Methods and devices for reducing the impact of ALOS and NLOS on positioning

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for enhancing the positioning of a wireless communication device may include a wireless communication node transmitting multiple reference signals (RSs) and a wireless communication device receiving the multiple reference signals (RSs) for measurement. Each RS may be transmitted along a corresponding transmission link. The wireless communication device may transmit at least one of assistance information or a report of the reference signal received power (RSRP) for a subset of the multiple RSs, and the wireless communication node may receive at least one of the assistance information or a report of the reference signal received power (RSRP) for a subset of the multiple RSs to assist in determining a line-of-sight (LOS) transmission link in the corresponding transmission link.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, including but not limited to systems and methods for reducing the impact of attenuated line-of-sight (ALOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) events on positioning. Background Art

[0002] The standardization organization Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently standardizing a new radio interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR) and the next-generation packet core network (Next Generation Packet Core Network, NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR will have three main components: a 5G access network (5G-AN), a 5G core network (5GC), and a user equipment (UE). To facilitate the implementation of different data services and requirements, the elements of the 5GC (also referred to as network functions) have been simplified, some of which are software-based and some are hardware-based so that they can be adjusted as needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Example embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems related to one or more problems presented in the prior art and providing additional features, which will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art reading this disclosure that various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A wireless communication device may receive a plurality of reference signals (RS) from a wireless communication node for measurement, each reference signal (RS) being transmitted along a respective transmission link. The wireless communication device may send to the wireless communication node at least one of the following: assistance information, or a report of the reference signal receive power (RSRP) of a subset of the plurality of RSs, to assist in determining the line-of-sight (LOS) transmission links in the respective transmission links.

[0005] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may determine the transmission time of each of the corresponding transmission links and send auxiliary information to a wireless communication node, the auxiliary information including timing information about the transmission time of a subset of the corresponding transmission links. In some embodiments, the timing information may include a first transmission time of a first link in the subset of the corresponding transmission links and the difference between the transmission time of a second link in the subset of the corresponding transmission links and the first transmission time. In some embodiments, the timing information may correspond to the order of RSRP of a subset of multiple RSs in a report. The order may be determined according to the transmission time of the transmission links corresponding to the subset of multiple RSs. In some embodiments, the timing information may include an index linked to a subset of multiple RSs or the RSRP of a subset of multiple RSs. The index may be linked according to the transmission time of the transmission links corresponding to the subset of multiple RSs.

[0006] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may determine a first RSRP in the RSRP as a reference by determining the first RSRP as: the RSRP having the largest absolute value in the RSRP, the RSRP being the first in the order of the RSRP, or the RSRP associated with the RS having the smallest transmission time in the RSRP. The wireless communication device may send a report to the wireless communication node, the report including the value of each of the first RSRP and the remaining RSRP and the difference from the value of the first RSRP.

[0007] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may determine at least one of path timing information, or path power, or intensity information of at least one transmission link measured using at least one of multiple RSs. The wireless communication device may send auxiliary information to the wireless communication node, the auxiliary information including at least one of path timing information, or path power, or intensity information of at least one transmission link measured using at least one of multiple RSs. In some embodiments, the path timing information may include at least one of the arrival times of a path, the arrival time being relative to the arrival time of a first detected path of at least one of the transmission links. Further, the path power or intensity information may include at least one of the power or signal intensity of the path, the power or signal intensity being relative to the power or signal intensity of a first detected path of at least one of the transmission links. The arrival time of the path may be close to the arrival time of the first detected path.

[0008] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may determine coherence bandwidth information of at least one transmission link measured using at least one of a plurality of reference signals (RSs), and send auxiliary information including the coherence bandwidth information to a wireless communication node. In some embodiments, the coherence bandwidth information may include at least one of the coherence bandwidth of at least one transmission link or the measurement quality of the coherence bandwidth. In some embodiments, the coherence bandwidth information may be represented by a numerical value as a multiple of a unit. The unit may include a subcarrier spacing (SCS) or one of functions of the SCS.

[0009] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A wireless communication node may send a plurality of reference signals (RSs) to a wireless communication device, each reference signal (RS) being transmitted along a corresponding transmission link for measurement. The wireless communication node may receive at least one of auxiliary information or a report of reference signal received power (RSRP) for a subset of the plurality of RSs from the wireless communication device to assist in determining a line-of-sight (LOS) transmission link among the respective transmission links.

[0010] In some embodiments, the transmission time of each of the respective transmission links may be determined by the wireless communication device. The wireless communication node may receive auxiliary information from the wireless communication device, the auxiliary information including timing information about the transmission time of a subset of the respective transmission links. In some embodiments, the timing information may include a first transmission time of a first link in the subset of the respective transmission links, and a difference between the transmission time of a second link in the subset of the respective transmission links and the first transmission time. In some embodiments, the timing information may correspond to the order of the RSRP in a subset of the plurality of RSs in the report. The order may be determined according to the transmission time of the transmission links corresponding to the subset of the plurality of RSs. In some embodiments, the timing information may include an index linked to the subset of the plurality of RSs or the RSRP of the subset of the plurality of RSs. The index may be linked according to the transmission time of the transmission links corresponding to the subset of the plurality of RSs.

[0011] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may determine a first RSRP among the RSRPs as a reference by determining the first RSRP as the RSRP having the largest absolute value among the RSRPs, the RSRP being the first in the order of the RSRPs, or the RSRP associated with the RS having the smallest transmission time among the RSRPs. The wireless communication node may receive a report from the wireless communication device, the report including the first RSRP and the difference between the value of each of the remaining RSRPs and the value of the first RSRP.

