System and method for triggering sending of uplink messages

Abstract

A method of wireless communication includes receiving, by a wireless communication device, a downlink control message from a wireless communication node, and in response to receiving the downlink control message, transmitting, by the wireless communication device, an uplink signal to the wireless communication node, wherein the uplink signal is configured to the wireless communication node for positioning the wireless communication device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to systems and methods for determining the location of a user equipment when not connected in wireless communication. Background Technology

[0002] Trajectory tracking is widely used in many applications, such as childcare tracking. These applications require periodic location services. Without support for idle / inactive positioning modes, the User Equipment (UE) must constantly switch between connected and idle modes, leading to higher signaling overhead. Furthermore, in scenarios requiring pedestrian flow statistics or acquiring more user locations, all relevant UEs must return to connected mode to perform location services, resulting in excessive UE power consumption. Therefore, if location services can be performed without entering connected mode, UE power consumption and signaling overhead can be reduced. Thus, idle / inactive positioning is beneficial at least for UE-assisted positioning, NG RAN node-assisted positioning, and UE-based positioning. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended to address problems related to one or more issues presented in the prior art, and to provide additional features that will become apparent when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Exemplary systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed herein according to various embodiments. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not as limiting, and that various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art who read this disclosure.

[0004] In some configurations, a user equipment (UE) performs a method comprising: receiving a downlink control message from a base station (BS), and in response to receiving the downlink control message, transmitting an uplink signal configured for the BS to locate the UE.

[0005] In other arrangements, the BS performs a method comprising: sending a downlink control message to the UE, and in response to sending the downlink control message, receiving an uplink signal from the UE, the uplink signal being configured for the BS to locate the UE.

[0006] In other embodiments, a wireless communication device includes a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement a method comprising: receiving a downlink control message from a base station (BS); and in response to receiving the downlink control message, transmitting an uplink signal configured for use by the BS to locate a UE.

[0007] In other embodiments, a computer program product includes computer-readable program medium code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method comprising: receiving a downlink control message from a base station (BS), and, in response to receiving the downlink control message, transmitting an uplink signal configured for the BS to locate a UE.

[0008] The above and other aspects and their embodiments are described in more detail in the accompanying drawings, description and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution will be described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The provided drawings are for illustrative purposes only and depict only exemplary embodiments of the solution to aid the reader's understanding. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limitations on 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 explanation.

[0010] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for determining the location of a UE according to various embodiments is shown.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a table that displays bit field values ​​with associated short message indicators according to various embodiments.

[0012] Figure 3A A flowchart of an example wireless communication method according to various embodiments is shown, which is used to locate a UE that is not in the RRC_connected state.

[0013] Figure 3B A flowchart of another example wireless communication method according to various embodiments is shown, which is used to locate a UE that is not in the RRC_connected state.

[0014] Figure 4A A block diagram of an example base station according to various embodiments is shown.

[0015] Figure 4B A block diagram of an example user device according to various embodiments is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to create and use this solution. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein after reading this disclosure, without departing from the scope of protection of this solution. Therefore, this solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example method. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged, and remains within the scope of protection of this solution. Therefore, those skilled in the art should understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in an exemplary order, and this solution is not limited to the presented specific order or hierarchy, unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0017] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method 100 for determining the location of a UE (e.g., a wireless communication device) 101 according to various embodiments is shown. Figure 1 As shown, method 100 involves five entities: UE 101, Next Generation-Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) node (e.g., BS or wireless communication node) 102, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 103, Location Management Function (LMF) 104, and 5G System (5GS) Location Services (LCS) entity 105. In some embodiments, LMF 104 is performed by the core network. At step 111, 5G LCS entity 105 sends a location service request to AMF 103. At step 112, AMF 103 processes the location service request. At step 113, UE 101 sends a location service request to AMF 103, and then AMF 103 sends a location service request to LMF 104 at step 120. Next, the NG-RAN node procedure is performed at step 130, which includes: sending an information request from LMF 104 to NG-RAN node 102 at step 132, and returning an information response from NG-RAN node 102 to LMF 104 at step 134.

