Method and apparatus for selecting a frequency band to maximize measurements in a tuning-free measurement gap

Abstract

A technique is provided for selecting measurement gap periods for locating a user equipment (UE) in 5G NR. A method for locating a UE includes receiving (1302) positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from a network, determining (1304) measurement gap information for one or more frequency bands associated with one or more frequency layers, determining (1306) the number of available positioning reference signals for each of the one or more frequency bands based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information, measuring (1308) the one or more positioning reference signals of the selected frequency band, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the measurement gap, and calculating (1310) location information based at least in part on the measurements of the one or more positioning reference signals.

Description

Technical Field Background Technology

[0001] Wireless communication systems have evolved through many generations, including first-generation analog radiotelephone service (1G), second-generation (2G) digital radiotelephone service (including transitional 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data, internet-enabled wireless services, fourth-generation (4G) services (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax), and fifth-generation (5G) services (e.g., 5G New Radio (NR)). Currently, many different types of wireless communication systems are in use, including cellular and Personal Communication Services (PCS) systems. Known examples of cellular systems include cellular analog Advanced Mobile Phone Systems (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and TDMA-based Global System for Mobile Access (GSM) variants.

[0002] It is typically necessary to know the location of a user equipment (UE) (e.g., a cellular phone), where the terms "location" and "position" are synonymous and interchangeable herein. A Location Services (LCS) client may wish to know the UE's location and may communicate with a location center to request the UE's location. The location center and the UE may exchange messages as appropriate to obtain a location estimate for the UE. The location center may return the location estimate to the LCS client, for example, for use in one or more applications.

[0003] Obtaining the location of a mobile device accessing a wireless network can be used for many applications, including emergency calls, personal navigation, asset tracking, and locating friends or family members. Existing positioning methods include those based on measuring radio signals transmitted from various devices, including satellites and terrestrial wireless power sources in wireless networks such as base stations and access points. Stations in the wireless network can be configured to transmit reference signals that enable mobile devices to perform positioning measurements. Improvements in the timing and detection of these reference signals can increase positioning accuracy and reduce power consumption in mobile devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An example method for locating a user equipment according to this disclosure includes receiving positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from a network; determining measurement gap information of one or more frequency bands associated with the one or more frequency layers; determining the number of available positioning reference signals in each of the one or more frequency bands based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the measurement gap; and calculating location information based at least in part on the measurements of the one or more positioning reference signals.

[0005] Implementations of such methods may include one or more of the following features: Determining measurement gap information may include determining the tuning-in duration and tuning-out duration of the measurement gap. The selected frequency band may be a frequency band where the user equipment does not require tuning or tuning, thus the measurement gap is an untuned measurement gap, and the tuning duration and tuning-out duration are zero. At least one of the one or more frequency bands may be associated with an active bandwidth portion of the user equipment. The one or more frequency bands may include a first component carrier in a first frequency band and a second component carrier in a second frequency band. The first and second frequency bands may be in a first frequency layer. The first frequency band may be in a first frequency layer, and the second frequency band may be in a second frequency layer. The one or more frequency bands may include a first component carrier and a second component carrier in a first frequency band. The selected frequency band may be determined to maximize the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured in one or more component carriers within the measurement gap. The number of measurable positioning reference signals may include those signals in the actual gap minus any tuning or tuning periods of the user equipment. The one or more frequency layers may include a first frequency layer in the range of 410-7125 MHz, or a second frequency layer in the range of 24.25-52.6 GHz. At least one of the one or more frequency layers may be configured to operate in a frequency range above 100 GHz. Determining measurement gap information may include requesting measurement gap information from a base station. At least one of the one or more positioning reference signals may be a beamformed positioning reference signal. The one or more positioning reference signals may include at least two positioning reference signals transmitted in the same frequency layer. The one or more positioning reference signals may include a first positioning reference signal transmitted in a first frequency layer and a second positioning reference signal transmitted in a second frequency layer. The selected frequency band may be based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the combination of measurement gaps in one or more frequency bands. Determining measurement gap information may include requesting measurement gap information from a base station and receiving measurement gap information from a base station. Requesting measurement gap information may be based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

[0006] An example apparatus according to this disclosure includes a memory, at least one transceiver, at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory, and the at least one processor is configured to: receive positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from a network; determine measurement gap information of one or more frequency bands associated with the one or more frequency layers; measure one or more positioning reference signals of a selected frequency band based on the number of available positioning reference signals in each of the one or more frequency bands determined based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the measurement gap; and calculate position information based at least in part on the measurement of the one or more positioning reference signals.

[0007] Such an implementation may include one or more of the following features. The at least one processor may also be configured to determine the tuning duration and detuning duration of the measurement gap. The at least one processor may also be configured to select a frequency band that does not require tuning or detuning, thereby making the measurement gap an untuned measurement gap with zero tuning and detuning durations. At least one of the one or more frequency bands may be associated with an active bandwidth portion of the device. The one or more frequency bands may include a first component carrier in a first frequency band and a second component carrier in a second frequency band. The first and second frequency bands may be in a first frequency layer. The first frequency band may be in a first frequency layer, and the second frequency band may be in a second frequency layer. The one or more frequency bands may include a first component carrier and a second component carrier in the first frequency band. The at least one processor may also be configured to select frequency bands to maximize the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured in the one or more component carriers within the measurement gap. The number of measurable positioning reference signals may include those signals in the actual gap minus any tuning or detuning periods. The one or more frequency layers may include a first frequency layer in the range of 410-7125 MHz, or a second frequency layer in the range of 24.25-52.6 GHz. At least one of the one or more frequency layers may be configured to operate in a frequency range above 100 GHz. The at least one processor may be configured to request measurement gap information from the base station. At least one of the one or more positioning reference signals may be a beamformed positioning reference signal. The one or more positioning reference signals may include at least two positioning reference signals transmitted in the same frequency layer. The one or more positioning reference signals may include a first positioning reference signal transmitted in the first frequency layer and a second positioning reference signal transmitted in the second frequency layer. The selected frequency band may be based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the combination of measurement gaps in one or more frequency bands. The at least one processor may also be configured to request measurement gap information from the base station and receive measurement gap information from the base station. The measurement gap information request may be based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

[0008] An example apparatus for locating a user equipment according to this disclosure includes components for receiving positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from a network; components for determining measurement gap information of one or more frequency bands associated with one or more frequency layers; components for measuring one or more positioning reference signals of a selected frequency band based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information to determine the number of available positioning reference signals in each of the one or more frequency bands, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the measurement gap; and components for calculating location information based at least in part on the measurements of the one or more positioning reference signals.

[0009] An example non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to this disclosure, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to enable one or more processors to locate a user equipment, includes code for receiving positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from a network; code for determining measurement gap information of one or more frequency bands associated with one or more frequency layers; code for measuring one or more positioning reference signals of a selected frequency band based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information to determine the number of available positioning reference signals in each of the one or more frequency bands, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the measurement gap; and code for calculating location information based at least in part on the measurement of the one or more positioning reference signals.

[0010] The items and / or techniques described herein can provide one or more of the following capabilities, and others not mentioned. A user equipment (UE) can determine the transmission schedule of positioning reference signals for one or more base stations operating on one or more frequency layers. The UE can request measurement gap information from the base stations. The measurement gap information can be associated with a frequency band in the frequency layer. The measurement gap can be a tuneless measurement gap based on the UE's configuration. For example, the UE can be configured with one or more active bandwidth portions. The UE can determine how many positioning reference signals will be transmitted in the measurement gap. Measurement gaps or combinations of measurement gaps can be selected based on the number of available positioning reference signals. Tuning-free measurement gaps can be advantageous based on the elimination of tuning and detuning periods. Reference signal symbol loss can be reduced. Positioning accuracy can be improved. Other capabilities can be provided, and not every implementation according to this disclosure is required to provide any, let alone all, of the capabilities discussed. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a simplified diagram of an example wireless communication system.

[0012] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the block diagram of the components of an example user device.

[0013] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the components of an example send / receive point.

[0014] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the components of the example server.

[0015] Figure 5A and 5B The illustration shows an example downlink positioning reference signal resource set.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a diagram of an example frame format used for positioning reference signal transmission.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a timing diagram of an example measurement gap.

[0018] Figure 8A This is a diagram illustrating an example tuning measurement gap with tuning and detuning periods.

[0019] Figure 8B This is an illustration of an example of a non-tuned measurement gap.

[0020] Figure 9 This is a data table indicating the loss of example symbols during the tuning period.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a first example timing diagram of positioning reference signals transmitted on two frequency bands.

[0022] Figure 11 This is a second example timing diagram of positioning reference signals transmitted on two frequency bands.

[0023] Figure 12 This is an example timing diagram of positioning reference signals transmitted on three frequency bands.

[0024] Figure 13 This is a process flow for an example method of selecting a frequency band to maximize the localization of a reference signal measurement in a tuned measurement gap. Detailed Implementation

[0025] This paper discusses techniques for selecting measurement gap periods for locating a User Equipment (UE) in 5G NR. A base station can be configured to transmit reference signals, such as Positioning Reference Signals (PRS), in one or more frequency bands. These frequency bands can be in different frequency layers and can include different component carriers. The UE can operate within the Active Bandwidth Part (BWP) of the Active Component Carrier (CC) and can receive PRS configuration from a location server. The UE can also receive measurement gap information for different frequency bands from the base station. The UE can determine how many PRS can be received during the measurement gap for each of the different frequency bands. The duration of the measurement gap can be reduced based on tuning and detuning time (i.e., the tuning time required for the UE to retune to a different frequency band). A measurement gap within the current Active BWP may not require retuning (i.e., it is a non-tuning measurement gap). The UE may not be able to receive PRS transmitted in different frequency bands during the tuning period. The UE can select a frequency band or combination of frequency bands with the maximum number of available PRS for measurement. The UE can report positioning measurements based on the received PRS and can derive location based on the positioning measurements. These technologies and configurations are examples, and other technologies and configurations can be used.

