Determine the user equipment's ability to measure downlink positioning reference signals across multiple frequency hops.

Abstract

On one hand, network components (e.g., BS, LMF components, etc.) determine the UE's ability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth (e.g., without frequency hopping), and each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and configure one or more parameters associated with the UE's positioning based at least in part on this capability. In some designs, the UE may send an indication of this capability to the network component to facilitate this determination, while in other designs, the network component may determine the capability via another mechanism.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 088,218, filed October 6, 2020, entitled “Determination of Capability of User Equipment Tomesure a Downlink Positioning Reference Signal Across Multiple Frequency Hops,” and U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 17 / 404,684, filed August 17, 2021, entitled “Determination of Capability of User Equipment Tomesure a Downlink Positioning Reference Signal Across Multiple Frequency Hops,” both of which have been assigned to the assignee of this application and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0003] Public background

[0004] 1. Public domain

[0005] The various aspects of this disclosure generally relate to wireless communications, and more specifically to the ability of a user equipment (UE) to determine downlink positioning reference signals (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops.

[0006] 2. Relevant Technical Descriptions

[0007] Wireless communication systems have evolved through several generations, including first-generation analog wireless telephony (1G), second-generation (2G) digital wireless telephony (including the transitional 2.5G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data wireless services with internet capabilities, and fourth-generation (4G) services (e.g., LTE or WiMax). Currently, many different types of wireless communication systems are in use, including cellular and Personal Communication Services (PCS) systems. Known examples of cellular systems include cellular analog Advanced Mobile Phone Systems (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and GSM TDMA variants.

[0008] The fifth-generation (5G) wireless standard (known as New Radio (NR)) achieves 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 wireless 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.

[0009] Overview

[0010] The following is a simplified overview relating to one or more aspects disclosed herein. Therefore, this overview should not be considered an exhaustive overview relating to all aspects of the conception, nor should it be considered to identify key or decisive elements relating to all aspects of the conception or to depict the scope associated with any particular aspect. Accordingly, the sole purpose of the following overview is to present, in a simplified form, certain concepts relating to one or more aspects of the mechanism disclosed herein before the detailed description given below.

[0011] In one aspect, a method of operating user equipment (UE) includes: determining the UE's ability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and transmitting an indication of the capability to a network component.

[0012] In some respects, the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0013] In some respects, the DL-PRS is transmitted on the multiple OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0014] In some respects, the instruction indicates the minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0015] In some respects, the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the multiple frequency hops.

[0016] In some respects, the instruction specifies the minimum time interval between consecutive frequency jumps.

[0017] In some respects, the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or that the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or that the instruction indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0018] In some respects, the instruction is per frequency band or a combination of frequency bands.

[0019] In some respects, the indication indicates the first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or the indication indicates the second number of resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a combination thereof.

[0020] In some respects, the instruction indicates the number of frequency hops that the UE can handle in a specific time window.

[0021] In some respects, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands of a coherent frequency hop for a particular time-domain window.

[0022] In some aspects, the method includes: receiving DL-PRS configuration partially based on the indication.

[0023] In some respects, the measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration is at least partially based on the indication, or the DL-PRS configuration is associated with one or more accuracy requirements at least partially based on the indication, or a combination thereof.

[0024] In some respects, the instruction indicates the number of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS.

[0025] In some respects, the instruction indicates that the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or one or more accuracy requirements associated with the UE's positioning, are determined in part based on the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or a combination thereof.

[0026] In some respects, the instruction states that the UE can use incoherent combination to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as an overlapping subband.

[0027] In one aspect, a method of operating a network component includes: determining the ability of a user equipment (UE) to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and configuring one or more parameters associated with the positioning of the UE, at least in part based on the capability.

[0028] In some respects, this determination is based on indications of the capability from the UE.

[0029] In some respects, the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0030] In some respects, the DL-PRS is transmitted on the multiple OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0031] In some respects, this capability includes minimal subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0032] In some respects, the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the multiple frequency hops.

[0033] In some aspects, the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or the capability includes the UE being able to perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0034] In some aspects, the capability includes the number of first resources that the UE can process per time slot, or the capability includes the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or the number of frequency hops that the UE can process in a specific time window, or a combination thereof.

[0035] In some aspects, the one or more parameters include at least one parameter associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or the at least one parameter includes a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or the measurement period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the plurality of frequency hops, or the capability includes the number of plurality of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS, or a combination thereof.

[0036] In some aspects, the method includes: determining one or more accuracy requirements associated with the positioning of the UE, in part based on the DL-PRS configuration.

[0037] In some respects, this capability includes UE DL-PRS processing capability.

[0038] In some respects, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands of a coherent frequency hop for a particular time-domain window.

[0039] In one aspect, a user equipment (UE) includes: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: determine the UE's ability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and transmit an indication of the capability to a network component via the at least one transceiver.

[0040] In some respects, the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0041] In some respects, the DL-PRS is transmitted on the multiple OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0042] In some respects, the instruction indicates the minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0043] In some respects, the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the multiple frequency hops.

[0044] In some respects, the instruction specifies the minimum time interval between consecutive frequency jumps.

[0045] In some respects, the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or that the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or that the instruction indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0046] In some respects, the instruction is per frequency band or a combination of frequency bands.

[0047] In some respects, the indication indicates the first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or the indication indicates the second number of resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a combination thereof.

[0048] In some respects, the instruction indicates the number of frequency hops that the UE can handle in a specific time window.

[0049] In some respects, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands of a coherent frequency hop for a particular time-domain window.

[0050] In some respects, the at least one processor is further configured to receive DL-PRS configurations partially based on the instruction via the at least one transceiver.

[0051] In some respects, the measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration is at least partially based on the indication, or the DL-PRS configuration is associated with one or more accuracy requirements at least partially based on the indication, or a combination thereof.

[0052] In some respects, the instruction indicates the number of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS.

[0053] In some respects, the instruction indicates that the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or one or more accuracy requirements associated with the UE's positioning, are determined in part based on the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or a combination thereof.

[0054] In some respects, the instruction states that the UE can use incoherent combination to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as an overlapping subband.

[0055] In one aspect, a network component includes: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: determine the capability of a user equipment (UE) to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and configure one or more parameters associated with the positioning of the UE, at least in part based on the capability.

[0056] In some respects, this determination is based on indications of the capability from the UE.

[0057] In some respects, the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0058] In some respects, the DL-PRS is transmitted on the multiple OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0059] In some respects, this capability includes minimal subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0060] In some respects, the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the multiple frequency hops.

[0061] In some aspects, the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or the capability includes the UE being able to perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0062] In some aspects, the capability includes the number of first resources that the UE can process per time slot, or the capability includes the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or the number of frequency hops that the UE can process in a specific time window, or a combination thereof.

[0063] In some aspects, the one or more parameters include at least one parameter associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or the at least one parameter includes a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or the measurement period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the plurality of frequency hops, or the capability includes the number of plurality of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS, or a combination thereof.

[0064] In some respects, the at least one processor is further configured to determine one or more accuracy requirements associated with the positioning of the UE, in part based on the DL-PRS configuration.

[0065] In some respects, this capability includes UE DL-PRS processing capability.

[0066] In some respects, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands of a coherent frequency hop for a particular time-domain window.

[0067] In one aspect, a user equipment (UE) includes: means for determining the UE's ability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and means for transmitting an indication of the capability to a network component.

[0068] In some respects, the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0069] In some respects, the DL-PRS is transmitted on the multiple OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0070] In some respects, the instruction indicates the minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0071] In some respects, the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the multiple frequency hops.

[0072] In some respects, the instruction specifies the minimum time interval between consecutive frequency jumps.

[0073] In some respects, the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or that the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or that the instruction indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0074] In some respects, the instruction is per frequency band or a combination of frequency bands.

[0075] In some respects, the indication indicates the first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or the indication indicates the second number of resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a combination thereof.

[0076] In some respects, the instruction indicates the number of frequency hops that the UE can handle in a specific time window.

[0077] In some respects, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands of a coherent frequency hop for a particular time-domain window.

[0078] In some aspects, the method includes: means for receiving DL-PRS configuration partially based on the instruction.

[0079] In some respects, the measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration is at least partially based on the indication, or the DL-PRS configuration is associated with one or more accuracy requirements at least partially based on the indication, or a combination thereof.

[0080] In some respects, the instruction indicates the number of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS.

[0081] In some respects, the instruction indicates that the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or one or more accuracy requirements associated with the UE's positioning, are determined in part based on the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or a combination thereof.

[0082] In some respects, the instruction states that the UE can use incoherent combination to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as an overlapping subband.

[0083] In one aspect, a network component includes: means for determining the capability of a user equipment (UE) to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and means for configuring one or more parameters associated with the positioning of the UE based at least in part on the capability.

[0084] In some respects, this determination is based on indications of the capability from the UE.

[0085] In some respects, the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0086] In some respects, the DL-PRS is transmitted on the multiple OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0087] In some respects, this capability includes minimal subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0088] In some respects, the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the multiple frequency hops.

[0089] In some aspects, the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or the capability includes the UE being able to perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0090] In some aspects, the capability includes the number of first resources that the UE can process per time slot, or the capability includes the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or the number of frequency hops that the UE can process in a specific time window, or a combination thereof.

[0091] In some aspects, the one or more parameters include at least one parameter associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or the at least one parameter includes a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or the measurement period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the plurality of frequency hops, or the capability includes the number of plurality of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS, or a combination thereof.

[0092] In some aspects, the method includes: means for determining one or more accuracy requirements associated with the positioning of the UE, in part based on the DL-PRS configuration.

[0093] In some respects, this capability includes UE DL-PRS processing capability.

[0094] In some respects, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands of a coherent frequency hop for a particular time-domain window.

[0095] In one aspect, a non-transient computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a user equipment (UE), cause the UE to: determine the UE's ability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure downlink positioning reference signals (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and transmit an indication of this capability to a network component.

[0096] In some respects, the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0097] In some respects, the DL-PRS is transmitted on the multiple OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0098] In some respects, the instruction indicates the minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0099] In some respects, the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the multiple frequency hops.

[0100] In some respects, the instruction specifies the minimum time interval between consecutive frequency jumps.

[0101] In some respects, the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or that the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or that the instruction indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0102] In some respects, the instruction is per frequency band or a combination of frequency bands.

[0103] In some respects, the indication indicates the first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or the indication indicates the second number of resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a combination thereof.

[0104] In some respects, the instruction indicates the number of frequency hops that the UE can handle in a specific time window.

[0105] In some respects, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands of a coherent frequency hop for a particular time-domain window.

[0106] In some respects, the instructions, when executed by the UE, further cause the UE to perform the following operations:

[0107] In some respects, the measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration is at least partially based on the indication, or the DL-PRS configuration is associated with one or more accuracy requirements at least partially based on the indication, or a combination thereof.

[0108] In some respects, the instruction indicates the number of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS.

[0109] In some respects, the instruction indicates that the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or one or more accuracy requirements associated with the UE's positioning, are determined in part based on the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or a combination thereof.

[0110] In some respects, the instruction states that the UE can use incoherent combination to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as an overlapping subband.

[0111] In one aspect, a non-transient computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a network component, cause the network component to: determine the capability of a user equipment (UE) to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and configure one or more parameters associated with the positioning of the UE, at least in part based on the capability.

[0112] In some respects, this determination is based on indications of the capability from the UE.

[0113] In some respects, the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0114] In some respects, the DL-PRS is transmitted on the multiple OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0115] In some respects, this capability includes minimal subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0116] In some respects, the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the multiple frequency hops.

[0117] In some aspects, the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or the capability includes the UE being able to perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0118] In some aspects, the capability includes the number of first resources that the UE can process per time slot, or the capability includes the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or the number of frequency hops that the UE can process in a specific time window, or a combination thereof.

[0119] In some aspects, the one or more parameters include at least one parameter associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or the at least one parameter includes a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or the measurement period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the plurality of frequency hops, or the capability includes the number of plurality of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS, or a combination thereof.

[0120] In some respects, the instructions, when executed by the network component, further cause the network component to perform the following operations:

[0121] In some respects, this capability includes UE DL-PRS processing capability.

[0122] In some respects, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands of a coherent frequency hop for a particular time-domain window.

[0123] Other objectives and advantages associated with the aspects disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0125] The accompanying drawings are provided to help describe various aspects of this disclosure, and the drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting the aspects.

[0126] Figure 1 Exemplary wireless communication systems based on various aspects are explained.

[0127] Figure 2A and Figure 2B The example wireless network architecture is explained from various aspects.

[0128] Figures 3A to 3C It is a simplified block diagram of several exemplary aspects of components that can be adopted in wireless communication nodes and configured to support communications as taught in this document.

[0129] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a diagram illustrating examples of frame structures and channels within these frame structures according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0130] Figure 5 An exemplary PRS configuration for a cell supported by a wireless node is explained.

[0131] Figure 6 Exemplary wireless communication systems according to various aspects of this disclosure are explained.

[0132] Figure 7Exemplary wireless communication systems according to various aspects of this disclosure are explained.

[0133] Figure 8A This is a graph showing the RF channel response at the receiver over time according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0134] Figure 8B This is a diagram illustrating the separation of clusters by AoD.

[0135] Figure 9 The distribution of PRS resources according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is explained.

[0136] Figure 10 The distribution of PRS resources according to another embodiment of this disclosure has been explained.

[0137] Figure 11 A frequency hopping scheme according to one aspect of this disclosure is explained.

[0138] Figure 12 The positioning scheme based on one aspect of this disclosure has been explained.

[0139] Figure 13 Another aspect of the frequency hopping scheme according to this disclosure is explained.

[0140] Figure 14 Another aspect of the frequency hopping scheme according to this disclosure is explained.

[0141] Figure 15 A frequency hopping scheme for measuring DL-PRS bandwidth according to one aspect of this disclosure is explained.

[0142] Figure 16 Exemplary wireless communication processes according to various aspects of this disclosure are explained.

[0143] Figure 17 Exemplary wireless communication processes according to various aspects of this disclosure are explained.

[0144] Detailed description

[0145] Various aspects of this disclosure are provided below in the description and accompanying drawings of various examples provided for illustrative purposes. Alternative aspects may be designed without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, elements well-known in this disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of this disclosure.

[0146] The terms “exemplary” and / or “example” are used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” and / or “example” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other aspects. Similarly, the term “aspects of this disclosure” does not require that all aspects of this disclosure include the features, advantages, or modes of operation discussed.

[0147] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the information and signals described below can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and arts. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referred to throughout the following description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the specific application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, etc.

[0148] Furthermore, many aspects are described in the form of sequences of actions performed by elements of, for example, computing devices. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein can be performed by special-purpose circuitry (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. Additionally, the sequences of actions described herein can be considered to be fully embodied in any form of non-transient computer-readable storage medium storing a corresponding set of computer instructions that, upon execution, will cause an associated processor of the device to perform the functions described herein. Thus, various aspects of this disclosure can be embodied in several different forms, all of which are contemplated to fall within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, for each aspect described herein, a corresponding form of any such aspect can be described herein as, for example, "logic configured to perform the described actions."

