Report UEULTX timing quality for UL-based or DL-UL-based positioning methods used for NR positioning.

Abstract

The techniques described herein provide for a mobile device to convey a timing quality metric related to uplink (UL) signals used for UL and / or downlink-uplink (DL-UL) positioning techniques. The timing quality metric can indicate an accuracy of a transmission timing of one or more reference signals (e.g., related to a downlink (DL) signal or other UL reference signal) and can be conveyed using an index value and / or an enumerated value. This information can be included as an information element (IE) in a report provided by the mobile device to a receiving network entity or location server.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Greek application No. 20210100008, filed on January 7, 2021, entitled “Reporting UE UL Tx Timing Quality for UL or DL-UL Based Position Methods for NR Positioning,” which has been assigned to the assignee and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. background

[0003] 1. Field of Invention

[0004] This invention generally relates to the field of wireless communication, and more specifically to using radio frequency (RF) signals to determine the location of user equipment.

[0005] 2. Relevant Technical Descriptions

[0006] In data communication networks, various positioning technologies can be used to determine the location of mobile devices (referred to herein as User Equipment (UE)). Among these technologies are uplink (UL) and downlink-uplink (DL-UL) technologies, in which the mobile device transmits one or more UL reference signals received by a network entity (e.g., a base station of the data communication network). To ensure the accuracy of positioning determination of the mobile device based on one or more reference signals, factors that may affect the transmission timing of the one or more reference signals, such as clock drift or timing advance (TA) adjustments at the mobile device, can be taken into account. Brief Overview

[0007] The embodiments described herein enable mobile devices to convey timing quality metrics related to uplink signals used for UL and / or DL-UL positioning technologies. Timing quality metrics may indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of one or more reference signals (e.g., related to downlink (DL) signals or other UL reference signals) and can be conveyed using index values ​​and / or enumeration values. This information may be included as an information element (IE) in a message provided by the mobile device to a receiving network entity or location server.

[0008] According to this disclosure, an example method for conveying a timing quality metric for a radio reference signal transmitted by a user equipment (UE) and used for positioning the UE in a wireless communication network includes: receiving at the UE a configuration for transmitting the radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The method further includes: in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, determining a timing quality metric by the UE based on the time interval, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The method also includes sending a message that may include the timing quality metric from the UE to a network entity, and transmitting the radio reference signal through the UE.

[0009] According to this disclosure, an example UE includes: a wireless communication interface, a memory, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless communication interface and the memory. The one or more processors are configured to receive, via the wireless communication interface, a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The one or more processors are further configured to: determine a timing quality metric based on the time interval in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The one or more processors are further configured to: send a message including the timing quality metric to a network entity via the wireless communication interface, and transmit the radio reference signal via the wireless communication interface.

[0010] According to this disclosure, an example device includes: means for receiving at the device a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The device further includes: means for determining a timing quality metric based on the time interval in response to receiving the configuration at the device, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. The device also includes: means for sending a message including the timing quality metric from the device to a network entity, and means for transmitting the radio reference signal through the device.

[0011] According to this disclosure, an example non-transient computer-readable medium stores instructions for conveying a timing quality metric of a radio reference signal transmitted by a UE and used for positioning the UE in a wireless communication network. These instructions include: code for receiving at the UE a configuration for transmitting the radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. These instructions also include: code for determining a timing quality metric by the UE based on the time interval in response to receiving the configuration at the UE, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. These instructions further include code for performing the following operations: sending a message that may include the timing quality metric from the UE to a network entity, and transmitting the radio reference signal through the UE.

[0012] This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used alone to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood in reference to the appropriate portions of this disclosure, any or all drawings, and each claim. The foregoing, as well as other features and examples, will be described in more detail in the following description, claims, and drawings. Brief description of the attached diagram

[0013] Figure 1 This is a diagram of a positioning system according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) positioning system, explaining how positioning systems are implemented within 5G NR communication systems (e.g., Figure 1 An example of a positioning system.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating how the techniques described herein can be used for location based on round-trip signal propagation delay (RTT) (as an example of DL-UL location).

[0016] Figure 4A and 4B This is a graphic illustrating an example of subframe timing between the UE and the base station.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a flowchart, according to one embodiment, conveying a timing quality metric for a wireless reference signal transmitted by a UE and used for the UE's positioning in a wireless communication network.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of an embodiment of a UE that can be utilized in the embodiments described herein.

[0019] Similar reference numerals in the various figures indicate similar elements according to certain examples. Additionally, multiple instances of an element can be indicated by appending a letter or hyphen followed by a second numeral after the first numeral. For example, multiple instances of element 110 may be indicated as 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, etc., or as 110a, 110b, 110c, etc. When only the first numeral is used to refer to such an element, it will be understood to refer to any instance of that element (e.g., element 110 in the previous examples would refer to elements 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3, or elements 110a, 110b, and 110c). Detailed description

[0020] The following description is directed to certain implementations in order to describe aspects of the inventiveness of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in many different ways. The described implementations can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to any communication standard, such as any of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 802.11 standards (including those identified as...). Those technical standards) Standard, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), GSM / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Trunking Radio (TETRA), Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA), Evolved Data Optimized (EV-DO), 1xEV-DO, EV-DO Revision A, EV-DO Revision B, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Evolved High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced Mobile Phone Systems (AMPS), or other known signals used for communication in wireless, cellular, or Internet of Things (IoT) networks (such as systems utilizing 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or further implementations thereof).

[0021] As used herein, an "RF signal" includes electromagnetic waves that transmit information across the space between a transmitter (or transmitter equipment) and a receiver (or receiver equipment). 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.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a simplified explanation of a positioning system 100 according to one embodiment, wherein the UE 105, location server 160, and / or other components of the positioning system 100 may use techniques provided herein for conveying timing quality metrics in determining the estimated location of the UE 105. The techniques described herein may be implemented by one or more components of the positioning system 100. The positioning system 100 may include: the UE 105; one or more satellites 110 (also referred to as spacecraft (SV)) for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) (such as Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, or BeiDou); a base station 120; an access point (AP) 130; a location server 160; a network 170; and an external client 180. Generally, the positioning system 100 may estimate the location of the UE 105 based on RF signals received and / or transmitted by the UE 105 and the known locations of other components transmitting and / or receiving RF signals (e.g., GNSS satellite 110, base station 120, AP 130). Reference Figure 2 Further details regarding location-specific estimation techniques will be discussed.

[0023] It should be noted that Figure 1 This provides only a general explanation of the various components, where any or all of them can be appropriately utilized, and each component can be repeated as needed. Specifically, although only one UE 105 is described, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) can utilize positioning system 100. Similarly, positioning system 100 may include more than Figure 1 The illustrated number of base stations 120 and / or access points 130 may be greater or less. The illustrated connections to the various components in the positioning system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted depending on desired functionality. In some embodiments, for example, an external client 180 may be directly connected to the location server 160. Those skilled in the art will recognize numerous modifications to the illustrated components.

[0024] Depending on the desired functionality, network 170 may include any of a wide variety of wireless and / or wired networks. Network 170 may include, for example, any combination of public and / or private networks, local area networks (LANs) and / or wide area networks (WANs). Furthermore, network 170 may utilize one or more wired and / or wireless communication technologies. In some embodiments, network 170 may include, for example, cellular or other mobile networks, wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless wide area networks (WWANs), and / or the Internet. Examples of network 170 include Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless networks, fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks (also known as New Radio (NR) wireless networks or 5G NR wireless networks), Wi-Fi WLANs, and the Internet. LTE, 5G, and NR are wireless technologies defined or being defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Network 170 may also include more than one network and / or more than one type of network.

[0025] Base station 120 and access point (AP) 130 can be communicatively coupled to network 170. In some embodiments, base station 120 may be owned, maintained, and / or operated by a cellular network provider and may employ any of a variety of wireless technologies as described below. Depending on the technology of network 170, base station 120 may include a B-node, evolved B-node (eNodeB or eNB), base transceiver station (BTS), radio base station (RBS), NR B-node (gNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), etc. In the case where network 170 is a 5G network, base station 120, as a gNB or ng-eNB, may be part of a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) that can connect to a 5G core network (5GC). For example, AP 130 may include a Wi-Fi AP or An access point (AP) or an AP with cellular capabilities (e.g., 4G LTE and / or 5G NR). Thus, UE 105 can send and receive information with network-connected devices (such as location server 160) via base station 120 accessing network 170 using a first communication link 133. Additionally or alternatively, because AP 130 can also be communicatively coupled to network 170, UE 105 can communicate with network-connected and Internet-connected devices (including location server 160) using a second communication link 135 or via one or more other UEs 145.

[0026] As used herein, the term "base station" generally refers to a single physical transmission point or multiple physical transmission points located at base station 120. A transmit / receive point (TRP) (also referred to as a transmit / receive point) corresponds to this type of transmission point, and the term "TRP" is used interchangeably with the terms "gNB," "ng-eNB," and "base station." In some cases, base station 120 may include multiple TRPs—for example, where each TRP is associated with a different antenna or a different antenna array of base station 120. A physical transmission point may include the antenna array of base station 120 (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system and / or in the case of beamforming at the base station). The term "base station" may additionally refer to multiple non-co-located physical transmission points, which may 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).

[0027] As used herein, the term "cell" generally refers to a logical communication entity used to communicate with base station 120 and may be associated with an identifier (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCID), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCID)) used to distinguish adjacent cells operating via the same or different operators. In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells and may be configured with different protocol types (e.g., Machine-Type Communication (MTC), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), or other protocols) that can provide access for different types of devices. In some cases, the term "cell" may refer to a portion (e.g., a sector) of the geographic coverage area on which a logical entity operates.