[0026] refer to Figure 1 Examples of communication system 100 include UE 105, radio access network (RAN) 135 (here, fifth-generation (5G) next-generation (NG) RAN (NG-RAN)), and 5G core network (5GC) 140. UE 105 can be, for example, an IoT device, a location tracker device, a cellular phone, or other device. 5G network can also be referred to as new radio (NR) network; NG-RAN 135 can be referred to as 5G RAN or NR RAN; and 5GC 140 can be referred to as NG core network (NGC). Standardization of NG-RAN and 5GC is underway within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Therefore, NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140 can conform to current or future standards supported by 5G from 3GPP. NG-RAN 135 can be another type of RAN, such as 3G RAN, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAN, etc. Communication system 100 may utilize information from constellation 185 of artificial satellites (SVs) 190, 191, 192, and 193 for satellite positioning systems (SPS) (e.g., Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)), such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, or BeiDou, or some other local or regional SPS, such as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), the European Geostationary Navigation Coverage Service (EGNOS), or a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). Additional components of communication system 100 are described below. Communication system 100 may include exemplary or alternative components.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, NG-RAN 135 includes NR nodeBs (gNB) 110a, 110b and a next-generation eNodeB (ng-eNB) 114, and 5GC 140 includes Access and Mobility Management Functions (AMF) 115, Session Management Functions (SMF) 117, Location Management Functions (LMF) 120 and Gateway Mobility Location Center (GMLC) 125. gNBs 110a, gNBs 110b and ng-eNB 114 are communicatively coupled to each other, each configured to communicate bidirectionally with UE 105, and each communicatively coupled to and configured to communicate bidirectionally with AMF 115. AMF 115, SMF 117, LMF 120 and GMLC 125 are communicatively coupled to each other, and GMLC is communicatively coupled to an external client 130. SMF 117 can be used as the initial contact point for Service Control Functions (SCF) (not shown) to create, control, and delete media sessions.

[0028] Figure 1 A general illustration of various components is provided, any or all of which may be used appropriately, and each may be copied or omitted as needed. Specifically, although a UE 105 is illustrated, many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may be used in communication system 100. Similarly, communication system 100 may include more (or fewer) numbers of SVs (i.e., more or fewer than the four SVs 190-193 shown), gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115, external client 130, and / or other components. The illustrated connections connecting the various components in communication system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted depending on the desired functionality.

[0029] Although Figure 1The illustration depicts a 5G-based network, but similar network implementations and configurations can be used for other communication technologies such as 3G, LTE, etc. The implementations described herein (which are used for 5G technology and / or for one or more other communication technologies and / or protocols) can be used to transmit (or broadcast) directional synchronization signals, receive and measure directional signals at a UE (e.g., UE 105), and / or provide location assistance to UE 105 (via GMLC 125 or other location servers), and / or calculate the location of UE 105 at a location-capable device such as UE 105, gNB 110a, gNB 110b, or LMF 120 based on measurements of such directional transmissions received at UE 105. Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 125, Location Management Function (LMF) 120, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 115, SMF 117, ng-eNB (eNodeB) 114, and gNB (gNodeB) 110a, 110b are examples, and in various embodiments, various other location server functions and / or base station functions may be replaced by or included by various other location server functions and / or base station functions, respectively.

[0030] UE 105 may include and / or may be referred to as a device, mobile device, wireless device, mobile terminal, mobile station (MS), Secure User Plane Positioning (SUPL) Enabled Terminal (SET), or some other name. Furthermore, UE 105 may correspond to a cellular phone, smartphone, laptop computer, tablet computer, PDA, tracking device, navigation device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, asset tracker, health monitor, security system, smart city sensor, smart meter, wearable tracker, or some other portable or mobile device. Typically, although not required, UE 105 may support wireless communication using one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs), such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), LTE, High-Speed ​​Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 WiFi (also known as Wi-Fi). (BT), Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMAX), 5G New Radio (NR) (e.g., using NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140), etc. UE 105 can support wireless communication using a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), which can connect to other networks (e.g., the Internet) using, for example, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or packet cable. Using one or more of these RATs can allow UE 105 to communicate with external client 130 (e.g., via...). Figure 1The components of 5GC 140 (not shown, or possibly via GMLC 125) and / or allow external client 130 to receive location information about UE 105 (e.g., via GMLC 125).

[0031] UE 105 may include a single entity or may include multiple entities, such as in a personal area network, where a user may employ audio, video, and / or data I / O (input / output) devices and / or body sensors, as well as separate wired or wireless modems. The estimation of the location of UE 105 may be referred to as location, location estimation, location locking, positioning, location estimation, or location locking, and may be geographic, providing the location coordinates of UE 105 (e.g., latitude and longitude), which may or may not include an elevation component (e.g., height above sea level, height above ground level, or depth below ground level, ground level, or basement level). Alternatively, the location of UE 105 may be represented as a city location (e.g., represented as a postal address or the name of a point or small area within a building, such as a specific room or floor). The location of UE 105 may be expressed as a region or volume (geographically or in city form) within which UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of UE 105 can be expressed as a relative location, including, for example, distance from and orientation to a known location. A relative location can be represented as relative coordinates (e.g., X, Y (and Z) coordinates) defined relative to an origin at a known location, which can be defined, for example, geographically, in the form of a city, or by reference to a point, area, or volume indicated, for example, on a map, floor plan, or building plan. In the description contained herein, unless otherwise stated, the use of the term "location" can include any of these variations. When calculating the location of the UE, local x, y, and possibly z coordinates are typically solved, and then, if desired, the local coordinates are converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., for latitude, longitude, and elevation above or below mean sea level).

[0032] UE105 can be configured to communicate with other entities using one or more of a variety of technologies. UE105 can be configured to indirectly connect to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links. D2D links can be supported by any suitable D2D radio access technology (RAT), such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), etc. Etc. One or more of a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area of ​​one or more of the Transmit / Receive Points (TRPs) of gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114. Other UEs in this group may be outside such geographic coverage areas or may be unable to receive transmissions from the base station. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication can utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE can transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP can facilitate the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication can be performed between UEs without involving a TRP.

[0033] Figure 1 The base stations (BS) in the NG-RAN 135 shown include NR nodes B, referred to as gNB 110a and gNB 110b. The gNB 110a and gNB 110b pair in the NG-RAN 135 can be interconnected via one or more other gNBs. Access to the 5G network is provided to the UE 105 via wireless communication with one or more of the gNBs, gNB 110a and gNB 110b. The gNBs can provide wireless communication access to the 5GC 140 on behalf of the UE 105 using 5G. Figure 1 In this context, it is assumed that the serving gNB for UE 105 is gNB 110a, although another gNB (e.g., gNB 110b) may act as the serving gNB if UE 105 moves to another location, or may act as a secondary gNB to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 105.

[0034] Figure 1 The base station (BS) in the NG-RAN 135 shown may include ng-eNB 114, also known as a next-generation evolved Node B. ng-eNB 114 may be connected to one or more of gNBs 110a and gNBs 110b in the NG-RAN 135 via one or more other gNBs and / or one or more other ng-eNBs. ng-eNB 114 may provide LTE radio access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) radio access to UE 105. One or more of gNBs 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may be configured to act as a location-only beacon, which may transmit signals to assist in determining the location of UE 105, but may not receive signals from UE 105 or other UEs.

[0035] A Base Station (BS) (e.g., gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114) may each include one or more Terminal Portfolios (TRPs). For example, each sector within a cell of a BS may include a TRP, although multiple TRPs may share one or more components (e.g., a shared processor, but with separate antennas). Communication system 100 may include macro TRPs, or communication system 100 may have different types of TRPs, such as macro TRPs, pico TRPs, and / or femto TRPs. Macro TRPs may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access by terminals with service subscriptions. Pico TRPs may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a pico cell) and may allow unrestricted access by terminals with service subscriptions. Femto or home TRPs may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a femto cell) and may allow restricted access by terminals associated with that femto cell (e.g., terminals of users in a home).

[0036] As mentioned above, although Figure 1 The diagram depicts nodes configured to communicate according to 5G communication protocols, but nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols such as LTE or IEEE 802.11x can be used. For example, in an evolved packet system (EPS) providing LTE radio access to UE 105, the RAN may include an evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), which may include base stations comprising evolved Node Bs (eNBs). The core network of the EPS may include an evolved packet core (EPC). The EPS may include an E-UTRAN plus an EPC, where the E-UTRAN corresponds to NG-RAN 135, and the EPC corresponds to... Figure 1 5GC 140 in the middle.

[0037] gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and ng-eNB 114 can communicate with AMF 115, which in turn communicates with LMF 120 for positioning functionality. AMF 115 can support UE105 mobility, including cell changes and handovers, and can participate in supporting signaling connections to UE105, as well as potentially data and voice bearers for UE105. LMF 120 can communicate directly with UE105, for example, wirelessly. LMF 120 can support UE105 positioning when UE105 accesses NG-RAN 135, and can support positioning procedures / methods such as Auxiliary GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA), Real-Time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID), Angle of Arrival (AOA), Angle of Departure (AOD), and / or other positioning methods. LMF120 can process, for example, location service requests to UE105 received from AMF115 or GMLC125. LMF120 can connect to AMF115 and / or GMLC125. LMF120 can be referred to by other names, such as Location Manager (LM), Location Function (LF), Commercial LMF (CLMF), or Value-Added LMF (VLMF). Nodes / systems implementing LMF120 can additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as Enhanced Serving Mobility Location Center (E-SMLC) or Secure User Plane Positioning (SUPL) Positioning Platform (SLP). At least a portion of the positioning function (including deriving the location of UE105) can be performed at UE105 (e.g., using measurements obtained by UE105 of signals transmitted by radio nodes such as gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB114, and / or auxiliary data provided to UE105, for example, by LMF 120).

[0038] GMLC 125 can support location requests for UE 105 received from external client 130, and can forward such location requests to AMF 115 for forwarding to LMF 120, or can forward location requests directly to LMF 120. Location responses from LMF 120 (e.g., containing location estimates for UE 105) can be returned to GMLC 125 directly or via AMF 115, and GMLC 125 can then return a location response (e.g., containing location estimates) to external client 130. GMLC 125 is shown connected to both AMF 115 and LMF 120, although in some implementations one of these connections may be supported by 5GC 140.