[0149] As used herein, the terms “User Equipment” (UE) and “Base Station” are not intended to be specific to or otherwise limited to any particular Radio Access Technology (RAT) unless otherwise stated. Generally, a UE can be any wireless communication device used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network (e.g., mobile phone, router, tablet computer, laptop computer, tracking device, wearable device (e.g., smartwatch, glasses, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) headset, etc.), vehicle (e.g., car, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.), Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.). A 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 through a wired access network, a wireless local area network (WLAN) (e.g., based on IEEE 802.11, etc.).

[0150] 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), New Radio (NR) B-Node (also known as gNB or gNodeB), 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. In some systems, the base station may correspond to a Consumer Equipment (CPE) or Roadside Unit (RSU). In some designs, the base station may correspond to a high-power UE (e.g., a vehicle UE or VUE) that provides limited infrastructure-specific functionality. The communication link through which the UE can signal to the base station is called an uplink (UL) channel (e.g., reverse traffic channel, reverse control channel, access channel, etc.). The communication link through which the base station can signal to the UE is called a downlink (DL) or forward link channel (e.g., paging channel, control channel, broadcast channel, forward traffic channel, etc.). As used in this article, the term Traffic Channel (TCH) can refer to UL / reverse or DL / forward traffic channel.

[0151] The term "base station" can refer to a single physical transmit / receive point (TRP) or multiple physical TRPs that may or may not be co-located. For example, when the term "base station" refers to a single physical TRP, the physical TRP may be a base station antenna corresponding to the cell of the base station. When the term "base station" refers to multiple co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP may be an antenna array of the base station (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system or where the base station employs beamforming). When the term "base station" refers to multiple non-co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP may be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source via a transmission medium) or a remote radio headend (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station). Alternatively, a non-co-located physical TRP may be the serving base station from which the UE receives measurement reports and a neighboring base station from which the UE is measuring its reference RF signal. Since a TRP is the point from which a base station transmits and receives radio signals, as used herein, references to transmissions from or receptions at a base station should be understood to refer to the specific TRP of that base station.

[0152] An “RF signal” refers to an electromagnetic wave of a given frequency that transmits information across the space between a transmitter and a receiver. As used herein, a transmitter may transmit a single “RF signal” or multiple “RF signals” to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of individual RF signals through a multipath channel, a receiver may receive multiple “RF signals” corresponding to each transmitted RF signal. The same RF signal transmitted on different paths between the transmitter and receiver can be referred to as a “multipath” RF signal.

[0153] According to various aspects, Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system 100 has been described. The wireless communication system 100 (also referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) may include various base stations 102 and various UEs 104. Base station 102 may include macrocell base stations (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cell base stations (low-power cellular base stations). In one aspect, the macrocell base station may include an eNB (where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an LTE network), or a gNB (where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an NR network), or a combination of both, and the small cell base station may include femtocells, picocells, microcells, etc.

[0154] Each base station 102 can collectively form a RAN and interface with a core network 170 (e.g., an evolved packet core (EPC) or next-generation core (NGC)) via a backhaul link 122, and interface with one or more location servers 172 via the core network 170. Among other functions, base station 102 can also perform functions related to one or more of the following: transmitting user data, radio channel cryptography and decoding, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection establishment and release, load balancing, distribution of non-access stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, RAN sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracking, RAN information management (RIM), paging, location, and delivery of alarm messages. Base stations 102 can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via EPC / NGC) on a backhaul link 134, which can be wired or wireless.

[0155] Base station 102 can wirelessly communicate with UE 104. Each base station 102 can provide communication coverage for its respective geographical coverage area 110. In one aspect, one or more cells can be supported by base station 102 in each coverage area 110. A “cell” is a logical communication entity used to communicate with a base station (e.g., on a frequency resource, it is referred to as a carrier frequency, component carrier, carrier, frequency band, etc.) and can be associated with an identifier (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCI), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCI)) to distinguish cells operating via the same or different carrier frequencies. In some cases, different cells can be configured according to different protocol types that can provide access to different types of UEs (e.g., Machine Type Communication (MTC), Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), or others). Since cells are supported by specific base stations, the term “cell” can refer to either or both of the logical communication entity and the base station supporting that logical communication entity, depending on the context. In some contexts, the term "cellular" can also refer to the geographical coverage area (e.g., sector) of a base station, in the sense that the carrier frequency can be detected and used for communication within a portion of the geographic coverage area 110.

[0156] While the geographic coverage areas 110 of adjacent macrocell base stations 102 may partially overlap (e.g., in handover areas), some geographic coverage areas 110 may substantially overlap with larger geographic coverage areas 110. For example, a small cell base station 102' may have a coverage area 110' that substantially overlaps with the coverage areas 110 of one or more macrocell base stations 102. A network that includes both small cell and macrocell base stations may be referred to as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include home eNBs (HeNBs) that provide service to a restricted group known as a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG).

[0157] The communication link 120 between base station 102 and UE 104 may include downlink (UL) transmission from UE 104 to base station 102 (also known as the reverse link) and / or downlink (DL) transmission from base station 102 to UE 104 (also known as the forward link). The communication link 120 may use MIMO antenna technologies, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link 120 may use one or more carrier frequencies. Carrier allocation may be asymmetric with respect to DL and UL (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to DL compared to UL).

[0158] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) 150 communicating with a WLAN station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154 in unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz). When communicating in unlicensed spectrum, the WLAN STA 152 and / or WLAN AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) or listen-before-speak (LBT) procedure to determine channel availability before communication.

[0159] Small cell base station 102' can operate in licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum. When operating in unlicensed spectrum, small cell base station 102' can employ LTE or NR technology and use the same 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum as used by WLAN AP 150. Small cell base station 102' employing LTE / 5G in unlicensed spectrum can enhance access network coverage and / or increase access network capacity. NR in unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as NR-U. LTE in unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as LTE-U, Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), or MulteFire.

[0160] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a millimeter-wave (mmW) base station 180, which can operate in mmW and / or near-mmW frequencies to communicate with the UE 182. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that contains radio frequency (RF). EHF has a range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz and wavelengths between 1 mm and 10 mm. Radio waves in this band are referred to as millimeter waves. Near-mmW extends down to a 3 GHz frequency with a 100 mm wavelength. Ultra-high frequency (SHF) bands extend between 3 GHz and 30 GHz, and are also referred to as centimeter waves. Communication using mmW / near-mmW RF bands has high path loss and relatively short range. The mmW base station 180 and the UE 182 can utilize beamforming (transmit and / or receive) on the mmW communication link 184 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short range. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that in alternative configurations, one or more base stations 102 may also use mmW or near-mmW and beamforming for transmission. Accordingly, it will be understood that the foregoing explanations are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the aspects disclosed herein.

[0161] Transmit beamforming is a technique for focusing RF signals in a specific direction. Conventionally, when a network node (e.g., a base station) broadcasts an RF signal, it broadcasts the signal in all directions (omnidirectionally). Using transmit beamforming, the network node determines where a given target device (e.g., a UE) is located (relative to the transmitting network node) and projects a stronger downlink RF signal in that specific direction, thus providing the receiving device with a faster (in terms of data rate) and stronger RF signal. To change the directivity of the RF signal during transmission, the network node can control the phase and relative amplitude of the RF signal at each of one or more transmitters broadcasting the RF signal. For example, the network node can use an antenna array (referred to as a "phased array" or "antenna array") that generates a beam of RF waves, which can be "guided" to different directions without actually moving these antennas. Specifically, RF currents from the transmitters are fed to the individual antennas with the correct phase relationship so that radio waves from the separate antennas add together in the desired direction to increase radiation, while simultaneously canceling each other out in the undesired direction to suppress radiation.

[0162] Transmit beams can be quasi-co-located, meaning they appear to the receiver (e.g., the UE) to have the same parameters, regardless of whether the transmit antennas of network nodes are physically co-located themselves. In NR, there are four types of quasi-co-location (QCL) relationships. Specifically, a given type of QCL relationship means that certain parameters of the second reference RF signal on the second beam can be derived from information about the source reference RF signal on the source beam. Thus, if the source reference RF signal is QCL type A, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, and delay spread of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL type B, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and Doppler spread of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL type C, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and average delay of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is of type QCL D, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the spatial reception parameters of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel.

[0163] In receive beamforming, a receiver uses a receive beam to amplify an RF signal detected on a given channel. For example, a receiver may increase the gain setting of an antenna array and / or adjust the phase setting of the antenna array in a specific direction to amplify the RF signal received from that direction (e.g., increase its gain level). Thus, when a receiver is referred to as beamforming in a certain direction, it means that the beam gain in that direction is higher than the beam gain in other directions, or that the beam gain in that direction is the highest compared to the beam gain of all other receive beams available to the receiver in that direction. This results in a stronger received signal strength (e.g., Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR), etc.) of the RF signal received from that direction.

[0164] The receive beam can be spatially dependent. Spatial dependence means that the parameters of the transmit beam used for the second reference signal can be derived from information about the receive beam of the first reference signal. For example, the UE can use a specific receive beam to receive a reference downlink reference signal (e.g., a synchronization signal block (SSB)) from a base station. The UE can then form a transmit beam based on the parameters of the receive beam to transmit an uplink reference signal (e.g., a probe reference signal (SRS)) to that base station.

[0165] Note that, depending on the entity forming the "downlink" beam, the beam can be either a transmit beam or a receive beam. For example, if a base station is forming a downlink beam to transmit a reference signal to a UE, then the downlink beam is a transmit beam. However, if a UE is forming a downlink beam, then the downlink beam is a receive beam for receiving downlink reference signals. Similarly, depending on the entity forming the "uplink" beam, the beam can be either a transmit beam or a receive beam. For example, if a base station is forming an uplink beam, then the uplink beam is an uplink receive beam, while if a UE is forming an uplink beam, then the uplink beam is an uplink transmit beam.

[0166] In 5G, the spectrum in which radio nodes (e.g., base stations 102 / 180, UE 104 / 182) operate is divided into multiple frequency ranges: FR1 (from 450 to 6000 MHz), FR2 (from 24250 to 52600 MHz), FR3 (above 52600 MHz), and FR4 (between FR1 and FR2). In multi-carrier systems (such as 5G), one of the carrier frequencies is referred to as the “primary carrier” or “anchor carrier” or “primary serving cell” or “PCell,” and the remaining carrier frequencies are referred to as “secondary carriers” or “secondary serving cells” or “SCell.” In carrier aggregation, the anchor carrier is the carrier operating on the primary frequency (e.g., FR1) utilized by UE 104 / 182 and on the cell in which UE 104 / 182 performs an initial radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment procedure or initiates an RRC connection re-establishment procedure. The primary carrier carries all shared control channels as well as UE-specific control channels, and can be a carrier on a licensed frequency (however, this is not always the case). The secondary carrier is a carrier operating on a second frequency (e.g., FR2), which can be configured once an RRC connection is established between UE 104 and the anchor carrier, and can be used to provide additional radio resources. In some cases, the secondary carrier can be a carrier on an unlicensed frequency. The secondary carrier may contain only the necessary signaling information and signals; for example, UE-specific signaling information and signals may not be present on the secondary carrier, since both the primary uplink and downlink carriers are typically UE-specific. This means that different UEs 104 / 182 in a cell can have different downlink primary carriers. The same applies to the uplink primary carrier. The network can change the primary carrier of any UE 104 / 182 at any time. For example, this is done to balance the load on different carriers. Since a “serving cell” (whether PCell or SCell) corresponds to the carrier frequency / component carrier that a base station is using for communication, the terms “cell,” “serving cell,” “component carrier,” “carrier frequency,” etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0167] For example, still refer to Figure 1 One of the frequencies utilized by the macrocell base station 102 can be an anchor carrier (or "PCell"), and other frequencies utilized by the macrocell base station 102 and / or mmW base station 180 can be secondary carriers ("Scell"). Simultaneous transmission and / or reception on multiple carriers allows the UE 104 / 182 to significantly increase its data transmission and / or reception rates. For example, in a multi-carrier system, two 20MHz aggregated carriers would theoretically result in twice the data rate (i.e., 40MHz) compared to the data rate obtained from a single 20MHz carrier.

[0168] The wireless communication system 100 may further include one or more UEs (such as UE 190) that are indirectly connected to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links. Figure 1 In the example, UE190 has a D2D P2P link 192 with a UE 104 connected to a base station 102 (e.g., UE 190 can indirectly obtain cellular connectivity from this link), and a D2D P2P link 194 with a WLAN STA 152 connected to a WLAN AP 150 (UE190 can indirectly obtain WLAN-based Internet connectivity from this link). In one example, D2D P2P links 192 and 194 can use any known D2D RAT (such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D)). (etc.) to support.

[0169] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a UE 164, which can communicate with the macrocell base station 102 on the communication link 120 and / or with the mmW base station 180 on the mmW communication link 184. For example, the macrocell base station 102 may support PCell and one or more SCells for the UE 164, and the mmW base station 180 may support one or more SCells for the UE 164.

[0170] According to various aspects, Figure 2AExample wireless network architecture 200 is explained. For example, NGC 210 (also referred to as "5GC") can be functionally considered as control plane functions 214 (e.g., UE registration, authentication, network access, gateway selection, etc.) and user plane functions 212 (e.g., UE gateway functions, access to data networks, IP routing, etc.), which operate collaboratively to form the core network. User plane interface (NG-U) 213 and control plane interface (NG-C) 215 connect gNB 222 to NGC 210, specifically to control plane functions 214 and user plane functions 212. In an additional configuration, eNB 224 can also connect to NGC 210 via NG-C 215 to control plane function 214 and NG-U 213 to user plane function 212. Furthermore, eNB 224 can communicate directly with gNB 222 via backhaul connection 223. In some configurations, the new RAN 220 may have only one or more gNBs 222, while other configurations include one or more eNBs 224 and one or more gNBs 222. The gNB 222 or eNB 224 may be used with UE 204 (e.g., Figure 1 The UE 204 can communicate with any UE depicted in the diagram. Another optional aspect may include a location server 230 that can communicate with the NGC 210 to provide location assistance to the UE 204. The location server 230 may be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules extending across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each may correspond to a single server. The location server 230 may be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204, which the UE 204 can connect to via the core network, the NGC 210, and / or via the Internet (not described). Furthermore, the location server 230 may be integrated into a component of the core network, or alternatively, may be external to the core network.

[0171] According to various aspects, Figure 2BAnother example wireless network architecture 250 is described. For example, NGC 260 (also referred to as "5GC") can be functionally considered as a control plane function provided by Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) / User Plane Function (UPF) 264 and a user plane function provided by Session Management Function (SMF) 262, which operate cooperatively to form the core network (i.e., NGC 260). User plane interface 263 and control plane interface 265 connect eNB 224 to NGC 260, specifically to SMF 262 and AMF / UPF 264, respectively. In an additional configuration, gNB 222 can also connect to NGC 260 via control plane interface 265 to AMF / UPF 264 and user plane interface 263 to SMF 262. Furthermore, eNB 224 can communicate directly with gNB 222 via backhaul connection 223, regardless of whether it has direct gNB connectivity to NGC 260. In some configurations, the new RAN 220 may have only one or more gNBs 222, while other configurations include both one or more eNBs 224 and one or more gNBs 222. The gNB 222 or eNB 224 may be used with UE 204 (e.g., Figure 1 The base station of the new RAN 220 communicates with the AMF side of the AMF / UPF 264 via the N2 interface and with the UPF side of the AMF / UPF 264 via the N3 interface.