[0028] Location server 160 may include servers and / or other computing devices configured to determine the estimated location of UE 105 and / or provide data (e.g., “auxiliary data”) to UE 105 to facilitate location measurement and / or location determination. According to some embodiments, location server 160 may include a Home Secure User Plane Positioning (SUPL) location platform (H-SLP) that supports SUPL user plane (UP) positioning solutions defined by the Open Mobility Alliance (OMA) and can support location services for UE 105 based on subscription information about UE 105 stored in location server 160. In some embodiments, location server 160 may include a Discovery SLP (D-SLP) or an Emergency SLP (E-SLP). Location server 160 may also include an Enhanced Serving Mobility Location Center (E-SMLC) that uses a control plane (CP) positioning solution to support the positioning of UE 105 for LTE radio access of UE 105. Location server 160 may further include location management function (LMF) that uses a control plane (CP) positioning solution to support the positioning of UE 105 for NR or LTE radio access of UE 105.

[0029] In the CP positioning solution, from the perspective of network 170, signaling for controlling and managing the positioning of UE 105 can use existing network interfaces and protocols and be exchanged as signaling between the various components of network 170 and with UE 105. In the UP positioning solution, from the perspective of network 170, signaling for controlling and managing the positioning of UE 105 can be exchanged as data (e.g., data transmitted using Internet Protocol (IP) and / or Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)) between location server 160 and UE 105.

[0030] As previously mentioned (and discussed in more detail below), the estimated location of UE 105 can be based on measurements of RF signals transmitted from and / or received by UE 105. Specifically, these measurements can provide information about the relative distance and / or angle between UE 105 and one or more components of positioning system 100 (e.g., GNSS satellite 110, AP 130, base station 120). The estimated location of UE 105 can be estimated geometrically (e.g., using polygonal measurements and / or polygonal positioning) based on the distance and / or angle measurements along with the known locations of these one or more components.

[0031] While ground components (such as AP 130 and base station 120) may be fixed, the embodiments are not limited thereto. Mobile components may be used. For example, in some embodiments, the location of UE 105 may be estimated at least in part based on measurements of RF signals 140 transmitted between UE 105 and one or more other UEs 145 (which may be mobile or fixed). When one or more other UEs 145 are used in determining the location of a particular UE 105, the UE 105 whose location is to be determined may be referred to as the “target UE,” and each of the one or more other UEs 145 may be referred to as the “anchor UE.” For the location determination of the target UE, the respective locations of the one or more anchor UEs may be known and / or determined jointly with the target UE. Direct communication between the one or more other UEs 145 and UE 105 may include sidelinks and / or similar device-to-device (D2D) communication technologies. Sidelinks, as defined by 3GPP, are forms of D2D communication under cellular-based LTE and NR standards.

[0032] The estimated location of UE 105 can be used in various applications—for example, to assist the user of UE 105 in direction finding or navigation, or to assist (e.g., in the location of another user associated with external client 180) in locating UE 105. "Location" is also referred to herein as "location estimation," "estimated location," "location," "positioning," "location estimation," "location lock," "estimated location," "location lock," or "lock." The process of determining location may be referred to as "location," "location determination," "location determination," etc. The location of UE 105 may include the absolute location of UE 105 (e.g., latitude and longitude and possible altitude) or the relative location of UE 105 (e.g., expressed as a distance north or south, east or west, and possibly above or below from another known fixed location (including, for example, the location of base station 120 or AP 130) or another location (such as the location of UE 105 at a known previous time, or the location of another UE 145 at a known previous time)). Location can be specified as a geodetic location including coordinates, which can be absolute (e.g., latitude, longitude, and optionally altitude), relative (e.g., relative to a known absolute location), or local (e.g., X, Y, and optionally Z coordinates according to a coordinate system defined relative to a local area (such as a factory, warehouse, university campus, shopping mall, stadium, or conference center). Location can alternatively be a municipal location, and then may include one or more of the following: street address (e.g., including the name or label of country, state, county, city, road and / or street and / or road or street number) and / or location, building, part of a building, floor of a building and / or room within a building, etc. Location may further include indications of uncertainty or error, such as horizontal distances and possible vertical distances where errors are expected to exist in the location, or indications of the area or volume (e.g., a circle or ellipse) within which UE 105 is expected to be located at a certain confidence level (e.g., 95% confidence).

[0033] External client 180 may be a web server or remote application that can be associated with UE 105 in some way (e.g., accessible by a user of UE 105), or it may be a server, application, or computer system that provides location services to one or more other users, including obtaining and providing the location of UE 105 (e.g., to enable services such as friend or relative locator, asset tracking, or child or pet location). Additionally or alternatively, external client 180 may obtain the location of UE 105 and provide it to emergency service providers, government agencies, etc.

[0034] As previously mentioned, the example positioning system 100 can be implemented using a wireless communication network (such as an LTE-based or 5G NR-based network). Figure 2 A diagram of a 5G NR positioning system 200 is shown, illustrating an embodiment of a 5G NR positioning system (e.g., positioning system 100). The 5G NR positioning system 200 can be configured to determine the location of a UE 105 using access nodes to implement one or more positioning methods. The access nodes may include NRB nodes (gNBs) 210-1 and 210-2 (collectively referred to herein as gNB 210), an ng-eNB 214, and / or a WLAN 216. gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214 can be connected to… Figure 1 Corresponding to base station 120, and WLAN 216 can be connected to... Figure 2 One or more access points 130 correspond to this. Optionally, the 5G NR positioning system 200 can also be configured to determine the location of the UE 105 using an LMF 220 (which may correspond to a location server 160) to implement one or more positioning methods. Here, the 5G NR positioning system 200 includes the UE 105 and various components of the 5G NR network, including a next-generation (NG) radio access network (RAN) (NG-RAN) 235 and a 5G core network (5G CN) 240. The 5G network may also be referred to as an NR network; the NG-RAN 235 may be referred to as a 5G RAN or NR RAN; and the 5GCN 240 may be referred to as an NG core network. The 5G NR positioning system 200 may further utilize information from GNSS satellites 110 from GNSS systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) or similar systems such as GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). Additional components of the 5G NR positioning system 200 are described below. The 5G NR positioning system 200 may include additional or replacement components.

[0035] It should be noted that Figure 2This document provides only a general description of the various components, where any or all of them may be utilized appropriately, and each component may be repeated or omitted as needed. Specifically, although only one UE 105 is described, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may utilize the 5G NR positioning system 200. Similarly, the 5G NR positioning system 200 may include a larger (or smaller) number of GNSS satellites 110, gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, wireless local area network (WLAN) 216, access and mobility management functions (AMF) 215, external clients 230, and / or other components. The described connections linking the various components in the 5G NR positioning system 200 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted depending on the desired functionality.

[0036] UE 105 may include and / or be referred to as a device, mobile device, wireless device, mobile terminal, terminal, mobile station (MS), Secure User Plane Positioning Enabled (SUPL) terminal (SET), or some other name. Furthermore, UE 105 may correspond to a cellular phone, smartphone, laptop device, tablet device, personal data assistant (PDA), tracking device, navigation device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, or some other portable or mobile device. Typically, although not required, UE 105 may use one or more radio access technologies (RATs) such as GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, LTE, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11, etc. Bluetooth and microwave access are globally interoperable (WiMAX) TM 5G NR (e.g., using NG-RAN 235 and 5G CN 240) etc.) can support wireless communication. UE 105 can also use WLAN216 (similar to one or more RATs, and as previously referenced) which can connect to other networks such as the Internet. Figure 1 (As mentioned) to support wireless communication. Using one or more of these RATs allows UE 105 (e.g., via...) Figure 2 The 5G CN 240 (not shown) may communicate with external client 230 via Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 225 and / or allow external client 230 (e.g., via GMLC 225) to receive location information about UE 105. When implemented in or coupled to a 5G NR network, Figure 2 The external client 230 can correspond to Figure 1 External client 180.

[0037] UE 105 may include a single entity or may include multiple entities, such as in a personal area network in which the user may employ audio, video, and / or data I / O devices, and / or body sensors, as well as separate wired or wireless modems. An estimate of the location of UE 105 may be referred to as location, location estimate, location lock, lock, positioning, location estimation, or location lock, and may be geodetic, providing location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) of UE 105, which may or may not include an elevation component (e.g., altitude; height above or depth below ground level, floor level, or basement level). Alternatively, the location of UE 105 may be expressed as a municipal location (e.g., expressed as a postal address or designation of a point or smaller area within a building (such as a specific room or floor)). The location of UE 105 may also be expressed as an area or volume within which UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.) (geodetically or municipally defined). The location of UE 105 may further be a relative location, which includes, for example, distance and direction defined relative to an origin at a known location, or relative to X, Y (and Z) coordinates, which may be defined geodetically, municipalally, or with reference to a point, area, or volume indicated on a map, floor plan, or building plan. In the description contained herein, the use of the term location may include any of these variations unless otherwise indicated. When calculating the location of the UE, local X, Y, and possibly Z coordinates are typically solved, and then, if necessary, the local coordinates are converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., with respect to latitude, longitude, and elevation above or below mean sea level).

[0038] Figure 2 The base station in the NG-RAN 235 shown can correspond to Figure 1 The base station 120 in the NG-RAN 235 may include gNB 210. Pairs of gNB 210 in the NG-RAN 235 may be interconnected (e.g., as shown in the image). Figure 2 (The connection shown is either a direct connection or an indirect connection via another gNB 210). The communication interface between the base stations (gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) may be referred to as the Xn interface 237. Access to the 5G network is provided to UE 105 via wireless communication between UE 105 and one or more gNBs 210, which may use 5G NR to provide wireless communication access to the 5G CN 240 on behalf of UE 105. The radio interface between the base station (gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) and UE 105 may be referred to as the Uu interface 239. 5G NR radio access may also be referred to as NR radio access or 5G radio access. Figure 2In this context, it is assumed that the serving gNB of UE 105 is gNB 210-1, but other gNBs (e.g., gNB 210-2) may act as serving gNBs or as secondary gNBs to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 105 if UE 105 moves to another location.

