE with Multiple RAT (Radio Access Technology) Dual Connectivity (MR-DC).

[0087] gNBs and ng-eNBs can also provide coverage within their respective cells using various directional beams. Generally, a DL "beam" is the coverage area of ​​a reference signal (RS) transmitted by the network that can be measured or monitored by the UE. For example, in NR, such RSs can be individually or in combination including any of the following: Synchronization Signal / PBCH Block (SSB), CSI-RS, Third Reference Signal (or any other synchronization signal), Positioning RS (PRS), DMRS, Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS), etc. Generally, SSBs can be used for all UEs regardless of their RRC state, while other RSs (e.g., CSI-RS, DM-RS, PTRS) are associated with a specific UE that has a network connection (i.e., is in the RRC_CONNECTED state).

[0088] Each of gNBs 510a and 510b may include a central (or centralized) unit (CU or gNB-CU) and one or more distributed (or decentralized) units (DU or gNB-DU). The CU is connected to the DU via a corresponding F1 logic interface. The CU and the connected DU are visible to other gNBs and 5GCs only as gNBs; for example, the F1 interface is not visible outside the gNB-CU. Each of the CU and DU may include various circuitry required to perform their respective functions, including processing circuitry, transceiver circuitry (e.g., for communication), and power supply circuitry. Furthermore, the terms "central unit" and "centralized unit" are used interchangeably herein, as are the terms "distributed unit" and "decentralized unit."

[0089] The CU can host higher-level protocols and perform various gNB functions, such as controlling the operation of the DU. For example, the CU can host higher-level protocols such as F1 Application Part Protocol (F1-AP), Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP), GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Internet Protocol (IP), and RRC. Similarly, the DU can host lower-level protocols and can include various subsets of gNB functions depending on functional divisions. For example, the DU can host lower-level protocols such as RLC, MAC, and PHY.

[0090] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating the high-level architecture used to support UE positioning in NR networks. (Example) Figure 6 As shown, the NG-RAN620 can include nodes such as gNB 622 and ng-eNB 621, similar to Figure 4 The architecture is shown below. Each ng-eNB can control multiple transmission points (TPs), such as remote radio head ends. Furthermore, some TPs can be "PRS-only" to support TBS based on Position Reference Signal (PRS) for E-UTRAN operation.

[0091] Furthermore, the NG-RAN node communicates with the AMF 630 in the 5GC via a corresponding NG-C interface (both may or may not exist), while the AMF 630 and LMF 640 communicate via the NLs interface 641. Additionally, location-related communication between the UE 610 and the NG-RAN node occurs via the RRC protocol, while location-related communication between the NG-RAN node and the LMF occurs via the NRPPa protocol. Optionally, the LMF can also communicate with the E-SMLC 650 and SUPL 660 in the LTE network via communication interfaces 651 and 661, respectively. Communication interfaces 651 and 661 can utilize and / or be based on standardized protocols, proprietary protocols, or combinations thereof.

[0092] The LMF 640 may also include or be associated with various processing circuits 642, through which the LMF performs the various operations described herein. The processing circuits 642 may include processing circuits of similar type as described herein with respect to other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 (as described herein). LMF 640 may also include a non-transitory computer-readable medium 643 storing instructions (also known as computer programs) that may facilitate the operation of processing circuitry 642. Medium 643 may include computer memory of a similar type as described herein with respect to other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 (as described herein). Additionally, the LMF 640 may include various communication interface circuitry 641 (e.g., Ethernet, optical, and / or radio transceivers) that can be used for communication, for example, via an NLs interface. For example, the communication interface circuitry 641 may be similar to other interface circuitry described herein for other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 (Description).

[0093] Similarly, the E-SMLC 650 may also include or be associated with various processing circuits 652, through which the E-SMLC performs the various operations described herein. The processing circuits 652 may include processing circuits of similar type as described herein with respect to other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13(as described herein). The E-SMLC 650 may also include a non-transitory computer-readable medium 653 storing instructions (also known as computer programs) or associated with such non-transitory computer-readable medium 653 that may facilitate the operation of processing circuitry 652. Medium 653 may include computer memory of a similar type as described herein with respect to other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 (as described herein). The E-SMLC 650 may also have communication interface circuitry suitable for communication via interface 651, which may be similar to other interface circuitry described herein for other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 (Description).

[0094] Similarly, the SLP 660 may also include or be associated with various processing circuits 662, through which the SLP performs the various operations described herein. The processing circuits 662 may include processing circuits of similar type as described herein with respect to other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 (as described herein). SLP 660 may also include a non-transitory computer-readable medium 663 storing instructions (also known as computer programs) or associated with such non-transitory computer-readable medium 663, which may facilitate the operation of processing circuitry 662. Medium 663 may include computer memory of a similar type as described herein with respect to other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 (as described herein). The SLP 660 may also have a communication interface circuit suitable for communication via interface 651, which may be similar to other interface circuits described herein for other network nodes (see, for example...). Figure 13 (Description).

[0095] In typical operation, the AMF may receive a request for a location service associated with a specific target UE from another entity (e.g., a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC)), or the AMF itself may initiate a location service on behalf of a specific target UE (e.g., for an emergency call from the UE). The AMF then sends the Location Service (LS) request to the LMF. The LMF processes the LS request, which may include transmitting auxiliary data to the target UE to assist in UE-based location and / or UE-assisted location; and / or the location of the target UE. The LMF then returns the results of the LS (e.g., the UE's location estimate and / or an indication of any auxiliary data transmitted to the UE) to the AMF that requested the LS or another entity (e.g., the GMLC).

[0096] The LMF can have a signaling connection to the E-SMLC, enabling it to access information from the E-UTRAN, such as to support E-UTRA OTDOA positioning using downlink measurements obtained by the target UE. The LMF can also have a signaling connection to the SLP (LTE entity responsible for user plane positioning).

[0097] Various interfaces and protocols are used or involved in NR positioning. The LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) is used between the target device (e.g., the UE in the control plane or the SET in the user plane) and the positioning server (e.g., the LMF in the control plane, the SLP in the user plane). The LPP can use either control plane or user plane protocols as the underlying transport. NRPP terminates between the target device and the LMF. The RRC protocol is used between the UE and the gNB (via the NR radio interface) and between the UE and the ng-eNB (via the LTE radio interface).

[0098] Furthermore, the NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) carries information between the NG-RAN node and the LMF and is transparent to the AMF. Therefore, the AMF transparently routes the NRPPa PDU via the NG-C interface based on the routing ID corresponding to the involved LMF (e.g., without knowing the involved NRPPa transaction). More specifically, the AMF carries the NRPPa PDU via the NG-C interface in both UE-associated and non-UE-associated modes. The NGAP protocol between the AMF and the NG-RAN node (e.g., gNB or ng-eNB) is used to transmit LPP and NRPPa messages via the NG-C interface. NGAP is also used to initiate and terminate NG-RAN-related positioning procedures.

[0099] LPP / NRPP is used to transmit messages such as location capability requests, OTDOA location measurement requests, and OTDOA auxiliary data from the location node (e.g., the location server) to the UE. LPP / NRPP is also used to transmit messages from the UE to the location node, including, for example, UE capabilities, UE measurements for UE-assisted OTDOA location, UE requests for additional auxiliary data, and UE configuration parameters to be used to create UE-specific OTDOA auxiliary data. NRPPa is used for bidirectional information transmission between the ng-eNB / gNB and the LMF. This can include the LMF requesting information from the ng-eNB / gNB, and the ng-eNB / gNB providing information to the LMF. For example, this can include information about PRS sent by the ng-eNB / gNB, which will be used for the UE's OTDOA location measurements.

[0100] The NR network will support positioning methods similar to LTE E-CID, OTDOA, and UTDOA, but based on NR measurements. NR may also support one or more of the following positioning methods:

[0101] • Multiple RTT: The UE calculates the UE Rx-Tx time difference, while the gNB calculates the gNB Rx-Tx time difference.

[0102] The results were combined to calculate the UE location based on round-trip time (RTT).

[0103] •DL-AoD: gNB or LMF calculates the UE angular position based on the UE DL RSRP measurement results.

[0104] • UL-AoA: gNB calculates UL AoA based on measurements of the UE's UL SRS transmission.

[0105] Similar to LTE discussed above, each NR positioning method can be supported in UE-assisted mode, UE-based mode, or UE-independent mode. For UE-based positioning, the UE requires detailed ancillary data, including the location of any GNSS satellites and / or RAN nodes transmitting signals measured by the UE, and in some cases, the angles of the beams carrying these signals. A detailed, high-accuracy 3D representation of the location of the RAN nodes transmitting may require approximately 100 bits. Accurate beam angles may require approximately 30 bits per beam. Due to the large number of network nodes and potentially many beams, as well as frequent provisioning (e.g., via broadcast), the total cost of ancillary data provisioning can become quite substantial.