[0012] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may determine at least one of path timing information, or path power, or strength information of at least one transmission link measured using at least one of a plurality of RSs. A wireless communication node may receive auxiliary information from the wireless communication device, the auxiliary information including at least one of path timing information, or path power, or strength information of at least one transmission link measured using at least one of a plurality of RSs. In some embodiments, the path timing information may include at least one of arrival times of a path, the arrival times being relative to the arrival time of a first detected path of one of the at least one transmission links. Additionally, the path power or strength information may include at least one of the power or signal strength of the path, the power or signal strength being relative to the power or signal strength of a first detected path of the at least one transmission links. The arrival times of the path may be close to the arrival time of the first detected path.

[0013] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may determine coherence bandwidth information of at least one transmission link measured using at least one of a plurality of RSs. A wireless communication node may receive auxiliary information including the coherence bandwidth information from the wireless communication device. In some embodiments, the coherence bandwidth information may include at least one of the coherence bandwidth of at least one transmission link or the measurement quality of the coherence bandwidth. In some embodiments, the coherence bandwidth information may include a value representing a multiple of a unit. The unit may include one of a subcarrier spacing (SCS) or a function of the SCS.

[0014] Some embodiments described herein provide solutions for mitigating the impact of ALOS on the localization or positioning accuracy of a wireless communication device. Specifically, these embodiments allow differentiating LOS and ALOS based on measurement results obtained using RSs. In addition to RSRP, the solution also includes reporting timing information. The wireless communication device may report the timing information explicitly or implicitly. For example, the wireless communication device may report the transmission time and RSRP. Alternatively, the wireless communication device may sort the RSRP information according to the value of the corresponding timing information and report the sorted RSRP without reporting the transmission time or the timing information. In some implementations, the wireless communication device may append a corresponding timing indicator to each RSRP. The timing indicator may be obtained or defined according to the corresponding transmission time. The wireless communication device may report differential RSRP relative to a reference RSRP. The reference RSRP may be the maximum absolute RSRP, the first absolute RSRP, or the absolute RSRP of the RS with the minimum transmission time.

[0015] Some other embodiments described herein provide solutions for NLOS identification based on measurement results obtained using RS, and thus improve the accuracy of positioning of wireless communication devices. The wireless communication device may report surrounding path information to the wireless communication node to assist in distinguishing LOS and NLOS. The surrounding path information may include path timing information around a first detected path, or amplitude / power information around a first detected path. The wireless communication device may report coherence bandwidth information to the wireless communication node to assist in distinguishing LOS and NLOS. The coherence bandwidth information may include the bandwidth associated with the autocorrelation of the channel frequency response greater than or equal to 0.5, the bandwidth associated with the autocorrelation of the channel frequency response greater than or equal to 0.9, or the quality of the coherence bandwidth. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Various example embodiments of the solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only example embodiments of the solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the solution. It should be noted that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale for clarity and ease of illustration.

[0017] Figure 1 An example cellular communication network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented;

[0018] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example base station and user equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 3A An exemplary scenario according to some embodiments of the disclosure is shown in which measurements of a reference signal (RS) associated with a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication link may be used for positioning of a wireless communication device;

[0020] Figure 3B Another example wireless communication scenario according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown in which measurement results of LOS and NLOS paths of a reference signal (RS) may be used for positioning of a wireless communication device; and

[0021] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing a method for facilitating or assisting in determining a line-of-sight (LOS) transmission link according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Various example embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those of ordinary skill in the art can make and use the present solution. As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the example embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Additionally, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely example methods. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or acts in an example order, and the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented, unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0023] 1. Mobile Communication Technology and Environment

[0024] Figure 1 FIG. 8 shows an example wireless communication network and / or system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the techniques disclosed herein can be implemented. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 can be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as the "network 100". Such an example network 100 includes a base station 102 (base station 102, hereinafter referred to as "BS 102"; also referred to as a wireless communication node) and a user equipment 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104"; also referred to as a wireless communication device), which can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 covering a geographical area 101. In Figure 1 FIG. 8, BS 102 and UE 104 are included within the respective geographical boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 can include at least one base station operating on its allocated bandwidth to provide sufficient wireless coverage to its intended users.

[0025] For example, BS 102 can operate on an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage to UE 104. BS 102 and UE 104 can communicate via a downlink radio frame 118 and an uplink radio frame 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 can be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, and the subframes 120 / 127 can include data symbols 122 / 128. In the present disclosure, BS 102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes" that can generally practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of the present solution, such communication nodes are capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0026] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of the present solution is shown. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features not detailed herein. In an illustrative embodiment, system 200 may be used to transmit (e.g., send and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment such as Figure 1 the wireless communication environment 100 as described above.

[0027] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 202") and a user equipment 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 204"). BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each module being coupled and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 220 as needed. UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each module being coupled and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 240 as needed. BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for data transmission as described herein.

[0028] As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, system 200 may also include in addition to Figure 2Any number of modules other than the modules shown in [Fig.]. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logics described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described in terms of their functions. Whether this function is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software can depend on the particular application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Persons familiar with the concepts described herein can implement this function in a suitable manner for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each including circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternately couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-division duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210, which includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each including circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. A downlink duplex switch may alternately couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-division duplex manner. The operations of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that while the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212, the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions on the wireless transmission link 250. Conversely, the operations of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that while the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232, the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for receiving transmissions on the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is a tight time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in the duplex direction.

