Enhancing positioning for devices connected to wireless networks

Abstract

Disclosed is a method comprising: receiving, from a network entity, a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and a device, where the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and where the first report comprises information about at least one carrier; transmitting a first report to the network entity, wherein the first report comprises information about a total number of beams that the device can support for reception on the at least one carrier; receiving, from the network entity, a configuration for path tracking at the apparatus, where path tracking includes tracking a path across the at least one carrier, and a number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than a total number of beams that the apparatus can support for reception on the at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request for a second report from the apparatus, where the second report includes information about path tracking; and sending the second report to the network entity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The following exemplary embodiments relate to wireless communications, and positioning of wireless devices. Background Art

[0002] Wireless networks, such as cellular communication networks, enable and utilize positioning of terminal devices. Information about the location of a terminal device can be used for a variety of use cases, and it is therefore beneficial to be able to determine the location of a terminal device as accurately as possible. Summary of the invention

[0003] The scope of protection sought by the various embodiments of the present invention is set out by the independent claims. Exemplary embodiments and features described in this specification that do not belong to the scope of the independent claims, if any, should be interpreted as examples that help understand the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0004] According to a first aspect, a device is provided, comprising components for: sending a trigger for a positioning session between the device and the other device to another device, wherein the trigger includes a first request for a first report from the other device, and wherein the first report includes information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the other device; receiving a first report from the other device, wherein the first report includes: information about the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; based on the first report, determining a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking includes: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; sending the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report includes information about path tracking; receiving the second report from the other device; and determining the location of the other device based on the second report.

[0005] In some example embodiments according to the first aspect, the apparatus comprises at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0006] According to a second aspect, a device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the device to: send a trigger for a positioning session between the device and the other device to another device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the other device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the other device; receive a first report from the other device, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on the at least one carrier; based on the first report, determine a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across the at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on the at least one carrier; send the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report comprises information about the path tracking; receive the second report from the other device; and determine the position of the other device based on the second report.

[0007] According to a third aspect, a method is provided, comprising: sending a trigger for a positioning session between the device and the other device to another device, wherein the trigger includes a first request for a first report from the other device, and wherein the first report includes information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the other device; receiving a first report from the other device, wherein the first report includes: information about the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; based on the first report, determining a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking includes: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; sending the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report includes information about path tracking; receiving the second report from the other device; and determining the location of the other device based on the second report.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following items: sending a trigger for a positioning session between the device and the other device to another device, wherein the trigger includes a first request for a first report from the other device, and wherein the first report includes information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the other device; receiving a first report from the other device, wherein the first report includes: information about the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; based on the first report, determining a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking includes: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; sending the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report includes information about path tracking; receiving the second report from the other device; and determining the location of the other device based on the second report.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions being used to perform at least the following items: sending a trigger for a positioning session between the device and the other device to another device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the other device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier associated with the other device; receiving a first report from the other device, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; based on the first report, determining a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; sending the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking; receiving the second report from the other device; and determining the position of the other device based on the second report.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following items: sending a trigger for a positioning session between the device and the other device to another device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the other device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier associated with the other device; receiving a first report from the other device, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; based on the first report, determining a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; sending the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking; receiving the second report from the other device; and determining the location of the other device based on the second report.

[0011] According to a seventh aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions stored thereon, the instructions being used to perform at least the following items: sending a trigger for a positioning session between the device and the other device to another device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the other device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the other device; receiving a first report from the other device, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; based on the first report, determining a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on at least one carrier; sending the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking; receiving the second report from the other device; and determining the position of the other device based on the second report.

[0012] According to an eighth aspect, a device is provided, comprising components for: receiving a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and the device from a network entity, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, sending a first report to the network entity, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a configuration for path tracking at the device from the network entity, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request being for a second report from the device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking; and sending the second report to the network entity.

[0013] In some example embodiments according to the eighth aspect, the apparatus comprises at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause execution of the apparatus together with the at least one processor.

[0014] According to a ninth aspect, a device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the device to: receive a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and the device from a network entity, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, send a first report to the network entity, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receive a configuration for path tracking at the device from the network entity, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receive a second request from the network entity, the second request being for a second report from the device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking; and send the second report to the network entity.

[0015] According to the tenth aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and a device from a network entity, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, sending a first report to the network entity, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a configuration for path tracking at the device from the network entity, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request being for a second report from the device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking; and sending the second report to the network entity.

[0016] According to an eleventh aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following items: receiving a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and the device from a network entity, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, sending a first report to the network entity, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a configuration for path tracking at the device from the network entity, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request being for a second report from the device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking; and sending the second report to the network entity.

[0017] According to a twelfth aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions being used to perform at least the following items: receiving a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and a device from a network entity, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, sending a first report to the network entity, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a configuration for path tracking at the device from the network entity, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request being for a second report from the device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking; and sending the second report to the network entity.

[0018] According to a thirteenth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the following items: receiving a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and the device from a network entity, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, sending a first report to the network entity, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a configuration for path tracking at the device from the network entity, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request being for a second report from the device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking; and sending the second report to the network entity.

[0019] According to a fourteenth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions stored thereon, the instructions being used to perform at least the following items: receiving a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and a device from a network entity, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, sending a first report to the network entity, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a configuration for path tracking at the device from the network entity, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for reception on at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request being for a second report from the device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking; and sending the second report to the network entity.

[0020] According to a fifteenth aspect, a system is provided, comprising a first device and a second device, wherein the system further comprises a component for: sending a trigger for a positioning session between the first device and the second device by the first device to the second device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the second device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the second device; receiving a first report by the first device from the second device, wherein the first report comprises: information about the total number of beams that the second device can support for reception on at least one carrier; determining, by the first device, a configuration for path tracking at the second device based on the first report, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the second device can support for reception on at least one carrier; sending the configuration and the second request by the first device to the second device, the second request being for a second report from the second device, wherein the second report comprises information about path tracking, and receiving the second report by the first device from the second device; and determining, by the first device, a position of the second device based on the second report.