[0172] The AMF's functions include registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception, session management (SM) messaging between UE 204 and SMF 262, transparent proxy service for routing SM messages, access authentication and access authorization, short message service (SMS) messaging between UE 204 and the Short Message Service Function (SMSF) (not shown), and security anchor functionality (SEAF). The AMF also interacts with the Authentication Server Function (AUSF) (not shown) and UE 204, and receives the intermediate key established as a result of the UE 204 authentication process. In cases where authentication is based on the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), the AMF retrieves security material from the AUSSF. The AMF's functions also include security context management (SCM). The SCM receives a key from the SEAF, which is used by the SCM to derive a key that varies depending on the access network. The functionality of AMF also includes location service management for regulatory services, transmission of location service messages between UE 204 and Location Management Function (LMF) 270 and between the new RAN 220 and LMF 270, allocation of EPS bearer identifiers for interoperability with Evolved Packet Systems (EPS), and UE 204 mobility event notification. Furthermore, AMF also supports functionality for non-3GPP access networks.

[0173] The functions of the UPF include: acting as an anchor point for intra / inter-RAT mobility (where applicable), acting as an external protocol data unit (PDU) session point for interconnection to a data network (not shown), providing packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane policy rule enforcement (e.g., gating, redirection, traffic steering), lawful interception (user plane collection), traffic usage reporting, user plane quality of service (QoS) handling (e.g., UL / DL rate enforcement, reflective QoS marking in DL), UL traffic verification (mapping of service data flow (SDF) to QoS flow), transport-level packet marking in UL and DL, DL packet buffering and DL data notification triggering, and sending and forwarding one or more "end markers" to the source RAN node.

[0174] The functions of SMF 262 include session management, UE Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation and management, selection and control of user plane functions, configuration of traffic guidance at the UPF for routing traffic to the correct destination, control of policy enforcement and QoS, and downlink data notification. The interface used by SMF 262 to communicate with the AMF side of AMF / UPF 264 is called the N11 interface.

[0175] Another optional aspect may include an LMF270 that can communicate with the NGC 260 to provide location assistance to the UE 204. The LMF 270 may be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules extending across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each may correspond to a single server. The LMF 270 may be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204, which can connect to the LMF 270 via the core network, the NGC 260, and / or via the Internet (not described).

[0176] Figure 3A , 3B The document describes several sample components (represented by corresponding boxes) that can be incorporated into UE 302 (which may correspond to any UE described herein), base station 304 (which may correspond to any base station described herein), and network entity 306 (which may correspond to or embody any network function described herein, including location server 230 and LMF 270) to support file transfer operations as taught herein. It will be appreciated that these components can be implemented in different types of devices (e.g., in ASICs, in system-on-chips (SoCs), etc.) in different implementations. The described components can also be incorporated into other devices in a communication system. For example, other devices in the system may include components similar to those described to provide similar functionality. Furthermore, a given device may include one or more of these components. For example, a device may include multiple transceiver components that enable the device to operate on multiple carriers and / or communicate via different technologies.

[0177] UE 302 and base station 304 each include a wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceiver 310 and 350 configured to communicate via one or more wireless communication networks (not shown) (such as NR networks, LTE networks, GSM networks, etc.). WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 may be connected to one or more antennas 316 and 356, respectively, for communicating with other network nodes (such as other UEs, access points, base stations (e.g., eNB, gNB)) over a wireless communication medium of interest (e.g., a time / frequency resource set in a specific spectrum) via at least one designated RAT (e.g., NR, LTE, GSM, etc.). WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 may be configured, in various ways, to transmit and encode signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, indications, information, etc.) according to the designated RAT, and conversely, to receive and decode signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, etc.). Specifically, transceivers 310 and 350 each include one or more transmitters 314 and 354 for transmitting and encoding signals 318 and 358, respectively, and each includes one or more receivers 312 and 352 for receiving and decoding signals 318 and 358, respectively.

[0178] In at least some cases, UE 302 and base station 304 also include wireless local area network (WLAN) transceivers 320 and 360, respectively. WLAN transceivers 320 and 360 may be connected to one or more antennas 326 and 366, respectively, for use via at least one designated RAT (e.g., WiFi, LTE-D, etc.). The WLAN transceivers 320 and 360 can be configured, according to a specified RAT, in various ways to transmit and encode signals 328 and 368 (e.g., messages, indications, information, etc.), and conversely, to receive and decode signals 328 and 368 (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, etc.). Specifically, transceivers 320 and 360 each include one or more transmitters 324 and 364 for transmitting and encoding signals 328 and 368, respectively, and one or more receivers 322 and 362 for receiving and decoding signals 328 and 368, respectively.

[0179] A transceiver circuit system including a transmitter and a receiver may, in some implementations, include integrated devices (e.g., transmitter and receiver circuitry implemented as a single communication device), in some implementations, include separate transmitter and receiver devices, or in other implementations, may be implemented in a different manner. In one aspect, the transmitter may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 336, and 376), such as an antenna array, which allows the corresponding device to perform transmit "beamforming," as described herein. Similarly, the receiver may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 336, and 376), such as an antenna array, which allows the corresponding device to perform receive beamforming, as described herein. In another aspect, the transmitter and receiver may share the same multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 336, and 376) such that the corresponding device can only receive or transmit at a given time, rather than both simultaneously. The wireless communication devices of devices 302 and / or 304 (e.g., one or both of transceivers 310 and 320 and / or one or both of transceivers 350 and 360) may also include network eavesdropping modules (NLMs) for performing various measurements.

[0180] In at least some cases, devices 302 and 304 also include Satellite Positioning System (SPS) receivers 330 and 370. SPS receivers 330 and 370 may be connected to one or more antennas 336 and 376, respectively, to receive SPS signals 338 and 378 (such as Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) signals, Galileo signals, BeiDou signals, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (NAVIC), Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), etc.). SPS receivers 330 and 370 may each include any suitable hardware and / or software for receiving and processing SPS signals 338 and 378. SPS receivers 330 and 370 request information and operations from other systems as appropriate and perform necessary calculations to determine the positioning of devices 302 and 304 using measurements obtained by any suitable SPS algorithm.

[0181] Base station 304 and network entity 306 each include at least one network interface 380 and 390 for communicating with other network entities. For example, network interfaces 380 and 390 (e.g., one or more network access ports) may be configured to communicate with one or more network entities via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. In some aspects, network interfaces 380 and 390 may be implemented as transceivers configured to support wired or wireless signal communication. This communication may involve, for example, sending and receiving messages, parameters, or other types of information.

[0182] Apparatus 302, 304, and 306 also include other components that can be used in conjunction with operations disclosed herein. UE 302 includes a processor circuitry implemented with a processing system 332 for providing, for example, functionality related to erroneous base station (FBS) detection as disclosed herein, and for providing other processing functionality. Base station 304 includes a processing system 384 for providing, for example, functionality related to FBS detection as disclosed herein, and for providing other processing functionality. Network entity 306 includes a processing system 394 for providing, for example, functionality related to FBS detection as disclosed herein, and for providing other processing functionality. In one aspect, processing systems 332, 384, and 394 may include, for example, one or more general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, ASICs, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices or processing circuitry.

[0183] Devices 302, 304, and 306 include memory circuitry systems that implement memory components 340, 386, and 396 (e.g., each including a memory device) for maintaining information (e.g., information indicating reserved resources, thresholds, parameters, etc.). In some cases, devices 302, 304, and 306 may include frequency hopping modules 342, 388, and 389, respectively. Frequency hopping modules 342, 388, and 389 may be hardware circuitry that is part of or coupled to processing systems 332, 384, and 394, which, when executed, cause devices 302, 304, and 306 to perform the functionality described herein. Alternatively, frequency hopping modules 342, 388, and 389 may be memory modules (e.g., memory devices) stored in memory components 340, 386, and 396. Figures 3A-3C (as shown in the diagram), these memory modules, when executed by processing systems 332, 384, and 394, enable devices 302, 304, and 306 to perform the functionality described herein.

[0184] UE 302 may include one or more sensors 344 coupled to processing system 332 to provide motion and / or orientation information independent of motion data derived from signals received by WWAN transceiver 310, WLAN transceiver 320, and / or GPS receiver 330. As an example, sensor 344 may include accelerometers (e.g., microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices), gyroscopes, geomagnetic sensors (e.g., compasses), altimeters (e.g., barometric altimeters), and / or any other type of motion detection sensor. Furthermore, sensors 344 may include multiple different types of devices and combine their outputs to provide motion information. For example, sensors 344 may use a combination of multi-axis accelerometers and orientation sensors to provide the ability to calculate positioning in 2D and / or 3D coordinate systems.

[0185] In addition, UE 302 includes a user interface 346 for providing instructions to the user (e.g., audible and / or visual instructions) and / or for receiving user input (e.g., when the user actuates a sensing device (such as a keypad, touchscreen, microphone, etc.)). Although not shown, devices 304 and 306 may also include user interfaces.

[0186] Referring more specifically to processing system 384, in the downlink, IP packets from network entity 306 can be provided to processing system 384. Processing system 384 can implement functionality for the RRC layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and Media Access Control (MAC) layer. The processing system 384 can provide RRC layer functionality associated with broadcast system information (e.g., Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB)), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-RAT mobility, and measurement configuration of UE measurement reports; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression, security (cryptography, cryptographic decoding, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functionality associated with upper-layer packet data unit (PDU) transmission, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, scheduling information reporting, error correction, priority handling, and logical channel priority ordering.

[0187] Transmitter 354 and receiver 352 implement Layer 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, may include error detection on the transport channel, forward error correction (FEC) decoding / decoding of the transport channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. Transmitter 354 processes the mapping to the signal constellation based on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), M-phase shift keying (M-PSK), M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The decoded and modulated symbols can then be split into parallel streams. Each stream can then be mapped to an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarrier, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., a pilot) in the time and / or frequency domains, and then combined using an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a time-domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM stream is spatially precoded to generate multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from the channel estimator can be used to determine the coding and modulation schemes and for spatial processing. The channel estimates can be derived from reference signals and / or channel condition feedback transmitted by UE 302. Each spatial stream can then be provided to one or more different antennas 356. Transmitter 354 can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate an RF carrier for transmission.

[0188] At UE 302, receiver 312 receives signals via its corresponding antenna 316. Receiver 312 recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to processing system 332. Transmitter 314 and receiver 312 implement Layer 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Receiver 312 can perform spatial processing on this information to recover any spatial stream destined for UE 302. If multiple spatial streams are destined for UE 302, they can be combined by receiver 312 into a single OFDM symbol stream. Receiver 312 then uses a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to transform the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain. The frequency domain signal consists of a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. Symbols on each subcarrier, along with a reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the signal constellation points most likely to be transmitted by base station 304. These soft decisions can be based on a channel estimate calculated by a channel estimator. These soft decisions are then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the original data and control signals transmitted by base station 304 over the physical channel. These data and control signals are then provided to processing system 332, which implements layer 3 and layer 2 functionality.

[0189] In the UL, processing system 332 provides demultiplexing, packet reassembly, cipher decoding, header decompression, and control signal processing between the transport and logical channels to recover IP packets from the core network. Processing system 332 is also responsible for error detection.

[0190] Similar to the functionality described in conjunction with DL transmissions performed by base station 304, processing system 332 provides RRC layer functionality associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) capture, RRC connectivity, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression and security (cryptography, cryptographic decoding, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functionality associated with transmission of upper-layer PDUs, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation and reassembly of RLC SDUs, resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing MACSDUs onto transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority handling, and logical channel priority ordering.

[0191] The channel estimate derived by the channel estimator from the reference signal or feedback transmitted by the base station 304 can be used by the transmitter 314 to select an appropriate coding and modulation scheme and to facilitate spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by the transmitter 314 can be provided to different antennas 316. The transmitter 314 can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate the RF carrier for transmission.

[0192] UL transmissions are processed at base station 304 in a manner similar to that described in conjunction with the receiver function at UE 302. Receiver 352 receives signals via its corresponding antenna 356. Receiver 352 recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to processing system 384.

[0193] In the UL, processing system 384 provides demultiplexing, packet reassembly, cipher decoding, header decompression, and control signal processing between the transport and logical channels to recover IP packets from UE 302. IP packets from processing system 384 can then be provided to the core network. Processing system 384 is also responsible for error detection.

[0194] For convenience, devices 302, 304 and / or 306 are in Figures 3A-3C The box is shown as including various components that can be configured according to the various examples described herein. However, it will be understood that the illustrated box may have different functionalities in different designs.

[0195] The various components of devices 302, 304 and 306 can communicate with each other via data buses 334, 382 and 392, respectively. Figures 3A-3C The components can be implemented in various ways. In some implementations, Figures 3A-3CThe components can be implemented in one or more circuits (for example, such as one or more processors and / or one or more ASICs (which may include one or more processors)). Here, each circuit may use and / or incorporate at least one memory component for storing information or executable code used by that circuit to provide this functionality. For example, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 310 to 346 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of UE 302 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriately configuring the processor components). Similarly, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 350 to 389 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of base station 304 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriately configuring the processor components). Furthermore, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 390 to 396 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of network entity 306 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriately configuring the processor components). For simplicity, various operations, actions, and / or functions are described herein as being performed "by the UE," "by the base station," "by the positioning entity," etc. However, as will be appreciated, such operations, actions, and / or functions may actually be performed by specific components or combinations of components of the UE, base station, positioning entity, etc., such as processing systems 332, 384, 394, transceivers 310, 320, 350, and 360, memory components 340, 386, and 396, frequency hopping modules 342, 388, and 389, etc.

[0196] Figure 4A Figure 400 illustrates an example of a DL frame structure according to various aspects of this disclosure. Figure 4B Figure 430 illustrates an example of a channel within a DL frame structure according to various aspects of this disclosure. Other wireless communication technologies may have different frame structures and / or different channels.

[0197] LTE, and in some cases NR, utilizes OFDM on the downlink and single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM) on the uplink. However, unlike LTE, NR also has the option to use OFDM on the uplink. OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, which are often referred to as frequency modulation, frequency slots, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. Generally, modulation symbols are transmitted in the frequency domain for OFDM and in the time domain for SC-FDM. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. For example, the subcarrier spacing can be 15 kHz, and the minimum resource allocation (resource block) can be 12 subcarriers (or 180 kHz). Therefore, for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, the nominal FFT size can be equal to 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048, respectively. The system bandwidth can also be divided into subbands. For example, a subband can cover 1.08MHz (i.e., 6 resource blocks), and for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20MHz, there can be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 subbands, respectively.

[0198] LTE supports a single set of parameters (subcarrier spacing, symbol length, etc.). In contrast, NR can support multiple parameter designs; for example, subcarrier spacings of 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, 120kHz, and 204kHz or greater can be available. Table 1 below lists some of the various parameters used for different NR parameter sets.

