Positioning signal frequency hopping aggregation user equipment, methods, and storage media

Abstract

A method that facilitates positioning determination of a user equipment includes receiving, at the user equipment, a first plurality of positioning reference signal portions having a corresponding plurality of frequency sub-bands, processing, at the user equipment, one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine positioning information, and at least one of transmitting, to a network entity, a capability message indicating a processing capability of the user equipment to combine positioning reference signal portions having different frequency sub-bands to determine the positioning information or transmitting, to the network entity, a signal combination indication indicating a second plurality of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions that are combined by the user equipment to determine the positioning information.

Description

[0001] background

[0002] Wireless communication systems have undergone several generations of development, 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 radio service with Internet capabilities, fourth-generation (4G) service (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax), and fifth-generation (5G) service. 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), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and GSM TDMA variants.

[0003] The fifth-generation (5G) mobile standard demands higher data transmission speeds, a greater number of connections, better coverage, and other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGC), the 5G standard is designed to provide tens of megabits per second (Mbps) of data rate to each of tens of thousands of users, and 1 gigabits per second (Gbps) to dozens of employees on an office floor. It should support hundreds of thousands of simultaneous connections to support large-scale sensor deployments. Therefore, the spectral efficiency of 5G mobile communications should be significantly improved compared to the current 4G standard. Furthermore, signaling efficiency should be improved and latency significantly reduced compared to the current standard.

[0004] Obtaining the location of a mobile device accessing a wireless network can be useful for many applications, including, for example, 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 or entities, including satellite launchers (SVs) and terrestrial radio sources in wireless networks, such as base stations and access points. Standardization for 5G wireless networks is expected to include support for various positioning methods that can utilize reference signals transmitted by base stations for location determination in a manner similar to how LTE wireless networks currently utilize Positioning Reference Signals (PRS) and / or Cell-specific Reference Signals (CRS).

[0005] Overview

[0006] An example user equipment configured for wireless signal switching includes: a transceiver; a memory; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory and configured to: receive via the transceiver a first plurality of location reference signal portions having corresponding plurality of frequency subbands; process one or more of the first plurality of location reference signal portions to determine location information; and at least one of the following: transmitting via the transceiver a capability message to a network entity, the capability message instructing the user equipment to process location reference signal portions having different frequency subbands in combination to determine location information; or transmitting via the transceiver a signal combination instruction to the network entity, the signal combination instruction instructing a second plurality of location reference signal portions of the first plurality of location reference signal portions to be processed in combination by the processor to determine location information.

[0007] Implementations of such user equipment may include one or more of the following features: The processor is configured to coherently combine all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine positioning information. The processor is configured to coherently combine fewer than all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions. The processor is configured to transmit a capability message, the processing capability being that the processor is configured to process the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in combination, and the capability message includes one or more criteria regarding the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions. The one or more criteria include: the number of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions coherently combined by the processor; or the maximum time interval between any temporally coherent pairs of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions coherently combined by the processor; or the maximum frequency interval between any frequency coherent pairs of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions coherently combined by the processor; or the maximum frequency span of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions coherently combined by the processor; or which of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions include the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0008] Alternatively or concurrently, implementations of such user equipment may include one or more of the following features: The processor is configured to transmit capability messages, and the processing capability lies in the processor being configured to individually process one or more of the first plurality of location reference signal portions. The processor is configured to transmit a signal combination indication, the signal combination indication including a bitmap indicating the second plurality of location reference signal portions. The processor is configured to transmit the location information to the network entity via the transceiver, and the location information includes: a time of arrival; and an indication processed by the processor to determine one or more of the one or more of the first plurality of location reference signal portions. The location information includes: a plurality of times of arrival; and a plurality of portion indications, each of the plurality of portion indications indicating one or more of the one or more of the first plurality of location reference signal portions processed by the processor to determine a corresponding one of the plurality of times of arrival.

[0009] Alternatively or concurrently, implementations of such user equipment may include one or more of the following features: the processor is configured to transmit the location information to the network entity via the transceiver, and the location information includes: time of arrival; and an accuracy indication indicating the accuracy of the time of arrival.

[0010] Another example user equipment configuration for wireless signal exchange includes: means for receiving a first plurality of location reference signal portions having corresponding plurality of frequency subbands; processing means for processing one or more of the first plurality of location reference signal portions to determine location information; and at least one of the following: a first transmitting means for transmitting a capability message to a network entity, the capability message indicating that the means for processing can combine the location reference signal portions having different frequency subbands to determine location information; or a second transmitting means for transmitting a signal combination indication to the network entity, the signal combination indicating a second plurality of location reference signal portions of the first plurality of location reference signal portions that are combined by the processing means to determine location information.

[0011] Implementations of such user equipment may include one or more of the following features: The processing apparatus includes means for coherently combining all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine positioning information. The processing apparatus includes means for coherently combining fewer than all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions. The user equipment includes the first transmission means, and the processing capability is that the processing apparatus includes means for processing the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in combination, and the capability message includes one or more criteria regarding the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0012] An example method for facilitating the determination of location of a user equipment includes: receiving at the user equipment a first plurality of location reference signal portions having corresponding plurality of frequency subbands; processing at the user equipment one or more of the first plurality of location reference signal portions to determine location information; and at least one of the following: transmitting a capability message to a network entity instructing the user equipment to process the location reference signal portions having different frequency subbands in combination to determine the location information; or transmitting a signal combination instruction to the network entity instructing a second plurality of location reference signal portions of the first plurality of location reference signal portions to be processed in combination by the user equipment to determine the location information.

[0013] Implementations of such methods may include one or more of the following features: Processing one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions includes coherently combining all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine positioning information. Processing one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions includes coherently combining fewer than all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions. The method includes transmitting the capability message, and the processing capability is that the user equipment is configured to process the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in combination, and the capability message includes one or more criteria regarding the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions. The one or more criteria include: the number of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in which the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or the maximum time interval between any temporally coherent pairs of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in which the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or the maximum frequency interval between any frequency coherent pairs of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in which the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or the maximum frequency span of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in which the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or which of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions includes the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0014] Additionally or alternatively, implementations of the method may include one or more of the following features: The method includes transmitting the capability message, and the processing capability is that the user equipment is configured to individually process one or more of the first plurality of location reference signal portions. The method includes transmitting the signal combination indication, the signal combination indication including a bitmap indicating the second plurality of location reference signal portions. The method includes transmitting the location information to the network entity, and the location information includes: a time of arrival; and an indication processed by the user equipment to determine one or more of the one or more first plurality of location reference signal portions. The location information includes: a plurality of times of arrival; and a plurality of portion indications, each of the plurality of portion indications indicating one or more of the one or more first plurality of location reference signal portions processed by the user equipment to determine a corresponding one of the plurality of times of arrival.

[0015] Alternatively or concurrently, implementations of the method may include one or more of the following features. The method includes transmitting the location information to the network entity, and the location information includes: a time of arrival; and an accuracy indication indicating the accuracy of the time of arrival.

[0016] A non-transient processor-readable storage medium including processor-readable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform the following operations to facilitate the location determination of a user equipment: receiving at the user equipment a first plurality of location reference signal portions having corresponding plurality of frequency subbands; processing at the user equipment one or more of the first plurality of location reference signal portions to determine location information; and at least one of the following: transmitting a capability message to a network entity instructing the processor to process the location reference signal portions having different frequency subbands in combination to determine the location information; or transmitting a signal combination instruction to the network entity instructing a second plurality of location reference signal portions of the first plurality of location reference signal portions to be processed by the processor in combination to determine the location information.

[0017] Implementations of such storage media may include one or more of the following features: Instructions configured to cause the processor to process one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions include instructions configured to cause the processor to coherently combine all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine positioning information. Instructions configured to cause the processor to process one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions include instructions configured to cause the processor to coherently combine fewer than all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions. These instructions include instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit a capability message, the capability being that the processor is capable of processing the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in combination, and the capability message including one or more criteria regarding the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions. Brief description of the attached diagram

[0019] Figure 1 This is a simplified diagram of an example wireless communication system.

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a block diagram of the components of an example user equipment.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of the components of an example send / receive point.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of the components of the example server, and various embodiments of this example server are described below. Figure 1 As shown in the image.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of an example user equipment.

[0024] Figure 6 It is a timing and frequency diagram of multiple frequency hopping positioning reference signals.

[0025] Figure 7 It is a timing and frequency diagram of the frequency hopping positioning reference signal section that can be processed in combination.

[0026] Figure 8A It is a timing and frequency diagram of the frequency hopping positioning reference signal section that is processed separately.

[0027] Figure 8B yes Figure 8A The frequency domain diagram shown is a combination of the processed components of the frequency hopping positioning reference signal.

[0028] Figure 9 It is a frequency domain diagram showing the processing combination of the two frequency hopping positioning reference signal parts respectively.

[0029] Figure 10 This is a frequency domain diagram showing the processing combination of the three frequency hopping positioning reference signal parts.

[0030] Figure 11 It is a timing diagram of the signal and processing flow used to determine positioning information (possibly by combining and processing multiple frequency hopping positioning reference signals).

[0031] Figure 12 This is a flowchart of the method for determining the location of user equipment.

[0032] Detailed description

[0033] This paper discusses techniques for managing positioning signal processing. For example, a User Equipment (UE) may provide one or more indications of its ability to process a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS). Processing capabilities may be indicated for different capabilities to process combined portions of a PRS (parts of one or more PRS signals) with different subbands. For example, the UE may indicate that it will process PRS portions of different component carriers individually. As another example, the UE may indicate that it is capable of processing all PRS frequency portions of one or more frequency-hopping PRSs in combination, for example, by coherently combining the PRS portions so that all frequencies of the PRS are processed. As another example, the UE may indicate that it is capable of processing multiple frequency-hopping PRS portions in combination. The UE may indicate that multiple frequency-hopping PRS portions must meet one or more criteria for being processed in combination by the UE. These criteria may include, for example, the number of PRS portions, the frequency span of the PRS portions, the maximum frequency gap between PRS portions (e.g., the maximum number of subbands), the maximum time gap between PRS portions (e.g., in symbols), requirements for frequency contiguity of PRS portions, and requirements for time contiguity of PRS portions (e.g., in consecutive symbols). These are examples, and other examples (of UE and / or guidelines) can be implemented.

[0034] The items and / or techniques described herein can provide one or more of the following capabilities, as well as others not mentioned: The time required to determine location signal measurements can be reduced. The accuracy of mobile device location determination, such as lateral (horizontal) and / or vertical (height) position, can be improved. The latency for determining location signal measurements and mobile device location can be reduced. The accuracy of location scheduling can be improved, for example, by increasing the availability of location information scheduling based on latency. The ability to determine (e.g., predict) the fulfillment of one or more location requirements can be improved. Other capabilities can be provided, and not every implementation according to this disclosure is required to provide any of the discussed capabilities, let alone all of them.

[0035] This description may refer to a sequence of actions to be performed by elements such as a computing device. The various actions described herein can be performed by special-purpose circuitry (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. The sequence of actions described herein can be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a corresponding set of computer instructions that, upon execution, will cause the associated processor to perform the functionality described herein. Therefore, the aspects described herein can be implemented in several different forms, all of which fall within the scope of this disclosure, including the claimed subject matter.

[0036] As used herein, the terms “User Equipment” (UE) and “Base Station” are not specific to or otherwise limited to any particular Radio Access Technology (RAT) unless otherwise stated. Generally, such a UE can be any wireless communication device (e.g., mobile phone, router, tablet computer, laptop computer, consumer asset tracking device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.) used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network. The UE can be mobile or can (e.g., at certain times) be stationary and can communicate with a Radio Access Network (RAN). As used herein, the term “UE” can be interchangeably referred to as “Access Terminal” or “AT”, “Client Equipment”, “Wireless Equipment”, “Subscriber Equipment”, “Subscriber Terminal”, “Subscriber Station”, “User Terminal” or “UT”, “Mobile Terminal”, “Mobile Station”, or variations thereof. Generally, a UE can communicate with the core network via the RAN, and through the core network, the UE can connect to external networks (such as the Internet) and other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for connecting to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible for the UE, such as via a wired access network, a WiFi network (e.g., based on IEEE 802.11, etc.).

[0037] A base station may operate according to one of several RATs when communicating with a UE, depending on the network in which it is deployed, and may be alternatively referred to as an Access Point (AP), Network Node, B-Node, Evolved B-Node (eNB), General B-Node (gNodeB, gNB), etc. Additionally, in some systems, the base station may provide pure edge node signaling functions, while in others, it may provide additional control and / or network management functions.