[0039] like Figure 1As further shown, the LMF 120 can communicate with gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 using the new radio positioning protocol A (which may be referred to as NPPa or NRPPa), which can be defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. NRPPa can be the same as, similar to, or an extension of the LTE Positioning Protocol A (LPPa) defined in 3GPP TS 36.455, wherein NRPPa messages are transmitted via AMF 115 between gNB 110a (or gNB 110b) and LMF 120 and / or between ng-eNB 114 and LMF 120. Figure 1 As further shown, LMF 120 and UE 105 can communicate using the LTE Location Protocol (LPP), which is defined in 3GPP TS 36.355. LMF 120 and UE 105 can also, or alternatively, communicate using a new radio location protocol (which may be referred to as NPP or NRPP), which can be the same as, similar to, or an extension of LPP. Here, LPP and / or NPP messages can be transmitted between UE 105 and LMF 120 via AMF 115 and the serving gNB 110a, gNB 110b, or serving ng-eNB114 for UE 105. For example, LPP and / or NPP messages can be transmitted between LMF 120 and AMF 115 using the 5G Location Service Application Protocol (LCS AP), and can be transmitted between AMF 115 and UE 105 using the 5G Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol. The LPP and / or NPP protocols can be used to support the location of UE105 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based positioning methods (such as A-GNSS, RTK, OTDOA, and / or E-CID). The NRPPa protocol can be used to support the location of UE105 using network-based positioning methods such as E-CID (e.g., when used with measurements obtained by gNB 110a, gNB 110b, or ng-eNB 114), and / or can be used by LMF 120 to obtain location-related information from gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114, such as defining parameters for directional SS transmissions from gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114.

[0040] Using a UE-assisted positioning method, UE 105 can obtain location measurements and send them to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) to calculate a location estimate for UE 105. For example, location measurements may include one or more of the following for gNB 110a, gNB110b, ng-eNB 114, and / or WLAN AP: Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), Round-Trip Time (RTT), Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), and / or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ). Location measurements may also, or alternatively, include measurements of GNSS pseudorange, code phase, and / or carrier phase for SV 190-193.

[0041] Using a UE-based positioning method, UE 105 can obtain a location measurement (e.g., which may be the same as or similar to the location measurement of a UE-assisted positioning method) and can calculate the location of UE 105 (e.g., with the help of auxiliary data received from a location server such as LMF 120 or broadcast by gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114 or other base stations or APs).

[0042] Using a network-based positioning method, one or more base stations (e.g., gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) or APs can obtain location measurements (e.g., measurements of RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, or Time of Arrival (TOA) for signals transmitted by UE 105) and / or can receive measurements obtained by UE 105. One or more base stations or APs can transmit the measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) for calculating a location estimate for UE 105.

[0043] The information provided to the LMF 120 by gNB 110a, gNB 110b and / or ng-eNB 114 using NRPPa may include timing and configuration information for directional SS transmissions, as well as location coordinates. The LMF 120 may provide some or all of this information to the UE 105 as supplementary data in LPP and / or NPP messages via NG-RAN 135 and 5GC140.

[0044] The LPP or NPP message sent from LMF 120 to UE 105 can instruct UE 105 to do anything among a variety of things according to the desired functionality. For example, the LPP or NPP message can contain instructions for UE 105 to obtain measurements of GNSS (or A-GNSS), WLAN, E-CID, and / or OTDOA (or some other positioning method). In the case of E-CID, the LPP or NPP message can instruct UE 105 to obtain one or more measurements (e.g., beam ID, beamwidth, average angle, RSRP, RSRQ measurements) of directional signals transmitted within a specific cell supported by one or more of gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 (or supported by some other type of base station such as eNB or WiFi AP). UE 105 can send measurements back to LMF 120 via serving gNB 110a (or serving ng-eNB 114) and AMF 115 in an LPP or NPP message (e.g., within a 5G NAS message).

[0045] As described above, while a communication system 100 is described in relation to 5G technology, the communication system 100 can be implemented to support other communication technologies, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, etc., for supporting and interacting with mobile devices such as UE 105 (e.g., implementing voice, data, location, and other functions). In some such embodiments, 5GC 140 can be configured to control different air interfaces. For example, 5GC 140 can use the non-3GPP interoperability function (N3IWF) in 5GC 150. Figure 1(Not shown) Connects to a WLAN. For example, the WLAN may support IEEE 802.11 WiFi access for UE 105 and may include one or more WiFi APs. Here, the N3IWF may connect to the WLAN and other components in the 5GCN 140, such as the AMF 115. In some embodiments, both the NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140 may be replaced by one or more other RANs and one or more other core networks. For example, in EPS, the NG-RAN 135 may be replaced by an E-UTRAN including eNBs, and the 5GC 140 may be replaced by an EPC including a Mobility Management Entity (MME) replacing the AMF 115, an E-SMLC replacing the LMF 120, and an EPC that may be similar to the GMLC 125. In such EPS, the E-SMLC may use LPPa instead of NRPPa to send location information to and receive location information from eNBs in the E-UTRAN, and LPP may be used to support the positioning of UE 105. In these other embodiments, the location of UE 105 using directional PRS can be supported in a manner similar to that described herein for 5G networks, except that the functions and procedures described herein for gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF115 and LMF 120 can, in some cases, be alternatively applied to other network elements such as eNB, WiFi AP, MME and E-SMLC.

[0046] As described above, in some embodiments, the positioning function can be implemented at least in part using directional SS beams transmitted by a base station (such as gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114), wherein the base station is located at the UE whose positioning will be determined (e.g., Figure 1 Within the range of UE 105. In some instances, the UE can use directional SS beams from multiple base stations (such as gNB110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, etc.) to calculate the UE's location.

[0047] Also refer to Figure 2UE 200 is an example of UE 105 and includes a computing platform comprising a processor 210, a memory 211 including software (SW) 212, one or more sensors 213, a transceiver interface 214 for transceivers 215 (which includes a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250), a user interface 216, a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver 217, a camera 218, and a positioning (motion) device 219. The processor 210, memory 211, sensors 213, transceiver interface 214, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, and positioning (motion) device 219 are communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 220 (which may be configured, for example, for optical and / or electrical communications). One or more of the devices shown (e.g., one or more of the camera 218, positioning (motion) device 219, and / or sensors 213, etc.) may be omitted from UE 200. Processor 210 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. Processor 210 may include multiple processors, including a general purpose / application processor 230, a digital signal processor (DSP) 231, a modem processor 232, a video processor 233, and / or a sensor processor 234. One or more of processors 230-234 may include multiple devices (e.g., multiple processors). For example, sensor processor 234 may include processors for, for example, radio frequency (RF) sensing (having one or more transmitted wireless signals and reflections for identifying, mapping, and / or tracking objects) and / or ultrasound. Modem processor 232 may support dual SIM / dual connectivity (or even more SIMs). For example, a SIM (subscriber identification module or user identification module) may be used by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and another SIM may be used by the end user of UE200 for connectivity. Memory 211 is a non-transitory storage medium, which may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. Memory 211 stores software 212, which may be processor-readable and processor-executable software code containing instructions configured to cause processor 210 to perform the various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, software 212 may not be executed directly by processor 210, but may be configured to cause processor 210 to perform the function, for example, during compilation and execution. This description may refer to processor 210 performing functions, but this includes other implementations, such as processor 210 performing software and / or firmware. The description may refer to processor 210 performing the function as an abbreviation for one or more of processors 230-234 performing the function.This description may refer to the execution function of UE200, and is a shortened form of one or more suitable components of UE200 that perform that function. Processor 210 may include memory, in addition to and / or replacing memory 211, which has stored instructions. The functionality of processor 210 is discussed more fully below.

[0048] Figure 2 The configuration of UE 200 shown is an example of this disclosure, including the claims, and not a limitation, and other configurations may be used. For example, an example configuration of the UE includes one or more of processors 230-234 of processor 210, memory 211, and wireless transceiver 240. Other example configurations include one or more of processors 230-234 of processor 210, memory 211, wireless transceiver 240, and sensor 213, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, PMD 219, and / or wired transceiver 250.

[0049] UE 200 may include a modem processor 232 capable of performing baseband processing on signals received and downconverted by transceiver 215 and / or SPS receiver 217. Modem processor 232 may also perform baseband processing on signals to be upconverted for transmission by transceiver 215. Alternatively, baseband processing may be performed by general-purpose processor 230 and / or DSP 231. However, other configurations may be used to perform baseband processing.

[0050] UE 200 may include multiple sensors 213, which may include, for example, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 270, one or more magnetometers 271, and / or one or more environmental sensors 272. IMU 270 may include one or more inertial sensors, such as one or more accelerometers 273 (e.g., collectively responding to acceleration of UE 200 in three dimensions) and / or one or more gyroscopes 274. The magnetometers may provide measurements to determine orientation (e.g., relative to magnetic north and / or true north) for any purpose that can be used for a variety of purposes (e.g., supporting one or more compass applications). The environmental sensors 272 may include, for example, one or more temperature sensors, one or more atmospheric pressure sensors, one or more ambient light sensors, one or more camera imagers, and / or one or more microphones, etc. The sensors 213 may generate analog and / or digital signals, which may be stored in memory 211 and processed by DSP 231 and / or processor 230 to support one or more applications, such as applications involving positioning and / or navigation operations.

[0051] The multiple sensors 213 can be used for relative position measurement, relative position determination, motion determination, etc. Information detected by the multiple sensors 213 can be used for motion detection, relative displacement, dead reckoning, sensor-based position determination, and / or sensor-assisted position determination. The multiple sensors 213 can be used to determine whether the UE 200 is stationary or moving and / or whether to report certain useful information about the UE 200's mobility to the LMF 120. For example, based on information obtained / measured by the multiple sensors 213, the UE 200 can notify / report to the LMF 120 that the UE 200 has detected movement or that the UE 200 has moved, and report relative displacement / distance (e.g., via dead reckoning, or sensor-based position determination, or sensor-assisted position determination implemented by the multiple sensors 213). In another example, for relative position information, the sensors / IMU can be used to determine the angle and / or azimuth of another device relative to the UE 200, etc.