[0199]

[0200]

[0201] Table 1

[0202] exist Figure 4A and 4B In the example, a 15kHz parameter design is used. Therefore, in the time domain, a frame (e.g., 10ms) is divided into 10 equal-sized subframes, each 1ms, and each subframe includes one time slot. Figure 4A and 4B In this context, time is represented horizontally (e.g., on the X-axis), where time increases from left to right, while frequency is represented vertically (e.g., on the Y-axis), where frequency increases (or decreases) from bottom to top.

[0203] A resource grid can be used to represent time slots, each time slot comprising one or more concurrent resource blocks (RBs) (also known as physical RBs (PRBs)) in the frequency domain. The resource grid is further divided into multiple resource elements (REs). An RE corresponds to one symbol length in the time domain and one subcarrier in the frequency domain. Figure 4A and 4B In the parameter design, for a normal cyclic prefix, the RB can contain 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain and 7 consecutive symbols in the time domain (OFDM symbols for DL; SC-FDMA symbols for UL), for a total of 84 REs. For an extended cyclic prefix, the RB can contain 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain and 6 consecutive symbols in the time domain, for a total of 72 REs. The number of bits carried by each RE depends on the modulation scheme.

[0204] like Figure 4A As explained in the text, some REs carry DL reference (pilot) signals (DL-RS) for channel estimation at the UE. The DL-RS may include a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) and a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), with exemplary locations in... Figure 4A It is marked as "R".

[0205] Figure 4B Examples of various channels within the DL subframe of the explanatory frame. The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) carries DL Control Information (DCI) within one or more Control Channel Elements (CCEs). Each CCE includes nine RE Groups (REGs), and each REG includes four consecutive REs in OFDM symbols. The DCI carries information about UL resource allocation (persistent and non-persistent) and a description of the DL data transmitted to the UE. Multiple (e.g., up to eight) DCIs can be configured in the PDCCH, and these DCIs can have one of several formats. For example, different DCI formats exist for UL scheduling, for non-MIMO DL scheduling, for MIMO DL scheduling, and for UL power control.

[0206] The Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) is used by the UE to determine subframe / symbol timing and physical layer identity. The Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) is used by the UE to determine the physical layer cell identity group number and radio frame timing. Based on the physical layer identity and physical layer cell identity group number, the UE can determine the PCI. Based on the PCI, the UE can determine the location of the aforementioned DL-RS. The Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) carrying the MIB can be logically grouped with the PSS and SSS to form the SSB (also known as SS / PBCH). The MIB provides the number of RBs in the DL system bandwidth and the System Frame Number (SFN). The Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) carries user data, broadcast system information (such as System Information Blocks (SIBs)) not transmitted via the PBCH, and paging messages.

[0207] In some cases, Figure 4A The DL RS explained in the text can be the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS). Figure 5 An exemplary PRS configuration 500 for a cellular cell supported by a wireless node (such as base station 102) is explained. Figure 5 This illustrates how PRS positioning timing is influenced by the system frame number (SFN) and the subframe offset (Δ) that varies depending on the cell. PRS )552 and PRS periodicity (T PRS )520. Typically, the PRS subframe configuration, which varies from cell to cell, is determined by the "PRS configuration index" included in the observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) auxiliary data. PRS To define. PRS periodicity (T PRS )520 and subframe offset (Δ) that varies depending on the cell PRS ) is based on PRS configuration index I PRS It is defined as follows, as explained in Table 2 below.

[0208]

[0209]

[0210] Table 2

[0211] The PRS configuration is defined with reference to the SFN of the cell transmitting the PRS. For N PRS The first subframe of each downlink subframe includes the first subframe of the first PRS positioning time, and the PRS instance can satisfy:

[0212]

[0213] Equation 1 where n f It is SFN, where 0≤n f ≤1023, n s It is composed of n fDefined time slot number within a radio frame, where 0 ≤ n s ≤19, T PRS It is a PRS periodicity of 520, and Δ PRS The subframe offset is 552, which varies depending on the cell.

[0214] like Figure 5 As shown, the subframe offset Δ varies depending on the cell. PRS 552 can be defined as the number of subframes transmitted from system frame number 0 (slot 'number 0', marked as slot 550) to the start of the first (subsequent) PRS positioning timing. Figure 5 In the example, the number of coherent positioning subframes (N) in each of the coherent PRS positioning events 518a, 518b, and 518c PRS The value is 4. That is, each shadow block in PRS positioning time 518a, 518b and 518c represents four subframes.

[0215] In some respects, when the UE receives PRS configuration index I in OTDOA auxiliary data for a specific cell... PRS At that time, the UE can use Table 2 to determine the periodicity T of the PRS. PRS 520 and PRS subframe offset Δ PRS The UE can then determine the radio frame, subframe, and time slot when the PRS is scheduled in the cell (e.g., using Equation (1)). The OTDOA auxiliary data can be determined by, for example, a location server (e.g., location server 230, LMF 270) and includes auxiliary data for the reference cell and several neighboring cells supported by the respective base stations.

[0216] Typically, PRS timings from all cells using the same frequency in the network are time-aligned and can have a fixed, known time offset relative to other cells using different frequencies in the network (e.g., a subframe offset of 552 that varies depending on the cell). In a synchronous SFN network, all radio nodes (e.g., base station 102) can be aligned on both frame boundaries and system frame numbers. Therefore, in a synchronous SFN network, all cells supported by each radio node can use the same PRS configuration index for any specific frequency of PRS transmission. On the other hand, in an asynchronous SFN network, each radio node can be aligned on frame boundaries but not on system frame numbers. Thus, in an asynchronous SFN network, the PRS configuration index for each cell can be configured individually by the network to ensure that PRS timings are time-aligned.

[0217] If the UE can obtain the cell timing (e.g., SFN) of at least one cell (e.g., a reference cell or serving cell), the UE can determine the timing of the PRS timing of the reference cell and neighboring cells for OTDOA positioning. The timing of other cells can then be derived by the UE, for example, based on the assumption of overlapping PRS timings from different cells.

[0218] The set of resource elements used to transmit the PRS is called a "PRS resource". This set of resource elements can span multiple PRBs in the frequency domain and can span N (e.g., one or more) consecutive symbols 460 within a time slot 430 in the time domain. In a given OFDM symbol 460, the PRS resource occupies a consecutive PRB. The PRS resource is described by at least the following parameters: PRS resource identifier (ID), sequence ID, comb size N, resource element offset in the frequency domain, start time slot and start symbol, number of symbols per PRS resource (i.e., duration of the PRS resource), and QCL information (e.g., QCL with other DL reference signals). In some designs, a single antenna port is supported. The comb size indicates the number of subcarriers carrying the PRS in each symbol. For example, a comb size of comb-4 means that every fourth subcarrier of a given symbol carries the PRS.

[0219] A “PRS resource set” is a group of PRS resources used for the transmission of PRS signals, where each PRS resource has a PRS resource ID. Furthermore, PRS resources in a PRS resource set are associated with the same Transmitter Receiver Point (TRP). The PRS resource ID in a PRS resource set is associated with a single beam transmitted from a single TRP (where a TRP can transmit one or more beams). That is, each PRS resource in a PRS resource set can be transmitted on a different beam, and thus, a “PRS resource” may also be referred to as a “beam.” Note that this does not imply whether the UE is aware of the TRP and beam transmitting the PRS. A “PRS timing” is an instance of a periodically repeating time window (e.g., a group of one or more consecutive time slots) where PRS transmission is expected. A PRS timing may also be referred to as a “PRS positioning timing,” “positioning timing,” or simply “timing.”

[0220] Note that the terms “Location Reference Signal” and “PRS” can sometimes refer to specific reference signals used for positioning in LTE or NR systems. However, as used herein, unless otherwise indicated, the terms “Location Reference Signal” and “PRS” refer to any type of reference signal that can be used for positioning, such as, but not limited to: PRS signals in LTE or NR, navigation reference signals (NRS) in 5G, transmitter reference signals (TRS), cell-specific reference signals (CRS), channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS), primary synchronization signals (PSS), secondary synchronization signals (SSS), SSB, etc.

[0221] SRS is an uplink-only signal transmitted by the UE to help the base station obtain Channel State Information (CSI) for each user. Channel State Information describes how the RF signal propagates from the UE to the base station and represents the combined effects of scattering, fading, and power attenuation over distance. The system uses SRS for resource scheduling, link adaptation, massive MIMO, beam management, and more.

[0222] Several enhancements to the previously defined SRS have been proposed for positioning SRS (SRS-P), such as new interleaving patterns within SRS resources, new comb types for SRS, new sequences for SRS, a larger number of SRS resource sets per component carrier, and a larger number of SRS resources per component carrier. Furthermore, the parameters “SpatialRelationInfo” and “PathLossReference” are to be configured based on DL RS from adjacent TRPs. Further, an SRS resource can be transmitted outside the Active Bandwidth Part (BWP), and an SRS resource can span multiple component carriers. Finally, the UE can transmit from multiple SRS resources using the same transmit beam for UL-AoA. All of these are features outside the current SRS framework, which is configured via higher-layer RRC signaling (and potentially triggered or activated via MAC Control Elements (CE) or Downlink Control Information (DCI)).

[0223] As mentioned above, in NR, the SRS is a UE-specific, remotely configured reference signal transmitted by the UE for the purpose of probing uplink radio channels. Similar to CSI-RS, this type of probing provides various levels of knowledge about the characteristics of the radio channels. In one extreme case, the SRS can be simply used at the gNB to obtain signal strength measurements, for example, for UL beam management purposes. In another extreme case, the SRS can be used at the gNB to obtain detailed amplitude and phase estimates as functions of frequency, time, and space. In NR, channel probing with SRS supports a more diverse set of use cases compared to LTE (e.g., downlink CSI capture for reciprocal gNB transmit beamforming (downlink MIMO); link adaptation for uplink MIMO and uplink CSI capture and uplink beam management based on codebook / non-codebook precoding, etc.).

[0224] SRS can be configured using various options. The time / frequency mapping of SRS resources is defined by the following characteristics.

[0225] · Duration N 码元 SRS - The time duration of SRS resources can be 1, 2 or 4 consecutive OFDM symbols within a time slot, which contrasts with LTE, which only allows a single OFDM symbol per time slot.

[0226] • Start symbol position l0 — The start symbol of an SRS resource can be located anywhere within the last 6 OFDM symbols of the time slot, provided that the resource does not cross the time slot end boundary.

[0227] • Repetition factor R — For SRS resources configured with frequency hopping, repetition allows the same set of subcarriers to be probed in R consecutive OFDM symbols before the next hop occurs (as used in this paper, "hop" specifically refers to frequency hopping). For example, the value of R is 1, 2, or 4, where R ≤ N. 码元 SRS .

[0228] •Transmission comb tooth spacing K TC and comb tooth offset k TC —SRS resources can occupy resource elements (REs) in a frequency domain comb structure, where the comb spacing is 2 or 4 REs, as in LTE. This structure allows frequency domain multiplexing of different SRS resources on different combs for the same or different users, where different combs are offset from each other by an integer number of REs. The comb offset is defined with respect to the PRB boundary and can take values ​​of 0, 1, ..., K. TC -1 values ​​within the RE range. Therefore, for the comb tooth spacing K... TC =2, there are 2 different comb teeth that can be reused (if needed), and for the comb tooth spacing K TC=4, meaning there are 4 different comb teeth available.

[0229] • Periodicity and slot offset for periodic / semi-persistent SRS scenarios.

[0230] • Probe bandwidth within the bandwidth section.

[0231] For low latency positioning, the gNB can trigger UL SRS-P via DCI (e.g., the transmitted SRS-P may include repetition or beamsweeping to enable several gNBs to receive the SRS-P). Alternatively, the gNB can send information to the UE regarding aperiodic PRS transmissions (e.g., this configuration may include PRS information from multiple gNBs to enable the UE to perform timing calculations for positioning (UE-based) or reporting (UE-assisted) purposes). Although various embodiments of this disclosure relate to DL PRS-based positioning procedures, some or all of such embodiments can also be applied to UL SRS-P-based positioning procedures.

[0232] Note that the terms “probe reference signal,” “SRS,” and “SRS-P” can sometimes refer to a specific reference signal used for positioning in LTE or NR systems. However, as used herein, unless otherwise indicated, the terms “probe reference signal,” “SRS,” and “SRS-P” refer to any type of reference signal that can be used for positioning, such as, but not limited to: SRS signals in LTE or NR, navigation reference signals (NRS) in 5G, transmit reference signals (TRS), random access channel (RACH) signals used for positioning (e.g., RACH preambles, such as Msg-1 in a 4-step RACH procedure or Msg-A in a 2-step RACH procedure), etc.

[0233] The various NR positioning aspects introduced in 3GPP Release 16 involve improving the location accuracy of positioning schemes, which involve measurements associated with one or more UL or DL ​​PRSs (e.g., higher bandwidth (BW), FR2 beamsweeping, angle-based measurements such as angle of arrival (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD) measurements, multi-cell round-trip time (RTT) measurements, etc.). If reducing latency is a priority, UE-based positioning techniques (e.g., DL-only techniques without UL location measurement reports) are typically used. However, if latency is less critical, UE-assisted positioning techniques can be used, where data measured by the UE is reported to network entities (e.g., location server 230, LMF 270, etc.). Implementing LMF in the RAN can reduce latency associated with UE-assisted positioning techniques to some extent.

[0234] Layer 3 (L3) signaling (e.g., RRC or Location Positioning Protocol (LPP)) is typically used to transmit reports including location-based data associated with UE-assisted positioning technologies. Compared to Layer 1 (L1 or PHY layer) signaling or Layer 2 (L2 or MAC layer) signaling, L3 signaling is associated with relatively high latency (e.g., more than 100 ms). In some cases, lower latency (e.g., less than 100 ms, less than 10 ms, etc.) for location-based reporting between the UE and RAN is expected. In such cases, L3 signaling may not be able to achieve these lower latency levels. L3 signaling for positioning measurements may include any combination of the following:

[0235] • One or more TOA, TDOA, RSRP, or Rx-Tx (receive-transmit) measurements,

[0236] • One or more AoA / AoD measurements (e.g., currently only for gNB->LMF reporting DL AoA and UL AoD agreed upon),

[0237] • One or more multipath reporting measurements, such as per-path ToA, RSRP, AoA / AoD (e.g., per-path ToA currently only allowed in LTE).

[0238] • One or more motion states (e.g., walking, driving, etc.) and trajectories (e.g., currently for the UE), and / or

[0239] • One or more report quality indicators.