[0030] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with a suitably configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232, which can support a specific wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the application of specific standards and related protocols. Instead, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 can be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0031] According to various embodiments, for example, the BS 202 can be an evolved node B (eNB), serving eNB, target eNB, femtocell, or picocell. In some embodiments, the UE 204 can be embodied as various types of user equipment, such as a mobile phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet computer, laptop computer, wearable computing device, etc. The processor modules 214 and 236 can be implemented or realized using a general-purpose processor, content addressable memory, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. In this way, the processor can be implemented as a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, state machine, etc. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0032] In addition, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly as hardware, firmware, software modules executed by processor modules 214 and 236 respectively, or any actual combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 may be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to processor modules 210 and 230 respectively, such that processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234 respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230 respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230 respectively.

[0033] Network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of base station 202 that implement two-way communication between base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with base station 202. For example, network communication module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, but not limited to, network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface such that base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet-based computer network. In this way, network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). As used herein, the terms “configured for,” “configured to,” and variations thereof with respect to a specified operation or function refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0034] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "Open Systems Interconnection model") is a conceptual and logical layout that defines the network communication used by a system (e.g., a wireless communication device, a wireless communication node) that opens up interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is divided into seven sub-components or layers, each of which represents a conceptual set of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines a logical network and effectively describes the transfer of computer data packets by using different layer protocols. The OSI model can also be referred to as the seven-layer OSI model or the seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer can be the physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer can be the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer can be the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer can be the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer can be the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer can be the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) layer or the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is other layers.

[0035] 2. System and Method for Improving Location Accuracy

[0036] The ability to locate a wireless communication device (e.g., a user equipment (UE)) is a core feature of a wireless communication network. For various reasons, the availability and accuracy of the location of a wireless communication device are crucial. First, security legislation in many countries requires the location of wireless communication devices that initiate emergency calls. In addition, location-based services supported by wireless communication devices rely on the location of the wireless communication device even when Global Positioning System (GPS) signals may not be available. Additionally, location information allows network operators to effectively allocate and manage their communication resources and improve the quality of their communication services.

[0037] In a positioning system, positioning techniques based on angle and timing (or distance) measurement results typically assume a LOS communication link, i.e., the transmission link has a LOS path. However, wireless communication is characterized by multipath signal propagation. Wireless signals often reflect from various obstacles / reflections without a LOS path, resulting in a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication link. In addition, some other obstacles along the signal propagation path may attenuate the wireless signal power without changing the direction of the signal propagation path, thus resulting in an attenuated line-of-sight (ALOS) communication link. Due to these phenomena, wireless positioning systems use signal measurement results associated with NLOS communication links to locate wireless communication devices, which may significantly or severely affect or reduce the accuracy of wireless communication device positioning. Specifically, signal measurement results associated with NLOS communication links do not correspond to the actual distance and / or actual angle. This technical problem requires a reliable solution or technique to identify or distinguish between ALOS communication links and NLOS communication links. Reliably identifying or distinguishing between ALOS communication links and NLOS communication links allows for reducing or eliminating the degradation of the accuracy of the techniques employed.

[0038] Wireless communication networks employ and / or configure many reference signals (RSs) for measurement purposes. Different RSs typically correspond to different transmission beams or signals. Specifically, a wireless communication node (e.g., a base station, an evolved node B (eNB), or a next generation node B (gNB)) can transmit or broadcast a reference wireless signal. A wireless communication device, such as a UE, can receive the RS and measure corresponding signal parameters, such as the reference signal received power (RSRP). Then, the wireless communication device can send / report the measured signal parameters or RSRP to the wireless communication network, and the wireless communication network can utilize the measurement values or the measured RS parameters to locate the wireless communication device. Regarding using RSRP for the positioning of wireless communication devices, the wireless communication network typically can interpret or assume the communication link associated with the maximum RSRP (or corresponding to the maximum RSRP) as a LOS communication link. However, there are some cases / scenarios where the maximum RSRP may be measured from or correspond to an NLOS communication link.

[0039] Reference Figure 3A, which shows an example wireless communication scenario according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, where measurement results of reference signals (RSs) related to line-of-sight (LOS) communication links and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication links can be used for the positioning of a wireless communication device. A base station or wireless communication node 302 can transmit / broadcast multiple RSs, such as RS1, RS2, and RS3. A wireless communication device, such as UE 304, can receive the RSs and measure one or more corresponding signal parameters of each received RS, such as RSRP. Then, the wireless communication device 304 can report / send / feedback the signal parameters of the measured RSs to the wireless communication node 302 for the wireless communication network to determine / account / calculate the location / position of the wireless communication device 304. The reference signal RS1 corresponds to or propagates along the LOS transmission / communication link 306, while the reference signal RS2 corresponds to or propagates along the NLOS transmission / communication link 308. In addition, the reference signal RS3 corresponds to or propagates along the NLOS transmission / communication link 310. Specifically, the reference signals RS2 and RS3 are reflected / bounced off a reflecting object / obstacle / media 312 and change direction before reaching the wireless communication device 304. However, the reference signal RS1 propagates along the straight / direct path between the wireless communication node 302 and the wireless communication device 304.