[0018] Then, at step 140, a UE procedure is performed, which begins with LMF 104 requesting capabilities from UE 101 at step 141. At step 142, UE 101 provides its capabilities to LMF 104, and at step 143, requests auxiliary data from LMF 104. LMF 104 provides auxiliary data at step 144, and requests location information from UE 101 at step 145. At step 146, UE 101 measures the transmission time between UE 101 and BS 102, the transmission time between different BSs, the distance between UE 101 and BS 102, and / or the distance between different BSs; these are provided by UE 101 to LMF 104 at step 147. Finally, at step 148, LMF 104 calculates the location. It should be noted that UE 101 may perform step 146 in response to (or triggered by) UE 101 receiving a reference signal (e.g., a downlink positioning reference signal (DL PRS)) from BS 102, which will be discussed in further detail below.

[0019] At step 150, LMF 104 responds to the location service request from step 120. Then, at step 161, AMF 103 provides a location service response to 5G LCS entity 105, processes the location service response at step 162, and provides a location service response to UE 101 at step 163.

[0020] Referring to step 140, the location of UE 101 can be determined even when UE 101 is not in RRC_connected mode (i.e., RRC_idle or RRC_inactive). Communication from the BS (via LMF 104) to UE 101 takes the form of a downlink control message (e.g., paging DCI), which may include one or more bits configured to trigger the transmission of a first reference signal (e.g., a sounding reference signal (SRS)), a preamble, or a second reference signal (e.g., a downlink positioning reference signal (DL PRS) or a synchronization signal).

[0021] In various embodiments, the downlink control message may include a paging message scheduled by the downlink control message, and the paging message may include one or more bits to indicate whether the downlink control message includes scheduling information for location. For example, in Table 1, one or more bits may indicate that the scheduling information is configured for location only, or is configured for both paging and location. The scheduling information for location may refer to the downlink control message or a paging message configured to trigger / activate uplink signals and / or downlink signals.

[0022]

[0023] In various embodiments, UE 101 is configured to send an uplink signal back to the BS when triggered / activated by a downlink control message or paging message to assist the BS in locating UE 101. Alternatively, UE 101 is configured to receive a downlink signal triggered / activated by a downlink control message or paging message from the BS to assist the UE in performing location measurements. The uplink signal may include at least one of SRS or a preamble. The downlink signal may include at least one of DL PRS or a synchronization signal.

[0024] Uplink and downlink signals can be configured when the UE was last in the RRC_connected state (sometimes referred to as the RRC active state), or configured as one of several common uplink / downlink signals, such as those configured by the System Information Block (SIB). Furthermore, uplink and / or downlink signals can be dedicated to UE 101, allowing the BS to use dedicated uplink signals to distinguish UEs from each other. For example, a sequence of uplink signals and / or downlink signals can be associated with UE 101. In another example, the time allocation of uplink signals and / or the time allocation of downlink signals can be associated with UE 101. In yet another example, the frequency allocation of uplink signals and / or the frequency allocation of downlink signals can be associated with UE 101.

[0025] Pre-configured uplink and / or downlink signals can be updated via downlink control messages or paging messages. At least one of the following can be updated: the sequence of uplink and / or downlink signals, the time allocation of uplink and / or downlink signals, or the frequency allocation of uplink and / or downlink signals. Furthermore, this update can be based on an ID (or associated with it) included in the paging message, where the ID is used to uniquely identify the UE.

[0026] Depending on whether the UE is in RRC_idle or RRC_inactive, downlink control messages can activate uplink transmissions differently. When UE 101 is in RRC_inactive, the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) is contention-free, and SRS can be configured when UE 101 is in RRC_connected. When UE 101 is in RRC_idle, the PRACH is contention-based, and group common SRS is used for location purposes. For example, if DCI / paging messages (i.e., PDSCH) reconfigure the sequence or frequency domain of triggered / activated reference signals, a contention-based PRACH can be changed to a contention-free one.

