Positioning configuration update

Abstract

Various example embodiments relate to methods and apparatus for location configuration updates. The apparatus may be configured to: receive an indication of a delay timer by which release of an RRC connection between a terminal device and a network device is delayed; in response to the indication of the delay timer, sending a request for a positioning configuration update to a network device or a location server; and switching to an RRC inactive or idle state when the positioning configuration update is received at the terminal device or the delay timer expires.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments described herein relate generally to communication technology, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for updating a positioning configuration of a terminal device in a wireless communication system. Background Art

[0002] Certain abbreviations that may be found in the specification and / or drawings are defined herein as follows: DL Downlink DRX Discontinuous Reception gNB Next Generation Node B LMC Location Management Component LMF Location Management Function LPHAP Low Power High Accuracy Positioning LPP LTE Positioning Protocol NR New Radio NRPPa NR Positioning Protocol A PRS Positioning Reference Signal QoS Quality of Service RAN Random Access Network RRC Radio Resource Control SRS Sounding Reference Signal TRP Transmit Receive Point UE User Equipment UL Uplink

[0003] Wireless communication systems have been developed over many generations and can support various types of service applications for terminal devices. For some applications, it may be very useful to be able to obtain the location of the terminal device through the wireless communication system, so that a large number of location-based services (e.g., emergency calls, navigation assistance, asset tracking, etc.) can be provided. In some scenarios and / or for certain categories of terminal devices, it may be desirable to put the terminal device into a lower power consumption state. Summary of the invention

[0004] The following provides a brief summary of exemplary embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of various embodiments. It should be noted that this summary is not intended to identify key features of essential elements or to limit the scope of the embodiments, and its sole purpose is to introduce some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

[0005] In a first aspect, an exemplary embodiment of a terminal device is provided. The terminal device may include at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the terminal device to at least: receive an indication of a delay timer from a network device, and the release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal device and the network device is delayed by the delay timer; in response to the indication of the delay timer, send a request for a positioning configuration update to the network device or a location server; and when the positioning configuration update is received at the terminal device or the delay timer expires, switch to an RRC inactive or idle state.

[0006] In a second aspect, an exemplary embodiment of a network device is provided. The network device may include at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the network device to at least: decide to delay the release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the network device and a terminal device; send an indication of a delay timer to the terminal device, and the release of the RRC connection between the network device and the terminal device is delayed by the delay timer.

[0007] In a third aspect, an example embodiment of a location server is provided. The location server may include at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the location server to at least: receive a request for a positioning configuration update for a terminal device from a terminal device or a network device, the request including a response timer; and send a positioning configuration update for the terminal device to the terminal device or the network device before the response timer expires.

[0008] Example embodiments of methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are also provided. Such example embodiments generally correspond to example embodiments in the above aspects, and for convenience, repeated descriptions thereof are omitted here.

[0009] Other features and advantages of example embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of specific embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of example embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Some example embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a wireless communication network in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0012] Figure 2 It is the state transition in UE Radio Resource Control (RRC) state machine and NR.

[0013] Figure 3 is a high-level message flow diagram illustrating a positioning configuration update process according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 4 is a schematic message flow diagram illustrating a positioning assistance data configuration update procedure for DL ​​positioning according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 5 is a schematic message flow diagram illustrating an SRS configuration update procedure for UL positioning according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 6 is a schematic flow chart showing a positioning configuration update method implemented at a terminal device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 7 is a schematic flow chart showing a positioning configuration update method implemented at a network device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 8 The figure is a flowchart of a positioning configuration updating method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0019] Fig. 9 is a schematic structural block diagram showing a device in a communication system in which an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0020] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar elements, and repeated description of the same elements will be omitted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, some example embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. In some cases, well-known circuits, techniques, and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the concepts and features described.