[0240] Recently, the use of L1 and L2 signaling in association with PRS-based reports has been envisioned. For example, L1 and L2 signaling are currently used in some systems to transmit CSI reports (e.g., Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI), Layer Indicator (Li), L1-RSRP, etc.). CSI reports may include a set of fields in a predefined order (e.g., defined by relevant standards). A single UL transmission (e.g., on PUSCH or PUCCH) may include multiple reports, referred to herein as 'sub-reports', which are arranged according to a predefined priority (e.g., defined by relevant standards). In some designs, the predefined order may be based on the associated sub-report periodicity (e.g., aperiodic / semi-persistent / periodic (A / SP / P) on PUSCH / PUCCH), measurement type (e.g., L1-RSRP or non-L1-RSRP), serving cell index (e.g., in the case of carrier aggregation (CA),) and report configuration ID (reportconfigID). For a two-part CSI report, all Part 1 reports are grouped together, and Part 2 is grouped separately, with each group encoded separately (e.g., the Part 1 payload size is fixed based on configuration parameters, while the Part 2 size is variable and depends on the configuration parameters and also on the associated Part 1 content). The number of encoded bits / symbols to be output after encoding and rate matching is calculated based on the number of input bits and a beta factor according to relevant criteria. A link (e.g., time offset) is defined between the measured instance of the RS and the corresponding report. In some designs, CSI-like reporting of PRS-based measurement data using L1 and L2 signaling can be implemented.

[0241] Figure 6 An exemplary wireless communication system 600 according to various aspects of this disclosure has been described. Figure 6 In the example, UE604 (which can correspond to the above regarding...) Figure 1 Any UE described (e.g., UE 104, UE 182, UE 190, etc.) is attempting to calculate an estimate of its location, or assisting another entity (e.g., a base station or core network component, another UE, a location server, a third-party application, etc.) in calculating an estimate of its location. UE 604 can use RF signals and standardized protocols for modulating RF signals and exchanging information packets to wirelessly communicate with multiple base stations 602a-d (collectively referred to as base stations 602), which can correspond to... Figure 1Any combination of base station 102 or 180 and / or WLAN AP 150. By extracting different types of information from the exchanged RF signals and utilizing the layout of the wireless communication system 600 (i.e., base station location, geometry, etc.), the UE 604 can determine its location, or assist in determining its location in a predefined reference coordinate system. In one aspect, the UE 604 can use a two-dimensional coordinate system to specify its location; however, the aspects disclosed herein are not limited to this, and it is also applicable to using a three-dimensional coordinate system to determine location when additional dimensions are desired. Additionally, although Figure 6 The description includes one UE 604 and four base stations 602, but as will be understood, there may be more UEs 604 and more or fewer base stations 602.

[0242] To support location estimation, base stations 602 can be configured to broadcast reference RF signals (e.g., Positioning Reference Signal (PRS), Cellular Reference Signal (CRS), Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), synchronization signal, etc.) to each UE 604 in their coverage area, enabling UE 604 to measure the timing difference (e.g., OTDOA or RSTD) of the reference RF signals between pairs of network nodes and / or to identify the beams that optimally excite the LOS or shortest radio path between UE 604 and the transmitting base station 602. Identifying the LOS / shortest path beams is of interest not only because these beams can subsequently be used for OTDOA measurements between a pair of base stations 602, but also because identifying these beams can directly provide some location information based on beam direction. Furthermore, these beams can subsequently be used for other location estimation methods requiring accurate ToA, such as methods based on round-trip time estimation.

[0243] As used herein, a “network node” can be base station 602, a cell of base station 602, a remote radio head, an antenna of base station 602 (where the location of the antenna of base station 602 differs from the location of base station 602 itself), or any other network entity capable of transmitting reference signals. Furthermore, as used herein, a “node” can refer to a network node or a UE.

[0244] A location server (e.g., location server 230) may send auxiliary data to UE 604, which includes identifiers of one or more neighboring cells of base station 602, and configuration information about the reference RF signal transmitted by each neighboring cell. Alternatively, the auxiliary data may originate directly from each base station 602 itself (e.g., in periodically broadcast overhead messages, etc.). Alternatively, UE 604 may detect the neighboring cells of base station 602 itself without using auxiliary data. UE 604 (e.g., based in part on auxiliary data (if provided)) may measure and (optionally) report OTDOA from individual network nodes and / or RSTD between the received reference RF signals from each network node pair. Using these measurements and the known locations of the measured network nodes (i.e., base stations 602 or antennas(s) that transmitted the reference RF signals measured by UE 604), UE 604 or the location server may determine the distance between UE 604 and the measured network nodes, and thereby calculate the location of UE 604.

[0245] The term "location estimate" is used herein to refer to an estimate of the location of UE 604, which can be geographic (e.g., may include latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude) or municipal (e.g., may include street address, building name, or a precise point or area within or near a building or street address (such as a specific entrance to a building, a specific room or suite within a building), or a landmark (such as a town square)). The location estimate may also be referred to as "location," "location," "lock," "location lock," "location lock," "location estimate," "lock estimate," or some other term. The method of obtaining a location estimate may generally be referred to as "location," "addressing," or "location lock." A specific solution used to obtain a location estimate may be referred to as a "location solution." A specific method used as part of a location solution to obtain a location estimate may be referred to as a "location method" or "location determination method."

[0246] The term "base station" can refer to a single physical transmission point or multiple physical transmission points that may or may not be co-located. For example, when the term "base station" refers to a single physical transmission point, that physical transmission point can be a base station antenna corresponding to a cell of a base station (e.g., base station 602). When the term "base station" refers to multiple co-located physical transmission points, these physical transmission points can be the antenna array of a base station (e.g., as in a MIMO system or where beamforming is used at the base station). When the term "base station" refers to multiple non-co-located physical transmission points, these physical transmission points can be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected via a transmission medium to a shared source) or a remote radio headend (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station). Alternatively, these non-co-located physical transmission points can be the serving base station from which a measurement report is received from a UE (e.g., UE 604) and neighboring base stations from which the UE is measuring its reference RF signal. Therefore, Figure 6 The explanation details one aspect of how base stations 602a and 602b form a DAS / RRH 620. For example, base station 602a can be the serving base station of UE 604, and base station 602b can be a neighboring base station of UE 604. Thus, base station 602b can be the RRH of base station 602a. Base stations 602a and 602b can communicate with each other on a wired or wireless link 622.

[0247] To accurately determine the location of UE 604 using the OTDOA and / or RSTD between received RF signals from various network nodes, UE 604 needs to measure the reference RF signal received on the LOS (line-of-sight) path (or the shortest NLOS (non-line-of-sight) path if the LOS path is unavailable) between UE 604 and a network node (e.g., base station 602, antenna). However, the RF signal travels not only along the LOS / shortest path between the transmitter and receiver, but also along several other paths because the RF signal extends from the transmitter and is reflected by other objects (such as hills, buildings, water, etc.) on its way to the receiver. Therefore, Figure 6 The document explains several LOS paths 610 and several NLOS paths 612 between base station 602 and UE 604. Specifically, Figure 6 The explanation states that base station 602a transmits on LOS path 610a and NLOS path 612a, base station 602b transmits on LOS path 610b and two NLOS paths 612b, base station 602c transmits on LOS path 610c and NLOS path 612c, and base station 602d transmits on two NLOS paths 612d. Figure 6As explained herein, each NLOS path 612 is reflected from an object 630 (e.g., a building). As will be understood, each LOS path 610 and NLOS path 612 transmitted by base station 602 may be transmitted by different antennas of base station 602 (e.g., as in a MIMO system), or may be transmitted by the same antenna of base station 602 (thus explaining the propagation of RF signals). Furthermore, as used herein, the term "LOS path" refers to the shortest path between the transmitter and receiver, and may not be the actual LOS path but rather the shortest NLOS path.

[0248] In one aspect, one or more base stations 602 may be configured to use beamforming to transmit RF signals. In this case, some available beams may focus the transmitted RF signal along LOS path 610 (e.g., these beams produce the highest antenna gain along the LOS path), while other available beams may focus the transmitted RF signal along NLOS path 612. A beam with high gain along a particular path and thus focusing the RF signal along that path may still cause a particular RF signal to propagate along other paths; the strength of that RF signal naturally depends on the beam gain along those other paths. An “RF signal” includes electromagnetic waves that transmit information through the space between the transmitter and receiver. As used herein, the transmitter may transmit a single “RF signal” or multiple “RF signals” to the receiver. However, as further described below, due to the propagation characteristics of each RF signal through a multipath channel, the receiver may receive multiple “RF signals” corresponding to each transmitted RF signal.

[0249] When base station 602 uses beamforming to transmit RF signals, the beam of interest for data communication between base station 602 and UE 604 will be the beam carrying the RF signal arriving at UE 604 with the highest signal strength (e.g., indicated by received signal received power (RSRP) or SINR in the presence of directional interference signals), while the beam of interest for positioning estimation will be the beam carrying the RF signal that triggers the shortest path or LOS path (e.g., LOS path 610). In some frequency bands and for commonly used antenna systems, these beams will be the same. However, in other frequency bands (such as mmW), where a large number of antenna elements can typically be used to create a narrow transmit beam, they may not be the same beam. See the following reference... Figure 7 As described, in some cases, the signal strength of the RF signal on LOS path 610 may be weaker (e.g., due to obstacles) than the signal strength of the RF signal on NLOS path 612, where the RF signal arrives later due to propagation delay.

[0250] Figure 7An exemplary wireless communication system 700 according to various aspects of this disclosure has been explained. Figure 7 In the example, UE704 (which can correspond to) Figure 6 UE 604 is attempting to calculate an estimate of its location, or assisting another entity (e.g., a base station or core network component, another UE, a location server, a third-party application, etc.) in calculating an estimate of its location. UE 704 can use RF signals and standardized protocols for RF signal modulation and packet exchange to communicate with base station 702 (which may correspond to...). Figure 6 (One of the base stations 602 in the system) conducts wireless communication.

[0251] like Figure 7 As explained, base station 702 is using beamforming to transmit multiple beams 711-715 of RF signals. Each beam 711-715 can be formed and transmitted by the antenna array of base station 702. Although Figure 7 It has been explained that base station 702 transmits five beams 711-715, but as will be understood, there may be more or fewer than five beams, the beam shapes (such as peak gain, width and sidelobe gain) may differ between the transmitted beams, and some of these beams may be transmitted by different base stations.

[0252] For the purpose of distinguishing RF signals associated with one beam from RF signals associated with another beam, a beam index can be assigned to each of the plurality of beams 711-715. Furthermore, the RF signal associated with a specific beam among the plurality of beams 711-715 can carry a beam index indicator. The beam index can also be derived from the transmission time of the RF signal (e.g., frame, time slot, and / or OFDM symbol number). The beam index indicator can be, for example, a three-bit field used to uniquely distinguish up to eight beams. If two different RF signals with different beam indices are received, this indicates that the RF signals are being transmitted using different beams. If two different RF signals share a common beam index, this indicates that the different RF signals are being transmitted using the same beam. Another way to describe that two RF signals are being transmitted using the same beam is that the antenna ports(s) used for the transmission of the first RF signal are spatially quasi-co-located with the antenna ports(s) used for the transmission of the second RF signal.

[0253] exist Figure 7 In the example, UE 704 receives NLOS data stream 723 of RF signals transmitted on beam 713 and LOS data stream 724 of RF signals transmitted on beam 714. Although Figure 7The NLOS data stream 723 and LOS data stream 724 are illustrated as single lines (dashed and solid lines, respectively), but as will be understood, the NLOS data stream 723 and LOS data stream 724 may each comprise multiple rays (i.e., "clusters") upon their arrival at UE 704, for example, due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals through multipath channels. For instance, when electromagnetic waves are reflected by multiple surfaces of an object and these reflections arrive at the receiver (e.g., UE 704) from approximately the same angle, a cluster of RF signals is formed, with each reflection traveling a few wavelengths (e.g., centimeters) more or less than the others. A "cluster" of received RF signals generally corresponds to a single transmitted RF signal.

[0254] exist Figure 7 In the example, NLOS data stream 723 does not initially point to UE 704, although, as will be understood, it could have initially pointed to UE 704, as in Figure 6 The RF signal on NLOS path 612 is the same. However, it is reflected by reflectors 740 (e.g., buildings) and reaches UE 704 unimpeded, and therefore can still be a relatively strong RF signal. In contrast, LOS data stream 724 is directed toward UE 704 but passes through obstacles 730 (e.g., vegetation, buildings, hills, destructive environments such as clouds or smoke), which can significantly degrade the RF signal. As will be appreciated, although LOS data stream 724 is weaker than NLOS data stream 723, LOS data stream 724 will arrive at UE 704 before NLOS data stream 723 because it follows the shorter path from base station 702 to UE 704.

[0255] As mentioned above, the beam of interest used for data communication between the base station (e.g., base station 702) and the UE (e.g., UE 704) is the beam carrying the RF signal arriving at the UE with the highest signal strength (e.g., highest RSRP or SINR), while the beam of interest used for positioning estimation is the beam carrying the RF signal that excites the LOS path and has the highest gain along the LOS path among all other beams (e.g., beam 714). That is, even if beam 713 (NLOS beam) weakly excites the LOS path (due to the propagation characteristics of the RF signal, even if it is not focused along the LOS path), the weak signal (if any) of the LOS path of beam 713 may not be reliably detected (compared to the LOS path from beam 714), thus leading to a larger error when performing positioning measurements.

[0256] Although the beam of interest used for data communication and the beam of interest used for positioning estimation may be the same beam for some frequency bands, they may not be the same beam for other frequency bands (such as mmW). Thus, refer to... Figure 7When UE 704 participates in a data communication session with base station 702 (e.g., where base station 702 is the serving base station of UE 704) and is not simply attempting to measure a reference RF signal transmitted by base station 702, the beam of interest for the data communication session could be beam 713, as it carries an unobstructed NLOS data stream 723. However, the beam of interest used for positioning estimation would be beam 714, as it carries the strongest LOS data stream 724, despite being obstructed.

[0257] Figure 8A Figure 800A illustrates the RF channel response at the receiver (e.g., UE 704) over time according to various aspects of this disclosure. Figure 8A Under the described channel conditions, the receiver receives a first cluster of two RF signals at the channel tap at time T1, a second cluster of five RF signals at the channel tap at time T2, a third cluster of five RF signals at the channel tap at time T3, and a fourth cluster of four RF signals at the channel tap at time T4. Figure 8A In the example, since the first RF signal cluster arrives first at time T1, it is assumed to be a LOS data stream (i.e., a data stream arriving on the LOS or shortest path) and can correspond to LOS data stream 724. The third cluster at time T3 consists of the strongest RF signal and can correspond to NLOS data stream 723. From the sender's side, each cluster receiving the RF signal may include a portion of the RF signal transmitted at a different angle, and therefore it can be said that each cluster has a different angle of origin (AoD) from the sender. Figure 8B This is a diagram 800B illustrating this separation of clusters according to AoD. The RF signals transmitted within the AoD range 802a can correspond to... Figure 8A One of the clusters (e.g., "cluster 1"), and the RF signals transmitted in the AoD range 802b can correspond to Figure 8A A different cluster (e.g., "cluster 3"). Note that although in Figure 8B The AoD ranges of the two clusters depicted are spatially isolated, but the AoD ranges of some clusters may partially overlap, even though these clusters are temporally separated. This can occur, for example, when two separate buildings at the same AoD from the transmitter reflect signals toward the receiver. Note that although... Figure 8A Clusters with two to five channel taps (or “peaks”) are described, but as will be understood, these clusters may have more or fewer channel taps than the number described.