[0039] Figure 2 The base stations in the NG-RAN 235 shown may additionally or alternatively include next-generation evolved B nodes (also referred to as ng-eNBs) 214. The ng-eNB 214 may connect to one or more gNBs 210 in the NG-RAN 235—for example, directly or indirectly via other gNBs 210 and / or other ng-eNBs. The ng-eNB 214 may provide LTE radio access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) radio access to the UE 105. Figure 2 Some gNBs 210 (e.g., gNB 210-2) and / or ng-eNBs 214 may be configured to act as location-only beacons, which may transmit signals (e.g., location reference signal (PRS)) and / or broadcast auxiliary data to assist in the location of UE 105, but may not receive signals from UE 105 or from other UEs. Some gNBs 210 (e.g., gNB 210-2 and / or another gNB not shown) and / or ng-eNBs 214 may be configured to act as detection-only nodes, which may scan for signals containing, for example, PRS data, auxiliary data, or other location data. Such detection-only nodes may not transmit signals or data to the UE, but may transmit signals or data (involving, for example, PRS, auxiliary data, or other location data) to other network entities (e.g., one or more components of the 5G CN 240, external client 230, or controller), which may receive and store the data or use the data to locate at least UE 105. Note that although in Figure 2 The diagram shows only one ng-eNB 214, but some embodiments may include multiple ng-eNBs 214. Base stations (e.g., gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNBs 214) may communicate directly with each other via the Xn communication interface. Additionally or alternatively, base stations may communicate directly or indirectly with other components of the 5G NR positioning system 200, such as LMF 220 and AMF 215.

[0040] The 5G NR positioning system 200 may also include one or more WLANs 216 that can connect to the non-3GPP interoperability function (N3IWF) 250 in the 5G CN 240 (e.g., in the case of an untrusted WLAN 216). For example, the WLAN 216 may support IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi access for UE 105 and may include one or more Wi-Fi APs (e.g., Figure 1 (AP 130). Here, N3IWF 250 can connect to other components in 5G CN 240, such as AMF 215. In some embodiments, WLAN 216 can support another RAT, such as Bluetooth. N3IWF 250 can provide support for secure access of UE 105 to other components in 5G CN 240 and / or can support interoperability between one or more protocols used by WLAN 216 and UE 105 and one or more protocols used by other components of 5G CN 240 (such as AMF 215). For example, N3IWF 250 can support: establishing an IPSec tunnel with UE 105, terminating IKEv2 / IPSec protocol with UE 105, terminating N2 and N3 interfaces to 5G CN 240 for control plane and user plane respectively, and relaying uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) control plane non-access stratum (NAS) signaling across N1 interface between UE 105 and AMF 215. In some other embodiments, WLAN 216 may be directly connected to components in 5G CN 240 (e.g., such as...). Figure 2 The AMF 215 (shown by the dashed line) does not pass through N3IWF 250. For example, a direct connection between WLAN 216 and 5GCN 240 can occur if WLAN 216 is a trusted WLAN to 5GCN 240, and a Trusted WLAN Interoperability (TWIF) function that can be used as an internal component of WLAN 216 can be employed. Figure 2 (Not shown in the image) to achieve this. Note that although in Figure 2 Only one WLAN 216 is shown, but some embodiments may include multiple WLANs 216.

[0041] The access node may include any of a variety of network entities that enable communication between UE 105 and AMF 215. This may include gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, WLAN 216, and / or other types of cellular base stations. However, the access node providing the functionality described herein may additionally or alternatively include entities that enable communication with… Figure 2The entity communicating with any of the various RATs (which may include non-cellular technologies) not described herein. Therefore, as used in the embodiments described below, the term "access node" may include, but is not limited to, gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, or WLAN 216.

[0042] In some embodiments, access nodes (such as gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216) (alone or in combination with other components of the 5G NR positioning system 200) may be configured to: in response to receiving a request for location information from LMF 220, obtain location measurements of uplink (UL) signals received from UE 105 and / or obtain DL location measurements from UE 105 obtained by UE 105 for downlink (DL) signals received by UE 105 from one or more access nodes. As mentioned, although Figure 2 The description depicts access nodes (gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and WLAN 216) configured to communicate according to 5G NR, LTE, and Wi-Fi communication protocols, respectively. However, access nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols can be used, such as, for example, a B node using the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) protocol for Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), an eNB using the LTE protocol for Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), or an access node using the WLAN protocol. The protocol's Bluetooth beacon station. For example, in a 4G Evolved Packet System (EPS) providing LTE radio access to UE 105, the RAN may include an E-UTRAN, which may include base stations containing eNBs supporting LTE radio access. The core network for the EPS may include an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). Thus, the EPS may include an E-UTRAN plus an EPC, where... Figure 2 In this context, E-UTRAN corresponds to NG-RAN 235 and EPC corresponds to 5GCN 240. The methods and techniques described herein for obtaining the municipal location of UE 105 are applicable to other networks of this type.

[0043] gNB 210 and ng-eNB 214 can communicate with AMF 215, and for positioning functionality, AMF 215 communicates with LMF 220. AMF 215 supports the mobility of UE 105, including cell changes and handovers from the access node of the first RAT (e.g., gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, or WLAN 216) to the access node of the second RAT. AMF 215 can also participate in supporting signaling connections to UE 105 and may support data and voice bearers for UE 105. The LMF 220 supports the use of the CP positioning solution to locate UE 105 when it accesses NG-RAN 235 or WLAN 216, and supports various positioning procedures and methods, including UE-assisted / UE-based and / or network-based procedures / methods, such as A-GNSS, Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (which may be referred to as TDOA in NR), Real-Time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cellular ID (ECID), Angle of Arrival (AoA), Angle of Departure (AoD), WLAN positioning, Round-Trip Propagation Delay (RTT), Multi-Cell RTT, and / or other positioning procedures and methods. The LMF 220 can also process location service requests for UE 105 received, for example, from AMF 215 or GMLC 225. The LMF 220 can be connected to AMF 215 and / or GMLC 225. In some embodiments, the network (such as 5GCN 240) may additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as an evolved Serving Mobility Location Center (E-SMLC) or a SUPL Location Platform (SLP). It is noted that in some embodiments, at least a portion of the location functionality (including determining the location of UE 105) may be performed at UE 105 (e.g., by measuring downlink PRS (DL-PRS) signals transmitted by radio nodes (such as gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216) and / or using auxiliary data, for example, provided to UE 105 by LMF 220).

[0044] Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 225 can support location requests for UE 105 received from external client 230 and can forward such location requests to AMF 215 for forwarding to LMF 220. A location response from LMF 220 (e.g., containing a location estimate for UE 105) can similarly be returned to GMLC 225 directly or via AMF 215, and GMLC 225 can then return the location response (e.g., containing the location estimate) to external client 230.

[0045] Network Open Function (NEF) 245 may be included in 5GCN 240. NEF 245 can support the secure opening of capabilities and events related to 5GCN 240 and UE 105 to external client 230. These capabilities and events can therefore be referred to as Access Functions (AF) and enable the secure provisioning of information from external client 230 to 5GCN 240. NEF 245 may be connected to AMF 215 and / or GMLC 225 for the purpose of obtaining the location of UE 105 (e.g., municipal location) and providing that location to external client 230.

[0046] like Figure 2 As further explained, the LMF 220 can communicate with the gNB 210 and / or the ng-eNB 214 using NR Location Protocol Annex (NRPPa) as defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. NRPPa messages can be transmitted between the gNB 210 and the LMF 220 and / or between the ng-eNB 214 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215. Figure 2 As further explained, LMF 220 and UE 105 can communicate using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) as defined in 3GPP TS 37.355. Here, LPP messages can be passed between UE 105 and LMF 220 via AMF 215 and UE 105's serving gNB 210-1 or serving ng-eNB 214. For example, LPP messages can be passed between LMF 220 and AMF 215 using messages for service-based operations (e.g., based on Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)), and can be passed between AMF 215 and UE 105 using the 5G NAS protocol. The LPP protocol can be used to support positioning of UE 105 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based positioning methods (such as A-GNSS, RTK, TDOA, multi-cell RTT, AoD, and / or ECID). The NRPPa protocol can be used to support the location of UE 105 using network-based location methods such as ECID, AoA, and uplink TDOA (UL-TDOA) and / or can be used by LMF220 to obtain location-related information from gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214, such as defining parameters of DL-PRS transmissions from gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214.

[0047] In the case where UE 105 accesses WLAN 216, LMF 220 can use NRPPa and / or LPP to obtain the location of UE 105 in a manner similar to that described just for UE 105 accessing gNB 210 or ng-eNB 214. Thus, NRPPa messages can be transmitted between WLAN 216 and LMF 220 via AMF 215 and N3IWF 250 to support network-based location of UE 105 and / or to transmit other location information from WLAN 216 to LMF 220. Alternatively, NRPPa messages can be transmitted between N3IWF 250 and LMF 220 via AMF 215 to support network-based location of UE 105 based on location-related information and / or location measurements known or accessible to N3IWF 250 and transmitted from N3IWF 250 to LMF 220 using NRPPa. Similarly, LPP and / or LPP messages can be transmitted between UE105 and LMF 220 via AMF 215, N3IWF 250, and UE 105’s serving WLAN 216 to support UE-assisted or UE-based positioning of UE 105 by LMF 220.