[0027] In addition to the downlink control message, UE 101 may also receive auxiliary data (see step 144) that configures UE 101 to transmit a first reference signal (e.g., an uplink signal) periodically, aperiodically, or semi-persistently. For example, the time-domain behavior of the uplink signal may be configured by the auxiliary data as a parameter (e.g., resourceType) to be aperiodic, periodic, or semi-persistent. This auxiliary data may be included in at least one of the following three transmissions: in the SIB, in previous auxiliary data received when the UE is in the RRC_connected state, or in scheduling information in the downlink control message. The auxiliary data may also include PRS configuration.

[0028] In some embodiments, upon receiving a downlink message and / or auxiliary data, UE 101 selects a resource from a plurality of resources pre-configured for positioning and sends a preamble (i.e., an uplink signal) using the selected resource. Alternatively, UE 101 sends the uplink signal as Msg3 (i.e., a message sent by UE 101 during step 3 of PRACH), which carries at least one of a User Equipment Identifier (UEID) and / or a positioning identifier.

[0029] Because UE 101 is not in the RRC_connected state, certain assumptions can be made regarding the timing advance (TA) used to send uplink messages. In some embodiments, UE 101 receives the TA configured when UE 101 was last in the RRC_connected state. In other embodiments, UE 101 sends a first random access message to the BS and, in response, receives a second random access message indicating the TA calculated based on the first random access message. In a four-step random access process, the first random access message may be Msg1, and the second random access message may be Msg2. Alternatively, in a two-step random access process, the first random access message may be MsgA, and the second random access message may be MsgB.

[0030] In some embodiments, UE 101 uses spatial parameters corresponding to the beam that UE 101 uses to receive messages from (or send messages to) the BS to transmit uplink signals, and selects these parameters based on information corresponding to PRACH. These spatial parameters, including spatial domain receive filters and spatial domain transmit filters, are sometimes referred to as spatial relations or spatial Rx parameters. This information includes a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), a Channel State / Status Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or a Control Resource Set (CORESET). In some embodiments, UE 101 can use spatial parameters to transmit uplink signals, which can be selected based on the monitoring timing of receiving downlink control messages. For example, the monitoring timing may include one or more times when UE 101 can receive paging messages.

[0031] In addition, Early Data Transmission (EDT) can transmit a portion of the uplink signal. Here, the uplink signal includes K Reference Signal Time Differences (RSTDs), where K is the minimum number of RSTDs and cell IDs.

[0032] In some embodiments, if PRACH fails and if Msg3 transmission fails, the auxiliary data still uses the current value and retransmits Msg3 using a Hybrid Automatic Repeat ReQuest (HARQ). If PRACH fails, and if there is a PRACH contention failure, the auxiliary data may need to be recalculated with a new value and contention may resume. Alternatively, if PRACH fails, it may be because the reported measurement falls within a time window T.

[0033] For NG-RAN node-assisted positioning, the terminal sending the SRS must be known in order to use the positioning SRS for UE positioning. If the PRACH is complete, the UE may be in the RRC_CONNECTED (or RRC_active) state, so the UE does not need to change from the RRC_inactive or RRC_idle state. However, if the PRACH is not complete, the NodeB can determine which user sent the SRS in one of two ways. By dividing the preamble resources into at least two groups (at least one of which is used for positioning), the NG-RAN node can know which UE sent the SRS if the preamble used for positioning was sent by the UE. Alternatively, the NG-RAN node relies on Msg3 carrying the UE-ID and / or positioning identifier. In this way, a UE that has successfully connected (e.g., after receiving Msg4) can directly send the SRS but will not change to the connected state (i.e., remain in RRC_inactive).

