Positioning reference unit selection for sidelink positioning

Abstract

The invention discloses a scheme convenient for terminal equipment positioning. According to one aspect, a method comprises: establishing (300) a sidelink positioning session with at least one anchor device (101, 102); causing (302) transmission of a positioning assistance request message during the sidelink positioning session, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information unit indicating that assistance data is requested for the sidelink positioning session; receiving (304) at least one positioning assistance response message from the at least one candidate positioning reference unit, the at least one positioning assistance response message comprising at least one information unit indicating an ability to provide the requested assistance data; selecting, for the sidelink positioning session, at least one positioning reference unit from the at least one candidate positioning reference unit that has indicated the ability to provide assistance data; and indicating (710) the selection to the selected at least one positioning reference unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various embodiments described herein relate to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to locating terminal devices of a cellular communication system using sidelink communications. Background Art

[0002] Modern cellular communication systems provide terminal devices with the ability to communicate directly with each other through sidelink connections without routing services via base stations. Two resource allocation modes have been specified in 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project), and a terminal device can be configured with one of them to perform sidelink transmissions to one or more other terminal devices. In the first mode, the sidelink transmission resources are allocated to the terminal device by the network, such as by a service access node, while in the second mode, the terminal device can autonomously select its sidelink transmission resources. Sidelink communications can be used to provide various communication services, and positioning services are one of such services. In positioning services, a terminal device that needs to determine its own position can use one or more other terminal devices (anchor terminal devices) nearby for positioning. Such an anchor device can be a mobile terminal device or a roadside unit at a fixed location.

[0003] The concept of Positioning Reference Unit (PRU) is introduced, where a terminal device is positioned by using a PRU near the terminal device. The location of the PRU can be known in advance, for example, fixed, and they can help the terminal device to be positioned. In the context of sidelink positioning, the PRU can be distinguished from the anchor terminal device so that the positioning reference signal communicated with the anchor terminal device can be measured. In other words, there may be no transmission and measurement of positioning reference signals between the terminal device being positioned and the PRU. The PRU can measure the positioning reference signal transmitted between the PRU and the anchor terminal device, or the PRU can provide other auxiliary data for the sidelink positioning performed by the terminal device being positioned. The challenge of using PRUs is that it is effective to only select the PRUs that are really needed for positioning the terminal device. Summary of the invention

[0004] Some aspects of the invention are defined by the independent claims.

[0005] Some embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0006] Embodiments and features described in this specification that do not belong to the scope of the independent claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding various embodiments of the present invention. Some aspects of the present disclosure are defined by the independent claims.

[0007] According to one aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a component for performing the following: establishing a sidelink positioning session with at least one anchor device; causing transmission of a positioning assistance request message during the sidelink positioning session, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating that assistance data is requested for the sidelink positioning session; receiving at least one positioning assistance response message from at least one candidate positioning reference unit, the at least one positioning assistance response message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating a capability to provide the requested assistance data; for the sidelink positioning session, selecting at least one positioning reference unit from the at least one candidate positioning reference unit that has indicated a capability to provide the assistance data; indicating the selection to the selected at least one positioning reference unit. In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises: a component for transmitting at least one positioning reference signal with at least the at least one anchor device, and estimating a position of the terminal device based on the positioning reference signal and the assistance data provided by the selected at least one positioning reference unit.

[0008] In one embodiment, the apparatus is configured to: receive the at least one positioning reference signal from the at least one anchor device and measure the positioning reference signal; receive the requested assistance data from the selected at least one positioning reference unit; and estimate the position of the apparatus based on the measured positioning reference signal and the received assistance data.

[0009] In one embodiment, the apparatus is configured to: during the establishment of the sidelink positioning session, receive information from the at least one anchor device about whether assistance data was required in an earlier positioning session with the at least one anchor device; and upon determining based on the information that the other terminal device requires the assistance data in the positioning session with the at least one anchor device, cause the transmission of the positioning assistance request.

[0010] In one embodiment, the at least one anchor device comprises a plurality of anchor devices, and wherein the component is configured to receive the information from the plurality of anchor devices, and configure the selected at least one positioning reference unit to provide the assistance data only for the anchor devices that have notified the need for the assistance data.

[0011] In an embodiment, the apparatus is configured to select a plurality of anchor point devices that have notified the need for the assistance data for the sidelink positioning session, and insert an identifier of each anchor point device that has notified the need for the assistance data into the positioning assistance request message.

[0012] In one embodiment, the positioning assistance request comprises at least one information unit indicating requesting assistance data, the at least one information unit indicating at least one anchor device of the at least one anchor device requesting the assistance data, and wherein the positioning assistance response indicates the capability of measuring at least one positioning reference signal and generating the assistance data associated with the indicated at least one anchor device, and wherein the component is configured to select a positioning reference unit capable of measuring and generating the assistance data for the sidelink positioning session.

[0013] In one embodiment, the selected at least one positioning reference unit comprises a terminal device.

[0014] In an embodiment, the positioning assistance response indicates at least one condition under which the corresponding positioning reference unit is able to provide the assistance data, and wherein the component is configured to perform the selection of the at least one positioning reference unit based on the at least one condition.

[0015] In one embodiment, the positioning assistance request specifies multiple types of assistance data requested for the positioning session, and wherein the positioning assistance response indicates which type or types of requested assistance data the corresponding positioning reference unit can provide, and wherein the component is configured to perform the selection of the at least one positioning reference unit so that the selected at least one positioning reference unit can provide all types of assistance data requested for the positioning session.

[0016] According to one aspect, an apparatus for a positioning reference unit is provided, comprising components for performing the following: receiving a positioning assistance request message from a terminal device, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating that assistance data is requested for a sidelink positioning session of the terminal device; sending a positioning assistance response message to the terminal device, the positioning assistance response message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating a capability to provide the requested assistance data; receiving a message from the terminal device indicating that the apparatus has been selected as a positioning reference unit for the sidelink positioning session; receiving a positioning reference signal from at least one anchor device of the positioning session or from the terminal device, and measuring the positioning reference signal; and based on the measurement, generating assistance data for the sidelink positioning session and sending the assistance data to the terminal device or the at least one anchor device.

[0017] In one embodiment, the positioning assistance request message comprises at least one information element indicating the at least one anchor device, and wherein the positioning assistance request message or the message indicating the selection of the apparatus indicates the configuration of the positioning reference signal.

[0018] In an embodiment, the component is configured to, upon receiving the positioning assistance request message, determine at least one condition under which the apparatus is capable of providing the assistance data, and indicate the at least one condition in the positioning assistance response message.

[0019] According to one aspect, there is provided an apparatus for an anchor device, comprising components for performing the following: storing information that auxiliary data has been required in at least one sidelink positioning session conducted with the apparatus; receiving a request for establishing a sidelink positioning session from a terminal device; sending a response to the request, the response indicating that the auxiliary data has been required in at least one sidelink positioning session of the apparatus; and receiving a positioning reference signal configuration from the terminal device, and sending or receiving a positioning reference signal according to the positioning reference signal configuration.

[0020] In one embodiment, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that cause the execution of the apparatus.