[0021] According to the sixteenth aspect, a system is provided, comprising a first device and a second device, wherein the system is configured to: send a trigger for a positioning session between the first device and the second device by the first device to the second device, wherein the trigger includes a first request for a first report from the second device, and wherein the first report includes information about at least one carrier, receive the first report from the second device by the first device, wherein the first report includes: information about the total number of beams that the second device can support for reception on at least one carrier; determine, by the first device, a configuration for path tracking at the second device based on the first report, wherein the path tracking includes: tracking a path across at least one carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the second device can support for reception on at least one carrier; send the configuration and the second request by the first device to the second device, the second request being for a second report from the second device, wherein the second report includes information about path tracking, receive the second report by the first device from the second device; and determine the position of the second device based on the second report by the first device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In the following, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to embodiments and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 An example embodiment of a radio access network is illustrated.

[0024] Figure 2A An example embodiment illustrating beam defects is illustrated, and Figure 2B A graph depicting position inaccuracies due to beam imperfections of an example embodiment is illustrated.

[0025] Figure 3 A signaling diagram according to an example embodiment is illustrated.

[0026] Figure 4 and Figure 5 An example embodiment of an apparatus is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following embodiments are exemplary. Although the specification may refer to "an", "one" or "some" embodiments in multiple places, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference refers to the same (multiple) embodiments, or that a particular feature applies only to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

[0028] In this application, the term "circuitry" refers to all of the following: (a) hardware circuit implementations only, such as implementations in analog and / or digital circuitry only; and (b) combinations of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as (as applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) processors, or (ii) portions of (multiple) processors / software, including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable the device to perform various functions; and (c) circuitry, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors, that requires software or firmware to operate, even if the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term in this application. As a further example, in this application, the term "circuitry" also covers implementations of only a processor (or multiple processors), or a portion of a processor and its (their) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, and if applicable to the particular element, the term "circuitry" would also cover a baseband integrated circuit or application processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other network device. The above-described embodiments of circuit systems may also be viewed as embodiments of providing means for performing embodiments of methods or processes described in this document.

[0029] The techniques and methods described herein can be implemented by various components. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or a combination thereof. For hardware implementations, the (multiple) devices of the embodiments can be implemented in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof. For firmware or software, implementations can be implemented by modules (e.g., processes, functions, etc.) of at least one chipset that performs the functions described herein. Software codes can be stored in a memory unit and executed by a processor. The memory unit can be implemented in a processor or outside a processor. In the latter case, the memory unit can be communicatively coupled to the processor via any suitable means. In addition, the components of the system described herein can be rearranged and / or supplemented by additional components to facilitate various aspects related thereto, etc., and they are not limited to the precise configurations described in a given figure, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0030] The embodiments described herein may be implemented in a communication system, such as in at least one of the following: a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or any other second generation cellular communication system, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS, 3G) based on basic Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, a system based on the IEEE 802.11 specification, a system based on the IEEE 802.15 specification, and / or a fifth generation (5G) mobile or cellular communication system. However, the embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but those skilled in the art may apply the solution to other communication systems provided with the necessary properties.

[0031] Figure 1 An example of a simplified system architecture is depicted showing some elements and functional entities, which are logical units and whose implementation may differ from what is shown. Figure 1 The connections shown in are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the system may also include Figure 1 Other functions and structures than those shown in . Figure 1 The example of FIG. 1 shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0032] Figure 1 User equipment 100 and 102 are shown, which are configured to wirelessly connect to an access node (such as (e / g)NodeB) 104 providing the cell on one or more communication channels in the cell. Access node 104 may also be referred to as a node. The physical link from the user equipment to the (e / g)NodeB is called an uplink or reverse link, and the physical link from the (e / g)NodeB to the user equipment is called a downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g)NodeB or its functions may be implemented by using any node, host, server or access point or the like suitable for such purposes. It should be noted that although one cell is discussed in the present exemplary embodiment, for ease of illustration, in some exemplary embodiments, multiple cells may be provided by one access node.

[0033] The communication system usually includes more than one (e / g)NodeB, in which case the (e / g)NodeB can also be configured to communicate with each other through wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links can be used for signaling purposes. (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. (e / g)NodeB can also be referred to as a base station, an access point, or any other type of interface device, including a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. From the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB, a connection is provided to an antenna unit, which establishes a bidirectional radio link to a user equipment. The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. (e / g)NodeB is also connected to a core network 110 (CN or next generation core NGC). Depending on the system, the counterpart on the CN side may be a service gateway (S-GW, routing and forwarding user data packets), a packet data network gateway (P-GW), for providing user equipment (UE) connectivity to an external packet data network, or a mobile management entity (MME), etc.

[0034] The terminal device (also referred to as UE, user equipment, user terminal, terminal device, etc.) illustrates a type of device to which resources on the air interface resources are allocated and assigned, and therefore, any features described herein using the user equipment can be implemented using corresponding devices (such as relay nodes). An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-return relay) toward a base station. Another example of such a relay node is a layer 2 relay. Such a relay node may include a terminal device portion and a distributed unit (DU) portion. For example, a CU (centralized unit) may coordinate DU operations via an F1AP interface.

[0035] The terminal device may refer to a portable computing device, including a wireless mobile communication device that operates with or without a subscriber identity module (SIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile stations (mobile phones), smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, devices using wireless modems (alarms or measuring devices, etc.), laptop and / or touch screen computers, tablet computers, game consoles, notebooks, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that the user device may also be an exclusive or almost exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips to a network. The terminal device may also be a device with the ability to operate in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a scenario in which objects are provided with the ability to transmit data over a network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. The terminal device may also utilize the cloud. In some applications, the user device may include a small portable device (such as a watch, headset, or glasses) with a radio component, and the calculation is performed in the cloud. The user device (or in some embodiments, a layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more of the user device functions.