[0106] The DL AoD positioning method involves the UE measuring the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of DL Positioning Reference Signals (PRS) received from multiple Transmission Points (TRPs). Ancillary data from a positioning server (e.g., LMF) facilitates the UE's measurements, and the resulting measurements, along with other configuration information, are used to determine the UE's location. The following ancillary information can be sent from the LMF to the UE to support DL AoD positioning:

[0107] • Physical cell ID (PCI), global cell ID (GCI), and TRP ID of candidate NR TRPs used for UE measurements;

[0108] • The timing of the candidate TRP relative to the service (reference) TRP;

[0109] • DL PRS configuration for candidate TRPs;

[0110] • SSB configuration of candidate TRPs (e.g., SSB time / frequency occupancy);

[0111] • The geographical coordinates of the candidate TRP (e.g., the transmission reference location for each DL-PRS resource ID, the reference location of the transmit antenna of the reference TRP, the relative position of the transmit antenna of the candidate TRP, etc.); and

[0112] • Spatial orientation information (e.g., azimuth, elevation, etc.) associated with the DL-PRS resources used by the candidate TRP.

[0113] Figure 7 The ASN.1 data structure of an exemplary DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 information element (IE) is shown, which includes beam angle auxiliary data for UE-based DL AoD positioning. The DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 IE can be provided to the UE via an RRC message. Figure 7 As shown, the ASN.1 data structure is suitable for a single DL PRS resource set ID associated with a single TRP ID. This data structure comprises up to 64 DL-PRS-BeamInfoElement-r16 elements, each associated with a single beam. Each DL-PRS-BeamInfoElement-r16 includes the spatial orientation of the associated beam. Specifically, dl-PRS-Azimuth-r16 is given with a resolution of 0.1 degrees in the range of 0–360 degrees, while dl-PRS-Elevation-r16 is given with a resolution of 0.1 degrees in the range of 0–180 degrees. This requires approximately 30 bits per beam.

[0114] Furthermore, the ASN.1 data structure includes an lcs-to-Gcs-Translation element with three angular factors that help convert the provided beam spatial orientation into the Global Coordinate System (GCS). Specifically, alpha represents the azimuth angle, beta represents the downtilt angle, and gamma represents the tilt angle. Each is given with a resolution of 0.1 degrees within the range of 0-360 degrees. This conversion information requires approximately 23 additional bits per DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 IE.

[0115] In general, the UE's ancillary data can include up to 256 distinct TRP IDs, and up to eight (8) DLPRS resource set IDs can be associated with each TRP ID. Then, in the worst case, the ancillary data can include up to 2048 DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 IEs, each of which can include up to 64 DL-PRS-BeamInfoElement-r16 elements with azimuth and elevation angles. Given the size of individual fields, the ancillary data for this worst-case scenario is very large. However, even ignoring this worst-case scenario, the size of the ancillary data can still be very large for the more common scenarios involving fewer TRP IDs, fewer DL PRS resource set IDs per TRP, and / or fewer beams per resource set. Such a large ancillary data size can be particularly problematic for the broadcast provision of DL AoD ancillary data (which may involve more limited network resources). Furthermore, the size-related issues can also affect the UE's reporting of DL AoD measurements to the network, especially when the UE has measured a relatively large number of beams indicated by the received ancillary data.

[0116] Embodiments of this disclosure can address these and other problems, challenges, and / or difficulties by providing novel techniques that enable network nodes (e.g., LMFs) to provide angular positioning assistance data (e.g., azimuth, elevation, etc.) to the UE through a combination of two parts: a first part having a first angular resolution and a second part having a second angular resolution (i.e., finer angular granularity) greater than the first angular resolution. The second part may optionally be included on a beam-by-beam basis. For example, by separating the first part of information and the optional second part, the supply of finer-grained angular positioning assistance can be limited to the beam for which the network knows the angular information with correspondingly high accuracy. For other beams, the network may only provide the first part with a coarser angular resolution.

[0117] Other embodiments include techniques for enabling the UE to provide angular measurements (e.g., azimuth, elevation, etc.) to a network node via various beams transmitted by various TRPs. Specifically, the UE can provide angular positioning measurements (e.g., azimuth, elevation, etc.) to the network node via a combination of two parts: a first part having a first angular resolution and a second part having a second angular resolution (i.e., finer angular granularity) greater than the first angular resolution. The second part may optionally be included on a beam-by-beam basis.

[0118] In this way, embodiments of this disclosure can provide solutions to various advantages, benefits, and / or problems. For example, such techniques improve the efficiency of supplying location-aided data by reducing the signaling overhead / cost for transactions involving the supply of individual and / or periodic auxiliary data via unicast or broadcast. Conversely, given a budget or amount of available signaling resources, such techniques can increase the number of individual transactions, the frequency of periodic transactions (e.g., broadcast), and / or the amount of auxiliary data in each transaction. Such improvements can facilitate better availability of location-aided data to the UE, which in turn can facilitate greater use of UE-based positioning for a wider range of applications, use cases, and / or scenarios.

[0119] Figure 8 An exemplary ASN.1 data structure for the DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 IE, according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, is shown. Similar to... Figure 7 The ASN.1 data structure shown is Figure 8 The DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 IE shown includes up to 64 DL-PRS-BeamInfoElement-r16 fields, each of which includes the spatial direction of the associated beam.

[0120] Specifically, dl-PRS-Azimuth-r16 is given with a resolution of 1 degree in the range of 0–359 degrees, while dl-PRS-Elevation-r16 is given with a resolution of 1 degree in the range of 0–180 degrees. This requires approximately 17 bits per beam. Furthermore, dl-PRS-Azimuth-fine-r16 is given with a resolution of 0.1 degrees in the range of 0–0.9 degrees, while dl-PRS-Elevation-fine-r16 is given with a resolution of 0.1 degrees in the range of 0–0.9 degrees. This requires approximately eight (8) bits per beam.

[0121] However, the latter two fields are optional and can be included by the network when desired and / or required. When included, the actual azimuth of the associated beam is determined based on the sum of dl-PRS-Azimuth-r16 and dl-PRS-Azimuth-fine-r16. When not included, the actual azimuth of the associated beam is determined solely based on dl-PRS-Azimuth-r16. A corresponding determination can be made for the actual elevation angle of the associated beam. Excluding the latter two fields reduces the size of the auxiliary data used for each beam by eight bits.

[0122] Similar to Figure 7 , Figure 8The ASN.1 data structure shown also includes an lcs-to-Gcs-Translation element, which has three corner factors that help convert the provided beam spatial orientation to GCS. Specifically, alpha, beta, and gamma are all given with a resolution of 1 degree in the range of 0–359 degrees. This requires approximately 27 bits per beamset. Furthermore, alpha-fine, beta-fine, and gamma-fine are all given with a resolution of 0.1 degrees in the range of 0–0.9 degrees. This requires approximately 12 bits per beamset.

[0123] However, the last three fields are optional and can be included by the network when desired and / or required. When included, the actual azimuth angle of the conversion is determined based on the sum of alpha and alpha-fine. When not included, the actual azimuth angle of the conversion is determined based on alpha only. Corresponding determinations can be made for the actual downtilt angle (beta) and tilt angle (gamma) of the conversion. Excluding the last three fields reduces the size of the auxiliary data used for each beam set by 12 bits.

[0124] In the context of the previous discussion, the parameters dl-PRS-Azimuth-r16, dl-PRS-Elevation-r16, alpha, beta, and gamma are elements of the first part of the angular positioning auxiliary data with a first resolution. Similarly, the parameters dl-PRS-Azimuth-fine-r16, dl-PRS-Elevation-fine-r16, alpha-fine, beta-fine, and gamma-fine are elements of the second part of the angular positioning auxiliary data with a second resolution (i.e., a finer angular granularity) that is larger than the first angular resolution. In this example, the first angular resolution is 1 degree, and the second angular resolution is 0.1 degrees.

[0125] In some embodiments, network nodes may determine whether to include parameters dl-PRS-Azimuth-fine-r16, dl-PRS-Elevation-fine-r16, alpha-fine, beta-fine, and / or gamma-fine based on the accuracy of the angular information known to the network. In some embodiments, network nodes may determine whether to include fine resolution parameters based on the number and size of DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 IEs to be provided (e.g., number of TRPs, number of resource sets per TRP, number of beams, etc.) and one or more constraints on the size of one or more messages in which DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 IEs will be provided. For other beams, the network may only provide a first portion with coarse angular resolution. Network nodes may make this determination on a per-beam, per-resource-set, and / or per-TRP basis.