[0022] As used herein, the term "terminal device" or "user equipment" (UE) refers to any entity or device that can communicate wirelessly with network devices or each other. Examples of terminal devices may include mobile phones, mobile terminals (MTs), mobile stations (MSs), subscriber stations (SSs), portable subscriber stations (PSSs), access terminals (ATs), computers, wearable devices, vehicle-mounted communication devices, machine type communication (MTC) devices, D2D communication devices, V2X communication devices, sensors, etc. The term "terminal device" may be used interchangeably with UE, user terminal, mobile terminal, mobile station, or wireless device.

[0023] As used herein, the term "network equipment" refers to any suitable entity or device that can provide a cell or coverage through which a terminal device can access a network or receive a service. Network equipment may generally be referred to as a base station. The term "base station" used herein may represent a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), or a gNB. A base station may be embodied as a macro base station, a relay node, or a low-power node, such as a micro base station or a femto base station. A base station may be composed of several distributed network units, such as a central unit (CU), one or more distributed units (DU), one or more remote radio heads (RRHs), or remote radio units (RRUs). The number and functionality of these distributed units depends on the selected split RAN architecture.

[0024] As used herein, the term "network function" (NF) refers to a processing function in a network and defines functional behaviors and interfaces. The network function can be implemented by dedicated hardware, by running software on dedicated hardware, or by a virtual function on a general hardware platform. From an implementation perspective, network functions can be divided into physical network functions and virtual network functions. From a usage perspective, network functions can be divided into dedicated network functions and shared network functions.

[0025] Figure 1 A simplified schematic diagram of a cellular communication network 100 in which an example embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. The cellular communication network 100 may be implemented as a multiple access system capable of supporting communications with multiple users sharing available system resources. The cellular communication network 100 may employ one or more channel access schemes, such as time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA), etc. These multiple access schemes may be formulated in 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G New Radio (NR), or beyond 5G radio standards. For ease of description, Figure 1The cellular communication network 100 is shown as a 5G NR network including a plurality of 5G base stations “gNB”, but it should be understood that the example embodiments disclosed herein may also be implemented in a 4G LTE network or beyond a 5G network.

[0026] refer to Figure 1 , the communication network 100 may include a user equipment (UE) 110 and multiple base stations (shown as gNBs) 120a, 120b, 120c. Multiple base stations 120a, 120b, 120c (collectively referred to as base stations 120) may form a so-called radio access network (RAN) and provide network access to multiple UEs. For example, UE 110 may reside in a cell supported by base station 120a and establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with base station 120a. UE 110 may communicate with base station 120a on uplink and downlink channels. Base station 120a may be referred to as a serving base station for UE 110, and base stations 120b, 120c may be referred to as neighbor base stations.

[0027] In some example embodiments, the communication network 100 may employ a multiple transmission reception point (mTRP) architecture, in which the UE 110 may send and receive data to one or more transmission reception points (TRPs). The TRP may be associated with one or more base stations 120 and / or one or more cells. The term "cell" used herein may refer to a specific geographic coverage area served by a base station and / or a subsystem of a base station serving the coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. It should be understood that when the description herein indicates that a "cell" performs a function, the base station serving the cell will perform the function. The example embodiments described herein are not limited to any particular deployment of a TRP or a specific relationship between a TRP and a base station / cell. It should also be understood that throughout this disclosure, the term "base station" may also include a TRP, and operations performed at a base station may be performed at least in part at a TRP.

[0028] Continue to refer Figure 1 , the communication network 100 may also include a location server 130 to manage the positioning of UEs connected to the network 100. The location server 130 may be a physical or logical entity, which may be implemented as a local location management component (LMC) in a base station or a location management function (LMF) within a core network. The base station 120 may be connected to the core network via a so-called backhaul connection.