[0021] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: establishing a sidelink positioning session by a terminal device and at least one anchor device; causing the transmission of a positioning assistance request message by the terminal device during the sidelink positioning session, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating that assistance data is requested for the sidelink positioning session; receiving at least one positioning assistance response message by the terminal device from at least one candidate positioning reference unit, the at least one positioning assistance response message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating the ability to provide the requested assistance data; selecting, by the terminal device for the sidelink positioning session, at least one positioning reference unit from the at least one candidate positioning reference unit that has indicated the ability to provide the assistance data; indicating the selection by the terminal device to the selected at least one positioning reference unit; and transmitting at least one positioning reference signal by the terminal device at least to the at least one anchor device, and estimating the position of the terminal device based on the positioning reference signal and the assistance data provided by the selected at least one positioning reference unit.

[0022] In one embodiment, the method comprises: receiving the at least one positioning reference signal from the at least one anchor device and measuring the positioning reference signal; receiving the requested assistance data from the selected at least one positioning reference unit; and estimating the position of the device based on the measured positioning reference signal and the received assistance data.

[0023] In one embodiment, the method comprises: receiving, during said establishment of said sidelink positioning session, information from said at least one anchor device as to whether assistance data was required in an earlier positioning session with said at least one anchor device; and causing said transmission of said positioning assistance request upon determining based on said information that said another terminal device requires said assistance data in said positioning session with said at least one anchor device.

[0024] In one embodiment, the at least one anchor device comprises a plurality of anchor devices, and wherein the component is configured to receive the information from the plurality of anchor devices, and configure the selected at least one positioning reference unit to provide the assistance data only for the anchor devices that have notified the need for the assistance data.

[0025] In one embodiment, the method comprises: selecting, for the sidelink positioning session, a plurality of anchor point devices that have notified the need for the assistance data, and inserting an identifier of each anchor point device that has notified the need for the assistance data into the positioning assistance request message.

[0026] In one embodiment, the positioning assistance request comprises at least one information unit indicating at least one of the at least one anchor device requesting the assistance data, and wherein the positioning assistance response indicates a capability of measuring at least one positioning reference signal and generating the assistance data associated with the indicated at least one anchor device, and wherein the component is configured to select a positioning reference unit capable of measuring and generating the assistance data for the sidelink positioning session.

[0027] In one embodiment, the selected at least one positioning reference unit comprises a terminal device.

[0028] In one embodiment, the positioning assistance response indicates at least one condition under which the corresponding positioning reference unit is able to provide the assistance data, and wherein the component is configured to perform the selection of the at least one positioning reference unit based on the at least one condition.

[0029] In one embodiment, the positioning assistance request specifies multiple types of assistance data requested for the positioning session, and wherein the positioning assistance response indicates which type or types of the requested assistance data the corresponding positioning reference unit can provide, and wherein the component is configured to perform the selection of the at least one positioning reference unit so that the selected at least one positioning reference unit can provide all types of assistance data requested for the positioning session.

[0030] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving, by a positioning reference unit, a positioning assistance request message from a terminal device, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating that assistance data is requested for a side link positioning session of the terminal device; sending, by the positioning reference unit, a positioning assistance response message to the terminal device, the positioning assistance response message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating a capability to provide the requested assistance data; receiving, by the positioning reference unit, a message from the terminal device indicating that the device has been selected as a positioning reference unit for the side link positioning session; receiving, by the positioning reference unit, a positioning reference signal from at least one anchor device of the positioning session or from the terminal device, and measuring the positioning reference signal; and generating, by the positioning reference unit based on the measurement, assistance data for the side link positioning session and sending the assistance data to the terminal device or the at least one anchor device.

[0031] In one embodiment, the positioning assistance request message comprises at least one information element indicating the at least one anchor device, and wherein the positioning assistance request message or the selected message indicating the apparatus indicates the configuration of the positioning reference signal.

[0032] In one embodiment, the method comprises: upon receiving the positioning assistance request message, determining at least one condition under which the apparatus is capable of providing the assistance data, and indicating the at least one condition in the positioning assistance response message.

[0033] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: an anchor device storing information that auxiliary data has been required in at least one side link positioning session conducted with the anchor device; receiving, by the anchor device, a request for establishing a side link positioning session from a terminal device; sending, by the anchor device, a response to the request, the response indicating that the auxiliary data has been required in at least one side link positioning session of the anchor device; and receiving, by the anchor device, a positioning reference signal configuration from the terminal device, and sending or receiving a positioning reference signal according to the positioning reference signal configuration.

[0034] According to one aspect, a computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising a computer program code readable by a computer for a terminal device is provided, wherein the computer program code configures the computer to execute a computer process, the computer process comprising: establishing a sidelink positioning session with at least one anchor device; causing transmission of a positioning assistance request message during the sidelink positioning session, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating that assistance data is requested for the sidelink positioning session; receiving at least one positioning assistance response message from at least one candidate positioning reference unit, the at least one positioning assistance response message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating a capability to provide the requested assistance data; for the sidelink positioning session, selecting at least one positioning reference unit from the at least one candidate positioning reference unit that has indicated a capability to provide the assistance data; indicating the selection to the selected at least one positioning reference unit; and transmitting at least one positioning reference signal with at least one anchor device, and estimating a position of the terminal device based on the positioning reference signal and the assistance data provided by the selected at least one positioning reference unit.

[0035] According to one aspect, a computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising a computer program code readable by a computer for use in a positioning reference unit is provided, wherein the computer program code configures the computer to execute a computer process, the computer process comprising: receiving a positioning assistance request message from a terminal device, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating that assistance data is requested for a sidelink positioning session of the terminal device; sending a positioning assistance response message to the terminal device, the positioning assistance response message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating a capability to provide the requested assistance data; receiving a message from the terminal device indicating that the apparatus has been selected as a positioning reference unit for the sidelink positioning session; receiving a positioning reference signal from at least one anchor device of the positioning session or from the terminal device, and measuring the positioning reference signal; and based on the measurement, generating assistance data for the sidelink positioning session and sending the assistance data to the terminal device or the at least one anchor device.

[0036] According to one aspect, there is provided a computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising a computer program code, the computer program code being readable by a computer for an anchor device, wherein the computer program code configures the computer to execute a computer process comprising: storing information that assistance data has been required in at least one sidelink positioning session with the apparatus; receiving a request from a terminal device to establish a sidelink positioning session; sending a response to the request, the response indicating that the assistance data has been required in at least one sidelink positioning session of the apparatus; and receiving a positioning reference signal configuration from the terminal device, and sending or receiving a positioning reference signal according to the positioning reference signal configuration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Embodiments are described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0038] Figure 1 Wireless communication scenarios in which some embodiments of the present invention can be applied are shown;

[0039] Figure 2 A sidelink assisted positioning scenario is shown;

[0040] Figure 3 and Figure 4 A process for sidelink assisted positioning according to some embodiments is shown;

[0041] Figure 5 A process for an anchor device to report a need for assistance data according to an embodiment is shown;

[0042] Figure 6 A signaling diagram of an embodiment for establishing a positioning session is shown;

[0043] Figure 7 and 8 A process for arranging for providing assistance data for a positioning session is shown; and

[0044] Fig. 9 A block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The following embodiments are examples. Although the specification may refer to "one", "an" or "some" embodiments in several places, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference is to the same embodiment, or that the feature applies to only a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments. In addition, the words "comprises" and "comprising" should be understood as not limiting the described embodiments to consist only of those features that have been mentioned, and such embodiments may also include features / structures that are not specifically mentioned.

