Calibrating beam orientation errors to improve positioning

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products for calibrating beam orientation error to improve positioning. For example, certain embodiments may utilize the collection of various measurements to calculate and correct beam orientation error. Additionally or alternatively, certain embodiments may collect information about propagation conditions in the network and establish a virtual anchor point for the network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology, or may relate to other communication systems. For example, certain embodiments may relate to systems and / or methods for calibrating beam orientation errors to improve positioning. Background Art

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunications systems may include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and / or fifth-generation (5G) radio access technology or New Radio (NR) access technology. 5G wireless systems refer to next-generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. 5G is primarily built on New Radio (NR), but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRA radio. NR is estimated to provide bit rates on the order of 10-20 Gbit / s or higher and support, at a minimum, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to provide ultra-wideband and ultra-robust low-latency connectivity and large-scale networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). As IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications become increasingly prevalent, the need for networks that can meet the demands of low power consumption, low data rates, and long battery life will continue to grow. Note that in 5G, a node that can provide radio access functions to user equipment (i.e., similar to a Node B in UTRAN or an eNB in ​​LTE) can be named gNB when built on an NR radio, and can be named NG-eNB when built on an E-UTRA radio. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] For a proper understanding of the example embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0004] Figure 1 shows an example of orientation error at two network nodes according to some embodiments;

[0005] Figure 2 An example signal diagram illustrating calibrating beam orientation error to improve positioning according to some embodiments;

[0006] Figure 3 shows an example of beam updating according to some embodiments;

[0007] Figure 4 An example flow chart illustrating a method according to some embodiments is shown;

[0008] Figure 5 An example flow chart illustrating a method according to some embodiments is shown;

[0009] Figure 6 An example flow chart illustrating a method according to some embodiments is shown;

[0010] Figure 7a An example block diagram illustrating an apparatus according to one embodiment; and

[0011] Figure 7b An example block diagram of an apparatus according to another embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] It will be readily understood that the components of certain example embodiments, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Accordingly, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products for calibrating beam orientation errors to improve positioning is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments, but rather is representative of selected example embodiments.

[0013] The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, use of the phrases "certain embodiments," "some embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrases "in certain embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same set of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. Additionally, the phrase "set" refers to a set that includes one or more members of a referenced set. Thus, the phrases "set," "one or more," and "at least one," or equivalent phrases, may be used interchangeably. Additionally, unless expressly provided otherwise, "or" is intended to mean "and / or."

[0014] In addition, if desired, the different functions or operations discussed below can be performed in different orders and / or simultaneously with each other. In addition, if desired, one or more of the functions or operations described can be optional or can be combined. Therefore, the following description should be regarded as merely illustrating the principles and teachings of certain example embodiments, rather than limiting them.

[0015] In NR, certain positioning features may include the use of a downlink angle of departure (DL-AoD) method. The DL-AoD method may function by having one or more network nodes (e.g., gNBs) transmit a downlink positioning reference signal (DL PRS) that is received at the UE. The UE may then measure the reference signal received power (RSRP) of the DL PRS and may report the measurement to another network node (e.g., a location management function (LMF)). The LMF may use the DL PRS RSRP to estimate the AoD from each gNB and may use the AoD to estimate the UE position via triangulation. The LMF may use information about the beam direction provided by the gNB(s). The DL PRS may include support for beamforming signals so that the AoD may be estimated based on the beam direction. Although some embodiments herein may be described using DL PRS, it should be understood that another type of reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS, SSB, etc.) may be used for positioning purposes.

[0016] Positioning algorithms may rely on the capture and reporting of different delay or angle metrics that implicitly characterize the distance between the UE and the gNB. Time of Arrival (ToA) methods may rely on the detection of the delay of the Line of Sight (LoS) component. Angle-based methods (e.g., Angle of Arrival (AOA) or DL-AoD) may use the AOA or AoD from multiple gNBs in order to perform multi-lateration or triangulation to determine the UE position. However, angle-based positioning may be sensitive to orientation uncertainty at the gNB. Specifically, each gNB may introduce orientation errors in the beam transmissions. That is, each beam may be transmitted at an angle characterized by an unknown error Φ. This situation is as Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 An example of orientation error at two network nodes (e.g., gNBs) is illustrated. In particular, the beam orientation errors of gNBs l and k are shown at 100 and 102, respectively, as the difference between the gray beam and the dashed beam.