[0034] In some embodiments, reserved bits are designed from reserved code points in the short message indicator, which can be used in one of two ways: for scheduling information for location, or for scheduling information for paging and location. Figure 2 It is a table that displays bit field values ​​with associated short message indicators according to various embodiments.

[0035] When the reserved code point in the Short Message Indicator (SMI) is used for positioning, the six reserved bits of the paging message are used to trigger a Preamble Responsibility Response (PRS) similar to the one described above. The preamble is triggered based on the indicated preamble index, or the reserved bits trigger the PRS. If the reserved bits trigger the PRS, the reserved bits are used by the BS to send the PRS after a certain interval, and by the UE to receive the PRS at that time. Figure 3A A flowchart of an exemplary wireless communication method 300 according to various arrangements is shown, which is used to locate a UE when the UE is not in the RRC_connected state. Reference Figure 1-2Method 300 can be performed by the UE. Method 300 begins at step 310, where the UE receives a downlink control message (e.g., a paging message) from the BS. Next, at step 320, the UE sends an uplink signal (e.g., an SRS or preamble) in response to receiving the downlink control message. This uplink signal is configured for the BS to locate the UE, and the uplink signal can be dedicated to the UE.

[0036] In some embodiments, the UE then receives auxiliary data from the BS that configures the temporal behavior of the uplink signal to be aperiodic, periodic, or semi-persistent. This auxiliary data may be included in the SIB, in previous auxiliary data received when the UE was last in the RRC_connected state, or in the scheduling information of the downlink control message.

[0037] In some embodiments, the UE selects a resource from a plurality of resources pre-configured for positioning, and then sends a preamble corresponding to an uplink symbol to the BS using the selected resource. The UE may also send Msg3, which carries at least one of a UEID or a positioning identifier. This Msg3 corresponds to an uplink signal configured for the BS to locate the UE.

[0038] In some embodiments, the UE sends a first random access message to the BS and receives a second random access message from the BS, the second random access message indicating a TA based on the first random access message. The UE then uses the TA to send uplink signals.

[0039] In some embodiments, the UE uses spatial parameters to transmit uplink data. These spatial parameters can be selected based on the monitoring timing of receiving downlink control messages, or based on one or more messages corresponding to PRACH. These one or more messages include SSB, CSI-RS, or CORESET.

[0040] In some embodiments, the downlink control message includes one or more bits configuring uplink signals to position the UE. These bits may also be configured to trigger at least one of the following: transmission of a first reference signal (e.g., SRS), transmission of a preamble, or reception of a second reference signal (e.g., PRS).

[0041] Figure 3B A flowchart of another exemplary wireless communication method 350 according to various arrangements is shown, which is used to locate the UE when the UE is not in the RRC_connected state. Reference Figure 1-2Method 350 can be performed by the BS. Method 350 begins at step 360, where the BS sends a downlink control message (e.g., a paging message) to the UE. Next, at step 370, the BS receives an uplink signal (e.g., an SRS or preamble) in response to sending the downlink control message. This uplink signal is configured for the BS to locate the UE, and the uplink signal can be dedicated to the UE. In some embodiments, the BS uses a resource selected from a plurality of resources pre-configured for location to receive the preamble (corresponding to the uplink signal).

[0042] In some embodiments, the BS sends auxiliary data to the UE, which configures the time-domain behavior of the uplink signal to be aperiodic, periodic, or semi-persistent. This auxiliary data may include at least one of the following: an SIB, previous auxiliary data received when the UE was last in the RRC_connected state, or scheduling information for downlink control messages.

[0043] In some embodiments, the BS receives Msg3 from the UE, which corresponds to an uplink signal and carries at least one of UEID or location identifier.

[0044] In some embodiments, the BS sends a TA configured when the UE was last in the RRC_connected state, and the UE then uses this TA to send uplink signals to the BS. In other embodiments, the BS first receives a first random access message. Then, the BS sends a second random access message to the UE, which has a TA configured based on the first random access message. The BS then receives uplink signals from the UE that uses this TA to send uplink signals.