[0036] The various techniques described herein can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS), a system of cooperating computing elements that control physical entities. CPS can enable the implementation and utilization of a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects in different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems in which the physical system in question has inherent mobility. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0037] Additionally, although the apparatus has been depicted as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units ( Figure 1 Not all are shown) can be implemented.

[0038] 5G enables the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, many more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites operating in cooperation with small stations, and adopts various radio technologies depending on service requirements, use cases and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different ways of data sharing and various forms of machine-type applications (such as (massive) machine-type communications (mMTC)), including vehicle safety, different sensors and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely below 6GHz, cmWave and mmWave, and can also be integrated with existing traditional radio access technologies (such as LTE). At least in the early stages, integration with LTE can be implemented as a system in which macro coverage is provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access comes from small cells by aggregation to LTE. In other words, it is planned that 5G will support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as below 6GHz-cmWave, below 6GHz-cmWave-mmWave). One of the concepts being considered for use in 5G networks is network slicing, where multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnetworks (network instances) can be created within the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0039] The current architecture in LTE networks is fully distributed in the radio and fully centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G may require bringing content close to the radio, which may give rise to local breakthroughs and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analysis and knowledge generation to be done at the data source. This approach requires the use of resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It also has the ability to store and process content close to the cellular subscriber to speed up response time. Edge computing covers a wide range of technologies such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing (also categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing), dew computing, mobile edge computing, cloud, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented reality and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency critical), critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analysis, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0040] The communication system can also communicate with or utilize services provided by other networks, such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 112. The communication network can also support the use of cloud services, for example, at least part of the core network operations can be performed as a cloud service (this is in the Figure 1 The communication system may also include a central control entity or the like to provide cooperation facilities for networks of different operators, for example in terms of spectrum sharing.

[0041] Edge cloud can be introduced into the radio access network (RAN) by leveraging network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined networking (SDN). Using edge cloud may mean that access node operations are at least partially performed in a server, host or node, which is operatively coupled to a remote radio head or base station including radio components. Node operations may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes or hosts. The application of cloudRAN architecture enables RAN real-time functions to be performed on the RAN side (in the distributed unit DU 104), and non-real-time functions can be performed in a centralized manner (in the centralized unit CU 108).

[0042] It should also be understood that the division of labor between core network operations and base station operations may be different from LTE or even non-existent. Some other technological advances that may be used are big data and all-IP, which may change the way networks are built and managed. 5G (or New Radio NR) networks are being designed to support multiple hierarchical structures, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and the base stations or NodeBs (gNBs). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0043] 5G can also use satellite communications to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, such as by providing backhaul or service availability in areas without terrestrial coverage. Satellite communications can utilize geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite systems or low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, such as giant constellations. The satellites 106 included in the constellation can carry gNBs, or at least a portion of a gNB, to create a ground cell. Alternatively, the satellite 106 can be used to relay signals from one or more cells to the earth. The ground unit can be created by a ground relay node 104, or by a gNB located on the ground or in a satellite, or a portion of the gNB can be on a satellite, such as a DU, and a portion of the gNB can be on the ground, such as a CU. In addition, or alternatively, a high altitude platform station (HAPS) system can be utilized.

[0044] It should be noted that the depicted system is an example of a part of a radio access system, and the system may include multiple (e / g)NodeBs, a terminal device may have access to multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other means, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one (e / g)NodeB may be a home (e / g)NodeB. In addition, in a geographical area of ​​the radio communication system, multiple different types of radio cells, as well as multiple radio cells may be provided. A radio cell may be a macro cell (or umbrella cell), which is a large cell typically having a diameter of up to tens of kilometers, or a smaller cell, such as a micro cell, a femto cell, or a pico cell. Figure 1 The (e / g)NodeB of a cell can provide any type of these cells. The cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network including several cells. In some exemplary embodiments, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more cells of one type, and therefore multiple (e.g.) NodeBs are required to provide such a network structure.

[0045] In order to meet the needs of improving the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB has been introduced. In addition to the home (e / g) NodeB (H(e / g)nodeB), a network that can use "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB can also include a home node B gateway or HNB-GW ( Figure 1 The HNB gateway (HNB-GW) that can be installed in the operator's network can aggregate traffic from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0046] In order to locate a terminal device in a cellular communication system, various methods can be used. For example, positioning can be performed based on downlink arrival time difference (DL-TDOA), uplink arrival time difference (UL-TDOA) and / or enhanced cell ID (E-CID). Positioning can also be based on angles, such as downlink departure angle (DL-AoD) or uplink arrival angle (UL-AoA). Another option for locating a terminal device is to use a multi-cell round trip time (Multi-RTT). The positioning methods can be such that they are specific to the radio access technology (RAT) used, or the positioning can be independent of the RAT used. In order to make positioning as useful as possible, it is beneficial to perform enhancements that improve various aspects of positioning, such as accuracy, latency and / or efficiency of the network and / or terminal equipment.

[0047] To improve aspects of positioning, for example, with respect to DL-AoD, enhancements may be obtained by sending more information about the shape and / or gain of the transmit (Tx) beam of a transmit receive point (TRP) to the terminal device. For example, a network entity such as a location management function (LMF) may send a quantized version of the relative power between positioning reference signal (PRS) resources for each angle of each TRP to the terminal device. In other words, for an angle associated with a TRP, a quantized version of the PRS for that angle is sent by the LMF to the terminal device. The relative power may be defined relative to the peak power in the angle, and for that angle, at least two PRS resources may be reported. Note that, although the explanation is presented here from the perspective of one TRP and one angle in order to make the explanation as clear as possible, the LMF may send such information about multiple angles and multiple TRPs.

[0048] Imperfections associated with a transmit (Tx) or receive (Rx) beam are a phenomenon that can be caused by spurious phase shifts and / or delays in the radio frequency (RF) chain. This imperfection can manifest as beam offset or beam sidelobes. Beam offset can be understood as if the beam would point in a certain direction, but the beam actually points in a different direction from that certain direction, and this difference is the offset. Beam sidelobes can be understood as energy leakage from the neighbors of a given beam, and beam sidelobes can also be referred to as spatial aliasing.