[0029] Positioning methods may be classified into "uplink" (UL) positioning, "downlink" (DL) positioning, and "uplink and downlink" (UL-DL) positioning. The UL positioning method utilizes a UL positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted by the UE 110 to the serving base station 120a and one or more neighboring base stations (such as base stations 120b, 120c). The base stations 120a, 120b, and 120c may obtain position measurements based on the UL PRS and then send measurement reports to the location server 130 to determine the location of the UE 110. The DL positioning method utilizes a DL PRS transmitted by one or more base stations 120a, 120b, 120c. The DL PRS is obtained by the UE 110 to estimate its location. Alternatively, the UE 110 may send a measurement report to the location server 130 based on the DL PRS to determine the location of the UE 110. The UL-DL positioning method utilizes both the UL PRS transmitted by the UE 110 and the DL PRS received by the UE 110. Throughout this disclosure, the terms "positioning reference signal" and "PRS" may refer to any uplink or downlink positioning reference signal that may be used to perform positioning measurements. For example, the UL PRS may include a sounding reference signal (SRS), a physical random access channel (PRACH), a UL demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a UL phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), and any other positioning reference signal for UL positioning defined in the 3GPP specification, and the DL PRS may include a synchronization signal block (SSB), a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), a tracking reference signal (TRS), and any other positioning reference signal for DL ​​positioning defined in the 3GPP specification.

[0030] Multiple cellular network-based positioning methods are supported for NR, including but not limited to downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA), uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA), downlink angle of arrival (DL-AoD), uplink angle of arrival (UL-AoA), and multi-cell round trip time (multi-RTT). Taking DL-TDOA as an example, UE 110 can measure the arrival time of the PRS from base station 120, and calculate DL-TDOA by, for example, subtracting the arrival time of the PRS from neighboring base stations 120b, 120c from the arrival time of the PRS from the serving base station 120a. Here, the serving base station 120a is regarded as a reference base station in the positioning process. The DL-TDOA measurement (also known as the reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurement) can be sent to the location server 130 in a PRS measurement report, where the DL-TDOA is converted into a distance difference between a first distance from the UE 110 to the serving base station 120a and a second distance from the UE 110 to the corresponding neighboring base stations 120b, 120c. Since location server 130 knows the location of base station 120 (or the location of the physical antenna of the base station), location server 130 can calculate a hyperbola based on the distance difference between the serving base station and the neighboring base station, and the intersection of two or more such hyperbolas can be determined as the location of UE 110. Here, the DL-TDOA method is described as an example, and it should be understood that the example embodiments discussed herein are not limited to the DL-TDOA positioning method.

[0031] To assist positioning operations in NR, the location server 130 and / or the base station 120 may provide the UE 110 with a positioning configuration for a DL or UL positioning procedure. For example, the positioning configuration involved in both DL and UL positioning may include a capability used by the location server 130 to request the UE 110 to support various positioning methods and / or a capability for position measurement and / or a location information request. In addition, the positioning configuration for DL ​​positioning may include a PRS configuration, a measurement and reporting configuration, and / or other positioning assistance data applicable to the DL positioning method. For UL positioning, the positioning configuration may include an SRS configuration (e.g., a positioning SRS resource set list), and positioning SRS activation or inactivity signaling. In the following, for the purpose of discussion, the positioning configuration for DL ​​positioning is also referred to as positioning assistance data, and the positioning configuration for UL positioning is also referred to as an SRS configuration.

[0032] In a 5G NR network, UE 110 may be considered to be in different RRC modes or states relative to the network. Figure 2UE RRC state machine and state transitions in NR are shown. UE 110 may have only one RRC state in NR at a time. As shown, UE 110 may be in RRC_connected state, RRC_inactive state or RRC_idle state. When UE 110 is in RRC connected state, it may communicate with base station 120 using typical NR physical channels (e.g., physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)) to perform data transmission or reception. In order to achieve low power consumption, UE 110 may be converted to RRC_inactive state or RRC_idle state. When UE 110 is in RRC_idle state, it only monitors the network for paging and system information. When UE 110 is in RRC_inactive state, the RRC connection of UE 110 to the network is suspended and can be quickly resumed.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, when the RRC connection is released by the base station 120, the UE 110 can be converted from the RRC_connected state to the RRC_idle state. The UE 110 can be converted back to the RRC_connected state from the RRC_idle state by establishing an RRC connection. In addition, when an RRC release with a pause message is received from the base station 120, the UE 110 can be converted from the RRC_connected state to the RRC_inactive state. In the RRC_inactive state, the UE 110 can be converted back to the RRC_connected state by resuming the RRC connection.