[0017] Some embodiments described herein may provide for calibrating beam orientation errors to improve positioning. For example, certain embodiments may utilize a collection of various measurements to compute and correct beam orientation errors. Additionally or alternatively, certain embodiments may collect information about propagation conditions in the network and may establish a virtual anchor point for the network. In this manner, certain embodiments may provide for identification and correction of measurements related to, for example, AoD, thereby improving the accuracy of the UE's position estimate. Additionally or alternatively, in this manner, certain embodiments may provide for correction of DL beam (e.g., DL PRS) coverage gaps, thereby improving beam coverage in the network. These improvements may save processing resources (e.g., of the UE and / or network nodes) and / or network resources that would otherwise be consumed due to less accurate position estimates and / or poorer beam coverage.

[0018] Figure 2 Example signal graphs illustrating calibration of beam orientation errors to improve positioning according to some embodiments are shown. Figure 2 The UE, a serving network node (e.g., a serving gNB), an LMF (as another network node), and network nodes 1 and k (e.g., as additional non-serving gNBs) are shown.

[0019] As shown at 200, the UE may transmit information identifying the reference receiver capabilities of the UE, and the serving network node may receive the information. For example, the information may identify whether the UE has acquired the UE's position (e.g., a global navigation satellite (GNSS) position) within a threshold amount of time (e.g., in the last X seconds (s), milliseconds (ms), etc.), whether the UE is traveling at a speed that meets a threshold (e.g., at a speed indicative of a pedestrian or a low vehicle speed where Doppler shift is negligible), whether the UE has been a reference receiver for a threshold amount of time (e.g., in the last Y seconds, ms, etc.), etc. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may transmit information identifying the accuracy or quality of the UE's positioning capabilities (e.g., GNSS or other non-cellular positioning capabilities). For example, if the UE is using high-accuracy positioning operations, such as real-time kinematic GNSS (RTK-GNSS), this may enable the UE to become a reference receiver.

[0020] As shown at 202, the serving network node may determine whether to assign the UE as a reference receiver. For example, the determination may be based on information received from the UE at 200. The determination may be triggered by the serving network node detecting that a low-quality position estimate (used by another UE in conjunction with the reference receiver) occurs at a rate that meets a threshold (e.g., detecting a DL-AoD problem). Figure 2The LMF may determine whether the UE is the same serving beam as the UE shown in FIG2 ), whether the ping-pong handover rate meets the threshold, whether the serving network node needs to perform a virtual anchor point determination on the serving beam of the UE, whether the serving network node has updated the serving beam, and so on. A UE served by the same serving beam as another UE may, for example, be served by the same transmission beam from the serving network node, or the same CSI-RS may have been identified as the best beam or the beam to be used. In some embodiments, the LMF may perform the determination in 202 instead of the serving network node. In this case, the serving network node may send at least some of the information used to make the determination to the LMF so that the LMF can perform the determination.

[0021] The serving network node or LMF can initiate Figure 2 The remaining operations shown are preceded by updating the downlink beam configuration (e.g., DL-PRS) to test a particular beam. For example, the DL PRS configuration may be updated to include more frequent transmissions to enable the UE to complete the process faster and / or through additional measurement averaging.

[0022] for Figure 2 For example, assuming that the serving network node determines to assign the UE as a reference receiver, the serving network node may send information identifying the assignment of the UE, and the UE may receive the information, as shown in 204-1. The information sent to the UE may include an indication that the UE will operate as a reference receiver, may identify one or more measurements to be performed by the UE and / or the frequency at which the UE will perform one or more measurements, etc. Additionally or alternatively, at 204-2, the serving network node may send the information to the LMF. The LMF may send updated assistance data (e.g., DL-AoD assistance data), and the UE may receive the data, which may include, for example, specific measurement requests, reporting criteria, averaging requests, etc.

[0023] If the LMF performs a determination related to assigning the UE as a reference receiver, then in 204-2, the serving network node may not send to the LMF, and the LMF may send information to the UE to inform the UE of the assignment of the UE, to inform the UE of one or more measurements to be performed by the UE, the frequency of performing the one or more measurements, etc. For example, the LMF may send the information in the form of an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) message.