[0046] In the following, different exemplary embodiments will be described using a radio access architecture based on Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced, LTE-A) or New Radio (NR, 5G) as an example of an access architecture to which the embodiments may be applied, but the embodiments are not limited to such architectures. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments may also be applied to other types of communication networks with suitable means by appropriately adjusting parameters and procedures. Some examples of other suitable systems are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, the same as E-UTRA), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or WiFi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wi MAX), Personal Communications Service (PCS), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) or any combination thereof.

[0047] Figure 1 An example of a simplified system architecture is depicted, showing only some elements and functional entities, all of which are logical units, the implementation of which 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 a system typically includes Figure 1 Other functions and structures than those shown.

[0048] However, the embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but a person skilled in the art may apply the solution to other communication systems having the necessary properties.

[0049] Figure 1 The example of FIG. 1 shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0050] Figure 1 Terminal devices or user equipment 100 and 102 are shown that are configured to be wirelessly connected to an access node (such as (e / g)NodeB) 104 providing the cell on one or more communication channels in the cell. (e / g)NodeB refers to eNodeB or gNodeB defined in the 3GPP specification. 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 can be implemented by using any node, host, server or access point entity suitable for such use.

[0051] 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 links designed for the purpose, wired or wireless. These links can be used not only for signaling purposes, but also for routing data from one (e / g)NodeB to another NodeB. (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. NodeB can also be referred to as a base station, access point, access node 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. A connection is provided from the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB to an antenna unit, which establishes a two-way 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 network NGC). Depending on the system, the counterpart on the CN side may be a Serving Gateway (S-GW, routing and forwarding user data packets), a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW), used to provide connectivity for User Equipment (UE) to external packet data networks or a Mobility Management Entity (MME), etc.

[0052] A user equipment (also referred to as UE, user device, user terminal, terminal device, etc.) shows a type of device in which resources on the air interface are allocated and allocated, and therefore any features described herein with a user equipment can be implemented using a corresponding device (such as a relay node). An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) toward a base station. The 5G specification defines two relay modes: out-of-band relays of the same or different carriers can be defined for access links and backhaul links. In-band relays where the same carrier frequency or radio resources are used for both access links and backhaul links. In-band relays can be considered as baseline relay scenarios. Relay nodes are called integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes. It also establishes support for multiple relay hops. IAB operation assumes a so-called split architecture with a CU and multiple DUs. The IAB node contains two separate functions: the DU (distributed unit) portion of the IAB node facilitates the gNB (access node) function in the relay cell, i.e., it acts as an access link; and the mobile terminal (MT) portion of the IAB node that facilitates the backhaul connection. The donor node (DU part) communicates with the MT part of the IAB node and it has a wired connection to the CU which again has a connection to the core network. In a multi-hop scenario, the MT part (child IAB node) communicates with the DU part of the parent IAB node.

[0053] User equipment generally refers to a portable computing device including a wireless mobile communication device operating 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 computers and / or touch screen computers, tablet computers, game consoles, notebooks, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that user equipment can also be almost the only uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips to the network. User equipment can 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 the network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. User equipment can also utilize the cloud. In some applications, a user device may include a small portable device (such as a watch, headset, or glasses) with a radio component, and performs calculations 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 equipment functions. A user device may also be called a subscriber unit, a mobile station, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, or user equipment (UE), to name a few.

[0054] The various techniques described herein may also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems where cooperating computing elements control physical entities). CPS can implement and utilize a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processor microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects at different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems, where the physical systems in question have inherent mobility, are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0055] Additionally, although the apparatus has been depicted as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units may be implemented. Figure 1 not shown).

[0056] 5G is able to use Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antennas, more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called micro-cell concept), including macro sites operating in coordinated operation with smaller stations and depending on service requirements, use cases and / or spectrum availability. 5G mobile communications supports a wide range of use cases and related applications including video streaming. Augmented reality is a different way 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. That is, sub-6GHz, cmWave and mmWave, and also be able to integrate with existing traditional radio access technologies (such as LTE). At least in the early stages, integration with LTE can be achieved as a system, where macro coverage is provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access comes from small cells through aggregation to LTE. In other words, 5G is planned to support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as sub-6GHz-cmWave, sub-6GHz-cmWave-mmWave-sub-THz). One of the concepts considered to be used in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual sub-networks (network instances) can be created within the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput and mobility.

[0057] The current architecture in LTE networks is completely distributed in the radio and is usually completely centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require content to be close to the radio, resulting in local outages and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analysis and knowledge generation to occur at the data source. This approach requires the use of resources that may be discontinuously connected to networks such as laptops, smart phones, tablet computers, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It also has the ability to store and process content in close proximity to cellular subscribers for faster response times. 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 networking and processing, which can also be classified as local cloud / fog computing and grid / grid computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, micro-cloud, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (large-scale connectivity and / or latency critical), critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analysis, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0058] The communication system may also be able to communicate with other networks 112, such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet, or utilize services provided by them. The communication network may also support the use of cloud services, for example, at least a portion of the core network operations may be performed as a cloud service (this is in the Figure 1 114). The communication system may also include a central control entity or the like providing facilities for cooperation between networks of different operators, for example in terms of spectrum sharing.

[0059] 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 coupled to a remote radio head or base station including the radio part. Node operations may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes or hosts. The application of cloud RAN architecture enables RAN real-time functions to be performed on the RAN side (in distributed units DU105), while non-real-time functions are performed in a centralized manner (in centralized units CU 108).

[0060] It should also be understood that the distribution of functions between core network operations and base station operations may be different from that of 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 being built and managed. 5G (or New Radio) NR networks are designed to support multiple layers, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and the base station or Node B (gNB). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied in 4G networks.

[0061] 5G can also make use of satellite communications to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services. For example, by providing backhaul. Possible use cases are to provide service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or passengers on board, or to ensure service availability for critical communications and future railway, maritime and / or aviation communications. Satellite communications can make use of geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite systems, but can also make use of low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, especially large constellations (systems deploying hundreds of (nano) satellites). Each satellite 109 in a large constellation can cover several satellite-supported network entities that create cells on the ground. The cells on the ground can be created by relay nodes on the ground or by gNBs located on the ground or in satellites.

[0062] It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the depicted system is only an example of a part of a radio access system, and in practice the system may include multiple (e / g)NodeBs, a user equipment may have access to multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g)NodeBs may be a home (e / g)NodeB. In addition, in a geographical area of ​​the radio communication system, a plurality of different kinds of radio cells as well as a plurality of 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 can provide any kind of these cells. A cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network comprising several kinds of cells. Typically, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one kind of cell or cells, so multiple (e / g)NodeBs are needed to provide this network structure.