[0126] In some embodiments, the network node may determine whether to include a second portion with a second resolution based on the UE's capabilities. In such embodiments, the UE may send an indication to the network node of its ability to utilize angular positioning assistance data with a second resolution (e.g., dl-PRS-Azimuth-fine-r16, dl-PRS-Elevation-fine-r16, alpha-fine, beta-fine, and gamma-fine). When the UE indicates that it does not support the second portion and / or a finer second resolution, the network node may avoid including the second portion. When the UE indicates that it does support the second portion and / or the second resolution, the network node may include the second portion or determine whether to include it based on any other factors discussed above. Note that these embodiments are particularly well-suited for unicast and / or dedicated signaling of angular positioning assistance data from the network node to an individual UE, while other embodiments that do not rely on UE-specific capabilities may be more suitable for broadcasting angular positioning assistance data.

[0127] Therefore, after obtaining angular positioning assistance data for multiple beams via broadcast or unicast signaling (e.g., in DL-PRS-Beam-Info-ResourceSet-r16 IE), the UE can determine the angular configuration for the respective beams based on the assistance data, and measure the beam signal characteristics of at least a portion of the beams based on the determined angular configuration. In some embodiments, the UE can also estimate its position based on the determined angular configuration and the measured signal characteristics. If the assistance data for the measured beams includes a second portion with a second resolution, this facilitates UE position estimation with increased accuracy. In some embodiments, the UE can transmit the estimated position to a network node.

[0128] As mentioned above, size-related issues can also affect the UE's reporting of DL AoD measurements to the network, especially when the UE has measured a relatively large number of beams indicated by the received auxiliary data. Therefore, in some embodiments, the UE can provide the network node with angular measurements (e.g., azimuth, elevation, etc.) of each beam transmitted by each TRP via a combination of two parts: a first part with a first angular resolution and a second part with a second angular resolution larger than the first angular resolution (i.e., fine angular granularity). The second part can optionally be included on a beam-by-beam basis. The inclusion of the corresponding measurements can be based on the same factors discussed above, such as the accuracy level of the measurements known to the UE, the number of beams measured, and / or the size constraints of the messages used to report the measurements.

[0129] Figure 9 An exemplary ASN.1 data structure of an NR-AoD-MeasElement-r16 IE according to various embodiments of this disclosure is shown. The UE is able to use... Figure 9 The exemplary IE shown provides network nodes with angular measurements (e.g., azimuth and elevation) for a single beam. Figure 9 The multiple instances of the IE shown can be used to provide measurements for multiple beams.

[0130] Specifically, nr-AoD-Azimuth-r16 provides beam azimuth measurements with a resolution of 1 degree in the range of 0–359 degrees, while nr-AoD-Elevation-r16 provides beam elevation measurements with a resolution of 1 degree in the range of 0–180 degrees. This requires approximately 17 bits per beam. Furthermore, nr-AoD-Azimuth-fine-r16 provides measurements with a resolution of 0.1 degrees in the range of 0–0.9 degrees, while nr-AoD-Elevation-fine-r16 provides measurements with a resolution of 0.1 degrees in the range of 0–0.9 degrees. This requires approximately eight (8) bits per beam.

[0131] However, the latter two fields are optional and can be included by the network when desired and / or required. When included, the measured azimuth angle of the associated beam can be determined based on the sum of nr-AoD-Azimuth-r16 and nr-AoD-Azimuth-fine-r16. When not included, the measured azimuth angle of the associated beam can be determined based solely on nr-AoD-Azimuth-r16. A corresponding determination can be made for the measured elevation angle of the associated beam. Excluding the latter two fields reduces the size of the angle measurement for each beam by eight bits.

[0132] although Figure 8-9The examples shown are based on beam angular resolution in degrees, but those skilled in the art will recognize that equivalent beam angular resolution can be expressed in radians. Furthermore, in Figure 8-9 The 1-degree and 0.1-degree angular resolutions used are exemplary, and other resolutions may be used in different embodiments.

[0133] You can refer to this. Figure 10-11 To further illustrate these embodiments, Figure 10-11 Exemplary methods (e.g., procedures) for network nodes or functions and UEs are shown respectively. In other words, various characteristics of the operations described below correspond to the various embodiments described above. Furthermore, Figure 10-11 The exemplary methods shown can be used in combination to provide solutions to a variety of benefits, advantages, and / or problems, including those described herein. Although Figure 10-11 Specific boxes are shown in a particular order, but the operations of the exemplary methods may be performed in a different order than shown, and may be combined and / or divided into boxes with different functions than those shown. Optional boxes or operations are indicated by dashed lines.

[0134] In particular, Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method (e.g., process) for providing location assistance data to one or more user equipments (UEs) in a wireless network, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown. This exemplary method may be performed by a network node or function (e.g., E-SMLC, SLP, LMF, base station, eNB, gNB, ng-eNB, etc., or components thereof) in or associated with the wireless network. For example, Figure 10 The exemplary methods shown can be implemented in network nodes or functions configured according to other graphs described herein.

[0135] The exemplary method may include the operation at block 1020, wherein a network node may determine the angular resolution of angular positioning assistance data for each specific beam of a plurality of beams transmitted by one or more transmit-receive points (TRPs) in a wireless network. The exemplary method may also include the operation at block 1030, wherein a network node may transmit angular positioning assistance data for the plurality of beams to one or more UEs. For each specific beam, the angular positioning assistance data may include: a first portion having a first resolution (e.g., 1 degree as discussed above); and a second portion having a second resolution greater than the first resolution (e.g., 0.1 degrees as discussed above) when the determined angular resolution for the specific beam is greater than the first resolution.

[0136] In various embodiments, angular positioning assistance data can be transmitted (e.g., in block 1030) via unicast signaling from a network node to one or more UEs or via broadcast in a cell of a wireless network. For example, if the network node is a positioning node (e.g., E-SMLC, LMF), the network node can provide angular positioning assistance data to a base station (e.g., eNB, gNB) for broadcast as an SI in one or more cells served by the base station.

[0137] In various embodiments, the angular resolution for determining the angular positioning aid data for each specific beam (e.g., in block 1020) can be based on one or more of the following:

[0138] • Network nodes know the accuracy of the angle information used for a specific beam;

[0139] • The number of beams, including multiple beams; and

[0140] • One or more size constraints on messages used to transmit angular positioning auxiliary data.

[0141] In some embodiments, the exemplary method may further include the operation of block 1010, wherein a network node may receive an indication from a first UE as to whether the first UE can use angular positioning assistance data with a second resolution. In such an embodiment, when the indication indicates that the first UE cannot use angular positioning assistance data with a second resolution, the angular positioning assistance data does not include the corresponding second portion. If the indication in block 1010 indicates that the first UE can use angular positioning assistance data with a second resolution, the network node may determine the angular resolution of the angular positioning assistance data sent to the first UE based on other factors (including the factors described above). In any case, the network node may, for example, send the angular positioning assistance data to the first UE via unicast signaling in response to the indication.

[0142] In some embodiments, angular positioning assistance data for multiple beams may include corresponding azimuth angles and corresponding elevation angles. In such embodiments, the corresponding azimuth angle includes a corresponding first azimuth angle portion with a first resolution, and the corresponding elevation angle includes a corresponding first elevation angle portion with a first resolution. Furthermore, when the determined angular resolution for a particular beam is greater than the first resolution, the azimuth angle for the particular beam includes a second azimuth angle portion with a second resolution, and the elevation angle for the particular beam includes a second elevation angle portion with a second resolution. Figure 8 An example of such an embodiment is shown in the figure.

[0143] In some embodiments of these examples, the angular positioning assistance data further includes coordinate transformations for the corresponding azimuth and elevation angles. In such embodiments, the coordinate transformation includes a first transformation portion having a first resolution. Furthermore, when the determined angular resolution for at least one beam is greater than the first resolution, the coordinate transformation also includes a second transformation portion having a second resolution. Figure 8 An example of such an embodiment is shown in the figure.

[0144] In some embodiments, the exemplary method may further include the operation of block 1040, wherein a network node may receive from a first UE (e.g., the first UE from which the indication is received in block 1010) one of the following: an estimated position of the first UE, or an angle measurement of at least a portion of a plurality of beams from which angular positioning assistance data for which angular positioning assistance data has been transmitted. In some embodiments, the angle measurement for each measured beam may include a measured azimuth angle and a measured elevation angle.

[0145] In some of these embodiments, the angle measurement for each measured beam may include the following:

[0146] • A first measurement portion having a first measurement resolution (e.g., 1 degree as discussed above); and

[0147] • When the resolution of the angle measurement for the measured beam is greater than the first measurement resolution, a second portion has a second measurement resolution that is greater than the first measurement resolution (e.g., 0.1 degrees as discussed above).

[0148] exist Figure 9 An example of such an embodiment is shown in the figure.

[0149] In some embodiments, the exemplary method may also include the operation of block 1050, wherein the network node may estimate the position of the UE based on (e.g., angle measurements received in block 1040) angular measurements.