[0024] As shown at 206, the UE may perform positioning operations. For example, the UE may perform GNSS positioning measurements based on receiving an indication that the UE is to operate as a reference receiver. As shown at 208, the serving network node, network node 1, and / or network node k may send downlink beam(s) (e.g., DL PRS) to the UE, and the UE may receive one or more of the downlink beam(s). As shown at 210, the UE may perform one or more measurements of the received downlink beam(s). The one or more measurements may include at least one of: the UE's GNSS position (e.g., a soft position estimate comprising a plurality of estimated means and estimated variances), RSRP of one or more of the downlink beam(s) (e.g., such that AoD may be estimated by LMF), the UE's orientation, AoA of one or more of the downlink beam(s) (in some embodiments, including AoA of multiple paths per beam), a probability of LoS for the detected beam(s) of the network node, and the like.

[0025] The UE may send the measurement(s) and the LMF may receive the measurements, as shown at 212. For example, the UE may transmit information identifying the measurement(s) after performing the measurements, during measurement performance, and the like.

[0026] As shown at 214, the LMF may process the measurements. In some embodiments, the LMF may determine one or more beam orientation errors or other beam coverage issues at one or more network nodes based on the measurement(s). For example, the LMF may process the measurement(s) from the UE to estimate the beam orientation error Φ. In some embodiments, the LMF may determine one or more corrections for one or more other UEs (e.g., a UE other than the UE assigned as the reference receiver). The one or more estimates may be associated with corrections to the position estimate (e.g., corrections to angular errors) by the one or more other UEs.

[0027] In certain embodiments, the LMF may generate a propagation map based on one or more measurements associated with the processing of the measurements. For example, the LMF may use one or more measurements to generate a propagation map, or enhance an existing propagation map. This mapping may associate channel impulse responses with locations and may be used for one or more radio resource management functions, such as resource allocation, handover decisions, and the like.

[0028] In certain embodiments, the LMF may define one or more virtual anchor points relative to the virtual map. A virtual anchor point may include a virtual representation of a physical object with a known location that acts as a reflector for a radio frequency (RF) signal. For example, if the LMF determines that a building at position [x, y, z] reflects a beam from a particular network node, the building may become a virtual source, and the ToA of the beam reflected by the building may represent an additional measurement. The map and / or virtual anchor point(s) may be generated using measurements from several reference receivers. The LMF may utilize machine learning techniques to generate the map and / or virtual anchor points.

[0029] As shown at 216, the LMF may send one or more beam updates, and the serving network node, network node 1, and / or network node k may receive the one or more beam updates. For example, the LMF may send information identifying one or more corrections to the orientation of the beam(s) determined by the LMF. The LMF may send updates to the beam steering for a downlink beam (e.g., DL PRS) to fill coverage gaps, respond to environmental changes, etc. By sending this information, the LMF may alert one or more network nodes to the location of problematic beam coverage and / or may request one or more network nodes to update the beam steering. After receiving this information from the LMF, the network node may correct the one or more beams based on the one or more corrections. For example, the network node may point one or more beams in the problematic direction to improve the positioning performance of (multiple) other UEs other than the (multiple) reference receiver UEs. In some embodiments, the LMF may send an updated configuration of the one or more beams to be corrected.

[0030] The serving network node may send a release of the UE as a reference receiver, and the UE may receive the release, as shown at 218. The UE may cease operating as a reference receiver based on receiving the release from the serving network node.

[0031] As mentioned above, Figure 2 Provided as an example. Other examples are possible according to some embodiments.

[0032] Figure 3 An example of beam updating according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 3Scenario 300 before beam orientation correction and scenario 302 after beam orientation correction are shown. In particular, in scenario 300, the network node is sending two downlink beams (DL PRS1 and DL PRS2) to the UE, and in scenario 302, the network node is transmitting the same downlink beams as in scenario 300 and an additional downlink beam (DL PRS 3). For example, this depicts scenario 300, where a wider DL PRS beam causes position estimation errors before correction, and then depicts scenario 302, where pointing a narrower DL PRS beam after correction can improve position estimation accuracy.

[0033] As mentioned above, Figure 3 Provided as an example. Other examples are possible according to some embodiments.