[0048] In the 5G NR positioning system 200, the positioning method can be classified as "UE-assisted" or "UE-based." This depends on where the request to determine the location of UE 105 originates. For example, if the request originates from the UE (e.g., from an application or "app" executed by the UE), the positioning method can be classified as UE-based. On the other hand, if the request originates from an external client or other devices or services within the AF 230, LMF 220, or 5G network, the positioning method can be classified as UE-assisted (or "network-based").

[0049] Using a UE-assisted positioning method, UE 105 can obtain location measurements and send these measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 220) for calculating a location estimate for UE 105. For RAT-dependent positioning methods, location measurements may include one or more of the following for one or more access points: Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Round-Trip Time (RTT), Reference Received Power (RSRP), Reference Received Quality (RSRQ), Reference Time Difference (RSTD), Time of Arrival (TOA), AoA, Receive Time-Transmit Time Difference (Rx-Tx), Differential AoA (DaoA), AoD, or Timing Advance (TA). Additionally or alternatively, similar measurements may be performed on sidelink signals transmitted by other UEs, whose locations are known, and these other UEs may be used as anchor points for locating UE 105. Location measurements may additionally or alternatively include measurements for RAT-independent positioning methods, such as GNSS (e.g., GNSS pseudorange, GNSS code phase, and / or GNSS carrier phase with respect to GNSS satellite 110), WLAN, etc.

[0050] Using a UE-based positioning method, UE 105 can obtain a location measurement (e.g., which may be the same as or similar to the location measurement of a UE-assisted positioning method), and can further calculate the location of UE 105 (e.g., with the aid of auxiliary data received from a location server (such as LMF 220, SLP) or broadcast by gNB 210, ng-eNB 214 or WLAN 216).

[0051] Using a network-based positioning method, one or more base stations (e.g., gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214), one or more APs (e.g., APs in WLAN 216), or N3IWF 250 can obtain location measurements (e.g., RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, AOA, or TOA) of signals transmitted by UE 105, and / or can receive measurements obtained by UE 105 or, in the case of N3IWF 250, by APs in WLAN 216, and can send these measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 220) for calculating a location estimate for UE 105.

[0052] The positioning of UE 105 can also be classified as UL-based, DL-based, or DL-UL-based depending on the type of signal used for positioning. For example, if positioning is based solely on signals received by UE 105 (e.g., from a base station or other UE), the positioning can be classified as DL-based. On the other hand, if positioning is based solely on signals transmitted by UE 105 (which may be received by, for example, a base station or other UE), the positioning can be classified as UL-based. DL-UL-based positioning includes positioning based on signals transmitted and received by UE 105, such as RTT-based positioning. Side-link (SL)-assisted positioning includes signals communicated between UE 105 and one or more other UEs. According to some embodiments, the UL, DL, or DL-UL positioning described herein can enable SL signaling to be used as a supplement to or replacement of SL, DL, or DL-UL signaling.

[0053] Depending on the positioning type (e.g., UL-based, DL-based, or DL-UL-based), the type of reference signal used may differ. For example, for DL-based positioning, these signals may include PRS (e.g., DL-PRS transmitted by the base station or SL-PRS transmitted by other UEs), which can be used for TDOA, AoD, and RTT measurements. Other reference signals that can be used for positioning (UL, DL, or DL-UL) may include: probe reference signal (SRS), channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), synchronization signals (e.g., synchronization signal block (SSB) synchronization signal (SS)), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), demodulation reference signal (DMRS), etc. Furthermore, reference signals may be transmitted in Tx beams and / or received in Rx beams (e.g., using beamforming techniques), which can affect angle measurements such as AoD and / or AoA.

[0054] Figure 3 This is an explanation of how RTT-based (or multi-RTT) positioning can be performed, assuming here as an example of DL-UL positioning. In short, RTT-based positioning includes a positioning method in which the positioning of UE 105 is determined based on the known positioning of a base station (e.g., base station 120) and the determined distances between UE 105 and the base station and / or other devices. RTT measurements between UE 105 and each base station are used to determine the distance between UE 105 and the corresponding base station, and multi-location can be used to determine the location of UE 105. It can be noted that in alternative embodiments, other devices with known locations (e.g., other UEs, other types of TRPs, etc.) can be used as... Figure 3 It can be used as a supplement or replacement for the base station 120 as explained in the text.

[0055] In RTT-based positioning, the location server can coordinate RTT measurements between UE 105 and each base station. Information provided to UE 105 can be included in RTT auxiliary data. This auxiliary data may include, for example, reference signal (e.g., PRS) timing and other signal characteristics, base station (cell) ID, and / or other base station-related parameters applicable to multi-RTT or some other positioning method. Depending on the desired functionality, RTT measurements can be performed (and initiated) by UE 105 or base station 120.

[0056] RTT measurement uses over-the-air (OTA) delay to measure distance. The initiating device (e.g., UE 105 or base station 120) transmits a first reference signal at a first time T1, which propagates to the responding device. At a second time T2, the first reference signal arrives at the responding device. The OTA delay (i.e., the propagation time taken for the first reference signal to travel from the initiating device to the responding device) is the difference between T1 and T2. The responding device then transmits a second reference signal at a third time T3, and the second reference signal is received and measured by the initiating device at a fourth time T4. RSRP measurement can be used to determine the TOA for times T2 and T4. Therefore, the distance d between the initiating device and the responding device can be determined using the following formula:

[0057]

[0058] (As will be understood, distance d divided by the RF propagation speed c equals the OTA delay). Therefore, it is possible to perform an accurate determination of the distance between the initiating device and the responding device.

[0059] The RTT measurements between UE 105 and base station 120 thus allow for the use of multilateral positioning to determine the location of UE 105. Specifically, the RTT measurements between UE 105 and the first base station 120-1, the second base station 120-2, and the third base station 120-3 (RTT1, RTT2, and RTT3, respectively) result in the determination of the distance between UE 105 and each of the base stations 120. These distances can be used to plot circles around the known locations of the base stations 120 (where circle 1 corresponds to base station 120-1, circle 2 corresponds to base station 120-2, and circle 3 corresponds to base station 120-3). The location of UE 105 can be determined as the intersection of these circles.

[0060] As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the transmission timing of the reference signal used for RTT and / or other measurements can be important in accurately determining the location of UE 105. Timing differences between the initiating and responding devices can, for example, lead to inaccuracies in RTT measurements. This is true not only in DL-UL positioning technologies (such as RTT-based positioning) but also in UL positioning technologies. Figure 4A and 4B The issue of positioning in 5G NR is further explained.

[0061] Figure 4A This is a diagram illustrating the timing of various UL subframes transmitted by UE 105 and received at base station 120. In 5G NR, data and signaling transmitted between UE 105 and base station 120 are transmitted using an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) scheme, where communication is divided into individual frames (not shown) and subframes. The length of each subframe can be 1 ms. The timing difference between the beginning 410 of the DL subframe transmitted by base station 120 (the first detection path in time for the DL subframe) and the beginning 420 of the UL subframe received by base station 120 may be due to propagation delay 430, which can be used as a timing reference for determining the location of UE 105.

[0062] The difference between the time when the DL subframe is received at UE 105 and the time when UE 105 transmits the UL subframe can be measured by UE 105 and reported by it to base station 120. This provides base station 120 with a timing reference for subsequent UL reference signals transmitted by the mobile device. For example, the 5G NR specification allows UE 105 to provide the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the difference between the time when UE 105 receives the DL subframe #i from base station 120 and the time when UE 105 transmits the UL subframe #j that is temporally closest to subframe #i. This can be used as a timing reference when determining the propagation delay 430 based on the SRS 440 (or other reference signal) subsequently transmitted by UE 105 and received by base station 120. That is, using the UE Rx-Tx time difference reported in reference UL subframe j, the time when SRS 440 is received by base station 120 in subsequent UL subframe j+N, and the time during which SRS 440 is transmitted in UL subframe j+N (e.g., one or more OFDM symbols), the propagation delay 430 can be determined, and thus the distance between UE 105 and base station 120 can be determined. This determination can be made by base station 120 or a location server (e.g., LMF 220) that receives the UE Rx-Tx time difference from UE 105 and the SRS time measurement from base station 120.

[0063] However, it can be noted that the reliability of the UE Rx-Tx time difference as a time reference may decrease over time. That is, if the UE provides the UE Rx-Tx time difference in UL subframe j and transmits SRS 440 in subframe j+N, the reliability of the UE Rx-Tx time difference may decrease as the integer N increases due to one or more of the factors discussed below. This concept is discussed in... Figure 4B A more detailed explanation follows.

[0064] Figure 4B It is a graphical representation of the timing of the UL subframe relative to the first 410 frames of the DL subframe, similar to... Figure 4A However, here, due to clock drift at the UE, delay 450 (in addition to propagation delay 430) accumulates over time. The delay at subframe j (not shown) can be minimal, so that this delay due to clock drift can be negligible if SRS 440 is transmitted in subframe j (the subframe in which UE 105 provides the UE Rx-Tx time difference). However, because clock drift accumulates over time, and because SRS 440 is transmitted at subframe j+N, there exists a significant delay 450-N that is not accounted for when calculating the UE Rx-Tx time difference by referencing the timing at subframe j. Therefore, any range determination (e.g., by base station 120 or a location server) based on a measurement of SRS 440 transmitted in subframe j+N at base station 120 may incorrectly attribute this delay 450-N to propagation delay 430, which could ultimately cause errors in UE 105 positioning determination.