[0258] RAN1 NR can define UE measurements for DL ​​reference signals applicable to NR positioning (e.g., for serving, reference, and / or neighboring cells), including DL reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurements for NR positioning, DLRSRP measurements for NR positioning, and UE Rx-Tx (e.g., the hardware group delay from signal reception at the UE receiver to response signal transmission at the UE transmitter, such as in time difference measurements for NR positioning, such as RTT).

[0259] RAN1 NR can define gNB measurements based on UL reference signals suitable for NR positioning, such as relative UL time of arrival (RTOA) for NR positioning, UL AoA measurements for NR positioning (e.g., including azimuth and zenith angles), UL RSRP measurements for NR positioning, and gNB Rx-Tx (e.g., the hardware group delay from signal reception at the gNB receiver to response signal transmission at the gNB transmitter, such as in time difference measurements for NR positioning, such as RTT).

[0260] As mentioned above, various device types can be characterized as UEs. Starting with 3GPP Release 17, several UE types were assigned a new UE classification, denoted as "NR-Light" UE or Reduced Capability ("RedCap") UE. Examples of UE types falling into the RedCap classification include wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches), industrial sensors, cameras (e.g., surveillance cameras), and so on. Typically, UE types grouped under this RedCap classification are associated with lower communication capacity. For example, compared to normal RedCap UEs (e.g., UEs not classified as RedCap), RedCap UEs may be limited in terms of maximum bandwidth for transmission and / or reception (e.g., 5MHz, 10MHz, 20MHz, etc.), maximum transmit power (e.g., 20dBm, 14dBm, etc.), number of receive antennas (e.g., 1 receive antenna, 2 receive antennas, etc.), and so on. Some RedCap UEs may also be power-sensitive (e.g., requiring long battery life, such as several years) and may be highly mobile. Furthermore, in some designs, RedCap UEs are often intended to coexist with UEs implementing protocols such as eMBB, URLLC, LTE NB-IoT / MTC, etc. In a specific example, Industrial Internet of Things (I-IoT) wireless sensors may be associated with dense uplink traffic, moderate reliability and latency (e.g., non-URLLC), small packet sizes with relatively long TX intervals (e.g., low data rates), and high capacity (e.g., up to 1 UE per square meter).

[0261] In some designs, the DL-PRS bandwidth may be relatively large (e.g., 100MHz), and the RedCap UE may only be able to perform measurements or transmissions on a portion of the DL-PRS bandwidth (e.g., 20MHz) at any given time. To compensate for this limitation, the RedCap UE can implement a frequency hopping scheme.

[0262] In some designs, coherent splicing can be used to handle the corresponding frequency hopping associated with DL-PRS measurements. However, coherent splicing may increase the complexity of UE implementation. In some designs, incoherent splicing can provide some performance improvements due to diversity gain. In some designs (such as NR Release 16), DL-PRS frequency hopping is not supported, with a minimum DL-PRS bandwidth of 24 PRBs and a maximum of 272 PRBs. In this case, it is simply assumed that the UE can handle a single Positioning Frequency Layer (PFL) to derive DL-PRS measurements, and that the UE handles a single PFL at a time. In some designs (such as NR Release 17), splicing of DL-PRS from different PFLs can be supported for the purpose of increasing the DL-PRS bandwidth above the 272 PRB limit of NR Release 16. In some designs (such as Further Enhanced Machine Type Communication (FeMTC)), frequency hopping is supported for a 1.4MHz DL-PRS BW. In FeMTC, DL-PRS starts from the center of the system BW and hops at each PRS timing, where the hop location is explicitly specified by the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) (e.g., specified up to 16 hops, but the UE can hop 2 or 4 out of 16).

[0263] A PRS can include PRS resources, PRS resource sets, or PRS resources of a frequency layer. A DL-PRS positioning frequency layer (or simply a frequency layer) is a collection of DL-PRS resource sets with common parameters configured by the parameter DL-PRS-PositioningFrequencyLayer (DL-PRS-PositioningFrequencyLayer). Each frequency layer has the same DL-PRS subcarrier spacing (SCS) for both the DL-PRS resource sets and resources within that frequency layer. Each frequency layer has the same DL-PRS cyclic prefix (CP) type for both the DL-PRS resource sets and resources within that frequency layer. Furthermore, the DL-PRS point A parameter defines the frequency of a reference 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 PRS resource sets of a frequency layer also have the same starting PRB (and center frequency) and the same comb size value.

[0264] As used herein, a location session may include multiple PRS instances, each of which includes a PRS resource set. The PRS resource set, in turn, includes multiple PRS resources.

[0265] For example, in some implementations, a location session can span approximately 20 seconds, while each PRS instance can span approximately 160 milliseconds.

[0266] DL PRS resources can be repeated to facilitate Rx (receive) beam sweeps across different repetitions, thereby combining coverage-extended gain and / or intra-instance silence. In some designs, PRS configurations can support several repetition counts (PRS - Resource Repetition Factor) and several time gaps (PRS - Resource Time Gap), as shown in Table 2:

[0267]

[0268] Table 2

[0269] Figure 9 A PRS resource distribution 900 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is explained. The PRS resource distribution 900 reflects a DL-PRS resource set having 4 resources, a PRS-ResourceRepetitionFactor of 4, and a PRS-ResourceTimeGap of 1 time slot.

[0270] Figure 10 A PRS resource distribution 1000 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is explained. The PRS resource distribution 1000 reflects a DL-PRS resource set having 4 resources, a PRS-ResourceRepetitionFactor of 4, and a PRS-ResourceTimeGap of 4 time slots.

[0271] In some designs, the aggregation of multiple DL positioning frequency layers of the same or different frequency bands used to improve positioning performance for both in-band and inter-band scenes may include at least the following:

[0272] • Scenarios and performance benefits of aggregating multiple DL positioning frequency layers

[0273] The impact of channel spacing, timing offset, phase offset, frequency error, and power imbalance between CCs on positioning performance in in-band contiguous / non-contiguous and inter-band scenarios.

[0274] ·UE complexity considerations

[0275] In specific examples of some designs, when the physical layer at the UE receives the last of the NR-TDOA-ProvideAssistanceData and NR-TDOA-RequestLocationInformation messages from the LMF via the LPP, the UE should be able to measure the time period T. RSTD,i In the intrinsic positioning frequency layer i, multiple DL RSTD measurements are measured as defined in TS 38.215 (within the PRS measurement capabilities (nr-DL-TDOA-MeasCapability(number-DL-TDOA-measurement capability)) indicated by the UE via the LPP), for example:

[0276]

[0277] in:

[0278] ·N Rx波束,i This is the UE receive beam sweep factor. In FR1, N Rx波束,i =1; and in FR2, when QCL information is provided and different PRS overlap temporally at the same frequency level, N Rx波束 , i =[8], otherwise N Rx波束 =[1],

[0279] ·CSSF RSTD,i This refers to the carrier-dependent scaling factor CSSFwithin_gap for the positioning frequency layer i, as defined in clause 9.1.5.2.

[0280] ·N 样本 It is the number of PRS samples and N 样本 =[4],

[0281] ·T 最后 It is the measurement duration for a single PRS timing, which includes sampling time and processing time, and can be: T 最后 =T i +L PRS,i ,

[0282] ·

[0283] ·T 可用_PRS，i =LCM(T PRS，i MGRP i ),

[0284] ·L PRS,iIt is the time duration spanned by all DL PRS resources of positioning frequency layer i within a PRS period (TPRS). For the purpose of DL PRS processing capacity, L... PRS,i It is calculated using either Type I epoch calculation with UE symbol-level buffering capability or Type II epoch calculation with UE slot-level buffering capability, as defined in Clause 5.1.6.5 of TS 38.214.

[0285] · It is the maximum number of DL PRS resources configured in a positioning frequency layer i within a time slot.

[0286] • {N,T} is the UE capability combination per frequency band, where N is the duration (in milliseconds) of DL PRS symbols processed per Tms for a given maximum bandwidth supported by the UE, as specified in Clause 4.2.7.2 of TS 38.306, and

[0287] • N' is the UE's capacity to process the number of DL PRS resources in a time slot, as specified in Clause 4.2.7.2 of TS 38.306.

[0288] Figure 11 The frequency hopping scheme 1000 according to one aspect of this disclosure has been explained. Figure 11 In this context, the RS used for positioning (e.g., PRS or SRS-P) is processed (e.g., measured or transmitted) at the RedCap UE via a series of M-hops. Specifically, in Figure 11 The text explains the two hops in the M-hop, where the first frequency hop is at h(f1, t1), followed by the second frequency hop 1310 at h(f2, t2). In the case of DL-PRS, DL-PRS is transmitted on the resource corresponding to h(f2, t1), but the RedCap UE cannot measure h(f2, t1). By hopping to different non-overlapping portions (or subbands) of the RS bandwidth, the RedCap UE can monitor the entire RS bandwidth (although not concurrently).

[0289] refer to Figure 11 h(f2, t1) is related to h(f2, t2) by phase shift and phase slope. The phase slope is a linear function of the timestamp, while the phase shift can depend on many factors (e.g., RF switching at each frequency hop, the phase before and after the switch being different, and this difference is uncontrollable and does not follow any laws, hence it is called "random phase"). The relationship between h(f2, t1) and h(f2, t2) can be expressed as follows:

[0290]

[0291] ∈2-∈1=t2-t1-R·(TOD2-TOD1)

[0292] Formula 4

[0293]

[0294] Figure 12 The positioning scheme 1200 according to one aspect of this disclosure has been explained. Figure 12 In the above, transmitter A transmits a first PRS at TOD1, which is received by receiver B at TOA1 with a hardware group delay ε1, such that t1 = TOA1 + ε1. Transmitter A further transmits a second PRS at TOD2, which is received by receiver B at TOA2 with a hardware group delay ε2, such that t2 = TOA2 + ε2. The distance R between transmitter A and receiver B can be derived as follows:

[0295] Figure 13 The frequency hopping scheme 1300 according to another aspect of this disclosure has been explained. Figure 13 In this context, the RS used for positioning (e.g., PRS or SRS-P) is processed (e.g., measured or transmitted) at the RedCap UE via a series of M-hops. Specifically, in Figure 13 The text explains the two jumps in the M-jump, where the first frequency jump is at 1305 followed by the second frequency jump at 1310. Figure 13 In this configuration, protection frequency modulation 1315-1320 is configured in the resources associated with the first frequency hop 1310, and protection frequency modulation 1325-1330 is configured in the resources associated with the second frequency hop 1315. Figure 13 In the first and second frequency hops (1305-1310), the frequency domain resources (or frequency modulations) partially overlap. Accurate phase shift estimation is possible using overlapping frequency modulations with simple and low-complexity algorithms. Parameter estimation is more difficult, but compressed sensing methods are possible.

[0296] Figure 14 The frequency hopping scheme 1400 according to another aspect of this disclosure has been explained. Figure 14 In this context, the RS used for positioning (e.g., PRS or SRS-P) is processed (e.g., measured or transmitted) at the RedCap UE via a series of M-hops. Specifically, in Figure 14 The text explains the two jumps in the M-jump, where the first frequency jump is 1405 followed by the second frequency jump is 1410. Figure 14 In this context, protection frequency modulation 1415-1420 is configured in the resources associated with the first frequency hop 1405, and protection frequency modulation 1425-1430 is configured in the resources associated with the second frequency hop 1410. Figure 14 In the first frequency hop and the second frequency hop 1405-1410, the frequency domain resources (or frequency modulations) do not overlap.

[0297] Figure 15 The frequency hopping scheme 1500 for measuring DL-PRS bandwidth according to one aspect of this disclosure is explained. For example... Figure 15 As shown, at each frequency hop, the UE measures the subband that partially overlaps with the subband of the adjacent frequency hop. These subband measurements can be stitched together to derive the measurement of the entire DL-PRS transmission bandwidth. DL-PRS is transmitted across multiple OFDM symbols, where each frequency hop is aligned with one or more of the OFDM symbols of the DL-PRS.

[0298] Various aspects of this disclosure relate to determining a UE's ability to measure the DL-PRS across multiple frequency hops. Rather than simply assuming that a given UE can measure the entire DL-PRS transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping, knowledge of the frequency hopping capabilities of a given UE can facilitate the configuration of positioning parameters in a more customized manner by network components (e.g., base stations, LMFs, etc.). Such aspects can provide various technical advantages, such as more accurate positioning of certain UE types (e.g., RedCap UEs, or any UE that requires frequency hopping to measure the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS).

[0299] Figure 16 An exemplary wireless communication process 1600 according to various aspects of this disclosure has been described. In one aspect, process 1600 may be performed by a UE (such as UE 302).

[0300] At 1610, UE 302 (e.g., processing system 334, frequency hopping module 342, etc.) determines the UE's ability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple frequency hops is associated with a subband of that transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS. In some designs, the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS (e.g., 100 MHz) includes at least each subband (e.g., a 20 MHz subband) associated with the multiple frequency hops. In other words, subband measurements can be stitched together to derive a measurement of the complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS. In some designs, the DL-PRS is transmitted on the multiple OFDM symbols over the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping (e.g., as shown in the image). Figure 15 (As depicted in the text).

[0301] At 1620, UE 302 (e.g., transmitter 312 or 322, etc.) transmits an indication of this capability to network components (e.g., BS 304, LMF 306, etc.).

[0302] Figure 17 An exemplary wireless communication process 1700 according to various aspects of this disclosure is explained. In one aspect, process 1700 may be performed by a network component such as BS 304 (e.g., in the case where the LMF is integrated within the RAN) or LMF 306 (e.g., in the case where the LMF is located in an external network component (such as a core network component or an external server)).

[0303] At 1710, network components (e.g., data bus 382, ​​network interface 380, receiver 352 or 362, network interfaces 390, processing system 384 or 394, frequency hopping module 388 or 389, etc.) determine the user equipment (UE)'s ability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of that transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS. In some designs, the determination of 1710 may be based on the above description regarding... Figure 16 The indication from the UE described in section 1620. In other designs, determination can be made without such indication. For example, instead of an explicit UE capability indication from the UE, the network component can implicitly determine the UE capability (e.g., if the UE fully supports frequency hopping, the network component assumes that a specific set of minimum or baseline capabilities does not need to be explicitly indicated, etc.). In some designs, DL-PRS is transmitted on the same number of OFDM symbols over the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping (e.g., as...). Figure 5 (As depicted in the text).

[0304] At 1720, the network component (e.g., processing system 384 or 394, frequency hopping module 388 or 389, etc.) configures one or more parameters associated with the UE's location, at least in part, based on this capability. Various examples of parameter configurations that can be implemented at 1720 will be described in more detail below.

[0305] refer to Figures 16-17 In some designs, the measurement period can be increased from the default measurement period to allow the UE more time to perform frequency hopping. This assumes a scenario requiring a larger number of samples (instances) compared to high-end UE types. In one example, if the UE is hopping across instances, then to handle bandwidth B... T (where B is) h In each hop (with BW), the UE will require at least 4 samples. Therefore, if each hop needs to be sampled 4 times, a total of at least 10 samples can be configured. The number of samples (assuming no overlapping reception). In another example, if the UE is performing overlapping reception, an overlap factor can be used to include that number of samples. For example, if the overlap is 50%, the UE might require approximately twice the number of hops, so for the example above, it can be configured... The sample size is halved if the UE can perform frequency hopping within a single instance. If the UE can perform 2 hops within a single instance, a factor can be introduced that includes the number of hops the UE can perform within that instance, so that the total sample size is not proportional to the number of hops. For example, in the above scenario, if the UE can perform 2 hops within a single instance, the sample size will be halved.