[0034] As above, in order to perform the positioning method, UE 110 needs to receive the positioning configuration from the location server 130 via the base station 120. Therefore, UE 110 may need to update the positioning configuration in time. This will cause problems when UE 110 is in an RRC inactive or idle state. Until Rel.16, the RRC idle or inactive state does not support any data transmission / reception. Therefore, UE 110 must establish or restore an RRC connection for any DL and UL data. No matter how small and infrequent the data packet is, each data transmission will establish a connection establishment and then release to the idle / inactive state. This means that when a packet (e.g., an updated positioning configuration) arrives at UE 110 in an RRC idle or inactive state, as an example, the network will initiate a paging process for UE 110, and then UE 110 will start a random access (RA) process before data transmission to establish or restore the connection. This will result in unnecessary power consumption and signaling overhead.

[0035] Although some basic functions for positioning the UE in the RRC inactive state have been defined in Rel.17, certain problems still need to be solved to improve the positioning efficiency of the UE in the RRC inactive or idle state. For example, due to energy consumption constraints, the positioning configuration for the RRC connected state and the RRC inactive / idle state may be different. Taking DL positioning as an example, it is expected that the UE 110 in the RRC inactive / idle state reports positioning measurements at a lower frequency than the RRC connected state. However, the location server 130 (e.g., LMF) cannot adjust the positioning assistance data in time because the RRC state of the UE 110 may not be visible at the LMF. In addition, since the positioning requirements (e.g., positioning service quality (QoS)) and positioning performance (e.g., delay) at the serving base station 120a are unknown, the serving base station 120a does not know whether the positioning configuration provided in the RRC release or RRC suspension message is appropriate. If the configuration information is inappropriate, the location server 130 or UE 110 may trigger a positioning configuration update after the UE 110 has been converted to the RRC inactive / idle state. As above, this additional positioning configuration update will trigger operations such as paging, random access, PDSCH reception, which results in additional power consumption of UE 110. This is clearly contrary to the power saving intention in the RRC inactive / idle state.

[0036] Therefore, an efficient mechanism is desired to be provided to update the positioning configuration of a terminal device for use in an RRC inactive / idle state.

[0037] Hereinafter, an example embodiment of a method and apparatus for supporting positioning configuration updates will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the positioning configuration update is implemented before the terminal device enters an RRC inactive or idle state. The network device can assist the positioning server in updating the positioning configuration for the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state. In the case of an RRC state transition, the example embodiment can support seamless positioning configuration updates for UL and DL positioning. After the terminal device moves to an RRC inactive or idle state, the positioning configuration does not need to be updated. Therefore, low power consumption can be achieved in the terminal device, and signaling overhead and positioning delay can be reduced.

[0038] Figure 3 is a high-level message flow diagram illustrating a positioning configuration update procedure according to an example embodiment. It should be understood that the positioning configuration update procedure may refer to a process of determining an initial positioning configuration for use in an RRC inactive / idle state or a process of updating a positioning configuration when an initial positioning configuration has been determined. The term "update" should be interpreted in a similar manner throughout this disclosure. Figure 3 The process shown can be performed by a base station, a location server and a user equipment. Figure 1The UE 110, the serving base station 120a and the location server 130 in the described communication network 100 may be configured to perform a positioning configuration update process. The UE 110, the serving base station 120a and the location server 130 may each include multiple components, modules, parts or elements for performing the operations discussed below, and the components, modules, parts and elements may be implemented in various ways, including but not limited to, for example, software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof to perform the operations.

[0039] Reference Figure 3 , assuming that UE 110 is initially in a connected state with serving base station 120a and location server 130 (e.g., LMF). In some cases, serving base station 120a may determine to trigger UE 110 to enter an RRC inactive or idle state for power consumption. At operation 210, serving base station 120a may decide to delay the release of the RRC connection between serving base station 120a and UE 110 instead of immediately sending an RRC release or an RRC release with a pause message. For example, serving base station 120a may delay the RRC release or pause indication to UE 110 for a period of time to implement a positioning configuration update. When the time period expires, UE 110 may transition to an RRC inactive or idle state.