[0052] IMU 270 can be configured to provide measurements of the direction and / or velocity of motion of UE 200, which can be used for relative position determination. For example, one or more accelerometers 273 and / or one or more gyroscopes 274 of IMU 270 can detect the linear acceleration and rotational velocity of UE 200, respectively. The linear acceleration and rotational velocity measurements of UE 200 can be integrated over time to determine the instantaneous direction and displacement of UE 200. The instantaneous direction and displacement can be integrated to track the position of UE 200. For example, a reference position of UE 200 at a given time can be determined, for example, using SPS receiver 217 (and / or by some other means), and measurements from (multiple) accelerometers 273 and (multiple) gyroscopes 274 acquired after that time can be used for dead reckoning to determine the current position of UE 200 based on the movement (direction and distance) of UE 200 relative to the reference position.

[0053] Multiple magnetometers 271 can determine the magnetic field strength in different directions, which can be used to determine the orientation of the UE 200. For example, this orientation can be used to provide a digital compass for the UE 200. Multiple magnetometers 271 may include a two-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect and provide indications of magnetic field strength in two orthogonal dimensions. Alternatively, multiple magnetometers 271 may include a three-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect and provide indications of magnetic field strength in three orthogonal dimensions. Multiple magnetometers 271 can provide components for sensing magnetic fields and providing indications of the magnetic field to, for example, a processor 210.

[0054] Transceiver 215 may include a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, wireless transceiver 240 may include a transmitter 242 and a receiver 244 coupled to one or more antennas 246 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more downlink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) wireless signals 248, and converting signals from wireless signals 248 into wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and from wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals into wireless signals 248. Therefore, transmitter 242 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or receiver 244 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 240 can be configured to transmit signals according to various radio access technologies (RATs) (e.g., with TRPs and / or one or more other devices), such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Telephone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) (PC5), V2C (Uu), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc. The NR system can be configured to operate on different frequency layers such as FR1 (e.g., 410-7125MHz) and FR2 (e.g., 24.25-52.6GHz), and can be extended to new frequency bands such as below 6GHz and / or 100GHz and higher (e.g., FR2x, FR3, FR4). Wired transceiver 250 may include a transmitter 252 and a receiver 254 configured for wired communication, for example, wired communication with NG-RAN 135 to transmit communication to, for example, gNB 110a and receive communication therefrom. Transmitter 252 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or receiver 254 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. Wired transceiver 250 may be configured, for example, for optical and / or electrical communication. Transceiver 215 may be communicatively coupled to transceiver interface 214, for example, via optical and / or electrical connections. Transceiver interface 214 may be at least partially integrated with transceiver 215.

[0055] User interface 216 may include one or more of a number of devices, such as speakers, microphones, display devices, vibration devices, keyboards, touchscreens, etc. User interface 216 may include any one or more of these devices. User interface 216 may be configured to enable a user to interact with one or more applications hosted on UE 200. For example, user interface 216 may store indications of analog and / or digital signals in memory 211 in response to actions from the user for processing by DSP 231 and / or general-purpose processor 230. Similarly, applications hosted on UE 200 may store indications of analog and / or digital signals in memory 211 to present output signals to the user. User interface 216 may include audio input / output (I / O) devices, including, for example, speakers, microphones, digital-to-analog circuitry, analog-to-digital circuitry, amplifiers, and / or gain control circuitry (including any one or more of these devices). Other configurations of the audio I / O devices may be used. Alternatively, user interface 216 may include one or more touch sensors that respond to touch and / or pressure, for example, on the keyboard and / or touchscreen of user interface 216.

[0056] SPS receiver 217 (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver) may be able to receive and acquire SPS signal 260 via SPS antenna 262. SPS antenna 262 is configured to convert the wireless SPS signal 260 into a wired signal (e.g., an electrical or optical signal) and may be integrated with antenna 246. SPS receiver 217 may be configured to process the acquired SPS signal 260 wholly or partially to estimate the location of UE 200. For example, SPS receiver 217 may be configured to use SPS signal 260 to determine the location of UE 200 via trilateration. General-purpose processor 230, memory 211, DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors (not shown) may be used to process the captured SPS signal wholly or partially, and / or in conjunction with SPS receiver 217 to calculate the estimated location of UE 200. Memory 211 may store indications (e.g., measurements) of SPS signal 260 and / or other signals (e.g., signals acquired from wireless transceiver 240) for use in performing positioning operations. A general-purpose processor 230, a DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors and / or a memory 211 can provide or support a position engine for processing measurements to estimate the position of the UE 200.

[0057] UE 200 may include a camera 218 for capturing still or moving images. Camera 218 may include, for example, an imaging sensor (e.g., a charge-coupled device or a CMOS imager), a lens, analog-to-digital circuitry, a frame buffer, etc. Additional processing, conditioning, encoding, and / or compression of signals representing the captured images may be performed by a general-purpose processor 230 and / or a DSP 231. Alternatively, a video processor 233 may perform conditioning, encoding, compression, and / or manipulation of signals representing the captured images. The video processor 233 may decode / decompress stored image data for presentation on a display device (not shown), such as user interface 216.

[0058] The Positioning (Motion) Device (PMD) 219 can be configured to determine the location and possible motion of the UE 200. For example, the PMD 219 may communicate with and / or include part or all of the SPS receiver 217. The PMD 219 may also be configured, or alternatively, to use ground-based signals (e.g., at least some of signals 248) to determine the location of the UE 200 for trilateration, to assist in acquiring and using the SPS signal 260, or for both. The PMD 219 can be configured to use one or more other techniques (e.g., relying on the UE's self-reported location (e.g., part of the UE's positioning beacon)) to determine the location of the UE 200, and a combination of techniques (e.g., SPS and ground positioning signals) can be used to determine the location of the UE 200. PMD 219 may include one or more of sensors 213 (e.g., multiple gyroscopes, multiple accelerometers, multiple magnetometers, etc.) that can sense the orientation and / or motion of UE 200 and provide indications of motion (e.g., velocity vectors and / or acceleration vectors) of UE 200 that processor 210 (e.g., processor 230 and / or DSP 231) can be configured to use to determine the motion of UE 200. PMD 219 may be configured to provide indications of uncertainties and / or errors in the determined position and / or motion.

[0059] Also refer to Figure 3Examples of TRP 300 for BS, such as gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and ng-eNB114, include a computing platform comprising a processor 310, a memory 311 including software (SW) 312, a transceiver 315, and (optionally) an SPS receiver 317. The processor 310, memory 311, transceiver 315, and SPS receiver 317 are communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 320 (which may be configured, for example, for optical and / or electrical communications). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., a wireless interface and / or SPS receiver 317) may be omitted from the TRP 300. The SPS receiver 317 may be configured similarly to SPS receiver 217 to receive and capture SPS signal 360 via SPS antenna 362. The processor 310 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. Processor 310 may include multiple processors (e.g., including general-purpose / application processors, DSPs, modem processors, video processors, and / or sensor processors, such as...) Figure 2 (As shown in the diagram). Memory 311 is a non-transitory storage medium, which may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. Memory 311 stores software 312, which may be processor-readable and processor-executable software code containing instructions configured to cause processor 310 to perform the various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, software 312 may not be executed directly by processor 310, but may be configured to cause processor 310 to perform the function, for example, when compiled and executed. This description may refer to processor 310 performing a function, but this includes other implementations, such as those in which processor 310 performs software and / or firmware. This description may refer to processor 310 performing a function as an abbreviation for one or more processors included in processor 310 performing the function. This description may refer to TRP 300 performing the function, as an abbreviation for one or more suitable components of TRP 300 (and therefore one of gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114) performing the function. Processor 310 may include memory, in addition to and / or replacing memory 311, which has stored instructions. The functionality of processor 310 is discussed more fully below.

[0060] Transceiver 315 may include a wireless transceiver 340 and a wired transceiver 350 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, wireless transceiver 340 may include a transmitter 342 and a receiver 344 coupled to one or more antennas 346 for transmitting and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more uplink channels, downlink channels, and / or sidelink channels) wireless signals 348, and for converting signals from wireless signals 348 into wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals, and vice versa. Therefore, transmitter 342 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or receiver 344 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 340 can be configured to transmit signals according to various Radio Access Technologies (RATs) (e.g., with UE 200, one or more other UEs, and / or one or more other devices), such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Telephone Systems), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), and WiFi Direct (WiFi-D). Zigbee, etc. The wired transceiver 350 may include a transmitter 352 and a receiver 354 configured for wired communication with, for example, a network 140, to send and receive communications, for example, to and from an LMF 120 or other network server. The transmitter 352 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the receiver 354 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 350 may be configured for, for example, optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0061] Figure 3 The configuration of TRP 300 shown is an example and not a limitation of this disclosure including the claims, and other configurations may be used. For example, the description herein discusses TRP 300 being configured to perform or perform several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by LMF 120 and / or UE 200 (i.e., LMF 120 and / or UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0062] Also refer to Figure 4 Example servers (such as LMF 120) include a computing platform that includes a processor 410, a memory 411 including software (SW) 412, and a transceiver 415. The processor 410, memory 411, and transceiver 415 can be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 420 (which can be configured, for example, for optical and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., wireless interfaces) may be omitted from server 400. The processor 410 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 410 may include multiple processors (e.g., including general-purpose / application processors, DSPs, modem processors, video processors, and / or sensor processors, such as… Figure 2 (As shown in the diagram). Memory 411 is a non-transitory storage medium, which may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. Memory 411 stores software 412, which may be processor-readable and processor-executable software code containing instructions configured to cause processor 410 to perform the various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, software 412 may not be executed directly by processor 410, but may be configured to cause processor 410 to perform the function, for example, when compiled and executed. This description may refer to processor 410 performing functions, but this includes other implementations, such as those in which processor 410 performs software and / or firmware. This description may refer to processor 410 performing functions as an abbreviation of one or more processors included in processor 410 performing the function. This description may refer to server 400 (or LMF 120) performing functions as an abbreviation of one or more suitable components of server 400 performing the function. Processor 410 may include memory, in addition to and / or instead of memory 411, having stored instructions. The functions of the processor 410 will be discussed in more detail below.