[0306] refer to Figures 16-17 In some designs, the capability indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710 may include minimum subband overlap between consecutive frequency hops. In some designs, this minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs). In other designs, the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the multiple frequency hops. For example, for a subband bandwidth spanning 2 PRBs, the overlap may be specified as 50% (e.g., 1 PRB).

[0307] refer to Figures 16-17 In some designs, the capability indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710 may include the minimum time gap between consecutive frequency jumps.

[0308] refer to Figures 16-17 In some designs, the capabilities indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710 may include: the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation with overlapping frequency modulations (e.g., within a first threshold accuracy level), or the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency modulations (e.g., within a second threshold accuracy level), or the UE being able to perform time offset compensation (e.g., within a third threshold accuracy level), or a combination thereof. In some designs, the first, second, and / or third threshold accuracy levels may be the same or different.

[0309] refer to Figures 16-17 In some designs, the capabilities indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710 can be per frequency band or a combination of per frequency bands. (Reference) Figures 16-17 In some designs, the capability indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710 may include a first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot (e.g., may include additional UE capabilities, or a separate factor that reduces the reported capability), or a second number of resources that the UE can process per measurement period (e.g., may include additional UE capabilities, or a separate factor that reduces the reported capability), or a combination thereof. Reference Figures 16-17In some designs, the capability indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710 may include the number of frequency hops that the UE can handle in a particular time-domain window.

[0310] refer to Figures 16-17 In some designs, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands assuming coherent frequency hopping for a particular time-domain window.

[0311] refer to Figures 16-17 In some designs, one or more parameters may be associated with the DL-PRS configuration used for the UE. For example, these parameters may include a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration. In another example, the measurement period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the multiple frequency hops. In yet another example, the capability indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710 may include the number of multiple frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS.

[0312] In some designs, the DL-PRS configuration is associated with one or more accuracy requirements based at least in part on the capability indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710.

[0313] refer to Figures 16-17 In some designs, the capability indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710 may include the UE's DL-PRS processing capability. In one example, the capability indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710 may include the UE's ability to employ incoherent combinations to treat the DL-PRS as non-overlapping blocks (e.g., each block is B). h The UE processes the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping block using coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both. In another example, the capability indicated at 1620 or determined at 1710 may include the UE's ability to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping block using coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both. h The UE is processed in MHz (with an overlap factor R). In some designs, one or more accuracy requirements associated with the UE's positioning are determined at the network component in part based on the UE's DL-PRS processing capabilities. For example, accuracy requirement determination may be based on whether the UE is determined to be capable of performing coherent combination.

[0314] refer to Figures 16-17In some designs, network components may determine one or more accuracy requirements associated with the UE's positioning based in part on the DL-PRS configuration. For example, accuracy requirements may be determined based on the duration of the PRS resources associated with the DL-PRS configuration, the number of PRS instance repetitions associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or whether the PRS instance repetitions occur on consecutive symbols (e.g., adjacent symbols) or have intervening symbol gaps (e.g., UL symbol gaps), or a combination thereof.

[0315] In the detailed description above, it can be seen that different features are grouped together in the examples. This manner of disclosure should not be construed as an intention to have more features than those explicitly mentioned in each clause. Rather, aspects of this disclosure may include fewer features than those of the individual example clauses disclosed. Therefore, the appended clauses should thus be considered as incorporated into this description, where each clause may be a separate example. Although each dependent clause may refer in its respective clause to a specific combination with one of the other clauses, the aspects of that dependent clause are not limited to that specific combination. It will be appreciated that other example clauses may also include combinations of aspects of the dependent clause with the subject matter of any other dependent or independent clause, or any feature combined with other dependent and independent clauses. The aspects disclosed herein expressly include these combinations unless explicitly stated or readily inferred that a particular combination is not intended (e.g., contradictory aspects, such as defining an element as both an insulator and a conductor). Furthermore, it is intended that aspects of a clause may be included in any other independent clause, even if that clause is not directly subordinate to that independent clause.

[0316] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0317] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and skills. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referred to throughout the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or light particles, or any combination thereof.

[0318] Clause 1. A method of operating a user equipment (UE) comprising: determining the UE's ability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and transmitting an indication of the capability to a network component.

[0319] Clause 2. The method of Clause 1, wherein the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and wherein each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0320] Clause 3. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 2, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols on the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0321] Clause 4. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein the instruction indicates the minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0322] Clause 5. The method of Clause 4, wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of frequency hops.

[0323] Clause 6. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 5, wherein the instruction indicates the minimum time interval between consecutive frequency jumps.

[0324] Clause 7. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0325] Clause 8. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein the instruction is per frequency band or a combination of frequency bands.

[0326] Clause 9. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 8, wherein the indication indicates the number of first resources that the UE can process per time slot, or wherein the indication indicates the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a combination thereof.

[0327] Clause 10. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 9, wherein the indication indicates the number of frequency hops that the UE can handle in a particular time window.

[0328] Clause 11. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 10, wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined in the case of a threshold overlap between subbands assuming coherent frequency hopping for a particular time-domain window.

[0329] Clause 12. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 11 further includes: receiving DL-PRS configuration partially based on the instruction.

[0330] Clause 13. The method of Clause 12, wherein the measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration is at least partially based on the indication, or wherein the DL-PRS configuration is associated with one or more accuracy requirements at least partially based on the indication, or a combination thereof.

[0331] Clause 14. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 13, wherein the instruction indicates the number of multiple frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS.

[0332] Clause 15. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 14, wherein the instruction indicates the UE DL-PRS processing capability, or wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with the positioning of the UE are determined in part based on the UE DL-PRS processing capability, or a combination thereof.

[0333] Clause 16. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 15, wherein the instruction indicates that: the UE is capable of using incoherent combination to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE is capable of using coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE is capable of using coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as an overlapping subband.

[0334] Clause 17. A method of operating a network component, comprising: determining the capability of a user equipment (UE) to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and configuring one or more parameters associated with the positioning of the UE, at least in part based on the capability.

[0335] Clause 18. The method of Clause 17, wherein the determination is based on an indication of the capability from the UE.

[0336] Clause 19. The method of any of Clauses 17 to 18, wherein the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and wherein each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0337] Clause 20. The method of any of Clauses 17 to 19, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols on the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0338] Clause 21. The method of any of Clauses 17 to 20, wherein the capability includes minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0339] Clause 22. The method of Clause 21, wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of frequency hops.

[0340] Clause 23. The method of any of Clauses 17 to 22, wherein the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the capability includes the UE being able to perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0341] Clause 24. The method of any of Clauses 17 to 23, wherein the capability includes a first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or wherein the capability includes a second number of resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a number of frequency hops that the UE can process in a specific time window, or a combination thereof.

[0342] Clause 25. The method of any of Clauses 17 to 24, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one parameter associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or wherein the at least one parameter includes a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or wherein the measurement period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the plurality of frequency hops, or wherein the capability includes the number of plurality of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS, or a combination thereof.

[0343] Clause 26. The method of Clause 25 further includes: determining one or more accuracy requirements associated with the positioning of the UE, in part based on the DL-PRS configuration.

[0344] Clause 27. The method of any of Clauses 17 to 26, wherein the capability includes UE DL-PRS processing capability.

[0345] Clause 28. The method of any of Clauses 17 to 27, wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined in the case of a threshold overlap between subbands assuming coherent frequency hopping for a particular time-domain window.

[0346] Clause 29. A user equipment (UE) comprising: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: determine the UE's capability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and transmit an indication of the capability to a network component via the at least one transceiver.

[0347] Clause 30. The UE as in Clause 29, wherein the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and wherein each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0348] Clause 31. The UE of any of Clauses 29 to 30, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols on the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0349] Clause 32. The UE of any of Clauses 29 to 31, wherein the indication indicates the minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0350] Clause 33. The UE as in Clause 32, wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of frequency hops.

[0351] Clause 34. The UE of any of Clauses 29 to 33, wherein the instruction indicates the minimum time gap between consecutive frequency hops.

[0352] Clause 35. A UE as in any of Clauses 29 to 34, wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0353] Clause 36. UE of any of Clauses 29 to 35, wherein the indication is per frequency band or a combination of frequency bands.

[0354] Clause 37. A UE of any of Clauses 29 to 36, wherein the indication indicates the number of first resources that the UE can process per time slot, or wherein the indication indicates the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a combination thereof.

[0355] Clause 38. The UE of any of Clauses 29 to 37, wherein the indication indicates the number of frequency hops that the UE can handle in a particular time window.

[0356] Clause 39. For any of Clauses 29 to 38, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands assuming coherent frequency hopping for a particular time-domain window.

[0357] Clause 40. A UE as described in any of Clauses 29 to 39, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a DL-PRS configuration partially based on the indication via the at least one transceiver. Clause 41. A UE as described in Clause 40, wherein the measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration is at least partially based on the indication, or wherein the DL-PRS configuration is associated with one or more accuracy requirements at least partially based on the indication, or a combination thereof.

[0358] Clause 42. The UE of any of Clauses 29 to 41, wherein the instruction indicates the number of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS.

[0359] Clause 43. A UE such as any of Clauses 29 to 42, wherein the instruction indicates the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with the UE's positioning are determined in part based on the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or a combination thereof.

[0360] Clause 44. A UE as described in any of Clauses 29 to 43, wherein the instruction indicates that: the UE is capable of using incoherent combination to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE is capable of using coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE is capable of using coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as an overlapping subband.

[0361] Clause 45. A network component comprising: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: determine the capability of a user equipment (UE) to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and configure one or more parameters associated with the positioning of the UE, at least in part based on the capability.

[0362] Clause 46. A network component as described in Clause 45, wherein the determination is based on an indication of the capability from the UE.

[0363] Clause 47. A network component as described in any of Clauses 45 to 46, wherein the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and wherein each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0364] Clause 48. A network component of any of Clauses 45 to 47, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols on the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0365] Clause 49. A network component of any of Clauses 45 to 48, wherein the capability includes minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0366] Clause 50. A network component as described in Clause 49, wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of frequency hops.

[0367] Clause 51. A network component of any of Clauses 45 to 50, wherein the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the capability includes the UE being able to perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0368] Clause 52. A network component of any of Clauses 45 to 51, wherein the capability includes a first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or wherein the capability includes a second number of resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a number of frequency hops that the UE can process in a specific time window, or a combination thereof.

[0369] Clause 53. A network component of any of Clauses 45 to 52, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one parameter associated with a DL-PRS configuration, or wherein the at least one parameter includes a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or wherein the measurement period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the plurality of frequency hops, or wherein the capability includes the number of plurality of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS, or a combination thereof.

[0370] Clause 54. A network component as described in Clause 53, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: determine one or more accuracy requirements associated with the positioning of the UE, in part based on the DL-PRS configuration.

[0371] Clause 55. A network component of any of Clauses 45 to 54, wherein the capability includes UE DL-PRS processing capability.

[0372] Clause 56. Network components of any of Clauses 45 to 55, wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands assuming coherent frequency hopping for a particular time-domain window.

[0373] Clause 57. A user equipment (UE) comprising: means for determining the UE's ability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and means for transmitting an indication of the capability to a network component.

[0374] Clause 58. The UE as in Clause 57, wherein the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and wherein each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0375] Clause 59. The UE of any of Clauses 57 to 58, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols on the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0376] Clause 60. For any of Clauses 57 to 59, the UE, wherein the indication indicates the minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0377] Clause 61. The UE as in Clause 60, wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of frequency hops.

[0378] Clause 62. The UE of any of Clauses 57 to 61, wherein the instruction indicates the minimum time gap between consecutive frequency hops.

[0379] Clause 63. A UE as in any of Clauses 57 to 62, wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0380] Clause 64. The UE of any of Clauses 57 to 63, wherein the indication is per frequency band or a combination of frequency bands.

[0381] Clause 65. A UE such as any of Clauses 57 to 64, wherein the indication indicates the number of first resources that the UE can process per time slot, or wherein the indication indicates the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a combination thereof.

[0382] Clause 66. A UE as in any of Clauses 57 to 65, wherein the indication indicates the number of frequency hops that the UE can handle in a particular time window.

[0383] Clause 67. For any of Clauses 57 to 66, one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands assuming coherent frequency hopping for a particular time-domain window.

[0384] Clause 68. The UE of any of Clauses 57 to 67 further includes: means for receiving DL-PRS configuration partially based on the instruction.

[0385] Clause 69. A UE as described in Clause 68, wherein the measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration is at least partially based on the indication, or wherein the DL-PRS configuration is associated with one or more accuracy requirements at least partially based on the indication, or a combination thereof.

[0386] Clause 70. The UE of any of Clauses 57 to 69, wherein the instruction indicates the number of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS.

[0387] Clause 71. A UE as described in any of Clauses 57 to 70, wherein the instruction indicates the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with the UE's positioning are determined in part based on the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or a combination thereof.

[0388] Clause 72. A UE as described in any of Clauses 57 to 71, wherein the instruction indicates that: the UE is capable of using incoherent combination to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE is capable of using coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE is capable of using coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as an overlapping subband.

[0389] Clause 73. A network component comprising: means for determining the capability of a user equipment (UE) to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and means for configuring one or more parameters associated with the positioning of the UE, at least in part based on the capability.

[0390] Clause 74. A network component as described in Clause 73, wherein the determination is based on an indication of the capability from the UE.

[0391] Clause 75. A network component as described in any of Clauses 73 to 74, wherein the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and wherein each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0392] Clause 76. A network component of any of Clauses 73 to 75, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols on the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0393] Clause 77. A network component of any of Clauses 73 to 76, wherein the capability includes minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0394] Clause 78. A network component as described in Clause 77, wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of frequency hops.

[0395] Clause 79. A network component of any of Clauses 73 to 78, wherein the capability includes the UE performing phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the capability includes the UE performing phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the capability includes the UE performing time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0396] Clause 80. A network component of any of Clauses 73 to 79, wherein the capability includes a first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or wherein the capability includes a second number of resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a number of frequency hops that the UE can process in a specific time window, or a combination thereof.

[0397] Clause 81. A network component of any of Clauses 73 to 80, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one parameter associated with a DL-PRS configuration, or wherein the at least one parameter includes a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or wherein the measurement period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the plurality of frequency hops, or wherein the capability includes the number of plurality of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS, or a combination thereof.

[0398] Clause 82. The network component as described in Clause 81 further includes: means for determining one or more accuracy requirements associated with the location of the UE, in part based on the DL-PRS configuration.

[0399] Clause 83. A network component of any of Clauses 73 to 82, wherein the capability includes UE DL-PRS processing capability.