[0038] The UE can be implemented using any of several types of devices, including but not limited to printed circuit (PC) cards, dense flash memory devices, external or internal modems, wireless or wired telephones, smartphones, tablet devices, consumer asset tracking devices, asset tags, etc. The communication link through which the UE can send signals to the RAN is called an uplink channel (e.g., reverse traffic channel, reverse control channel, access channel, etc.). The communication link through which the RAN can send signals to the UE is called a downlink or forward link channel (e.g., paging channel, control channel, broadcast channel, forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term traffic channel (TCH) can refer to an uplink / reverse traffic channel or a downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0039] As used herein, depending on the context, the terms "cell" or "sector" may correspond to one of multiple cells of a base station or to the base station itself. The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity used to communicate with a base station (e.g., on a carrier) and may be associated with identifiers to distinguish adjacent cells operating via the same or different carriers (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCID), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCID)). In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells and may be configured with different protocol types that provide access to different types of devices (e.g., Machine-Type Communication (MTC), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), or other protocol types). In some examples, the term "cell" may refer to a portion of the geographic coverage area on which a logical entity operates (e.g., a sector).

[0040] refer to Figure 1Examples of communication system 100 include UE 105, UE 106, radio access network (RAN) 135 (here, fifth-generation (5G) next-generation (NG) RAN (NG-RAN)), and 5G core network (5GC) 140. UE 105 and / or UE 106 can be, for example, IoT devices, location tracker devices, cellular phones, vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks, buses, ships, etc.) or other devices. 5G networks can also be referred to as new radio (NR) networks; 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 Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Accordingly, NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140 can comply with current or future standards from 3GPP for 5G support. RAN 135 can be another type of RAN, such as 3G RAN, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAN, etc. UE 106 can be similarly configured and coupled to UE 105 to send and / or receive signals from similar other entities in system 100, but for simplicity of the figures, in Figure 1 Such signaling is not indicated in this document. Similarly, for simplicity, the discussion focuses on UE 105. Communication system 100 may utilize information from the constellation 185 of spacecraft (SVs) 190, 191, 192, 193 of a satellite positioning system (SPS) (e.g., a Global Navigation Satellite System (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 the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)). Additional components of communication system 100 are described below. Communication system 100 may include additional or replacement components.

[0041] like Figure 1As shown, NG-RAN 135 includes NR B-nodes (gNB) 110a, 110b and Next Generation Evolution B-node (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, 110b and ng-eNB 114 are communicatively coupled to each other, each configured to conduct bidirectional wireless communication with UE 105, and each communicatively coupled to and configured to conduct bidirectional communication with AMF 115. gNBs 110a, 110b and ng-eNB 114 may be referred to as base stations (BS). AMF 115, SMF 117, LMF 120 and GMLC 125 are communicatively coupled to each other, and the GMLC is communicatively coupled to an external client 130. SMF 117 can be used as the initial contact point for Service Control Function (SCF) (not shown) to create, control, and delete media sessions. BS 110a, 110b, and 114 can be macrocells (e.g., high-power cellular base stations), small cells (e.g., low-power cellular base stations), or access points (e.g., short-range base stations configured to use short-range technologies such as WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D)). (Communication via Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, etc.). One or more of BS 110a, 110b, and 114 can be configured to communicate with UE 105 via multiple carriers. Each of BS 110a, 110b, and 114 can provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic area (e.g., a cell). Each cell can be divided into multiple sectors based on the base station antenna.

[0042] Figure 1 A general explanation of each component is provided, wherein any or all of the components may be used appropriately, and each component may be repeated or omitted as needed. Specifically, although one UE 105 is explained, many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may be used in the communication system 100. Similarly, the communication system 100 may include a larger (or smaller) number of SVs (i.e., more or fewer than the four SVs 190-193 shown), gNB 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115, external client 130, and / or other components. The explained connections connecting the various components in the 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.

[0043] Although Figure 1 While 5G-based networks have been described, similar network implementations and configurations can be used for other communication technologies, such as 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc. The implementations described herein (for 5G technologies 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, 110b, or LMF 120) based on measurement parameters 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 may be replaced by or include various other location server functions and / or base station functions in various embodiments.

[0044] System 100 is capable of wireless communication because its components can communicate directly or indirectly (at least sometimes using wireless connections), for example, via BS 110a, 110b, 114 and / or network 140 (and / or one or more other devices not shown, such as one or more other base transceiver stations). For indirect communication, the communication may be altered during transmission from one entity to another, such as changing the header information of data packets, changing the format, etc. UE 105 may include multiple UEs and may be mobile wireless communication devices, but can communicate wirelessly and via wired connections. UE 105 can be any of a variety of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, vehicle-based devices, etc., but these are merely examples, as UE 105 does not need to be any of these configurations, and other configurations of UEs can be used. Other UEs may include wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart jewelry, smart glasses, or head-mounted devices, etc.). Other UEs, whether currently existing or developed in the future, may also be used. In addition, other wireless devices (whether mobile or not) can be implemented within system 100 and can communicate with each other and / or with UE 105, BS 110a, 110b, 114, core network 140, and / or external client 130. For example, such other devices may include Internet of Things (IoT) devices, medical devices, home entertainment and / or automation devices, etc. Core network 140 can communicate with external client 130 (e.g., a computer system), for example, to allow external client 130 (e.g., via GMLC 125) to request and / or receive location information about UE 105.

[0045] UE 105 or other devices can be configured to communicate in various networks and / or for various purposes and / or using various technologies (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi communication, multi-frequency Wi-Fi communication, satellite positioning, one or more types of communication (e.g., GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), V2X (vehicle-to-everything, e.g., V2P (vehicle to pedestrian), V2I (vehicle to infrastructure), V2V (vehicle to vehicle) etc.), IEEE (e.g., 802.11p). V2X communication can be cellular (Cellular-V2X (C-V2X)) and / or WiFi (e.g., DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Connectivity)). System 100 can support operation on multiple carriers (waveform signals of different frequencies). A multi-carrier transmitter can transmit modulated signals on multiple carriers simultaneously. Each modulated signal can be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) signal, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) signal, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) signal, a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) signal, etc. Each modulated signal can be transmitted on a different carrier and can carry pilot, overhead information, data, etc. UEs 105 and 106 can communicate with each other via UE-to-UE sidelink (SL) communication by transmitting on one or more sidelink channels (such as the Physical Sidelink Synchronization Channel (PSSCH), Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH), or Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH)).

[0046] UE 105 may include and / or may be referred to as a device, mobile device, wireless device, mobile terminal, terminal, mobile station (MS), Secure User Plane Positioning Enabled (SUPL) terminal (SET), or some other name. Furthermore, UE 105 may correspond to a cellular phone, smartphone, laptop device, tablet device, PDA, consumer asset tracking device, navigation device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, health monitor, security system, smart city sensor, smart meter, wearable tracker, or some other portable or mobile device. Typically, although not mandatory, UE 105 may support 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 Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 WiFi (also known as Wi-Fi). Wireless communication can be achieved using technologies such as Bit-Band (BT), WiMAX, and 5G New Radio (NR) (e.g., using NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140). 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 allows UE 105 (e.g., via elements of 5GC 140) to... Figure 1 (not shown in the diagram) or possibly via GMLC 125, communicate with external client 130 and / or allow external client 130 (e.g., via GMLC 125) to receive location information about UE 105.

[0047] UE 105 may include a single entity or may include multiple entities, such as in a personal area network, where the 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. An estimate of the location of UE 105 may be referred to as location, location estimation, location locking, lock, positioning, location estimation, or location locking, and may be geographic, providing location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) of UE 105, which may or may not include an elevation component (e.g., height above sea level; height above ground level, floor level, or basement level, or depth below). Alternatively, the location of UE 105 may be expressed as a municipal location (e.g., expressed as a postal address or a designation of a point or smaller area within a building (such as a specific room or floor)). The location of UE 105 may be expressed as an area or volume (geographically or municipally defined) 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, which includes, for example, distance and direction from a known location. A relative location can be expressed as relative coordinates (e.g., X, Y (and Z) coordinates) defined relative to an origin at a known location, which can be, for example, geographically, municipally, or with reference to a point, area, or volume indicated, for example, on a map, floor plan, or building plan. In the description contained herein, the use of the term "location" can include any of these variations unless otherwise indicated. When calculating the location of the UE, local x, y, and possibly z coordinates are typically solved, and then (if necessary) the local coordinates are converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., with respect to latitude, longitude, and elevation above or below mean sea level).

[0048] UE 105 can be configured to communicate with other entities using one or more of a variety of technologies. UE 105 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 P2P links can use any suitable D2D radio access technology (RAT) (such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), etc.). Supported by (etc.). One or more UEs in a group of UEs using D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area of ​​a Transmit / Receive Point (TRP) (such as one or more of gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114). Other UEs in the group may be outside such geographic coverage area or may be unable to receive transmissions from the base station for other reasons. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE may transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP facilitates the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication may be performed between UEs without involving the TRP. One or more UEs in a group of UEs using D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area of ​​a TRP. Other UEs in the group may be outside such geographic coverage area or may be unable to receive transmissions from the base station for other reasons. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE may transmit to other UEs in the group. TRP facilitates the scheduling of resources used for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication can be performed between UEs without involving TRP.

[0049] Figure 1 The base stations (BSs) in the NG-RAN 135 shown include NRB nodes (referred to as gNBs 110a and 110b). Each pair of gNBs 110a and 110b in the NG-RAN 135 can be interconnected via one or more other gNBs. Access to the 5G network is provided to UE 105 via wireless communication between UE 105 and one or more of the gNBs 110a and 110b. gNBs 110a and 110b can use 5G to provide wireless communication access to the 5GC140 on behalf of UE 105. Figure 1 In this context, it is assumed that the serving gNB of UE 105 is gNB 110a, but another gNB (e.g., gNB 110b) may act as the serving gNB or as a secondary gNB to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 105 if UE 105 moves to another location.

[0050] Figure 1The base station (BS) in NG-RAN 135 shown may include ng-eNB 114 (also referred to as a next-generation evolved B node). ng-eNB 114 may be connected to one or more of gNBs 110a and 110b in NG-RAN 135 (possibly 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, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114 may be configured to act as a location-only beacon, transmitting signals to aid in determining the location of UE 105, but may not be able to receive signals from UE 105 or other UEs.

[0051] BS 110a, 110b, and 114 may each include one or more TRPs. For example, each sector within a BS cell may include a TRP, but multiple TRPs may share one or more components (e.g., share a processor but have separate antennas). System 100 may exclusively include macro TRPs, or system 100 may have different types of TRPs, such as macro, pico, and / or femto TRPs. Macro TRPs may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and allow unrestricted access by terminals with service subscriptions. Pico TRPs may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a pico cell) and 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 allow restricted access by terminals associated with that femto cell (e.g., a user's terminal in a residence).

[0052] As mentioned, 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, for example, LTE or IEEE 802.11x protocols) can also 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 containing evolved B-nodes (eNBs). The core network for the EPS may include an evolved packet core (EPC). The EPS may include the E-UTRAN plus the EPC, where the E-UTRAN corresponds to... Figure 1 NG-RAN 135 and EPC corresponds to Figure 1 5GC 140.

[0053] gNB 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 can communicate with AMF 115; for positioning functionality, AMF 115 communicates with LMF 120. AMF 115 supports the mobility of UE 105 (including cell changes and handover) and can participate in supporting signaling connections to UE 105 and potentially data and voice bearers for UE 105. LMF 120 can communicate directly with UE 105, for example, wirelessly, or directly with BS 110a, 110b, and 114. LMF 120 supports UE105 positioning when UE105 accesses NG-RAN 135, and supports various positioning protocols / methods, such as Auxiliary GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (e.g., Downlink (DL) OTDOA or Uplink (UL) OTDOA), Round Trip Time (RTT), Multi-Cell RTT, Real-Time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cellular ID (E-CID), Angle of Arrival (AoA), Angle of Departure (AoD), and / or other positioning methods. LMF 120 can process location service requests for UE105 received, for example, from AMF 115 or GMLC 125. LMF 120 can connect to AMF115 and / or GMLC125. LMF 120 may be referred to by other names, such as Location Manager (LM), Location Function (LF), Commercial LMF (CLMF), or Value-Added LMF (VLMF). The node / system implementing LMF 120 may additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as an Enhanced Serving Mobility Location Center (E-SMLC) or a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (SLP). At least some of the location functionality (including the derivation of the location of UE 105) can be performed at UE 105 (e.g., using signal measurements obtained by UE 105 for signals transmitted by radio nodes (such as gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114), and / or auxiliary data provided to UE 105, for example, by LMF 120). AMF 115 can be used as a control node to process signaling between UE 105 and core network 140, and can provide QoS (Quality of Service) streaming and session management. AMF 115 can support the mobility of UE 105 (including cell changes and handovers) and can participate in supporting signaling connections to UE 105.

[0054] GMLC 125 can support location requests for UE 105 received from external client 130, and can forward such requests to AMF 115 for forwarding to LMF 120, or can forward them directly to LMF 120. A location response from LMF 120 (e.g., containing a location estimate for UE 105) can be returned to GMLC 125 directly or via AMF 115, and GMLC 125 can then return the location response (e.g., containing the location estimate) to external client 130. GMLC 125 is shown connected to both AMF 115 and LMF 120, but in some implementations it may not be connected to either AMF 115 or LMF 120.