[0040] Within the delay time window, the active positioning configuration update process 220 may be performed before the UE 110 transitions to the RRC inactive or idle state. For example, the serving base station 120a may initiate a positioning configuration update when it determines that the previous positioning configuration is not suitable for the RRC inactive or idle state, or the UE 110 still needs to maintain the positioning session activity. Alternatively, the base station 120a may directly trigger the positioning configuration update of the UE 110 to avoid updating the positioning configuration information after the UE 110 transitions to the inactive or idle state.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the active positioning configuration update process may be performed by sending a request to the location server 130 at operation 222. In an example embodiment, the base station 120a may send a request for a positioning configuration update to the location server 130. Alternatively, the base station 120a may notify the UE 110 that it will enter the RRC inactive or idle state and indicate certain auxiliary information to the UE 110, such as a delay timer indicating when to transition to the RRC inactive / idle state, a DRX configuration for the RRC inactive or idle state, a reason for the delay, etc. Then, the UE 110 may decide to send a request for a positioning configuration update to the base station 120a or the location server 130.

[0042] In an example embodiment, the request for a positioning configuration update may include a request for a positioning assistance data update for DL ​​positioning, and / or a request for a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration update for UL positioning. As above, the network may use UL, DL, or UL-DL positioning methods to locate UE 110. Depending on the positioning method used, UE 110 or base station 120a may send a corresponding request to location server 130.

[0043] In an example embodiment, the request may include some information associated with UE 110 and / or the positioning configuration update to facilitate timely and appropriate determination of the positioning configuration update by location server 130. For example, the request may include at least one of the following: a reason for sending the request, a suggestion for one or more parameters for the positioning configuration, a response timer before which location server 130 needs to provide the positioning configuration update, and a DRX configuration for UE 110 to use in an RRC inactive or idle state.

[0044] In response to receiving the request, the location server 130 may determine a new positioning configuration to be used in an RRC inactive or idle state based at least on the request information from the UE 110 or the base station 120a. Then at operation 224, the location server 130 may send the determined positioning configuration update to the UE 110, for example, before the response timer expires. Alternatively or additionally, in the case where the positioning configuration update is for UL positioning, for example, the reference signal is an SRS for positioning purposes, it is preferable for the base station 120a to determine the SRS configuration. Therefore, in an example embodiment, the location server 130 may determine the suggested SRS configuration and send it to the base station 120a. Based on the suggestion received from the location server 130, the base station 120a may determine an SRS configuration update for UL positioning and send the SRS configuration update to the UE 110.

[0045] At operation 230, the base station 120a may send an RRC release or a release with a pause message to instruct the UE 110 to enter the RRC inactive / idle state after the positioning configuration update has been determined or after the delay timer expires. Then at 240, the UE 110 may switch to the RRC inactive or idle state upon receiving the message. For example, if an RRC release message is received, the UE 110 may release the access stratum (AS) context and switch to the RRC idle state. In the case of receiving an RRC release with a pause message, the UE 110 moves to the RRC inactive state and, in this state, maintains the AS context in the UE 110.

[0046] It should be understood that although the RRC release or release with pause message is sent at operation 230 after the active positioning configuration update process 220, the RRC release or release with pause message may also be sent at another time. For example, when the base station 120a determines to delay the release of the RRC connection at operation 210, it may immediately instruct the UE 110 to release the RRC connection and also configure a delay timer for the UE 110. In this case, when the UE 110 receives the positioning configuration update or the delay timer expires, the UE 110 may also switch to the RRC inactive or idle state.

[0047] here, Figure 3 Only a high-level process of positioning configuration update is shown, and the details of the operations in the process will be discussed below.

[0048] Figure 4 is a schematic message flow diagram illustrating a positioning assistance data configuration update procedure for DL ​​positioning according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 The illustrated process may be performed by, for example, UE 110 , a serving base station 120 a of UE 110 , and location server 130 .