[0040] The wireless communication device 304 can measure / determine the RSRP values RSRP1, RSRP2, and RSRP3 of the reference signals RS1, RS2, and RS3. When the reference signal RS1 propagates along the straight path between the wireless communication node 302 and the wireless communication device 304, it propagates through (or across) an obstructive obstacle / media / object 314 along its path. Due to the difference in electromagnetic characteristics between the obstacle / media / object 314 and air, the obstacle / media / object 314 attenuates the power or amplitude of the reference signal RS1. Therefore, the transmission / communication link 306 can be characterized / defined as an ALOS. Depending on the electromagnetic characteristics of the obstructive obstacle / media / object 314, the received power of the reference signal RS1 may be significantly attenuated, such that even though the reference signal RS1 corresponds to the LOS transmission / communication link 306 and the reference signal RS2 corresponds to the NLOS transmission / communication link 308, the RSRP1 value may be less than the RSRP2 value. In this case, the wireless communication network will use RSRP2 (or the signal parameters measured using the reference signal RS2) to determine the location / position of the wireless communication device 304, resulting in a reduction in positioning performance or accuracy.

[0041] Using signal parameters associated with or corresponding to an NLOS communication link, such as NLOS communication link 308, may result in incorrect / imprecise positioning of the wireless communication device 304. For example, the measured signal travel time / transmission time does not indicate the spatial distance between the wireless communication node 302 and the wireless communication device 304, but is proportional to the length of the NLOS communication link 308. Thus, using signal measurements or signal parameters measured using an RS associated with or corresponding to an NLOS communication link results in incorrect / erroneous / inaccurate positioning of the wireless communication device 304. When determining, accounting for, or calculating the location / position of the wireless communication device 304, Figure 3A this phenomenon / scenario shown in

[0042] requires some mechanism, technique, or solution to remove the NLOS communication link or to distinguish the ALOS communication link from the NLOS communication link. Figure 3B Referring to

[0043] FIG. Figure 3A shows another example wireless communication scenario in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, in which measurements of LOS and NLOS paths of a reference signal (RS) can be used for positioning of a wireless communication device. The wireless communication node 302 may transmit / broadcast a single RS at a given moment. The communication environment may include a first reflector 316 (also referred to herein as reflector 0) and a second reflector 318 (also referred to herein as reflector 1). The RS may propagate between the wireless communication node 302 and the wireless communication device 304 along multiple paths. For example, the RS may propagate along three different paths 320, 322, and 322 between the wireless communication node 302 and the wireless communication device 304. Path 320 may be an NLOS path, where the RS reflects / bounces off the reflector 316 (reflector 0) before reaching the wireless communication device 304. Path 322 may be a LOS path, where the RS propagates along a straight-line path between the wireless communication node 302 and the wireless communication device 304. Wireless path 324 may be an NLOS path, where the RS reflects / bounces off the reflector 318 (reflector 1) before reaching the wireless communication device 304.

[0043] The wireless communication device 304 may receive three different versions of the RS corresponding to the wireless paths 320, 322, and 324, respectively. The three received RS versions may have different powers or amplitudes, different time delays, different distortions, or combinations thereof. The wireless communication device 304 may measure / determine the corresponding RSRP value for each of the wireless paths 320, 322, and 324 or for the corresponding received versions of the RS. The received signal version of the RS corresponding to the LOS path 322 may suffer some attenuation, e.g., due to similar to Figure 3Acaused by the obstruction 314 of RS1 in [reference document], resulting in the corresponding RSRP value being less than the RSRP value of the NLOS path 320 or the NLOS path 324. The received signal version of the RS corresponding to the LOS path 322 may not exist, so the first detected path of the communication link may not be the LOS path, and is similar to Figure 3A RS2 and RS3 in [reference document], resulting in incorrect timing / distance. The wireless communication device 304 can measure / determine / account for other parameters / metrics of the received versions of the RSs associated with the wireless paths 320, 322, and 324, for example, as further discussed below with respect to Figure 4 In the following, various embodiments are discussed, which include / involve the wireless communication device sending / reporting / feeding back additional / supplementary signal measurement results (e.g., auxiliary information) based on channel characteristics to assist in identifying LOS or NLOS communication links. Although Figure 3A and 3B illustrate three different communication links / paths, generally, one or more RSs can propagate along any number of communication links / paths. Additionally, the communication environment can include any number of reflectors and / or any number of obstructions.

[0044] Now referring to Figure 4 , a flowchart of a method 400 for facilitating or assisting in identifying a LOS transmission / communication link according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is described. Briefly, the method 400 can include receiving / sending a plurality of reference signals (RSs), where each RS is transmitted along a corresponding transmission / communication link for measurement (step 402). The method 400 can include sending / receiving at least one of auxiliary information or a report of the RSRP of a subset of the plurality of RSs based on the measurement results to assist in determining the LOS transmission / communication link in the corresponding transmission / communication link (step 404). The method 400 reflects the processes or steps performed by the wireless communication node 302 and the wireless communication device 304.

[0045] Referring to Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 4 , the method 400 can include the wireless communication node 302 sending / broadcasting a plurality of RSs, and the wireless communication device 304 receiving the plurality of RSs for measurement (step 402). Each RS can be transmitted or propagated along a corresponding transmission / communication link. For example, and as Figure 3A shown, the reference signal RS1 can propagate along the LOS transmission / communication link 306, while the reference signal RS2 can propagate along the NLOS transmission / communication link 308. As described above in Figure 3BAs discussed, the wireless communication node 302 can transmit a single RS propagating along a transmission / communication link with multiple paths at a given moment, and the wireless communication device 304 can receive multiple versions of the RS, with each version of the RS associated with a corresponding path. The wireless communication node 302 can transmit / broadcast the RS periodically or cyclically.