[0055] like Figure 1 Further explanation is provided: the LMF 120 can use the new Radio Positioning Protocol A (which may be referred to as NPPa or NRPPa) to communicate with gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114. This new Radio Positioning Protocol A is 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, where NRPPa messages are transmitted via AMF 115 between gNB 110a (or gNB 110b) and the LMF 120, and / or between ng-eNB 114 and the LMF 120. Figure 1As further explained, 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 communicate using a new radio positioning protocol (which may be referred to as NPP or NRPP), which may 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 UE 105's serving gNB 110a, 110b, or serving ng-eNB 114. For example, LPP and / or NPP messages can be transmitted between LMF 120 and AMF 115 using the 5G Location Services Application Protocol (LCS AP), and 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 UE 105 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based location methods (such as A-GNSS, RTK, OTDOA, and / or E-CID). The NRPPa protocol can be used to support the location of UE 105 using network-based location methods (such as E-CID) (e.g., in conjunction with measurements obtained by gNB110a, 110b, or ng-eNB 114) and / or can be used by LMF 120 to obtain location-related information from gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114, such as defining parameters for directional SS transmissions from gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114. LMF 120 can coexist with or be integrated with the gNB or TRP, or can be configured to communicate directly or indirectly with the gNB and / or TRP, located away from the gNB and / or TRP.

[0056] Using a UE-assisted positioning method, UE 105 can obtain location measurements and send these measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) for calculating a location estimate for UE 105. For example, location measurements may include one or more of the following: 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) for gNB 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, and / or WLAN AP. Location measurements may additionally or alternatively include measurements of GNSS pseudorange, code phase, and / or carrier phase for SV 190-193.

[0057] Using a UE-based positioning method, UE 105 can obtain a location measurement (e.g., which may be the same as or similar to a location measurement for a UE-assisted positioning method) and can calculate the location of UE 105 (e.g., by means of auxiliary data received from a location server (such as LMF 120) or broadcast by gNB 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114 or other base stations or APs).

[0058] Using a network-based positioning method, one or more base stations (e.g., gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114) or APs can acquire location measurements (e.g., measurements of RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, or Time of Arrival (ToA) of signals transmitted by UE 105) and / or can receive measurements acquired by UE 105. These base stations or APs can then transmit these measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) for calculating a location estimate for UE 105.

[0059] The information provided to the LMF 120 by the gNB 110a, 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 5GC 140.

[0060] The LPP or NPP message sent from LMF 120 to UE 105 may instruct UE 105 to perform any of a variety of tasks, depending on the desired functionality. For example, the LPP or NPP message may contain instructions for UE 105 to obtain measurements for 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 may instruct UE 105 to obtain one or more measurement parameters (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, 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 these measurement parameters back to LMF 120 via service gNB110a (or service ng-eNB 114) and AMF 115 in an LPP or NPP message (e.g., within a 5G NAS message).

[0061] As mentioned, 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.) used to support and interact with mobile devices (such as UE 105) (e.g., to enable voice, data, location, and other functionalities). In some such embodiments, the 5GC 140 can be configured to control different air interfaces. For example, non-3GPP interoperability functions (N3IWF) in the 5GC 150 can be used. Figure 1 (Not shown) Connects 5GC140 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, N3IWF may connect to the WLAN and other components in 5GC 140, such as AMF 115. In some embodiments, both 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, NG-RAN 135 may be replaced by E-UTRAN containing eNBs, and 5GC 140 may be replaced by EPC containing a Mobility Management Entity (MME) instead of AMF 115, an E-SMLC instead of LMF 120, and a GMLC similar to 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 may use LPP to support UE 105's positioning. 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, the difference being that the functions and procedures described herein for gNB110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115 and LMF120 can be applied alternatively to other network elements, such as eNB, WiFi AP, MME and E-SMLC, in some cases.

[0062] As mentioned, in some embodiments, positioning functionality can be achieved at least in part using directional SS beams transmitted by base stations (such as gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114) to determine the location of the UE (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 gNB 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, etc.) to calculate the UE's location.

[0063] Also refer to Figure 2UE 200 is an example of one of UEs 105 and 106, and includes a computing platform containing a processor 210, a memory 211 containing software (SW) 212, one or more sensors 213, a transceiver interface 214 for a transceiver 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 device (PD) 219. The processor 210, memory 211, sensors 213, transceiver interface 214, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, and positioning device 219 can be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 220 (which can be configured for, for example, optical and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., camera 218, positioning device 219, and / or one or more sensors 213, etc.) may be omitted from UE 200. Processor 210 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices (e.g., 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, RF (radio frequency) sensing (where one or more transmitted (cellular) wireless signals and reflections are used to identify, map, and / or track objects), and / or ultrasound, etc. Modem processor 232 may support dual SIM / dual connectivity (or even more SIMs). For example, one SIM (subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module) may be used by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and another SIM may be used by an end user of UE 200 to obtain connectivity. Memory 211 is a non-transient 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, 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 directly executable by processor 210, but may be configured (e.g., when compiled and executed) to cause processor 210 to perform various functions. This specification may refer to processor 210 performing functions, but this includes other implementations, such as processor 210 performing software and / or firmware implementations. This specification may refer to processor 210 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more of processors 230-234 performing that function.This specification may refer to the UE 200 execution function as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of the UE 200 performing that function. The processor 210 may include memory with stored instructions as a supplement to and / or replacement of memory 211. The functionality of the processor 210 is discussed more fully below.

[0064] Figure 2 The configuration of UE 200 shown is exemplary and not intended to limit this disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, an exemplary configuration of the UE includes one or more of processors 230-234 in processor 210, memory 211, and wireless transceiver 240. Other exemplary configurations include one or more of processors 230-234 in processor 210, memory 211, wireless transceiver, and one or more of the following: (a) sensors 213, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, PD 219, and / or wired transceiver.

[0065] UE 200 may include a modem processor 232, which may be 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 processor 230 and / or DSP 231. However, other configurations may be used to perform baseband processing.

[0066] UE 200 may include sensors 213, which may include one or more of various types of sensors, such as one or more inertial sensors, one or more magnetometers, one or more environmental sensors, one or more optical sensors, one or more weight sensors, and / or one or more radio frequency (RF) sensors. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) may include, for example, one or more accelerometers (e.g., collectively responding to acceleration of UE 200 in three dimensions) and / or one or more gyroscopes (e.g., three-dimensional gyroscopes). Sensors 213 may include one or more magnetometers (e.g., three-dimensional magnetometers) to determine orientation (e.g., relative to magnetic north and / or true north), which may be used for any of a variety of purposes (e.g., supporting one or more compass applications). Environmental sensors may include, for example, one or more temperature sensors, one or more barometric pressure sensors, one or more ambient light sensors, one or more camera imagers, and / or one or more microphones. (Various) Sensors 213 may generate analog and / or digital signals, and indications of these signals may be stored in memory 211 and processed by DSP 231 and / or processor 230 to support one or more applications (such as, for example, applications involving positioning and / or navigation operations).

[0067] Sensors 213 can be used for relative position measurement, relative position determination, motion determination, etc. Information detected by sensors 213 can be used for motion detection, relative displacement, dead reckoning, sensor-based position determination, and / or sensor-assisted position determination. Sensors 213 can be used to determine whether UE 200 is stationary or moving and / or whether to report certain useful information related to the mobility of UE 200 to LMF 120. For example, based on information obtained / measured by sensors 213, UE 200 can notify / report to LMF 120 that UE 200 has detected movement or that UE 200 has moved, and report relative displacement / distance (e.g., via dead reckoning implemented by sensors 213, or sensor-based position determination, or sensor-assisted position determination). In another example, for relative positioning information, sensors / IMUs can be used to determine the angle and / or orientation of another device relative to UE 200, etc.

[0068] The IMU can be configured to provide measurements of the UE 200's direction of motion and / or velocity, which can be used for relative position determination. For example, one or more accelerometers and / or one or more gyroscopes of the IMU can detect the UE 200's linear acceleration and rotational velocity, respectively. The UE 200's linear acceleration and rotational velocity measurements can be integrated over time to determine the UE 200's instantaneous direction of motion and displacement. The instantaneous direction of motion and displacement can be integrated to track the UE 200's position. For example, an SPS receiver 217 (and / or some other means) can be used to determine the UE 200's reference position at a given moment, and measurements acquired from the accelerometers and gyroscopes after that moment can be used for dead reckoning to determine the UE 200's current position based on its movement (direction and distance) relative to that reference position.

[0069] (A) Magnetometers can determine the strength of magnetic fields in different directions, which can be used to determine the orientation of UE 200. For example, this orientation can be used to provide a digital compass for UE 200. (A) Magnetometers may include two-dimensional magnetometers configured to detect and provide indications of magnetic field strength in two orthogonal dimensions. (A) Magnetometers may include three-dimensional magnetometers configured to detect and provide indications of magnetic field strength in three orthogonal dimensions. (A) Magnetometers may provide means for sensing magnetic fields and, for example, providing magnetic field indications to processor 210.

[0070] 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 wireless transmitter 242 and a wireless receiver 244 coupled to one or more antennas 246 for transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals 248 (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) and converting signals from wireless signals 248 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and from wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals to wireless signals 248. Thus, wireless transmitter 242 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or wireless receiver 244 may include multiple receivers that 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 TRP 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), WiFi, and WiFi Direct (WiFi-D). Zigbee, etc. New radios can use millimeter-wave frequencies and / or sub-6 GHz frequencies. Wired transceiver 250 may include a wired transmitter 252 and a wired receiver 254 configured for wired communication, for example, a network interface that can be used to communicate with network 135 to send and receive communications from network 135. Wired transmitter 252 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or wired receiver 254 may include multiple receivers that 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 (e.g., via optical and / or electrical connections). Transceiver interface 214 may be at least partially integrated with transceiver 215.

[0071] User interface 216 may include one or more of a number of devices, such as, for example, speakers, microphones, display devices, vibration devices, keyboards, touchscreens, etc. User interface 216 may include any device that includes more than one of these devices. User interface 216 may be configured to enable a user to interact with one or more applications stored in the main memory of 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 in the main memory of 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 systems, analog-to-digital circuitry systems, amplifiers, and / or gain control circuitry systems (any device including more than one of these devices). Other configurations of the audio I / O devices may be used. Alternatively, the user interface 216 may include one or more touch sensors that respond to touch and / or pressure on, for example, the keyboard and / or touchscreen of the user interface 216.

[0072] SPS receiver 217 (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver) can receive and acquire SPS signal 260 via SPS antenna 262. Antenna 262 is configured to convert the wireless SPS signal 260 into a wired signal (e.g., an electrical or optical signal) and can be integrated with antenna 246. SPS receiver 217 can be configured to process the acquired SPS signal 260 fully or partially to estimate the location of UE 200. For example, SPS receiver 217 can be configured to determine the location of UE 200 by performing trilateration using SPS signal 260. SPS receiver 217 can be combined with general-purpose processor 230, memory 211, DSP 231 and / or one or more dedicated processors (not shown) to process the acquired SPS signal fully or partially and / or 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 during positioning operations. General-purpose processor 230, DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors, and / or memory 211 may provide or support a position engine for processing measurements to estimate the position of UE 200.

[0073] 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), lenses, analog-to-digital circuitry, frame buffers, etc. Additional processing, conditioning, encoding, and / or compression of the 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 the signals representing the captured images. The video processor 233 may decode / decompress stored image data for presentation on a display device (not shown), for example, a user interface 216.

[0074] Positioning device (PD) 219 may be configured to determine the location of UE 200, the motion of UE 200, and / or the relative location of UE 200, and / or time. For example, PD 219 may communicate with SPS receiver 217, and / or include some or all of SPS receiver 217. PD 219 may appropriately cooperate with processor 210 and memory 211 to perform at least a portion of one or more positioning methods, although the description herein may only refer to PD 219 being configured to perform or to be performed according to a positioning method. PD 219 may additionally or alternatively be configured to: perform trilateration using ground-based signals (e.g., at least some signals 248), assist in acquiring and using SPS signal 260, or both, to determine the location of UE 200. PD 219 can be configured to determine the location of UE 200 using one or more other technologies (e.g., relying on the UE's self-reported location (e.g., part of the UE's positioning beacon)), and can use a combination of technologies (e.g., SPS and terrestrial positioning signals) to determine the location of UE 200. PD 219 may include one or more sensors 213 (e.g., gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, etc.) that sense the orientation and / or motion of UE 200 and provide an indication of such orientation and / or motion. Processor 210 (e.g., processor 230 and / or DSP 231) can be configured to use this indication to determine the motion of UE 200 (e.g., velocity vector and / or acceleration vector). PD 219 can be configured to provide an indication of the uncertainty and / or error of the determined positioning and / or motion. The functionality of PD 219 can be provided in a variety of ways and / or configurations, such as by a general-purpose / application processor 230, transceiver 215, SPS receiver 217 and / or another component of UE 200, and can be provided by hardware, software, firmware or various combinations thereof.

