Method, apparatus, computer-readable medium, and computer program product for wireless communication

Abstract

Techniques for performing wireless communications are disclosed. In some aspects, a wireless communication device may determine that an expected location of the wireless communication device is within a geographic area associated with insufficient global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals. In some cases, the wireless communication device may transmit a sidelink synchronization signal to at least one user equipment (UE) device located within the geographic area associated with the insufficient GNSS signals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communications. In some implementations, examples are described for optimizing transmission of sidelink synchronization signals by a wireless device. Background Art

[0002] Wireless communication systems are deployed to provide a variety of telecommunication services including telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcasting, etc. Wireless communication systems have evolved over several generations, including first generation analog wireless telephone service (1G), second generation (2G) digital wireless telephone service (including transitional 2.5G networks), third generation (3G) high speed data, wireless services with Internet capabilities, and fourth generation (4G) services (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE), WiMax). There are many different types of wireless communication systems in use today, including cellular systems and personal communications service (PCS) systems. Examples of known cellular systems include the cellular analog Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), etc.

[0003] The fifth generation (5G) mobile standard requires higher data transfer speeds, a greater number of connections and better coverage, among other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Network Alliance, the 5G standard (also referred to as "new radio" or "NR") is designed to provide data rates of tens of megabits per second to each of tens of thousands of users, with a data rate of 1 gigabit per second provided to dozens of employees on an office floor. In order to support large sensor deployments, hundreds of thousands of simultaneous connections should be supported. Therefore, the spectrum efficiency of 5G mobile communications should be significantly improved compared to the current 4G / LTE standards. In addition, signaling efficiency should be improved and latency should be significantly reduced compared to current standards.

[0004] Aspects of LTE, 5G, and / or other communication protocols may support direct communications between devices, which may be referred to as sidelink communications. As used herein, sidelink or sidelink communication generally refers to any direct device-to-device communication protocol. For example, the term sidelink may refer to a 3GPP sidelink (e.g., using a PC5 sidelink interface). Sidelink may also refer to a Wi-Fi protocol for direct device-to-device communication, which is referred to as a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) protocol. With the increasing demand for mobile broadband access and general communications, further improvements in 5G, LTE, and other radio access technologies, as well as other communication technologies (e.g., WiFi, etc.) remain useful. Summary of the invention

[0005] The following presents a simplified summary of the invention related to one or more aspects disclosed herein. Thus, the following summary of the invention should neither be considered as an exhaustive overview related to all conceived aspects, nor should it be considered to identify key or decisive elements related to all conceived aspects or to delineate the scope associated with any particular aspect. Therefore, the sole purpose of the following summary of the invention is to present certain concepts related to one or more aspects of the mechanisms disclosed herein in a brief form before the detailed embodiments presented below.

[0006] Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for performing wireless communications are disclosed. According to at least one example, a method for wireless communications is provided. The method may include: determining that an expected location of a user equipment (UE) device is within a geographic area associated with an insufficient synchronization source signal; and transmitting a sidelink synchronization signal to at least one other UE device located within the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal.

[0007] In another example, a wireless communication device is provided, the wireless communication device including at least one memory, at least one transceiver, and at least one processor (e.g., configured in a circuit) communicatively coupled to the at least one memory and the at least one transceiver. The at least one processor may be configured to: determine that an expected location of the wireless communication device is in a geographic area associated with an insufficient synchronization source signal; and transmit a sidelink synchronization signal to at least one user equipment (UE) device located in the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal.

[0008] In another example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium of a wireless communication device is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including at least one instruction stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, may cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations: determining that an expected location of the wireless communication device is within a geographic area associated with an insufficient synchronization source signal; and transmitting a side link synchronization signal to at least one user equipment (UE) device located within the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal.

[0009] In another example, an apparatus for wireless communication is provided. The apparatus may include: a component for determining that an expected location of a user equipment (UE) device is in a geographic area associated with an insufficient synchronization source signal; and a component for transmitting a sidelink synchronization signal to at least one other UE device located in the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal.

[0010] In another example, a method for wireless communication is provided. The method may include: receiving, by a user equipment (UE) device, a request to associate with at least one other UE device to form a UE queue; identifying the UE device as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on a location of the UE device relative to the at least one other UE device; and transmitting a first sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the UE queue is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals.

[0011] In another example, a wireless communication device is provided, the wireless communication device including at least one memory, at least one transceiver, and at least one processor (e.g., configured in a circuit) communicatively coupled to the at least one memory and the at least one transceiver. The at least one processor may be configured to: receive a request to associate with at least one UE device to form a UE queue; identify the wireless communication device as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on a location of the wireless communication device relative to the at least one UE device; and transmit a first sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the UE queue is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals.

[0012] In another example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium of a wireless communication device is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including at least one instruction stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, may cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations: receiving a request to associate with at least one UE device to form a UE queue; identifying the wireless communication device as a side link synchronization source for the UE queue based on a position of the wireless communication device relative to the at least one UE device; and transmitting a first side link synchronization signal when at least a portion of the UE queue is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals.

[0013] In another example, an apparatus for wireless communication is provided. The apparatus may include: a component for receiving, by a user equipment (UE) device, a request to associate with at least one other UE device to form a UE queue; a component for identifying the UE device as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on a location of the UE device relative to the at least one other UE device; and a component for transmitting a first sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the UE queue is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals.

[0014] Aspects of the present invention generally include methods, apparatus, systems, computer program products, non-transitory computer-readable media, user equipment, base stations, wireless communication devices and / or processing systems as fully described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings and descriptions and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and descriptions.

[0015] The features and technical advantages of examples according to the present disclosure have been outlined quite extensively above so that the following specific embodiments may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described below. The disclosed concepts and specific examples may be easily used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for achieving the same purpose of the present disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of protection of the appended claims. The characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein, both in terms of their organization and method of operation, and the associated advantages will be better understood by considering the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Each of the accompanying drawings is provided for the purpose of illustration and description, and not as a definition of the limitations of the claims.

[0016] Although various aspects are described in the present disclosure by illustrating some examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that such aspects can be implemented in many different arrangements and scenarios. The technology described herein can be implemented using different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes and / or packaging arrangements. For example, some aspects can be implemented via integrated chip implementations or other devices based on non-module components (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communication equipment, computing equipment, industrial equipment, retail / shopping equipment, medical equipment, and / or artificial intelligence devices). Various aspects can be implemented in chip-level components, modular components, non-modular components, non-chip-level components, device-level components and / or system-level components. The equipment incorporating the various aspects and features described may include additional components and features for implementing and practicing the various aspects claimed and described. For example, the transmission and reception of wireless signals may include one or more components for analog and digital purposes (e.g., hardware components, including antennas, radio frequency (RF) chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffers, processors, interleavers, adders and / or summers). The various aspects described herein are intended to be practiced in a wide variety of devices, components, systems, distributed arrangements, and / or end-user devices of various sizes, shapes, and configurations.

[0017] Other objects and advantages associated with the various aspects disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings are presented to aid in describing various aspects of the present disclosure and are provided solely for illustration and not limitation of the various aspects.

[0019] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0020] Figure 2A and Figure 2B Examples of wireless network structures according to aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0021] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating examples of various user equipments (UEs) communicating through a direct communication interface (referred to as a PC5 interface or a sidelink interface) and a wide area network (Uu) interface in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing system for a vehicle according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing system of a user device according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example wireless communication system for implementing UE-side link synchronization according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] 7A to 7D Example configurations for implementing UE queues for sidelink synchronization according to aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0026] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an example machine learning model that may be configured to determine a geographic area for achieving UE sidelink synchronization in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a process for training a machine learning algorithm for determining a geographic area for achieving UE-side link synchronization in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] Fig.10 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a process for performing sidelink synchronization according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0029] Fig.11 is a flow chart illustrating another example of a process for performing sidelink synchronization according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0030] Fig.12 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing system according to aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] For illustrative purposes, some aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure are provided below. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, alternative aspects can be designed. In addition, well-known elements of the present disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted, so as not to make the relevant details of the present disclosure difficult to understand. Some aspects and embodiments of the aspects and embodiments described herein can be applied independently, and some of them can be applied in combination, which is obvious to those skilled in the art. In the following description, specific details are set forth for explanation purposes in order to provide a thorough understanding of each embodiment of the application. However, it will be apparent that each embodiment can be put into practice without these specific details. Each drawing and description are not intended to be restrictive.

[0032] The following description provides only example embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. On the contrary, the following description of the exemplary embodiments will provide an enabling description for implementing the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. It should be understood that various changes may be made to the functions and arrangements of the elements without departing from the scope of the present application as set forth in the appended claims.

[0033] Wireless communication networks are deployed to provide various communication services, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, etc. Wireless communication networks may support both access links and side links for communication between wireless devices. An access link may refer to any communication link between a client device (e.g., user equipment (UE), station (STA), or other client device) and a base station (e.g., 3GPP gNB, 3GPP eNB, Wi-Fi access point (AP), or other base station). For example, an access link may support uplink signaling, downlink signaling, connection procedures, etc.

[0034] A sidelink may refer to any communication link between client devices (e.g., UE, STA, etc.). For example, a sidelink may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, and / or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, message relay, discovery signaling, beacon signaling, or any combination of these, or other signals transmitted from one UE to one or more other UEs over the air. In some examples, a licensed spectrum or an unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz or 6 GHz) may be used to transmit sidelink communications. As used herein, the term "sidelink" may refer to a 3GPP sidelink (e.g., using a PC5 sidelink interface), Wi-Fi direct communication (e.g., according to a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) protocol), or using any other direct device-to-device communication protocol.

[0035] In some configurations, the client device may implement sidelink communications using a sidelink synchronization signal for demodulating data. In some examples, the source of the sidelink synchronization signal may be a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signal, a signal from a base station, a sidelink synchronization signal transmitted by another client device, or an internal clock. In some cases, the client device selects the source of the sidelink synchronization signal based on a priority (e.g., a GNSS signal with the highest priority). In some examples, the client device may select the source of the sidelink synchronization signal based on a priority and / or a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the signal.

[0036] As noted above, GNSS signals may be used as a preferred synchronization signal source for sidelink communications. In some cases, a client device may be located in a geographic area where GNSS signals are unavailable or unreliable. For example, a client device may be located inside a tunnel, in a parking garage, in a dense urban area (e.g., an urban canyon), in a forest, etc. In such cases, the client device may need to utilize an alternative sidelink synchronization signal source (e.g., a base station, another UE, or an internal clock).

[0037] In some aspects, an alternative sidelink synchronization signal source may be provided by a client device. For example, a client device synchronized with a GNSS satellite or base station may be configured to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal to propagate established timing. In some cases, a client device not synchronized with a GNSS or base station may independently transmit a sidelink synchronization signal.

[0038] While blanket transmission of sidelink synchronization signals by client devices may be helpful in areas with unreliable GNSS signals, such a configuration presents additional concerns. For example, uncoordinated transmission of sidelink synchronization signals by various client devices may result in packet collisions and / or signal interference. Furthermore, uncoordinated transmission of sidelink synchronization signals by various client devices prevents client devices from actively forming a cluster (e.g., a UE queue) that may designate a single device as the source of a sidelink synchronization signal.

[0039] In addition, a client device receiving a GNSS signal may transmit a sidelink synchronization signal only when the client device is not associated with a base station or when the base station signal quality drops below a threshold level. Similarly, a client device receiving a sidelink synchronization signal from another client device (e.g., a SyncRef UE) may transmit a sidelink synchronization signal only when the signal quality of the SyncRef UE drops below a threshold. Finally, a client device may transmit a sidelink synchronization signal based on its internal clock when no other sidelink synchronization signal source is available.

[0040] Systems, apparatus, processes (also referred to as methods), and computer-readable media (collectively, "systems and techniques") for configuring a client device to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal are described herein. These systems and techniques provide a client device (e.g., a UE) with the ability to proactively identify geographic areas with insufficient sidelink synchronization sources and to transmit sidelink synchronization signals to facilitate sidelink communications within those geographic areas. These systems and techniques also provide client devices with the ability to form clusters (e.g., queues) to intelligently select client devices that can transmit sidelink synchronization signals. As noted above, sidelink communications may be performed in accordance with a 3GPP communication protocol (e.g., in accordance with LTE, 5G, etc. using a PC5 sidelink interface), a Wi-Fi direct communication protocol (e.g., a DSRC protocol), or using any other device-to-device communication protocol.

[0041] In some aspects, the UE device may implement active or "on-demand" transmission of the sidelink synchronization signal. In some cases, the UE device may transmit the sidelink synchronization signal before entering a geographic area associated with a degraded or insufficient synchronization source signal, such as an insufficient GNSS signal or an insufficient base station signal (referred to herein as a shielded geographic area). In some examples, the shielded geographic area based on insufficient GNSS signals may include tunnels, parking garages, urban canyons, forests, and / or any other geographic area associated with poor GNSS signals and / or poor base station signals.

[0042] As noted above, in some cases, the UE device may identify the shielded geographic area based on signaling from the base station. For example, the base station and / or location server may track the location of the UE device and determine when the UE device is near the shielded geographic area. In some cases, the base station may implement a geo-fence corresponding to the shielded geographic area. In some examples, the UE device may be configured to identify the shielded geographic area based on a UE side link configuration (e.g., a locally configured geo-fence). In some cases, the UE device may be configured to use a machine learning algorithm to identify the shielded geographic area.

[0043] In some examples, UE devices may actively form a cluster (e.g., a UE queue) and select UE devices to act as a source of a sidelink synchronization signal. In some cases, a cluster or queue may be formed before all UE devices in the cluster lose GNSS signals (e.g., before entering a shielded geographic area). In some aspects, active formation of a UE queue may be used to configure a UE device as a synchronization reference source while the UE device is still synchronized to a GNSS signal.

[0044] In some examples, the systems and techniques disclosed herein may be used to implement UE queue formation that allows multiple UE devices to use reference signals from a queue leader (e.g., a sidelink synchronization signal source) and avoids the need for multiple UE devices to transmit sidelink synchronization reference signals (e.g., reducing interference, reducing power consumption, reducing heat dissipation, etc.). In some aspects, the systems and techniques disclosed herein may improve latency for implementing sidelink communications (e.g., UE devices do not need to lose GNSS signals to form a cluster). In some examples, the systems and techniques disclosed herein may be implemented using application layer protocols. In some cases, the systems and techniques disclosed herein may be implemented without affecting layer 2 signaling.

[0045] Additional aspects of the disclosure are described in more detail below.

[0046] As used herein, the term "communication unit" is a system, device, or component of a UE (e.g., a vehicle, user equipment, etc.) and / or other devices (e.g., a roadside unit (RSU) or other devices), which may include a telematics control unit (TCU), a network access device (NAD), a modem, a subscriber identity module (SIM), a transceiver (or a separate receiver and / or transmitter), any combination thereof, and / or other systems, devices, or components configured to perform wireless communication operations.