[0065] It can be noted that other effects may also contribute to the delay 450-N. For example, adjustments to the timing advance (TA) of UE 105 (which can be done autonomously by UE 105 or as a command from another device) can affect the relative timing of UL and DL subframes. Furthermore, the effects of TA adjustments and / or time drift may not necessarily cause delay. For example, time drift at UE 105 may cause UL subframes to be progressively advanced rather than delayed. In either case, these effects may affect the accuracy of positioning determination based on one or more UL reference signals (e.g., SRS 440).

[0066] According to the embodiments herein, UE 105 may determine a timing quality metric that indicates the timing accuracy of the transmission timing of a UL reference signal used in UL-based or DL-UL-based positioning. The timing quality metric may then be provided to a network entity for use in estimating the positioning of UE 105. For example, the network entity may determine whether to use the UL reference signal (e.g., where the timing quality metric indicates that the UL reference signal meets a minimum threshold timing accuracy) and / or how the accuracy of the transmission timing of the UL reference signal may ultimately affect the accuracy of the positioning estimate.

[0067] Depending on the desired functionality, the network entity providing timing quality metrics may include base station 120 or a location server. According to some embodiments, this may depend on the type of positioning used (e.g., UE-based, UE-assisted, UL-based, DL-UL-based, etc.). Furthermore, according to some embodiments, timing quality metrics may be provided in a report communicated by UE 105 as part of a positioning session (e.g., with a location server).

[0068] The timing quality metric corresponding to the UL reference signal can be determined by UE 105 based on known conditions that can affect the timing quality of the reference signal. For example, based on the timing reference (e.g., Figure 4B The UERx-Tx time difference reported for UL subframe j and the corresponding UL reference signal (e.g., Figure 4B Based on the time difference between the SRS 440 in the UE, UE 105 can determine the maximum / worst-case time drift of the clock used by the UE to transmit the UL reference signal, and based on this calculation, indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the UL reference signal (e.g., indicating the maximum type of drift that the UL reference signal may suffer from). Given that the time drift of UE 105 is known to UE 105, it can further be based on current operating conditions (e.g., current temperature). Other conditions (e.g., TA adjustment) may also be considered in determining the accuracy of the transmission timing of the UL reference signal. As an example, if UE 105 determines that its timing reference (e.g., ... Figure 4B The UE Rx-Tx time difference reported for UL subframe j and the corresponding UL reference signal (e.g., Figure 4B If the UL timing is adjusted by TA (e.g., by changing the UL timing by 1 nanosecond earlier or later, or more generally by a function of 2^N*Tc, where N is an integer and Tc = 0.5 nanoseconds) between the SRS 440 in the UE 105, the UE 105 can use this information to reduce the quality of the UL timing measurement by an amount that reflects the adjustment.

[0069] According to some embodiments, timing quality metrics may be communicated in an information element (UE) included in a report or other message destined for a receiving network entity. Table 1 below includes example field descriptions of values ​​communicated in example NR-Timing Quality IEs that may be used in 5G NR applications.

[0070]

[0071] Table 1: Example 5G NR IE Field Description

[0072] According to Table 1, the NR-timing quality (IE) can indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the UL reference signal in meters or another length metric, although alternative embodiments may indicate accuracy in time. Furthermore, accuracy can be indicated as one of several enumerated values. Of course, this is provided as a non-limiting example, and alternative embodiments may differ in which values ​​are conveyed and how they are conveyed.

[0073] The enumerated values ​​in Table 1 are example values, and updated implementations may reflect higher timing resolutions in 5G NR implementations. Table 2 below includes values ​​with higher timing resolutions according to one embodiment.

[0074] mdot01 0.01 mdot05 0.05 mdot1 0.1 m1 1 m10 10 m30 30

[0075] Table 2: Example 5G NR IE Field Description

[0076] Additionally, these higher resolution values ​​may be smaller than the values ​​used (e.g., in DL-UL positioning methods) to report the DL timing quality of the DL reference signal. That is, according to existing technology, the UE can measure the DL timing quality of the DL reference signal and report it to a location server or base station using enumerated values ​​(where the minimum value (highest resolution) is 0.1 meters). However, the UE can also determine a timing quality metric for the UL reference signal (according to various embodiments herein) and report that timing quality metric to the location server or base station using the set of higher resolution values ​​indicated in Table 2 (possibly in the same report as the DL timing quality). In other words, according to some embodiments, the first set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the timing quality metric for the radio reference signal includes values ​​indicating smaller errors than the second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal.

[0077] As mentioned in the previously described embodiments, the accuracy of the timing quality metric can vary depending on the length of the time interval between the transmission of the timing reference and the UL reference signal. Furthermore, although the timing reference provided by the UE can indicate a timing reference relative to the base station timing (e.g., the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the timing between the UL and DL subframes), the embodiments are not limited in this respect. For example, in embodiments where the UL reference signal is transmitted periodically, the timing quality metric can indicate the timing accuracy of the UL reference signal relative to an earlier UL reference signal. Additionally or alternatively, the embodiments can indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the UL reference signal relative to a general clock / time.

[0078] The type of UL reference signal used by the UE can vary and may depend on, for example, the type of positioning used and / or the measurements that the base station 120 wants to acquire. According to some embodiments, the UL reference signal may include an SRS, a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), a Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), or a Sidelink Reference Signal (SL RS) (e.g., SL CSI-RS). Additional or alternative reference signals may be used depending on the desired functionality.

[0079] According to some embodiments, a timing quality metric provided by the UE can indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of each of a plurality of radio reference signals. For example, in the case where the UE transmits a series of SRS signals 440, Figure 4B The scenario described can be repeated. If the timing quality metric used for all SRS signals is the same (e.g., if the value of N is the same for all signals), the UE can report a single timing quality metric for all SRS signals. In such instances, the UE can provide the timing quality metric along with an indication of the signal to which that timing quality metric applies.

[0080] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a method 500 according to one embodiment for conveying a timing quality metric of a wireless reference signal transmitted by a UE and used for positioning in a wireless communication network (e.g., the UE and / or another wireless device). As indicated in the embodiments described above, positioning may include determining the absolute or relative position of the UE. Therefore, positioning may include ranging or determining the range between the UE and another wireless device. [The flowchart is used to perform...] Figure 5 The functional means described in one or more of the boxes shown can be performed by the hardware and / or software components of the UE. Example components of the UE will be described in more detail below. Figure 6 Chinese explanation.

[0081] In block 510, functionality includes receiving at the UE a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and a radio reference signal. As mentioned, the timing reference may include the timing of a UE's UL subframe, time slot, or frame boundary (e.g., a reference DL subframe, as indicated by the UE's Rx-Tx time difference); or the timing reference may include the transmission timing of another radio reference signal, such as a previously transmitted radio reference signal in a series of radio reference signals.

[0082] As previously mentioned, the UE can be configured by the base station and / or location server to transmit a radio reference signal. With this configuration, the UE can determine the interval between the timing reference and the radio reference signal, which can be used to determine timing quality metrics. (As previously mentioned...) Figure 4A and 4B As discussed in the example, the timing quality metric may depend on the value of N, where N is the timing reference (UE Rx-Tx time difference) provided by reference UL subframe j and the number of subframes between the radio reference signal transmitted in UL subframe j+N. For embodiments where the timing reference includes previously transmitted radio reference signals, the interval between the timing reference and the radio reference signal may include the periodicity between the transmissions of each radio reference signal.

[0083] The means for performing functionality in block 510 may include bus 605, wireless communication interface 630, digital signal processor (DSP) 620, processor(s) 610, and / or other components of UE 105, such as Figure 6 As explained in the text.

[0084] In block 520, functionality includes: in response to receiving configuration at the UE, determining a timing quality metric by the UE based on a time interval, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal. As discussed in the various embodiments provided herein, determining the timing quality metric may be based on TA adjustments for the UE and / or clock drift of the UE's clock, which may be known when determining the timing quality metric. (For example, clock drift may depend on a particular UE or a particular UE type.) As mentioned, the timing quality metric may be determined based on the maximum timing change that may occur at the UE during the duration of the time interval. As further mentioned in the examples provided herein, the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal may be provided in terms of time or an independent metric (e.g., meters, centimeters, feet, etc.). Furthermore, depending on the desired functionality, the timing quality metric may use enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal.

[0085] The means for performing functionality in box 520 may include bus 605, wireless communication interface 630, DSP 620, processor(s) 610, and / or other components of UE 105, such as Figure 6 As explained in the text.

[0086] In box 530, functionality includes sending a message from the UE to a network entity that includes timing quality metrics. As mentioned, timing quality metrics may be included in a report provided by the UE as part of a positioning session with a base station or location server. For example, depending on the type of positioning, the report may include different types of information. The measurement report may be provided by the UE in positioning determination using multiple RTTs, and the measurement report may include not only timing quality metrics of radio reference signals transmitted by the UE, but also quality metrics of reference signals received by the UE (e.g., from a base station or other UEs). Thus, according to some embodiments, the message may include a report further including an indication of the quality of DL signals received by the UE.

[0087] The means for performing functionality in box 530 may include bus 605, DSP 620, processor(s) 610, and / or other components of UE 105, such as Figure 6 As explained in the text.

[0088] In block 540, functionality includes transmitting a radio reference signal via the UE. Similarly, the radio reference signal provided by the UE may include any of a wide variety of reference signals that can be used for UE positioning in UL-based and / or DL-UL-based positioning. Accordingly, according to some embodiments of method 500, the radio reference signal may include SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH, PSSCH, DMRS, or SLRS.