[0046] The RS can be transmitted / broadcast for use by the wireless communication device 304 to measure signal parameters / measurements / characteristics. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 can measure the corresponding RSRP for each received RS or each received version of a single RS (associated with a corresponding communication link / path). For example, the wireless communication device 304 can measure or determine the received powers RSRP1, RSRP2, and RSRP3 of reference signals RS1, RS2, and RS3, respectively. Assuming that all RSs have the same transmission power when transmitted / broadcast by the wireless communication node 302, the variation in RSRP can indicate / reflect the characteristics of the corresponding transmission / communication link. For example, a relatively low RSRP can indicate / reflect a longer transmission / communication link (or propagation path) and / or attenuation due to obstructive obstacles / media / objects 314.

[0047] In some embodiments, in addition to or as an alternative to RSRP, the wireless communication device 304 can measure or determine one or more other signal parameters or measurements of the received RS (or received versions of a single RS). The one or more other signal parameters or measurements can include timing parameters / information, surrounding path parameters / information, coherence bandwidth parameters / information, or combinations thereof. As discussed in further detail below, the wireless communication device 304 can measure or determine one or more other signal parameters or measurements to identify the RS (or received version of a single RS) corresponding to the LOS transmission / communication link among the multiple RSs received by the wireless communication device 304.

[0048] Method 400 may include the wireless communication device 304 transmitting at least one of assistance information or a report of the RSRP of a subset of multiple RSs (or multiple received versions of a single RS) based on measurement values, and the wireless communication node 302 receiving at least one of assistance information or a report of the RSRP of a subset of multiple RSs (or multiple received versions of a single RS) based on measurement values to assist in determining a LOS transmission / communication link in the corresponding transmission / communication link (step 404). The assistance information and the report may be transmitted in one or more messages. For example, the assistance information may be transmitted in one or more messages, and the report may be transmitted in another one or more messages (e.g., simultaneously or according to an order (or the configuration of the wireless communication device 304)). When determining or measuring the signal parameters of various RSs, the wireless communication device 304 may generate assistance information and / or a report on the RSRP using the measured / determined signal parameters. For example, the report on the RSRP may include the measured / determined RSRP values of a subset of the received RSs (e.g., one or more or all). The wireless communication device 304 may select a subset of RSs based on or using the RSRP values. For example, the wireless communication device 304 may select a subset of RSs having the N largest RSRP values, where N is an integer. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 may select a subset of RSs as the N first received RSs. The wireless communication device 304 may select a subset of RSs using or based on other measured signal parameters. In some embodiments, the subset of RSs may include all received RSs.

[0049] The assistance information may include measured or determined timing parameters / information, surrounding path parameters / information, coherent bandwidth parameters / information, other measured signal parameters to assist in identifying a LOS transmission / communication link, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the assistance information may include information derived from some measured signal parameters. For example, instead of timing information, the assistance information may include an index or sorting information reflecting the order of the RSs defined based on the timing information.

[0050] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 may measure / determine, for each received RS (or each received version of a single RS), a corresponding transmission time (or travel time, such as the signal propagation time along the transmission path), which represents the duration it takes for the RS to travel / propagate from the wireless communication node 302 to the wireless communication device 304. The wireless communication device 304 may detect the arrival time (or signal reception time) of each RS (or each received version of a single RS), and determine or calculate the corresponding transmission time (or travel time) as the difference between the arrival time and the moment when the wireless communication node 302 transmits the RS. The wireless communication node 302 may convey to the wireless communication 304 the moment when the RS is transmitted. In some implementations, the wireless communication node 302 may send / broadcast the RS at a predefined time slot or predefined moment known to the wireless communication device 304.

[0051] Considering Figure 3A and Figure 3B the example scenario shown, the wireless communication device 304 may measure / determine three signal transmission / travel times t1, t2, and t3 of reference signals RS1, RS2, and RS3, respectively. The wireless communication device may measure / determine the received power values RSRP1, RSRP2, and RSRP3 of the reference signals RS1, RS2, and RS3 (or the RS versions associated with the communication links / paths 320, 322, and 324) and the signal transmission / travel times t1, t2, and t3. The wireless communication device 304 may send / broadcast auxiliary information, and the wireless communication node 302 may receive the auxiliary information, which includes timing information about the transmission times of a subset of the RSs (or a subset of the transmission / communication links). The wireless communication device 304 may also send / broadcast a report on the RSRP, and the wireless communication node 302 may receive the report on the RSRP, which includes information about the measured RSRP values of a subset of the RSs (or a subset of the transmission / communication links).

[0052] In some implementations, the timing information reported in the auxiliary information may include the first transmission / travel time of the first transmission / communication link of a subset of the RSs (or a subset of the corresponding transmission / communication links), and one or more differences between the transmission / travel times of other transmission / communication links of the subset of the RSs (or a subset of the corresponding transmission / communication links) and the first transmission / travel time. For example, the wireless communication device 304 may report / send the time values t1, t 21 =t2 - t1 and t 31 =t3 - t1, and the wireless communication node 302 may receive the time values t1, t 21 =t2 - t1 and t 31 =t3 - t1. The wireless communication device 304 may report / send the time values t1, t21 and t 31 and corresponding RSRP values (such as RSRP1, RSRP2, and RSRP3), and the wireless communication node 302 can receive the time values t1, t 21 and t 31 and corresponding RSRP values (such as RSRP1, RSRP2, and RSRP3). In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 can report / send the transmission / travel time values t1, t2, and t3 and the corresponding RSRP values (such as RSRP1, RSRP2, and RSRP3), and the wireless communication node 302 can receive the transmission / travel time values t1, t2, and t3 and the corresponding RSRP values (such as RSRP1, RSRP2, and RSRP3).