[0049] In some cases, the serving base station 120a may determine to trigger the UE 110 to enter the RRC inactive or idle state in order to reduce power consumption. The determination may be, for example, based on a buffer status for the UE 110. If the buffer status indicates that there is no or only a small data transmission or reception at the UE 110 for a relatively long period of time, the serving base station 120a may make a decision to initiate a transition from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive or idle state to achieve power saving purposes.

[0050] refer to Figure 4 , when the serving base station 120a determines to place the UE 110 in an RRC inactive or idle state. At operation 210, the base station 120a may decide to delay the release of the RRC connection between the base station 120a and the UE 110. For example, the base station 120a will not immediately instruct the UE 110 to release the RRC connection. Instead, the base station 120a may trigger a positioning configuration update procedure to update the positioning assistance data of the UE 110, which will be described in more detail below.

[0051] In an example embodiment, before the base station 120a triggers the positioning configuration update process, it may determine at operation 212 whether a positioning configuration update for DL ​​positioning is required. For example, the determination may be based on the capabilities and / or current positioning configuration of the UE 110. The capability information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a device category, a power state, a power saving mode of the UE 110, and information indicating whether a positioning service is involved. In the example, the UE 110 may report some of the capability information (e.g., device category, power state, power saving mode) to the base station 120a in advance or in response to receiving a request from the base station 120a. The base station 120a may then determine whether it is necessary to update the positioning assistance data for DL ​​positioning.

[0052] As an example, the base station 120a may realize that the UE 110 not only needs to keep the positioning session active in order to support location-based services, but also needs to save power if the remaining battery of the UE 110 is low or the UE 110 is a low-power UE (such as an asset tracking device, a low-power high-accuracy positioning (LPHAP) UE, etc.), and the base station 120a can then make a decision to trigger an update of the positioning assistance data.

[0053] In some example embodiments, operation 212 may be omitted. In other words, base station 120a may directly trigger the update of positioning assistance data for UE 110 to avoid updating positioning configuration information after UE 110 transitions to an inactive or idle state.

[0054] When the positioning assistance data update process is initiated, at operation 214, the base station 120a may send an indication of a delay timer to the UE 110. The indication may indicate that the release of the RRC connection between the base station 120a and the UE 110 is delayed, and after the timer expires, the UE 110 will be converted to an RRC inactive or idle state. In an example, the base station may send an indication of the delay timer via RRC signaling (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message). In this case, the base station 120a may also set a timer (e.g., equal to the delay timer) to wait for a reply from the UE 110, which may indicate successful reception or completion of the positioning assistance data update. When the base station 120a receives the reply or the timer expires, it may indicate that the UE 110 enters an RRC inactive or idle state. Alternatively, the indication of the delay timer may be sent together with an RRC release or a release message with a pause. In other words, the UE 110 may receive an indication of the delay timer in an RRC release or a release message with a pause. In response to the RRC message, when the positioning assistance data is received or the delay timer expires, the UE 110 will actually release the RRC connection.

[0055] In an example embodiment, at operation 214, the base station 120a may also inform the UE 110 of other assistance information along with the delay timer indication via RRC signaling. For example, the assistance information may include an indication of the cause of the delay (e.g., positioning configuration update) and / or a discontinuous reception DRX configuration used by the UE 110 in an RRC inactive or idle state. It should be understood that the DRX configuration may be sent at other times or included in other messages. For example, the UE 110 receives the DRX configuration in an RRC release or release with pause message from the base station 120.

[0056] As described above, there are two options for sending a request for a positioning configuration update. In the first option, base station 120a may be responsible for sending the request. In the example, at operation 310a, base station 120a may initiate a request for a positioning assistance data update to location server 130. For example, base station 120a may send the request to location server 130 via NRPPa signaling.

[0057] The request may include various information associated with the positioning assistance data update. For example, the information may include at least the reason for sending the request (i.e., the RRC state transition of UE 110), the DRX configuration used for UE 110 in the RRC inactive or idle state, and a response timer setting a time interval before which the location server 130 provides the positioning assistance data update. As above, the response timer may be determined based on the delay timer, which defines the duration by which the release of the RRC connection between UE 110 and base station 120a is delayed by the delay timer. For example, the response timer may expire before the delay timer.