[0049] The above-mentioned deficiencies may cause problems such as reduced positioning accuracy in both UL and DL due to false detection of line of sight (LOS) and / or selection of wrong beams. Figure 2A An example embodiment of an illustrated beam defect is illustrated. In this example embodiment, there is a line of sight (LOS) 205 between a network entity (such as an access node 200) and a terminal device 210. There is also an ideal beam b1 220, which illustrates how the terminal device 210 believes that the beam b1 (i.e., the actual beam b1) points. However, the actual pointing is illustrated as a real beam b1 225. In a similar manner, another beam b2 is believed by the terminal device 210 to point as shown by the ideal beam b2 230, while beam b2 actually points as shown by the real beam b2 235. Due to the offset and sidelobes present in this example embodiment, a non-line of sight (NLOS) component NLOS2 215 is captured in this example embodiment with greater energy than LOS205. Therefore, NLOS2 215 is incorrectly identified as LOS by the receiver of the terminal device 210, and the terminal device incorrectly reports the delay of NLOS2215 and Rx beam b2 as LOS. Therefore, there may be erroneous measurements used to calculate the position of the terminal device 210. This may cause unacceptable position errors on the order of meters, such as Figure 2BThus, if carrier phase based positioning is to be utilized, it is desirable for the terminal device 210 to be able to resolve the LOS path and then measure the phase of that path to allow for high accuracy use cases.

[0050] By identifying and tracking the evolution of channel paths (which can also be understood as channel taps or paths) across beams (such as receive beams) of terminal devices, carrier and time positioning errors caused by beam defects can be mitigated. It should be noted that although the discussion in this article involves channel paths, multiple channel paths can be identified and tracked in a corresponding manner. In addition, by tracking the generation and extinction of one or more channel paths, inferring the mobility of terminal devices, enhancing LOS detection and achieving position prediction can be achieved. To achieve this, the LMF (which can also be referred to as a network entity) included in the cellular communication network can send a positioning session between the LMF and the terminal device as the target terminal device by sending the required configuration to the target terminal device via the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) Assistance Data (AD). Thereafter, the LMF can request the target terminal device to provide an enhanced LPP report, which includes information for cross-beam cross-carrier tap tracking (CB-TT), which can also be understood as path tracking, including tracking paths across one or more carriers and beams (such as receive beams). It should be noted that taps can be understood as paths. In other words, the LMF may send a CC-TT request to the target terminal device. The request may indicate to the target terminal device the transmission reception point (TRP) and its resources for which CB-TT is enabled. For example, the information element (IE) CB-TT-flag may be used to indicate the TRP resources by associating the IE with the corresponding positioning reference signal (PRS) index. In addition, the request may indicate the number of paths to be tracked across beams and across carriers (which is referred to herein as K). For example, this may be explicitly specified, or the LMF may request the target terminal device to track the tap with the minimum energy level, such as at most X dB below the strongest detection path. In addition, the request may indicate the number of beams across which the channel will be tracked, such as Rx beams, which may be referred to herein as B. For example, the LMF may have to be notified by the target terminal device about the Rx beam width and (multiple) Rx beam gain for each carrier frequency in order to configure the parameters indicating the number of Rx beams across which the tap will be tracked. It should be noted that the target terminal device may transmit this capability before sending the LPP request. The request may also indicate the number of carriers (referred to as C) across which the path will be tracked by the terminal device, which may be determined based on the reported beamwidth, the environment of the target terminal device (such as urban, suburban or indoor), and the separation of the carriers in frequency (such as whether the carriers are in frequency range 1 (FR1) or frequency range 2 (FR2), or a combination of FR1 and FR2, etc.). In addition, the request may indicate a time window (referred to as W) over which the path will be tracked. This may be determined with respect to the mobility of the target terminal device, for example using Doppler shift and / or the type of the target terminal device.

[0051] After the target terminal device has received the CB-TT request, it may start listening to one or more PRSs indicated by the request. If the target terminal device receives a TRP indication with a CB-TT flag and a state of on, the target terminal device may activate path tracking accordingly. Path tracking may include measuring the PRS using the associated Rx beam and extracting the channel for each Rx beam for each carrier in the case of carrier aggregation (CA) positioning. Path tracking may also include sorting the detected paths from all Rx beams by their power, for example, by weighting the paths by the Tx and Rx beam gains in addition. The target terminal device may then select the strongest path and the weakest path using a threshold that may have been indicated by the LMF. Then, for the selected path, the terminal device may obtain, for example, by extracting its corresponding path gain at the Rx beam for the carrier, and the tap delay at the Rx beam. It should be noted that there may be more than one selected path, so the terminal device may also perform the above content separately for the selected path. It should be noted that the path gain may be a complex gain (e.g. in the case of carrier phase (CP) positioning), or may be a real gain (such as amplitude A for timing-based positioning), etc. It should also be noted that the estimate of the path delay for a single path may differ from one Rx beam to another, and the target terminal device may need to determine whether the delay variation is due to another reflection.

[0052] Based on the extracted path gain and path delay, the target terminal device can create a CB-TT report, and it can also send the CB-TT report as, for example, a 3D differential report, which is a type of CB-TT report, in which path changes can be reported relative to the strongest path, which is associated with a known beam, carrier, and time instance. Known beams, carriers, and time instances can also be understood as reference beams, carriers, and time instances. 3D can be understood as including aspects of space, carrier, and time. For example, if a path with gain, amplitude, and delay (a, p, d) is detected in beam k, carrier c, and time instance t, other detected paths (over time, space, and carrier frequency) can be reported relative to the reference path (a, p, d) (k, c, t) using a triplet (e.g., including differential amplitude, differential phase, and / or differential delay). This type of report can allow the LMF to track the generation and extinction of paths over time, space, and frequency, and create a mobility profile for the target terminal device. For example, the LMF can obtain Doppler shift indications, LOS conditions, predict future positions, etc.