[0047] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the terms "user equipment" (UE) and "base station" are not intended to be specific or otherwise limited to any specific radio access technology (RAT). In general, a UE may be any wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a router, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a tracking device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, glasses, an extended reality (XR) device such as a virtual reality (VR) headset, an augmented reality (AR) headset or glasses, or a mixed reality (MR) headset, etc.), a vehicle (e.g., a car, a motorcycle, a bicycle, etc.), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.) used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network. A UE may be mobile or may be fixed (e.g., at certain times) and may communicate with a radio access network (RAN). As used herein, the term "UE" may be interchangeably referred to as an "access terminal" or "AT", "user device", "user terminal" or UT, "client device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "subscriber device", "subscriber terminal", "subscriber station", "mobile device", "mobile terminal", "mobile station", or variations thereof. Generally speaking, the UE may communicate with the core network via the RAN, and through the core network, the UE may be connected to external networks such as the Internet and other UEs. The UE may also communicate with other UEs and / or other devices described herein. In some cases, other connection mechanisms to the core network, the Internet, and other UEs are also possible for the UE, such as through a wired access network, a wireless local area network (WLAN) network (e.g., based on IEEE802.11, based on ultra-wideband (UWB), etc.).

[0048] Depending on the network in which the base station is deployed, the base station may operate according to one of several RATs when communicating with UEs, RSUs and / or other devices. In some cases, the base station may alternatively be referred to as an access point (AP), a network node, a node B, an evolved node B (eNB), a next generation eNB (ng-eNB), a new radio (NR) node B (also referred to as a gNB or gNodeB), etc. The base station may be primarily used to support wireless access by the UE, including supporting data, voice and / or signaling connections for the supported UE. In some systems, the base station may only provide edge node signaling functions, while in other systems, it may provide additional control and / or network management functions. The communication link through which the UE can send a signal to the base station is called an uplink (UL) channel (e.g., a reverse traffic channel, a reverse control channel, an access channel, etc.). The communication link through which the base station can send a signal to the UE is called a downlink (DL) or forward link channel (e.g., a paging channel, a control channel, a broadcast channel, a forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term "traffic channel (TCH)" may refer to an uplink / reverse channel or a downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0049] The term "base station" may refer to a single physical transmission reception point (TRP) or to multiple physical TRPs that may or may not be co-located. For example, where the term "base station" refers to a single physical TRP, the physical TRP may be an antenna of the base station corresponding to a cell (or several cell sectors) of the base station. Where the term "base station" refers to multiple co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP may be an antenna array of a base station (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system or where the base station employs beamforming). Where the term "base station" refers to multiple non-co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP may be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source via a transmission medium) or a remote radio head (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station). Alternatively, the non-co-located physical TRPs may be a serving base station that receives measurement reports from a UE and a neighbor base station whose reference RF signal (or "reference signal" for short) the UE is measuring. Because as used herein, a TRP is the point from which a base station transmits and receives wireless signals, references to transmitting from or receiving at a base station should be understood to refer to the specific TRP of a base station.

[0050] In some implementations that support UE positioning, a base station may not support wireless access for a UE (e.g., may not support data, voice, and / or signaling connections for the UE), but may instead transmit a reference signal to be measured by the UE to the UE, and / or may receive and measure a signal transmitted by the UE. Such a base station may be referred to as a positioning tower (e.g., in the case of transmitting a signal to the UE) and / or as a position measurement unit (e.g., in the case of receiving and measuring a signal from the UE).

[0051] A roadside unit (RSU) is a device that can communicate with a network through a communication link or interface (e.g., a cellular-based sidelink or PC5 interface, an 802.11-based or WiFi-based TM A device that transmits and receives messages to and from one or more UEs, other RSUs, and / or base stations (using a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) interface and / or other interfaces). Examples of messages that can be transmitted and received by an RSU include vehicle-to-everything (V2X) messages, which will be described in more detail below. The RSU may be located on various transportation infrastructure systems including roads, bridges, parking lots, toll booths, and / or other infrastructure systems. In some examples, the RSU may facilitate communication between UEs (e.g., vehicles, pedestrian user equipment, and / or other UEs) and transportation infrastructure systems. In some implementations, the RSU may communicate with a server, a base station, and / or other systems that may perform centralized management functions.

[0052] The RSU may communicate with the communication system of the UE. For example, the intelligent transport system (ITS) of the UE (e.g., a vehicle and / or other UE) may be used to generate and sign messages for transmission to the RSU and to verify messages received from the RSU. The RSU may communicate (e.g., via a PC5 interface, a DSRC interface, etc.) with vehicles traveling along a road, bridge, or other infrastructure system to obtain traffic-related data (e.g., the time, speed, location, etc. of the vehicle). In some cases, in response to obtaining traffic-related data, the RSU may determine or estimate traffic congestion information (e.g., the start of a traffic congestion, the end of a traffic congestion, etc.), travel time, and / or other information of a specific location. In some examples, the RSU may communicate with other RSUs (e.g., via a PC5 interface, a DSRC interface, etc.) to determine traffic-related data. The RSU may transmit information (e.g., traffic congestion information, travel time information, and / or other information) to other vehicles, pedestrian UEs, and / or other UEs. For example, the RSU may broadcast or otherwise transmit information to any UE (eg, vehicles, pedestrian UEs, etc.) within the coverage of the RSU.

[0053] According to various aspects, Figure 1An example of a wireless communication system 100 is illustrated. The wireless communication system 100 (which may also be referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) may include various base stations 102 and various UEs 104. The base stations 102 may include macro cell base stations (high power cellular base stations) and / or small cell base stations (low power cellular base stations). In one aspect, the macro cell base station may include an eNB and / or an ng-eNB (where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to a 4G / LTE network), or a gNB (where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to a 5G / NR network), or a combination of both, and the small cell base station may include a femto cell, a pico cell, a micro cell, and the like.

[0054] The base stations 102 may collectively form a radio access network (RAN) and interact with a core network 170 (e.g., an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC)) via a backhaul link 122, and connect to one or more location servers 172 (which may be part of the core network 170 or may be external to the core network 170) via the core network 170. The base stations 102 may perform, among other functions, functions related to one or more of: transmitting user data, radio channel cryptography and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection establishment and release, load balancing, distribution of non-access stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, RAN sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracking, RAN information management (RIM), paging, positioning, and delivery of warning messages. Base stations 102 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (eg, via EPC / 5GC) via backhaul links 134 (which may be wired and / or wireless).

[0055] Base station 102 can communicate wirelessly with UE 104. Each of base stations 102 can provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic coverage area 110. In one aspect, base station 102 in each coverage area 110 can support one or more cells. A "cell" is a logical communication entity for communicating with a base station (e.g., on a certain frequency resource, referred to as a carrier frequency, component carrier, carrier, frequency band, etc.), and can be associated with an identifier (e.g., a physical cell identifier (PCI), a virtual cell identifier (VCI), a cell global identifier (CGI)) to distinguish cells operating via the same or different carrier frequencies. In some cases, different cells can be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., machine type communication (MTC), narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) or other protocol types) that can provide access to different types of UEs. Because a cell is supported by a specific base station, the term "cell" can refer to either or both of the logical communication entity and the base station supporting it, depending on the context. In addition, because a TRP is usually a physical transmission point of a cell, the terms "cell" and "TRP" can be used interchangeably. In some cases, the term "cell" may also refer to a geographic coverage area (eg, a sector) of a base station, as long as a carrier frequency can be detected within some portion of the geographic coverage area 110 and is used for communications within that portion.

[0056] Although the geographic coverage areas 110 of neighboring macrocell base stations 102 may partially overlap (e.g., in a handover area), some areas of the geographic coverage areas 110 may substantially overlap with the larger geographic coverage areas 110. For example, a small cell base station 102' may have a coverage area 110' that substantially overlaps with the coverage areas 110 of one or more macrocell base stations 102. A network that includes both small cell base stations and macrocell base stations may be referred to as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include a home eNB (HeNB), which may provide services to a restricted group referred to as a closed subscriber group (CSG).

[0057] The communication link 120 between the base station 102 and the UE 104 may include uplink (also known as reverse link) transmissions from the UE 104 to the base station 102 and / or downlink (also known as forward link) transmissions from the base station 102 to the UE 104. The communication link 120 may use MIMO antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link 120 may be over one or more carrier frequencies. The allocation of carriers may be asymmetric for the downlink and uplink (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to the downlink than to the uplink).

[0058] The wireless communication system 100 may also include a WLAN access point (AP) 150 that communicates with a wireless local area network (WLAN) station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154 in an unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz). When communicating in an unlicensed spectrum, the WLAN STA 152 and / or the WLAN AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) or a listen-before-talk (LBT) process before communicating to determine whether a channel is available. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may include a device (e.g., UE, etc.) that communicates with one or more UEs 104, base stations 102, APs 150, etc. using an ultra-wideband (UWB) spectrum. The UWB spectrum may range from 3.1 GHz to 10.5 GHz.

[0059] The small cell base station 102' may operate in a licensed spectrum and / or an unlicensed spectrum (e.g., utilizing LTE or NR technology and using the same 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum as used by the WLAN AP 150). The wireless communication system 100 may also include a millimeter wave (mmW) base station 180, which may operate at mmW frequencies and / or near mmW frequencies to communicate with the UE 182. In some cases, the mmW frequencies may be referred to as FR2 bands (e.g., including a frequency range of 24250 MHz to 52600 MHz). In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may include one or more base stations (referred to herein as "hybrid base stations") operating in both mmW frequencies (and / or near mmW frequencies) and sub-6 GHz frequencies (referred to as FR1 bands, for example, including a frequency range of 450 MHz to 6000 MHz). In some examples, the mmW base station 180, one or more hybrid base stations (not shown), and the UE 182 may utilize beamforming (transmission and / or reception) on the mmW communication link 184 to compensate for extremely high path loss and short range. The wireless communication system 100 may also include a UE 164 , which may communicate with the macrocell base station 102 via a communication link 120 and / or with the mmW base station 180 via a mmW communication link 184 .

[0060] In some examples, to operate on multiple carrier frequencies, base station 102 and / or UE 104 may be equipped with multiple receivers and / or transmitters. For example, UE 104 may have two receivers, namely "receiver 1" and "receiver 2", where "receiver 1" is a multi-band receiver that can be tuned to frequency band (i.e., carrier frequency) 'X' or frequency band 'Y', and "receiver 2" is a single-band receiver that can be tuned to only frequency band 'Z'.

[0061] The wireless communication system 100 may also include one or more UEs, such as UE 190, which are indirectly connected to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links (referred to as “side links”). Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , UE 190 has a D2D P2P link 192 with one of UEs 104 connected to one of base stations 102 (e.g., UE 190 can indirectly obtain cellular connectivity through the link), and has a D2D P2P link 194 with WLAN STA 152 connected to WLAN AP 150 (UE 190 can indirectly obtain WLAN-based Internet connectivity through the link). In one example, D2D P2P links 192 and 194 can be supported by any well-known D2D RAT, such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), UWB and so on.

[0062] According to various aspects, Figure 2A An example wireless network structure 200 is illustrated. For example, the 5GC 210 (also referred to as the Next Generation Core (NGC)) can be functionally viewed as a control plane function 214 (e.g., UE registration, authentication, network access, gateway selection, etc.) and a user plane function 212 (e.g., UE gateway function, access to data networks, IP routing, etc.), which operate in coordination to form a core network. A user plane interface (NG-U) 213 and a control plane interface (NG-C) 215 connect the gNB 222 to the 5GC 210, in particular to the control plane function 214 and the user plane function 212. In an additional configuration, the ng-eNB 224 can also be connected to the 5GC 210 via the NG-C 215 to the control plane function 214 and the NG-U 213 to the user plane function 212. In addition, the ng-eNB 224 can communicate directly with the gNB 222 via a backhaul connection 223. In some configurations, the new RAN 220 may have only one or more gNBs 222, while other configurations include one or more of both ng-eNBs 224 and gNBs 222. The gNB 222 or the ng-eNB 224 may communicate with the UE 204 (e.g., Figure 1 Communicate with any UE depicted in .

[0063] In some aspects, the wireless network structure 200 may include a location server 230 that can communicate with the 5GC 210 to provide location assistance for the UE 204. The location server 230 may be implemented as a plurality of separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively each may correspond to a single server. The location server 230 may be configured to support one or more location services for UE 204 that may be connected to the location server 230 via the core network, the 5GC 210, and / or via the Internet (not illustrated). In addition, the location server 230 may be integrated into a component of the core network, or alternatively may be outside the core network. In some examples, the location server 230 may be operated by an operator or provider of the 5GC 210, a third party, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or other parties. In some cases, multiple location servers may be provided, such as an operator's location server, a location server of an OEM of a particular device, and / or other location servers. In such cases, location assistance data may be received from the operator's location server, and other assistance data may be received from the OEM's location server.

[0064] According to various aspects, Figure 2B Another example wireless network structure 250 is illustrated. For example, the 5GC 260 can be functionally viewed as a control plane function provided by an access and mobility management function (AMF) 264 and a user plane function provided by a user plane function (UPF) 262, which operate in coordination to form a core network (i.e., the 5GC 260). The user plane interface 263 and the control plane interface 265 connect the ng-eNB 224 to the 5GC 260, in particular to the UPF 262 and the AMF 264, respectively. In some examples, the gNB 222 can also be connected to the 5GC 260 via a control plane interface 265 to the AMF 264 and a user plane interface 263 to the UPF 262. In addition, the ng-eNB 224 can communicate directly with the gNB 222 via a backhaul connection 223 with or without gNB direct connectivity to the 5GC 260. In some configurations, the new RAN 220 may have only one or more gNBs 222, while other configurations include one or more of both ng-eNBs 224 and gNBs 222. The gNB 222 or the ng-eNB 224 may communicate with the UE 204 (e.g., Figure 1 The base stations of the new RAN 220 communicate with the AMF 264 via the N2 interface and communicate with the UPF 262 via the N3 interface.

[0065] The functions of AMF 264 include registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception, transmission of session management (SM) messages between UE 204 and session management function (SMF) 266, transparent proxy service for routing SM messages, access authentication and access authorization, transmission of short message service (SMS) messages between UE 204 and short message service function (SMSF) (not shown), and security anchor functionality (SEAF). AMF 264 may also interact with authentication server function (AUSF) (not shown) and UE 204, and receive intermediate keys established as a result of the UE 204 authentication process.

[0066] In the case of authentication based on the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), the AMF 264 retrieves security material from the AUSF. The functions of the AMF 264 may also include security context management (SCM). The SCM may receive keys from the SEAF, which the SCM may use to derive access network specific keys. The functions of the AMF 264 also include location service management for regulatory services, transmission of location service messages between the UE 204 and the Location Management Function (LMF) 270 (which acts as a location server 230), transmission of location service messages between the new RAN 220 and the LMF 270, allocation of EPS bearer identifiers for interworking with the Evolved Packet System (EPS), and notification of UE 204 mobility events. In addition, the AMF 264 also supports the functionality of non-3GPP access networks.