[0075] Also refer to Figure 3Examples of TRP 300 of BS 110a, 110b, 114 include a computing platform containing processor 310, a memory 311 including software (SW) 312, and a transceiver 315. Processor 310, memory 311, and transceiver 315 are communicatively coupled to each other via bus 320 (which may be configured for, for example, optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., a wireless interface) may be omitted from TRP 300. Processor 310 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.). Processor 310 may include multiple processors (e.g., including such...). Figure 2 (The general-purpose / application processor, DSP, modem processor, video processor, and / or sensor processor shown). Memory 311 is a non-transient 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, 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 directly executable by processor 310, but may be configured (e.g., when compiled and executed) to cause processor 310 to perform the functions.

[0076] This specification may refer to processor 310 performing functions, but this includes other implementations, such as processor 310 performing software and / or firmware implementations. This specification may refer to processor 310 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more processors included in processor 310 performing that function. This specification may refer to TRP 300 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of TRP 300 (and thus one of BS 110a, 110b, 114) (e.g., processor 310 and memory 311) performing that function. Processor 310 may include memory with stored instructions as a supplement and / or alternative to memory 311. The functionality of processor 310 is discussed more fully below.

[0077] Transceiver 315 may include a wireless transceiver 340 and / or a wired transceiver 350 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, wireless transceiver 340 may include a wireless transmitter 342 and a wireless receiver 344 coupled to one or more antennas 346 for transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals 348 (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more downlink channels) and converting signals from wireless signals 348 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and from wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals to wireless signals 348. Thus, wireless transmitter 342 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or wireless receiver 344 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 340 can be configured to support 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 System), 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), WiFi, and WiFi Direct (WiFi-D). The wired transceiver 350 may include a wired transmitter 352 and a wired receiver 354 configured for wired communication, for example, a network interface configured to communicate with network 135 to send communications to and receive communications from LMF 120 (e.g., and / or one or more other network entities). The wired transmitter 352 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 354 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 350 may be configured for, for example, optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0078] Figure 3 The configuration of TRP 300 shown is exemplary and not intended to limit this disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, the description herein discusses TRP 300 being configured to perform several functions or TRP 300 performing 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).

[0079] Also refer to Figure 4 Server 400 (where LMF 120 is an example) includes a computing platform containing processor 410, a memory 411 containing software (SW) 412, and a transceiver 415. Processor 410, memory 411, and transceiver 415 are communicatively coupled to each other via bus 420 (which may be configured for, for example, optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., a wireless interface) may be omitted from server 400. Processor 410 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.). Processor 410 may include multiple processors (e.g., including such...). Figure 2 (The general-purpose / application processor, DSP, modem processor, video processor, and / or sensor processor shown). Memory 411 is a non-transient 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, 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 directly executable by processor 410, but may be configured (e.g., when compiled and executed) to cause processor 410 to perform various functions. This specification may refer to processor 410 performing functions, but this includes other implementations, such as processor 410 performing software and / or firmware implementations. This specification may refer to processor 410 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more processors included in processor 410 performing that function. This specification may refer to server 400 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of server 400 performing that function. Processor 410 may include memory with stored instructions as a supplement to and / or replacement of memory 411. The functionality of processor 410 is discussed more fully below.

[0080] Transceiver 415 may include a wireless transceiver 440 and / or a wired transceiver 450 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, wireless transceiver 440 may include a wireless transmitter 442 and a wireless receiver 444 coupled to one or more antennas 446 for transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals 448 (e.g., on one or more downlink channels) and converting signals from wireless signals 448 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and from wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals to wireless signals 448. Thus, wireless transmitter 442 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or wireless receiver 444 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 440 can be configured to support 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 System), 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), WiFi, and WiFi Direct (WiFi-D). The wired transceiver 450 may include a wired transmitter 452 and a wired receiver 454 configured for wired communication, for example, a network interface that can be used to communicate with network 135 to send communications to and receive communications from TRP 300 (e.g., and / or one or more other network entities). The wired transmitter 452 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 454 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 450 may be configured for, for example, optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0081] The description herein may refer to processor 410 performing a function, but this includes other implementations, such as the implementation of software and / or firmware (stored in memory 411) performed by processor 410. The description herein may refer to server 400 performing a function as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of server 400 (e.g., processor 410 and memory 411) performing that function.

[0082] Figure 4The configuration of server 400 shown is exemplary and not intended to limit this disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, wireless transceiver 440 may be omitted. Alternatively or additionally, the description herein discusses server 400 being configured to 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).

[0083] Positioning technology

[0084] For terrestrial positioning of UEs in cellular networks, techniques such as Advanced Forward Link Trilateral Measurement (AFLT) and Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) typically operate in a “UE-assisted” mode, where measurements of reference signals transmitted by the base station (e.g., PRS, CRS, etc.) are acquired by the UE and subsequently provided to a location server. The location server then calculates the UE's location based on these measurements and the known location of the base station. Because these techniques use a location server (rather than the UE itself) to calculate the UE's location, they are not frequently used in applications such as car or cellular phone navigation, which typically rely on satellite-based positioning instead.

[0085] UEs can use Satellite Positioning System (SPS) (Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)) to achieve high-accuracy positioning using Precise Point Positioning (PPP) or Real-Time Kinematics (RTK) techniques. These techniques use auxiliary data, such as measurements from ground-based stations. LTE Release 15 allows data to be encrypted so that only UEs subscribed to the service can read it. This auxiliary data changes over time. Therefore, a subscribed UE may not be able to easily "crack" the encryption for other UEs by passing the data to them without paying for the subscription. This transmission needs to be repeated every time the auxiliary data changes.

[0086] In UE-assisted positioning, the UE sends measurements (e.g., TDOA, Angle of Arrival (AoA), etc.) to a positioning server (e.g., LMF / eSMLC). The positioning server has a Base Station Almanac (BSA) containing multiple "entries" or "records," one record per cell, where each record contains the geographic cell location, but may also include other data. Identifiers of the "records" among the multiple "records" in the BSA can be referenced. The BSA and measurements from the UE are used to calculate the UE's positioning.

[0087] In conventional UE-based positioning, the UE calculates its own location, thus avoiding sending measurements to the network (e.g., a location server), which improves latency and scalability. The UE uses relevant BSA record information from the network (e.g., the location of the gNB (more broadly, the base station)). BSA information can be encrypted. However, since BSA information changes much less frequently than, for example, PPP or RTK auxiliary data described above, it may be easier (compared to PPP or RTK information) to make BSA information available to UEs that have not subscribed and are paying for decryption keys. The transmission of reference signals by the gNB makes BSA information potentially accessible to crowdsourcing or driving attacks, thus essentially enabling BSA information to be generated based on in-the-field and / or over-the-top observations.

[0088] Positioning technologies can be characterized and / or evaluated based on one or more criteria, such as positioning accuracy and / or latency. Latency is the time elapsed between the event that triggers the determination of positioning-related data and the availability of that data at the positioning system interface (e.g., the interface of the LMF120). The latency for the availability of positioning-related data during positioning system initialization is called the First Time Locked (TTFF) and is greater than the latency after the TTFF. The reciprocal of the time elapsed between two consecutive availability of positioning-related data is called the update rate, i.e., the rate at which positioning-related data is generated after the first lock. Latency can depend on (e.g., the UE's) processing capacity. For example, assuming an allocation of 272 PRBs (Physical Resource Blocks), the UE can report its processing capacity as the duration (in time units, e.g., milliseconds) of DL PRS symbols that it can process per T time units (e.g., T ms). Other examples of capabilities that may affect latency are the number of TRPs from which the UE can process PRS, the number of PRS the UE can process, and the UE's bandwidth.

[0089] One or more of many different positioning techniques (also known as positioning methods) can be used to determine the location of an entity (such as one of UE105, 106). Known positioning techniques include RTT, multiple RTT, OTDOA (also known as TDOA, and including UL-TDOA and DL-TDOA), Enhanced Cellular Identifier (E-CID), DL-AoD, UL-AoA, etc. RTT uses the time it takes for a signal to travel from one entity to another and back to determine the range between the two entities. This range, plus the known location of the first entity and the angle (e.g., azimuth) between the two entities, can be used to determine the location of the second entity. In multiple RTT (also known as multi-cell RTT), multiple ranges from one entity (e.g., UE) to other entities (e.g., TRP) and the known locations of those other entities can be used to determine the location of this one entity. In TDOA, the travel time difference between an entity and other entities can be used to determine the relative range with respect to those other entities, and those relative ranges, combined with the known locations of those other entities, can be used to determine the location of this one entity. Angle of arrival and / or angle of departure can be used to help determine the location of an entity. For example, the angle of arrival or angle of departure of a signal, combined with the range between devices (range determined using signals (e.g., signal travel time, signal received power, etc.)) and the known location of one of these devices, can be used to determine the location of the other device. The angle of arrival or angle of departure can be an azimuth angle relative to a reference direction (such as true north). The angle of arrival or angle of departure can be a zenith angle relative to directly upward from the entity (i.e., radially outward from the Earth's center). E-CID uses the identity of the serving cell, 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 locations of these sources and the known offsets of the transmission times from these sources, are used to determine the location of the receiving device.

[0090] In network-centric RTT estimation, the serving base station instructs the UE to scan / receive RTT measurement signals (e.g., PRS) on serving cells of two or more adjacent base stations (and typically the serving base station, as at least three base stations are required). These one or more base stations transmit the RTT measurement signals on low-reuse resources (e.g., resources used by the base station to transmit system information) allocated by the network (e.g., a location server, such as an LMF120). The UE records the arrival time (also referred to as reception time, time received, or time of arrival (ToA)) of each RTT measurement signal relative to the UE's current downlink timing (e.g., as derived by the UE from DL signals received from its serving base station), and (e.g., when instructed by its serving base station) transmits a shared or individual RTT response message (e.g., an SRS (probe reference signal) for positioning, i.e., UL-PRS) to these one or more base stations, and may transmit the time difference T between the ToA of the RTT measurement signal and the transmission time of the RTT response message. Rx→Tx (i.e., UE T) Rx-Tx or UE Rx-Tx This is included in the payload of each RTT response message. The RTT response message will include a reference signal from which the base station can infer the ToA of the RTT response. This is achieved by comparing the transmission time of the RTT measurement signal from the base station with the difference T between the ToA of the RTT response at the base station and the time difference T. Tx→Rx Time difference T with UE report Rx→Tx The base station can infer the propagation time between the base station and the UE. From the propagation time, the base station can determine the distance between the UE and the base station by assuming that the propagation time is the speed of light.

[0091] UE-centric RTT estimation is similar to network-based methods, except that the UE transmits uplink RTT measurement signals (e.g., when instructed by a serving base station), which are received by multiple base stations near the UE. Each involved base station responds with a downlink RTT response message, which may include in its payload the time difference between the ToA of the RTT measurement signal at the base station and the transmission time of the RTT response message from the base station.

[0092] For both network-centric and UE-centric procedures, the side performing RTT calculation (network or UE) typically (but not always) transmits a first message or signal (e.g., an RTT measurement signal), while the other side responds with one or more RTT response messages or signals, which may include the difference between the ToA of the first message or signal and the transmission time of the RTT response message or signal.

[0093] Multiple-RTT (Multiple-Time To-Trip) techniques can be used to determine location. For example, a first entity (e.g., a UE) may emit one or more signals (e.g., unicast, multicast, or broadcast from a base station), and multiple second entities (e.g., other TSPs, such as a base station and / or the UE) may receive signals from the first entity and respond to those received signals. The first entity receives responses from the multiple second entities. The first entity (or another entity, such as an LMF) may use the responses from the second entities to determine the range to the second entities, and the location of the first entity may be determined by trilateration using the multiple ranges and the known locations of the second entities.

[0094] In some instances, additional information in the form of angle of arrival (AoA) or angle of departure (AoD) can be obtained, which defines a straight-line direction (e.g., it can be in a horizontal plane or in three dimensions) or a possible (e.g., the UE's direction as seen from the base station's location) range of directions. The intersection of the two directions can provide another estimate of the UE's location.

[0095] For positioning techniques that use PRS (Location Reference Signal) signals (e.g., TDOA and RTT), the PRS signals transmitted by multiple TRPs are measured, and the arrival time, known transmission time, and known location of the TRPs are used to determine the range from the UE to the TRPs. For example, RSTD (Reference Signal Time Difference) can be determined for PRS signals received from multiple TRPs, and these RSTDs are used in TDOA techniques to determine the UE's location. The Location Reference Signal may be referred to as the PRS or PRS signal. PRS signals are typically transmitted using the same power, and PRS signals with the same signal characteristics (e.g., the same frequency shift) may interfere with each other, such that a PRS signal from a more distant TRP may be overwhelmed by a PRS signal from a closer TRP, thus the signal from the more distant TRP may not be detected. PRS silencing can be used to help reduce interference by silencing some PRS signals (reducing the power of the PRS signal, e.g., reducing it to zero and thus not transmitting the PRS signal). In this way, the UE can more easily detect the weaker PRS signal (at the UE) without interference from a stronger PRS signal. The term RS and its variations (e.g., PRS, SRS) may refer to one or more reference signals.