[0034] Figure 4 An example flow chart of a method according to some embodiments is shown. For example, Figure 4 Example operations of a UE (eg, apparatus 20 ) are shown. Figure 4 Some of the operations shown can be combined with Figures 1 to 3 Some operations shown and described in are similar.

[0035] In one embodiment, the method may include, at 400, sending information identifying the reference receiver capabilities of the UE to a serving network node, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 200. The method may include, at 402, receiving an indication that the UE has been assigned as a reference receiver, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 204-1. The method may include, at 404, performing one or more measurements of one or more downlink beams from the serving network node or one or more other network nodes, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 208 and 210. The one or more measurements may include at least one of: one or more position-related measurements, one or more orientation-related measurements, one or more received signal strength measurements, one or more beam angle measurements, or one or more LoS indications. The method may include, at 406, sending information identifying the one or more measurements to the serving network node, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 212.

[0036] As mentioned above, Figure 4 Provided as an example. Other examples are possible according to some embodiments.

[0037] Figure 5 An example flow chart of a method according to some embodiments is shown. For example, Figure 5 Example operations of a network node (eg, apparatus 10 ), such as a serving network node, are shown. Figure 5 Some of the operations shown may be similar to Figures 1 to 3 Shown in and about Figures 1 to 3 Describes some of the operations.

[0038] In one embodiment, the method may include, at 500, receiving information identifying reference receiver capabilities of a UE, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 200. The method may include, at 502, determining to assign the UE as a reference receiver based on the information identifying the reference receiver capabilities, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 202. The method may include, at 504, sending an indication to the UE or another network node that the UE has been assigned as a reference receiver, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 204-1 and 204-2. The method may include, at 506, receiving from another network node information identifying one or more corrections for one or more other UEs based on the one or more orientation errors, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 216.

[0039] As mentioned above, Figure 5 Provided as an example. Other examples are possible according to some embodiments.

[0040] Figure 6 An example flow chart of a method according to some embodiments is shown. For example, Figure 6 Example operations of a network node (eg, device 10) such as a LMF are shown. Figure 6 Some of the operations shown may be similar to Figures 1 to 3 Shown in and about Figures 1 to 3 Describes some of the operations.

[0041] In one embodiment, the method may include, at 600, receiving an indication that the UE has been assigned as a reference receiver, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 204-2. The method may include, at 602, receiving information identifying one or more measurements of one or more downlink beams to the UE, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 212. The one or more measurements may include at least one of: one or more position-related measurements, one or more received signal strength measurements, one or more orientation-related measurements, one or more beam angle measurements, or one or more line-of-sight indications. The method may include, at 604, determining one or more beam orientation errors at one or more other network nodes based on the information, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 214. The method may include, at 606, determining one or more corrections for one or more other UEs based on the one or more beam orientation errors, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 214. The method may include, at 608, sending information identifying the one or more corrections to a serving network node or one or more other network nodes, e.g., in a manner similar to that described at 216.

[0042] As mentioned above, Figure 6 Provided as an example. Other examples are possible according to some embodiments.

[0043] Figure 7a An example of an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a node, host, or server in a communication network or serving such a network. For example, the apparatus 10 may be a network node, satellite, base station, Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), 5G Node B or access point, next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), LMF, and / or WLAN access point associated with a radio access network (such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR). In an example embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be an eNB in ​​LTE or a gNB in ​​5G.

[0044] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and the radio node may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection. For example, in certain example embodiments where the device 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a centralized unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that partitions the gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functionality such as transmission of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and / or session management. The CU may control the operation of (multiple) DUs via a fronthaul interface. The DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of the gNB functionality, depending on the functional split option. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the device 10 may include Figure 7a Components or features not shown.

[0045] like Figure 7a As shown in the example of , the device 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In fact, for example, the processor 12 may include one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 7a A single processor 12 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, apparatus 10 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that can support multiprocessing (e.g., in which case processor 12 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0046] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits that form communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 10, including processes related to management of communication resources.

[0047] The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12 and used to store information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic disks or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any other type of non-transitory memory or computer-readable media. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 12, enables the device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0048] In one embodiment, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the device 10.