[0067] In some cases, the UPF 262 may perform functions including acting as an anchor point for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (where applicable), acting as an external protocol data unit (PDU) session point for interconnects to a data network (not shown), providing packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane policy rule enforcement (e.g., gating, redirection, traffic steering), lawful interception (user plane collection), traffic usage reporting, quality of service (QoS) handling for the user plane (e.g., uplink / downlink rate enforcement, reflective QoS marking in downlink), uplink traffic verification (service data flow (SDF) to QoS flow mapping), transport level packet marking in uplink and downlink, downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering, and sending and forwarding one or more "end markers" to a source RAN node. In some aspects, the UPF 262 may also support location service messages between the UE 204 and a location server such as a secure user plane location (SUPL) location platform (SLP) ( Figure 2B The transmission between (not shown).

[0068] In some examples, the functions of SMF 266 may include session management, UE Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation and management, selection and control of user plane functions, configuration of traffic steering for routing traffic to the correct destination at UPF 262, partial control of policy enforcement and QoS, and downlink data notification. The interface through which SMF 266 communicates with AMF 264 may be referred to as the N11 interface.

[0069] In some aspects, the wireless network structure 250 may include an LMF 270 that can communicate with the 5GC 260 to provide location assistance for the UE 204. The LMF 270 can be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively can each correspond to a single server. The LMF 270 can be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204, which can be connected to the LMF 270 via the core network 5GC 260 and / or via the Internet (not illustrated). The SLP can support similar functions to the LMF 270, but the LMF 270 can communicate with the AMF 264, the new RAN 220, and the UE 204 via a control plane (e.g., using interfaces and protocols intended to convey signaling messages rather than voice or data), while the SLP can communicate with the UE 204 and external clients (e.g., using user planes intended to carry voice and / or data, such as the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and / or IP). Figure 2B Communicate with the

[0070] In some cases, the LMF 270 and / or the SLP may be integrated with a base station such as a gNB 222 and / or an ng-eNB 224. When integrated with a gNB 222 and / or an ng-eNB 224, the LMF 270 and / or the SLP may be referred to as a "location management component" or "LMC". As used herein, references to the LMF 270 and the SLP include both the case where the LMF 270 and the SLP are components of a core network (e.g., 5GC 260) and the case where the LMF 270 and the SLP are components of a base station.

[0071] As described above, the wireless communication system supports communication between multiple UEs. In various examples, the wireless communication system may be configured to support device-to-device (D2D) communication and / or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. V2X may also be referred to as cellular V2X (C-V2X). V2X communication may be performed using any radio access technology such as LTE, 5G, WLAN, or other communication protocols. In some examples, a UE may transmit V2X messages to other UEs, roadside units (RSUs), and / or other devices via a direct communication link or interface (e.g., a PC5 or sidelink interface, an 802.11p DSRC interface, and / or other communication interfaces) and / or via a network (e.g., an eNB, a WiFi AP, and / or other network entity) and receive V2X messages from other UEs, RSUs, and / or other devices. These communications may be performed using resources allocated by a network (e.g., an eNB or other network device), resources preconfigured for use by V2X, and / or using resources determined by the UE (e.g., using a clear channel assessment (CCA) of resources about an 802.11 network).

[0072] V2X communications may include communications between vehicles (e.g., vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V)), communications between vehicles and infrastructure (e.g., vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I)), communications between vehicles and pedestrians (e.g., vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P)), and / or communications between vehicles and network servers (vehicle-to-network (V2N)). For V2V, V2P, and V2I communications, data packets may be sent directly between vehicles (e.g., using a PC5 interface, using an 802.11 DSRC interface, etc.) without passing through a network, eNB, or gNB. V2X-enabled vehicles may, for example, use a short-range direct communication mode that provides 360° non-line-of-sight (NLOS) awareness, supplemental onboard line-of-sight (LOS) sensors such as cameras, radio detection and ranging (RADAR), light detection and ranging (LIDAR), and other sensors. The combination of wireless technology and onboard sensors enables V2X vehicles to visually observe, hear, and / or anticipate potential driving hazards (e.g., at blind intersections, in adverse weather conditions, and / or in other scenarios). V2X vehicles may also understand alerts or notifications from other V2X-enabled vehicles (based on V2V communications), from infrastructure systems (based on V2I communications), and from user devices (based on V2P communications). Infrastructure systems may include roads, stop lights, road signs, bridges, toll booths, and / or other infrastructure systems that vehicles may communicate with using V2I messaging.

[0073] Depending on the desired implementation, sidelink communications may be performed in accordance with a 3GPP communication protocol sidelink (e.g., using a PC5 sidelink interface in accordance with LTE, 5G, etc.), a Wi-Fi direct communication protocol (e.g., a DSRC protocol), or using any other device-to-device communication protocol. In some examples, sidelink communications may be performed using one or more unlicensed national information infrastructure (U-NII) bands. For example, sidelink communications may be performed in a band corresponding to the U-NII-4 band (5.850 GHz to 5.925 GHz), the U-NII-5 band (5.925 GHz to 6.425 GHz), the U-NII-6 band (6.425 GHz to 6.525 GHz), the U-NII-7 band (6.525 GHz to 6.875 GHz), the U-NII-8 band (6.875 GHz to 7.125 GHz), or any other band that may be suitable for performing sidelink communications.

[0074] Figure 3 Examples of different communication mechanisms used by various UEs are illustrated. In one example, Figure 3 Vehicle 304, vehicle 305, and roadside unit (RSU) 303 are illustrated as being able to communicate with each other using a PC5 signaling interface. Additionally, vehicle 304 and vehicle 305 can communicate with base station 302 (shown as BS 302) using a network (Uu) interface. In some examples, base station 302 can include a gNB (e.g., base station 102). Figure 3 Also illustrated is that the user equipment 307 uses a network (Uu) interface to communicate with the base station 302. In some aspects, functionality can be transferred from a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 304) to a user equipment (e.g., user equipment 307) based on one or more characteristics or factors (e.g., temperature, humidity, etc.). In one illustrative example, the V2X functionality can be transferred from the vehicle 304 to the user equipment 307, which can then communicate with other vehicles (e.g., vehicle 305) via the PC5 interface, as shown. Figure 3 as shown in .

[0075] Although in Figure 3 The PC5 interface is shown in FIG. 1 , but various UEs (eg, vehicles, user equipment, etc.) and RSUs may use any suitable type of direct interface such as an 802.11 DSRC interface, a Bluetooth TMFor example, a vehicle may communicate with a user equipment via a direct communication interface (e.g., using PC5 and / or DSRC), a vehicle may communicate with another vehicle via the direct communication interface, a user equipment may communicate with another user equipment via the direct communication interface, a UE (e.g., a vehicle, a user equipment, etc.) may communicate with an RSU via the direct communication interface, an RSU may communicate with another RSU via the direct communication interface, and so on.

[0076] Figure 4 4 is a block diagram of an example vehicle computing system 450 illustrating a vehicle 404. In some examples, the vehicle computing system 450 may be referred to as an onboard unit (OBU). The vehicle 404 is an example of a UE that can communicate with a network (e.g., an eNB, a gNB, a positioning beacon, a position measurement unit, and / or other network entities) via a Uu interface and communicate with other UEs using V2X communications via a PC5 interface (or other device-to-device direct interface). As shown, the vehicle computing system 450 may include at least a power management system 451, a control system 452, an infotainment system 454, an intelligent transport system (ITS) 455, one or more sensor systems 456, and a communication system 458. In some cases, the vehicle computing system 450 may include any type of processing device or system, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application processors (APs), graphics processing units (GPUs), vision processing units (VPUs), neural network signal processors (NSPs), microcontrollers, dedicated hardware, any combination thereof, and / or other processing devices or systems, or may be implemented using these processing devices or systems.

[0077] The control system 452 may be configured to control one or more operations of the vehicle 404, the power management system 451, the computing system 450, the infotainment system 454, the ITS 455, and / or one or more other systems of the vehicle 404 (e.g., a braking system, a steering system, a safety system other than the ITS 455, a cabin system, and / or other systems). In some examples, the control system 452 may include one or more electronic control units (ECUs). The ECUs may control one or more electrical systems or subsystems in the vehicle. Examples of specific ECUs that may be included as part of the control system 452 include an engine control module (ECM), a powertrain control module (PCM), a transmission control module (TCM), a brake control module (BCM), a central control module (CCM), a central timing module (CTM), etc. In some cases, the control system 452 may receive sensor signals from one or more sensor systems 456 and may communicate with other systems of the vehicle computing system 450 to operate the vehicle 404.

[0078] The vehicle computing system 450 also includes a power management system 451. In some implementations, the power management system 451 may include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a backup battery, and / or other components. In some cases, other systems of the vehicle computing system 450 may include one or more PMICs, batteries, and / or other components. The power management system 451 may perform power management functions for the vehicle 404, such as managing the power supply of the computing system 450 and / or other parts of the vehicle. For example, the power management system 451 may provide a stable power supply in view of power fluctuations, such as based on starting the engine of the vehicle. In another example, the power management system 451 may perform thermal monitoring operations, such as by checking the environment and / or transistor junction temperature. In another example, the power management system 451 may perform certain functions based on detecting a certain temperature level, such as causing a cooling system (e.g., one or more fans, an air conditioning system, etc.) to cool certain components of the vehicle computing system 450 (e.g., the control system 452, such as one or more ECUs), shutting down certain functionality of the vehicle computing system 450 (e.g., limiting the infotainment system 454, such as by turning off one or more displays, disconnecting from a wireless network, etc.), and other functions.

[0079] The vehicle computing system 450 also includes a communication system 458. The communication system 458 may include a device for communicating with the network (e.g., to a gNB or other network entity via a Uu interface) and / or to other UEs (e.g., via a PC5 interface, a WiFi interface, a Bluetooth interface, etc.). TMFor example, the communication system 458 is configured to transmit signals to another vehicle or UE through any suitable wireless network (e.g., 3G network, 4G network, 5G network, WiFi network, Bluetooth network, etc.) and / or receive signals from the network and / or from these other UEs. TM The communication system 458 includes various components or devices for performing wireless communication functionality, including an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) subscriber identity module (referred to as a SIM or SIM card) 460, a user SIM 462, and a modem 464. Although the vehicle computing system 450 is shown as having two SIMs and one modem, in some implementations, the computing system 450 can have any number of SIMs (e.g., one SIM or more than two SIMs) and any number of modems (e.g., one modem, two modems, or more than two modems).

[0080] A SIM is a device (e.g., an integrated circuit) that can securely store an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number and associated keys (e.g., encryption-decryption keys) for a particular subscriber or user. The IMSI and keys can be used to identify and authenticate a subscriber on a particular UE. The OEM SIM 460 can be used by the communication system 458 to establish a wireless connection for vehicle-based operations such as for making emergency call (eCall) functions, communicating with the vehicle manufacturer's communication system (e.g., for software updates, etc.), and other operations. The OEM SIM 460 can be used to support one or more services, such as eCall for making emergency calls in the event of a car accident or other emergency. For example, eCall can include services that automatically dial an emergency number (e.g., "9-1-1" in the United States, "1-1-2" in Europe, etc.) in the event of a vehicle accident, and communicate the location of the vehicle to emergency services such as police, fire, etc.

[0081] User SIM 462 may be used by communication system 458 to perform wireless network access functions to support user data connections (e.g., for making phone calls, messaging, infotainment-related services, etc.). In some cases, the user's user device may be connected to the user's wireless network through an interface (e.g., via PC5, Bluetooth TM , Wi-Fi TM, universal serial bus (USB) port, and / or other wireless or wired interface) to the vehicle computing system 450. Once connected, the user device may transfer the wireless network access functionality from the user device to the communication system 458 of the vehicle, in which case the user device may cease execution of the wireless network access functionality (e.g., during the period when the communication system 458 is executing the wireless access functionality). The communication system 458 may begin interacting with the base station to perform one or more wireless communication operations, such as facilitating telephone calls, transmitting and / or receiving data (e.g., messaging, video, audio, etc.), and other operations. In such cases, other components of the vehicle computing system 450 may be used to output data received by the communication system 458. For example, the infotainment system 454 (described below) may display video received by the communication system 458 on one or more displays and / or may use one or more speakers to output audio received by the communication system 458.

[0082] A modem is a device that modulates one or more carrier signals to encode digital information for transmission, and demodulates the signals to decode the transmitted information. Modem 464 (and / or one or more other modems of communication system 458) may be used for data communication of OEM SIM 460 and / or user SIM 462. In some examples, modem 464 may include a 4G (or LTE) modem, and another modem (not shown) of communication system 458 may include a 5G (or NR) modem. In some examples, communication system 458 may include one or more Bluetooth TM Modem (e.g. for Bluetooth TM Low Energy (BLE) or other types of Bluetooth communication), one or more WiFi TM modems (e.g., for DSRC communications and / or other WiFi communications), broadband modems (e.g., ultra-wideband (UWB) modems), any combination thereof, and / or other types of modems.

[0083] In some cases, modem 464 (and / or one or more other modems of communication system 458) may be used to perform V2X communications (e.g., with other vehicles for V2V communications, with other devices for D2D communications, with infrastructure systems for V2I communications, with pedestrian UEs for V2P communications, etc.). In some examples, communication system 458 may include a V2X modem for performing V2X communications (e.g., sidelink communications via a PC5 interface), in which case the V2X modem may be separate from one or more modems used for wireless network access functions (e.g., for network communications via a network / Uu interface and / or sidelink communications in addition to V2X communications).

[0084] In some examples, the communication system 458 may be or may include a telematics control unit (TCU). In some implementations, the TCU may include a network access device (NAD) (also referred to as a network control unit or NCU in some cases). The NAD may include a modem 464, Figure 4 460, user SIM 462, and / or other components for wireless communication not shown in the figure. In some examples, communication system 458 may include a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). In some cases, GNSS may be part of one or more sensor systems 456 as described below. GNSS may provide vehicle computing system 450 with the ability to perform one or more location services, navigation services, and / or other services that may utilize GNSS functionality.

[0085] In some cases, the communication system 458 may also include one or more wireless interfaces for transmitting and receiving wireless communications (e.g., including one or more transceivers and one or more baseband processors for each wireless interface), one or more wired interfaces for performing communications via one or more hardwired connections (e.g., serial interfaces such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) input, a lighting connector, and / or other wired interfaces), and / or other components that may allow the vehicle 404 to communicate with a network and / or other UEs.