[0063] Figure 1 Direct device-to-device communication links between terminal devices 100, 101, 102 are also shown. These links may correspond to the side links described in the background and defined in the 3GPP specifications for 5G, for example. A side link is a communication paradigm in which terminal devices communicate without relaying their data through a radio access network (e.g., access node 104). This means that terminal devices can create an ad hoc network without using a radio access network as an intermediary. And as described in the background, side links can be used for various purposes, for example, positioning of terminal devices.

[0064] Figure 2It is shown that the terminal device 100 can use other terminal devices 101, 102, 130, 132 to locate the terminal device 100 through sidelink communication with other terminal devices. Sidelink positioning supports the following use cases: In the sidelink absolute positioning solution, the positions of other terminal devices 101, 102 (hereinafter referred to as anchor terminal devices) are known, such as fixed. Therefore, the absolute position can also be known (longitude and latitude), such as through triangulation. In the sidelink relative positioning, the position of the terminal device 100 is relative to the mobile anchor terminal device, and the position of the mobile anchor terminal device is also unknown or at least has a certain reliability. Therefore, the position of the terminal device 100 is only relative to the anchor terminal devices 101, 102. In the sidelink assisted positioning, the terminal device can receive a position report (with a certain accuracy) from an anchor terminal device that knows its position, and can calculate the position of the terminal device based on the position report and additional measurements performed by the terminal device 100 or by the access node 104 serving the terminal device 100. In this case, the absolute position of the terminal device can be obtained according to the positioning accuracy of the anchor node.

[0065] In the measurements used for positioning (ranging), one or more of the following measurements can be performed by measuring reference signals: , for example: a downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA) measured by the terminal device 100, an uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) measured by the access node from a signal received from the terminal device 100, a downlink angle of departure (DL-AoD) measured by the terminal device 100, an uplink angle of arrival (UL-AoA) measured by the access node from a signal received from the terminal device 100, and a multi-cell round trip time (multi-RTT), wherein the round trip time of the terminal device 100 toward multiple cells or access nodes (a trilateral measurement) is measured.

[0066] like Figure 2As shown and described above, in the sidelink assisted positioning using the position of a nearby anchor device, the terminal device 100 can perform positioning by determining the position of the anchor device and measuring the positioning reference signal received from the anchor device. As described in the background technology, the concept of a positioning reference unit (PRU) has been introduced. The PRU can be described as an entity designated to calculate positioning-related corrections or other auxiliary data for distribution to the terminal device 100 being positioned. The auxiliary data is used by the terminal device 100 to correct its own position measurement, and / or to calculate a more accurate position estimate. Compared to the anchor device, the PRU may neither measure the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal device 100 nor send a positioning reference signal for measurement by the terminal device 100. Instead, the PRU can be used as a reference unit, perform similar measurements as the terminal device 100, and then improve the positioning accuracy through additional measurements. For example, the assistance data may include information about whether a given link towards an anchor device (or a transmit / receive point TRP for a positioning reference signal) has a line of sight and / or selects the best PRS configuration (e.g., a PRS beam) that the terminal device should measure, thereby eliminating the need for exhaustive beam scanning by the terminal device. The PRU selection for positioning may be performed by a location management function (LMF) in the core network 110, but in the context of sidelink positioning, such a central entity may not be an efficient solution due to the mobility of the terminal device and the fact that the anchor and / or PRU also include the terminal device.

[0067] Figures 3 to 5 An embodiment of sidelink positioning for terminal device 100 is shown. Figure 3 The method performed by the apparatus for locating the terminal device 100 is shown, and Figure 4 A method performed by an apparatus for a PRU (eg, terminal device 130 or 132) is shown. Figure 5 A method performed by an apparatus for an anchor device (eg, one of the terminal devices 101 and 102) is shown. Figure 3 The method discussed is performed by the terminal device 100. In one embodiment, reference Figure 4 The method discussed is performed by an anchor device (eg, terminal devices 101 , 102 , 103 ).

[0068] refer to Figure 3, a process for a terminal device 100 comprises: establishing (block 300) a sidelink positioning session with at least one anchor device 101, 102; causing transmission of a positioning assistance request message during the sidelink positioning session (block 302), the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information element indicating that assistance data is requested for the sidelink positioning session; receiving (block 304) at least one positioning assistance response message from at least one candidate positioning reference unit 130, the at least one positioning assistance response message comprising at least one information element indicating a capability to provide the requested assistance data; selecting (block 306) at least one positioning reference unit among the at least one candidate positioning reference unit for the sidelink positioning session that has indicated a capability to provide assistance data; indicating (block 306) the selection to the selected at least one positioning reference unit; and communicating (block 320) at least one positioning reference signal with the at least one anchor device, and estimating a position of the terminal device based on the positioning reference signal and the assistance data provided by the selected at least one positioning reference unit.

[0069] like Figure 3 As described in , block 320 may be implemented by an alternative positioning reference signal (PRS) transmission method: the terminal device 100 receives the PRS, or the terminal device sends the PRS. In the former embodiment, block 320 includes receiving (block 308) a positioning reference signal from at least one anchor device and measuring the positioning reference signal; receiving (block 310) the requested assistance data from the selected at least one positioning reference unit; and estimating (block 312) the position of the device based on the measured positioning reference signal and the assistance data. In the latter embodiment, block 320 includes: sending (block 314) a positioning reference signal; receiving positioning data (block 316) based on the positioning reference signal from at least one anchor device, wherein the positioning data has been corrected based on the assistance data, or the assistance data is received together with the positioning data; and estimating the position of the device (block 312) based on the received positioning data and the assistance data.

[0070] In some embodiments, the apparatus of the terminal device 100 does not perform block 320. The terminal device may have different logic circuits or components with dedicated tasks. Therefore, the circuitry that performs the selection of the PRU may be different from the circuitry that performs block 320.

[0071] refer to Figure 4, the method 132 for the PRU 130 includes: receiving (box 400) a positioning assistance request message from the terminal device 100, the positioning assistance request message including at least one information unit indicating that assistance data is requested for a sidelink positioning session of the terminal device; sending (box 402) a positioning assistance response message to the terminal device, the positioning assistance response message including at least one information unit indicating the ability to provide the requested assistance data; receiving (box 404) a message from the terminal device indicating that the device has been selected as a positioning reference unit for the sidelink positioning session; receiving (box 406) a positioning reference signal from at least one anchor device of the positioning session or from the terminal device and measuring the positioning reference signal; generating (box 408) assistance data for the sidelink positioning session based on the measurement, and sending the assistance data to at least one anchor device or the terminal device, respectively.

[0072] Figure 3 and 4 The process provides a solution for the terminal device 100 performing positioning to select a PRU for providing auxiliary data for the positioning session. Therefore, the terminal device 100 can determine a suitable set of one or more PRUs for the positioning session. It also ensures that PRU selection can be performed among PRUs that have the ability to provide the required auxiliary data. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of the terminal device can be effectively improved.

[0073] Note that a peer terminal device 130, 132 may be suitable for the PRU role because it uses similar hardware to make similar measurements as the located terminal device 100. However, a terminal device suitable for operation as a PRU may not be suitable as an anchor device for various reasons. For example, the terminal device may not have sufficient battery power or its relative position with respect to the terminal device 100 may be inappropriate, for example, it may be located between the anchor device and the terminal device 100 such that the measurements may not yield a triangulation benefit. The position of the PRU (candidate) between the anchor device and the terminal device 100 may be detected by measuring the angle of arrival of a reference signal received from the anchor device at the PRU (candidate) and the terminal device 100. If the angles of arrival are substantially the same or sufficiently close to each other, it can be determined that the PRU (candidate) and the terminal device are located in the same direction as the anchor device.