[0045] In some embodiments, the BS receives uplink signals transmitted using spatial parameters. These spatial parameters can be selected based on the monitoring timing of the received downlink control message, or based on one or more messages corresponding to PRACH. These messages include at least one of SSB, CSI-RS, or CORESET.

[0046] In some embodiments, upon receiving an SRS, the BS can use it to perform at least one of the following: measure the transmission time between the UE and the BS, measure the transmission time between different BSs, measure the distance between the UE and the BS, or measure the distance between different BSs. For example, the BS can use the SRS to estimate the channel, and based on the estimated channel, the BS can perform at least one of the above measurements. In some embodiments, the BS can use the results of one or more of these measurements to calculate the location of the UE.

[0047] In some other embodiments, the downlink control message may further trigger a UE, which may already be in a non-RRC_connected state, to receive a downlink (e.g., reference) message. This reference message may include a Positioning References Signal (PRS). Upon receiving the PRS, the UE may use it for at least one of the following: measuring the transmission time between the UE and the BS, measuring the transmission time between different BSs, measuring the distance between the UE and the BS, or measuring the distance between different BSs (e.g., Figure 1 Step 146 in the example. In the example, LMF (e.g., Figure 1 (104) The UE can use one or more of the measurement results to calculate its location. In another example, the UE can use one or more of the measurement results to calculate its own location.

[0048] Figure 4A A block diagram of an example BS 402 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 4B A block diagram of an example UE 401 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. UE 401 (e.g., a wireless communication device, terminal, mobile device, mobile user, etc.) is an exemplary implementation of the UE described herein, while BS 402 is an exemplary implementation of the BS described herein.

[0049] BS 402 and UE 401 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that do not need to be described in detail herein. In one illustrative embodiment, BS 402 and UE 401 may be used to transmit (e.g., send and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment, as described above. For example, BS 402 may be a BS (e.g., gNB, eNB, etc.), a server, a node, or any suitable computing device for implementing various network functions.

[0050] BS 402 includes a transceiver module 410, an antenna 412, a processor module 414, a memory module 416, and a network communication module 418. Modules 410, 412, 414, 416, and 418 are operably coupled to and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 420. UE 401 includes a UE transceiver module 430, a UE antenna 432, a UE memory module 434, and a UE processor module 436. Modules 430, 432, 434, and 436 are operably coupled to and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 440. BS 402 communicates with UE 401 or another BS via a communication channel, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for transmitting data as described herein.

[0051] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, BS 402 and UE 401 may also include, in addition to Figure 4A and Figure 4B Any number of modules other than those shown herein. The various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To 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 functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in a suitable manner for each specific application, but any decision on implementation should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0052] According to some embodiments, UE transceiver 430 includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each RF transmitter and receiver including circuitry coupled to antenna 432. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the RF transmitter or receiver to the antenna in a time-duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, transceiver 410 includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each RF transmitter and receiver having circuitry coupled to antenna 412 or another BS antenna. A duplex switch may alternatively couple the RF transmitter or receiver to antenna 412 in a time-duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 410 and 430 can be time-coordinated such that the transmitter is coupled to antenna 412 while the receiver circuitry is coupled to antenna 432 to receive transmissions via a wireless transmission link. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0053] UE transceiver 430 and transceiver 410 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link and cooperate with RF antenna arrangements 412 / 432 that are appropriately configured to support specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some illustrative embodiments, UE transceiver 430 and transceiver 410 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited to the application of specific standards and related protocols. Rather, UE transceiver 430 and BS transceiver 410 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0054] Transceiver 410 and another BS's transceiver (such as, but not limited to, transceiver 410) are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link and cooperate with an RF antenna arrangement appropriately configured to support specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some illustrative embodiments, transceiver 410 and the other BS's transceiver are configured to support industry standards such as LTE and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited to the application of specific standards and related protocols. Rather, transceiver 410 and the other BS's transceiver may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0055] According to various embodiments, BS 402 may be, for example, such as, but not limited to, an eNB, a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtocell, or a picocell. BS 402 may be an RN, a DeNB, or a gNB. In some embodiments, UE 401 may be embodied in various types of user equipment such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, laptops, wearable computing devices, and so on. Processor modules 414 and 436 may 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 may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0056] Furthermore, the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by processor modules 414 and 436 respectively, or any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 416 and 434 can be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 416 and 434 can be coupled to processor modules 414 and 436 respectively, such that processor modules 414 and 436 can read information from and write information to memory modules 416 and 434 respectively. Memory modules 416 and 434 can also be integrated into their respective processor modules 414 and 436. In some embodiments, memory modules 416 and 434 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by processor modules 414 and 436 respectively. Memory modules 416 and 434 may each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions that will be executed by processor modules 414 and 436, respectively.