[0086] The vehicle computing system 450 may also include an infotainment system 454 that can control content and one or more output devices of the vehicle 404 that can be used to output content. The infotainment system 454 may also be referred to as an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system or an in-car entertainment (ICE) system. The content may include navigation content, media content (e.g., video content, music or other audio content, and / or other media content), and other content. One or more output devices may include one or more graphical user interfaces, one or more displays, one or more speakers, one or more extended reality devices (e.g., VR, AR and / or MR head-mounted devices), one or more tactile feedback devices (e.g., one or more devices configured to vibrate seats, steering wheels and / or other parts of the vehicle 404) and / or other output devices.

[0087] In some examples, computing system 450 may include intelligent transport system (ITS) 455. In some examples, ITS 455 may be used to implement V2X communication. For example, an ITS stack of ITS 455 may generate V2X messages based on information from an application layer of the ITS. In some cases, the application layer may determine whether certain conditions have been met to generate messages for use by ITS 455 and / or generate messages to be sent to other vehicles (for V2V communication), pedestrian UEs (for V2P communication), and / or infrastructure systems (for V2I communication). In some cases, communication system 458 and / or ITS 455 may obtain vehicle access network (CAN) information (e.g., from other components of the vehicle via a CAN bus). In some examples, communication system 458 (e.g., TCU NAD) may obtain CAN information via a CAN bus and may send the CAN information to the ITS stack. CAN information may include vehicle-related information, such as the heading of the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle, braking information, and other information. CAN information may be provided to the ITS 455 continuously or periodically (eg, every 1 millisecond (ms), every 10 ms, etc.).

[0088] The conditions for determining whether to generate a message can be determined using CAN information based on safety-related applications and / or other applications (including applications related to road safety, traffic efficiency, infotainment, business and / or other applications). In an illustrative example, ITS 455 can perform lane change assistance or negotiation. For example, using CAN information, ITS 455 can determine that the driver of vehicle 404 is trying to change lanes from the current lane to an adjacent lane (e.g., based on a signal light being activated, based on a user turning or turning to an adjacent lane, etc.). Based on determining that vehicle 404 is trying to change lanes, ITS 455 can determine that lane change conditions associated with messages to be sent to other vehicles near the vehicle in the adjacent lane have been met. ITS 455 can trigger the ITS stack to generate one or more messages for transmission to other vehicles, which can be used to negotiate lane changes with other vehicles. Other examples of applications include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, pedestrian avoidance or protection (e.g., when pedestrians are detected near vehicle 404, such as based on V2P communication with the user's UE), traffic sign recognition, etc.

[0089] The ITS 455 may generate messages (e.g., V2X messages) using any suitable protocol. Examples of protocols that the ITS 455 may use include one or more Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) standards (such as SAE J2735, SAE J2945, SAE J3161, and / or other standards), which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety and for all purposes.

[0090] The security layer of ITS 455 can be used to securely sign messages from the ITS stack, which are sent to other UEs configured for V2X communication, such as other vehicles, pedestrian UEs, and / or infrastructure systems, and verified by these other UEs. The security layer can also verify messages received from such other UEs. In some specific implementations, the signing and verification process may be based on the security context of the vehicle. In some examples, the security context may include one or more encryption-decryption algorithms, public keys and / or private keys used to generate signatures using encryption-decryption algorithms, and / or other information. For example, each ITS message generated by the ITS stack may be signed by the security layer. Signatures can be derived using public keys and encryption-decryption algorithms. Vehicles, pedestrian UEs, and / or infrastructure systems that receive signed messages can verify the signature to ensure that the message comes from an authorized vehicle. In some examples, one or more encryption-decryption algorithms may include one or more symmetric encryption algorithms (e.g., Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Data Encryption Standard (DES), and / or other symmetric encryption algorithms), one or more asymmetric encryption algorithms using public and private keys (e.g., Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA) and / or other asymmetric encryption algorithms), and / or other encryption-decryption algorithms.

[0091] In some examples, the ITS 455 may determine certain operations to be performed (e.g., V2X-based operations) based on messages received from other UEs. These operations may include safety-related and / or other operations, such as operations for road safety, traffic efficiency, infotainment, business, and / or other applications. In some examples, these operations may include causing a vehicle (e.g., a control system 452) to perform automatic functions, such as automatic braking, automatic steering (e.g., maintaining a course in a particular lane), automatic lane change negotiation with other vehicles, and other automatic functions. In an illustrative example, the communication system 458 may receive a message from another vehicle (e.g., via a PC5 interface) indicating that the other vehicle is about to stop suddenly. In response to receiving the message, the ITS 455 stack may generate a message or instruction, and may send the message or instruction to the control system 452, which may cause the control system 452 to automatically brake the vehicle 404 so that it stops before colliding with the other vehicle. In other illustrative examples, these operations may include triggering the display of a message warning the driver that another vehicle is in a lane adjacent to the vehicle, a message warning the driver to stop the vehicle, a message warning the driver that pedestrians are in an upcoming intersection, a message warning the driver that a toll booth is within a certain distance of the vehicle (e.g., within 1 mile), and the like.

[0092] The computing system 450 also includes one or more sensor systems 456 (e.g., a first sensor system to an Nth sensor system, where N is a value equal to or greater than 0). When multiple sensor systems are included, the sensor systems 456 may include different types of sensor systems that may be arranged on or in different parts of the vehicle 404. The sensor systems 456 may include one or more camera sensor systems, light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor systems, radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor systems, electromagnetic detection and ranging (EmDAR) sensor systems, sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) sensor systems, sound detection and ranging (SODAR) sensor systems, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receiver systems (e.g., one or more global positioning system (GPS) receiver systems), accelerometers, gyroscopes, inertial measurement units (IMUs), infrared sensor systems, laser rangefinder systems, ultrasonic sensor systems, infrasound sensor systems, microphones, any combination thereof, and / or other sensor systems. It should be understood that any number of sensors or sensor systems may be included as part of the computing system 450 of the vehicle 404.

[0093] Although the vehicle computing system 450 is shown as including certain components and / or systems, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the vehicle computing system 450 may include more than Figure 4. For example, the vehicle computing system 450 may also include one or more input devices and one or more output devices (not shown). In some specific implementations, the vehicle computing system 450 may also include (for example, as part of the control system 452, the infotainment system 454, the communication system 458 and / or the sensor system 456 or separate from these systems) at least one processor and at least one memory having computer executable instructions executed by the at least one processor. At least one processor communicates with at least one memory and / or is electrically connected to (referred to as "coupled to" or "communicatively coupled to") at least one memory. The at least one processor may include, for example, one or more microcontrollers, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), one or more application processors (for example, for running or executing one or more software applications) and / or other processors. The at least one memory may include, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM) (for example, a static RAM (SRAM)), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, one or more buffers, one or more databases and / or other memories. Computer-executable instructions stored in or on the at least one memory may be executed to perform one or more functions or operations described herein.

[0094] Figure 5An example of a computing system 570 of a wireless device 507 is illustrated. The wireless device 507 may include a client device such as a UE (e.g., UE 104, UE 152, UE 190) or other types of devices that can be used by an end user (e.g., a station (STA) configured to communicate using a Wi-Fi interface). The wireless device may also include a network device (e.g., a base station such as an eNB and / or a gNB, a Wi-Fi access point (AP) such as a router, a range extender, etc.). For example, the wireless device 507 may include a mobile phone, a router, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a tracking device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, glasses, an extended reality (XR) device such as a virtual reality (VR), an augmented reality (AR), or a mixed reality (MR) device, etc.), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a base station, an access point, a vehicle (e.g., the vehicle 404), and / or another device configured to communicate via a wireless communication network. The computing system 570 includes software and hardware components that may be electrically or communicatively coupled via a bus 589 (or may communicate in other ways, as appropriate). For example, the computing system 570 includes one or more processors 584. The one or more processors 584 may include one or more CPUs, ASICs, FPGAs, APs, GPUs, VPUs, NSPs, microcontrollers, dedicated hardware, any combination thereof, and / or other processing devices or systems. The one or more processors 584 may use a bus 589 to communicate between cores and / or with one or more memory devices 586.

[0095] The computing system 570 may also include one or more memory devices 586, one or more digital signal processors (DSPs) 582, one or more SIMs 574, one or more modems 576, one or more wireless transceivers 578, an antenna 587, one or more input devices 572 (e.g., a camera, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch-sensitive screen, a touchpad, a keypad, a microphone, etc.), and one or more output devices 580 (e.g., a display, a speaker, a printer, etc.).

[0096] In some aspects, the computing system 570 may include one or more RF interfaces configured to transmit and / or receive radio frequency (RF) signals. In some examples, the RF interface may include components such as a modem 576, a wireless transceiver 578, and / or an antenna 587. One or more wireless transceivers 578 may transmit and receive wireless signals (e.g., signals 588) from one or more other devices via an antenna 587, such as other wireless devices, network devices (e.g., base stations such as eNBs and / or gNBs, WiFi access points (APs) such as routers, range extenders, etc.), cloud networks, and / or the like. In some examples, the computing system 570 may include multiple antennas or antenna arrays that can facilitate simultaneous transmission and reception functionality. Antenna 587 may be an omnidirectional antenna so that radio frequency (RF) signals can be received and transmitted in all directions. Wireless signals 588 may be transmitted via a wireless network. The wireless network may be any wireless network, such as a cellular or telecommunications network (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), a wireless local area network (e.g., a WiFi network), a Bluetooth TM network, and / or other networks.

[0097] In some examples, wireless signals 588 may be transmitted directly to other wireless devices using sidelink communications (e.g., using a PC5 interface, using a DSRC interface, etc.). Wireless transceiver 578 may be configured to transmit RF signals via antenna 587 for performing sidelink communications according to one or more transmission power parameters that may be associated with one or more regulatory modes. Wireless transceiver 578 may also be configured to receive sidelink communication signals having different signal parameters from other wireless devices.

[0098] In some examples, one or more wireless transceivers 578 may include an RF front end that includes one or more components such as an amplifier, a mixer for down-converting a signal (also referred to as a signal multiplier), a frequency synthesizer (also referred to as an oscillator) that provides a signal to the mixer, a baseband filter, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), one or more power amplifiers, and other components. The RF front end may generally handle the selection of wireless signals 588 and the conversion of the wireless signals to baseband or intermediate frequencies, and may convert RF signals to the digital domain.

[0099] In some cases, computing system 570 may include a coding-decoding device (or CODEC) configured to encode and / or decode data transmitted and / or received using one or more wireless transceivers 578. In some cases, computing system 570 may include an encryption-decryption device or component configured to encrypt and / or decrypt data transmitted and / or received by one or more wireless transceivers 578 (e.g., in accordance with the AES and / or DES standards).

[0100] One or more SIMs 574 may each securely store an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number and associated keys assigned to a user of the wireless device 507. The IMSI and keys may be used to identify and authenticate a subscriber when accessing a network provided by a network service provider or operator associated with one or more SIMs 574. One or more modems 576 may modulate one or more signals to encode information for transmission using one or more wireless transceivers 578. One or more modems 576 may also demodulate signals received by one or more wireless transceivers 578 to decode the transmitted information. In some examples, one or more modems 576 may include a Wi-Fi modem, a 4G (or LTE) modem, a 5G (or NR) modem, and / or other types of modems. One or more modems 576 and one or more wireless transceivers 578 may be used to communicate data of one or more SIMs 574.

[0101] The computing system 570 may also include (and / or be in communication with) one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media or storage devices (e.g., one or more memory devices 586), which may include, but are not limited to, local and / or network accessible storage, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices such as RAM and / or 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.

[0102] In various embodiments, the functionality may be stored as one or more computer program products (e.g., instructions or code) in the memory device 586 and executed by the one or more processors 584 and / or the one or more DSPs 582. The computing system 570 may also include software elements (e.g., located within the one or more memory devices 586) including, for example, an operating system, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code, such as one or more applications, which may include computer programs that implement the functionality provided by the various embodiments and / or may be designed to implement methods and / or configure systems, as described herein.

[0103] In some aspects, the wireless device 507 may include components for performing the operations described herein. These components may include one or more of the components of the computing system 570. For example, the components for performing the operations described herein may include one or more of the input device 572, the SIM 574, the modem 576, the wireless transceiver 578, the output device 580, the DSP 582, the processor 584, the memory device 586, and / or the antenna 587.

[0104] In some aspects, the wireless device 507 may correspond to a user equipment (UE) device and may include: a component for determining that the expected location of the user equipment (UE) device is in a geographic area associated with insufficient global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals and insufficient base station signals; and a component for transmitting a sidelink synchronization signal to at least one other UE device located in the geographic area associated with the insufficient GNSS signals and the insufficient base station signals. In some examples, the component for determining may include one or more processors 584, one or more DSPs 582, one or more wireless transceivers 578, one or more modems 576, one or more memory devices 586, any combination thereof, or other components of the wireless device. In some aspects, the component for transmitting may include one or more wireless transceivers 578, one or more modems 576, one or more SIMs 574, one or more processors 584, one or more DSPs 582, one or more memory devices 586, any combination thereof, or other components of the wireless device.

[0105] In some examples, the wireless device 507 may correspond to a user equipment (UE) device and may include: a component for receiving, by the user equipment (UE) device, a request to associate with at least one other UE device to form a UE queue; a component for identifying the UE device as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on the location of the UE device relative to the at least one other UE device; and a component for transmitting a first sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the UE queue is in a geographic area associated with insufficient global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals and insufficient base station signals. In some examples, the component for receiving may include one or more wireless transceivers 578, one or more modems 576, one or more SIMs 574, one or more processors 584, one or more DSPs 582, one or more memory devices 586, any combination thereof, or other components of the wireless device. In some examples, the component for identifying may include one or more processors 584, one or more DSPs 582, one or more wireless transceivers 578, one or more modems 576, one or more memory devices 586, any combination thereof, or other components of the wireless device. In some cases, the means for transmitting may include one or more wireless transceivers 578, one or more modems 576, one or more SIMs 574, one or more processors 584, one or more DSPs 582, one or more memory devices 586, any combination thereof, or other components of the wireless device.

[0106] As previously noted, systems and techniques are described herein for optimizing transmission of sidelink synchronization signals by wireless devices. Figure 6 6 is a diagram illustrating an example wireless communication system 600 for configuring transmission of a sidelink synchronization signal by a wireless device. In some aspects, system 600 may include one or more user equipment (UE) devices, such as UE 602 and UE 604. As noted above, UE devices (e.g., UE 602 and / or UE 604) may include any wireless communication device used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network (e.g., a mobile phone, a router, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a tracking device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, glasses, an extended reality (XR) device such as a virtual reality (VR) headset, an augmented reality (AR) headset or glasses, or a mixed reality (MR) headset, etc.), a vehicle (e.g., a car, a motorcycle, a bicycle, etc.), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.).