[0074] refer to Figure 5, a process for an anchor device includes: storing (box 500) information that assistance data has been required in at least one sidelink positioning session conducted with the anchor device; receiving (box 502) a request from the terminal device 100 to establish a sidelink positioning session; sending (box 504) a response to the request, the response indicating that assistance data has been required in at least one sidelink positioning session of the device; receiving (box 506) a positioning reference signal configuration from the terminal device; and sending or receiving a positioning reference signal according to the positioning reference signal configuration.

[0075] In an embodiment where the anchor terminal device receives a positioning reference signal from the terminal device, the anchor terminal device may measure the positioning reference signal, receive assistance data from the PRU, and generate positioning data based on the measurement and assistance data in block 508. The anchor device may then send the positioning data to the terminal device 100.

[0076] Figure 5 The process enables the terminal device 100 to determine whether auxiliary data from the PRU is required. Therefore, the terminal device can actively select a suitable PRU and reduce positioning delay when auxiliary data is required. In addition, Figure 5 The process enables the terminal device 100 to efficiently select an anchor device for a positioning session, for example, selecting an anchor device indicating that no assistance data is required.

[0077] As described above, in one embodiment, the terminal device 100 receives information from at least one anchor device during the sidelink positioning session establishment about whether auxiliary data is needed in an earlier positioning session with the at least one anchor device. Then, the terminal device 100 may send a positioning assistance request when determining based on the information that the other terminal device needs auxiliary data in the positioning session with the at least one anchor device. Figure 6 This embodiment and Figure 5 Regarding the establishment of a positioning session (block 300), in the context of the present disclosure, it also includes the discovery of an anchor device and the need for assistance data (block 301). Figure 6 600 to 604).

[0078] refer to Figure 6, the terminal device 100 may detect a need to locate the terminal device and therefore initiate establishment of a positioning session in box 600. The need may be detected when a positioning request is received from a positioning application executed in the terminal device or when a location request of the prior art is received from the access node 104. When initiating establishment of a positioning session, the terminal device 100 may start a process of selecting an anchor device and a PRU for the positioning session. In step 602, the terminal device sends (e.g., broadcasts) a request for establishing a sidelink positioning session. Upon receiving the request, a device capable of operating as an anchor (in this case, the terminal devices 101, 102) may determine whether to volunteer to act as an anchor for the sidelink positioning session. Upon determining to volunteer to act as an anchor, the corresponding device may generate a response to the request received in step 604. The response may indicate the ability to operate as an anchor for the sidelink positioning session, and the response may be transmitted by the corresponding device (candidate anchor device) 101, 102 in step 604. As described above in conjunction with Figure 5 As described, the response may include information about the need for assistance data in a previous sidelink positioning session conducted with the respective device 101, 102. For example, each candidate anchor device may notify the terminal device 100 that other terminal devices (within a current or past time window) need assistance data about the respective candidate anchor device. The need for assistance data may have arisen during a past sidelink positioning session because the positioning terminal device had trouble detecting the anchor device and / or using measurements collected on a PRS sent by the anchor device. The anchor device may obtain such information from the positioning terminal device during the positioning session so that the anchor device may store the information in the database 66. In another embodiment, one or more terminal devices conducting a positioning session with a particular anchor device broadcast information about the anchor device's need for assistance data.

[0079] In step 604, information about the need for assistance data in the past may be transmitted in an information unit called "correction necessity information". In addition to indicating the need for assistance data in the past, the information unit may also include one of the following information: a timestamp indicating when assistance data was requested for the sidelink PRS sent by the anchor device; the type of assistance data required, such as line of sight (LOS) detection, transmission beam selection, sidelink departure angle uncertainty of the sidelink PRS sent by the anchor device, and / or the time / frequency / angle offset of the sidelink PRS sent by the anchor device; and / or the degree of correction (corrected accuracy improvement) achieved by the positioning terminal device in the past positioning session. All necessary information may have been delivered from the corresponding positioning terminal device to the anchor device during the past positioning session, for example at the end of the positioning session.

[0080] After receiving the response in step 604, the terminal device 100 may perform a selection of at least one of the candidate anchor devices for the positioning session. The terminal device 100 may use the "correction necessity information" received from the candidate anchor device in step 604. Additionally or alternatively, the terminal device may use other information to determine whether each candidate anchor device requires assistance data. Such other information may represent a channel estimate of a radio channel between the terminal device and the corresponding candidate anchor device. In the case where the channel estimate is below a threshold (indicating that the channel condition is worse than a threshold level), the terminal device 100 may determine that the corresponding candidate anchor device requires assistance data. On the other hand, if the channel estimate is above the threshold, the terminal device may determine that assistance data is not required. The selection of the anchor device for the positioning session may include prioritizing the candidate anchor devices that are considered not to require assistance data. That is, in the case where the terminal device makes a decision between two candidate anchor devices, only one of which requires assistance data, the terminal device may select the candidate anchor device that does not require assistance data. However, there is a case where the terminal device selects one or more anchor devices that require assistance data, and let us focus on the case of this case. In block 606, the terminal device selects an anchor device from the candidate anchor devices. In step 608, the terminal device sends a message addressed to the anchor device selected for the positioning session. In one embodiment, the message sent in step 608 includes a PRS configuration that specifies parameters of a PRS signal to be sent by the anchor device. The PRS configuration may define, for example, the time-frequency resources of the PRS. If multiple anchor devices have been selected, different PRS configurations may be provided for different anchor devices.

[0081] In one embodiment, the anchor device may be / includes a mobile anchor terminal device. In another embodiment, the anchor device is / includes a roadside unit (RSU) or other anchor devices arranged at a fixed location.

[0082] In one embodiment, the at least one anchor device comprises a plurality of anchor devices, and wherein the apparatus is configured to receive the information from the plurality of anchor devices, and configure the selected at least one positioning reference unit to provide the assistance data only for the anchor devices that have notified the need for the assistance data.

[0083] In one embodiment, the terminal device receives the location of the anchor device in step 604 or in a message confirming the selection transmitted in step 608. As described above, the location of the anchor device is known and thus can be used as a reference in block 312.

[0084] In one embodiment, the anchor device may indicate that assistance data is not required, but the terminal device may detect the need for assistance data during position estimation or when measuring channel quality. For example, if the terminal device cannot select a sufficient number of anchor devices for positioning (e.g., for proper trilateration), the terminal device may detect the need for assistance data via PRU selection.

[0085] At the end of the positioning session, the terminal device 100 may report to the selected anchor device whether assistance data is needed, used or beneficial in the position estimate in block 312. In this way, the anchor device may maintain and update its database 66 storing information on whether assistance data is needed.