[0049] In some embodiments, the device 10 may further include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for transmitting and receiving signals and / or data to and from the device 10. The device 10 may further include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, multiple radio interfaces that may be coupled to the antenna(s) 15. The radio interfaces may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of the following: GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, radio frequency identification (RFID), ultra-wideband (UWB), MulteFire, and the like. The radio interfaces may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters), mappers, and fast Fourier transform (FFT) modules to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and to receive symbols (e.g., via an uplink).

[0050] Thus, the transceiver 18 can be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15 and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 10. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 can be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 can include input and / or output devices (I / O devices).

[0051] In one embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. Such modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. Memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to device 10. The components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0052] According to some embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in or may form part of processing circuitry or control circuitry.Furthermore, in some embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in or may form part of transceiver circuitry.

[0053] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to any portion of a hardware circuit implementation (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, a combination of hardware processor(s) (including digital signal processors) with software that work together to cause a device (e.g., device 10) to perform various functions, and / or hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) or portions thereof (which operate using software but which may not be present when not required for operation). As another example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also encompass an implementation of a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry may also encompass, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0054] As described above, in some embodiments, the device 10 can be a network node or a RAN node, such as a base station, an access point, a Node B, an eNB, a gNB, a WLAN access point, etc.

[0055] According to some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as Figures 1 to 6 For example, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform Figure 5 and / or Figure 6 method.

[0056] Figure 7b An example of an apparatus 20 according to another embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be a node or element in or associated with a communication network, such as a UE, mobile equipment (ME), mobile station, mobile device, fixed device, IoT device, or other device. As described herein, a UE may alternatively be referred to as, for example, a mobile station, mobile equipment, mobile unit, mobile device, user equipment, subscriber station, wireless terminal, tablet computer, smartphone, IoT device, sensor or NB-IoT device, watch or other wearable device, head-mounted display (HMD), vehicle, drone, medical device and its application (e.g., remote surgery), industrial device and its application (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. As an example, as an example, the apparatus 20 may be implemented in, for example, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, etc.

[0057] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 20 may include Figure 7b Components or features not shown.

[0058] like Figure 7b As shown in the example of , the device 20 may include or be coupled to a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In practice, the processor 22 may include one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 7bA single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, apparatus 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that can support multiprocessing (e.g., in which case processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0059] Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatus 20 including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of apparatus 20, including processes associated with management of communication resources.

[0060] The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 22 and used to store information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic disks or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any other type of non-transitory memory or computer-readable media. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 22, enables the device 20 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0061] In one embodiment, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 22 and / or the device 20.

[0062] In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may further include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting from the apparatus 20 via an uplink. The apparatus 20 may further include a transceiver 28 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 28 may further include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by the downlink or uplink, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0063] For example, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 25 and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other components of the apparatus 20. In other embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In certain embodiments, the apparatus 20 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0064] In one embodiment, the memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 22. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for the device 20. The components of the device 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, the device 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology, such as NR.

[0065] According to some embodiments, processor 22 and memory 24 may be included in or may form part of processing circuitry or control circuitry.Furthermore, in some embodiments, transceiver 28 may be included in or may form part of transceiver circuitry.

[0066] As described above, according to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be, for example, a UE, a mobile device, a mobile station, a ME, an IoT device, and / or an NB-IoT device. According to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform functions associated with the example embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to perform one or more of the processes depicted in any flowchart or signaling diagram described herein, such as in Figures 1 to 6 For example, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to execute Figure 4 method.

[0067] Thus, certain example embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements, and / or advantages over prior art processes. For example, one advantage of some example embodiments is improved positioning by compensating for network node orientation offsets. As another example, one advantage of some example embodiments is improved coverage through downlink beam adjustment. As another example, one advantage of some example embodiments is an increase in the number of virtual anchor points through the definition of virtual anchor points. Thus, the use of some example embodiments improves the functionality of communication networks and their nodes, and thus constitutes an improvement in at least the technical field of UE position estimation.

[0068] In some example embodiments, the functionality of any method, process, signaling diagram, algorithm, or flow chart described herein may be implemented by software and / or computer program code or code portions stored in a memory or other computer-readable or tangible medium and executed by a processor.

[0069] In some example embodiments, a device may be included in or associated with at least one software application, module, unit, or entity configured to perform (arithmetic operations), or configured to be executed by at least one operating processor, or a program or portion thereof (including added or updated software routines). A program (also referred to as a program product or computer program, including software routines, applets, and macros) may be stored in any device-readable data storage medium and may include program instructions for performing specific tasks.