[0150] also, Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method (e.g., process) for positioning in a wireless network according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. This exemplary method may be performed by a UE (e.g., a wireless device, MTC device, NB-IoT device, modem, etc., or components thereof), for example by a UE configured according to other figures described herein.

[0151] The exemplary method may include the operation at block 1120, wherein the UE can receive angular positioning assistance data from a network node (e.g., E-SMLC, LMF, etc.) for multiple beams transmitted by one or more TRPs in a wireless network. For each specific beam, the angular positioning assistance data may include: a first portion having a first resolution (e.g., 1 degree as discussed above); and a second portion having a second resolution greater than the first resolution (e.g., 0.1 degrees as discussed above) when the angular resolution of the angular positioning assistance data for the specific beam is greater than the first resolution. The exemplary method may also include the operation at block 1130, wherein the UE can determine the angular configuration of the multiple beams based on the angular positioning assistance data. The exemplary method may also include the operation at block 1140, wherein the UE can perform angular measurements on at least a portion of the multiple beams based on the determined angular configuration. In some embodiments, the angular measurement for each measured beam may include the measured azimuth and elevation angles.

[0152] In some embodiments, when the angular positioning aid data for a particular beam includes only a first portion, the angular configuration for the particular beam is determined based on a first resolution (e.g., in block 1130). Similarly, when the angular positioning aid data for a particular beam includes both a first portion and a second portion, the angular configuration for the particular beam is determined based on a second resolution.

[0153] In various embodiments, angular positioning assistance data can be received (e.g., in block 1120) via unicast signaling from a network node or via broadcast in a cell of a wireless network. For example, if the network node is a positioning node (e.g., E-SMLC, LMF), the network node can provide angular positioning assistance data to a base station (e.g., eNB, gNB) for broadcast as SI in one or more cells served by the base station.

[0154] In some embodiments, the exemplary method may further include the operation of block 1110, wherein the UE may send an indication to the network node regarding whether the UE can use angular positioning assistance data with a second resolution. In such an embodiment, when the indication indicates that the first UE cannot use angular positioning assistance data with a second resolution, the angular positioning assistance data does not include the corresponding second portion. If the indication in block 1110 indicates that the first UE can use angular positioning assistance data with a second resolution, the network node may determine the angular resolution of the angular positioning assistance data sent to the first UE based on other factors (including the factors described above). In any case, the UE may, for example, receive the angular positioning assistance data via unicast signaling in response to the indication.

[0155] In some embodiments, the angular positioning assistance data for multiple beams includes corresponding azimuth angles and corresponding elevation angles. In such embodiments, the corresponding azimuth angle includes a corresponding first azimuth angle portion with a first resolution, and the corresponding elevation angle includes a corresponding first elevation angle portion with a first resolution. Furthermore, when the determined angular resolution for a particular beam is greater than the first resolution, the azimuth angle for the particular beam includes a second azimuth angle portion with a second resolution, and the elevation angle for the particular beam includes a second elevation angle portion with a second resolution. Figure 8 An example of such an embodiment is shown in the figure.

[0156] In some embodiments of these examples, the angular positioning assistance data may further include coordinate transformations for multiple beams. In such an embodiment, the determination operation of block 1130 may include the operation of sub-block 1131, wherein the UE may apply coordinate transformations to the corresponding azimuth and elevation angles. In some embodiments of these examples, the coordinate transformation includes a first transformation portion having a first resolution. Furthermore, when the angular resolution for at least one beam is greater than the first resolution, the coordinate transformation also includes a second transformation portion having a second resolution. Figure 8 An example of such an embodiment is shown in the figure.

[0157] In some embodiments, the exemplary method may further include the operations described in blocks 1150-1160. In block 1150, the UE may determine the resolution of the angle measurement for each measured beam. In block 1160, the UE may transmit the angle measurement to the network node. The transmitted angle measurement for each measured beam may include: a first measurement portion having a first measurement resolution (e.g., 1 degree); and a second portion having a second measurement resolution (e.g., 0.1 degrees) greater than the first measurement resolution when the determined resolution of the angle measurement for the measured beam is greater than the first measurement resolution. Figure 9 An example of such an embodiment is shown in the figure.

[0158] In other embodiments, the exemplary method may also include the operations in blocks 1170-1180. In block 1170, the UE may estimate its own position based on angle measurements (e.g., performed in block 1140). In block 1180, the UE may transmit the estimated position to the network node.

[0159] Although various embodiments have been described above in terms of methods, techniques and / or processes, those skilled in the art will readily understand that such methods, techniques and / or processes can be implemented by various combinations of hardware and software in various systems, communication devices, computing devices, control devices, apparatuses, non-transitory computer-readable media, computer program products and the like.

[0160] Figure 12 A block diagram of an exemplary wireless device or user equipment (UE) 1200 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 1200") according to various embodiments of the present disclosure (including those described above with reference to other accompanying drawings) is shown. For example, UE 1200 can be configured to perform operations corresponding to one or more exemplary methods in the exemplary methods described herein by executing instructions stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0161] UE 1200 may include a processor 1210 (also referred to as "processing circuitry") operably connected via a bus 1270 to program memory 1220 and / or data memory 1230, the bus 1270 including a parallel address and data bus, a serial port, or other methods and / or structures known to those skilled in the art. Program memory 1220 may store software code, programs, and / or instructions (in... Figure 12 Collectively referred to as computer program product 1221, when executed by processor 1210, these software codes, programs, and / or instructions can configure and / or facilitate UE 1200 to perform various operations, including operations corresponding to the various exemplary methods described herein. As part of or in addition to such operations, the execution of such instructions can configure and / or facilitate UE 1200 to communicate using one or more wired or wireless communication protocols, including one or more wireless communication protocols standardized by 3GPP, 3GPP2, or IEEE, such as those commonly referred to as 5G / NR, LTE, LTE-A, UMTS, HSPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, 1xRTT, CDMA2000, 802.11 WiFi, HDMI, USB, Firewire, etc., or any other current or future protocols that can be used in conjunction with radio transceiver 1240, user interface 1250, and / or control interface 1260.

[0162] As another example, processor 1210 can execute program code stored in program memory 1220, which corresponds to MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP (e.g., for NR and / or LTE). As another example, processor 1210 can execute program code stored in program memory 1220, which, together with radio transceiver 1240, implements corresponding PHY layer protocols, such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA). As another example, processor 1210 can execute program code stored in program memory 1220, which, together with radio transceiver 1240, enables device-to-device (D2D) communication with other compatible devices and / or UEs.

[0163] Program memory 1220 may also include software code executed by processor 1210 to control functions of UE 1200, including configuring and controlling various components such as radio transceiver 1240, user interface 1250, and / or control interface 1260. Program memory 1220 may also include one or more application programs and / or modules comprising computer-executable instructions that implement any of the exemplary methods described herein. Such software code may be specified or written using any known or future-developed programming language, such as Java, C++, C, Objective C, HTML, XHTML, machine code, and assembler, as long as the required functionality is preserved, such as functionality defined by the implemented method steps. Furthermore, or alternatively, program memory 1220 may include an external storage arrangement (not shown) remote from UE 1200 from which instructions may be downloaded to or removably coupled to program memory 1220 of UE 1200 to enable the execution of such instructions.

[0164] Data memory 1230 may include a memory region for processor 1210 to store variables used in the protocols, configurations, control, and other functions of UE 1200, including operations corresponding to or including any exemplary methods described herein. Furthermore, program memory 1220 and / or data memory 1230 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), or combinations thereof. Additionally, data memory 1230 may include a storage slot through which one or more removable memory cards (e.g., SD cards, Memory Sticks, Compact Flash, etc.) can be inserted and removed.

[0165] Those skilled in the art will recognize that processor 1210 may include multiple individual processors (including, for example, a multi-core processor), each implementing a portion of the functions described above. In this case, the multiple individual processors may be connected together to program memory 1220 and data memory 1230, or individually connected to multiple separate program memories and / or data memories. More generally, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various protocols and other functions of UE 1200 may be implemented in many different computer arrangements, including but not limited to different combinations of hardware and software, such as application processors, signal processors, general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, ASICs, fixed and / or programmable digital circuits, analog baseband circuits, radio frequency circuits, software, firmware, and middleware.

[0166] Radio transceiver 1240 may include radio frequency transmitter and / or receiver functions that facilitate communication between UE 1200 and other devices supporting similar wireless communication standards and / or protocols. In some exemplary embodiments, radio transceiver 1240 includes one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that enable UE 1200 to communicate according to various protocols and / or methods proposed for standardization by 3GPP and / or other standards-setting organizations (SSOs). For example, such functionality may cooperate with processor 1210 to implement a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA technologies, as described herein with reference to other figures.