[0053] Alternatively, the CB-TT report can be sent as a 2D report, which is another type of CB-TT report in which the path changes are reported relative to the strongest path in the beam and carrier. 2D can be understood to include both spatial and carrier aspects. For example, if the path (i.e., path 1) is characterized by (a, p, d) and is strongest in beam k and carrier c, its report can be generated as the reference path is (a, p, d)(k, c), and relative to the reference path, path 1 across beams and across carriers is (diff_a, diff_p, diff_d)(l, v),..., (diff_a, diff_p, diff_d)(z, u), and relative to the reference path, path 2 across beams and across carriers is (diff_a, diff_p, diff_d)(g, h),... where (a,p,d)(k,c) is the reference tuple (amplitude, phase, delay) in beam k, carrier c; diff_a(j,v) = a(k,c) - a(j,v); diff_p(j,v) = p(k,c) - p(j,v); diff_d(j,v) = d(k,c) - d(j,v); and (a,p,d)(j,v) is the non-reference tuple (amplitude, phase, delay) in beam j, carrier v'.

[0054] As another alternative, the CB-TT report can be sent as a ID report, which is another type of CB-TT report in which the path changes are reported relative to the strongest path in the beam. Therefore, ID is understood to include an aspect of the carrier. For example, path 1 may be characterized by (a, p, d, b) and is the strongest in carrier c. Then, its report can be generated as reference path 1 is (a, p, d, b)(c); relative to the reference path, path 1 across carriers is (diff_a, diff_p, diff_d, diff_b)(l,v),......,(diff_a, diff_p, diff_d, diff_b)(u), and relative to the reference path, path 2 across carriers is (diff_a, diff_p, diff_d, diff_b)(h),....... Where (a, p, d, b)(c) is the reference tuple (amplitude, phase, delay, beam) at carrier c; diff_a(v) = a(c) - a(v); diff_p(j, v) = p(c) - p(v); diff_d(j, v) = d(c) - d(v); diff_d(j, v) = d(c) - d(v); diff_b(j, v) = b(c) - b(v); and (a, p, d, b)(j, v) is the non-reference tuple (amplitude, phase, delay, beam) at carrier v. It should be noted that the beam can be transmitted as an index or as an angle of arrival, with / without correction for the orientation of the target terminal device.

[0055] Table 1 below illustrates different reporting alternatives that may be used if reporting is to be performed (as another alternative) based on a mapping (such as a table), which is another type of CB-TT reporting. The mapping then indicates the relationship between the amplitude, phase, and delay for the paths across carriers and across beams used in CB-TT.

[0056]

[0057]

[0058] Table 1

[0059] The LMF may determine which reporting alternative is to be used. For example, this may be configured via LPP configuration. For example, if 3D reporting is alternative a, 2D reporting is alternative b, 1D reporting is alternative c, and table-based reporting is alternative d, then the variable CB-TT-flag may be set to:

[0060] 1-3D Report (Variant A)

[0061] 2-2D Report (Variant B)

[0062] 3-1D Report (Variant C)

[0063] 4-Tabular report (variant d).

[0064] It should be noted that when LMF sets CB-TT-flag = 1, the time window can be explicitly configured, that is, the target terminal device should look for the reference path over the time window. It should also be noted that although a table is shown in this document, the mapping can also be a multivariable function, and each entry of the table can be generated using the function.

[0065] Then, using the CB-TT report, the LMF can select a relevant path for each PRS resource for each TRP and determine the location of the target terminal device. In other words, based on the received CB-TT report, the LMF can select a relevant path for the PRS resource associated with the TRP and determine the location of the terminal device based at least in part on the relevant path.

[0066] Figure 3An example embodiment of signaling is illustrated. Signaling is used for DL ​​positioning. In this example embodiment, there is a network entity, namely LMF 310. LMF 310 sends a trigger 332 to a terminal device 320, which can be understood as a target terminal device. Trigger 332 is a trigger for a positioning session between LMF 310 and terminal device 320. Trigger 332 also includes a request for reporting, and the request includes information of a carrier associated with terminal device 320. Therefore, the carrier can be understood as the requested carrier. Therefore, in this example embodiment, trigger 332 is enhanced with a request for a beam (such as an Rx beam) information report. The Rx beam can be referred to as B. The terminal device 320 can then send an indication 334, which includes information about the Rx beam that the terminal device 320 can generate at the requested carrier, such as the width of the beam, the gain and / or the total number of beams (such as Rx beams). For example, the indication 334 may include the total number of beams, and optionally also the width of the beam and / or the gain of the beam. The total number of beams may be understood as the total number of beams that the terminal device 320 can support for reception on the requested carrier. The indication 334 may also be understood as a request report now sent by the terminal device 320 and thus received by the LMF 310. The requested carrier may be a carrier in the CL, and it should be noted that in the case where there is more than one requested carrier, the terminal device 320 may provide information for more than one carrier. In addition, using the indication 334, the LMF 310 may then determine 340 the number of paths K, the number of carriers C, the time window W, and the Rx beam B. The LMF 310 may also generate 340 assistance data that may be used to configure the PRS, and the type of measurement for the PRS resources, such as whether the terminal device 320 is to perform CB-TT. For example, whether the terminal device 320 is to perform CB-TT may be indicated using an IE (such as a CB-TT flag). If the flag is assigned a value indicating that CB-TT is to be performed, the LMF 310 may then send an indication 345 including the PRS with the CB-TT flag. It should be noted that there may be more than one PRS included in the indication 345 for which the terminal device 320 is to perform CB-TT. For example, the LMF 310 may use the indication 345 to configure tracking parameters such as the number of tracking paths K, the number of carriers C, the tracking space size in terms of the number of Rx beams B and the time window W. The number of Rx beams may be equal to or less than the total number of beams that the terminal device 320 can support for reception on the requested carrier. The beams in the number of Rx beams (in this example embodiment, the Rx beams) may be adjacent beams in the spatial domain.In other words, the LMF 310 may determine a configuration for path tracking at the terminal device 320 based on the received report, and the path tracking may include tracking a path across at least the requested carrier, and a number of beams for reception by the terminal device 320 on at least the requested carrier, and the number of beams for reception on at least the requested carrier is equal to or less than the total number of beams that the terminal device 320 can support for reception on at least the requested carrier.