[0063] Transceiver 415 may include a wireless transceiver 440 and a wired transceiver 450 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, wireless transceiver 440 may include a transmitter 442 and a receiver 444 coupled to one or more antennas 446 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more downlink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more uplink channels) wireless signals 448 and converting signals from wireless signals 448 into wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and vice versa. Therefore, transmitter 442 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or receiver 444 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 440 can be configured to transmit signals according to various Radio Access Technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Telephone Systems), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), and WiFi Direct (WiFi-D). Zigbee, etc. The wired transceiver 450 may include a transmitter 452 and a receiver 454 configured, for example, to communicate wiredly with NG-RAN 135 to send and receive communications from TRP 300, for example. Transmitter 452 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or receiver 454 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 450 may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0064] Figure 4 The configuration of server 400 shown is an example of this disclosure, including the claims, and not a limitation, and other configurations may be used. For example, wireless transceiver 440 may be omitted. Furthermore or alternatively, the description herein discusses server 400 being configured to perform or perform several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by TRP 300 and / or UE 200 (i.e., TRP 300 and / or UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0065] refer to Figure 5A and Figure 5BThe diagram illustrates an example downlink PRS resource set. Typically, a PRS resource set is a collection of PRS resources on a base station (e.g., TRP 300) that share the same periodicity, common muting pattern configuration, and identical repetition factor across time slots. A first PRS resource set 502 comprises 4 resources and a repetition factor of 4, with a time slot equal to 1 time slot. A second PRS resource set 504 comprises 4 resources and a repetition factor of 4, with a time slot equal to 4 time slots. The repetition factor indicates the number of times each PRS resource is repeated within each individual instance of the PRS resource set (e.g., values ​​1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32). The time slot represents the offset of a time slot unit between two repeated instances of PRS resources corresponding to the same PRS resource ID within a single instance of the PRS resource set (e.g., values ​​1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32). The duration spanned by a PRS resource set containing repeated PRS resources does not exceed a PRS period. The repetition of PRS resources allows receiver beams to scan the repetitions and combine RF gains to increase coverage. Repetition can also be used to mute within an instance.

[0066] refer to Figure 6 This illustrates example frames and time slot formats used for positioning reference signal transmission. The example frames and time slot formats are included in... Figure 5A and 5B The PRS resource cluster is described in the text. Figure 6 The subframe and time slot formats described are examples and not limitations, and include a comb-2 format 602 with 2 symbols, a comb-4 format 604 with 4 symbols, a comb-2 format 606 with 12 symbols, a comb-4 format 608 with 12 symbols, a comb-6 format 610 with 6 symbols, a comb-12 format 612 with 12 symbols, a comb-2 format 614 with 6 symbols, and a comb-6 format 616 with 12 symbols. Typically, a subframe may include 14 symbol periods with indices 0 to 13. The subframe and time slot formats can be used for the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). Typically, a base station may transmit PRS from antenna port 6 on one or more time slots in each subframe configured for PRS transmission. The base station may avoid transmitting PRS on resource elements allocated to the PBCH, Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), or Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), regardless of their antenna ports. Cells can generate reference symbols for PRS based on cell ID, symbol time period index, and time slot index. Typically, UEs can distinguish PRS from different cells.

[0067] A base station can transmit PRS on a specific PRS bandwidth, which can be configured by higher layers. The base station can transmit PRS on subcarriers spaced apart within the PRS bandwidth. The base station can also transmit PRS based on parameters such as PRS periodicity (TPRS), subframe offset (PRS), and PRS duration (NPRS). PRS periodicity is the periodicity of PRS transmission. The PRS period can be, for example, 160, 320, 640, or 1280 ms. The subframe offset indicates the specific subframe from which the PRS is transmitted. The PRS duration indicates the number of consecutive subframes of the PRS transmitted in each PRS transmission cycle (PRS timing). The PRS duration can be, for example, 1, 2, 4, or 6 ms.

[0068] The periodic NPRS and subframe offset PRS can be transmitted via the PRS configuration index IPRS. The PRS configuration index and PRS duration can be configured independently by higher layers. The set of consecutive NPRS subframes that transmit PRS can be called the PRS timing. Each PRS timing can be enabled or muted; for example, the UE can apply a mute bit to each cell. The PRS resource set is a set of PRS resources on the base station that have the same periodicity, common mute pattern configuration, and the same repetition factor on time slots (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32 time slots).

[0069] generally, Figure 5A and 5B The PRS resource depicted can be a set of resource elements used for PRS transmission. The set of resource elements can span multiple Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) in the frequency domain and N (e.g., one or more) consecutive symbols within a time slot in the time domain. In a given OFDM symbol, the PRS resource occupies a consecutive PRB. A PRS resource is described by at least the following parameters: PRS resource identifier (ID), sequence ID, comb size N, resource element offset in the frequency domain, start time slot and start symbol, number of symbols per PRS resource (i.e., duration of the PRS resource), and QCL information (e.g., QCL with other DL reference signals). Currently, one antenna port is supported. The comb size indicates the number of subcarriers carrying the PRS in each symbol. For example, a comb size of Comb-4 means that every fourth subcarrier in a given symbol carries the PRS.

[0070] A PRS resource set is a collection of PRS resources used to transmit PRS signals, where each PRS resource has a PRS resource ID. Furthermore, PRS resources in a PRS resource set are associated with the same transmit-receive point (e.g., TRP 300). Each PRS resource in a PRS resource set has the same periodicity, common silence pattern, and the same repetition factor across time slots. A PRS resource set is identified by a PRS resource set ID and can be associated with a specific TRP (identified by a cell ID) transmitted by the base station's antenna panel. The PRS resource ID in a PRS resource set can be associated with an omnidirectional signal and / or a single beam (and / or beam ID) transmitted from a single base station (where a base station can transmit one or more beams). Each PRS resource in a PRS resource set can be transmitted on a different beam; thus, a PRS resource (or simply a resource) can also be referred to as a beam. Note that this provides no indication of whether the UE is aware of the base station and the beam on which it transmits PRS signals.

[0071] In the example, the positioning frequency layer can be a set of PRS resource sets spanning one or more base stations. Positioning frequency layers can have the same subcarrier spacing (SCS) and cyclic prefix (CP) type, the same point A, the same DL PRS bandwidth value, the same starting PRB, and the same comb size value. The parameter set supported for PDSCH can also be supported for PRS.

[0072] A PRS timing is an instance of a periodically repeating time window (e.g., a group of one or more consecutive time slots) in which a PRS is expected to be sent. A PRS timing may also be referred to as a PRS positioning timing, positioning timing, or simply timing.

[0073] Note that the terms Positioning Reference Signal and PRS are reference signals that can be used for positioning, such as, but not limited to, the PRS signal in LTE, the Navigation Reference Signal (NRS) in 5G, the Downlink Position Reference Signal (DL-PRS), the Uplink Position Reference Signal (UL-PRS), the Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), the Cell-Specific Reference Signal (CRS), the Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), the Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), and the Sounding Reference Signal (SRS).

[0074] refer to Figure 7The diagram 700 illustrates a timing diagram of an example measurement gap. UE 200 can use measurement gaps to perform measurements that cannot be completed while UE 200 is communicating with the serving cell. During a measurement gap, uplink and downlink data transmissions are interrupted. UE 200 can use measurement gaps for PRS and RRM measurements. In LTE systems, measurement gaps can be used for inter-frequency and inter-system measurements. Measurement gaps provide additional time to allow UE 200 to retune its transceiver to a target frequency band (e.g., a carrier), obtain measurements, and then retune the transceiver back to the original carrier. The retuning operation may take up to 0.5 ms. In NR systems, in addition to inter-frequency and inter-system measurements, measurement gaps can also be used for intra-frequency measurements. NR UEs can be configured to utilize bandwidth portions (BWPs). In the example, the UE can be configured with an active BWP that does not contain intra-frequency SS / PBCH blocks, and the UE may have to retune its transceiver to receive intra-frequency SS / PBCH blocks. Base stations such as gNB 110a-b and ng-eNB 114 can be configured to generate measurement gap information and provide it to the UE. For example, the base station can send measurement gap configuration information elements, such as the measurement gap offset (MGO) 704, which can be measured from a frame or subframe boundary 702. The measurement gap length (MGL) 706 indicates the duration of the measurement gap. MGL 706 is typically in the range of 1.5 to 6 ms. The measurement gap repetition period (MGRP) 708 defines the time period between consecutive measurement gaps. 3GPP TS 38.133 specifies gap patterns based on a combination of MGL 706 and MGRP 708. For example, the value of MGL 706 can vary from 1.5 ms to 6 ms, and the value of MGRP 708 can vary from 20 ms to 160 ms. MGL 706 can also be constrained to adapt to the UE tuning time. Measurement gap information can be exchanged via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or via other network interfaces.

[0075] refer to Figure 8A This illustration shows an example tuning on a measurement gap 800 with tuning and detuning periods. The tuning on the measurement gap 800 has an MGL 802, which also includes a tuning period 804a and a detuning period 804b. As used herein, the term "tuning" means a measurement gap with tuning periods (e.g., tuning period 804a and detuning period 804b), as opposed to a measurement gap without tuning (e.g., no tuning period). MGL 802 is... Figure 7 Example of MGL706. Generally, if MGL802 equals X ms, and the tuning periods 804a-b are T1 and T2 ms respectively, then the actual gap length 806 equals X - T1 - T2, as shown. Figure 8AAs described in [reference]. Tuning periods 804a-b are typically in the range of 250-500 microseconds (μs) and are configured to allow the UE 200 to retune the transceiver to a new frequency band to obtain PRS or RRM measurements during the measurement gap, and then tune back to the previous frequency band. In some cases, the UE 200 can be tuned to the same frequency band as the PRS transmission and can utilize the no-tuning measurement gap to obtain measurements. For example, see [reference]. Figure 8B The diagram illustrates an untuned measurement gap 850. The untuned measurement gap 850 may have the same MGL 802 as the tuning on the measurement gap 800, but the actual gap 808 may be larger due to the elimination of tuning periods 804a-b. The UE 200 may be configured to measure the PRS and RRM signals during the duration of the actual gap 808.