[0167] In some exemplary embodiments, radio transceiver 1240 includes one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that facilitate communication between UE 1200 and various LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), and / or NR networks according to standards promulgated by 3GPP. In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, radio transceiver 1240 includes circuitry, firmware, etc., necessary for UE 1200 to also communicate with various NR, NR-U, LTE, LTE-A, LTE-LAA, UMTS, and / or GSM / EDGE networks according to 3GPP standards. In some embodiments, radio transceiver 1240 may include circuitry supporting D2D communication between UE 1200 and other compatible devices.

[0168] In some embodiments, radio transceiver 1240 includes circuitry, firmware, etc., necessary for UE 1200 to communicate with various CDMA2000 networks according to the 3GPP2 standard. In some embodiments, radio transceiver 1240 may be capable of using radio technologies operating in unlicensed frequency bands, such as IEEE 802.11 WiFi operating at frequencies in the 2.4, 5.6, and / or 60 GHz range. In some embodiments, radio transceiver 1240 may include a transceiver capable of wired communication, such as using IEEE 802.3 Ethernet technology. Functionality specific to each of these embodiments may be coupled to and / or controlled by other circuitry in UE 1200, such as processor 1210 in conjunction with data memory 1230 and / or executing program code stored in program memory 1220 with the support of data memory 1230.

[0169] User interface 1250 may take various forms depending on a specific embodiment of UE 1200, or may not be present in UE 1200 at all. In some embodiments, user interface 1250 may include a microphone, speaker, slide button, pressable button, display, touchscreen display, mechanical or virtual keypad, mechanical or virtual keyboard, and / or any other user interface features commonly found on mobile phones. In other embodiments, UE 1200 may include a tablet computing device including a larger touchscreen display. In such embodiments, one or more mechanical features of user interface 1250 may be replaced by comparable or functionally equivalent virtual user equipment features (e.g., virtual keyboard, virtual buttons, etc.) implemented using a touchscreen display, as is well known to those skilled in the art. In other embodiments, UE 1200 may be a digital computing device, such as a laptop computer, desktop computer, workstation, etc., which includes a mechanical keyboard that may be integrated, detached, or detachable according to a particular embodiment. Such a digital computing device may also include a touchscreen display. Many exemplary embodiments of UE 1200 with a touchscreen display are capable of receiving user input, such as input related to the exemplary methods described herein or other inputs known to those skilled in the art.

[0170] In some embodiments, UE 1200 may include an orientation sensor, which can be used in various ways by features and functions of UE 1200. For example, UE 1200 may use the output of the orientation sensor to determine when a user changes the physical orientation of the touchscreen display of UE 1200. An indication signal from the orientation sensor can be used by any application executing on UE 1200 such that when the indication signal indicates a change of approximately 90° in the physical orientation of the UE, the application can automatically change the orientation of the screen display (e.g., from portrait to landscape). In this exemplary manner, the application can maintain the screen display in a user-readable manner regardless of the physical orientation of the UE. Furthermore, the output of the orientation sensor can be used in conjunction with various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0171] The control interface 1260 of UE 1200 may take various forms depending on a specific exemplary embodiment of UE 1200 and the specific interface requirements of other devices with which UE 1200 is intended to communicate and / or control. For example, the control interface 1260 may include an RS-232 interface, a USB interface, an HDMI interface, a Bluetooth interface, an IEEE (“Firewire”) interface, and an I... 2Interface C, PCMCIA interface, etc. In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, control interface 1260 may include an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet interface as described above. In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, control interface 1260 may include analog interface circuitry, including, for example, one or more digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and / or analog-to-digital converters (ADCs).

[0172] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the list of features, interfaces, and radio frequency communication standards described above is merely exemplary and does not limit the scope of this disclosure. In other words, UE 1200 may include more than Figure 12 Further functionalities shown include, for example, a video and / or still image camera, a microphone, a media player, and / or a recorder. Additionally, the radio transceiver 1240 may include circuitry necessary for communication using additional radio frequency communication standards, including Bluetooth, GPS, and / or others. Furthermore, the processor 1210 may execute software code stored in the program memory 1220 to control such additional functionalities. For example, directional velocity and / or position estimates output from the GPS receiver can be used by any application executed on the UE 1200, including any program code corresponding to and / or implementing any exemplary embodiments described herein (e.g., methods).

[0173] Figure 13 A block diagram of an exemplary network node 1300 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure (including those described above with reference to other accompanying drawings) is shown. For example, the exemplary network node 1300 can be configured to perform operations corresponding to one or more exemplary methods described herein by executing instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. In some exemplary embodiments, the network node 1300 may include a base station, an eNB, a gNB, or one or more components thereof. For example, according to the NR gNB architecture specified by 3GPP, the network node 1300 may be configured as a central unit (CU) and one or more distributed units (DUs). More generally, the functionality of the network node 1300 can be distributed across various physical devices and / or functional units, modules, etc.

[0174] Network node 1300 may include processor 1310 (also referred to as “processing circuitry”) operatively connected via bus 1370 to program memory 1320 and data memory 1330, bus 1370 may include parallel address and data bus, serial port or other methods and / or structures known to those skilled in the art.

[0175] Program memory 1320 can store software code, programs and / or instructions (in... Figure 13Collectively referred to as computer program product 1321, when executed by processor 1310, this software code, programs, and / or instructions can configure and / or facilitate network node 1300 to perform various operations, including operations corresponding to the various exemplary methods described herein. As part of and / or in addition to such operations, program memory 1320 may also include software code executed by processor 1310 that can configure and / or facilitate network node 1300 to communicate with one or more other UEs or network nodes using other protocols or protocol layers, such as one or more of the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or NR, or any other higher-level (e.g., NAS) protocols used in conjunction with radio network interface 1340 and / or core network interface 1350. For example, as standardized by 3GPP, core network interface 1350 may include an S1 or NG interface and radio network interface 1340 may include a Uu interface. The program memory 1320 may also include software code executed by the processor 1310 to control the functions of the network node 1300, including configuring and controlling various components such as the radio network interface 1340 and the core network interface 1350.

[0176] Data memory 1330 may include a memory region for processor 1310 to store variables used in the protocols, configurations, control, and other functions of network node 1300. Therefore, program memory 1320 and data memory 1330 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, hard disk, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), network-based (e.g., “cloud”) storage, or combinations thereof. Those skilled in the art will recognize that processor 1310 may include multiple individual processors (not shown), each implementing a portion of the functions described above. In this case, multiple individual processors may be connected together to program memory 1320 and data memory 1330, or individually to multiple individual program memories and / or data memories. More generally, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various protocols and other functions of network node 1300 can be implemented in many different combinations of hardware and software, including but not limited to application processors, signal processors, general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, ASICs, fixed digital circuits, programmable digital circuits, analog baseband circuits, radio frequency circuits, software, firmware, and middleware.

[0177] The radio network interface 1340 may include a transmitter, receiver, signal processor, ASIC, antenna, beamforming unit, and other circuitry that enables the network node 1300 to communicate with other devices, such as, in some embodiments, with multiple compatible user equipment (UEs). In some embodiments, the interface 1340 may also enable the network node 1300 to communicate with compatible satellites of a satellite communication network. In some exemplary embodiments, the radio network interface 1340 may include various protocols or protocol layers, such as PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and / or RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, LTE-LAA, NR, NR-U, etc.; improvements to the protocols as described above; or any other higher-level protocols used in conjunction with the radio network interface 1340. According to further exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the radio network interface 1340 may include a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA technologies. In some embodiments, the functionality of such a PHY layer may be provided collaboratively by the radio network interface 1340 and the processor 1310 (including program code in memory 1320).

[0178] The core network interface 1350 may include transmitters, receivers, and other circuitry that enables network node 1300 to communicate with other devices in the core network (e.g., in some embodiments, circuit-switched (CS) and / or packet-switched (PS) core networks). In some embodiments, the core network interface 1350 may include an S1 interface standardized by 3GPP. In some embodiments, the core network interface 1350 may include an NG interface standardized by 3GPP. In some exemplary embodiments, the core network interface 1350 may include one or more interfaces to one or more AMF, SMF, SGW, MME, SGSN, GGSN, and other physical devices including those with functionality known to those skilled in the art in GERAN, UTRAN, EPC, 5GC, and CDMA2000 core networks. In some embodiments, these one or more interfaces may be multiplexed together on a single physical interface. In some embodiments, the lower layers of the core network interface 1350 may include one or more of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Internet Protocol over Ethernet (IP), SDH over fiber, T1 / E1 / PDH over copper, microwave radio, or other wired or wireless transmission technologies known to those skilled in the art.