[0086] Figure 7 Shows Figure 3 and 4 A signaling diagram of an embodiment of the process of Figure 7 , the terminal device 100 is for example based on Figure 6 The process establishes a positioning session in box 300. In step 702, the terminal device 100 sends (e.g., broadcasts) a positioning assistance request. The positioning assistance request may include one or more of the following information elements: a list of anchor devices (and their locations, if available), a sidelink PRS configuration of the anchor device for which assistance data is requested, the maximum allowed PRU position uncertainty, the type of correction data requested (e.g., time / angle / frequency offset correction, line of sight indication), the duration for which assistance data is required (PRS needs to be measured via PRU), the minimum PRU availability duration (duration of the positioning session), and the minimum frequency supported for assistance data transmission (the number of assistance data transmissions per second).

[0087] Assume that the PRU 130, 132 detects the positioning assistance request in step 702. In block 704, the PRU 130, 132 determines their ability to detect the indicated anchor device and, optionally, the ability to meet the requirements indicated in the above information element. Block 704 may also include determining at least one condition under which the corresponding PRU 130, 132 can provide assistance data. These conditions can be understood as PRU budgets, for example, including a subset of the sidelink PRS that the PRU can measure and the measurement time. In the case where the terminal device 100 indicates a specific requirement in the information element of the positioning assistance request, the PRU 130, 132 can determine whether it can meet the requirement and, if it can, determine whether it can operate as a PRU for the positioning session. On the other hand, if the PRU cannot meet at least one requirement, it can still propose at least one condition that it can be used as a PRU for the positioning session. For example, if the PRU cannot measure all indicated anchor devices, it can indicate to the terminal device which anchor devices it can detect and measure. The proposal to modify the requirements may apply to other requirements.

[0088] In steps 706 and 707, the PRUs 130, 132 respond to the positioning assistance request and volunteer to serve as PRU candidates for the positioning session. At least one condition for each PRU candidate 130, 132 may also be included in the corresponding positioning assistance response in steps 706, 707. For example, the terminal device may request the PRU to be used for time / frequency offset correction of the PRS sent by the specified anchor device. This can be done by setting the "Correction Type" field of the positioning assistance request to "Time-Frequency Offset" and providing information about a list of anchor devices (and their locations) and optional PRS configurations. Similar methods are applicable to other forms of assistance data.

[0089] After receiving the positioning assistance response from the candidate PRU (and optionally from other PRU candidates) in steps 706 and 707, the terminal device can select one or more PRU candidates as the PRU in the positioning session (box 708). The selection can be based on the conditions reported in the positioning assistance response, for example, an indication of which anchor devices each PRU candidate can detect. In step 710, the terminal device 100 indicates the PRU selection for the positioning session to the selected PRU (PRU 132 in this example). In one embodiment, the PRU selection message includes the PRS configuration of the anchor device. Alternatively, the PRS configuration may have been transmitted in the positioning assistance request in step 702.

[0090] In the case where the terminal device 100 requests multiple types of auxiliary data in the positioning assistance request, the candidate PRUs 130, 132 may indicate in the positioning assistance response which type or types of requested auxiliary data the corresponding PRUs 130, 132 can provide. Then, the terminal device 100 may perform the selection of the PRUs for the positioning session in step 702, so that the selected PRUs can provide all types of auxiliary data requested by the terminal device 100 for the positioning session. For example, if a single PRU can provide all the requested auxiliary data, such a PRU may be selected for the positioning session. The terminal device 100 may strive to minimize the number of PRUs selected for the positioning session, thereby reducing the signaling overhead. Therefore, the terminal device 100 may select the PRU based on the minimum number of PRUs that can provide all the requested auxiliary data together. If a single PRU candidate cannot provide all the auxiliary data, the terminal device may still select the PRU candidate and at least one other PRU candidate that has been indicated to be able to provide the remaining auxiliary data. In step 710, the terminal device may indicate the selection to the selected PRU. Similarly, the terminal device may indicate to at least one PRU candidate that the specific at least one PRU candidate is not selected for the positioning session. In this way, all PRU candidates providing positioning assistance responses will obtain an indication of selection or non-selection.

[0091] Assume that the PRU 132 is selected because it can provide assistance data for the selected anchor device 102. In step 712, the anchor device 102 sends the side link PRS according to the PRS configuration, and the terminal device 100 and the selected PRU 132 measure the PRS transmission in blocks 714 and 716, respectively. The PRU 132 can calculate the requested type of assistance data (requested in step 702) for the target anchor device indicated in step 702 in the indicated PRS resource. For example, the PRU 132 can calculate the "time-frequency offset" correction of the side link PRS received from the anchor device 102 to improve the position estimation accuracy. The time-frequency offset causes inaccuracy in the position estimate, so its correction can improve the positioning accuracy. The correction parameters can be provided as assistance data. Another embodiment of the assistance data is to measure the distance and direction from the PRU 132 to the anchor device 102. In step 718, the PRU sends the assistance data to the terminal device 100. In embodiments where the assistance data includes a time-frequency offset correction, the time-frequency offset correction parameters may be sent in step 718. As described above, the PRU may also be a terminal device having similar hardware as the terminal device 100. Thus, the same time-frequency offset correction may be applied to the terminal device 100. In embodiments where the assistance data indicates detection of whether a line of sight exists between the PRU and an anchor device, the assistance data may indicate whether the PRU has detected the line of sight (optionally using a metric indicating the inaccuracy of the detection).

[0092] In block 720, the terminal device calculates the position of the terminal device 100 based on the measurements made in block 714 and the assistance data received in step 718. In the case where the assistance data includes a line of sight indication, the terminal device may determine to use the line of sight (probability) in its position estimation algorithm, for example by weighting the sidelink PRS measurements from different anchor devices based on the line of sight probability. Measurements of the PRS of an anchor device associated with a line of sight may be superior to measurements of the PRS from an anchor device without a line of sight. In the case where the assistance data includes a time-frequency offset correction parameter, the terminal device 100 may apply the time-frequency offset indicated by the assistance data to the sidelink PRS measurements performed in block 714 to improve positioning accuracy. In the case where the assistance data indicates the best beam for the anchor device for measurement, the terminal device may select the corresponding beam for measurement. In this case, block 718 may precede block 714.

[0093] When the terminal device 100 selects multiple anchor devices that have notified the need for assistance data for the sidelink positioning session, the terminal device 100 may insert the identifier of each anchor device that has notified the need for assistance data into the positioning assistance request message sent in step 702 .

[0094] In one embodiment, the positioning assistance request includes at least one information element indicating at least one of the at least one anchor device requesting assistance data, and the positioning assistance response indicates the capability of the PRU to communicate at least one PRS with the at least one anchor device. Figure 7 In an embodiment, the ability to communicate PRS with at least one anchor device may indicate the ability to detect and measure at least one PRS received from at least one anchor device. In another embodiment, the ability to communicate PRS with at least one anchor device may indicate the ability to transmit PRS with the terminal device 100 so that the anchor device can measure the PRS. In this case, the anchor device selected for the positioning session can measure the PRS received from the terminal device and the selected PRU, and the terminal device can receive auxiliary data from the selected anchor device. The terminal device 100 can then select a PRU capable of communicating PRS for the sidelink positioning session, thereby assisting in generating auxiliary data together with at least one anchor device.