[0107] In some examples, system 600 may include one or more base stations. For example, system 600 may include base station 610, base station 612, and base station 614. In some cases, base station 610, base station 612, and / or base station 614 may be associated with UE 602 (e.g., UE 602 may communicate with base station 610 using a network (Uu) interface). In some aspects, one or more of the base stations (e.g., base station 610, base station 612, and / or base station 614) may communicate with a location server 616 (e.g., configured to implement LMF 270).

[0108] In some cases, UE 602 and UE 604 may be configured to communicate using sidelink communications (e.g., PC5, DSRC, etc.). In some aspects, a UE receiving sidelink communications (e.g., UE 602 and / or UE 604) may use a sidelink synchronization signal (SLSS) to synchronize with a transmitting UE to correctly demodulate and / or decode received data. In some cases, the SLSS may include a primary sidelink synchronization signal (P-SSS) and / or a secondary sidelink synchronization signal (S-SSS). In some aspects, the SLSS (e.g., P-SSS and / or S-SSS) may be included in a sidelink synchronization signal block (S-SSB). In some examples, the S-SSB may be transmitted as part of a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH).

[0109] In some cases, the source of SLSS for UE device may be a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signal, a base station signal, a signal from another UE, and / or an internal clock signal (e.g., a clock generated by the UE device). In some examples, the UE device may have a preference for the source of SLSS. In some examples, UE 602 may preferentially use GNSS signals received from satellite 608 as the source of SLSS. In some aspects, if GNSS signals are not available, UE 602 may utilize downlink signals from base stations (e.g., base station 610, base station 612, and / or base station 614) as the source of SLSS. In some examples, if UE 602 cannot receive GNSS signals or base station signals, UE 602 may utilize signals from another UE as the source of SLSS. In some cases, if no external source of SLSS (e.g., GNSS satellites, base stations, or other UEs) is available, UE 602 may utilize an internal clock as the source of SLSS.

[0110] In some cases, the UE device may be located in a geographic area where the UE device is unable to receive GNSS signals and / or base station signals for use as a sidelink synchronization source. As shown, UE 604 is located in a shielded geographic area 606. In some cases, shielded geographic area 606 may correspond to a geographic area where GNSS signal quality and / or base station signal quality is insufficient (e.g., inaccessible or below a threshold signal quality). Illustrative examples of shielded geographic area 606 may include tunnels, urban canyons, forests, parking garages, and / or any other geographic area where GNSS signal quality and / or base station signal quality is insufficient.

[0111] In some aspects, the UE device 602 may be configured to proactively (e.g., on demand) transmit SLSS to provide a sidelink synchronization source before one or more UE devices lose a sidelink synchronization source (e.g., a GNSS signal and / or a base station signal). For example, the UE device 602 may be configured to transmit SLSS 618 to the UE device 604 before, during, and / or after the time when the UE 604 is within the shielded geographic area 606.

[0112] In some examples, a base station (e.g., base station 610, base station 612, and / or base station 614) may instruct UE 602 to transmit SLSS 618 based on the location of UE 602 relative to shielded geographic area 606. For example, location server 616 (e.g., LMF 270) may calculate the location of UE 602 (e.g., based on positioning reference signals, UL / DL measurements, etc.). In some cases, location server 616 may determine the location of UE 602 within an accuracy of 50 meters (m). In some aspects, location server 616 may determine the location of UE 602 within an accuracy of 10 meters.

[0113] In some aspects, location server 616 may send location data associated with UE 602 to one or more base stations near shielded geographic area 606. In some cases, the base stations may use the location data to determine that UE 602 is in close proximity to shielded geographic area 606. For example, location server 616 may send the location of UE 602 to base station 614, and base station 614 may use the location data to determine the proximity of UE 602 to shielded geographic area 606. In some cases, when UE 602 is close to shielded geographic area 606, base station 614 may instruct UE 602 to transmit SLSS 618. In some examples, when UE 602 is within a threshold distance of shielded geographic area 606, base station 614 may instruct UE 602 to transmit SLSS 618. For example, when UE 602 is within 1000m of shielded geographic area 606, base station 614 may instruct UE 602 to transmit SLSS 618.

[0114] In some examples, the location server 616 may use the location of the UE 602 to determine the location of the UE 602 on a map. For example, the location server 616 may access map data and determine the proximity of the UE 602 to the shielded geographic area 606. In some cases, the location server 616 may send a message to a base station (e.g., base station 614) to instruct the UE 602 to transmit the SLSS 618. In some aspects, multi-access edge computing (MEC) may be used to implement UE device positioning functions (e.g., performed by the LMF 270). In some configurations, MEC may be utilized to reduce latency when signaling a UE device to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal.

[0115] In some aspects, a base station (e.g., base station 610, base station 612, and / or base station 614) may instruct UE 602 to transmit SLSS 618 based on a geo-fence configuration corresponding to a geographic area (e.g., shielded geographic area 606) associated with poor signal quality. For example, base station 614 may instruct UE 602 to transmit SLSS 618 based on proximity to shielded geographic area 606 (e.g., based on the location of base station 614). In some examples, the base station may instruct all associated UE devices to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal. In some cases, the base station may instruct all associated UE devices within a region or area to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal. In some cases, the base station may use UE location data (e.g., received from location server 616) to select a UE device to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal.

[0116] In some cases, the geo-fence configuration of the shielded geographic area 606 may be based on a cell identifier. For example, the coverage area or geo-fence corresponding to the shielded geographic area 606 may correspond to one or more base station identifiers corresponding to the base station 610, the base station 612, and / or the base station 614. In some aspects, the identifier associated with the geo-fence may include a physical cell identifier (PCI), a virtual cell identifier (VCI), and / or a cell global identifier (CGI). In some cases, the base station identifier for implementing the geo-fence of the shielded geographic area 606 may be based on a cell handover and / or cell reselection configuration. In some aspects, the base station geo-fence (e.g., to identify the shielded geographic area 606) may be configured by network operator (e.g., by public land mobile network (PLMN)).

[0117] In some examples, the base station may instruct the UE device to transmit the sidelink synchronization signal without modifying the existing sidelink specification (e.g., without making any changes to the 3GPP standard). For example, the base station may use the geo-fence configuration and / or UE location data to instruct a specific UE device (e.g., UE 602) outside the shielded geographic area 606 to transmit the SLSS 606. In some aspects, the base station may direct the instruction to the specific UE device. In some cases, the UE device that does not receive the instruction will not transmit the sidelink synchronization signal when associated with a base station signal that meets a reference signal received power (RSRP) threshold.

[0118] In some aspects, the UE may determine whether to transmit the sidelink synchronization signal based on data associated with the UE. For example, the UE 602 may use GNSS signals from satellites 608 and / or other positioning signals (e.g., positioning signals from base stations) to determine that the UE 602 is located near the shielded geographic area 606. In some aspects, the UE 602 may use location data and / or base station identification (e.g., cell ID) to determine whether to initiate and / or interrupt transmission of the SLSS 618.

[0119] In some examples, the UE 602 may be configured with geo-fence data that directs the UE 602 to initiate transmission of the SLSS 618 when the UE 602 is within a threshold distance (e.g., 200 m, 500 m, etc.) of the shielded geographic area 606. In some cases, the UE 602 may use a cell ID fingerprinting algorithm to determine the start and / or stop conditions (e.g., geo-fence boundaries) for transmitting the SLSS 618. In some aspects, the parameters (e.g., cell ID, geo-fence, location coordinates, etc.) used to implement the conditional transmission of the SLSS 618 may be part of the sidelink configuration in the UE 602. In some cases, the sidelink configuration in the UE 602 may override the default configuration from the base station (e.g., the UE 602 may transmit the SLSS 618 without an instruction to transmit the SLSS 618). In some examples, the sidelink configuration in the UE 602 may be provided by a base station (e.g., base station 610, base station 612, and / or base station 614).

[0120] In some aspects, the sidelink configuration of the UE device can reduce S-SSB packet collisions. For example, the sidelink configuration of UE 602 can be used to limit the locations where UE 602 can transmit sidelink synchronization signals. In some examples, the reduction in the number of UE devices transmitting sidelink synchronization signals can reduce interference (e.g., S-SSB packet collisions), provide power savings, and / or reduce heat dissipation.

[0121] In some cases, the UE 602 may use a machine learning algorithm to identify the shielded geographic area 606. In some examples, the UE 602 may use a machine learning algorithm to determine whether to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal (e.g., SLSS 618). For example, the machine learning algorithm may collect data from one or more sensors associated with the UE 602 (e.g., sensor system 456). In some cases, the machine learning algorithm may use data from the sensor system 456 to identify the shielded geographic area 606. In some cases, the machine learning algorithm may perform image classification to identify areas associated with degraded GNSS signals and / or degraded base station signals, such as tunnels, parking garages, forests, urban canyons, etc. In another example, the machine learning algorithm may collect signal quality data (e.g., GNSS signal quality data and / or base station signal quality data) that may be associated with UE device location data. In some cases, the signal quality data and the UE location data may be used by the machine learning algorithm to identify or predict geographic areas (e.g., shielded geographic areas 606) where GNSS signals and / or base station signals may be degraded.

[0122] In some examples, UE 602 may identify a shielded geographic area 606 based on crowdsourced data received from other UE devices. For example, a UE device may be configured to track and store GNSS signal quality data and / or base station signal quality data relative to the UE device location. In some cases, the crowdsourced data may be provided to a server (e.g., a location server 616 and / or any other server) and / or stored on a server. In some examples, a server and / or a UE device may use crowdsourced data to identify a geographic area in which a UE device may be configured to transmit a side link synchronization signal. For example, crowdsourced data may be used to identify a shielded geographic area 606 as a location associated with insufficient GNSS signals and / or insufficient base station signals. In some cases, crowdsourced data may be used to configure UE 602 to transmit SLSS 618 based on the proximity of UE 602 to the shielded geographic area 606.

[0123] In some examples, UE 602 and UE 604 may associate and form a UE queue (e.g., a cluster of associated UE devices) using sidelink communications. In some cases, the UE queue may include a queue leader configured to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal to the UE devices in the UE queue. In some examples, the UE devices in the UE queue may designate a queue leader based on the position of the UE devices within the queue. In some cases, the queue leader (e.g., the sidelink synchronization source for the queue) may be selected as the UE device in the queue that last lost GNSS and / or base station connectivity (e.g., the UE device at the back of the queue). In an illustrative example, based on the position of UE 602 at the back of the queue (e.g., UE 602 will enter the shielded geographic area 606 after UE 604), UE 602 may be designated as a queue leader configured to transmit SLSS 618.

[0124] In some aspects, UE 602 and / or UE 604 may initiate formation of a UE queue in anticipation of entering a shielded geographic area 606. In some examples, two or more UE devices may form a UE queue based on parameters that may include UE positionality (e.g., distance between UE devices), direction of travel, lane location (e.g., UE devices in the same lane or adjacent lanes), travel speed, UE capabilities (e.g., UE sidelink configuration, UE capability to propagate SLSS, UE capability to be configured as an independent SLSS source, etc.), and / or any other UE parameter, attribute, or metric.

[0125] Fig. 7AA system 700 for implementing a UE queue for synchronous sidelink communication is illustrated. In some examples, the system 700 may include UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706, each of which may receive a GNSS signal from a satellite 708. In some aspects, the GNSS signal from the satellite 708 may be used as a sidelink synchronization signal (SLSS). In some examples, the UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706 may communicate using sidelink communication and use the GNSS signal from the satellite 708 as the SLSS to demodulate the received data. In some cases, each UE device (e.g., UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706) in the system 700 may be associated with a base station 712.

[0126] In some aspects, system 700 may include a tunnel 710 associated with insufficient GNSS signals and / or insufficient base station signals. In some examples, tunnel 710 may correspond to any shielded geographic area (e.g., a parking garage, an urban canyon, a forest, etc.) where a UE device may not receive a suitable GNSS signal and / or a suitable base station signal.

[0127] In some examples, the UE 702 may determine that the UE 702 is approaching a tunnel 710. In some aspects, the UE 702 may identify the tunnel 710 by performing image classification and / or object recognition (e.g., based on a machine learning algorithm) that may be associated with the tunnel 710. In some cases, the UE 702 may identify the tunnel 710 based on crowdsourced data provided to the server by other UE devices. In some aspects, the UE 702 may identify the tunnel 710 based on a machine learning algorithm that processes signal quality data (e.g., GNSS signal quality and / or base station signal quality) and UE device location data. In some examples, the UE 702 may identify the tunnel 710 based on signaling received from the base station 712 (e.g., based on UE location data processed by the LMF 270). In some cases, the UE 702 may identify the tunnel 710 based on a geo-fence implemented by the base station 712. In some examples, the UE 702 may identify the tunnel 710 based on a UE side link configuration (e.g., UE geo-fencing based on a cell ID).

[0128] In some cases, UE 702 may initiate the formation of a UE queue before entering tunnel 710. In some examples, UE 702 may send a side link communication to UE 704 and / or UE 706 to initiate the formation of a UE queue. In some aspects, UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706 may form a UE queue based on parameters that may include UE positionality (e.g., distance between UE devices), travel direction, lane position, travel speed, and / or UE capabilities. For example, UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706 may form a UE queue in response to determining that each of the corresponding UE devices is traveling in the same traffic lane. In another example, UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706 may form a UE queue in response to determining that each of the corresponding UE devices is traveling within 5 miles per hour (mph) of each other. In another example, UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706 may form a UE queue in response to determining that each of the corresponding UE devices is traveling within 50m of each other. In another example, UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706 may form a UE queue in response to determining that each of the respective UE devices has the capability to be configured as a sidelink synchronization signal source.

[0129] In some aspects, UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706 may send sidelink communications to determine the respective positions of each UE device within a UE queue. For example, UE 702 may be identified as the "head" of the UE queue, and UE 706 may be identified as the "tail" of the UE queue. In some cases, the position of the UE device within the UE queue may be used to determine a queue leader. In some cases, the queue leader may correspond to a UE device that will transmit a sidelink synchronization signal (e.g., a UE device that will be configured as a sidelink synchronization source).

[0130] In some cases, the queue leader (e.g., the sidelink synchronization source for the queue) may be selected as the UE device in the queue that lost GNSS and / or base station connectivity last (e.g., the UE device at the back of the queue). In one illustrative example, based on the position of UE 706 at the back of the queue (e.g., UE 706 will enter tunnel 710 last), UE 706 may be designated as the queue leader configured to transmit sidelink synchronization signals to UE 702 and UE 704. In another example, the queue leader may be selected as the UE device at the center of the UE queue. For example, UE 704 may be selected as the queue leader in order to minimize the transmission distance of the sidelink synchronization signal (e.g., from UE 704 to UE 706 and from UE 704 to UE 702).