[0058] The request information may also include a suggestion for one or more parameters for the positioning assistance data update. For example, the location server 130 may take into account the above-mentioned DRX configuration when determining the DL PRS configuration and the measurement report configuration, for example, so that the DL PRS reception period and the measurement period may be aligned with the on-duration period indicated by the DRX configuration for power saving. As another example, the power consumption may be considered to determine the positioning assistance data update. For example, it is preferred to configure a long measurement report period, so that the frequency of measurement reports may be reduced.

[0059] As another option, UE 110 may be responsible for sending a request for a positioning assistance data update. For example, at operation 310b, in response to receiving an indication that it will enter an RRC inactive or idle state (e.g., at 214), and setting a delay timer for the purpose of positioning assistance data update, UE 110 may decide whether to trigger a request for a positioning assistance data update. Similar to operation 212, UE 110 may make a decision based on capabilities and / or current positioning assistance data. Capability information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a device category of UE 110, a power state, a power saving mode, and information indicating whether a positioning service is involved. Current positioning assistance data may include, but is not limited to, a current PRS configuration, a measurement report configuration, etc.

[0060] For example, if UE 110 is a low power UE (e.g., an asset tracking device or LPHAP UE) and it is aware that the remaining power is low, a determination may be made to trigger a request for updating positioning assistance data. As another example, if most PRS configurations are outside of the DRX on-duration, UE 110 may make a decision to trigger a positioning assistance data update.

[0061] When a request for positioning assistance data is triggered, at operation 312b, for example, UE 110 may send a request to location server 130 via LPP signaling. Alternatively, UE 110 may send a request to base station 120a via RRC signaling, and then base station 120a forwards the request to location server 130 via NRPPa signaling.

[0062] In an example, the request may include at least a reason for sending the request, a DRX configuration for UE 110 to use in an RRC inactive or idle state, a suggestion for one or more parameters for positioning assistance data update, and a response timer before which location server 130 needs to provide positioning assistance data update. The details of the request information may be similar to those described with reference to operation 310a, and a redundant description thereof is omitted here.

[0063] In response to receiving the request at operation 310a or 312b, the location server 130 may determine the positioning assistance data update at operation 320 based at least on the request information received from the base station 120a or the UE 110. For example, the location server 130 may directly accept the suggestion as the positioning assistance data update from the base station 120a or the UE 110. In another example, the location server 130 may determine the positioning assistance data update by itself using the request information and other information such as positioning requirements (e.g., QoS), positioning performance (e.g., positioning delay). Then, at operation 330, for example, the location server 130 may send the determined positioning assistance data update to the UE 110 before the response timer expires. The configuration update may be sent to the UE 110 via LPP signaling. Alternatively, the location server 130 may send the configuration update to the base station 120a via NRPPa signaling, and the base station 120a then forwards the configuration update to the UE 110 via RRC signaling.

[0064] At operation 340, the base station 120a may send an RRC release or a release with a pause message to the UE 110. For example, when the UE 110 receives or completes the positioning assistance data update, it may send an indication indicating the reception or completion of the positioning assistance data update to the base station 120a, for example, before the delay timer expires. The base station 120a may then generate and send an RRC release or a release with a pause message. On the other hand, when the delay timer expires without receiving an indication, the base station 120a may also generate an RRC release or a release with a pause message and send the release with a pause message to the UE 110. At operation 240, upon receiving the RRC release or the release with a pause message, the UE 110 may switch from the RRC connected state to one of the RRC inactive or idle states.

[0065] Figure 5 is a schematic message flow diagram illustrating an SRS configuration update procedure for UL positioning according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 The illustrated process may be performed by, for example, UE 110 , a serving base station 120 a of UE 110 , and location server 130 .

[0066] Reference Figure 5 At the beginning of the process, the serving base station 120a may decide to delay the release of the RRC connection between the base station 120a and the UE 110 at operation 210 so that the SRS configuration update process can be performed. Figure 4 The operation is described, and the restoration description is omitted here.