[0089] The network entity sending the message and the entity receiving the radio reference signal can include any combination of devices, depending on the location type used and / or other factors. For example, the network entity at block 530 can include a location server, the UE's serving TRP (e.g., a serving base station), the UE's neighboring TRP (e.g., a neighboring TRP), or another UE. The radio reference signal transmitted by the UE can be received by the UE's serving TRP, the UE's neighboring TRP, or another UE. In some instances, the network entity receiving the message at block 530 can be the same entity that receives the radio reference signal at block 540. In other instances, the network entity and the receiving entity can be different. The configuration received by the UE at block 510 can also be the same device or a different device. Accordingly, according to some embodiments of method 500, the UE can receive the configuration from a location server or from the UE's serving TRP.

[0090] The means for performing functionality in box 540 may include bus 605, wireless communication interface 630, DSP 620, processor(s) 610, and / or other components of UE 105, such as Figure 6 As explained in the text.

[0091] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of one embodiment of UE 105, which can be as described above (e.g., associated with) Figure 1-5 The described location is utilized. For example, UE 105 can perform... Figure 5 The method shown herein has one or more functions. It should be noted that... Figure 6 This is intended only to provide a general explanation of the various components, which may be appropriately utilized by any or all of them. Note that in some instances, [the components are...]. Figure 6 The components described can be localized to a single physical device and / or distributed among various networked devices that can be located in different physical locations. Furthermore, as previously mentioned, the functionality of the UE discussed in the previously described embodiments can be provided by… Figure 6 To perform the operation, one or more of the hardware and / or software components shown are used.

[0092] UE 105 is shown as including hardware elements electrically coupled (or otherwise communicable) via bus 605. The hardware elements may include processors 610, which may include, but are not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., application processors), one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processor (DSP) chips, graphics accelerator processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.), and / or other processing structures or means. Processor 610 may include one or more processing units, which may be housed in a single integrated circuit (IC) or multiple ICs. Figure 6 As shown, some embodiments may have a separate DSP 620 depending on the desired functionality. Wireless communication-based location determination and / or other determinations may be provided in the processor 610 and / or the wireless communication interface 630 (discussed below). The UE 105 may also include one or more input devices 670 and one or more output devices 615, the input devices 670 including, but not limited to, one or more keyboards, touchscreens, touchpads, microphones, buttons, dial pads, switches, etc.; the output devices 615 including, but not limited to, one or more displays (e.g., touchscreens), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), speakers, etc.

[0093] UE 105 may also include a wireless communication interface 630, which may include, but is not limited to, a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset (such as...). Devices, such as IEEE 802.11 devices, IEEE 802.15.4 devices, Wi-Fi devices, WiMAX devices, WAN devices, and / or various cellular devices, etc., enable the UE 105 to communicate with other devices as described in the above embodiments. The wireless communication interface 630 may permit the transmission of data and signaling with a network TRP (e.g., via an eNB, gNB, ng-eNB, access point, various base stations, and / or other access node types, and / or other network components), computer systems, and / or any other electronic devices communicatively coupled to a TRP as described herein. Communication may be performed via one or more wireless communication antennas 632 that transmit and / or receive wireless signals 634. According to some embodiments, the wireless communication antennas 632 may include a plurality of discrete antennas, antenna arrays, or any combination thereof. The antennas 632 may be able to transmit and receive wireless signals using beams (e.g., Tx beams and Rx beams). Beamforming may be performed using digital and / or analog beamforming techniques with appropriate digital and / or analog circuitry systems. The wireless communication interface 630 may include such a circuit system.

[0094] Depending on the desired functionality, the wireless communication interface 630 may include separate receivers and transmitters, or any combination of transceivers, transmitters, and / or receivers, to communicate with base stations (e.g., ng-eNBs and gNBs) and other terrestrial transceivers (such as wireless devices and access points). UE 105 can communicate with various data networks, which may include a variety of network types. For example, a wireless wide area network (WWAN) may be a CDMA network, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) network, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) network, a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) network, a WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) network, and so on. A CDMA network may implement one or more RATs, such as... WCDMA, etc. This includes IS-95, IS-2000, and / or IS-856 standards. TDMA networks can implement GSM, Digital Advanced Mobile Phone Systems (D-AMPS), or some other RAT. OFDMA networks can employ LTE, Advanced LTE, 5G NR, etc. 5G NR, LTE, Advanced LTE, GSM, and WCDMA are described in documents from 3GPP. This is described in documents from an organization called "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2). 3GPP and 3GPP2 documents are publicly available. A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) can also be an IEEE 802.11x network, while a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) can be a Bluetooth network, IEEE 802.15x, or some other type of network. The technologies described herein can also be used in any combination of WWAN, WLAN, and / or WPAN.

[0095] UE 105 may further include sensors 640. Sensors 640 may include, but are not limited to, one or more inertial sensors and / or other sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, magnetometers, altimeters, microphones, proximity sensors, light sensors, barometers, etc.), some of which may be used to obtain measurements and / or other information related to positioning.

[0096] Embodiments of UE 105 may also include a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 680, which is capable of receiving signals 684 from one or more GNSS satellites using an antenna 682 (which may be the same as antenna 632). Positioning based on GNSS signal measurements may be used to supplement and / or incorporate the techniques described herein. The GNSS receiver 680 may use conventional techniques to extract the positioning of UE 105 from GNSS satellites of GNSS systems such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, GLONASS, Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) over Japan, IRNSS over India, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) over China, etc. In addition, the GNSS receiver 680 can be used with various augmentation systems (e.g., satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS)) that can be associated with or otherwise enabled to be used with one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems, such as, for example, the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the European Geostationary Navigation Coverage Service (EGNOS), the Multifunctional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), and the Geographic Augmentation Navigation System (GAGAN).

[0097] It can be noted that, although in Figure 6The GNSS receiver 680 is described herein as a distinct component, but embodiments are not limited thereto. As used herein, the term "GNSS receiver" can include hardware and / or software components configured to acquire GNSS measurements (measurements from GNSS satellites). Thus, in some embodiments, the GNSS receiver may include a measurement engine executed by one or more processors (as software), such as processors 610, DSP 620, and / or processors within a wireless communication interface 630 (e.g., in a modem). The GNSS receiver may also optionally include a positioning engine that can use GNSS measurements from the measurement engine to determine the GNSS receiver's location using an extended Kalman filter (EKF), weighted least squares (WLS), a hatch filter, a particle filter, etc. The positioning engine may also be executed by one or more processors (such as processors 610 or DSP 620).

[0098] UE 105 may further include memory 660 and / or be in communication with memory 660. Memory 660 may include, but is not limited to, local and / or network-accessible storage, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices (such as random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM)), which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any suitable data storage, including but not limited to various file systems, database structures, etc.

[0099] The memory 660 of UE 105 may also include software elements ( Figure 6 (Not shown in the text), these software elements include operating systems, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code (such as one or more applications). These software elements may include computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or may be designed to implement methods provided by other embodiments, and / or configure systems provided by other embodiments, as described herein. By way of example only, one or more procedures described with respect to the methods discussed above may be implemented as code and / or instructions in memory 660 executable by UE 105 (and / or processor 610 or DSP 620 within UE 105). In some embodiments, such code and / or instructions may then be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations according to the described methods.

[0100] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial modifications can be made to suit specific requirements. For example, custom hardware may be used, and / or specific elements may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software such as applets), or both. Furthermore, connectivity to other computing devices (such as network input / output devices) may be employed.

[0101] Referring to the accompanying drawings, components that may include memory may include non-transient machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable media" and "computer-readable media" refer to any storage medium that participates in providing data that enables a machine to operate in a particular manner. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media may be involved in providing instructions / code to a processor and / or / other devices for execution. Additionally or alternatively, machine-readable media may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code. In many implementations, computer-readable media are physical and / or tangible storage media. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile and volatile media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example: magnetic and / or optical media, any other physical media with a hole pattern, RAM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or memory cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and / or code.

[0102] The methods, systems, and devices discussed herein are examples. Various procedures or components may be appropriately omitted, substituted, or added to the various embodiments. For example, features described with reference to certain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of embodiments may be combined in a similar manner. Various components of the accompanying drawings provided herein may be embodied in hardware and / or software. Moreover, technology evolves, and therefore many elements are examples that do not limit the scope of this disclosure to those particular examples.

[0103] Primarily for reasons of common use, referring to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, items, quantities, numbers, etc., has proven convenient in some cases. However, it should be understood that all such terms, or similar terms, are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantity and are merely convenient labels. Unless otherwise specifically stated, as is apparent from the foregoing discussion, it should be understood that throughout this specification, discussions using terms such as “processing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “identifying,” “ascertaining,” “identifying,” “associating,” “measuring,” “performing,” etc., refer to the actions or processes of a particular device (such as a dedicated computer or similar dedicated electronic computing device). Therefore, in the context of this specification, a dedicated computer or similar dedicated electronic computing device is capable of manipulating or transforming signals of physical, electronic, electrical, or magnetic quantities typically represented in the memory, registers, or other information storage, transmission, or display devices of that dedicated computer or similar dedicated electronic computing device.

[0104] As used herein, the terms “and” and “or” can include a variety of meanings, which are also contemplated to depend at least in part on the context in which such terms are used. Generally, “or,” when used in relation to a list such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C (in the inclusive sense) and A, B, or C (in the exclusive sense). Additionally, the term “one or more” as used herein can be used to describe any feature, structure, or property in the singular form, or can be used to describe some combination of features, structures, or properties. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example, and the claimed subject matter is not limited to this example. Furthermore, the term “at least one of” when used in relation to a list such as A, B, or C can be interpreted as meaning any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, AB, AA, AAB, AABBCCC, etc.