[0067] The LMF may then send the determined configuration to the terminal device 320 using an indication 345. The indication may also include a request for a report including information about the path tracking to be performed by the terminal device 320. Once the terminal device 320 receives the indication 345, the terminal device 320 may collect 350 measurements according to the configuration determined by the LMF 310. This may be achieved by the terminal device 320 performing the measurements. The terminal device 320 may then also identify the path. The terminal device 320 then determines 352 whether the CB-TT flag indicates that the terminal device will extract the past path from the internal buffer of the terminal device 320. Next, the terminal device 320 determines 354 whether the CB-TT flag indicates that the current reference path will be selected, and if so, it selects the current path. The terminal device 320 then prepares a CB-TT report according to the instructions indicated using the CB-TT flag. For example, the CB-TT flag may indicate whether the report will be organized as a 3D, 2D, or 1D differential report, or alternatively, as a complete report. Furthermore, the terminal device 320 determines 358 whether the CB-TT flag indicates that the buffer is to be updated with respect to the reference tap, and if so, the terminal device 320 performs a buffer update. Finally, the terminal device 320 sends a prepared report 360 to the LMF 310, and based on the report, the LMF can then determine the location of the terminal device 320.

[0068] It should be noted that in some example embodiments, the values ​​of K, B, C, and W may be predetermined values ​​specified, for example, in a specification. In such example embodiments, LMF 310 may directly request reports 360 without determining and indicating those reports to terminal device 320.

[0069] It should also be noted that Figure 3 The signaling illustrated in the example embodiment of can also be applied to UL positioning. In UL positioning, the LPP-based transmissions 332, 334, 345 and 360 between the LMF 310 and the terminal device 320 can be converted into signaling based on the New Radio Positioning Protocol (NRPP) between the LMF and the TRP, so that the TRP in such an example embodiment corresponds to Figure 3The terminal device 320 in the example embodiment of . The benefits associated with such signaling in UL positioning may be a simplified LOS and / or first path detection process for TRP and allowing LMF to implement the positioning process.

[0070] It should also be noted that the signaling illustrated in the above example embodiments may also be applicable to side link (SL) positioning, where the LMF may be located on one side of the target terminal device and may trigger positioning towards the candidate anchor terminal device. Figure 3 The transmissions 332 and 360 in the example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 may be sent from the target terminal device to the candidate anchor terminal device using SL signaling. Then, corresponding to Figure 3 Transmissions 334 and 345 of the example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 may be sent from a candidate terminal device to a target terminal device.

[0071] The above-described example embodiments may have advantages such as minimizing the impact of Rx beam imperfections on positioning accuracy, improving LOS identification, achieving direct applicability to CA and CP positioning, and / or a more robust design applicable to both terminal devices and access nodes.

[0072] Figure 4 An apparatus 400 according to an example embodiment is illustrated, which may be an apparatus such as a terminal device, or included in a terminal device. The apparatus 400 includes a processor 410. The processor 410 interprets computer program instructions and processes data. The processor 410 may include one or more programmable processors. The processor 410 may include programmable hardware with embedded firmware, and may alternatively or additionally include one or more application specific integrated circuits ASICs.

[0073] The processor 410 is coupled to the memory 420. The processor is configured to read and write data from the memory 420. The memory 420 may include one or more memory cells. The memory cells may be volatile or non-volatile. It should be noted that in some example embodiments, there may be one or more cells of non-volatile memory and one or more cells of volatile memory, or, alternatively, there may be one or more cells of non-volatile memory, or, alternatively, there may be one or more cells of volatile memory. The volatile memory may be, for example, a RAM, a DRAM, or an SDRAM. The non-volatile memory may be, for example, a ROM, a PROM, an EEPROM, a flash memory, an optical memory, or a magnetic memory. In general, the memory may be referred to as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The memory 420 stores computer-readable instructions executed by the processor 410. For example, the non-volatile memory stores computer-readable instructions, and the processor 410 uses the volatile memory to temporarily store data and / or instructions to execute the instructions.

[0074] The computer readable instructions may have been pre-stored in the memory 420, or, alternatively or additionally, they may be received by the device via an electromagnetic carrier signal and / or may be copied from a physical entity (such as a computer program product). Execution of the computer readable instructions causes the device 400 to perform the functions described above.

[0075] In the context of this document, "memory" or "computer-readable medium" may be any non-transitory medium or component that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer.

[0076] The device 400 also includes, or is connected to, an input unit 430. The input unit 430 includes one or more interfaces for receiving user input. The one or more interfaces may include, for example, one or more motion and / or direction sensors, one or more cameras, one or more accelerometers, one or more microphones, one or more buttons, and one or more touch detection units. In addition, the input unit 430 may include an interface to which an external device may be connected.

[0077] The device 400 also includes an output unit 440. The output unit includes or is connected to one or more displays capable of presenting visual content, such as a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) display. The output unit 440 also includes one or more audio outputs. The one or more audio outputs can be, for example, a speaker or a set of headphones.

[0078] The device 400 may also include a connectivity unit 450. The connectivity unit 450 enables wired and / or wireless connectivity to an external network. The connectivity unit 450 may include one or more antennas and one or more receivers, which may be integrated into the device 400 or the device 400 may be connected to them. The connectivity unit 450 may include an integrated circuit or a set of integrated circuits that provide wireless communication capabilities for the device 400. Alternatively, the wireless connection may be a hardwired application specific integrated circuit ASIC.

[0079] It should be noted that the apparatus 400 may also include Figure 4 The various components not shown in the figure. The various components can be hardware components and / or software components.