[0096] Positioning Reference Signals (PRS) include a downlink PRS (DL PRS, often simply referred to as PRS) and an uplink PRS (UL PRS) (which may be referred to as the SRS (Detection Reference Signal) used for positioning). PRS may include PN codes (pseudo-random codes) or be generated using PN codes (e.g., scrambling the PN codes with another signal), making the PRS source usable as a pseudo-satellite. PN codes can be unique for a PRS source (at least unique within a specified area, ensuring that the same PRS from different PRS sources does not overlap). PRS may include PRS resources of a frequency layer or a set of PRS resources. The DL PRS positioning frequency layer (or simply frequency layer) is a collection of DL PRS resource sets from one or more TRPs, whose PRS resources share common parameters configured by the higher-level parameters DL-PRS-PositioningFrequencyLayer, DL-PRS-ResourceSet, and DL-PRS-Resource. Each frequency layer has a DL PRS subcarrier spacing (SCS) for the DL PRS resource set and DL PRS resources within that frequency layer. Each frequency layer also has a DL PRS cyclic prefix (CP) for the DL PRS resource set and DL PRS resources within that frequency layer. In 5G, a resource block occupies 12 consecutive subcarriers and a specified number of symbols. Furthermore, the DL PRS point A parameter defines the frequency of the reference resource block (and the lowest subcarrier of the resource block), where DL PRS resources belonging to the same DL PRS resource set have the same point A, and all DL PRS resource sets belonging to the same frequency layer have the same point A. The frequency layers also have the same DL PRS bandwidth, the same starting PRB (and center frequency), and the same comb size value (i.e., the frequency of the PRS resource element per symbol, such that for comb N, every Nth resource element is a PRS resource element). The PRS resource set is identified by the PRS resource set ID and can be associated with a specific TRP (identified by the cell ID) transmitted by the base station's antenna panel. A PRS resource ID in a PRS resource set can be associated with an omnidirectional signal and / or with 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, and thus, a PRS resource (or simply a resource) can also be referred to as a beam. This does not imply at all whether the UE is aware of the base station and beam transmitting the PRS.

[0097] The TRP can be configured, for example, by instructions received from a server and / or by software within the TRP, to transmit DL PRS according to a schedule. Based on this schedule, the TRP can transmit DL PRS intermittently (e.g., periodically at consistent intervals from the initial transmission). The TRP can be configured to transmit one or more PRS resource sets. A resource set is a collection of PRS resources across a TRP, wherein these resources have the same periodicity, a shared silent mode configuration (if any), and the same cross-slot repetition factor. Each PRS resource set comprises multiple PRS resources, wherein each PRS resource comprises multiple resource elements (REs), which may reside in multiple resource blocks (RBs) within N (or more) consecutive symbols in a time slot. An RB is a set of REs spanning one or more consecutive symbols in the time domain and a consecutive subcarrier number (12 for 5G) in the frequency domain. Each PRS resource is configured with an RE offset, a time slot offset, a symbol offset within a time slot, and a number of consecutive symbols that the PRS resource can occupy within a time slot. The RE offset defines the initial RE offset of the first symbol within a DL PRS resource in the frequency range. The relative RE offsets of the remaining symbols within a DL PRS resource are defined based on this initial offset. The slot offset is the starting slot of the DL PRS resource relative to the slot offset of the corresponding resource set. The symbol offset determines the starting symbol of the DL PRS resource within the starting slot. Transmitted REs can be repeated across slots, with each transmission referred to as a repetition, allowing for multiple repetitions within a PRS resource. DL PRS resources in a DL PRS resource set are associated with the same TRP, and each DL PRS resource has a DL PRS resource ID. The DL PRS resource ID in a DL PRS resource set is associated with a single beam transmitted from a single TRP (although a TRP can transmit one or more beams).

[0098] PRS resources can also be defined by quasi-coexistence and starting PRB parameters. The quasi-coexistence (QCL) parameter defines any quasi-coexistence information of the DL PRS resource with other reference signals. The DL PRS can be configured to be QCL type D with DL PRS or SS / PBCH (Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel) blocks from serving or non-serving cells. The DL PRS can also be configured to be QCL type C with SS / PBCH blocks from serving or non-serving cells. The starting PRB parameter defines the starting PRB index of the DL PRS resource relative to reference point A. The granularity of the starting PRB index is one PRB, and the minimum value can be 0 and the maximum value is 2176 PRBs.

[0099] A PRS resource set is a collection of PRS resources with the same periodicity, the same silent mode configuration (if any), and the same cross-slot repetition factor. Each time all repetitions of all PRS resources in a PRS resource set are configured for transmission is called an "instance". Therefore, an "instance" of a PRS resource set is a specified number of repetitions for each PRS resource and a specified number of PRS resources within the PRS resource set, such that the instance is completed once the specified number of repetitions have been transmitted for each of the specified number of PRS resources. An instance can also be referred to as an "opportunity". A DLPRS configuration, including DL PRS transmission scheduling, can be provided to the UE to facilitate DL PRS measurement (or even enable the UE to measure DL PRS).

[0100] Multiple frequency layers of a PRS can be aggregated to provide an effective bandwidth greater than the bandwidth of any single layer. Multiple frequency layers belonging to component carriers (which can be coherent and / or separate) and satisfying criteria such as Quasi-coexistence (QCL) and having the same antenna port can be stitched together to provide a larger effective PRS bandwidth (for DL ​​PRS and UL PRS), thereby improving the accuracy of time of arrival measurements. Stitching involves combining PRS measurements on the individual bandwidth segments so that the stitched PRS can be considered as taken from a single measurement. In the case of QCL, different frequency layers behave similarly, resulting in a larger effective bandwidth for stitching the PRS. The larger effective bandwidth (which may be referred to as the bandwidth of the aggregated PRS or the frequency bandwidth of the aggregated PRS) provides better time-domain resolution (e.g., the resolution of TDOA). An aggregated PRS comprises a collection of PRS resources, and each PRS resource in the aggregated PRS may be referred to as a PRS component, and each PRS component may be transmitted on different component carriers, frequency bands, or frequency layers, or on different portions of the same frequency band.

[0101] RTT positioning is an active positioning technology because RTT uses positioning signals sent by the TRP to the UE and by the UE (participating in RTT positioning) to the TRP. The TRP can send a DL-PRS signal received by the UE, and the UE can send an SRS (Probe Reference Signal) signal received by multiple TRPs. The Probe Reference Signal may be referred to as SRS or SRS signal. In 5G multi-RTT, coordinated positioning can be used, where the UE sends a single UL-SRS for positioning received by multiple TRPs, instead of sending a separate UL-SRS for positioning for each TRP. A participating TRP will typically search for UEs currently residing on that TRP (the served UE, where the TRP is the serving TRP) and also search for UEs residing on neighboring TRPs (neighbor UEs). A neighboring TRP can be a TRP of a single BTS (e.g., gNB), or it can be a TRP of a single BTS and a TRP of a single BTS. For RTT positioning (including multi-RTT positioning), the DL-PRS and UL-SRS positioning signals in the PRS / SRS positioning signal pair used to determine the RTT (and thus the range between the UE and TRP) may occur close to each other in time, so that the errors caused by UE movement and / or UE clock drift and / or TRP clock drift are within acceptable limits. For example, the signals in the PRS / SRS positioning signal pair may be transmitted from the TRP and the UE within approximately 10 ms of each other. In cases where the SRS positioning signal is being transmitted by the UE and the PRS and SRS positioning signals are transmitted close to each other in time, it has been found that this may lead to radio frequency (RF) signal congestion (which may result in excessive noise, etc.) (especially if many UEs are concurrently attempting positioning), and / or computational congestion at the TRP where many UEs are concurrently attempting to measure.

[0102] RTT positioning can be UE-based or UE-assisted. In UE-based RTT, UE 200 determines the RTT and corresponding range to each of TRP 300, and determines the location of UE 200 based on the range to TRP 300 and the known location of TRP 300. In UE-assisted RTT, UE 200 measures the positioning signal and provides the measurement information to TRP 300, and TRP 300 determines the RTT and range. TRP 300 provides the range to a location server (e.g., server 400), and the server determines the location of UE 200, for example, based on the range to different TRP 300s. RTT and / or range may be determined by TRP 300, which receives signals from UE 200, by TRP 300 in conjunction with one or more other devices (e.g., one or more other TRP 300 and / or server 400), or by one or more devices other than TRP 300 that receive signals from UE 200.

[0103] 5G NR supports various positioning technologies. Native NR positioning methods supported in 5G NR include DL-only positioning, UL-only positioning, and DL+UL positioning. Downlink-based positioning methods include DL-TDOA and DL-AoD. Uplink-based positioning methods include UL-TDOA and UL-AoA. Combined DL+UL positioning methods include RTT with one base station and RTT with multiple base stations (multi-RTT).

[0104] Location estimation (e.g., for a UE) may be referred to by other names, such as location estimate, location, positioning, location lock, lock, etc. Location estimation can be geodetic and include coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and possible altitude), or it can be municipal and include street addresses, postal addresses, or some other verbal description of location. Location estimation can be further defined relative to some other known location or in absolute terms (e.g., using latitude, longitude, and possible altitude). Location estimation may include expected errors or uncertainties (e.g., by including the area or volume that the expected location will be included within with a specified or default confidence level).

[0105] Figure 4The configuration of server 400 shown is exemplary and not intended to limit this disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, wireless transceiver 440 may be omitted. Alternatively or additionally, the description herein discusses server 400 being configured to 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).

[0106] Combined processing of frequency hopping PRS

[0107] The PRS can be transmitted as a frequency-hopping PRS by the TRP, where different parts of the PRS have different component carriers, and the frequency-hopping PRS parts are processed in combination to determine location information, such as one or more measurements, such as ToA, UE location, etc. The determined location information can have higher accuracy than the location information determined from a PRS without frequency hopping and spanning a smaller bandwidth than the combined frequency-hopping PRS. Parts of one or more PRSs can be processed in combination, where for multiple PRSs, the PRSs are associated with each other in a way that allows and / or expects the UE to process these parts jointly; for example, the UE can assume that the PRSs come from the same port or QCL.

[0108] Reference Figure 5 Further reference Figure 1-4 UE 500 includes a processor 510, an interface 520, and a memory 530, which are communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 540. UE 500 may include... Figure 5 The components shown may include one or more other components, such as Figure 2Any of the components shown herein may be used to make UE200 an example of UE500. Interface 520 may include one or more components of transceiver 215, such as wireless transmitter 242 and antenna 246, or wireless receiver 244 and antenna 246, or wireless transmitter 242, wireless receiver 244 and antenna 246. Alternatively or alternatively, interface 520 may include wired transmitter 252 and / or wired receiver 254. Memory 530 may be configured similarly to memory 211, for example, including software with processor-readable instructions configured to cause processor 510 to perform functions. The description herein may refer only to processor 510 performing functions, but this includes other implementations, such as implementations of software and / or firmware (stored in memory 530) performed by processor 510. The description herein may refer to UE 500 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of UE 500 (e.g., processor 510 and memory 530) performing that function. Processor 510 (possibly in conjunction with memory 530 and, where appropriate, with interface 520) includes a processing capability unit 550 and a PRS measurement unit 560. Processing capability unit 550 is configured to report to UE 500 one or more processing capabilities regarding the combined processing of frequency-hopping PRS portions (e.g., coherently combining frequency-hopping PRS portions, which may be referred to as splicing), and to process frequency-hopping PRS portions in combination. PRS measurement unit 560 is configured to determine positioning information based on the received PRS. Processing capability unit 550 and PRS measurement unit are discussed further below, and this description may generally refer to processor 510 or UE 500 performing any function of processing capability unit 550 and / or PRS measurement unit 560.

[0109] Refer again Figure 4 And further refer to Figure 5The processor 410 (possibly in conjunction with memory 411 and, where appropriate, transceiver 415 (or one or more portions thereof)) includes a PRS scheduling unit 460 and a positioning timeline unit 470. The PRS scheduling unit 460 is configured to coordinate with the TRP regarding how / when the TRP will transmit DL PRS, such as transmitting DL PRS with frequency-hopping PRS components. The positioning timeline unit 470 is configured to: determine the update rate of positioning timeline information, such as positioning information (e.g., one or more positioning measurements of one or more positioning signals received by UE 500, or the location of UE 500). The positioning timeline unit 470 may be configured to determine the accuracy of the positioning information, such as the actual accuracy of the determined positioning of UE 500 or the expected accuracy of positioning information such as one or more PRS measurements and / or the positioning of UE 500. The positioning timeline unit 470 may be configured to determine the positioning timeline information based on the processing capability of UE 500 to process frequency-hopping PRS components in combination. The PRS scheduling unit 460 and the positioning timeline unit 470 are discussed further below, and this description may generally refer to the processor 410 or the server 400 performing any functions of the PRS scheduling unit 460 and / or the positioning timeline unit 470.