[0076] Signal timing issues may arise from the scheduling of PRS transmissions and measurement gaps determined by the base station (e.g., gNB 110a), where the scheduling of PRS transmissions is defined in a network server such as LMF 120. For example, PRS transmissions may be scheduled during a time period within tuning periods 804a-b. UE 200 may not be able to measure the signal during retuning, and therefore may not be able to measure reference signals transmitted during tuning and detuning periods 804a-b. UEs may have different tuning and bandwidth capabilities, and some UEs may be able to retune faster than others. Such fast-tuning UEs are able to measure some reference signals transmitted during tuning periods 804a-b. The inability of the UE to receive PRS during tuning periods 804a-b, and the corresponding increase in symbol loss, may reduce the accuracy of the obtained positioning estimate. For example, reference... Figure 9 Table 900 illustrates a data table 900 indicating example symbol loss during the tuning period. Table 900 includes a set of parameters and estimated symbol loss for different subcarrier spacing values. Symbol loss can affect the UE's ability to effectively measure reference signals used for positioning and mobility applications.

[0077] refer to Figure 10 For further reference Figure 8A and 8BThe diagram illustrates a first example timing diagram 1000 for positioning reference signals transmitted on two frequency bands. Timing diagram 1000 includes PRS transmitted during measurement gaps on a first frequency band (e.g., a first component carrier) 1002 and a second frequency band (e.g., a second component carrier) 1004. The first frequency band 1002 includes four PRS transmissions: a first PRS 1006a, a second PRS 1006b, a third PRS 1006c, and a fourth PRS 1006d. The first measurement gap 1010 is an example of a tuning measurement gap 800 and includes tuning periods T1 and T2 as previously described, with the first PRS 1006a occurring during tuning period T1 and the fourth PRS 1006d occurring during detuning period T2. Due to retuning requirements, the UE may not be able to receive the first PRS 1006a and the fourth PRS 1006d. Therefore, the number of available PRS 'N' is 2 (i.e., N1 = 2). Conversely, the second frequency band 1004 includes four PRS transmissions, namely a first PRS 1008a, a second PRS 1008b, a third PRS 1008c, and a fourth PRS 1008d. The second measurement gap 1012 is an example of an untuned measurement gap 850, and the UE can receive all four PRS transmissions during the measurement gap period (i.e., N2 = 4). In this example, the UE can utilize the active BWP in the second frequency band 1004 before the measurement gap, thereby determining that the second measurement gap 1012 is an untuned measurement gap. That is, the UE does not need to retune to measure the PRS transmissions. However, the UE on the second frequency band 1004 may have to retune to receive the second PRS 1006b and the third PRS 1006c on the first frequency band 1002.

[0078] UE 200 can be configured to determine available PRS resources based on received auxiliary data and to associate available PRS with measurement gap configurations received from the serving cell. The UE can receive auxiliary data for positioning from an LMF 120, which may contain one or more positioning frequency layers. Each layer may have a number of 'N' TRPs or 'N' PRS resource sets or 'N' beams. In the example, the UE can currently operate in a 3-carrier aggregation (CA) configuration, such that each carrier of the UE is associated with an active BWP. Each BWP may have a different SCS or CP or bandwidth occupancy. The LMF 120 can configure the PRS without knowing the measurement gaps that the UE can request or the corresponding tuning and detuning periods. Therefore, it is possible that at least a portion of the PRS will be transmitted during the tuning or detuning period. UE 200 can be configured to characterize tuned and untuned measurement gaps based on the current state of UE 200. For example, untuned measurement gaps may occur on carriers within active BWPs configured on the UE. UE 200 can be configured to select the measurement gap and frequency band based on the number of PRS that can be received. For example, refer to Figure 10 UE 200 can choose to receive PRS on the second frequency band 1004 because it can receive all four PRS 1008a-d, instead of trying to receive two PRS (i.e., the second and third PRS 1006b-c) on the first frequency band 1002. However, the relationship between PRS transmission time and measurement gap can vary, and in some examples, more reference signals can be measured in the tuned measurement gap compared to the untuned measurement gap.

[0079] refer to Figure 11 For further reference Figure 8A and 8BThe diagram illustrates a second example timing diagram 1100 for positioning reference signals transmitted in two frequency bands. Timing diagram 1100 includes PRS transmitted during measurement gaps on a first frequency band (e.g., a first component carrier) 1102 and a second frequency band (e.g., a second component carrier) 1104. The first frequency band 1102 includes four PRS transmissions: a first PRS 1106a, a second PRS 1106b, a third PRS 1106c, and a fourth PRS 1106d. The first measurement gap 1110 is an example of tuning on a measurement gap 800 and includes tuning periods T1 and T2 as previously described. In this example, the four PRS 1106a-d are transmitted within the actual gap periods and do not overlap with tuning periods T1 and detuning periods T2, so the number of available PRS is 4 (i.e., N1 = 4). The second frequency band 1104 includes two PRS transmissions: a first PRS 1108a and a second PRS 1108b. The second measurement gap 1112 is an example of the untuned measurement gap 850. In this example, since two PRS transmissions are available during the measurement gap on the second band 1104 (i.e., N2 = 2), the UE can retune to the first band 1102 to attempt to receive four PRS 1106a-d, instead of remaining on the second band 1104 and receiving two available PRS 1108a-b. The UE 200 is configured to determine the number "N" of available measurable PRS on the band, which can exclude PRS during the tuning period, and then select the band to increase the number of PRS to be measured. Figure 11 The illustration shows an example where a tuned measurement gap can be given higher priority than an untuned measurement gap. Since the PRS is typically configured by the LMF 120 without prior knowledge of the measurement gap configuration, other variations in PRS timing relative to measurement gaps on different frequency layers are also possible. The UE 200 can be configured to request measurement gaps in a frequency band that will maximize the amount of PRS resources to be measured. For example, the UE 200 can utilize RRC or other network signaling to request measurement gaps from the base station (see, for example, 3GPP 38.305, version 16, section 7.4.1.1).

[0080] refer to Figure 12Example timing diagram 1200 of a positioning reference signal transmitted on three frequency bands is shown. In the example, UE 200 can be configured to operate in one or more frequency bands with a carrier aggregation scheme having multiple component carriers (CCs). UE 200 can be configured to determine how many TRPs, PRS resource sets, and / or beams can be measured during measurement gaps without having to tune and detun. In operation, UE 200 may not need to tune or detune for the PRS configured within the active BWP of the configured CC. UE 200 can operate on a first component carrier 1202, a second component carrier 1204, and a third component carrier 1206. In the example, component carriers 1202, 1204, and 1206 can be within the same frequency band 1201. Frequency band 1201 can be within a portion of a frequency layer. In another example, component carriers 1202, 1204, and 1206 can be in different frequency bands and / or different frequency layers. Each of component carriers 1202, 1204, and 1206 is associated with an active BWP, and UE 200 can request a corresponding untuned measurement gap, including a first measurement gap 1210, a second measurement gap 1212, and a third measurement gap 1214. UE 200 can determine the number ('N') of PRS that can be measured on each of the component carriers. For example, during the first measurement gap 1210, three PRS 1220a-c can be received on the first component carrier 1202, so the first number N1 equals 3. During the second measurement gap 1212, two PRS 1222a-b can be received on the second component carrier 1204, so the second number N2 equals 2. During the third measurement gap 1214, four PRS 1224a-d can be received on the third component carrier 1206, so the third number N3 equals 4. The number of PRS and the duration of the measurement gap are examples, because different frequency bands, TRPs, PRS resource sets and / or beams and measurement gaps can be used, and therefore the number of PRS that the UE 200 can use for measurement can vary.

[0081] UE 200 can be configured to select one or more of component carriers 1202, 1204, and 1206, which will maximize the number of PRS that can be measured during one or more measurement gaps. In an embodiment, UE 200 can be configured to select one measurement gap and choose the maximum value among N1, N2, and N3. In this example, max(N1, N2, N3) equals 4. In an embodiment, UE 200 can be configured to determine the maximum number based on a combination of more than one component carrier. For example, UE 200 can be configured to determine the maximum value among N1+N2, N1+N3, and N2+N3 if it requests a measurement gap in two component carriers. In an example, UE 200 can request one or more measurement gaps associated with one or more component carriers and determine a sorted or ranked list based on the number of PRS available in different combinations of measurement gaps. UE 200 can request measurement gaps based on the ranked list. In one embodiment, UE 200 may request a measurement gap from the serving gNB via RRC message transmission, and the gNB may be configured to provide the request to other stations. In another embodiment, UE 200 may utilize other network protocols such as LPP to request measurement gap configuration from a network server such as LMF 120.

[0082] UE 200 can utilize PRS (Propagation Relationship) in one or more of many different technologies to determine location. Known location determination technologies include RSTD (Real-Time Toll-Time), RTT (Round-Time Toll-Time), Multiple RTT (Multi-RTT), OTDOA (also known as TDOA), Enhanced Cell Identification (E-CID), DL-AoD (Deep-Time AoD), etc. RTT uses the time it takes for a signal to travel from one entity to another and back to determine the distance between two entities. This distance, plus the known location of the first entity and the angle between the two entities (e.g., azimuth), can be used to determine the location of the second entity. In Multiple RTT (also known as Multi-Cell RTT), multiple distances from one entity (e.g., UE) to other entities (e.g., TRP) and the known locations of other entities can be used to determine the location of one entity. In TDOA, the difference in propagation time between one entity and other entities can be used to determine relative distances to other entities, and those combinations with the known locations of other entities can be used to determine the location of one entity. Arrival and / or departure angles can be used to help determine the location of an entity. For example, the angle of arrival or departure of a signal, combined with the distance between the device and the known location of one of the devices, can be used to determine the location of another device. The angle of arrival or departure can be an azimuth relative to a reference direction such as true north. The angle of arrival or departure can also be a zenith angle relative to directly upwards from the entity (i.e., radially outwards from the Earth's center). E-CID uses the serving cell identifier, timing advance (i.e., the difference between the receive and transmit times at the UE), estimated timing and power of detected neighboring cell signals, and possible angles of arrival (e.g., the angle of arrival of signals from the base station at the UE, or vice versa) to determine the location of the UE. In TDOA, the time difference of arrival of signals from different sources at the receiving device, along with the known location of the sources and the known offset of the transmission time from the sources, is used to determine the location of the receiving device.

[0083] refer to Figure 13 For further reference Figure 1-12 Method 1300 for selecting a frequency band to maximize the measurement of a positioning reference signal in an untuned measurement gap includes the stages shown. However, method 1300 is an example and not a limitation. Method 1300 can be modified, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, performing stages simultaneously, and / or dividing a single stage into multiple stages.