[0057] Network communication module 418 typically refers to the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of BS 402 that enable bidirectional communication between transceiver 410 and other network components and communication nodes communicating with BS 402. For example, network communication module 418 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a non-limiting deployment, network communication module 418 provides a 502.3 Ethernet interface, enabling transceiver 410 to communicate with legacy Ethernet-based computer networks. In this way, network communication module 418 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). In some embodiments, network communication module 418 includes a fiber optic transmission connection configured to connect BS 402 to a core network. The terms “configured for,” “configured to,” and their variations, as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, refer to devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, signals, etc., that are physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0058] While various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented as examples only and not as limitations. Similarly, various figures may depict exemplary architectures or configurations, provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand the exemplary features and functionality of the present solution. However, such individuals should understand that the present solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will understand, 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 this disclosure should not be limited by any of the illustrative embodiments described above.

[0059] It should also be understood that any reference to elements in this document using names such as “first”, “second”, etc., generally does not restrict the number or order of these elements. Rather, these names may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or instances of elements. Therefore, references to first and second elements do not imply that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must somehow precede the second element.

[0060] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be referenced in the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0061] Those skilled in the art will also understand that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of programs or design code containing instructions (which, for convenience, may be referred to herein as "software" or "software module"), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of these technologies depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such decisions of implementation will not lead to a departure from the scope of this disclosure.

[0062] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented within or executed by an integrated circuit (IC), which may 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 devices, or any combination thereof. Logic blocks, modules, and circuits may also include antennas and / or transceivers for communicating with various components within a network or device. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternatives, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration performing the functions described herein.

[0063] If implemented as software, the functionality can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, with communication media including any medium capable of transferring a computer program or code from one place to another. Storage media can be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example, but not limited to, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, 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 is accessible to a computer.

[0064] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the related functions described herein. Furthermore, for the purposes of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according to embodiments of this solution.