[0400] Clause 84. A network component of any of Clauses 73 to 83, wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands assuming coherent frequency hopping for a particular time-domain window.

[0401] Clause 85. A non-transient computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a user equipment (UE), cause the UE to: determine the UE's capability to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and transmit an indication of the capability to a network component.

[0402] Clause 86. A non-transient computer-readable medium as described in Clause 85, wherein the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and wherein each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0403] Clause 87. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 86, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols on the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0404] Clause 88. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 87, wherein the indication indicates minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0405] Clause 89. A non-transient computer-readable medium as in Clause 88, wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of frequency hops.

[0406] Clause 90. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 89, wherein the instruction indicates a minimum time gap between consecutive frequency jumps.

[0407] Clause 91. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 90, wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation with overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the instruction indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0408] Clause 92. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 91, wherein the instruction is per frequency band or a combination of frequency bands.

[0409] Clause 93. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 92, wherein the indication indicates the number of first resources that the UE can process per time slot, or wherein the indication indicates the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a combination thereof.

[0410] Clause 94. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 93, wherein the indication indicates the number of frequency hops that the UE can handle in a particular time-domain window.

[0411] Clause 95. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 94, wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands assuming coherent frequency hopping for a particular time-domain window.

[0412] Clause 96. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 95 further includes, when executed by the UE, instructions to further cause the UE to perform the following operations: receive DL-PRS configuration partially based on the instructions.

[0413] Clause 97. A non-transient computer-readable medium as described in Clause 96, wherein the measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration is at least partially based on the indication, or wherein the DL-PRS configuration is associated with one or more accuracy requirements at least partially based on the indication, or a combination thereof.

[0414] Clause 98. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 97, wherein the instruction indicates the number of multiple frequency hops that can be executed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS.

[0415] Clause 99. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 98, wherein the instruction indicates UEDL-PRS processing capability, or wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with the positioning of the UE are determined in part based on the UEDL-PRS processing capability, or a combination thereof.

[0416] Clause 100. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 85 to 99, wherein the instruction indicates that: the UE is capable of using incoherent combination to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE is capable of using coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or the UE is capable of using coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as an overlapping subband.

[0417] Clause 101. A non-transient computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a network component, cause the network component to: determine the capability of a user equipment (UE) to perform receive frequency hopping to measure a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) across multiple frequency hops, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, each of the multiple frequency hops being associated with a subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and configure one or more parameters associated with the positioning of the UE, at least in part, based on the capability.

[0418] Clause 102. A non-transient computer-readable medium as in Clause 101, wherein the determination is based on an indication of the capability from the UE.

[0419] Clause 103. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 101 to 102, wherein the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of frequency hops, and wherein each of the plurality of frequency hops is associated with a measurement of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times.

[0420] Clause 104. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 101 to 103, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols on the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping.

[0421] Clause 105. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 101 to 104, wherein the capability includes minimum subband overlap between two frequency hops.

[0422] Clause 106. A non-transient computer-readable medium as described in Clause 105, wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs), or wherein the minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of frequency hops.

[0423] Clause 107. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 101 to 106, wherein the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation with overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the capability includes the UE being able to perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency moduli, or wherein the capability includes the UE being able to perform time offset compensation, or a combination thereof.

[0424] Clause 108. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 101 to 107, wherein the capability includes a first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or wherein the capability includes a second number of resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or a number of frequency hops that the UE can process in a specific time window, or a combination thereof.

[0425] Clause 109. A non-transient computer-readable medium as described in any of Clauses 101 to 108, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one parameter associated with a DL-PRS configuration, or wherein the at least one parameter includes a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or wherein the measurement period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the plurality of frequency hops, or wherein the capability includes the number of plurality of frequency hops that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance of the DL-PRS, or a combination thereof.

[0426] Clause 110. A non-transient computer-readable medium as described in Clause 109 further includes, when executed by a network component, instructions to further cause the network component to perform the following operations: determining one or more accuracy requirements associated with the positioning of the UE, in part based on the DL-PRS configuration.

[0427] Clause 111. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 101 to 110, wherein the capability includes UE DL-PRS processing capability.

[0428] Clause 112. A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 101 to 111, wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands assuming coherent frequency hopping for a particular time-domain window.

[0429] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithmic steps described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this hardware-software interchangeability, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described above in a generalized form in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0430] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternatives, it may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0431] The methods, sequences, and / or algorithms described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of both. The software module may reside in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor such that the processor can read and write information from / to the storage medium. In an alternative, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal (e.g., a UE). In an alternative, the processor and storage medium may reside as discrete components in the user terminal.

[0432] In one or more exemplary aspects, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on or through a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. A storage medium may be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer. Similarly, any connection is also legitimately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then such coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. As used in this article, disks and discs include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital multi-purpose discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs. Disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of these should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0433] While the foregoing disclosure has illustrated illustrative aspects of this disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The functions, steps, and / or actions in the method claims according to the aspects of this disclosure described herein need not be performed in any particular order. Furthermore, although elements of this disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, pluralism is also contemplated unless explicitly stated to be limited to the singular.

Claims

1. A method for operating a user equipment (UE), comprising: Determine the UE's ability to perform downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) measurements across multiple measurement instances, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple measurement instances being associated with a different subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and Transmit instructions regarding the capabilities to network components. The DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping, where the same transmission bandwidth refers to the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS. The indicated specification specifies the minimum subband overlap between adjacent measurement instances that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance. The complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of measurement instances, and each of the plurality of measurement instances is associated with the UE's measurement of the corresponding subband at different times, wherein the UE's measurements of the corresponding subband are combined to derive the measurement of the complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS.

2. The method as described in claim 1, The full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS is maintained during the UE's measurement of the corresponding subband.

3. The method as described in claim 1, The minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs), or The minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of measurement instances.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication indicates the minimum time interval between consecutive measurement instances.

5. The method as described in claim 1, The indication stated that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency modulations, or The indication stated that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency modulation, or The indication stated therein indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or Its combination.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is per frequency band or a combination of per frequency bands.

7. The method as described in claim 1, The indicated term specifies the first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or The indication therein specifies the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or Its combination.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication indicates the number of measurement instances that the UE can process in a specific time-domain window.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined assuming a threshold overlap between sub-bands for a coherent measurement instance for a particular time-domain window.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The DL-PRS configuration is received in part based on the indicated information.

11. The method as described in claim 10, The measurement periods associated with the DL-PRS configuration are at least partially based on the indication, or The DL-PRS configuration therein is associated with one or more accuracy requirements based at least in part on the indication, or Its combination.

12. The method as described in claim 1, The indicated indicator refers to the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or One or more accuracy requirements associated with the UE's positioning are determined in part based on the UE's DL-PRS processing capabilities, or Its combination.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction indicates: The UE can use incoherent combining to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or The UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or The UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as an overlapping subband.

14. A method of operating a network component, comprising: Determine the user equipment (UE)'s ability to perform downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) measurements across multiple measurement instances, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple measurement instances is associated with a different subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and At least in part, one or more parameters associated with the location of the UE can be configured based on the aforementioned capability. The DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping, where the same transmission bandwidth represents the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS. The indicated specification specifies the minimum subband overlap between adjacent measurement instances that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance. The complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of measurement instances, and each of the plurality of measurement instances is associated with the UE's measurement of the corresponding subband at different times, wherein the UE's measurements of the corresponding subband are combined to derive the measurement of the complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The determination is based on an indication of the capability from the UE.

16. The method of claim 14, The full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS is maintained during the UE's measurement of the corresponding subband.

17. The method as described in claim 14, The minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs), or The minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of measurement instances.

18. The method of claim 14, The aforementioned capability includes the UE's ability to perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency modulations, or The aforementioned capability includes the UE's ability to perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency modulation, or The aforementioned capabilities include the UE's ability to perform time offset compensation, or Its combination.

19. The method of claim 14, The capability mentioned includes the first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or The capability mentioned includes the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or The number of measurement instances that the UE can process in a specific time-domain window, or Its combination.

20. The method of claim 14, The one or more parameters mentioned above include at least one parameter associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or The at least one parameter mentioned above includes a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or The measurement time period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the plurality of measurement instances, or The aforementioned capability includes the number of multiple measurement instances that can be executed within a single DL-PRS instance, or Its combination.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: One or more accuracy requirements associated with the positioning of the UE are determined in part based on the DL-PRS configuration.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the capability includes UE DL-PRS processing capability.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein, One or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between sub-bands of a coherent measurement instance for a specific time-domain window.

24. A user equipment (UE), comprising: Memory; At least one transceiver; as well as At least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: Determine the UE's ability to perform downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) measurements across multiple measurement instances, the DL-PRS being transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple measurement instances being associated with a different subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS. as well as Instructions regarding the capabilities are transmitted to network components via the at least one transceiver. The DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping, where the same transmission bandwidth represents the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS. The indicated specification specifies the minimum subband overlap between adjacent measurement instances that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance. The complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of measurement instances, and each of the plurality of measurement instances is associated with the UE's measurement of the corresponding subband at different times, wherein the UE's measurements of the corresponding subband are combined to derive the measurement of the complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS.

25. The UE as described in claim 24, The full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS is maintained during the UE's measurement of the corresponding subband.

26. The UE as claimed in claim 24, The minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs), or The minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of measurement instances.

27. The UE of claim 24, wherein the indication indicates the minimum time interval between consecutive measurement instances.

28. The UE as claimed in claim 24, The indication stated that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency modulations, or The indication stated that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency modulation, or The indication stated therein indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or Its combination.

29. The UE of claim 24, wherein the indication is per frequency band or a combination of per frequency bands.

30. The UE as claimed in claim 24, The indicated term specifies the first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or The indication therein specifies the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or Its combination.

31. The UE of claim 24, wherein the indication indicates the number of measurement instances that the UE can process in a particular time-domain window.

32. The UE of claim 24, wherein one or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between subbands of a coherent measurement instance for a particular time-domain window.

33. The UE of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: The DL-PRS configuration is received in part based on the indicated information.

34. The UE as described in claim 33, The measurement periods associated with the DL-PRS configuration are at least partially based on the indication, or The DL-PRS configuration therein is associated with one or more accuracy requirements based at least in part on the indication, or Its combination.

35. The UE as described in claim 24, The indicated indicator refers to the UE's DL-PRS processing capability, or One or more accuracy requirements associated with the UE's positioning are determined in part based on the UE's DL-PRS processing capabilities, or Its combination.

36. The UE of claim 24, wherein the indication indicates: The UE can use incoherent combining to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or The UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as a non-overlapping subband, or The UE can use coherent combination and phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both to process the DL-PRS as an overlapping subband.

37. A network component, comprising: Memory; At least one transceiver; as well as At least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: Determine the user equipment (UE)'s ability to perform downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) measurements across multiple measurement instances, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the same transmission bandwidth, and each of the multiple measurement instances is associated with a different subband of the transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and At least in part, one or more parameters associated with the location of the UE can be configured based on the aforementioned capability. The DL-PRS is transmitted on the plurality of OFDM symbols with the same transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping, where the same transmission bandwidth represents the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS. The indicated specification specifies the minimum subband overlap between adjacent measurement instances that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance. The complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of measurement instances, and each of the plurality of measurement instances is associated with the UE's measurement of the corresponding subband at different times, wherein the UE's measurements of the corresponding subband are combined to derive the measurement of the complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS.

38. The network component of claim 37, wherein, The determination is based on an indication of the capability from the UE.

39. The network component as claimed in claim 37, The full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS is maintained during the UE's measurement of the corresponding subband.

40. The network component of claim 37, The minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs), or The minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of measurement instances.

41. The network component as claimed in claim 37, The aforementioned capability includes the UE's ability to perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency modulations, or The aforementioned capability includes the UE's ability to perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency modulation, or The aforementioned capabilities include the UE's ability to perform time offset compensation, or Its combination.

42. The network component as claimed in claim 37, The capability mentioned includes the first number of resources that the UE can process per time slot, or The capability mentioned includes the number of second resources that the UE can process per measurement period, or The number of measurement instances that the UE can process in a specific time-domain window, or Its combination.

43. The network component as claimed in claim 37, The one or more parameters mentioned above include at least one parameter associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or The at least one parameter mentioned above includes a measurement period associated with the DL-PRS configuration, or The measurement time period is based on the number of DL-PRS instances associated with the plurality of measurement instances, or The aforementioned capability includes the number of multiple measurement instances that can be executed within a single DL-PRS instance, or Its combination.

44. The network component of claim 43, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: One or more accuracy requirements associated with the positioning of the UE are determined in part based on the DL-PRS configuration.

45. The network component of claim 37, wherein the capability includes UE DL-PRS processing capability.

46. ​​The network component of claim 37, wherein, One or more accuracy requirements associated with phase offset compensation, time drift compensation, or both are defined with respect to the threshold overlap between sub-bands of a coherent measurement instance for a specific time-domain window.

47. A method for operating a user equipment (UE), comprising: Determine the UE's ability to perform downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) measurements across multiple measurement instances, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS, and each of the multiple measurement instances is associated with a subband of the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS; and Transmit instructions regarding the capabilities to network components. The DL-PRS is transmitted over the plurality of OFDM symbols on the full transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping. The indication indicates the minimum subband overlap between two coherent measurement instances that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance, and the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS is maintained during the determination of the UE's capability.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of measurement instances, and each of the plurality of measurement instances is associated with measurements of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times, and the measurements of the corresponding subband by the UE are combined to derive a measurement of the complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS.

49. The method of claim 47, The minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs), or The minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of measurement instances.

50. The method of claim 47, The indication stated that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency modulations, or The indication stated that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency modulation, or The indication stated therein indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or Its combination.

51. A user equipment (UE), comprising: Memory; At least one transceiver; as well as At least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: Determine the UE's ability to perform downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) measurements across multiple measurement instances, wherein the DL-PRS is transmitted on multiple orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols over the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS, and each of the multiple measurement instances is associated with a subband of the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS. as well as Instructions regarding the capabilities are transmitted to network components via the at least one transceiver. The DL-PRS is transmitted over the plurality of OFDM symbols on the full transmission bandwidth without frequency hopping. The indication indicates the minimum subband overlap between two coherent measurement instances that can be performed within a single DL-PRS instance, and the full transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS is maintained during the determination of the UE's capability.

52. The UE of claim 51, wherein the complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS includes at least each subband associated with the plurality of measurement instances, and each of the plurality of measurement instances is associated with measurements of the corresponding subband by the UE at different times, and the measurements of the corresponding subband by the UE are combined to derive the measurement of the complete transmission bandwidth of the DL-PRS.

53. The UE as described in claim 51, The minimum subband overlap is specified as the number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs), or The minimum subband overlap is specified as a percentage of the subband size associated with the plurality of measurement instances.

54. The UE as described in claim 51, The indication stated that the UE can perform phase offset compensation in the presence of overlapping frequency modulations, or The indication stated that the UE can perform phase offset compensation without overlapping frequency modulation, or The indication stated therein indicates that the UE can perform time offset compensation, or Its combination.

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