[0053] In some embodiments, the timing information reported / sent by the wireless communication device 304 can be implicit timing information. For example, the timing information can correspond to or can be reflected in the order of the RSRP of the received RS subset arranged (such as presented / identified / sorted / indexed) in the report. The wireless communication device 304 can determine the order according to the transmission time / travel time of the transmission / communication link corresponding to the subset of the received RS. In other words, instead of explicitly reporting / sending the timing parameter / information, the wireless communication device 304 can arrange the RSRP in the report according to the order defined based on the transmission time / travel time of the transmission / communication link corresponding to the subset of the received RS. In some embodiments, the first RSRP value in the report can correspond to the RS (or the corresponding transmission / communication link) with the minimum transmission time / travel time, the second RSRP value in the report can correspond to the RS (or the corresponding transmission / communication link) with the second smallest transmission time / travel time, and so on. For example, if t1 < t2 < t3, the wireless communication device 304 can report RSRP1 as the RSRP value with the highest priority or the first RSRP in the order / sequence of RSRP in the report. The received power value RSRP2 can be reported as having the second highest priority or as the second value in the order / sequence of RSRP in the report. The wireless communication device 304 can report the RSRP3 value as having the third highest priority or as the third value in the order / sequence of RSRP in the report.

[0054] In some embodiments, the time information reported by the wireless communication device 304, e.g., in the assistance information, may include / contain an index linked to a subset of received RSs, the RSRP of the subset of received RSs, or the corresponding transmission / communication link. The wireless communication device 304 may link / attach / assign an index according to the transmission time / travel time of the transmission / communication link corresponding to the subset of multiple RSs. For example, the wireless communication device 304 may link / attach / assign an index to the RSRP (or the corresponding RS) in ascending order, or otherwise represent the order of the corresponding transmission / travel time. For example, if t1 < t2 < t3, the wireless communication device 304 may link / attach / assign the indices 0, 1, and 2 to / with / for RSRP1, RSRP2, and RSRP3 (or RS1, RS2, and RS3), respectively.

[0055] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 may determine a first RSRP in the RSRP as a reference (for performing differential reporting of RSRP values). The wireless communication device 304 may determine the first RSRP as the RSRP having the largest absolute value among the measured RSRPs, the RSRP being the first in the order of the measured RSRPs, or the RSRP associated with the RS having the smallest transmission time / travel time among the measured RSs. The wireless communication device 304 may generate a report on the RSRP to include the difference (e.g., the differential value / relative value / difference value of the RSRP) of the value of each of the first RSRP and the remaining RSRPs with respect to the value of the first RSRP. That is, the report may include the values RSRP1, RSRP1 - RSRP2, and RSRP1 - RSRP3. The wireless communication device 304 may send / report the report, and the wireless communication node 302 may receive the report, which includes the first RSRP and the remaining RSRP differences. The differential reporting of the RSRP, e.g., reporting the RSRP differences instead of the actual RSRP values, may reduce the amount of data that the wireless communication device 304 has to report / send to the wireless communication node 302.

[0056] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 may measure, determine, or calculate surrounding path information to assist in identifying a LOS transmission / communication link (or path). In most cases / scenarios, the magnitude / amplitude of the LOS path is greater than the magnitude / amplitude of the remaining paths of the LOS transmission / communication link (e.g., arising from the same RS) because a shorter propagation distance typically results in less path loss. Additionally, the first detected path of an NLOS transmission / communication link typically occurs together with surrounding paths having smaller magnitudes / amplitude in the power delay profile. The surrounding paths are caused by or result from diffused signals before and after the first detected path. The surrounding paths (e.g., of the same RS) are relatively close to or near the first detected path. Thus, the absolute magnitude gradient around the detected path of the LOS transmission / communication link is typically greater compared to the absolute magnitude gradient around the first detected path of the NLOS transmission / communication link. The wireless communication device 304 may determine / calculate the absolute magnitude gradient as the absolute value of the magnitude difference between the detected path (e.g., the detected path of the LOS link or the first detected path of the NLOS link) and the next (or nearest) detected path.

[0057] The wireless communication device 304 may determine at least one of path timing information or path power / magnitude / intensity information of at least one transmission / communication link measured using at least one of a plurality of RSs. For example, the wireless communication device 304 may determine / calculate path timing information around the first detected path and / or magnitude / power information around the first detected path. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 304 may determine / calculate the path timing information as the relative / differential arrival / travel time of the nearest path or a path close to the first detected path (e.g., the arrival / travel time difference relative to the arrival / travel time of the first detected path). For example, if the first detected path has a transmission / travel time t1 and the next nearest path has a transmission / travel time t2, the wireless communication device 304 may determine / calculate the path timing information as |t1 – t2|. The wireless communication device 304 may determine / calculate the path magnitude / power information as the relative magnitude / power of the nearest path or a path close to the first detected path (e.g., the magnitude / power difference relative to the magnitude / power of the first detected path). For example, if the first detected path has a received power RSRP1 and the next nearest path has a received power RSRP2, the wireless communication device 304 may determine / calculate the path power information as |RSRP1 – RSRP2|. If relative magnitude is used, the wireless communication device 304 may determine / calculate the path magnitude information as the absolute value of the magnitude difference rather than the difference in RSRP.