[0065] Furthermore, in embodiments of this solution, memory or other memory, as well as communication components, may be employed. It should be understood that, for clarity, embodiments of this solution have been described above with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable functional distribution among different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without departing from this solution. For example, functions illustrated as being performed by a separate processing logic element or controller may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, references to specific functional units are merely references to the appropriate manner of providing the described functions and do not indicate a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0066] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can 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 is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: A wireless communication device in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or an RRC inactive state receives paging downlink control information (DCI) including a paging message from a wireless communication node. The paging DCI is used to trigger the wireless communication device to send an uplink signal. The paging DCI includes one or more bits configured to locate the wireless communication device. The one or more bits are configured to trigger the transmission of a preamble. The one or more bits are reserved bits of the short message indicator in the paging message. The reserved bits are used to indicate that the paging DCI carries only location scheduling information or carries both paging scheduling information and location scheduling information. In response to receiving the paging DCI, and when the wireless communication device is in an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state: The uplink signal, including a Random Access Channel (RACH) preamble, is transmitted from the wireless communication device to the wireless communication node. The uplink signal is configured to enable the wireless communication node to locate the wireless communication device. Furthermore, when transmitting the uplink signal, the timing advance (TA) value configured during the last RRC connection state is used. During random access, the wireless communication device sends Msg3 to the wireless communication node. Msg3 carries a location identifier, and The process of the wireless communication device sending the uplink signal including a preamble to the wireless communication node includes: the wireless communication device sending the uplink signal to the wireless communication node using spatial parameters, wherein the spatial parameters are selected based on the timing of receiving the paging message.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The wireless communication device receives auxiliary data from the wireless communication node, wherein the auxiliary data configures the time-domain behavior of the uplink signal as one of aperiodic, periodic, or semi-persistent.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The auxiliary data is included in at least one of the following: System Information Block (SIB), previous auxiliary data received when the wireless communication device is in RRC connection state, or scheduling information of the paging DCI.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The wireless communication device selects a resource from a pre-configured set of resources for positioning; as well as The wireless communication device uses selected resources to send a preamble to the wireless communication node, wherein the preamble corresponds to the uplink signal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Msg3 corresponds to the uplink signal, which is configured to the wireless communication node for locating the wireless communication device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The uplink signal is dedicated to the wireless communication device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to receiving the TA, the wireless communication device uses the TA to send the uplink signal to the wireless communication node.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the wireless communication device transmitting the uplink signal to the wireless communication node using spatial parameters, wherein, The spatial parameters are selected based on one or more pieces of information corresponding to the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The one or more pieces of information include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or Control Resource Set (CORESET).

10. A wireless communication method, comprising: A wireless communication node sends a paging downlink control information (DCI) including a paging message to a wireless communication device that is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or an RRC inactive state. The paging DCI is used to trigger the wireless communication device to send an uplink signal. The paging DCI includes one or more bits that configure the uplink signal to locate the wireless communication device. The one or more bits are configured to trigger the transmission of a preamble. The one or more bits are reserved bits of the short message indicator in the paging message. The reserved bits are used to indicate that the paging DCI carries only location scheduling information or carries both paging scheduling information and location scheduling information. In response to sending the paging DCI, and when the wireless communication device is in an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state: The wireless communication node receives from the wireless communication device the uplink signal including a Random Access Channel (RACH) preamble, wherein the uplink signal is configured to enable the wireless communication node to locate the wireless communication device, and wherein, when transmitting the uplink signal, the timing advance TA value configured during the last RRC connection state is used; and During random access, the wireless communication node receives Msg3 from the wireless communication device. Msg3 carries a location identifier, and The wireless communication node receiving the uplink signal including the preamble from the wireless communication device includes: the wireless communication node receiving the uplink signal from the wireless communication device, the uplink signal being transmitted using spatial parameters, wherein the spatial parameters are selected based on the timing of receiving the paging message.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The wireless communication node sends auxiliary data to the wireless communication device, wherein the auxiliary data configures the time-domain behavior of the uplink signal as one of aperiodic, periodic, or semi-persistent.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The auxiliary data is included in at least one of the following: System Information Block (SIB), previous auxiliary data received when the wireless communication device is in RRC connection state, or scheduling information of the paging DCI.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The wireless communication device sends a preamble to the wireless communication node using a resource selected from a plurality of resources pre-configured for positioning, wherein the preamble corresponds to the uplink signal.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein, Msg3 corresponds to the uplink signal, which is configured to the wireless communication node for locating the wireless communication device.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The uplink signal is dedicated to the wireless communication device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The wireless communication node uses the TA to receive the uplink signal from the wireless communication device.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The wireless communication node receives the uplink signal from the wireless communication device. The uplink signal is transmitted using spatial parameters, which are selected based on one or more messages corresponding to the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH).

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, The one or more pieces of information include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or Control Resource Set (CORESET).

19. A wireless communication device, the wireless communication device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein, The processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program medium code stored thereon, the computer-readable program medium code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 18.

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