[0131] In some cases, the designation of a queue leader may be dynamically changed based on changes in the relative positions of UE devices. For example, if UE 704 is positioned as the last device in the UE queue (e.g., UE 704 is passed by UE 706 before entering tunnel 710), UE 704 may be designated as the queue leader. In another example, if UE 702 is passed by UE 704 and UE 706 before entering tunnel 710, UE 702 may be designated as the queue leader. In some examples, UE devices may join or leave the UE queue at different times. In some cases, changes in the composition of the UE queue may result in changes in the queue leader.

[0132] In some aspects, the formation of the UE queue (e.g., the arrangement and / or positioning of the UE devices within the UE queue) may be configured based on factors such as the number of UE devices in the UE queue, the number of traffic lanes, the length of the tunnel, etc. For example, a UE queue including six UE devices may have a 6x 1 formation (e.g., six vehicles in one lane) or a 3x 2 formation (e.g., 3 vehicles in each of 2 parallel lanes). In some examples, the formation of the UE queue may be configured to provide efficient aggregation of UE devices in the UE queue. In some cases, the efficient aggregation of UE devices may correspond to a queue formation in which the UE devices are in closer proximity to each other. In some examples, the efficient aggregation of UE devices may correspond to a queue formation that minimizes the transmission distance between a queue leader (e.g., transmitting a sidelink synchronization signal) and a UE device farthest from the queue leader.

[0133] In some aspects, the formation of the UE queue may be configured based on the length of the tunnel. For example, the length of the column (e.g., UE devices in a line in the direction of travel) in the UE queue may be relative to the length of the tunnel (e.g., a shorter tunnel may correspond to a shorter column length). In some examples, the formation of the UE queue may be dynamically updated. For example, the formation of the UE queue may change based on a change in the number of UE devices in the UE queue, a change in the number of available traffic lanes, traffic conditions, transmission signal quality, etc.

[0134] Figure 7B Examples of things to follow Fig. 7A. In some aspects, UE 702 may be positioned inside tunnel 710, while UE 704 and UE 706 are positioned outside tunnel 710. In some examples, UE 704 and UE 706 may receive GNSS signals from satellite 708. In some cases, UE 704 and UE 706 may be associated with base station 712. In some examples, UE 702 may not be able to receive GNSS signals from satellite 708 when inside tunnel 710 (illustrated by 'X' 716). In some cases, UE 702 may not be able to receive base station signals from base station 712 when inside tunnel 710 (illustrated by 'X' 718).

[0135] In some aspects, UE 706 may be configured as a queue leader of a UE queue including UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706. In some cases, UE 706 may transmit a sidelink synchronization signal (SLSS) 714 based on a GNSS signal from satellite 708. In some examples, UE 702 may receive SLSS 714 from UE 706 and use SLSS 714 to demodulate sidelink communications from UE 704 and / or UE 706. In some cases, UE 704 may continue to use the GNSS signal from satellite 708 as the SLSS.

[0136] Figure 7C Examples of things to follow Figure 7B . In some aspects, each of the UE devices (e.g., UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706) may be positioned inside a tunnel 710. In some examples, the UE devices may not be able to receive GNSS signals from satellites 708 while inside the tunnel 710 (illustrated by 'X' 716). In some cases, the UE devices may not be able to receive base station signals from base stations 712 while inside the tunnel 710 (illustrated by 'X' 718).

[0137] In some aspects, UE 702, UE 704, and UE 706 may continue to communicate using sidelink communications while inside tunnel 710. In some examples, UE 706 may be configured as a queue leader that transmits SLSS 714 to UE 702 and UE 704. In some cases, UE 702 and / or UE 704 may receive SLSS 714 from UE 706 and use SLSS 714 to demodulate sidelink communications.

[0138] Fig.7D Examples of things to follow Figure 7C. In some aspects, UE 706 and UE 704 may be positioned inside tunnel 710, while UE 702 is positioned outside tunnel 710. In some examples, UE 704 and UE 706 may not be able to receive GNSS signals from satellite 708 while inside tunnel 710 (illustrated by 'X' 716). In some cases, UE 702 may receive GNSS signals from satellite 708 when exiting tunnel 710.

[0139] In some aspects, UE 702 may be configured as a queue leader when exiting tunnel 710. In some examples, UE 702 may transmit SLSS 720 based on receiving GNSS signals from satellite 708. In some cases, UE 706 and UE 704 may receive SLSS 720 from UE 702 and use SLSS 720 to demodulate sidelink communications.

[0140] In some cases, the UE 702 may determine whether there is any drift or change between the SLSS 714 (e.g., the SLSS received by the UE 702 from the UE 706) and the GNSS signal from the satellite 708. In some aspects, the UE 702 may intelligently decide whether to transmit the SLSS 720 based on any calculated drift or change between the synchronization signals. For example, the UE 702 may determine that the drift or change between the SLSS 714 and the GNSS signal may adversely affect the demodulation of the current sidelink communication. In such cases, the UE 706 may continue to transmit the sidelink synchronization signal to the UE queue until each UE device has left the tunnel 710. In some examples, the SLSS (e.g., sidelink synchronization signal block) transmission may be dynamically changed based on network conditions and / or UE queue configuration using an application layer protocol.

[0141] Figure 8 An example neural architecture of a neural network 800 is illustrated that can be trained to identify and / or determine geographic areas associated with insufficient sidelink synchronization source signals (e.g., insufficient GNSS signals and / or insufficient base station signals). The example neural architecture of the neural network 800 can be defined by an example neural network description 802 in a neural controller 801. The neural network 800 is an example of a machine learning model that can be deployed and implemented at a base station 102 and / or a UE 104. The neural network 800 can be a feed-forward neural network or any other known or to be developed neural network or machine learning model.

[0142] Neural network description 802 may include a complete specification of neural network 800, including Figure 8. For example, neural network description 802 may include: a description or specification of the architecture of neural network 800 (e.g., layers, layer interconnects, number of nodes in each layer, etc.); input and output descriptions indicating how inputs and outputs are formed or processed; indications of activation functions in the neural network, operations or filters in the neural network, etc.; neural network parameters such as weights, biases, etc.; and the like.

[0143] Neural network 800 may reflect the neural architecture defined in neural network description 802. Neural network 800 may include any suitable neural or deep learning type of network. In some cases, neural network 800 may include a feedforward neural network. In other cases, neural network 800 may include a recursive neural network, which may have a loop that allows information to be carried across nodes when reading input. Neural network 800 may include any other suitable neural network or machine learning model. An example includes a convolutional neural network (CNN), which includes an input layer and an output layer, with multiple hidden layers between the input layer and the output layer. The hidden layers of the CNN include a series of hidden layers as described below, such as convolutional layers, nonlinear layers, pooling layers (for downsampling), and fully connected layers. In other examples, neural network 800 may represent any other neural network or deep learning network, such as an autoencoder, a deep belief network (DBN), a recursive neural network (RNN), etc.

[0144] exist Figure 8 In a non-limiting example, the neural network 800 includes an input layer 803 that can receive one or more sets of input data. The input data can be any type of data, such as one or more parameters associated with a GNSS signal and / or a downlink signal from a base station (e.g., a GNSS signal from a satellite 608 to a UE 602 and / or a downlink communication from a base station 610 to a UE 602), such as channel state information (CSI), received signal strength, signal-to-interference ratio, signal-to-noise ratio, signal throughput, location data, environmental conditions, UE mobility status, etc.), time-frequency resources (e.g., frames, subbands, resource elements, resource blocks, etc.), etc. The input data can also include image data that can be used to train the neural network 800 to perform image classification and / or object recognition.

[0145] The neural network 800 may include hidden layers 804A to 804N (hereinafter collectively referred to as "804"). The hidden layer 804 may include n number of hidden layers, where n is an integer greater than or equal to one. The n hidden layers may include any number of layers required for the desired processing results and / or presentation intent. In an illustrative example, any hidden layer in the hidden layer 804 may include data representing one or more data provided at the input layer 803, such as one or more parameters associated with a GNSS signal or a downlink signal, such as channel state information, received signal strength, signal-to-interference ratio, signal-to-noise ratio, signal throughput, location data, environmental conditions, UE mobility state, etc.), time-frequency resources (e.g., frames, subbands, resource elements, resource blocks, etc.), etc.

[0146] The neural network 800 also includes an output layer 806 that provides output resulting from the processing performed by the hidden layer 804. The output layer 806 can provide output data based on the input data. In one example, in the context of determining and / or indicating a geographic area associated with an insufficient sidechain synchronization source signal, the output can include location data that can be used to identify a geographic area such as the shielded geographic area 606.

[0147] exist Figure 8 In the example of , the neural network 800 is a multi-layer neural network of interconnected nodes. Each node can represent a piece of information. The information associated with these nodes is shared between different layers, and each layer retains the information when processing the information. Information can be exchanged between the nodes through the node-to-node interconnects between the layers. The nodes of the input layer 803 can activate the node set in the first hidden layer 804A. For example, as shown in the figure, each input node of the input layer 803 is connected to each node of the first hidden layer 804A. The nodes of the hidden layer 804A can transform the information by applying an activation function to the information of each input node. The information derived from the transformation can then be passed to and can activate the nodes of the next hidden layer (e.g., 804B), which can perform their own specified functions. Example functions include convolution, upsampling, data transformation, pooling and / or any other suitable function. The output of the hidden layer (e.g., 804B) can then activate the nodes of the next hidden layer (e.g., 804N), and so on. The output of the last hidden layer can activate one or more nodes of the output layer 806, providing an output at this point. In some cases, although nodes in neural network 800 (e.g., nodes 808A, 808B, 808C) are shown as having multiple output lines, the nodes have a single output and all lines shown as output from a node represent the same output value.

[0148] In some cases, each node or interconnections between nodes may have a weight that is a set of parameters derived from training the neural network 800. For example, an interconnection between nodes may represent a piece of information learned about the interconnected nodes. The interconnections may have numerical weights that may be tuned (e.g., based on a training data set), thereby allowing the neural network 800 to adapt to inputs and learn as more data is processed.

[0149] The neural network 800 may be pre-trained to process features of the data from the input layer 803 using different hidden layers 804 so as to provide outputs through the output layer 806. For example, in some cases, the neural network 800 may use a training process known as back propagation to adjust the weights of the nodes. Back propagation may include a forward pass, a loss function, a backward pass, and a weight update. The forward pass, loss function, backward pass, and parameter update may be performed for one training iteration. The process may be repeated for each training data set for a certain number of iterations until the weights of the layers are accurately tuned (e.g., to meet a configurable threshold determined based on experiments and / or empirical studies).

[0150] Once trained, neural network 800 may receive as input one or more parameters associated with a communication channel between UE 104 and UE 190. Such parameters may include, but are not limited to, parameters and / or measurements associated with downlink communications (e.g., channel state information, received signal strength, signal-to-interference ratio, signal-to-noise ratio, signal throughput, location data, etc.), environmental conditions (e.g., weather conditions, indoor / outdoor channel conditions, and / or cellular or wireless connectivity, transmission capabilities and power of base station 102 and / or UE 104, etc.), mobility states of UE 104 and / or UE 190 (e.g., movement of a UE relative to another UE and / or base station), geographic coordinates from other UE devices, image data, signal measurements, etc.

[0151] Once trained, the neural network 800 may record parameters, channel conditions, signal measurements, location information, image data, and / or other information (e.g., base station identifiers, etc.) and may associate them with sidelink synchronization signal states. For example, the trained neural network 800 may determine which inputs (e.g., signal conditions, images, objects, etc.) are associated with geographic areas with degraded GNSS signal quality and / or degraded downlink base station signal quality. In some cases, the trained neural network 800 may be used to determine whether a UE device should transmit a sidelink synchronization signal. In some aspects, the trained neural network 800 may be used to determine whether a base station should instruct a UE device to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal. In some examples, the trained neural network 800 may be continuously updated or retrained (e.g., using an online learning approach).

[0152] As noted above, whether implemented at base station 102 and / or UE 104, the output of trained neural network 800 may identify geographic areas associated with insufficient GNSS signals and / or insufficient base station signals. In some aspects, the output of trained neural network 800 may be used by a UE device to initiate transmission of a sidelink synchronization signal. In some cases, a UE device may use the output of trained neural network 800 to initiate the formation of a UE train with one or more other UE devices. In some examples, the output of trained neural network 800 may be used by a base station or location server to instruct a UE device to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal. In some cases, the output of trained neural network 800 may be used by a base station or location server to implement a geo-fence configuration in which a UE device is instructed to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal.

[0153] Fig. 9 is a flow chart of a process 900 for training a machine learning algorithm, such as a neural network 800, for identifying geographic areas associated with insufficient GNSS signals and / or insufficient base station signals in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 8 To describe Fig. 9 The neural network 800 may be implemented at the base station 102 or the UE 104.

[0154] At operation 910, the neural controller 801 receives (e.g., from the base station 102) a description of the structure of the neural network 800, including, but not limited to, the architecture of the neural network 800 and definitions of layers, layer interconnections, input and output descriptions, activation functions, operations, filters, parameters such as weights, coefficients, biases, etc. In some examples, the description may be received from a device based on user input received by the device (e.g., input via an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, touch screen interface, and / or other type of input device). In some examples, operation 910 is optional and may not be performed. For example, the neural network 800 may be UE-specific (e.g., executed by a UE), and thus the description and specific configuration of the neural network 800 may be provided by the UE 104. At operation 920, the neural network 800 is generated based on the description received at operation 910. Using the description, the neural controller 801 generates appropriate input layers, intermediate layers, and output layers with defined interconnections between the layers and / or any weights or other parameters / coefficients assigned to them. These weights and / or other parameters / coefficients may be set to initialization values ​​that will be modified during training, as described below. In some examples, operation 920 is optional and may not be performed (eg, when neural network 800 is UE-specific).

[0155] At operation 930, once the neural network 800 is defined, a training data set is provided to the input layer 803 of the neural network 800. As described above, the training data set may include, but is not limited to, one or more parameters associated with GNSS signals and / or downlink signals from a base station (e.g., GNSS signals from satellite 608 to UE 602 and / or downlink communications from base station 610 to UE 602), such as channel state information (CSI), received signal strength, signal-to-interference ratio, signal-to-noise ratio, signal throughput, location data, environmental conditions, UE mobility state, etc.), time-frequency resources (e.g., frames, subbands, resource elements, resource blocks, etc.), etc. The input data may also include image data that may be used to train the neural network 800 to perform image classification and / or object recognition (e.g., identifying buildings, urban canyons, tunnels, etc.).

[0156] At operation 940, the neural network 800 is trained using the training data set. In one example, the training of the neural network 800 is an iterative process that is repeated multiple times and validated against a test data set each time. The test data set may include a set of one or more parameters similar to those used as part of the training data set. During each iteration, the output at the output layer 806 may be compared to the test data set, and the delta between the output at the output layer 806 at that iteration and the optimized output defined in the test data set is determined. The weights and other parameters or coefficients of the various layers may be adjusted based on the delta. The iterative process may continue until the delta for any given set of input parameters is less than a threshold. The threshold may be a configurable parameter determined based on experiments and / or empirical studies.