[0084] In phase 1302, the method includes receiving positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from the network. UE 200 is a component for receiving the positioning assistance data. The positioning assistance data may include PRS configuration information associated with one or more TRPs, and may include positioning frequency layers, PRS resources, PRS resource sets, and other positioning assistance data configured to enable UE 200 to receive and utilize positioning reference signals to determine location. The positioning assistance data may be included in a System Information Block (SIB), received via RRC signaling, or received via other messaging protocols. The positioning assistance data may include PRS transmission timing information for PRS beams on different frequency layers that can be received by UE 200.

[0085] In stage 1304, the method includes determining measurement gap information for one or more frequency bands associated with one or more frequency layers. UE 200 is a component used to determine the measurement gap information. In the example, TRP 300 may be configured to transmit measurement gap configuration information in RRC signaling or other over-the-air messaging. The measurement gap information may include information elements such as MGO 704, MGL 706, and MGRP 708. In the example, gap pattern identifiers (e.g., 0-23) may be used to represent previously stored MGL and MGRP values. Measurement gaps may be different on different frequency layers. Alternatively, a single measurement gap pattern may be configured for different frequency layers (e.g., FR1 and FR2). One or more frequency bands may include an entire frequency layer, component carriers, or a set of component carriers.

[0086] In phase 1306, the method includes determining the number of available positioning reference signals for each of one or more frequency bands based on positioning assistance data and measurement gap information. UE 200 is a component for determining the number of available positioning reference signals. UE 200 may compare the scheduling of PRS transmissions for various TRPs, PRS resources, and PRS resource sets with the measurement gap information to determine the number of available PRS transmissions that can be measured. This comparison may include tuned and untuned measurement gaps based on the capabilities of UE 200 and / or the network. For example, reference... Figure 11 UE 200 may have one untuned measurement gap associated with the active BWP and one or more tuned measurement gaps 1110 associated with other component carriers. In another example, refer to Figure 12UE 200 is capable of utilizing more than one untuned measurement gap. For both tuned and untuned measurement gaps, UE 200 determines the number of PRS that can be measured during the measurement gap. In the example, UE 200 can be configured to select a frequency band to maximize the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured in one or more component carriers within the measurement gap, and the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured can include those positioning reference signals in the actual gap minus any tuning or detuning periods.

[0087] At stage 1308, the method includes measuring one or more positioning reference signals for a selected frequency band, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the measurement gap. UE 200 is a component for measuring one or more positioning reference signals. UE 200 can be configured to request a measurement gap based on the number of available PRS measurements. For example, reference... Figure 13 The UE can request a measurement gap based on the maximum value of N1, N2, and N3, or based on a combination of N values ​​(e.g., max(N1+N2, N1+N3, N2+N3)). (See reference) Figure 11 UE 200 can determine the number of PRS available in the actual gap portion of the tuning gap. For example, the first frequency band 1102 has a number of available positioning reference signals equal to 4 (i.e., N1 = 4). In the example, UE 200 can request one or more measurement gaps associated with one or more component carriers and determine an ordering or ranking list based on the number of PRS available in different combinations of measurement gaps. In an embodiment, UE 200 can utilize network signaling such as RRC or DCI to request measurement gaps. UE 200 can perform PRS measurements based on the ordering list of measurement gaps. In the example, the frequency band can include a set of component carriers, and UE 200 can perform PRS measurements on one or more component carriers in that set of component carriers. In the example, the component carriers can be in different frequency layers.

[0088] In phase 1310, the method includes calculating location information based on at least one or more positioning reference signal measurements. UE 200 is the component used to calculate the location information. In the example, UE 200 may utilize PRS in one or more known location determination techniques, including RSTD, RTT, multiple RTT, OTDOA, E-CID, DL-AoD, etc. UE 200 may utilize positioning assistance data such as station location information to calculate the estimated location. In the example, UE 200 may provide PRS measurement results to a serving station and may configure network resources such as LMF 120 to calculate the location information.

[0089] Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software and computers, the above-described functions can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or any combination thereof. Features implementing the functions can also be physically located in various locations, including being distributed such that portions of the functions are implemented at different physical locations. For example, one or more functions, or one or more portions thereof, that occur in the LMF 120 as described above can be performed outside the LMF 120, such as by the TRP 300.

[0090] Unless otherwise stated, the functional or other components shown in the figures and / or described herein that are interconnected or communicating with each other are communicatively coupled. That is, they may be directly or indirectly connected to enable them to communicate with each other.

[0091] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, a statement that a function or operation is “based on” a statement of ...

[0092] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, “processor” can include one or more processors. The term “comprises / comprising / includes / including” as used herein specifies the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0093] Furthermore, as used herein, the word "or," as used in a list of items, may begin with "at least one" or "one or more" to indicate a separate list, such that, for example, a list of "at least one of A, B, or C," or a list of "one or more of A, B, or C," or a list of "A or B or C" means A, B, or C, or AB (A and B), or AC (A and C), or BC (B and C), or ABC (i.e., A and B and C), or a combination having multiple characteristics (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.). Thus, for example, an item of the processor is configured to perform with respect to at least one of A or B. A description of a function, or a description of an item being configured to perform function A or function B, means that the item can be configured to perform a function about A, or can be configured to perform a function about B, or can be configured to perform functions about both A and B. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of A or B" or "a processor configured to measure A or B" means that the processor can be configured to measure A (and may or may not be configured to measure B), or can be configured to measure B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or can be configured to measure both A and B (and can be configured to select A and B). (Measure one or both of them). Similarly, the description of a component for measuring at least one of A or B includes a component for measuring A (which may or may not be able to measure B), or a component for measuring B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or a component for measuring A and B (which may be able to select one or both of A and B for measurement). As another example, the description of an item, for example, a processor being configured to perform at least one of function X or function Y means that the item can be configured to perform function X, or can be configured to perform function Y, or can be configured to perform both functions X and Y. For example, short The phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of X or Y" means that the processor can be configured to measure X (and can be configured to measure Y or not), or can be configured to measure Y (and can be configured to measure either X or Y (and can be configured to select one or both of X and Y)). Substantial variations can be made to suit specific requirements. For example, custom hardware can be used, and / or specific components can be implemented in hardware, software executed by the processor (including portable software such as applets), or both. Furthermore, connections to other computing devices, such as network input / output devices, can be employed.

[0094] The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may appropriately omit, substitute, or add various processes or components. For example, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of configurations may be combined in a similar manner. Moreover, technology evolves, and therefore, many elements are examples and do not limit the scope of this disclosure or the claims.

[0095] A wireless communication system is a system in which communication is transmitted wirelessly, that is, by propagating electromagnetic waves and / or sound waves through atmospheric space rather than through wired or other physical connections. A wireless communication network may not transmit all communication wirelessly, but is configured to transmit at least some communication wirelessly. Furthermore, the term "wireless communication device" or similar terms do not require that the device's function is specifically or uniformly primarily for communication, or that the device is a mobile device, but rather indicate that the device includes wireless communication capabilities (one-way or two-way), for example, including at least one radio for wireless communication (each radio being part of a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver).

[0096] Specific details are provided in the description to offer a thorough understanding of the example configurations (including implementations). However, the configurations can be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary details to avoid obscuring the configurations. This specification provides example configurations and does not limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claims. Rather, the foregoing description of the configurations provides a description of how to implement the described techniques. Changes may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0097] As used herein, the terms “processor-readable medium,” “machine-readable medium,” and “computer-readable medium” refer to any medium that participates in providing data that enables a machine to operate in a particular manner. Using a computing platform, various processor-readable media may involve providing instructions / code to a processor for execution and / or being used to store and / or carry such instructions / code (e.g., as signals). In many implementations, processor-readable media are physical and / or tangible storage media. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile and volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical discs and / or magnetic disks. Volatile media include, but are not limited to, dynamic memory.

[0098] A statement that a value exceeds (or is greater than or higher than) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value meets or exceeds a second threshold slightly greater than the first threshold. For example, in the resolution of a computing system, the second threshold is one value higher than the first threshold. A statement that a value is less than (or within or below) the first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value is less than or equal to a second threshold slightly lower than the first threshold. For example, in the resolution of a computing system, the second threshold is one value lower than the first threshold.

[0099] Examples of implementation methods are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0100] 1. A method for locating a user equipment, the method comprising:

[0101] Receive positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from the network;

[0102] Determine the measurement gap information for one or more frequency bands associated with the one or more frequency layers;

[0103] Based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information, the number of available positioning reference signals for each of the one or more frequency bands is determined;

[0104] Measure one or more positioning reference signals for a selected frequency band, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the measurement gap; and

[0105] Position information is calculated based at least in part on measurements of one or more positioning reference signals.

[0106] 2. The method according to Clause 1, wherein determining the measurement gap information includes determining the tuning duration and detuning duration for the measurement gap.

[0107] 3. The method according to Clause 2, wherein the selected frequency band is a frequency band in which the user equipment does not require tuning or detuning, thereby the measurement gap is a tuning-free measurement gap, and the tuning duration and the detuning duration are zero.

[0108] 4. The method according to Clause 1, wherein at least one of the one or more frequency bands is associated with an active bandwidth portion on the user equipment.

[0109] 5. The method according to Clause 1, wherein the one or more frequency bands include a first component carrier in a first frequency band and a second component carrier in a second frequency band.

[0110] 6. The method according to Clause 5, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are in the first frequency layer.

[0111] 7. The method according to Clause 5, wherein the first frequency band is in the first frequency layer and the second frequency band is in the second frequency layer.

[0112] 8. The method according to Clause 1, wherein the one or more frequency bands include a first component carrier and a second component carrier in a first frequency band.

[0113] 9. The method according to Clause 8, wherein the selected frequency band is determined to maximize the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured in one or more component carriers within the measurement gap.

[0114] 10. The method according to Clause 9, wherein the number of measurable positioning reference signals includes the positioning reference signals in the actual gaps between any tuning or detuning periods used for the user equipment.

[0115] 11. The method according to Clause 1, wherein the one or more frequency layers include a first frequency layer in the range of 410-7125MHz or a second frequency layer in the range of 24.25-52.6GHz.

[0116] 12. The method according to Clause 1, wherein at least one of the one or more frequency layers is configured to operate in a frequency range above 100 GHz.