[0080] Figure 5The apparatus 500 of the embodiment illustrates an example embodiment of an apparatus that may be an access node, or may be included in an access node. The apparatus may be, for example, a circuit system or a chipset suitable for use in an access node to implement the described embodiments. The apparatus 500 may be an electronic device including one or more electronic circuit systems. The apparatus 500 may include a communication control circuit system 510 (such as at least one processor), and at least one memory 520, including computer program code (software) 522, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code (software) 522 are configured together with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus 500 to perform any of the example embodiments of the access node described above.

[0081] The memory 520 may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The memory may include a configuration database for storing configuration data. For example, the configuration database may store a current neighbor cell list and, in some example embodiments, a structure of frames used in detected neighbor cells.

[0082] The apparatus 500 may also include a communication interface 530, which includes hardware and / or software for implementing a communication connection according to one or more communication protocols. The communication interface 530 may provide the apparatus with radio communication capabilities to communicate in a cellular communication system. The communication interface may, for example, provide a radio interface to a terminal device. The apparatus 500 may also include another interface toward a core network (such as a network coordinator device) and / or an access node of a cellular communication system. The apparatus 500 may also include a scheduler 540 configured to allocate resources.

[0083] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the examples of the accompanying drawings, it is clear that the present invention is not limited thereto, but can be modified in several ways within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly, and they are intended to illustrate rather than limit the embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, with the advancement of technology, the concepts of the present invention can be implemented in various ways. In addition, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments can (but not necessarily) be combined with other embodiments in various ways.

[0084] List of abbreviations

[0085] AD – Auxiliary Data

[0086] ASIC – Application Specific Integrated System

[0087] CA – Carrier Aggregation

[0088] CB-TT – Transverse Beam Tap Tracking across Barriers

[0089] CL – Carrier List

[0090] CN – Core Network

[0091] CP – Carrier Phase

[0092] CPS – Cyber ​​Physical Systems

[0093] CU – Centralized Unit

[0094] DL – Downlink

[0095] DL-AoD – Downlink Angle of Departure DL-TDOA – Downlink Time Difference of Arrival DRAM – Dynamic Random Access Memory DSP – Digital Signal Processing

[0096] DSPD – Digital Signal Processing Device DU – Distributed Unit

[0097] E-CID – Enhanced Cell ID EEPROM – Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory eSIM – Embedded Subscriber Identity Module FPGA – Field Programmable Gate Array FR1 – Frequency Range 1 FR2 – Frequency Range 2 GEO – Geostationary Orbit

[0098] gNB – gNodeBGPU – Graphics Processing Unit

[0099] GSM – Global System for Mobile communications HAPS – High Altitude Platform Station

[0100] HNB – Home Node B HSPA – High Speed ​​Packet Access

[0101] ICT – Connectivity

[0102] IE – Information Element

[0103] IoT – Internet of Things

[0104] LED – Light Emitting Diode

[0105] LEO – Low Earth Orbit

[0106] LCD – Liquid Crystal Display

[0107] LCoS – Liquid Crystal on Silicon

[0108] LMF – Location Management Function

[0109] LOS – Line of sight

[0110] LPP – LTE Positioning Protocol

[0111] LTE – Long Term Evolution

[0112] MEC – Multi-Access Edge Computing

[0113] MIMO – Multiple Input Multiple Output

[0114] MME – Mobility Management Entity

[0115] mMTC – Massive Machine Type Communications

[0116] Multi-RTT – Multi-cell round trip time

[0117] NFV – Network Function Virtualization

[0118] NGC – Next Generation Core

[0119] NLOS – Non Line of Sight

[0120] NR – New Radio

[0121] PDA – Personal Digital Assistant

[0122] P-GW – Packet Data Network Gateway

[0123] PLD – Programmable Logic Device

[0124] PROM – Programmable Read Only Memory

[0125] PRS – Positioning Reference Signal

[0126] RAM – Random Access Memory

[0127] RAN – Radio Access Network

[0128] RAT – Radio Access Technology

[0129] RF – Radio Frequency

[0130] RI – Radio Interface

[0131] ROM – Read Only Memory

[0132] Rx – Receive

[0133] SDN – Software Defined Networking

[0134] SDRAM – Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory

[0135] S-GW – Serving Gateway

[0136] SIM – Subscriber Identity Module

[0137] SL – Sidelink

[0138] TRP – Transmit Receive Point

[0139] Tx – Send

[0140] UE – User Equipment

[0141] UL – Uplink

[0142] UL-AoA – Uplink Angle of Arrival

[0143] UL-TDOA – Uplink Time Difference of Arrival

[0144] UMTS – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0145] W-CDMA – Wideband Code Division Multiple Access

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: sending, to another apparatus, a trigger for a positioning session between the apparatus and the other apparatus, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the other apparatus, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the other apparatus; receiving the first report from the other apparatus, wherein the first report comprises: information about a total number of beams that the other apparatus can support for reception on the at least one carrier; determining, based on the first report, a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking comprises tracking a path across the at least one carrier and a number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on the at least one carrier; sending the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report includes information about the path tracking; receiving the second report from the other device; and Based on the second report, a location of the other device is determined.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: determine, based on the first report, the number of beams spanned by the path, the time window during which the path will be tracked, and the number of carriers on which the path will be tracked.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: determine one or more additional paths to be tracked across the number of beams and across the at least one carrier at the other apparatus based on the first report.

4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: determine a type of the second report, and indicate the type of the second report to the terminal device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the type of the second report is one of: a report indicating a change in the path relative to a reference path having known beams, carriers, and time instances; a report indicating a change in the path relative to a reference path having known beams and carriers; a report indicating a change in the path relative to a reference path having a known beam; or A mapping indicating the relationship between amplitude, phase, and delay for the path across the carriers and across the beams used in the path tracking.

6. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first request further include: Information about the resources for which path tracing is enabled.

7. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first report further include: Information about a width of the beam and / or a gain of the beam that can be supported by the other device for reception on the at least one carrier.

8. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the number of beams included in the path tracking are beams that are adjacent in the spatial domain.

9. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the other apparatus is a terminal device or a transceiver point.

10. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receiving, from a network entity, a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and the device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier; sending the first report to the network entity, wherein the first report includes: information about a total number of beams that the apparatus can support for reception on the at least one carrier; receiving, from the network entity, a configuration for path tracking at the device, wherein the path tracking comprises tracking a path across the at least one carrier and a number of beams for receiving on the at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for receiving on the at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request for a second report from the device, wherein the second report includes information about the path tracking; and The second report is sent to the network entity.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: measure, for the at least one carrier, positioning reference signals of the beams having the total number, and extract a channel of at least one beam included in the total number of beams for the at least one carrier.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: detect a plurality of paths during the path tracking; and Based on the associated power information, the plurality of paths are arranged based on their powers.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: select the strongest path and the weakest path based on a threshold value, and obtain their corresponding path gains and path delays.

14. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is further caused to determine a type of the second report based on the second request.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the type of the second report is one of: a report indicating a change in the path relative to a reference path having known beams, carriers, and time instances; a report indicating a change in the path relative to a reference path having known beams and carriers; a report indicating a change in the path relative to a reference path having a known beam; or A mapping indicating the relationship between amplitude, phase, and delay for the path across the carriers and across the beams used in the path tracking.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the first report further include: Information about a width of the beam and / or a gain of the beam that can be supported by the other device for reception on the at least one carrier.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the number of beams included in the path tracking are beams that are adjacent in the spatial domain.

18. A method, include: sending, to another apparatus, a trigger for a positioning session between the apparatus and the other apparatus, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the other apparatus, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the other apparatus; receiving the first report from the other apparatus, wherein the first report comprises: information about a total number of beams that the other apparatus can support for reception on the at least one carrier; determining, based on the first report, a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across the at least one carrier and a number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on the at least one carrier; sending the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report includes information about the path tracking; receiving the second report from the other device; and Based on the second report, a location of the other device is determined.

19. A method, include: receiving, from a network entity, a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and the device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier; sending the first report to the network entity, wherein the first report includes: information about a total number of beams that the apparatus can support for reception on the at least one carrier; receiving, from the network entity, a configuration for path tracking at the device, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across the at least one carrier and a number of beams for receiving on the at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for receiving on the at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request for a second report from the device, wherein the second report includes information about the path tracking; and The second report is sent to the network entity.

20. A computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the following: sending, to another apparatus, a trigger for a positioning session between the apparatus and the other apparatus, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the other apparatus, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the other apparatus; receiving the first report from the other apparatus, wherein the first report comprises: information about a total number of beams that the other apparatus can support for reception on the at least one carrier; determining, based on the first report, a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across the at least one carrier and a number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on the at least one carrier; sending the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report includes information about the path tracking; receiving the second report from the other device; and Based on the second report, a location of the other device is determined.

21. A computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the following: receiving, from a network entity, a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and the device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier; sending the first report to the network entity, wherein the first report includes: information about a total number of beams that the apparatus can support for reception on the at least one carrier; receiving, from the network entity, a configuration for path tracking at the device, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across the at least one carrier and a number of beams for receiving on the at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for receiving on the at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request for a second report from the device, wherein the second report includes information about the path tracking; and The second report is sent to the network entity.

22. An apparatus comprising components for: sending, to another apparatus, a trigger for a positioning session between the apparatus and the other apparatus, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the other apparatus, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the other apparatus; receiving the first report from the other apparatus, wherein the first report comprises: information about a total number of beams that the other apparatus can support for reception on the at least one carrier; determining, based on the first report, a configuration for path tracking at the other device, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across the at least one carrier and a number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier, the number of beams for reception on the at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the other device can support for reception on the at least one carrier; sending the configuration and a second request to the other device, the second request being for a second report from the other device, wherein the second report includes information about the path tracking; receiving the second report from the other device; and Based on the second report, a location of the other device is determined.

23. An apparatus comprising components for: receiving, from a network entity, a trigger for a positioning session between the network entity and the device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier; sending the first report to the network entity, wherein the first report includes: information about a total number of beams that the apparatus can support for reception on the at least one carrier; receiving, from the network entity, a configuration for path tracking at the device, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across the at least one carrier and a number of beams for receiving on the at least one carrier, the number of beams being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the device can support for receiving on the at least one carrier; receiving a second request from the network entity, the second request for a second report from the device, wherein the second report includes information about the path tracking; and The second report is sent to the network entity.

24. A system comprising a first device and a second device, wherein the system further comprises means for: sending, by the first device to the second device, a trigger for a positioning session between the first device and the second device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the second device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier, the at least one carrier being associated with the second device; receiving, by the first device, the first report from the second device, wherein the first report comprises: information about a total number of beams that the second device can support for reception on the at least one carrier; determining, by the first device, a configuration for path tracking at the second device based on the first report, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across the at least one carrier and a number of beams for receiving on the at least one carrier, the number of beams for receiving on the at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the second device can support for receiving on the at least one carrier; sending, by the first device, the configuration and a second request to the second device, the second request being for a second report from the second device, wherein the second report includes information about the path tracking; receiving, by the first device, the second report from the second device; and A location of the second device is determined, by the first device, based on the second report.

25. A system comprising a first device and a second device, wherein the system is configured to: sending, by the first device to the second device, a trigger for a positioning session between the first device and the second device, wherein the trigger comprises a first request for a first report from the second device, and wherein the first report comprises information about at least one carrier; receiving, by the first device, the first report from the second device, wherein the first report comprises: information about a total number of beams that the second device can support for reception on the at least one carrier; determining, by the first device, a configuration for path tracking at the second device based on the first report, wherein the path tracking comprises: tracking a path across the at least one carrier and a number of beams for receiving on the at least one carrier, the number of beams for receiving on the at least one carrier being equal to or less than the total number of beams that the second device can support for receiving on the at least one carrier; sending, by the first device, the configuration and a second request to the second device, the second request being for a second report from the second device, wherein the second report includes information about the path tracking; receiving, by the first device, the second report from the second device; and A location of the second device is determined, by the first device, based on the second report.

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