[0058] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 may use some other metric / measurement of relative signal strength (e.g., in addition to relative power or relative amplitude). For example, the first detected path may have a transmission / travel time equal to τ0 and a corresponding channel coefficient h(τ0), and the next nearest path (or a path close to the first detected path) may have a transmission / travel time equal to τ1 and a corresponding channel coefficient h(τ1). The wireless communication device 304 may determine / calculate the path signal strength information as a normalized amplitude difference or determine / calculate it as a normalized power difference

[0059] The wireless communication device 304 may send the auxiliary information, and the wireless communication node 302 may receive the auxiliary information, which includes at least one of path timing information or path power / amplitude / signal strength information of at least one transmission / communication link measured using at least one of the plurality of RSs. For example, the auxiliary information may include the arrival / travel time difference |τ0 - τ1|, the received power difference |RSRP1 - RSRP2|, the amplitude difference |h(τ0) - h(τ1)|, the normalized amplitude difference The normalized power difference P = or a combination thereof.

[0060] Upon receiving the path timing information or path power / amplitude / signal strength information, the wireless communication node 302 or some other network element may employ a corresponding threshold to determine whether the transmission / communication link is a LOS link or a NLOS link. For example, if the path timing information or path power / amplitude / signal strength information (e.g., the change or difference in amplitude / power) is greater than (or conforms to / satisfies, or is greater than or equal to) the threshold, the wireless communication node 302 may determine that the corresponding link is a LOS link with a high probability / possibility. However, if the path timing information or path power / amplitude / signal strength information (e.g., the change or difference in amplitude / power) is less than (or less than or equal to, or does not conform to / does not satisfy) the threshold, the wireless communication node 302 may determine that the corresponding link is a NLOS link.

[0061] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 may determine coherence bandwidth information of at least one transmission link measured using at least one of multiple RSs. Coherence bandwidth is a statistical measure of the frequency range over which a communication link or channel can be considered flat, and is a metric used to define the impact of frequency-selective fading. A small coherence bandwidth results in strong frequency-selective fading. In some implementations, the coherence bandwidth may be defined as the bandwidth over which the corresponding autocorrelation of the channel frequency response is greater than or equal to 0.5 or 0.9. Generally, the coherence bandwidth may be defined as the bandwidth over which the corresponding autocorrelation of the channel frequency response is greater than or equal to a predefined quantity or value. The coherence bandwidth is inversely proportional to the delay spread, which represents / reflects the difference between the arrival time of the first / earliest signal path and the arrival time of the last signal path. Since the delay spread of the LOS link is typically less than that of the NLOS link, the coherence bandwidth of the LOS link is generally greater than that of the NLOS link.

[0062] The coherence bandwidth information may include the coherence bandwidth of at least one transmission / communication link, the measurement quality of the coherence bandwidth, or a combination of both. The wireless communication device 304 may determine / calculate multiple measurement values of the coherence bandwidth. Thus, the wireless communication device 304 may determine / calculate the measurement quality of the coherence bandwidth as the average value, standard deviation, variance, or confidence level of the multiple measurement results of the coherence bandwidth.

[0063] The wireless communication device 304 may report / send the auxiliary information including the coherence bandwidth information, and the wireless communication node 302 may receive the auxiliary information including the coherence bandwidth information. The wireless communication node 302 may use the coherence bandwidth information to identify LOS or NLOS links and distinguish between LOS links and NLOS links. For example, since the coherence bandwidth of the LOS link is generally greater than that of the NLOS link, the wireless communication node 302 may use a threshold to determine whether the corresponding transmission / communication link is a LOS link or an NLOS link. If it is determined that the received coherence bandwidth is greater than (or conforms to / satisfies, or is greater than or equal to) the threshold, the wireless communication node 302 may determine that the transmission / communication link is a LOS link; otherwise, it may determine that the transmission / communication link is an NLOS link. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 304 may use the measurement quality of the coherence bandwidth to adjust the coherence bandwidth or further verify the coherence bandwidth.

[0064] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 may append / include the coherence bandwidth information in each measurement report to assist in LOS / NLOS identification, or may send the coherence bandwidth information in a manner separate from one or more measurement reports. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 may quantize the coherence bandwidth to an integer, resulting in the granularity of the coherence bandwidth being an integer multiple of a specific unit. In other words, the coherence bandwidth may include or may be a value representing a multiple of the unit. The unit (or granularity) may include or be equal to the subcarrier spacing (SCS) representing the subcarrier spacing of the received signal, a function of the SCS, or both. In some embodiments, the function of the SCS may be defined as 2 k ×SCS, where k is an integer.

[0065] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 may also report at least one threshold, which the wireless communication device 304 uses to calculate the coherence bandwidth. For example, the threshold means that the coherence bandwidth is determined by the assumption that the autocorrelation of the channel frequency response is greater than or equal to the threshold. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 304 may report or be required to report multiple coherence bandwidths of the transmission / communication link. For example, different coherence bandwidths may be determined based on different thresholds, where the threshold means that the coherence bandwidth is determined by the assumption that the autocorrelation of the channel frequency response is greater than or equal to the threshold.

[0066] Although the above description illustrates embodiments in which the wireless communication node 302 sends one or more RSs and the wireless communication device 304 performs signal measurements, the present disclosure also contemplates embodiments in which the wireless communication device 304 may send one or more RSs and the wireless communication node 302 may determine signal measurements. The wireless communication node 302 may determine the signal measurement results according to any of the embodiments discussed above with respect to Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 4 . The wireless communication node 302 may use the signal measurement results to determine / identify the LOS (or NLOS) link / path. The wireless communication node 302 may report the signal measurement results to another wireless communication node.

[0067] Although various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example and not by way of limitation. Similarly, the various figures may depict example architectures or configurations that are provided to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the example features and functions of the present solution. However, these persons will understand that the present solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but may be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described illustrative embodiments.

[0068] It should also be understood that any reference in this document to elements by names such as "first", "second", etc. generally does not limit the number or order of these elements. Instead, these names may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to a first element and a second element does not mean that only two elements may be employed, or that the first element must be located before the second element in some manner.