[0157] At operation 950 and once neural network 800 is trained, trained neural network 800 is deployed at base station 102 and / or UE 104. The trained neural network may then be used to identify geographic areas associated with insufficient GNSS signals and / or insufficient base station signals and / or configure transmission of sidelink synchronization signals by one or more UE devices. As measurements change, a receiving device (e.g., base station 102 or UE 104 on which trained neural network 800 is deployed) may retrain neural network 800 to determine updated mapping of the relevant geographic areas.

[0158] At operation 960, a trigger condition is detected for retraining neural network 800. The command may be received after trained neural network 800 is deployed and after each instance of configuring the UE device to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal. At operation 970, neural network 800 is retrained using the parameters received as part of the command at operation 960 (e.g., location data, image data, GNSS signal quality, base station signal quality, etc.).

[0159] Retraining neural network 800 may include adjusting weights, coefficients, biases, and / or parameters at different nodes of different layers of neural network 800. Operations 960 and 970 (retraining of neural network 800) may be repeated continuously, resulting in increased accuracy of neural network 800 over time. Operations 960 and 970 are optional and may not be performed in some cases.

[0160] Fig.10 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process 1000 for performing sidelink synchronization. At block 1002, process 1000 includes determining that an expected location of a user equipment (UE) device is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals. For example, UE 602 may determine that the expected location of UE 602 is in a shielded geographic area 606 associated with insufficient synchronization source signals. In some aspects, the geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals may include a geographic area associated with insufficient global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals and insufficient base station signals. For example, shielded geographic area 606 may be associated with insufficient GNSS signals (e.g., from satellite 608 and / or any other GNSS satellite), and shielded geographic area 606 may be associated with insufficient base station signals (e.g., from base station 610, base station 612, and / or base station 614).

[0161] In some aspects, process 1000 may include receiving an indication of a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals from a base station. For example, UE 602 may receive an indication from base station 610, base station 612, and / or base station 614 that may be used to identify a shielded geographic area 606. In some examples, process 1000 may include using a machine learning image classification algorithm to identify a geographic area. For example, UE 602 may use a machine learning image classification system to identify a shielded geographic area 606. In some examples, UE 602 may use machine learning image classification to identify an area that may be associated with a shielded geographic area 606, such as a tunnel, a parking garage, a forest, an urban canyon, etc.

[0162] In some cases, process 1000 may include identifying the geographic area using GNSS signal quality data received from multiple UE devices. For example, UE 602 may use GNSS signal quality data received from other UEs (e.g., UE 604) to identify the shielded geographic area 606. In another example, UE 706 may identify tunnel 710 based on GNSS signal quality data received from UE 702 and / or UE 704.

[0163] At block 1004, process 1000 includes transmitting a sidelink synchronization signal to at least one other UE device located within a geographic area associated with an insufficient synchronization source signal. For example, UE 602 may transmit sidelink synchronization signal 618 to UE 604, and UE 604 may be located within shielded geographic area 606.

[0164] In some aspects, process 1000 may include associating with the at least one other UE device to form a UE train, and identifying the UE device as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE train based on a location of the UE device relative to the at least one other UE device, wherein the sidelink synchronization source is configured to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the UE train is within the geographic area. In some cases, the location of the UE device may be behind the at least one other UE device.

[0165] For example, UE 602 may be associated with UE 604 to form a UE queue. In some cases, UE 602 may be identified as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on the position of UE 602 relative to UE 604. For example, UE 602 may be identified as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on the position of UE 602 behind UE 604. In some cases, UE 602 may be configured to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal 618 when UE 604 is in a shielded geographic area 606.

[0166] In some cases, associating with at least one other UE device to form a UE queue may be based on at least one of a UE direction of travel, a UE lane position, a UE speed, a UE capability, and a UE positionality. For example, based on a direction of travel of UE 602 and / or UE 604, a lane position of UE 602 and / or UE 604, a speed of UE 602 and / or UE 604, a capability of UE 602 and / or UE 604 (e.g., a UE side link configuration), and / or a distance between UE 602 and UE 604, UE 602 may be associated with UE 604 to form a UE queue.

[0167] In some aspects, in order to determine that the expected location of the UE device is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization signals, the process 1000 may include receiving an indication from a base station that the current location of the UE device is within a threshold distance of the geographic area. For example, the UE 602 may receive an indication from the base station 610, the base station 612, and / or the base station 614 that the current location of the UE 602 is within a threshold distance of the shielded geographic area 606. In some examples, the indication may include a request to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal. For example, the indication received by the UE 602 from the base station 610, the base station 612, and / or the base station 614 may include a request to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal 618.

[0168] In some cases, process 1000 may include determining that the current location of the UE device is within a threshold distance of the geographic area for transmission of the sidelink synchronization signal. For example, UE 602 may determine that the current location of UE 602 is within a threshold distance of the shielded geographic area 606 (e.g., based on geo-fence data, cell ID fingerprinting, location coordinates, etc.).

[0169] Fig.11 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a process 1100 for performing sidelink synchronization. At block 1102, the process 1100 includes receiving, by a user equipment (UE) device, a request to associate with at least one other UE device to form a UE queue. For example, UE 706 may receive a request to associate with UE 704 and / or UE 706 to form a UE queue.

[0170] At block 1104, process 1100 includes identifying the UE device as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on the position of the UE device relative to the at least one other UE device. For example, UE 706 may be identified as a sidelink synchronization source for a UE queue including UE 706, UE 704, and UE 702. In some examples, the position of the UE device is behind the at least one other UE device. For example, based on the position of UE 706 behind UE 704 and UE 702 (e.g., UE 706 will enter tunnel 710 last), UE 706 may be identified as a sidelink synchronization source.

[0171] At block 1106, process 1100 includes transmitting a first sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the UE queue is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization signals. For example, UE 705 may transmit sidelink synchronization signal 714 when UE 702 is inside tunnel 710. In some aspects, the geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals may include a geographic area associated with insufficient global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals and insufficient base station signals. For example, tunnel 710 may be associated with insufficient GNSS signals (e.g., from satellite 708 and / or any other GNSS satellite), and tunnel 710 may be associated with insufficient base station signals (e.g., from base station 712 and / or any other base station).

[0172] In some examples, process 1100 may include receiving an indication of a geographic area from at least one other UE device. For example, UE 708 may receive an indication of tunnel 710 from UE 702 and / or UE 704. In some cases, UE 702 may provide an indication of tunnel 710 in response to detecting tunnel 710 using machine learning image classification, geo-fencing, geo-coordinates, signaling from base station 712, signaling from other UEs, and / or any other suitable technique.

[0173] In some cases, process 1100 may include interrupting transmission of a first sidelink synchronization signal in response to determining that the at least one other UE device has left the geographic area. For example, UE 706 may interrupt transmission of sidelink synchronization signal 714 in response to determining that UE 702 is outside of tunnel 710 (e.g., UE 702 has access to GNSS signals from satellite 708). In some aspects, process 1100 may include receiving a second sidelink synchronization signal from at least one other UE device. For example, UE 706 may receive sidelink synchronization signal 720 from UE 702.

[0174] In some examples, the processes described herein (e.g., process 1000, process 1100, and / or other processes described herein) may be performed by a computing device or apparatus (e.g., a UE, a base station, etc.). In one example, process 1000 and / or process 1100 may be performed by a wireless communication device such as a UE (e.g., Figure 4 In another example, process 1000 and / or process 1100 may be performed by a user having Fig.12 For example, a computing device having the computing system 1200 shown in FIG. Fig.12 A wireless communication device (eg, Figure 4 The vehicle 404, mobile device, and / or other UE or device) may include components of the UE and may implement Fig.10 Operation and / or Fig.11 operation.

[0175] In some cases, a computing device or apparatus may include various components, such as one or more input devices, one or more output devices, one or more processors, one or more microprocessors, one or more microcomputers, one or more cameras, one or more sensors, and / or other components configured to perform the steps of the processes described herein. In some examples, a computing device may include a display, one or more network interfaces configured to transmit and / or receive data, any combination thereof, and / or other components. The one or more network interfaces may be configured to communicate and / or receive wired and / or wireless data, including data in accordance with 3G, 4G, 5G, and / or other cellular standards, data in accordance with Wi-Fi (802.11x) standards, data in accordance with Bluetooth standards, and / or other wireless communication protocols. TM Standard data, data according to the Internet Protocol (IP) standard and / or other types of data.

[0176] The components of the computing device may be implemented in circuits. For example, the components may include and / or be implemented using electronic circuits or other electronic hardware, which may include one or more programmable electronic circuits (e.g., microprocessors, graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), central processing units (CPUs), and / or other suitable electronic circuits), and / or may include and / or be implemented using computer software, firmware, or any combination thereof for performing the various operations described herein.

[0177] Process 1000 and process 1100 are illustrated as logic flow diagrams, the operations of which represent sequences of operations that can be implemented in hardware, computer instructions, or a combination thereof. In the context of computer instructions, each operation represents computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable storage media that, when executed by one or more processors, perform the described operations. In general, computer-executable instructions include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific functions or implement specific data types. The order in which the operations are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described operations may be combined in any order and / or in parallel to implement the process.

[0178] In addition, processes 1000, 1100, and / or other processes described herein may be performed under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions, and may be implemented as code (e.g., executable instructions, one or more computer programs, or one or more applications) that is executed together on one or more processors, through hardware, or a combination thereof. As noted above, the code may be stored on a computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium, for example, in the form of a computer program that includes multiple instructions that can be executed by one or more processors. The computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium may be non-transitory.

[0179] Fig.12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system for implementing certain aspects of the disclosed technology. Specifically, Fig.12 An example of a computing system 1200 is illustrated, which may be any computing device, for example, constituting an internal computing system, a remote computing system, a camera, or any components thereof, wherein the components of the system communicate with each other using a connection 1205. The connection 1205 may be a physical connection using a bus, or a direct connection into the processor 1210, such as in a chipset architecture. The connection 1205 may also be a virtual connection, a networked connection, or a logical connection.

[0180] In some embodiments, computing system 1200 is a distributed system, where the functionality described in the present disclosure may be distributed within a data center, multiple data centers, a peer-to-peer network, etc. In some embodiments, one or more of the system components represent a number of such components that each perform some or all of the functionality for which the component is described. In some embodiments, a component may be a physical device or a virtual device.

[0181] The example system 1200 includes at least one processing unit (CPU or processor) 1210 and connections 1205 that communicatively couple various system components including system memory 1215, such as read only memory (ROM) 1220 and random access memory (RAM) 1225, to the processor 1210. The computing system 1200 may include a cache 1212 of high-speed memory directly connected to, in close proximity to, or integrated as part of the processor 1210.

[0182] Processor 1210 may include any general purpose processor and hardware or software services, such as services 1232, 1234, and 1236 stored in storage device 1230, that are configured to control processor 1210 as well as a dedicated processor where software instructions are incorporated into the actual processor design. Processor 1210 may essentially be a completely independent computing system containing multiple cores or processors, buses, memory controllers, caches, etc. Multi-core processors may be symmetric or asymmetric.

[0183] To enable user interaction, the computing system 1200 includes an input device 1245 that can represent any number of input mechanisms, such as a microphone for voice, a touch-sensitive screen for gesture or graphical input, a keyboard, a mouse, motion input, voice, etc. The computing system 1200 may also include an output device 1235, which may be one or more of a plurality of output mechanisms. In some cases, a multimodal system may enable a user to provide multiple types of input / output to communicate with the computing system 1200.

[0184] The computing system 1200 may include a communication interface 1240, which may generally govern and manage user input and system output. The communication interface may perform or facilitate the reception and / or transmission of wired or wireless communications using wired and / or wireless transceivers, including the use of audio jacks / plugs, microphone jacks / plugs, Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports / plugs, Apple TM Lightning TM Ports / plugs, Ethernet ports / plugs, Fiber optic ports / plugs, Dedicated wired ports / plugs, 3G, 4G, 5G and / or other cellular data network wireless signal transmission, Bluetooth TM Wireless signal transmission, Bluetooth TM Low Energy (BLE) wireless signal transmission, IBEACON TMThe communication interface 1240 may also include one or more global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers or transceivers for determining the location of the computing system 1200 based on receiving one or more signals from one or more satellites associated with one or more GNSS systems. GNSS systems include, but are not limited to, the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), and Europe's Galileo GNSS. There is no restriction to operating on any particular hardware arrangement, and thus the base features herein may be easily substituted for improved hardware or firmware arrangements as they are developed.

[0185] The storage device 1230 may be a non-volatile and / or non-transitory and / or computer-readable memory device, and may be a hard disk or other type of computer-readable medium that can store data accessible by a computer, such as a magnetic cassette, a flash memory card, a solid-state memory device, a digital versatile disk, a cassette, a floppy disk, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, a magnetic stripe / magnetic stripe, any other magnetic storage medium, a flash memory, a memristor memory, any other solid-state memory, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) disc, a rewritable compact disc (CD) disc, a digital video disc (DVD) disc, a Blu-ray disc (BDD) disc, a holographic disc, another optical medium, a secure digital (SD) card, a micro secure digital (microSD) card, a Memory Card, or a memory card. card, a smart card chip, an EMV chip, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a mini / micro / nano / pico SIM card, another integrated circuit (IC) chip / card, a random access memory (RAM), a static RAM (SRAM), a dynamic RAM (DRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash EPROM (FLASH EPROM), a cache memory (e.g., a layer 1 (L1) cache, a layer 2 (L2) cache, a layer 3 (L3) cache, a layer 4 (L4) cache, a layer 5 (L5) cache, other (L#) cache), a resistive random access memory (RRAM / ReRAM), a phase change memory (PCM), a spin transfer torque RAM (STT-RAM), another memory chip or box, and / or a combination thereof.

[0186] Storage device 1230 may include software services, servers, services, etc., which, when the code defining the software is executed by processor 1210, causes the system to perform functions. In some embodiments, hardware services that perform specific functions may include software components for performing functions stored in a computer-readable medium connected to necessary hardware components such as processor 1210, connection 1205, output device 1235, etc. The term "computer-readable medium" includes, but is not limited to, portable or non-portable storage devices, optical storage devices, and various other media capable of storing, containing or carrying instructions and / or data. Computer-readable media may include non-transient media in which data may be stored and does not include carrier waves and / or transient electronic signals propagated wirelessly or through wired connections. Examples of non-transient media may include, but are not limited to, disks or tapes, optical storage media (such as compact disks (CDs) or digital versatile disks (DVDs)), flash memory, memory, or memory devices. Computer readable media may store thereon code and / or machine executable instructions, which may represent a process, function, subprogram, program, routine, subroutine, module, software package, class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and / or receiving information, data, independent variables, parameters, or memory contents. Information, independent variables, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means, including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.