[0070] The computer program product may include one or more computer executable components that, when the program is run, are configured to perform some example embodiments. The one or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or code portion. Modifications and configurations used to implement the functionality of the example embodiments may be performed as (multiple) routines, which may be implemented as (multiple) added or updated software routines. In one example, (multiple) software routines may be downloaded to the device.

[0071] As an example, the software or computer program code or code portion may be in source code form, object code form or some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium or computer readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such a carrier may include a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signal, a telecommunications signal and / or a software distribution package. Depending on the required processing power, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed among multiple computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

[0072] In other example embodiments, the functions may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device (e.g., device 10 or device 20), such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the functions may be implemented as signals, such as intangible devices that may be carried by electromagnetic signals downloaded from the Internet or other networks.

[0073] According to example embodiments, an apparatus such as a node, a device or a corresponding component may be configured as a circuit system, a computer or a microprocessor, such as a single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, which may include at least a memory for providing storage capacity for (multiple) arithmetic operations and / or an operation processor for performing (multiple) arithmetic operations.

[0074] The example embodiments described herein are equally applicable to both singular and plural implementations, regardless of whether singular or plural language is used in conjunction with describing certain embodiments. For example, an embodiment describing the operation of a single network node is equally applicable to an embodiment including multiple instances of the network node, and vice versa.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the example embodiments discussed above can be practiced with operations in a different order and / or with hardware elements in a different configuration than that disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based on these example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments.

[0076] According to a first embodiment, a method may include sending, by a user equipment, information identifying a reference receiver capability of the user equipment to a serving network node. The method may include performing one or more measurements of one or more downlink beams from the serving network node or one or more other network nodes. The one or more measurements may include at least one of the following: one or more position-related measurements, one or more orientation-related measurements, one or more received signal strength measurements, one or more beam angle measurements, or one or more line-of-sight indications. The method may include sending the information identifying the one or more measurements to the serving network node.

[0077] In one variant, the method may include sending, in association with the information identifying the reference receiver capabilities, additional information to the serving network node identifying at least one of: whether the user equipment has acquired a position estimate of the user equipment within a threshold amount of time, whether the user equipment is traveling at a speed that satisfies a threshold, or whether the user equipment has been assigned as a reference receiver within another threshold amount of time. In one variant, the information identifying the reference receiver capabilities may identify at least one of: accuracy of the reference receiver capabilities, or quality of the reference receiver capabilities.

[0078] In one variant, the method may comprise receiving an indication that the user equipment has been assigned as a reference receiver. In one variant, the indication may comprise information identifying at least one of: one or more measurements to be performed by the user equipment, or a rate at which the user equipment is to perform the one or more measurements.

[0079] According to a second embodiment, a method may include receiving, by a network node, information identifying reference receiver capabilities of a user equipment. The method may include determining to assign the user equipment as a reference receiver based on the information identifying the reference receiver capabilities. The method may include sending an indication to the user equipment or another network node that the user equipment has been assigned as a reference receiver.

[0080] In one variation, the information identifying the reference receiver capabilities may identify at least one of the following: accuracy of the reference receiver capabilities, or quality of the reference receiver capabilities. In one variation, the method may include receiving, in association with the information identifying the reference receiver capabilities, additional information identifying at least one of the following: whether the user device has acquired a position estimate of the user device within a threshold amount of time, whether the user device is traveling at a speed that satisfies a threshold, or whether the user device has been assigned as a reference receiver within another threshold amount of time. In one variation, determining to assign the user device may further include determining that the user device should be assigned based on the additional information.

[0081] In one variant, the indication may include information identifying at least one of: one or more measurements to be performed by the user equipment, or a rate at which the user equipment is to perform the one or more measurements. In one variant, the method may include determining to assign the user equipment based on at least one of determining that: one or more other user equipment associated with the network node is associated with a position estimate having a quality below a threshold and a rate meeting a threshold, or is associated with a ping-pong handover having a rate meeting another threshold. In one variant, the one or more other user equipment may be served by the same serving beam as the user equipment. In one variant, the method may include determining that an update to a reference signal configuration has occurred, or that the network node needs to perform a virtual anchor determination for a serving beam of the user equipment.