[0095] In one embodiment, the PRU monitors and stores the assistance data (or various assistance data) in advance before initiating the session and the sending / receiving of the related positioning assistance request in step 702. When the terminal device 100 positioning assistance request is communicated in step 702 (or 302 / 400), the PRU 132 can calculate or obtain the requested assistance data and transmit the assistance data during the positioning session without additional measurements. In other words, box 716 can be omitted in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the terminal device can request all the assistance data available to the indicated anchor device in step 702, which means that the positioning assistance request can be transmitted with less signaling overhead.

[0096] In one embodiment, the PRU 130, 132 monitors the sidelink PRS configuration sent by the terminal device to the selected anchor device in step 608. Therefore, the PRU 130, 132 is able to map between the terminal device 100 and the anchor device selected by the terminal device 100 for the positioning session. In this embodiment, the positioning assistance request sent by the terminal device in step 702 may not contain a list of anchor devices that require assistance data. However, such information may still be sent in the positioning assistance request to inform the PRU of those anchor devices that do not require assistance data. Therefore, the PRU can determine only those anchor devices that should be measured and send assistance data only for those anchor devices.

[0097] Figure 8 An embodiment is shown in which the terminal device 100 sends a PRS and the anchor device and the PRU measure it. Figure 7 The same numbered steps in the figure represent the same or substantially similar functions. In other words, the selection of the anchor device and the PRU may follow the above principles. The PRS configuration sent to the selected PRU and the selected anchor device may indicate the time-frequency resources on which the terminal device should send the PRS. In step 800, the terminal device 100 sends a side link PRS, and the anchor device 102 and the PRU 132 measure the side link PRS in boxes 801 and 802. The measurement in box 802 may include the PRU 132 estimating its position based on the measurement of the PRS and comparing the estimated position of the PRU with the known position of the PRU. The difference between the estimated position of the PRU and the known position of the PRU may form auxiliary data (also applicable to box 716). The auxiliary data may alternatively or additionally include any other auxiliary data described above. The auxiliary data may be sent by the PRU 132 to a device that also measures the PRS, i.e. Figure 8In block 804, the anchor device 102 receiving the assistance data may then use the assistance data to correct its own measurements (e.g., time-frequency offset correction) and / or calibrate the assistance data using the positioning data generated in block 801. In step 806, the anchor device 102 sends the (corrected) positioning data and the assistance data (optional) or part of the assistance data to the terminal device 100. The terminal device 100 may then perform an estimation of the position of the terminal device 100 based on the received positioning data (which has been corrected by the anchor device using the assistance data) or based on the positioning data that has been corrected by the terminal device using the assistance data (block 808).

[0098] Fig. 9 A device is shown, comprising a Figure 3 , Figure 4 or Figure 5 The apparatus may include: a processing circuit, such as at least one processor; and at least one memory 20, including computer program code or computer program instructions (software) 24, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code (software) are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to execute Figure 3 , Figure 4 or Figure 5 The device can be used in the terminal device 100 (implementing Figure 3 process), PRU 130, 132 (implementation Figure 4 process) or anchor devices 101, 102 (implementing Figure 5 As described above, any of these devices 100 to 102, 130, 132 may be a terminal device of a cellular communication system. The device may be a circuit or electronic device that implements some embodiments of the present invention in a terminal device. Therefore, a device that performs the above functions may be included in such a device, for example, the device may include a circuit such as a chip, a chipset, a processor, a microcontroller, or a combination of such circuits for a terminal device. At least one processor or processing circuit may enable the communication controller 10 to control the communication in the radio interface of the cellular communication system in the above manner. The communication controller may be configured to establish and manage a wireless connection to transmit data through a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the access node 104.

[0099] The communication controller 10 may include a sidelink controller 12 configured to establish, manage and terminate a sidelink radio connection between the terminal device and other terminal devices. The sidelink radio connection may occupy the same radio resources as the RRC connection and be controlled at least in part via the RRC connection.

[0100] The communication controller 10 may include a positioning circuit 14 configured to Figure 3 , Figure 4 or Figure 5 The process or any of its embodiments utilizes sidelink assisted positioning to perform a positioning session in the device. Figure 3 For the purpose of operating in the terminal device 100 of the present invention, the positioning circuit may include a position estimator 15, which can trigger the side link assisted positioning, so that the device establishes a side link positioning session with the anchor device and requests auxiliary data from the PRU. The position estimator 15 can use the auxiliary data obtained in the above manner to correct the measurements performed by the device itself to improve the positioning accuracy. The positioning circuit may also include an anchor point / PRU selection circuit 17 configured to perform block 606 / 708.

[0101] In an embodiment where the apparatus supports operation as an anchor device, the apparatus comprises circuitry 16 that implements the above-described functionality of the anchor devices 101, 102. In other words, the apparatus may be configured to perform Figure 5 or the process of 6 to store the database 66 and send the PRS during the positioning session.

[0102] In embodiments where the apparatus supports operation as a PRU 130, 132, the apparatus includes circuitry 18 that implements the above-described functionality of the PRU 130, 132. In other words, the apparatus may be configured to Figure 7 or 8 during execution Figure 4 process or action of the PRU.

[0103] The apparatus may also include an application processor (not shown) executing one or more computer program applications that generate the need to send and / or receive data via the communication controller 10. The application processor may form an application layer of the apparatus. The application processor may execute computer programs that form the main functions of the apparatus. For example, if the apparatus is a sensor device, the application processor may execute one or more signal processing applications that process measurement data acquired from one or more sensor heads. If the apparatus is a computer system of a vehicle, the application processor may execute media applications and / or autonomous driving and navigation applications. The positioning of the device may be beneficial for all of these applications. The application processor may therefore generate commands for executing the application layer. Figure 3 The command of the process.

[0104] The memory 20 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 20 may include a database 66 for storing information regarding required auxiliary data.

[0105] The apparatus may also include a communication interface 22, which includes hardware and / or software for providing the apparatus with radio communication capabilities, as described above. The communication interface 22 may include, for example, an antenna, one or more radio frequency filters, a power amplifier, and one or more frequency converters. The communication interface 22 may include the hardware and software required to implement radio communications over a radio interface, for example, according to the specifications of an LTE or 5G radio interface.

[0106] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" refers to one or more of: (a) a hardware circuit implementation only, such as an implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only; (b) a combination of circuitry and software and / or firmware, such as (as applicable): (i) a combination of a processor or processor core; or (ii) a portion of a processor / software including a digital signal processor, software, and at least one memory, which work together to enable the device to perform a particular function; and (c) a circuit, such as a microprocessor or a portion of a microprocessor, that requires software or firmware for operation even if the software or firmware is not physically present.

[0107] This definition of 'circuitry' applies to the use of this item in this application. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" would also cover an implementation of only a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a processor (e.g., one core of a multi-core processor) and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuitry" would also cover, for example and if applicable, specific elements of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a baseband integrated circuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and / or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) circuit.

[0108] Figures 3 to 8 The process or method described in or any embodiment thereof may also be performed in the form of one or more computer processes defined by one or more computer programs. The computer program may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some carrier, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers include temporary and / or non-temporary computer media, such as recording media, computer memories, read-only memories, electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital processing unit, or it may be distributed among multiple processing units. References to computer-readable program code, computer programs, computer instructions, computer code, etc. should be understood to express software for programmable processors, such as programmable content stored in hardware devices as instructions for processors, or configured as configurations or configurable settings for fixed-function devices, gate arrays, or programmable logic devices.