[0179] In some embodiments, network node 1300 may include hardware and / or software that configures and / or facilitates communication between network node 1300 and other network nodes in the RAN (also referred to as "wireless network"), such as other eNBs, gNBs, ng-eNBs, en-gNBs, IAB nodes, etc. Such hardware and / or software may be part of radio network interface 1340 and / or core network interface 1350, or it may be a separate functional unit (not shown). For example, such hardware and / or software may configure and / or facilitate communication between network node 1300 and other RAN nodes via X2 or Xn interfaces, as standardized by 3GPP.

[0180] The OA&M interface 1360 may include a transmitter, receiver, and other circuitry that enables the network node 1300 to communicate with external networks, computers, databases, etc., for the purpose of operation, management, and maintenance of the network node 1300 or other network devices operatively connected to it. The lower layers of the OA&M interface 1360 may include one or more of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Internet Protocol over Ethernet (IP), SDH over fiber optics, T1 / E1 / PDH over copper, microwave radio, or other wired or wireless transmission technologies known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, in some embodiments, one or more of the radio network interface 1340, core network interface 1350, and OA&M interface 1360 may be multiplexed together on a single physical interface, as in the examples listed above.

[0181] Figure 14 This is a block diagram of an exemplary communication network according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, configured to provide over-the-top (OTT) data services between a host computer and a user equipment (UE). The UE 1410 can communicate with a radio access network (RAN, also referred to as a "wireless network") 1430 via a radio interface 1420, which can be based on the protocols described above, including, for example, LTE, LTE-A, and 5G / NR. For example, the UE 1410 can be configured and / or arranged as shown in the other figures discussed above.

[0182] RAN 1430 may include one or more terrestrial network nodes (e.g., base stations, eNBs, gNBs, controllers, etc.) that can operate in licensed spectrum bands, and one or more network nodes that can operate in unlicensed spectrum (e.g., the 2.4 GHz band and / or the 5 GHz band) using technologies such as LAA or NR-U. In this case, network nodes including RAN 1430 can operate collaboratively using both licensed and unlicensed spectrum. In some embodiments, RAN 1430 may include one or more satellites or be able to communicate with one or more satellites, which include a satellite access network.

[0183] RAN 1430 can further communicate with core network 1440 according to the various protocols and interfaces described above. For example, one or more devices including RAN 1430 (e.g., base stations, eNBs, gNBs, etc.) can communicate with core network 1440 via the core network interface 1450 described above. In some exemplary embodiments, RAN 1430 and core network 1440 can be configured and / or arranged as shown in the other figures discussed above. For example, an eNB including E-UTRAN 1430 can communicate with EPC core network 1440 via the S1 interface. As another example, gNBs and ng-eNBs including NG-RAN 1430 can communicate with 5GC core network 1430 via the NG interface.

[0184] Based on various protocols and interfaces known to those skilled in the art, the core network 1440 can further interface with... Figure 14 The diagram illustrates external packet data network communication via Internet 1450. Many other devices and / or networks may also connect to Internet 1450 and communicate with, for example, exemplary host computer 1460 via Internet 1450. In some exemplary embodiments, host computer 1460 may use Internet 1450, core network 1440, and RAN 1430 as intermediaries to communicate with UE 1410. Host computer 1460 may be a server (e.g., an application server) owned and / or controlled by a service provider. Host computer 1460 may be operated by an OTT service provider or by another entity representing the service provider.

[0185] For example, host computer 1460 can use the facilities of core network 1440 and RAN 1430 to provide over-the-top (OTT) packet data service to UE 1410, and UE 1410 may not know the routes of outgoing / incoming communications to / from host computer 1460. Similarly, host computer 1460 may not know the routes of transmissions from the host computer to the UE, such as the routes of transmissions via RAN 1430. This can be achieved using... Figure 14The exemplary configuration shown provides various OTT services, including, for example, streaming (one-way) audio and / or video from the host computer to the UE, interactive (two-way) audio and / or video between the host computer and the UE, interactive messaging or social communication, interactive virtual or augmented reality, etc.

[0186] Figure 14 The exemplary network shown may also include measurement processes and / or sensors for monitoring network performance metrics, including data rate, latency, and other factors improved by the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. The exemplary network may also include functionality for reconfiguring the link between endpoints (e.g., a host computer and a UE) in response to changes in measurement results. Such processes and functions are known and practiced; if the network hides or abstracts the radio interface to the OTT service provider, measurements can be facilitated via proprietary signaling between the UE and the host computer.

[0187] The exemplary embodiments described herein provide novel techniques for providing location assistance information, such as measurements of signals transmitted or received by a TRP in a wireless network, to facilitate UE-based location estimation. As described above, such techniques can facilitate more accurate and / or timely location estimation for the UE, as well as reduce network signaling complexity. These advantages may be critical in specific applications, such as high-precision / high-accuracy positioning and / or low-complexity positioning. When used in NR UEs (e.g., UE 1410) and gNBs (e.g., gNBs including RAN 1430), the exemplary embodiments described herein are capable of providing various improvements, benefits, and / or advantages that facilitate the use of location-based OTT services. Therefore, this improves the performance of these services experienced by OTT service providers and end users, including more accurate service delivery and lower latency, without excessive UE power consumption or other user experience degradation.

[0188] The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of this disclosure. Various modifications and variations to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the teachings herein. Therefore, it should be understood that those skilled in the art will be able to design various systems, arrangements, and processes that, although not expressly shown or described herein, implement the principles of this disclosure and thus fall within its spirit and scope. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various exemplary embodiments can be used together and interchangeably with each other.

[0189] As used herein, the term “unit” may have the conventional meaning in the field of electronic, electrical and / or electronic equipment, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing various tasks, processes, calculations, outputs and / or display functions, as described herein.

[0190] Any suitable steps, methods, features, functions, or benefits disclosed herein can be performed by one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual devices. Each virtual device may include multiple such functional units. These functional units may be implemented via processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and other digital hardware, including digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific digital logic, etc. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. The program code stored in 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 embodiments, the processing circuitry may be used to cause various functional units to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0191] As described herein, devices and / or apparatuses may be represented by semiconductor chips, chipsets, or (hardware) modules comprising such chips or chipsets; however, this does not preclude the possibility that the functionality of a device or apparatus is implemented not in hardware but as a software module (e.g., a computer program or computer program product comprising executable software code portions for execution or running on a processor). Furthermore, the functionality of a device or apparatus can be implemented by any combination of hardware and software. A device or apparatus may also be considered as a combination of multiple devices and / or apparatuses, whether functionally cooperative or independent. Moreover, devices and apparatuses can be implemented in a distributed manner throughout the system, provided that the functionality of the device or apparatus is preserved. Such and similar principles are considered known to those skilled in the art.

[0192] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having the same meaning as they have in the context of this specification and the relevant field, and should not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined herein.

[0193] Furthermore, certain terms used in this disclosure (including the specification and drawings) may be used synonymously in certain circumstances (e.g., "data" and "information"). It should be understood that while these terms (and / or other terms that may be synonymous with each other) may be used synonymously herein, there may be instances where such terms are not intended to be used synonymously. Moreover, even if prior art is not expressly incorporated herein by reference, it is expressly incorporated in its entirety. All cited publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0194] Embodiments of the technologies and apparatus described herein also include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

[0195] E1. A method performed by a network node in a wireless network for providing angular positioning assistance data to one or more user equipment (UEs), the method comprising:

[0196] For each specific beam among multiple beams transmitted by one or more transmit-receive points (TRPs), determine the angular resolution of the angular positioning auxiliary data for that specific beam; and

[0197] Transmit angle positioning assistance data for multiple beams to one or more UEs, wherein, for each specific beam, the angle positioning assistance data includes:

[0198] The first part having a first resolution; and

[0199] When the determined angular resolution for a particular beam is greater than the first resolution, there is a second portion having a second resolution that is greater than the first resolution.

[0200] E2. The method according to embodiment E1, wherein the angular positioning assistance data is transmitted according to one of the following:

[0201] Via unicast signaling from a network node to one or more UEs; or

[0202] Broadcasting within a cell using a wireless network.

[0203] E3. The method according to any one of embodiments E1-E2, wherein, for each specific beam, the angular resolution of the angular positioning auxiliary data is determined based on one or more of the following:

[0204] Network nodes know the accuracy of the angle information used for a specific beam;

[0205] Including the number of beams with multiple beams; and

[0206] One or more size constraints on messages used to transmit angular positioning auxiliary data.

[0207] E4. The method according to any one of embodiments E1-E3, wherein:

[0208] The method further includes: receiving from the first UE an indication of the first UE's ability to utilize a second portion having a second resolution;

[0209] The angular resolution of the angular positioning auxiliary data is determined based on this indication; and

[0210] Angle positioning auxiliary data is sent to the first UE via unicast signaling.