[0069] Additionally, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that any of a variety of different technologies and processes may be used to represent information and signals. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols, such as may be referenced in the description above, may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0070] Those of ordinary skill in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or combinations thereof), firmware, various forms of programs or design code containing instructions (which may be referred to herein for convenience as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have generally been described above in terms of their functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of these technologies depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions will not result in a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0071] In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC), which can include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logical blocks, modules, and circuits can also include an antenna and / or a transceiver to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

[0072] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored on a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. Thus, the steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium includes computer storage media and communication media, and the communication media includes any medium that can enable a computer program or code to be transferred from one place to another. The storage media can be any available media accessible by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and be accessible by a computer.

[0073] In this document, as used herein, the term "module" refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the related functions described herein. In addition, for purposes of discussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs the related functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

[0074] Additionally, in embodiments of the present solution, a memory or other storage and communication components may be employed. It should be understood that, for the purpose of clarity, the above description has described embodiments of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is obvious that any suitable functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains may be used without departing from the present solution. For example, functions shown to be performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, the reference to specific functional units is only a reference to the appropriate means for providing the described functions, rather than an indication of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0075] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: receiving, by a wireless communication device, a plurality of reference signals RS from a wireless communication node for measurement, each reference signal RS being transmitted along a corresponding transmission link; determining, by the wireless communication device, path timing information and path power information of at least one transmission link measured using at least one of the plurality of RSs; and sending, by the wireless communication device, auxiliary information to the wireless communication node according to the measurement result to assist in determining a line-of-sight (LOS) transmission link in each transmission link, the auxiliary information including the path timing information and path power information of at least one of the plurality of RSs, wherein the path timing information includes at least the time of arrival of a path in one of the at least one transmission links relative to the time of arrival of a first detected path, and the path power information includes at least the power or signal strength of a path in the at least one transmission link relative to the power or signal strength of the first detected path, and the time of arrival of the one path is close to the time of arrival of the first detected path.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising: determining, by the wireless communication device, the transmission time of each of the corresponding transmission links; and sending, by the wireless communication device, the auxiliary information to the wireless communication node, the auxiliary information including timing information about the transmission times of a subset of the corresponding transmission links.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The timing information includes: the first transmission time of a first link in the subset of the corresponding transmission links, and the difference between the transmission time of a second link in the subset of the corresponding transmission links and the first transmission time.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein The timing information corresponds to the order of the RSRP of a subset of the plurality of RSs, the order being determined according to the transmission times of the transmission links corresponding to the subset of the plurality of RSs.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The timing information includes an index linked to the subset of the plurality of RSs or the RSRP of the subset of the plurality of RSs, the index being linked according to the transmission times of the transmission links corresponding to the subset of the plurality of RSs.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising: determining, by the wireless communication device, the coherent bandwidth information of at least one transmission link measured using at least one of the plurality of RSs; and sending, by the wireless communication device, the auxiliary information including the coherent bandwidth information to the wireless communication node.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The coherent bandwidth information includes at least one of the following: the coherent bandwidth of the at least one transmission link, or the measurement quality of the coherent bandwidth.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The coherent bandwidth includes a numerical value representing a multiple of a unit, the unit including one of the following: subcarrier spacing (SCS), or a function of the SCS.

9. A wireless communication method, comprising: sending, by a wireless communication node, a plurality of reference signals RS to a wireless communication device, each reference signal RS being transmitted along a corresponding transmission link for measurement; and The wireless communication node receives auxiliary information from the wireless communication device according to measurement results, where the auxiliary information is used to determine line-of-sight (LOS) transmission links in respective transmission links, and the auxiliary information includes path timing information and path power information of at least one reference signal (RS) among the plurality of RSs. Wherein, the path timing information at least includes the arrival time of a path in one of the at least one transmission link relative to the arrival time of a first detected path, and the path power information at least includes the power or signal strength of a path in the at least one transmission link relative to the power or signal strength of the first detected path, and the arrival time of the one path is close to the arrival time of the first detected path.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The wireless communication device determines the transmission time of each of the respective transmission links, and the method includes: The wireless communication node receives the auxiliary information from the wireless communication device, where the auxiliary information includes timing information about the transmission time of a subset of the respective transmission links.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The timing information includes: the first transmission time of a first link in the subset of the respective transmission links, and the difference between the transmission time of a second link in the subset of the respective transmission links and the first transmission time.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein The timing information corresponds to the order of the reference signal received power (RSRP) of a subset of the plurality of RSs, and the order is determined according to the transmission time of the transmission links corresponding to the subset of the plurality of RSs.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The timing information includes an index linked to the subset of the plurality of RSs or the RSRP of the subset of the plurality of RSs, and the index is linked according to the transmission time of the transmission links corresponding to the subset of the plurality of RSs.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The wireless communication device determines the coherence bandwidth information of at least one transmission link measured using at least one of the plurality of RSs, and the method includes: The wireless communication node receives the auxiliary information including the coherence bandwidth information of at least one transmission link from the wireless communication device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The coherence bandwidth information includes at least one of the following: The coherence bandwidth of the at least one transmission link, or The measurement quality of the coherence bandwidth.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The coherence bandwidth includes a numerical value representing a multiple of a unit, and the unit includes one of the following: Subcarrier spacing (SCS), or A function of the SCS.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-16.

18. A wireless communication device, comprising: A memory and at least one processor, where the at least one processor is configured to read instructions from the memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-16.

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