[0187] Specific details are provided in the above description to provide a thorough understanding of each embodiment and each example provided herein, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the application is not limited thereto. Thus, although the exemplary embodiments of the present application have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concept can be embodied and adopted in various other ways, and the appended claims are not intended to be interpreted as including these variations, unless limited by the prior art. The various features and aspects of the above-mentioned applications can be used individually or in combination. In addition, without departing from the broader scope of this specification, the embodiments can be used in any number of environments and applications beyond the environment and application described herein. Therefore, the description and the accompanying drawings should be considered as illustrative rather than restrictive. For the purpose of illustration, each method is described in a specific order. It should be understood that in an alternative embodiment, each method can be performed in a different order than described.

[0188] For the sake of explanation, in some cases, the present technology can be presented as including a separate functional block, which includes a device, device component, step or routine in a method embodied in software or a combination of hardware and software. Additional components other than those components shown in the drawings and / or described herein can be used. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes and other components can be shown as components in block diagram form to avoid burying these embodiments in unnecessary details. In other examples, known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures and techniques can be shown without necessary details to avoid confusing each embodiment.

[0189] In addition, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, circuits and algorithmic steps described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software or a combination of the two. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits and steps have been generally described in terms of their functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on specific applications and the design constraints proposed to the entire system. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions in different ways for each specific application, but such specific implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing deviations from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0190] Individual embodiments may be described above as processes or methods depicted as flow charts, flow diagrams, data flow diagrams, structure diagrams, or block diagrams. Although flow charts may describe operations as sequential processes, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or simultaneously. In addition, the order of the operations may be rearranged. The process is terminated when the operations of the process are completed, but the process may have additional steps not included in the accompanying drawings. The process may correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subprogram, etc. When the process corresponds to a function, the termination of the process may correspond to the function returning to the caller function or main function.

[0191] The processes and methods according to the above examples can be implemented using stored computer executable instructions or otherwise available computer executable instructions from computer readable media. Such instructions may include, for example, instructions and data that cause or otherwise configure a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or a processing device to perform a certain function or function group. The part of the computer resources used can be accessed through a network. Computer executable instructions can be, for example, binary, intermediate format instructions (such as assembly language), firmware, source code. Examples of computer readable media that can be used to store instructions, information used, and / or information created during the method according to the described examples include disks or optical disks, flash memories, USB devices with non-volatile memory, networked storage devices, etc.

[0192] In some embodiments, computer-readable storage devices, media, and memories may include wired or wireless signals containing bit streams, etc. However, when referred to, non-transitory computer-readable storage media explicitly exclude media such as energy, carrier signals, electromagnetic waves, and signals themselves.

[0193] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof, depending in some cases on the specific application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, etc.

[0194] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or executed using hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or any combination thereof, and may be implemented in any of a variety of form factors. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, program code or code segments (e.g., computer program products) for performing the necessary tasks may be stored in a computer-readable or machine-readable medium. The processor may perform the necessary tasks. Examples of form factors include: laptops, smartphones, mobile phones, tablet devices, or other small form factor personal computers, personal digital assistants, rack-mounted devices, stand-alone devices, etc. The functions described herein may also be embodied in peripheral devices or add-in cards. By way of further example, such functionality may also be implemented on circuit boards in different chips or different processes executed on a single device.

[0195] Instructions, media for communicating such instructions, computing resources for executing them, and other structures for supporting such computing resources are example means for providing the functionality described in this disclosure.

[0196] The technology described herein can also be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, firmware, or any combination thereof. Such technology can be implemented in any of a variety of devices, such as general-purpose computers, wireless communication device mobile phones, or integrated circuit devices with multiple uses, including applications in wireless communication device handheld devices and other devices. Any features described as modules or components can be implemented together in an integrated logic device or separately implemented as discrete but interoperable logic devices. If implemented in software, the technology can be implemented at least in part by a computer-readable data storage medium including a program code, which includes instructions for executing one or more of the methods, algorithms, and / or operations described above when executed. A computer-readable data storage medium can form a part of a computer program product, which can include packaging materials. A computer-readable medium can include a memory or a data storage medium, such as a random access memory (RAM) (such as a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM)), a read-only memory (ROM), a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, a magnetic or optical data storage medium, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the techniques may be implemented at least in part by a computer-readable communication medium that carries or communicates program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed, read, and / or executed by a computer, such as a propagated signal or wave.

[0197] The program code may be executed by a processor, which may include one or more processors, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), general-purpose microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable logic arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits. Such a processor may be configured to perform any of the techniques described in the present disclosure. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor; however, in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Therefore, the term "processor" as used herein may refer to any of the foregoing structures, any combination of the foregoing structures, or any other structure or device suitable for implementing the techniques described herein.

[0198] One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the less than ("<") and greater than (">") symbols or terms used herein may be replaced by less than or equal to ("≤") and greater than or equal to ("≥") symbols, respectively, without departing from the scope of this specification.

[0199] Where a component is described as being “configured to” perform certain operations, such configuration may be achieved, for example, by designing electronic circuits or other hardware to perform the operations, by programming programmable electronic circuits (e.g., a microprocessor or other suitable electronic circuits) to perform the operations, or any combination thereof.

[0200] The phrases “coupled to” or “communicatively coupled to” refer to any component being physically connected directly or indirectly to another component, and / or any component being in communication with another component directly or indirectly (e.g., connected to the other component via a wired or wireless connection and / or other suitable communication interface).

[0201] Claim language or other language reciting "at least one of" a set and / or "one or more of" a set indicates that one member of the set or multiple members of the set (in any combination) satisfies the claim. For example, claim language reciting "at least one of A and B" or "at least one of A or B" means A, B, or A and B. In another example, claim language reciting "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" means A, B, C, or A and B, or A and C, or B and C, or A and B and C. The language "at least one of" a set and / or "one or more of" a set does not limit the set to the items listed in the set. For example, claim language reciting "at least one of A and B" or "at least one of A or B" may mean A, B, or A and B, and may additionally include items not listed in the set of A and B.

[0202] Illustrative examples of the present disclosure include:

[0203] Aspect 1. A wireless communication device for wireless communication, the wireless communication device comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor, the at least one processor being coupled to the at least one memory and configured to: determine that an expected location of the wireless communication device is within a geographic area associated with an insufficient synchronization source signal; and transmit a side link synchronization signal to at least one user equipment (UE) device located within the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal.

[0204] Aspect 2. A wireless communication device according to aspect 1, wherein the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal includes a geographic area associated with insufficient global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals and insufficient base station signals.

[0205] Aspect 3. A wireless communication device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: associate with the at least one UE device to form a UE queue; and identify the wireless communication device as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on the position of the wireless communication device relative to the at least one UE device, wherein the sidelink synchronization source is configured to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the UE queue is in the geographic area.

[0206] Aspect 4. The wireless communication device according to aspect 3, wherein the location of the wireless communication device is behind the at least one UE device.

[0207] Aspect 5. A wireless communication device according to any one of Aspects 3 to 4, wherein the association with the at least one UE device to form the UE queue is based on at least one of UE travel direction, UE lane position, UE speed, UE capability and UE positionality.

[0208] Aspect 6. A wireless communication device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive an indication of the geographical area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal from a base station.

[0209] Aspect 7. A wireless communication device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein in order to determine that the expected position of the wireless communication device is within the geographic area, the at least one processor is further configured to: receive an indication from a base station that the current position of the wireless communication device is within a threshold distance of the geographic area.

[0210] Aspect 8. The wireless communication device according to aspect 7, wherein the indication includes a request to transmit the sidelink synchronization signal.

[0211] Aspect 9. A wireless communication device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: determine that the current location of the wireless communication device is within a threshold distance for transmission of the sidelink synchronization signal in the geographic area.

[0212] Aspect 10. A wireless communication device according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: identify the geographic area using a machine learning image classification algorithm.

[0213] Aspect 11. A wireless communication device according to any one of aspects 1 to 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: identify the geographic area using GNSS signal quality data received from a plurality of UE devices.

[0214] Aspect 12: A method of performing any of the operations described in aspects 1 to 11.

[0215] Aspect 13: A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform any of the operations described in aspects 1 to 11.

[0216] Aspect 14: An apparatus comprising means for performing any of the operations according to aspects 1 to 11.

[0217] Aspect 15: A wireless communication device for wireless communication, the wireless communication device comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor, the at least one processor being coupled to the at least one memory and configured to: receive a request to associate with at least one UE device to form a UE queue; identify the wireless communication device as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on a position of the wireless communication device relative to the at least one UE device; and transmit a first sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the UE queue is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals.

[0218] Aspect 16: The wireless communication device according to aspect 15, wherein the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal includes a geographic area associated with insufficient global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals and insufficient base station signals.

[0219] Aspect 17. A wireless communication device according to any one of Aspects 15 to 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: interrupt transmission of the first sidelink synchronization signal in response to determining that the at least one UE device has left the geographical area.

[0220] Aspect 18. The wireless communication device according to aspect 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive a second sidelink synchronization signal from the at least one UE device.

[0221] Aspect 19: The wireless communication device according to any one of aspects 15 to 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive an indication of the geographical area from the at least one UE device.

[0222] Aspect 20: A wireless communication device according to any one of aspects 15 to 19, wherein the location of the wireless communication device is behind the at least one UE device.

[0223] Aspect 21: A method of performing any of the operations described in aspects 15 to 20.

[0224] Aspect 22: A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform any of the operations described in aspects 15 to 20.

[0225] Aspect 23: An apparatus comprising means for performing any of the operations according to aspects 15 to 20.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising: determining that an expected location of a user equipment UE device is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals; associating with at least one other UE device located within the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal to form a UE queue; identifying the UE device as a sidelink synchronization source for the queue of UEs based on a location of the UE device relative to the at least one other UE device, wherein the sidelink synchronization source is configured to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the queue of UEs is within the geographic area; Transmitting a sidelink synchronization signal to the at least one other UE device; as well as Transmission of the sidelink synchronization signal is discontinued in response to determining that the at least one other UE device has left the geographic area. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal comprises a geographic area associated with insufficient Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and insufficient base station signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the UE device is behind the at least one other UE device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein associating with the at least one other UE device to form the UE queue is based on at least one of a UE direction of travel, a UE lane position, a UE speed, a UE capability, and a UE positionality.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: An indication of the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal is received from a base station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the expected location of the UE device in the geographic area further comprises: An indication is received from a base station that a current location of the UE device is within a threshold distance of the geographic area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indication comprises a request to transmit the sidelink synchronization signal.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A determination is made as to whether a current location of the UE device is within a threshold distance for transmission of the sidelink synchronization signal in the geographic area.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A machine learning image classification algorithm is used to identify the geographic area.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The geographic area is identified using GNSS signal quality data received from a plurality of UE devices.

11. A wireless communication device for wireless communication, the wireless communication device comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to: determining that an expected location of the wireless communication device is within a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals; associating with at least one user equipment (UE) device located within the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal to form a UE queue; identifying the wireless communication device as a sidelink synchronization source for the queue of UEs based on a location of the wireless communication device relative to the at least one UE device, wherein the sidelink synchronization source is configured to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the queue of UEs is within the geographic area; Transmitting a sidelink synchronization signal to the at least one UE device; as well as Transmission of the sidelink synchronization signal is discontinued in response to determining that the at least one UE device has left the geographic area.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal comprises a geographic area associated with insufficient Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and insufficient base station signals.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein associating with the at least one UE device to form the UE queue is based on at least one of a UE direction of travel, a UE lane position, a UE speed, a UE capability, and a UE positionality.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: An indication of the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal is received from a base station.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein to determine that the expected location of the wireless communication device is within the geographic area, the at least one processor is further configured to: An indication is received from a base station that a current location of the wireless communication device is within a threshold distance of the geographic area, wherein the indication includes a request to transmit the sidelink synchronization signal.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: A determination is made as to whether a current location of the wireless communication device is within a threshold distance of the geographic area for transmission of the sidelink synchronization signal.

17. A method of wireless communication, the method comprising: Receiving, by a user equipment UE device, a request to associate with at least one other UE device to form a UE queue; identifying the UE device as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on a position of the UE device relative to the at least one other UE device; transmitting a first sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the queue of UEs is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals; as well as Transmission of the first sidelink synchronization signal is discontinued in response to determining that the at least one other UE device has left the geographic area.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal comprises a geographic area associated with insufficient Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and insufficient base station signals.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: A second sidelink synchronization signal is received from the at least one other UE device.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: An indication of the geographic area is received from the at least one other UE device.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the location of the UE device is behind the at least one other UE device.

22. A wireless communication device for wireless communication, the wireless communication device comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to: receiving a request to associate with at least one UE device to form a UE queue; identifying the wireless communication device as a sidelink synchronization source for the UE queue based on a location of the wireless communication device relative to the at least one UE device; transmitting a first sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the queue of UEs is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals; as well as Transmission of the first sidelink synchronization signal is discontinued in response to determining that the at least one UE device has left the geographic area.

23. The wireless communication device of claim 22, wherein the geographic area associated with the insufficient synchronization source signal comprises a geographic area associated with insufficient Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and insufficient base station signals.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 22, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: A second sidelink synchronization signal is received from the at least one UE device.

25. The wireless communication device of claim 22, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: An indication of the geographic area is received from the at least one UE device.

26. The wireless communication device of claim 22, wherein the location of the wireless communication device is behind the at least one UE device.

27. A device for wireless communication, the device comprising: means for determining that the expected location of the device is in a geographic area associated with an insufficient synchronization source signal; means for associating with at least one other device located within said geographic area associated with said insufficient synchronization source signal to form a queue; means for identifying the device as a sidelink synchronization source for the queue based on a location of the device relative to the at least one other device, wherein the sidelink synchronization source is configured to transmit a sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the queue is within the geographic area; means for transmitting a sidelink synchronization signal to the at least one other device; as well as Means for interrupting transmission of the sidelink synchronization signal in response to determining that the at least one other device has left the geographic area.

28. A device for wireless communication, the device comprising: means for receiving, by the device, a request associated with at least one other device to form a queue; means for identifying the device as a sidelink synchronization source for the queue based on a position of the device relative to the at least one other device; means for transmitting a first sidelink synchronization signal when at least a portion of the queue is in a geographic area associated with insufficient synchronization source signals; as well as Means for interrupting transmission of the first sidelink synchronization signal in response to determining that the at least one other device has left the geographic area.

29. A computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) device, the code being executable by a processor of the UE device to cause the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-10.

30. A computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) device, the code being executable by a processor of the UE device to cause the processor to perform a method according to any one of claims 17-21.

31. A computer program product storing codes for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) device, the codes being executable by a processor of the UE device to cause the processor to perform a method according to any one of claims 1-10.

32. A computer program product storing code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) device, the code being executable by a processor of the UE device to cause the processor to perform a method according to any one of claims 17-21.

Images