[0211] E5. The method according to any one of embodiments E1-E4, wherein:

[0212] Angular positioning auxiliary data includes azimuth and elevation angles for each specific beam; and

[0213] Each azimuth or elevation angle includes a first azimuth or elevation portion having a first resolution; and

[0214] When the determined angular resolution for a particular beam is greater than the first resolution, the azimuth and elevation angles for the particular beam include a first azimuth and elevation portion and a corresponding combination of a second azimuth and elevation portion having a second resolution.

[0215] E6. The method according to any one of embodiments E1-E5, wherein:

[0216] The angular positioning auxiliary data also includes coordinate transformations for multiple beams;

[0217] The coordinate transformation includes a first transformation portion having a first resolution; and

[0218] When the determined angular resolution used for any beam is greater than the first resolution, the coordinate transformation includes a combination of a first transformation portion and a second transformation portion having a second resolution.

[0219] E7. The method according to any one of embodiments E1-E6 further includes receiving one of the following from the first UE:

[0220] The estimated location of the first UE, or

[0221] The angular positioning auxiliary data used for it has been obtained from at least a portion of the angular measurements of the multiple beams that have been transmitted.

[0222] E8. The method according to embodiment E7, wherein the angle measurement for each specific beam includes one of the following:

[0223] A first measuring portion having a first measuring resolution; or

[0224] A combination of a first measuring portion and a second measuring portion having a second measuring resolution greater than that of the first measuring portion.

[0225] E9. The method according to embodiment E8, wherein the angle measurement for each specific beam includes the measured azimuth and elevation angles.

[0226] E10. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for receiving location assistance data from a network node in a wireless network, the method comprising:

[0227] Receives angular positioning assistance data from a network node for multiple beams transmitted by one or more Transmit-Receive Points (TRPs), wherein, for each specific beam, the angular positioning assistance data includes: a first portion having a first resolution, and a second portion optionally having a second resolution greater than the first resolution;

[0228] Based on angular positioning auxiliary data, the angular configuration of multiple beams is determined; and

[0229] Based on the determined angular configuration, angular measurements are performed on at least a portion of the multiple beams.

[0230] E11. The method according to embodiment E10, wherein, for each specific beam:

[0231] When the angle positioning auxiliary data includes only the first part, the angle configuration for a specific beam is determined based on the first resolution; and

[0232] When the angular positioning auxiliary data includes both the first and second parts, the angular configuration for a specific beam is determined based on the second resolution.

[0233] E12. The method according to any one of embodiments E10-E11, wherein the angular positioning assistance data is received according to one of the following:

[0234] Via unicast signaling from network nodes; or

[0235] Broadcasting within a cell using a wireless network.

[0236] E13. The method according to any one of embodiments E10-E12, wherein:

[0237] The method further includes: sending an indication to the network node that the UE can utilize a second portion having a second resolution; and

[0238] The second part shall be included based on this instruction; and

[0239] The UE receives angular positioning auxiliary data via unicast signaling.

[0240] E14. The method according to any one of embodiments E10-E13, wherein:

[0241] Angular positioning auxiliary data includes azimuth and elevation angles for each specific beam; and

[0242] Each azimuth or elevation angle includes one of the following:

[0243] Having a first azimuth or elevation portion with first resolution; or

[0244] The corresponding combination of the first azimuth or elevation portion and the second azimuth or elevation portion having the second resolution.

[0245] E15. The method according to any one of embodiments E10-E14, wherein:

[0246] The angular positioning auxiliary data also includes coordinate transformations for multiple beams; and

[0247] Coordinate transformation includes one of the following:

[0248] A first transform portion having a first resolution; or

[0249] The combination of the first transform part and the second transform part with the second resolution.

[0250] E16. The method according to embodiment E15, wherein:

[0251] Determining the angular configuration for multiple beams includes determining and applying a common coordinate transformation;

[0252] When the angular positioning auxiliary data only includes the first transformation portion, the common coordinate transformation is determined based on the first resolution; and

[0253] When the angular positioning auxiliary data includes both the first transformation part and the second transformation part, the common coordinate transformation is determined according to the second resolution.

[0254] E17. The method according to any one of embodiments E10-E16 further includes:

[0255] For each specific beam being measured, determine the resolution of the angle measurement; and

[0256] Angle measurements are sent to network nodes, wherein, for each specific measured beam, the sent angle measurements include:

[0257] A first measuring portion having a first measuring resolution; and

[0258] When the determined resolution of the angle measurement is greater than the first measurement resolution, it has a second portion with a second measurement resolution that is greater than the first measurement resolution.

[0259] E18. The method according to embodiment E17, wherein the angle measurement for each specific measured beam includes the measured azimuth and elevation angles.

[0260] E19. The method according to any one of embodiments E10-E16 further includes:

[0261] Based on angle measurement, the position of the UE is estimated; and

[0262] Send the estimated location to the network node.

[0263] E20. A network node in a wireless network, configured to provide angular positioning assistance data to one or more user equipments (UEs), the network node comprising:

[0264] A communication interface configured to communicate with the UE via one or more other nodes in a wireless network; and

[0265] A processing circuit is operatively coupled to a communication interface, wherein the processing circuit and the communication interface are configured to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods according to embodiments E1-E9.

[0266] E21. A network node in a wireless network, configured to provide angular positioning assistance data to one or more user equipments (UEs), the network node being further arranged to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods according to embodiments E1-E9.

[0267] E22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry of a network node configured in a wireless network to provide angular positioning assistance data to one or more user equipments (UEs), configure the network node to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods according to embodiments E1-E9.

[0268] E23. A computer program product including computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by processing circuitry of a network node configured in a wireless network to provide angular positioning assistance data to one or more user equipments (UEs), configure the network node to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods according to embodiments E1-E9.

[0269] E24. A user equipment (UE) configured to receive angular positioning assistance data from a network node in a wireless network, the UE comprising:

[0270] A radio transceiver circuit configured to communicate with a network node via one or more other nodes in a wireless network; and

[0271] A processing circuit, operatively coupled to a radio transceiver circuit, wherein the processing circuit and the radio transceiver circuit are configured to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods according to embodiments E10-E19.

[0272] E25. A user equipment (UE) configured to receive angular positioning assistance data from a network node in a wireless network, the UE further arranged to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods according to embodiments E10-E19.

[0273] E26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry of a user equipment (UE) configured to receive angular positioning assistance data from a network node in a wireless network, configure the UE to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods according to embodiments E10-E19.

[0274] E27. A computer program product including computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by processing circuitry of a user equipment (UE) configured to receive angular positioning assistance data from a network node in a wireless network, configure the UE to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods according to embodiments E10-E19.

Claims

1. A method performed by a network node for providing location assistance data to one or more user equipment (UE) in a wireless network, the method comprising: Determine (1020) the angular resolution of the angular positioning auxiliary data for each specific beam of a plurality of beams transmitted by one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) in the wireless network; as well as Transmit (1030) the angle positioning assistance data for the plurality of beams to one or more UEs, wherein, for each specific beam, the angle positioning assistance data includes: The first part having a first resolution; and When the determined angular resolution for the specific beam is greater than the first resolution, a second portion having a second resolution greater than the first resolution, the method further includes: receiving (1010) from the first UE an indication of whether the first UE can use angular positioning assistance data having the second resolution; and When the indication indicates that the first UE cannot use the angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution, the angular positioning assistance data is sent to the first UE via unicast signaling and does not include the corresponding second part.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The angular positioning assistance data shall be sent according to one of the following: Via unicast signaling from the network node to the one or more UEs; or Broadcast within the cells of the wireless network.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein, The angular resolution (1020) for determining the angular positioning aid data for each specific beam is based on one or more of the following: The network node knows the accuracy of the angle information used for the specific beam; Including the number of beams of the plurality of beams; and One or more size constraints on the messages used to transmit the angular positioning auxiliary data.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein: The angular positioning auxiliary data used for the plurality of beams includes the corresponding azimuth angle and the corresponding elevation angle; The corresponding azimuth angle includes a corresponding first azimuth angle portion having the first resolution; The corresponding elevation angle includes a corresponding first elevation angle portion having the first resolution; as well as When the determined angular resolution for a particular beam is greater than the first resolution: The azimuth angle for the specific beam includes a second azimuth angle portion having the second resolution, and The elevation angle for the specific beam includes a second elevation angle portion having the second resolution.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The angular positioning auxiliary data also includes coordinate transformations for the corresponding azimuth angle and the corresponding elevation angle; The coordinate transformation includes a first transformation portion having the first resolution; and When the determined angular resolution for at least one of the beams is greater than the first resolution, the coordinate transformation further includes a second transformation portion having the second resolution.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving (1040) one of the following from the first UE: The estimated location of the first UE, or The angular positioning auxiliary data used therefor has been angular measurements of at least a portion of the plurality of beams that have been transmitted.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The angle measurements for each measured beam include: A first measuring portion having a first measuring resolution; and When the resolution of the angle measurement for the measured beam is greater than the first measurement resolution, a second portion of the second measurement resolution is provided, which is greater than the first measurement resolution.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The angle measurement for each measured beam includes the measured azimuth angle and the measured elevation angle.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6-8, further comprising: Based on the angle measurement, the position of the UE is estimated (1050).