[0082] In one variant, the method may include receiving, from another network node, information identifying one or more corrections for identifying one or more other user devices based on the one or more orientation errors. In one variant, the method may include correcting one or more beam orientations based on the one or more corrections. In one variant, the method may include updating a configuration associated with one or more downlink beams based on the information identifying the one or more corrections.

[0083] According to a third embodiment, a method may include receiving, by a network node, an indication that a user equipment has been assigned as a reference receiver. The method may include receiving information identifying one or more measurements of one or more downlink beams to the user equipment. The one or more measurements may include at least one of: one or more position-related measurements, one or more orientation-related measurements, one or more received signal strength measurements, one or more beam angle measurements, or one or more line-of-sight indications. The method may include determining, based on the information, one or more beam orientation errors at one or more other network nodes. The method may include determining one or more corrections for one or more other user equipment based on the one or more beam orientation errors.

[0084] In one variant, the method may include sending information identifying the one or more corrections to the serving network node or one or more other network nodes. The method may include sending an update to the configuration of the one or more downlink beams to the serving network node or one or more other network nodes based on the information identifying the one or more corrections. In one variant, the one or more corrections may be associated with correction of the position estimate by one or more other user equipment.

[0085] In one variant, the method may include generating a propagation map based on information identifying the one or more measurements, and using the propagation map for one or more radio resource management functions. In one variant, the method may include receiving information identifying reference receiver capabilities of a user equipment. In one variant, the method may include determining that the user equipment should be assigned as a reference receiver based on the information identifying the reference receiver capabilities.

[0086] A fourth embodiment may be directed to an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform a method according to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, or tenth embodiment, or any variant thereof.

[0087] A fifth embodiment may be directed to an apparatus which may include a circuit system configured to perform a method according to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth or tenth embodiment discussed above, or any variants thereof.

[0088] A sixth embodiment may be directed to an apparatus which may include components for performing a method according to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, or tenth embodiment discussed above, or any variants thereof.

[0089] A seventh embodiment may relate to a computer-readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the method according to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth or tenth embodiment discussed above, or any variants thereof.

[0090] An eighth embodiment may relate to a computer program product encoding instructions for performing at least the method according to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth or tenth embodiment discussed above, or any variants thereof.

[0091] Partial Glossary

[0092] AoA: Angle of Arrival

[0093] C-RNTI: Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0094] CU: Centralized Unit

[0095] DL AoD: Downlink Angle of Departure

[0096] DL PRS: Downlink Positioning Reference Signal

[0097] DMRS: Demodulation Reference Signal

[0098] DU: Distributed Unit

[0099] gNB: 5G Node B

[0100] HO: Handover

[0101] LMF: Location Management Function

[0102] LOS: Line of sight

[0103] NB: Narrow Beam

[0104] RSRP: Reference Signal Received Power

[0105] RTK-GNSS: Real-time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System

[0106] SRS: Sounding Reference Signal

[0107] ToA: Time of Arrival

[0108] UE: User Equipment

Claims

1. A method comprising: The user equipment sends information identifying a reference receiver capability of the user equipment to a serving network node, and sends additional information identifying at least one of the following to the serving network node in association with the information identifying the reference receiver capability: whether the user equipment has acquired a position estimate for the user equipment within a threshold amount of time; or whether the user equipment has been assigned as a reference receiver within another threshold amount of time; performing one or more measurements of one or more downlink beams from the serving network node or one or more other network nodes, wherein the one or more measurements include at least one of: one or more position-related measurements, one or more orientation-related measurements, one or more received signal strength measurements, one or more beam angle measurements, or one or more line-of-sight indications; as well as Information identifying the one or more measurements is sent to the serving network node.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: sending, in association with the information identifying the reference receiver capabilities, to the serving network node additional information identifying: Whether the user equipment is traveling at a speed that satisfies a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information identifying the reference receiver capabilities identifies at least one of: the accuracy of the reference receiver capabilities, or The quality of the reference receiver capabilities.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: An indication is received that the user equipment has been assigned as a reference receiver.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the indication comprises information identifying at least one of: the one or more measurements to be performed by the user equipment, or A rate at which the user equipment is to perform the one or more measurements.

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