[0110] Also refer to Figure 6 Server 400 (e.g., PRS scheduling unit 460) can enable the TRP to send a PRS with a frequency-hopping PRS portion (also called a PRS component). The TRP can transmit the frequency-hopping PRS portion with various characteristics, such as component carrier, bandwidth, start RB, frequency interval, time interval, symbol duration, etc. Figure 6In the example shown, set 600 includes four PRS transmitted by various TRPs, where TRP1 transmits PRS portions PRS 11, PRS 12, PRS 13, and PRS 14; TRP2 transmits PRS portions PRS 21, PRS 22, PRS 23, and PRS 24; TRP3 transmits PRS portions PRS 31, PRS 32, PRS 33, and PRS 34; and TRP4 transmits PRS portions PRS 41, PRS 42, PRS 43, and PRS 44. The PRS portions from each TRP may correspond to one or more PRSs. Each PRS has a frequency-hopping portion; in this example, there are four frequency-hopping portions, where coherent (in time) PRS portions are not spaced out in time or frequency. The four PRS portions of each of the four PRS (each comprising one or more PRSs) span the same total bandwidth 610, and this total bandwidth is the bandwidth of the frequency layer of the frequency-hopping PRS. Therefore, if the four PRS portions shown for a frequency-hopping PRS are combined for processing, the four frequency-hopping PRSs will have the same bandwidth and center frequency. No specific time length is specified for each PRS portion, and each PRS portion can have various time lengths, such as one symbol, two symbols, four symbols, eight symbols, twelve symbols, or other lengths. Each PRS portion can occupy one or more resource elements in a symbol. Each group of PRS portions is associated in such a way that UE 500 can assume that UE 500 is permitted and / or expects to jointly process these PRS portions, for example, PRS portions corresponding to the same port or QCL. Transmitting the PRS in multiple portions results in higher transmit power per bandwidth portion than when transmitting the entire bandwidth at once.

[0111] Also refer to Figure 7 The PRS part can have the same Figure 6 The example set 600 shown has similar time lengths and similar bandwidths, or may have similar characteristics. Figure 7 The different time durations and / or different bandwidths are shown. For example, PRS 700 includes three PRS sections 711, 712, and 713. PRS sections 711 and 713 span the same bandwidth 720 and the same time 730, while PRS section 712 spans a longer time 740 and a larger bandwidth 750, different from PRS sections 711 and 713. Furthermore, PRS section 712 is separated from PRS section 711 by time 760, from PRS section 713 by time 762, and from PRS section 711 by frequency 770. PRS 700 spans a total time 780 and a total bandwidth 790.

[0112] The PRS measurement unit 560 may or may not be configured to process multi-frequency PRS components in combination. For example, also refer to... Figure 8A The PRS measurement unit 560 may not be configured to process PRS portions 811, 812, 813, and 814 in combination, but may be configured to process PRS portions 811, 812, 813, and 814 individually to determine and report individual location information (e.g., ToA) for each of the PRS portions 811-814. The PRS measurement unit 560 may report less than all location information; for example, it may report a single ToA, such as the ToA determined to be optimal (e.g., most accurate). In this case, the PRS processing bandwidth is the same as the PRS transmission bandwidth. Alternatively, the PRS measurement unit 560 may be configured to process multi-frequency PRS portions in combination, for example, by coherently combining PRS portions by processing samples of the PRS portions using the same FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) to determine location information (e.g., measurement or location of the UE 500). The combined PRS portion increases the PRS processing bandwidth to the sum of the combined PRS portions and can improve performance, such as ToA accuracy (e.g., due to finer resolution, i.e., more frequent time-domain sampling). The PRS measurement unit 560 can, for example, fill the FFT buffer with samples from different frequency-hopping PRS portions from different frequencies (e.g., different component carriers), as if the PRS portions were transmitted in the same symbol. Therefore, for example, also refer to... Figure 8B The PRS measurement unit 560 can coherently combine the frequency-hopping PRS sections 851, 852, 853, and 854, so that the PRS sections 854-854 generate combined positioning information, for example, a single ToA for the combination of PRS sections 851-854, and spans the composite bandwidth 860.

[0113] Also refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 The PRS measurement unit 560 can be configured (e.g., can be capable of) processing various combinations of frequency-hopping PRS portions. The PRS measurement unit 560 can be configured to process in combination fewer than all of the frequency-hopping PRS portions that the TRP can transmit. For example, as... Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the PRS measurement unit 560 can be configured to combine two frequency-hopping PRS portions and / or combine three of the four frequency-hopping PRS portions that can be transmitted by the TRP 300. These are just examples, and the TRP 300 can transmit frequency-hopping PRS with more or fewer than four PRS portions, and the PRS measurement unit 560 can be configured to process more than three PRS portions from different frequency bands (subbands) in combination.

[0114] Processing capability unit 550 is configured to report the ability of UE 500 to process frequency-hopping PRS (i.e., splicing multi-frequency PRS portions) in combination. Processing capability unit 550 may be configured to report to a network entity such as server 400, depending on the capabilities of UE 500, whether UE 500 cannot splice frequency-hopping PRS portions or UE 500 can process frequency-hopping PRS portions in combination. Processing capability unit 500 may be configured to report criteria affecting the ability of UE 500 to splice frequency-hopping PRS portions. These criteria may include one or more criteria that the PRS portions must meet so that UE 500 can process the PRS portions in combination (e.g., so that the PRS portions maintain RF coherence). The criteria may include, for example: the PRS portion is QCL; the PRS portions originate from the same antenna port; the maximum number of PRS components at different frequencies; the maximum frequency interval (e.g., the maximum number of subbands) between PRS portions (e.g., PRS portions received in a time-coherent manner), i.e., the maximum frequency hopping (e.g., the maximum value at frequency 770); the maximum time interval between coherent PRS portions (e.g., the maximum value at time 760 or time 762); the maximum total frequency span of the PRS portions (e.g., frequency 790); the maximum time span of the PRS portions (e.g., time 780); one or more specific combinations of possible PRS portions, etc.

[0115] like Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the processing capability unit 550 can be configured to report one or more specific combinations of PRS portions that the UE 500 can process in combination. The processing capability unit 550 can, for example, report a bitmap containing a number of bits corresponding to the number of different subbands that the TRP 300 can transmit, where each bit in the bitmap indicates whether the PRS measurement unit 560 can process that PRS portion. If the PRS portion is repeated, the number of bits in the bitmap can be equal to the repetition factor of the PRS. For example, the processing capability unit 550 can be configured to report one or more bitmaps 970 indicating combinations of two PRS portions that the UE 500 can process in combination, and / or report one or more bitmaps 1050 indicating combinations of three PRS portions that the UE 500 can process in combination. For example, the value 1010 in bitmap 970 indicates that UE 500 can process PRS 11 and PRS 13 in combination (e.g., coherently combining PRS 11 and PRS 13), and the value 1011 in bitmap 1050 indicates that UE 500 can process PRS 11, PRS 13, and PRS 14 in combination. Different UEs may be able to process different combinations of frequency-hopping PRS portions. For example, some UEs may only be able to process combinations of frequency-hopping PRS portions in consecutive subbands.

[0116] Processing capability unit 550 can be configured to provide an indication of the processing quality that can be provided using the corresponding combined PRS portions. For example, processing capability unit 550 can report what error rate and / or accuracy can be achieved for future positioning signal measurements based on the corresponding combination of PRS portions, or what error rate and / or accuracy the determined positioning measurement has. Different accuracies can be provided for different bandwidths of the combined PRS portions (e.g., 50% absolute ToA error of 2.5 ns for a 100 MHz bandwidth, 1.2 ns for a 200 MHz bandwidth, and 0.7 ns for a 400 MHz bandwidth). The accuracy that PRS measurement unit 560 can achieve may depend on the total frequency of the combined PRS portions and / or may depend on the frequency span of the combined PRS portions rather than just the total bandwidth of the individual PRS portions. For example, for a combination of PRS 11 and PRS 14, the accuracy can correspond to a bandwidth of 860, rather than the sum of the bandwidths of PRS 11 and PRS 14, and therefore the measurement accuracy of a combination of PRS 11 and PRS 14 can be similar to (e.g., equal to) the measurement accuracy of a combination of PRS 11, PRS 12, PRS 13 and PRS 14.

[0117] If the UE 500 processes the frequency-hopping PRS portion alone, the accuracy provided by the UE 500 depends on the individual bandwidth of the PRS portion, not the combination of bandwidths. The accuracy of the ToA measurement is inversely proportional to the bandwidth of the subband being measured. Therefore, the accuracy of a ToA measurement from processing the PRS portion alone will be at least as good as the PRS portion with the smallest bandwidth. The ToA measurement with the highest accuracy (highest resolution, lowest expected error) will come from measuring the PRS portion with the largest bandwidth.

[0118] The processing capability unit 550 can be configured to provide an indication of the processing time for the UE 500 to process combinations of PRS portions. For example, the processing capability unit 550 can be configured to provide a processing time indication for each bitmap combination of PRS portions, or for each number of PRS portions, or for the combined bandwidth of PRS portions, or for one or more other characteristics of the PRS portions to be processed in combination.

[0119] refer to Figure 11 For further reference Figure 1-10 The signaling and process flow 1100 for determining location information based on the frequency hopping PRS portion includes the stages shown. Process 1100 is merely an example, as stages can be added, rearranged, and / or removed. For example, stages 1120, 1170, and / or 1180 can be omitted; for instance, the ability of the UE 500 to combine processing of the PRS portion may not be reported to the server 400 before processing the PRS.

[0120] In phase 1120, UE 500 sends one or more indications of one or more processing capabilities for combined processing of frequency-hopping PRS portions. For example, processing capability unit 550 may send processing capability message 1122 to TRP 300, TRP 300 may send a corresponding processing capability message 1124 (including the capability content of message 1122) to server 400, and / or processing capability unit 550 may directly send processing capability information 1126 to server 400. Messages 1122 and 1126 include the processing capabilities of UE 500 for combined processing of PRS portions of multiple frequencies. For example, processing capability message 1122 and / or processing capability message 1126 may include an indication that UE 500 cannot combine processing of frequency-hopping PRS portions, i.e., it cannot or will not process PRS portions of different frequency subbands to determine PRS measurements. As another example, processing capability message 1122 and / or processing capability message 1126 may include an indication that UE 500 is capable of combined processing of multiple PRS portions of different subbands. Messages 1122 and / or 1126 may include one or more criteria for the PRS portion so that the UE 500 can process the PRS portion in combination. Messages 1122 and 1126 may include one or more bitmaps indicating the PRS portion that the UE 500 can process in combination. Messages 1122 and 1126 may include indications of the accuracy of positioning information corresponding to different criteria and / or different combinations of PRS portions (e.g., different bitmaps). The UE 500 may send messages 1122 and 1126 intermittently (e.g., periodically at regular intervals) and / or in response to triggers (e.g., changes in capabilities, changes in serving TRP 300, changes in serving server 400, etc.).

[0121] In phase 1130, server 400 may send configuration message 1132 containing PRS configuration instructions to TRP 300. Configuration message 1132 may be an actual instruction or may represent the result of bidirectional communication between TRP 300 and server 400. Although Figure 11 This shows that only one configuration message is sent to only one TRP, but PRS commands can be sent by server 400 to multiple TRPs for sending PRS (e.g., sending...). Figure 6(PRS set 600 shown). PRS scheduling unit 460 can determine which frequency-hopping PRS portions should be transmitted by TRP 300 based on the processing capabilities of UE 500. For example, PRS scheduling unit 460 can send a PRS instruction to TRP 300 to transmit only the PRS portions that UE 500 will be able to process in combination (e.g., coherently combined). As another example, PRS scheduling unit 460 can send a PRS instruction to TRP 300 to transmit only the PRS portions that UE 500 will be able to process in combination to meet one or more performance criteria (e.g., at least threshold accuracy and / or no more than threshold waiting time). As another example, PRS scheduling unit 460 can respond to UE 500's indication that UE 500 will not process frequency-hopping PRS portions in combination by sending a PRS instruction to TRP 300 to transmit all PRS portions. As another example, server 400 can respond to UE 500's instruction that UE 500 will not process PRS portions in combination by having TRP 300 transmit a subset of possible PRS portions (e.g., transmitting the PRS portion with the maximum bandwidth, such that the PRS measurement will have the highest possible accuracy, without causing UE 500 to process other PRS portions). As another example, for instance, if TRP 300 cannot transmit a combination of PRS portions that UE 500 can process in combination, PRS scheduling unit 460 can configure TRP 300 to transmit PRS portions that do not meet the criteria used by UE 500 to combine PRS portions.