[0105] Several embodiments have been described, and various modifications, substitutions, constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the above elements may be components of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over the application of the various embodiments or otherwise modify the application of the various embodiments. Furthermore, several steps may be taken before, during, or after considering the above elements. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0106] In view of this specification, various embodiments may include different combinations of features. Examples of implementations are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0107] Clause 1: A method for conveying a timing quality metric for a radio reference signal transmitted by a user equipment (UE) and used for positioning in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

[0108] At the UE, a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal is received, wherein the configuration indicates the time interval between the timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal;

[0109] In response to receiving configuration at the UE, the UE determines a timing quality metric based on the time interval, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal;

[0110] The UE sends a message including the timing quality metric to the network entity; and

[0111] Transmit radio reference signals via UE.

[0112] Clause 2: The method of Clause 1, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal by means of a distance metric.

[0113] Clause 3: The method of Clause 1 or 2, wherein the timing quality metric uses an enumerated value to indicate the accuracy of the timing of the transmission of the wireless reference signal.

[0114] Clause 4: The method of any of Clauses 1-3, wherein the message includes a report further including an indication of the quality of the downlink (DL) signal received by the UE.

[0115] Clause 5: The method of Clause 4, wherein the first enumeration set of values ​​used to indicate the timing quality metric for the wireless reference signal includes values ​​indicating smaller errors than the second enumeration set of values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal.

[0116] Clause 6: The method of any of Clauses 1-5, wherein the timing reference includes:

[0117] Timing of the UE's uplink (UL) subframe, time slot, or frame boundary; or

[0118] The timing of the transmission of another wireless reference signal; or

[0119] Both of these.

[0120] Clause 7: The method of any of Clauses 1-6, wherein:

[0121] The timing reference includes the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the time difference between the first detection time path of a DL subframe received at the UE and the beginning of the UL subframe that is closest in time to the DL subframe; and

[0122] The timing quality metric indicates the time difference between the first timing used to determine the UE Rx-Tx time difference and the second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal.

[0123] Clause 8: The method of any of Clauses 1-7, wherein:

[0124] A radio reference signal is one of several radio reference signals transmitted by the UE; and

[0125] Timing quality metrics indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of one or more of the multiple radio reference signals.

[0126] Clause 9: The method of any of Clauses 1-8, wherein the timing quality metric is further based on:

[0127] UE timing advance (TA) adjustment,

[0128] Clock drift of the UE's clock, or

[0129] Both of these.

[0130] Clause 10: The method of any of Clauses 1-9, wherein the wireless reference signal includes:

[0131] Probe reference signal (SRS),

[0132] Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)

[0133] Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)

[0134] Physical Side Link Shared Channel (PSSCH)

[0135] Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), or

[0136] Side link reference signal (SL RS).

[0137] Clause 11: The method of any of Clauses 1-10, wherein the network entity includes:

[0138] Location server,

[0139] UE's Service Delivery Receive Point (TRP)

[0140] UE's neighboring TRP, or

[0141] Another UE.

[0142] Clause 12: The method of any of Clauses 1-11, wherein the wireless reference signal is received by:

[0143] UE's service TRP,

[0144] UE's neighboring TRP, or

[0145] Another UE.

[0146] Clause 13: The method of any of Clauses 1-12, wherein the UE receives configuration from:

[0147] Location server, or

[0148] UE's service TRP.

[0149] Clause 14: A user equipment (UE) comprising:

[0150] Wireless communication interface;

[0151] Memory;

[0152] One or more processors are communicatively coupled to the wireless communication interface and the memory, and the one or more processors are configured to:

[0153] The configuration for transmitting a wireless reference signal is received via a wireless communication interface, wherein the configuration indicates the time interval between the timing reference and the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal;

[0154] In response to receiving configuration at the UE, a timing quality metric is determined based on the time interval, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal;

[0155] Sending a message including the timing quality metric to a network entity via a wireless communication interface; and transmitting a wireless reference signal via a wireless communication interface.

[0156] Clause 15: The UE as described in Clause 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal in a distance metric within a timing quality metric.

[0157] Clause 16: UE as in Clause 14 or 15, wherein the one or more processors are configured to use enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of the timing of the transmission of the radio reference signal.

[0158] Clause 17: A UE such as any of Clauses 14-16, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include in the message an indication of the quality of downlink (DL) signals received by the UE.

[0159] Clause 18: The UE as in Clause 17, wherein the one or more processors are configured to use a first set of enumerated values ​​to indicate a timing quality metric for a radio reference signal, wherein the first set of enumerated values ​​includes values ​​indicating smaller errors than a second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of a DL signal.

[0160] Clause 19: For any of the UEs in Clauses 14-18, wherein the one or more processors are configured to use the following as timing references:

[0161] Timing of the UE's uplink (UL) subframe, time slot, or frame boundary; or

[0162] The timing of the transmission of another wireless reference signal; or

[0163] Both of these.

[0164] Clause 20: For any UE of Clauses 14-19, wherein:

[0165] The timing reference includes the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the time difference between the first detection time path of a DL subframe received at the UE and the beginning of the UL subframe that is closest in time to the DL subframe; and

[0166] The timing quality metric indicates the time difference between the first timing used to determine the UE Rx-Tx time difference and the second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal.

[0167] Clause 21: For any UE of Clauses 14-20, wherein:

[0168] A radio reference signal is one of several radio reference signals transmitted by the UE; and

[0169] The one or more processors are configured to use timing quality metrics to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of more than one of the plurality of radio reference signals.

[0170] Clause 22: UEs of any of Clauses 14-20, wherein the one or more processors are configured to base timing quality metrics on at least in part the following:

[0171] UE timing advance (TA) adjustment,

[0172] Clock drift of the UE's clock, or

[0173] Both of these.

[0174] Clause 23: For any UE of Clauses 14-21, wherein, in order to transmit a radio reference signal, the one or more processors are configured to transmit:

[0175] Probe reference signal (SRS),

[0176] Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)

[0177] Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)

[0178] Physical Side Link Shared Channel (PSSCH)

[0179] Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), or

[0180] Side link reference signal (SL RS).

[0181] Clause 24. For any UE of Clauses 14-23, wherein, in order to send a message to a network entity, the one or more processors are configured to send messages to:

[0182] Location server,

[0183] UE's Service Delivery Receive Point (TRP)

[0184] UE's neighboring TRP, or

[0185] Another UE.

[0186] Clause 25: For any UE of Clauses 14-24, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit a radio reference signal such that it is received by:

[0187] UE's service TRP,

[0188] UE's neighboring TRP, or

[0189] Another UE.

[0190] Clause 26: For any UE of Clauses 14-25, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive configuration from:

[0191] Location server, or

[0192] UE's service TRP.

[0193] Clause 27: An apparatus comprising:

[0194] A means for receiving at the device a configuration for transmitting a wireless reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal;

[0195] A means for determining a timing quality metric based on the time interval in response to receiving configuration at the device, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of a wireless reference signal;

[0196] Means for sending a message including the timing quality metric from the device to a network entity; and

[0197] A device for transmitting wireless reference signals via the device.

[0198] Clause 28: The apparatus of Clause 27, wherein the means for determining a timing quality metric includes means for indicating the accuracy of the transmission timing of a wireless reference signal by a distance metric.

[0199] Clause 29: The apparatus of Clause 27 or 28, wherein the means for determining a timing quality metric includes means for using enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of the timing of the transmission of a wireless reference signal.

[0200] Clause 30: An apparatus of any of Clauses 27-29, wherein the means for transmitting a message includes means for including in the message an indication of the quality of a downlink (DL) signal received by the apparatus.

[0201] Clause 31: The apparatus of Clause 30, wherein the means for determining a timing quality metric includes means for using a first set of enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of a wireless reference signal, the first set of enumerated values ​​indicating a smaller error than a second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of a DL signal.

[0202] Clause 32: The equipment of any of Clauses 27-31, wherein the means for receiving configuration includes means for using the following as a timing reference:

[0203] The timing of the device's uplink (UL) subframes, time slots, or frame boundaries; or

[0204] The timing of the transmission of another wireless reference signal; or

[0205] Both of these.

[0206] Clause 33: Equipment of any of Clauses 27-32, wherein:

[0207] The timing reference includes the device Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the time difference between the first detection time path of a DL subframe received at the device and the start of the UL subframe that is closest in time to the DL subframe; and

[0208] The means for determining a timing quality metric includes means for including in the timing quality metric an indication of the time difference between a first timing used in determining the device Rx-Tx time difference and a second timing used for transmitting a wireless reference signal.

[0209] Clause 34: Equipment of any of Clauses 27-33, wherein:

[0210] The wireless reference signal is one of several wireless reference signals transmitted by the device; and

[0211] The apparatus for determining a timing quality metric includes means for indicating the accuracy of the transmission timing of one or more of the plurality of radio reference signals by means of the timing quality metric.

[0212] Clause 35: The apparatus of any of Clauses 27-34, wherein the means for determining the timing quality metric includes means for basing the timing quality metric on at least in part the following:

[0213] Used for timing advance (TA) adjustment of this device.

[0214] The device's clock is drifting, or

[0215] Both of these.

[0216] Clause 36: The equipment of any of Clauses 27-35, wherein the means for transmitting a radio reference signal includes means for transmitting:

[0217] Probe reference signal (SRS),

[0218] Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)

[0219] Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)

[0220] Physical Side Link Shared Channel (PSSCH)

[0221] Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), or

[0222] Side link reference signal (SL RS).

[0223] Clause 37: The apparatus of any of Clauses 27-36, wherein the means for sending a message to a network entity includes means for sending the message to:

[0224] Location server,

[0225] The device's Service Transmission Receiver Point (TRP),

[0226] The adjacent TRP of the device, or

[0227] Another device.