[0109] The embodiments described herein are applicable to the wireless networks defined above, but are also applicable to other wireless networks. The protocols used, the specifications of wireless networks and their network elements are developing rapidly. Such developments may require additional changes to the described embodiments. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly, and they are intended to illustrate, not limit, the embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that, as technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The embodiments are not limited to the above examples, but may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising components for performing the following: Establishing a sidelink positioning session with at least one anchor device; causing transmission of a positioning assistance request message during the sidelink positioning session, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information element, the at least one information element indicating that assistance data is requested for the sidelink positioning session; receiving at least one positioning assistance response message from at least one candidate positioning reference unit, the at least one positioning assistance response message comprising at least one information element, the at least one information element indicating a capability to provide the requested assistance data; For the sidelink positioning session, selecting, from the at least one candidate positioning reference unit, at least one positioning reference unit that has indicated a capability of providing the assistance data; indicating the selection to the selected at least one positioning reference unit; as well as At least one positioning reference signal is transmitted to at least the at least one anchor device, and the position of the terminal device is estimated based on the positioning reference signal and the auxiliary data provided by the selected at least one positioning reference unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the component is configured to: receiving the at least one positioning reference signal from the at least one anchor device and measuring the positioning reference signal; receiving the requested assistance data from the selected at least one positioning reference unit; and The position of the device is estimated based on the measured positioning reference signals and the received assistance data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the component is configured as: receiving, during said establishment of said sidelink positioning session, information from said at least one anchor point device regarding whether assistance data was required in an earlier positioning session with said at least one anchor point device; The transmission of the positioning assistance request is caused upon a determination based on the information that the other terminal device requires the assistance data in the positioning session with the at least one anchor device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one anchor device comprises a plurality of anchor devices, and wherein the component is configured to receive the information from the plurality of anchor devices and configure the selected at least one positioning reference unit to provide the assistance data only for the anchor device that has notified the need for the assistance data.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the component is configured to select a plurality of anchor point devices that have notified the need for the assistance data for the sidelink positioning session, and insert an identifier of each anchor point device that has notified the need for the assistance data into the positioning assistance request message.

6. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the positioning assistance request comprises at least one information element indicating at least one of the at least one anchor device requesting the assistance data, and wherein the positioning assistance response indicates a capability to measure at least one positioning reference signal and to generate the assistance data associated with the indicated at least one anchor device, and wherein the component is configured to select a positioning reference element capable of measuring and generating the assistance data for the sidelink positioning session.

7. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the selected at least one positioning reference unit comprises a terminal device.

8. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the positioning assistance response indicates at least one condition under which the corresponding positioning reference unit is able to provide the assistance data, and wherein the component is configured to perform the selection of the at least one positioning reference unit based on the at least one condition.

9. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the positioning assistance request specifies multiple types of assistance data requested for the positioning session, and wherein the positioning assistance response indicates which type or types of the requested assistance data the corresponding positioning reference unit can provide, and wherein the component is configured to perform the selection of the at least one positioning reference unit so that the selected at least one positioning reference unit can provide all types of assistance data requested for the positioning session.

10. An apparatus for locating a reference unit, comprising means for performing the following: receiving a positioning assistance request message from a terminal device, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information element, the at least one information element indicating that assistance data is requested for a sidelink positioning session of the terminal device; Sending a positioning assistance response message to the terminal device, wherein the positioning assistance response message includes at least one information unit, and the at least one information unit indicates a capability of providing the requested assistance data; receiving a message from the terminal device indicating that the apparatus has been selected as a positioning reference unit for the sidelink positioning session; receiving a positioning reference signal from at least one anchor device of the positioning session or from the terminal device, and measuring the positioning reference signal; as well as Based on the measurements, assistance data for the sidelink positioning session is generated and sent to the terminal device or the at least one anchor device.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the positioning assistance request message comprises at least one information element indicating the at least one anchor device, and wherein the positioning assistance request message or the selected message indicating the apparatus indicates configuration of the positioning reference signal.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the component is configured to determine at least one condition under which the apparatus can provide the assistance data upon receiving the positioning assistance request message, and indicate the at least one condition in the positioning assistance response message.

13. An apparatus for an anchor device, comprising components for performing the following: storing information that assistance data has been required in at least one sidelink positioning session with the device; receiving a request from a terminal device to establish a sidelink positioning session; sending a response to the request, the response indicating that the assistance data has been required in at least one sidelink positioning session of the device; as well as A positioning reference signal configuration is received from the terminal device, and a positioning reference signal is sent or received according to the positioning reference signal configuration.

14. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 13, wherein said components comprise at least one processor and at least one memory, said at least one memory storing instructions, said instructions causing said execution of said apparatus.

15. A method comprising: Establishing a side link positioning session between the terminal device and at least one anchor device; causing, by the terminal device, transmission of a positioning assistance request message during the sidelink positioning session, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information element, the at least one information element indicating that assistance data is requested for the sidelink positioning session; Receiving, by the terminal device, at least one positioning assistance response message from at least one candidate positioning reference unit, the at least one positioning assistance response message comprising at least one information unit, the at least one information unit indicating a capability of providing the requested assistance data; selecting, by the terminal device, for the sidelink positioning session, at least one positioning reference unit from the at least one candidate positioning reference unit that has indicated a capability of providing the auxiliary data; indicating, by the terminal device, the selection to the selected at least one positioning reference unit; as well as The terminal device transmits at least one positioning reference signal to at least the at least one anchor device, and estimates the position of the terminal device based on the positioning reference signal and auxiliary data provided by the selected at least one positioning reference unit.

16. A method comprising: receiving, by a positioning reference unit, a positioning assistance request message from a terminal device, the positioning assistance request message comprising at least one information element, the at least one information element indicating that assistance data is requested for a sidelink positioning session of the terminal device; The positioning reference unit sends a positioning assistance response message to the terminal device, where the positioning assistance response message includes at least one information unit, and the at least one information unit indicates a capability of providing the requested assistance data; receiving, by the positioning reference unit, a message from the terminal device indicating that the apparatus has been selected as a positioning reference unit for the sidelink positioning session; The positioning reference unit receives a positioning reference signal from at least one anchor point device of the positioning session or from the terminal device, and measures the positioning reference signal; as well as The positioning reference unit generates auxiliary data for the sidelink positioning session based on the measurement and sends the auxiliary data to the terminal device or the at least one anchor device.

17. A method comprising: The anchor device stores information that assistance data has been required in at least one sidelink positioning session with the anchor device; The anchor device receives a request for establishing a side link positioning session from a terminal device; sending, by the anchor device, a response to the request, the response indicating that the assistance data has been required in at least one sidelink positioning session of the anchor device; as well as The anchor point device receives a positioning reference signal configuration from the terminal device, and sends or receives a positioning reference signal according to the positioning reference signal configuration.

18. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium and comprising computer program code readable by a computer, wherein the computer program code configures the computer to execute a computer process comprising the method of any one of claims 15 to 17.

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