[0122] Also in phase 1130, server 400 may send configuration message 1134 to UE 500. Configuration message 1134 may instruct the PRS configuration of TRP 300 to facilitate UE 500's measurement and processing of PRS (e.g., frequency hopping PRS) from TRP 300. Configuration message 1134 is shown as being sent directly from server 400 to UE 500, but it may also be sent via TRP 300.

[0123] In phase 1140, server 400 can determine location timeline information. For example, location timeline unit 470 can be configured to use information from messages 1124, 1126 to determine what waiting time and / or what accuracy should be expected from such location information received from UE 500. Location timeline unit 470 can use this information to determine the timing for determining the location of UE 500 with the desired accuracy. Server 400 can determine accuracy based on the reported capabilities of UE 500 in processing PRS(s), for example, server 400 determines what processing UE 500 will perform based on the reported capabilities and the PRS configuration provided in phase 1130, and determines accuracy based on that processing. Phase 1140 can be executed before, concurrently with, and / or after phase 1130.

[0124] In phase 1150, UE 500 receives one or more positioning reference signals. In this example, TRP 300 sends PRS 1152 (which may include one or more PRS signals) with a frequency hopping PRS portion to UE 500. Which PRS portions TRP 300 sends is based on configuration message 1132.

[0125] In stage 1160, UE 500 determines one or more positioning signal measurements. For example, processor 510 may process frequency-hopping PRS portions individually to determine measurements for each PRS portion. As another example, processor 510 may process multiple frequency-hopping PRS portions in combination (e.g., by coherently combining PRS portions) to determine one or more measurements for these PRS portions, such as a single ToA for these PRS portions. For example, processor 510 may process samples of multiple PRS portions on the same FFT to determine measurements (e.g., ToA, RSTD). Processor 510 may use one or more measurements to determine other positioning information; for example, multiple measurements may be used to determine the positioning of UE 500. Processor 510 may process multiple PRS portions in combination, some of which satisfy combination criteria while one or more other PRS portions do not. For example, if three PRS portions are transmitted in PRS 1152, and two of these PRS portions meet the criteria of UE 500 for combining PRS portions, but the third PRS portion does not (e.g., it is separated from the most recent PRS portion of the other two PRS portions by too much frequency and / or too much time), then processor 510 can process the two PRS portions in combination and ignore the third PRS portion.

[0126] In phase 1170, UE 500 may send location information to server 400 in location information message 1172. Location information message 1172 may include raw signal information and / or processed location signal information, such as location reference signal measurements and / or the location of UE 500. The determined location of UE 500 may be referred to as a location estimate. Location information message 1172 includes information about one or more PRS portions processed to determine corresponding location information. For example, message 1172 may indicate that multiple PRS portions are not processed in combination. This indication may be explicit or implicit (e.g., an indication of a single PRS portion corresponding to location information such as measurements). As another example, if location information is determined by processing multiple PRS portions in combination, message 1172 may include, in association with location information (e.g., measurement), the bandwidth of the PRS portions processed in combination (the sum of the bandwidths of the PRS portions), the frequency span of the PRS portions processed in combination, an explicit indication of accuracy (e.g., error margin of ToA), the number of PRS portions processed in combination, the number of resource blocks processed in combination, and / or an indication of the PRS portions processed in combination (e.g., bitmap), etc. Information about the PRS portions(s) processed to determine the location information may be included in the quality metric.

[0127] In phase 1180, server 400 may determine the location of UE 500. Server 400 may collect location information from one or more location information messages 1172 and perform one or more location techniques to determine the location of UE 500. Server 400 may use the location information from messages 1172 to update the previously determined location of UE 500. Server 400 may determine the accuracy of the location based on the reported capabilities of UE 500 in processing PRS, indications of the actual processing performed by UE 500 on PRS, and / or attributes of the portion of PRS processed by UE 500. Therefore, location may be implicitly determined as a supplement to or alternative to explicit indications of accuracy provided by UE 500.

[0128] operate

[0129] refer to Figure 12 And further refer to Figure 1-11 The method 1200 that facilitates the determination of the UE's location includes the stages shown. However, method 1200 is merely an example and is not limiting. Method 1200 can be modified, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, executing concurrently, and / or splitting a single stage into multiple stages.

[0130] In phase 1210, method 1200 includes receiving, at the user equipment, a first plurality of positioning reference signal portions having corresponding plurality of frequency subbands. For example, UE 500 receives a frequency-hopping PRS portion of PRS 1152, such as PRS portions 811-814 or other PRS portions. Processor 510, memory 530, and interface 520 (e.g., radio receiver 244 and antenna 246) may include means for receiving the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0131] At stage 1220, method 1200 includes processing one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions at the user equipment to determine positioning information. For example, UE 500 may measure PRS 1152 at stage 1160. If possible, UE 500 may combine PRS portions from different subbands in combination; for example, UE 500 is configured to combine the PRS portions included in PRS 1152. For example, UE 500 may apply different PRS portions to the same FFT to determine ToA, and RSTD or other measurements, and may use one or more measurements to determine other positioning information, such as the positioning estimate of UE 500. Alternatively, for example, if UE 500 is not configured to combine the frequency hopping PRS portions or if PRS 1152 contains PRS portions that UE 500 is not configured to combine, UE 500 may process the different PRS portions individually. As an example, processing one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions may include coherently combining all the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine positioning information. As another example, processing one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions may include coherently combining fewer than all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions. For example, if one or more other PRS portions (at least in combination with the PRS portions processed in combination) fail to meet one or more criteria for the UE 500 to process the PRS portions in combination, the UE 500 may process some PRS portions in combination and not process or process the one or more other PRS portions individually. The processor 510 and memory 530 may include means for processing one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0132] At stage 1230, method 1200 includes at least one of the following operations: transmitting a capability message to a network entity instructing the user equipment to process location reference signal portions with different frequency subbands in combination to determine the processing capability of the location information; or transmitting a signal combination instruction to the network entity instructing a second plurality of location reference signal portions among the first plurality of location reference signal portions to be processed in combination by the user equipment to determine the location information. For example, UE 500 may send processing capability messages 1122, 1126 instructing UE 500 to process multiple PRS portions of different subbands in combination (wherein capability messages 1122, 1126 may indicate that UE 500 will not process PRS portions of different subbands in combination (e.g., cannot or is unwilling to do so)). The capability message may be an explicit indication of UE 500's ability to process PRS portions of different subbands in combination, i.e., an explicit indication of composable subbands (although this indication may be encoded, e.g., corresponding to a bitmap of composable subbands). Processing capability can be a user equipment being configured to process one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions individually. For example, UE 500 can instruct UE 500 to process PRS portions of different subbands individually. This can be an indication of a temporary (e.g., for a specified time, or until a specified trigger occurs, etc.) processing configuration or a permanent processing configuration. Sending capability messages 1122, 1126 can help server 400 schedule positioning events, such as location updates, for example, based on latency associated with the processing capability of UE 500 and the transmission capability of TRP 300. Sending capability messages 1122, 1126 can help server 400 determine, for example, whether one or more quality metrics will be met based on accuracy associated with the processing capability of UE 500 and the transmission capability of TRP 300. As another example, UE 500 can send a signal combination indication to server 400, for example, in positioning message 1172 or another message, wherein the signal combination indication includes a bitmap indicating a second plurality of positioning reference signal portions. Signal combination indications can be explicit (e.g., bitmaps) or implicit (e.g., based on reported accuracy, or associated with one or more capabilities sent to a network entity's UE ID). Using bitmaps can save communication overhead and corresponding processing power in generating and transmitting indications, as well as receiving and interpreting them. Processor 510, memory 530, and interface 520 (e.g., wireless transmitter 242 and antenna 246) may include means for transmitting capability messages and / or means for transmitting signal combination indications.

[0133] Implementations of method 1200 may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, method 1200 may include transmitting a capability message, wherein the processing capability is such that the user equipment is configured to process the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in combination, and wherein the capability message includes one or more criteria regarding the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions. For example, UE 500 may send capability messages 1122, 1126, which include one or more criteria (e.g., those discussed above) for UE 500 to process PRS portions of different subbands in combination. This can help server 400 determine the PRS configuration of TRP 300 (potentially multiple TRP 300) to determine the capability for positioning scheduling and / or meeting one or more quality of service criteria. The one or more criteria may include: the number (e.g., a maximum number) of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in which the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; the maximum time interval between any temporally coherent pairs of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in which the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; the maximum frequency interval between any frequency coherent pairs of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in which the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; the maximum frequency span of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in which the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; and / or which of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions includes the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0134] Additionally or alternatively, implementations of method 1200 may include one or more of the following features. In one example implementation, method 1200 may include transmitting the location information to a network entity, wherein the location information includes a time of arrival and an indication of one or more of a first plurality of location reference signal portions processed by the user equipment to determine the time of arrival. The time of arrival may correspond to one or more of the first plurality of location reference signal portions. UE 500 may send a location information message 1172 including, for example, one or more measurements, a location estimate of UE 500, etc. Processor 510, memory 530, and interface 520 (e.g., wireless transmitter 242 and antenna 246) may include means for transmitting the location information. In another example implementation, the location information may include: a plurality of times of arrival; and a plurality of portion indications, each of which indicates one or more of the one or more first plurality of location reference signal portions processed by the user equipment to determine a corresponding one of the plurality of times of arrival. Each of the plurality of times of arrival may correspond to one or more of the one or more first plurality of location reference signal portions. In another example implementation, method 1200 may include transmitting the location information to the network entity, wherein the location information includes: a time of arrival; and an accuracy indication indicating the accuracy of the time of arrival. If other location information is provided, UE 500 may indicate the accuracy of the other location information (e.g., RSTD, UE 500's location estimate, etc.).

[0135] Implementation Example

[0136] Examples of each implementation are provided in the following numbered clauses.

[0137] 1. A user equipment configured for wireless signal switching, the user equipment comprising:

[0138] A means for receiving a first plurality of positioning reference signal portions having corresponding plurality of frequency subbands;

[0139] Processing means for processing one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine positioning information; and

[0140] At least one of the following:

[0141] A first transmitting device for transmitting capability messages to a network entity, the capability messages instructing the processing device to process positioning reference signal portions with different frequency subbands in combination to determine the processing capability of the positioning information; or

[0142] A second transmission device is used to transmit a signal combination indication to the network entity, the signal combination indication indicating a second plurality of positioning reference signal portions of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions that are processed in combination by the processing device to determine the positioning information.

[0143] 2. The user equipment as described in Clause 1, wherein the user equipment includes the first transmission device, wherein the processing capability is provided in that the processing device includes means for combined processing of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions, and wherein the capability message includes one or more criteria regarding the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0144] 3. User equipment as described in Clause 2, wherein the one or more guidelines include:

[0145] The processing device is configured to coherently combine the number of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions; or

[0146] The processing device is configured to coherently combine the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions at the maximum time interval between any temporally coherent pairs; or

[0147] The processing device is configured to coherently combine the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions at any frequency, with the maximum frequency interval between coherent pairs; or

[0148] The processing device is configured to coherently combine the maximum frequency span of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions; or

[0149] Which of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions includes the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0150] 4. User equipment as described in Clause 1, wherein the user equipment includes the first transmission device, and wherein the processing capability is provided that the processing device includes means for individually processing one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0151] 5. The user equipment as described in Clause 1, wherein the user equipment includes the second transmission device, and wherein the signal combination indication includes a bitmap indicating the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0152] 6. The user equipment as described in Clause 1 further includes a third transmission device for transmitting the location information to the network entity, wherein the location information includes:

[0153] Arrival time; and

[0154] Indication of one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions processed by the processing device to determine the arrival time.

[0155] 7. User equipment as described in Clause 6, wherein the location information includes:

[0156] Multiple arrival times; and

[0157] Multiple part indications, each of which is processed by the processing device to determine one or more of the one or more first plurality of positioning reference signal parts corresponding to one of the plurality of arrival times.

[0158] 8. The user equipment as described in Clause 1 further includes a third transmission device for transmitting the location information to the network entity, wherein the location information includes:

[0159] Arrival time; and

[0160] An accuracy indicator that shows the accuracy of the arrival time.

[0161] 9. A non-transient processor-readable storage medium including processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to perform the following operations to facilitate the location determination of a user equipment:

[0162] At the user equipment location, a first plurality of positioning reference signal portions having corresponding plurality of frequency sub-bands are received;

[0163] At the user equipment location, one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions are processed to determine positioning information; and

[0164] At least one of the following:

[0165] A capability message is transmitted to the network entity, instructing the processor to process portions of a positioning reference signal with different frequency subbands in combination to determine the processing capability of the positioning information; or

[0166] The network entity is transmitted a signal combination instruction that instructs the processor to process a second plurality of positioning reference signal portions within the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions in combination to determine the positioning information.