[0228] Clause 38: The apparatus of any of Clauses 27-37, wherein the means for transmitting a radio reference signal includes means for transmitting the radio reference signal such that it is received by:

[0229] The device's service TRP,

[0230] The adjacent TRP of the device, or

[0231] Another device.

[0232] Clause 39: The equipment of any of Clauses 27-38, wherein the means for receiving configuration includes means for receiving configuration from:

[0233] Location server, or

[0234] The device's service TRP.

[0235] Clause 40: A non-transient computer-readable medium storing instructions for conveying timing quality metrics for radio reference signals transmitted by a user equipment (UE), the instructions including code for the following operations:

[0236] At the UE, a configuration for transmitting a radio reference signal is received, wherein the configuration indicates the time interval between the timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal;

[0237] In response to receiving configuration at the UE, the UE determines a timing quality metric based on the time interval, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal;

[0238] The UE sends a message including the timing quality metric to the network entity; and

[0239] Transmit radio reference signals via UE.

[0240] Clause 41: A non-transient computer-readable medium as described in Clause 40, wherein the code for determining a timing quality metric includes code for indicating the accuracy of the transmission timing of a wireless reference signal by a distance metric.

[0241] Clause 42: Non-transient computer-readable media as described in Clauses 40 or 41, wherein the code for determining timing quality metrics includes code for using enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal.

[0242] Clause 43: A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 40-42, wherein the code for transmitting a message includes code for including in the message an indication of the quality of downlink (DL) signals received by the UE.

[0243] Clause 44: A non-transient computer-readable medium as described in Clause 43, wherein the code for determining a timing quality metric includes code for indicating accuracy using a first set of enumerated values, which indicates a smaller error than a second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal.

[0244] Clause 45: A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 40-44, wherein the code for receiving configuration includes code for using the following as timing references:

[0245] Timing of the UE's uplink (UL) subframe, time slot, or frame boundary; or

[0246] The timing of the transmission of another wireless reference signal; or

[0247] Both of these.

[0248] Clause 46: A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 40-45, wherein:

[0249] The timing reference includes the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the time difference between the first detection time path of a DL subframe received at the UE and the beginning of the UL subframe that is closest in time to the DL subframe; and

[0250] The code used to determine the timing quality metric includes code for including in the timing quality metric the time difference between a first timing used to determine the UE Rx-Tx time difference and a second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal.

[0251] Clause 47: A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 40-46, wherein:

[0252] A radio reference signal is one of several radio reference signals transmitted by the UE; and

[0253] The code used to determine timing quality metrics includes code used to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of one or more of the plurality of radio reference signals by means of timing quality metrics.

[0254] Clause 48: A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 40-47, wherein the code for determining a timing quality metric includes code for basing the timing quality metric on at least in part the following:

[0255] UE timing advance (TA) adjustment,

[0256] Clock drift of the UE's clock, or

[0257] Both of these.

[0258] Clause 49: A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 40-48, wherein the code for transmitting a radio reference signal includes code for transmitting the following:

[0259] Probe reference signal (SRS),

[0260] Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)

[0261] Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)

[0262] Physical Side Link Shared Channel (PSSCH)

[0263] Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), or

[0264] Side link reference signal (SL RS).

[0265] Clause 50: A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 40-49, wherein the code for sending a message to a network entity includes code for sending the message to:

[0266] Location server,

[0267] UE's Service Delivery Receive Point (TRP)

[0268] UE's neighboring TRP, or

[0269] Another UE.

[0270] Clause 51: A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 40-50, wherein the code for transmitting a radio reference signal includes code for transmitting the radio reference signal such that it is received by:

[0271] UE's service TRP,

[0272] UE's neighboring TRP, or

[0273] Another UE.

[0274] Clause 52: A non-transient computer-readable medium such as any of Clauses 40-51, wherein the code for receiving configuration includes code for receiving configuration from:

[0275] Location server, or

[0276] UE's service TRP.

Claims

1. A method for conveying a timing quality metric of a radio reference signal transmitted by a user equipment (UE) and used for positioning in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: The UE receives a configuration for transmitting the radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; In response to receiving the configuration at the UE, the UE determines the timing quality metric based on the time interval, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; The UE sends a message including the timing quality metric to the network entity; as well as The wireless reference signal is transmitted through the UE; The timing reference includes the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the time difference between the first detection time path of the DL subframe received by the UE and the beginning of the UL subframe that is closest to the DL subframe in time. as well as The timing quality metric indicates the time difference between a first timing used to determine the UE Rx-Tx time difference and a second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal in terms of distance metric.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the timing quality metric uses an enumerated value to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message further includes a report indicating the quality of the downlink DL signal received by the UE.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first enumeration set of values ​​for indicating the timing quality metric for the wireless reference signal includes values ​​indicating smaller errors than the second enumeration set of values ​​for indicating the quality of the DL signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the timing reference comprises: Timing of the UE's uplink UL subframe, time slot, or frame boundary; or Timing of transmission of another wireless reference signal; or Both of these.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein: The radio reference signal is one of a plurality of radio reference signals transmitted by the UE; and The timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of one or more of the plurality of wireless reference signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the timing quality metric is further based on: The UE's timing advance TA adjustment The clock drift of the UE's clock, or Both of these.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless reference signal comprises: Probe the SRS reference signal. Physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) Physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) Physical Side Link Shared Channel (PSSCH) Demodulation reference signal DMRS, or Side link reference signal SL RS.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity comprises: Location server, The UE's Service Transport Receiver Point (TRP) The adjacent TRP of the UE, or Another UE.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless reference signal is received by: The UE's serving TRP The adjacent TRP of the UE, or Another UE.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE receives the configuration from: Location server, or The UE's service TRP.

13. A user equipment (UE), comprising: Wireless communication interface; Memory; One or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless communication interface and the memory, the one or more processors being configured to: The wireless communication interface receives a configuration for transmitting a wireless reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal; In response to receiving the configuration at the UE, a timing quality metric is determined based on the time interval, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; Sending a message including the timing quality metric to a network entity via the wireless communication interface; and The wireless reference signal is transmitted via the wireless communication interface; The timing reference includes the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the time difference between the first detection time path of the DL subframe received by the UE and the beginning of the UL subframe that is closest to the DL subframe in time. as well as The timing quality metric indicates the time difference between a first timing used to determine the UE Rx-Tx time difference and a second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal.

14. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal in terms of distance metric in the timing quality metric.

15. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to use enumerated values ​​to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal.

16. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include in the message an indication of the quality of downlink DL signals received by the UE.

17. The UE of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are configured to use a first set of enumerated values ​​to indicate the timing quality metric for the radio reference signal, wherein the first set of enumerated values ​​includes values ​​indicating smaller errors than a second set of enumerated values ​​used to indicate the quality of the DL signal.

18. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to use the following as the timing reference: The timing of the UE's uplink UL subframe, time slot, or frame boundary; or The timing of the transmission of another wireless reference signal; or Both of these.

19. The UE as claimed in claim 13, wherein: The radio reference signal is one of a plurality of radio reference signals transmitted by the UE; and The one or more processors are configured to use the timing quality metric to indicate the accuracy of the transmission timing of more than one of the plurality of radio reference signals.

20. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to base the timing quality metric on at least in part the following: The UE's timing advance TA adjustment The clock drift of the UE's clock, or Both of these.

21. The UE of claim 13, wherein, in order to transmit the radio reference signal, the one or more processors are configured to transmit: Probe the SRS reference signal. Physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) Physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) Physical Side Link Shared Channel (PSSCH) Demodulation reference signal DMRS, or Side link reference signal SL RS.

22. The UE of claim 13, wherein, in order to send the message to the network entity, the one or more processors are configured to send the message to: Location server, The UE's Service Transport Receiver Point (TRP) The adjacent TRP of the UE, or Another UE.

23. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the radio reference signal such that it is received by: The UE's serving TRP The adjacent TRP of the UE, or Another UE.

24. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive the configuration from: Location server, or The UE's service TRP.

25. An apparatus for conveying a timing quality metric of a wireless reference signal for positioning in a wireless communication network, comprising: A means for receiving at the device a configuration for transmitting the wireless reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal; A means for determining the timing quality metric based on the time interval in response to receiving the configuration at the device, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the wireless reference signal; A means for sending a message including the timing quality metric from the device to a network entity; as well as A means for transmitting the wireless reference signal via the device; The timing reference includes the device Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the measurement of the time difference between the first detection time path of the DL subframe received at the device and the beginning of the UL subframe that is closest to the DL subframe in time. as well as The means for determining the timing quality metric includes means for including in the timing quality metric an indication of the time difference between a first timing used in determining the device Rx-Tx time difference and a second timing used in transmitting the wireless reference signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for receiving the configuration includes means for using the following as the timing reference: The timing of the uplink UL subframe of the device, or The timing of the transmission of another wireless reference signal, or Both of these.

27. A non-transient computer-readable medium storing instructions for conveying timing quality metrics for radio reference signals transmitted by a user equipment (UE), the instructions comprising code for the following operations: The UE receives a configuration for transmitting the radio reference signal, wherein the configuration indicates a time interval between a timing reference and the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; In response to receiving the configuration at the UE, the UE determines the timing quality metric based on the time interval, wherein the timing quality metric indicates the accuracy of the transmission timing of the radio reference signal; The UE sends a message including the timing quality metric to the network entity; as well as The wireless reference signal is transmitted through the UE; The timing reference includes the UE Rx-Tx time difference, which indicates the time difference between the first detection time path of the DL subframe received by the UE and the beginning of the UL subframe that is closest to the DL subframe in time. as well as The code used to determine the timing quality metric includes code indicating the time difference between a first timing used to determine the UE Rx-Tx time difference and a second timing used to transmit the radio reference signal.

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