10. A method for locating in a wireless network, performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Receive (1120) angle positioning assistance data from a network node for multiple beams transmitted by one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) in the wireless network, wherein, for each specific beam, the angle positioning assistance data includes: The first part having a first resolution; and When the angular resolution of the angular positioning aid data used for the specific beam is greater than the first resolution, a second portion has a second resolution that is larger than the first resolution; Based on the angular positioning auxiliary data, the angular configuration of the plurality of beams is determined (1130); and Based on the determined angular configuration, an (1140) angular measurement is performed on at least a portion of the plurality of beams. The method further includes: sending (1110) to the network node an indication of whether the UE can use angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution; and When the indication indicates that the UE cannot use the angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution, the angular positioning assistance data is received by the UE via unicast signaling and does not include the second portion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein: When the angular positioning assistance data for a specific beam includes only the first portion, the angular configuration for the specific beam is determined based on the first resolution; as well as When the angular positioning assistance data for the specific beam includes the first portion and the second portion, the angular configuration for the specific beam is determined based on the second resolution.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The corner positioning assistance data is received according to one of the following: Via unicast signaling from the network node; or Broadcast within the cells of the wireless network.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10-12, wherein: The angular positioning auxiliary data used for the plurality of beams includes the corresponding azimuth angle and the corresponding elevation angle; The corresponding azimuth angle includes a corresponding first azimuth angle portion having the first resolution; The corresponding elevation angle includes a corresponding first elevation angle portion having the first resolution; as well as When the angular resolution used for a particular beam is greater than the first resolution: The azimuth angle for the specific beam includes a second azimuth angle portion having the second resolution, and The elevation angle for the specific beam includes a second elevation angle portion having the second resolution.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein: The angular positioning auxiliary data also includes coordinate transformations for the plurality of beams; as well as Determining (1130) the angular configuration for the plurality of beams includes applying (1131) the coordinate transformation to the corresponding azimuth and the corresponding elevation angle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein: The coordinate transformation includes a first transformation portion having the first resolution; and When the angular resolution used for at least one of the beams is greater than the first resolution, the coordinate transformation further includes a second transformation portion having the second resolution.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10-12 and 14-15, further comprising: For each measured beam, determine (1150) the resolution of the angle measurement for that measured beam; as well as Sending the angle measurement (1160) to the network node, wherein the sent angle measurement for each measured beam includes: A first measuring portion having a first measuring resolution, and When the determined resolution of the angle measurement for the measured beam is greater than the first measurement resolution, a second portion of the second measurement resolution is greater than the first measurement resolution.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10-12 and 14-15, further comprising: Based on the angle measurement, the position of the UE is estimated (1170); as well as The estimated position (1180) is sent to the network node.

18. The method according to any one of claims 10-12 and 14-15, wherein, The angle measurement for each measured beam includes the measured azimuth angle and the measured elevation angle.

19. A network node (440, 550, 640, 650, 660) configured to provide location assistance data to one or more user equipment (UE) (120, 410, 505, 610, 1200, 1410) in a wireless network (100, 599, 620, 1430), said network node comprising: Communication interface circuits (441, 641, 651, 661) are configured to communicate with the UE via the wireless network; as well as Processing circuitry (442, 642, 652, 662), operatively coupled to the communication interface circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry and the communication interface circuitry are configured to: Determine the angular resolution of the angular positioning assistance data for each specific beam of a plurality of beams transmitted by one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) in the wireless network; as well as The angular positioning assistance data for the plurality of beams is transmitted to one or more UEs, wherein, for each specific beam, the angular positioning assistance data includes: The first part having a first resolution; and When the determined angular resolution for the specific beam is greater than the first resolution, a second portion has a second resolution that is greater than the first resolution. The processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are further configured to: receive from the first UE an indication of whether the first UE can use angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution; and When the indication indicates that the first UE cannot use the angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution, the angular positioning assistance data is sent to the first UE via unicast signaling and does not include the corresponding second part.

20. The network node according to claim 19, wherein, The processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are further configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods described in claims 2-9.

21. A network node (440, 550, 640, 650, 660) configured to provide location assistance data to one or more user equipment (UE) (120, 410, 505, 610, 1200, 1410) in a wireless network (100, 599, 620, 1430), said network node further configured to: Determine the angular resolution of the angular positioning assistance data for each specific beam of a plurality of beams transmitted by one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) in the wireless network; as well as The angular positioning assistance data for the plurality of beams is transmitted to one or more UEs, wherein, For each specific beam, the angle positioning assistance data includes: The first part having a first resolution; and When the determined angular resolution for the specific beam is greater than the first resolution, a second portion has a second resolution that is greater than the first resolution. The network node is further configured to: receive from the first UE an indication of whether the first UE can use angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution; and When the indication indicates that the first UE cannot use the angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution, the angular positioning assistance data is sent to the first UE via unicast signaling and does not include the corresponding second part.

22. The network node of claim 21 is further configured to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods of claims 2-9.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium (443, 643, 653, 663) storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by processing circuitry (442, 642, 652, 662) of a network node (440, 550, 640, 650, 660) configured to provide location assistance data to one or more user equipment (UE) (120, 410, 505, 610, 1200, 1410) in a wireless network (100, 599, 620, 1430), configure the network node to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods according to claims 1-9.

24. A computer program product including computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by processing circuitry (442, 642, 652, 662) of a network node (440, 550, 640, 650, 660) configured to provide location assistance data to one or more user equipment (UE) (120, 410, 505, 610, 1200, 1410) in a wireless network (100, 599, 620, 1430), configure the network node to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods described in claims 1-9.

25. A user equipment (UE) (120, 410, 505, 610, 1200, 1410) configured to locate within a wireless network (100, 599, 620, 1430), the UE comprising: A radio transceiver circuit (1240) is configured to communicate with network nodes (440, 550, 640, 650, 660) via the wireless network; as well as Processing circuitry (1210), operatively coupled to the radio transceiver circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry and the radio transceiver circuitry are configured to: Receive from the network node angular positioning assistance data for multiple beams transmitted by one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) in the wireless network, wherein, for each specific beam, the angular positioning assistance data includes: The first part having a first resolution; and When the angular resolution of the angular positioning aid data used for the specific beam is greater than the first resolution, a second portion has a second resolution that is larger than the first resolution; Based on the angular positioning assistance data, the angular configuration of the plurality of beams is determined; and Based on the determined angle configuration, angle measurements are performed on at least a portion of the plurality of beams. The processing circuit and the radio transceiver circuit are further configured to: send an indication to the network node regarding whether the UE is capable of using angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution; and When the indication indicates that the UE cannot use the angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution, the angular positioning assistance data is received by the UE via unicast signaling and does not include the second portion.

26. The UE according to claim 25, wherein, The processing circuit and the radio transceiver circuit are also configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods according to claims 11-18.

27. A user equipment (UE) (120, 410, 505, 610, 1200, 1410) configured to locate within a wireless network (100, 599, 620, 1430), the UE further configured to: Receive angular positioning assistance data from network nodes (440, 550, 640, 650, 660) for multiple beams transmitted by one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) in the wireless network, wherein, For each specific beam, the angle positioning assistance data includes: The first part having a first resolution; and When the angular resolution of the angular positioning aid data used for the specific beam is greater than the first resolution, a second portion has a second resolution that is larger than the first resolution; Based on the angular positioning assistance data, the angular configuration of the plurality of beams is determined; and Based on the determined angle configuration, angle measurements are performed on at least a portion of the plurality of beams, and the UE is further configured to: send an indication to the network node regarding whether the UE is capable of using angle positioning assistance data with the second resolution; and When the indication indicates that the UE cannot use the angular positioning assistance data with the second resolution, the angular positioning assistance data is received by the UE via unicast signaling and does not include the second portion.

28. The UE of claim 27 is further configured to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods of claims 11-18.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium (1220) storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processing circuitry (1210) of a user equipment (UE) (120, 410, 505, 610, 1200, 1410) configured to receive location assistance data in a wireless network (100, 599, 620, 1430), configure the UE to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods according to claims 10-18.

30. A computer program product (1221) comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processing circuit (1210) of a user equipment (UE) (120, 410, 505, 610, 1200, 1410) configured to receive location assistance data in a wireless network (100, 599, 620, 1430), configure the UE to perform an operation corresponding to any of the methods according to claims 10-18.

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