[0167] 10. The storage medium as described in Clause 9, wherein the instructions include instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit the capability message, wherein the processing capability is that the processor is capable of processing the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in combination, and wherein the capability message includes one or more criteria regarding the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0168] 11. Storage media as described in Clause 10, wherein the one or more criteria include:

[0169] These instructions are configured to cause the processor to coherently combine the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions; or

[0170] These instructions are configured to cause the maximum time interval between any temporally coherent pairs of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions coherently combined by the processor; or

[0171] These instructions are configured to maximize the frequency spacing between any coherent pairs of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions coherently combined by the processor; or

[0172] These instructions are configured to cause the processor to coherently combine the maximum frequency span of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions; or

[0173] Which of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions includes the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0174] 12. The storage medium as described in Clause 9, wherein the instructions include instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit the capability message, and wherein the processing capability is that the processor is configured to process one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions individually.

[0175] 13. The storage medium as described in Clause 9, wherein these instructions include instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit the signal combination indication, the signal combination indication including a bitmap indicating the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

[0176] 14. The storage medium as described in Clause 9 further includes instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit the location information to the network entity, wherein the location information includes:

[0177] Arrival time; and

[0178] Indication of one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions processed by the processor to determine the arrival time.

[0179] 15. The storage medium as described in Clause 14, wherein the location information includes:

[0180] Multiple arrival times; and

[0181] Multiple part indications, each of which indicates that the processor processes one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal parts corresponding to one of the plurality of arrival times.

[0182] 16. The storage medium as described in Clause 9 further includes instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit the location information to the network entity, wherein the location information includes:

[0183] Arrival time; and

[0184] An accuracy indicator that shows the accuracy of the arrival time.

[0185] Other considerations

[0186] Other examples and implementations fall 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, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof executed by a processor. Features implementing the functions can also be physically located in various locations, including being distributed such that different parts of the function are implemented at different physical locations. Unless otherwise stated, components (functional or otherwise) shown in the figures and / or discussed herein that are interconnected or communicating are communicatively coupled. That is, they can be directly or indirectly connected to enable communication between them.

[0187] A statement that a feature performs a function, or that a feature can perform a function, includes that the feature can be configured to perform that function (e.g., a statement that a project performs function X, or a statement that a project can perform function X, includes that the project can be configured to perform function X). The elements discussed may be components of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of this invention. Furthermore, several operations may be performed before, during, or after considering the elements or operations discussed above. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the claims.

[0188] As used herein, the singular forms of “a,” “some,” and “the” also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and / or “containing” indicate the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0189] Similarly, as used herein, the "or" (possibly followed by "at least one of" or "one or more of") used in item enumeration indicates a disjunctive enumeration such that an enumeration of, for example, "at least one of A, B, or C," or an enumeration of "one or more of A, B, or C," or an enumeration of "A or B or C" represents A or 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 more than one feature (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.). Therefore, a statement that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform a function with respect to at least one of A or B, or a statement that an item is configured to perform a function A or a function B, means that the item can be configured to perform a function with respect to A, or can be configured to perform a function with respect to B, or can be configured to perform a function with respect to both A and B. For example, the phrase "the processor is configured to measure at least one of A or B" or "the processor is configured to measure A or measure 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 may be configured to select which or both of A and B to measure). Similarly, a description of means for measuring at least one of A or B includes: means for measuring A (which may or may not measure B), or means for measuring B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or means for measuring A and B (which may be able to select which or both of A and B to measure). As another example, a description of an item (e.g., a processor) being configured to perform at least one of function X or function Y indicates 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 function X and function Y. For example, the phrase "the processor is configured to measure at least one of X or Y" means that the processor can be configured to measure X (and may or may not be configured to measure Y), or can be configured to measure Y (and may or may not be configured to measure X), or can be configured to measure both X and Y (and can be configured to select which or both of X and Y to measure).

[0190] Substantial modifications can be made to suit specific requirements. For example, custom hardware can be used, and / or specific elements can be implemented in the hardware, in processor-executed software (including portable software such as applets), or both. Furthermore, connectivity to other computing devices (such as network input / output devices) can be employed.

[0191] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, a description of a function or operation “based on” an item or condition means that the function or operation is based on the described item or condition and may be based on one or more items and / or conditions other than the described item or condition.

[0192] The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may appropriately omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components. For example, features described with reference to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of a configuration may be combined in a similar manner. Furthermore, technology evolves, and thus many elements are examples and do not limit the scope of this disclosure or the claims.

[0193] A wireless communication system is a system in which communication is transmitted wirelessly, that is, through the atmospheric space via electromagnetic waves and / or sound waves rather than through wires or other physical connections. A wireless communication network may not necessarily transmit all communications wirelessly, but may be configured to transmit at least some communications wirelessly. Furthermore, the term "wireless communication device" or similar terms do not require that the device's functionality be exclusively or uniformly primarily used 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 (each radio being part of a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver) for wireless communication.

[0194] Specific details are provided in this specification to provide a thorough understanding of the example configurations (including implementations). However, these configurations can be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring these configurations. This specification provides only example configurations and does not limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claims. Rather, the preceding description of the configurations provides a description for implementing the techniques described. Various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0195] 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 (such as) processors 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.

[0196] Several example configurations have been described, and various modifications, substitutions, constructs, and equivalents may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the above elements may be components of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of this invention. Furthermore, several operations may be performed before, during, or after considering the above elements. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the claims.

[0197] A statement whose value exceeds (or is greater than or higher than) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement whose value meets or exceeds a second threshold slightly greater than the first threshold. For example, in the resolution of the computing system, the second threshold is one value higher than the first threshold. A statement whose value is less than the first threshold (or within or below the first threshold) is equivalent to a statement whose value is less than or equal to a second threshold slightly lower than the first threshold. For example, in the resolution of the computing system, the second threshold is one value lower than the first threshold.

Claims

1. A user equipment configured for wireless signal exchange, the user equipment comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory and configured to: receive, via the transceiver, a first plurality of positioning reference signal portions having a corresponding plurality of frequency sub-bands; process one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions; transmit, via the transceiver to a network entity, a capability message indicating a processing capability of the user equipment to combine all frequencies of positioning reference signal portions having different frequency sub-bands to determine first positioning information based on the combination of the different frequency sub-bands; and transmit, via the transceiver to the network entity, second positioning information and a signal combination indication indicating that all frequencies of a second plurality of positioning reference signal portions of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions have been combined by the processor to determine the second positioning information.

2. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to coherently combine all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine the first positioning information.

3. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to coherently combine less than all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine the first positioning information.

4. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the capability message, wherein the processing capability is that the processor is configured to combine the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions, and wherein the capability message includes one or more criteria of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions for the processor to combine the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

5. The user equipment of claim 4, wherein the one or more criteria includes: a number of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the processor is configured to coherently combine; or a maximum time interval between any temporally consecutive pair of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the processor is configured to coherently combine; or a maximum frequency interval between any frequency-wise consecutive pair of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the processor is configured to coherently combine; or a maximum frequency span of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the processor is configured to coherently combine; or which positioning reference signal portions of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions include the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

6. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the capability message to explicitly indicate that the processor is configured to separately process the one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

7. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the signal combination indication, the signal combination indication including a bitmap indicating the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions. ​ 8. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit, via the transceiver, the second positioning information to the network entity, and wherein the second positioning information comprises: a time of arrival; and an indication of one or more of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions processed by the processor to determine the time of arrival.

9. The user equipment of claim 8, wherein the second positioning information comprises: a plurality of times of arrival; and a plurality of portion indications, each of the plurality of portion indications indicating one or more of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions processed by the processor to determine a corresponding one of the plurality of times of arrival.

10. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit, via the transceiver, the second positioning information to the network entity, and wherein the second positioning information comprises: a time of arrival; and an accuracy indication indicating an accuracy of the time of arrival.

11. A user equipment configured for wireless signal exchange, the user equipment comprising: means for receiving a first plurality of positioning reference signal portions having a corresponding plurality of frequency sub-bands; processing means for processing one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions; first transmitting means for transmitting a capability message to a network entity, the capability message indicating a processing capability of the means for processing to combine all frequencies of positioning reference signal portions having different frequency sub-bands to determine first positioning information based on the combination of the different frequency sub-bands; and second transmitting means for transmitting second positioning information and a signal combination indication to the network entity, the signal combination indication indicating that all frequencies of a second plurality of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions have been combined by the processing means to determine the second positioning information.

12. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the processing means comprises means for coherently combining all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine the first positioning information.

13. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the processing means comprises means for coherently combining less than all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine the first positioning information.

14. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the user equipment comprises the first transmitting means, wherein the processing capability is that the processing means comprises means for combining to process the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions, and wherein the capability message comprises one or more criteria of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions for the processing means to combine to process the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

15. The user equipment of claim 14, wherein the one or more criteria comprises: a number of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or a number of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the user equipment is configured to non-coherently combine. a maximum time separation between any time-consecutive pair of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or a maximum frequency separation between any frequency-consecutive pair of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or a maximum frequency span of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or which positioning reference signal portions of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions comprise the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

16. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the processing device comprises means for transmitting the capability message to explicitly indicate that the user equipment is configured to separately process the one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

17. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the processing device comprises means for transmitting the signal combination indication, the signal combination indication comprising a bitmap indicating the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

18. The user equipment of claim 11, further comprising means for transmitting the second positioning information to the network entity, wherein the second positioning information comprises: a time of arrival; and an indication of one or more of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions processed by the user equipment to determine the time of arrival.

19. The user equipment of claim 18, wherein the second positioning information comprises: a plurality of times of arrival; and a plurality of portion indications, each of the plurality of portion indications indicating one or more of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions processed by the user equipment to determine a corresponding one of the plurality of times of arrival.

20. The user equipment of claim 11, further comprising means for transmitting the second positioning information to the network entity, wherein the second positioning information comprises: a time of arrival; and an accuracy indication indicating an accuracy of the time of arrival.

21. A method of facilitating positioning determination of a user equipment, the method comprising: receiving, at the user equipment, a first plurality of positioning reference signal portions having a corresponding plurality of frequency subbands; processing, at the user equipment, one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions; transmitting, to a network entity, a capability message indicating a processing capability of the user equipment to process all frequencies of positioning reference signal portions having different frequency subbands in combination to determine first positioning information based on the combination of the different frequency subbands; and transmitting, to the network entity, second positioning information and a signal combination indication indicating that all frequencies of a second plurality of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions have been processed in combination by the user equipment to determine the second positioning information. ​ 22. The method of claim 21, wherein processing the one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions comprises coherently combining all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine the first positioning information.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein processing the one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions comprises coherently combining fewer than all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine the first positioning information.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the method comprises transmitting the capability message, wherein the processing capability is that the user equipment is configured to process the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in combination, and wherein the capability message comprises one or more criteria for the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions for the user equipment to process the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions in combination.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more criteria comprise: a number of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or a maximum time interval between any temporally consecutive pair of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or a maximum frequency interval between any frequency-consecutive pair of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or a maximum frequency span of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions that the user equipment is configured to coherently combine; or which positioning reference signal portions of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions comprise the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the method comprises transmitting the capability message to explicitly indicate that the user equipment is configured to separately process the one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the method comprises transmitting the signal combination indication, the signal combination indication comprising a bitmap indicating the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting the second positioning information to the network entity, wherein the second positioning information comprises: a time of arrival; and an indication of one or more of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions processed by the user equipment to determine the time of arrival.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the second positioning information comprises: a plurality of times of arrival; and a plurality of partial indications, each of the plurality of partial indications indicating one or more of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions processed by the user equipment to determine a corresponding one of the plurality of times of arrival.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting the second positioning information to the network entity, wherein the second positioning information comprises: a time of arrival; and an indication of one or more of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions processed by the user equipment to determine the time of arrival. An accuracy indication indicative of an accuracy of the time of arrival.

31. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform the following operations to facilitate a positioning determination of a user equipment: receiving, at the user equipment, a first plurality of positioning reference signal portions having a corresponding plurality of frequency sub-bands; processing, at the user equipment, one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions; transmitting, to a network entity, a capability message indicating a processing capability of the processor to combine all frequencies of positioning reference signal portions having different frequency sub-bands to determine first positioning information based on a combination of the different frequency sub-bands; and transmitting, to the network entity, second positioning information and a signal combination indication indicating that all frequencies of a second plurality of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions have been combined by the processor to determine the second positioning information.

32. The storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to process the one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to coherently combine all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine the first positioning information.

33. The storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to process the one or more of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to coherently combine less than all of the first plurality of positioning reference signal portions to determine the first positioning information.

34. The storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit the capability message, wherein the processing capability is that the processor is capable of combining the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions, and wherein the capability message comprises one or more criteria of the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions for the processor to combine the second plurality of positioning reference signal portions.

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