[0117] 13. The method according to Clause 1, wherein determining the measurement gap information includes requesting the measurement gap information from the base station.

[0118] 14. The method according to Clause 1, wherein at least one of the one or more positioning reference signals is a beamforming positioning reference signal.

[0119] 15. The method according to Clause 1, wherein the one or more positioning reference signals include at least two positioning reference signals transmitted in the same frequency layer.

[0120] 16. The method according to Clause 1, wherein the one or more positioning reference signals include a first positioning reference signal transmitted in a first frequency layer and a second positioning reference signal transmitted in a second frequency layer.

[0121] 17. The method according to Clause 1, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in a combination of measurement gaps in the one or more frequency bands.

[0122] 18. The method according to Clause 1, wherein determining the measurement gap information includes requesting the measurement gap information from the base station and receiving the measurement gap information from the base station.

[0123] 19. The method according to Clause 18, wherein the request for the measurement gap information is based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message transmission.

[0124] 20. An apparatus comprising:

[0125] Memory;

[0126] At least one transceiver;

[0127] At least one processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one processor, and configured to:

[0128] Receive positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from the network;

[0129] Determine the measurement gap information for one or more frequency bands associated with the one or more frequency layers;

[0130] Based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information, the number of available positioning reference signals for each of the one or more frequency bands is determined;

[0131] Measure one or more positioning reference signals for a selected frequency band, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the measurement gap; and

[0132] Position information is calculated based at least in part on measurements of one or more positioning reference signals.

[0133] 21. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the tuning duration and the detuning duration for the measurement gap.

[0134] 22. The apparatus according to Clause 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select a frequency band that does not require tuning or detuning, whereby the measurement gap is a tuning-free measurement gap and the tuning duration and the detuning duration are zero.

[0135] 23. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein at least one of the one or more frequency bands is associated with an active bandwidth portion of the apparatus.

[0136] 24. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein the one or more frequency bands include a first component carrier in a first frequency band and a second component carrier in a second frequency band.

[0137] 25. The apparatus according to Clause 24, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are in the first frequency layer.

[0138] 26. The apparatus according to Clause 24, wherein the first frequency band is in the first frequency layer and the second frequency band is in the second frequency layer.

[0139] 27. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein the one or more frequency bands include a first component carrier and a second component carrier in a first frequency band.

[0140] 28. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select a frequency band to maximize the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured in one or more component carriers within the measurement gap.

[0141] 29. The apparatus according to Clause 28, wherein the number of measurable positioning reference signals includes the positioning reference signals in the actual gap after subtracting any tuning or detuning periods.

[0142] 30. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein the one or more frequency layers include a first frequency layer in the range of 410-7125 MHz or a second frequency layer in the range of 24.25-52.6 GHz.

[0143] 31. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein at least one of the one or more frequency layers is configured to operate in a frequency range above 100 GHz.

[0144] 32. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein the at least one processor is configured to request the measurement gap information from the base station.

[0145] 33. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein at least one of the one or more positioning reference signals is a beamforming positioning reference signal.

[0146] 34. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein the one or more positioning reference signals include at least two positioning reference signals transmitted in the same frequency layer.

[0147] 35. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein the one or more positioning reference signals include a first positioning reference signal transmitted in a first frequency layer and a second positioning reference signal transmitted in a second frequency layer.

[0148] 36. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in a combination of measurement gaps in the one or more frequency bands.

[0149] 37. The apparatus according to Clause 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to request the measurement gap information from the base station and to receive the measurement gap information from the base station.

[0150] 38. The apparatus according to clause 37, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to request the measurement gap information based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) message transmission.

[0151] 39. An apparatus for locating a user equipment, the apparatus comprising:

[0152] Components for receiving positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from a network;

[0153] Components used to determine measurement gap information of one or more frequency bands associated with the one or more frequency layers;

[0154] A component for determining the number of available positioning reference signals for each of the one or more frequency bands based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information;

[0155] A component for measuring one or more positioning reference signals for a selected frequency band, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the measurement gap; and

[0156] A component for calculating position information based at least in part on measurements of one or more positioning reference signals.

[0157] 40. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium including processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to locate a user equipment, comprising:

[0158] Code used to receive positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from the network;

[0159] Code used to determine measurement gap information for one or more frequency bands associated with the one or more frequency layers;

[0160] Code used to determine the number of available positioning reference signals for each of the one or more frequency bands based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information;

[0161] Codes for measuring one or more positioning reference signals for a selected frequency band, wherein the selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the measurement gap; and

[0162] Code for calculating location information based at least in part on measurements of one or more positioning reference signals.

Claims

1. A method for locating a user equipment (UE), comprising: Receive positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from the network; Determine the measurement gap information for one or more frequency bands associated with the one or more frequency layers; Based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information, the number of available positioning reference signals that can be measured by the UE in the measurement gap for each of the one or more frequency bands is determined; Choose a frequency band that maximizes the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured during the measurement gap for that frequency band; During the measurement interval, one or more positioning reference signals for the selected frequency band are measured; as well as Position information is calculated based at least in part on measurements of one or more positioning reference signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining the measurement gap information includes determining the tuning duration and detuning duration for the measurement gap.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The selected frequency band is a frequency band in which the user equipment does not need to be tuned or detuned, thus the measurement gap is a tune-free measurement gap, and the tuning duration and the detuning duration are zero.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the one or more frequency bands is associated with the active bandwidth portion of the user equipment.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more frequency bands include a first component carrier in a first frequency band and a second component carrier in a second frequency band.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The first frequency band and the second frequency band are in the first frequency layer.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The first frequency band is in the first frequency layer, and the second frequency band is in the second frequency layer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more frequency bands include a first component carrier and a second component carrier in the first frequency band.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The selected frequency band is determined to maximize the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured in one or more component carriers within the measurement gap.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The number of measurable positioning reference signals includes the positioning reference signals in the actual gaps after subtracting any tuning or detuning periods used for the user equipment.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more frequency layers include a first frequency layer in the range of 410-7125 MHz or a second frequency layer in the range of 24.25-52.6 GHz.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the one or more frequency layers is configured to operate in a frequency range above 100 GHz.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining the measurement gap information includes requesting the measurement gap information from the base station.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the one or more positioning reference signals is a beamforming positioning reference signal.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more positioning reference signals include at least two positioning reference signals transmitted in the same frequency layer.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more positioning reference signals include a first positioning reference signal transmitted in a first frequency layer and a second positioning reference signal transmitted in a second frequency layer.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the combination of measurement gaps in the one or more frequency bands.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining the measurement gap information includes requesting the measurement gap information from the base station and receiving the measurement gap information from the base station.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The request for the measurement gap information is based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) message transmission.

20. An apparatus comprising: Memory; At least one transceiver; At least one processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one processor, and configured to: Receive positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from the network; Determine the measurement gap information for one or more frequency bands associated with the one or more frequency layers; Based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information, determine the number of available positioning reference signals that can be measured by the user equipment (UE) during the measurement gap for each of the one or more frequency bands; Choose a frequency band that maximizes the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured during the measurement gap for that frequency band; During the measurement interval, one or more positioning reference signals for the selected frequency band are measured; as well as Position information is calculated based at least in part on measurements of one or more positioning reference signals.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The at least one processor is also configured to determine the tuning duration and detuning duration for the measurement gap.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein, The at least one processor is also configured to select a frequency band that does not require tuning or detuning, whereby the measurement gap is a tuning-free measurement gap and the tuning duration and the detuning duration are zero.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, At least one of the one or more frequency bands is associated with the active bandwidth portion of the device.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The one or more frequency bands include a first component carrier in a first frequency band and a second component carrier in a second frequency band.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein, The first frequency band and the second frequency band are in the first frequency layer.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein, The first frequency band is in the first frequency layer and the second frequency band is in the second frequency layer.

27. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The one or more frequency bands include a first component carrier and a second component carrier in the first frequency band.

28. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The at least one processor is also configured to select a frequency band in order to maximize the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured in one or more component carriers within the measurement gap.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein, The number of measurable positioning reference signals includes the positioning reference signals in the actual gaps after subtracting any tuning or detuning periods.

30. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The one or more frequency layers include a first frequency layer in the range of 410-7125 MHz or a second frequency layer in the range of 24.25-52.6 GHz.

31. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, At least one of the one or more frequency layers is configured to operate in a frequency range above 100 GHz.

32. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The at least one processor is configured to request the measurement gap information from the base station.

33. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, At least one of the one or more positioning reference signals is a beamforming positioning reference signal.

34. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The one or more positioning reference signals include at least two positioning reference signals transmitted in the same frequency layer.

35. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The one or more positioning reference signals include a first positioning reference signal transmitted in a first frequency layer and a second positioning reference signal transmitted in a second frequency layer.

36. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The selected frequency band is based on the number of available positioning reference signals in the combination of measurement gaps in the one or more frequency bands.

37. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The at least one processor is also configured to request the measurement gap information from the base station and to receive the measurement gap information from the base station.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein, The at least one processor is also configured to request the measurement gap information based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) message transmission.

39. An apparatus for locating a user equipment (UE), comprising: Components for receiving positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from a network; Components for determining measurement gap information of one or more frequency bands associated with the one or more frequency layers; A component for determining, based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information, the number of available positioning reference signals that can be measured by the UE in the measurement gap for each of the one or more frequency bands; A component for selecting a frequency band that maximizes the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured during the measurement interval for that frequency band; A component for measuring one or more positioning reference signals for a selected frequency band during the measurement gap; and A component for calculating position information based at least in part on measurements of one or more positioning reference signals.

40. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium including processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to locate a user equipment (UE), including code for: Receive positioning assistance data associated with one or more frequency layers from the network; Determine the measurement gap information for one or more frequency bands associated with the one or more frequency layers; Based on the positioning assistance data and the measurement gap information, the number of available positioning reference signals that can be measured by the UE in the measurement gap for each of the one or more frequency bands is determined; Choose a frequency band that maximizes the number of positioning reference signals that can be measured during the measurement gap for that frequency band; During the measurement interval, one or more positioning reference signals for the selected frequency band are measured; as well as Position information is calculated based at least in part on measurements of one or more positioning reference signals.

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