[0067] In an example embodiment, before base station 120a triggers the SRS configuration update process, it may determine at operation 213 whether a configuration update for UL positioning is required. The determination may be based on the capabilities and / or current positioning configuration of UE 110. As an example, if base station 120a finds that UE 110 is a positioning UE (e.g., an LPHAP UE) and the previous SRS configuration is not associated with an RRC inactive or idle state, it may be determined that the positioning configuration needs to be updated. As another example, base station 120a may realize that UE 110 not only needs to maintain the positioning session active, but also needs to save power if the remaining battery of UE 110 is low or UE 110 is a low power UE (e.g., an asset tracking device), and then base station 120a may make a decision to trigger an SRS configuration update.

[0068] When the SRS configuration update process is initiated, at operation 214, the base station 120a may send an indication of a delay timer to the UE 110. The indication may indicate that the release of the RRC connection between the base station 120a and the UE 110 is delayed, and after the timer expires, the UE 110 will be converted to an RRC inactive or idle state. In an example, the base station may send an indication of the delay timer via RRC signaling (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message). In this case, the base station 120a may also set a timer equal to the delay timer, and determine the SRS configuration update before the timer expires. When the configuration update is determined before the timer expires, the base station 120a may indicate that the UE 110 enters an RRC inactive or idle state. Alternatively, the indication of the delay timer may be sent together with an RRC release or a release message with a pause. In response to the RRC message, when the SRS configuration is received or the delay timer expires, the UE 110 will actually release the RRC connection.

[0069] In an example embodiment, at operation 214, base station 120a may also inform UE 110 of other assistance information along with the delay timer indication. For example, the assistance information may include an indication of a delay and / or discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for UE 110 to use in an RRC inactive or idle state.

[0070] Similar to reference Figure 4 In the positioning assistance data update process described above, there are two options for sending a request for an SRS configuration update. In the first option, the base station 120a may be responsible for sending the request. For example, at operation 410a, the base station 120a may initiate a request for an SRS configuration update to the location server 130. For example, the base station 120a may send the request to the location server 130 via NRPPa signaling.

[0071] The request may include various information associated with the SRS configuration update. For example, the information may include at least the reason for sending the request (i.e., the RRC state transition of UE 110), the DRX configuration used for UE 110 in the RRC inactive or idle state, and a response timer setting a time interval before which location server 130 needs to provide the SRS configuration update. The response timer may be determined based on the delay timer discussed above with reference to operation 214. For example, the response timer may expire before the delay timer.

[0072] The request information may also include a suggestion for one or more parameters for the SRS configuration update. As an example, the location server 130 may take the above DRX configuration into account when determining the SRS configuration (e.g., in a manner that the SRS transmission period may be aligned with the on-duration period indicated by the DRX configuration). As another example, it may be preferable to configure reduced SRS transmission opportunities and / or resources (e.g., reduced transmission frequency, reduced bandwidth, reduced subframes, etc.) for the SRS configuration update, so that power consumption may be reduced.

[0073] In response to receiving the request, the location server 130 may determine, for example, based on the request information, and other information such as QoS requirements for the positioning service, a recommended SRS configuration for the UE 110. Then, at operation 412a, the location server 30 may send the determined recommended SRS configuration to the base station 120a via NRPPa signaling.

[0074] At operation 414a, the base station 120a may determine an SRS configuration update based at least on the suggested SRS configuration received from the location server 130. In an example embodiment, the base station 120a may determine the SRS resources and associated SRS configuration parameters allocated for positioning the UE 110 by using the DRX configuration and the suggested SRS configuration. For example, to save power, the determined SRS configuration update may be aligned with the DRX configuration.

[0075] The base station 120a may then send the determined SRS configuration update including the SRS resources and associated SRS configuration parameters to the UE 110 and the location server 130. For example, at operation 416a, the base station 120a may send the SRS configuration update to the location server 130 via an uplink positioning information update message using the NRPPa protocol.

[0076] As another option, UE 110 may be responsible for sending a request for an SRS configuration update. For example, at operation 410b, in response to receiving an indication that it has entered an RRC inactive or idle state (e.g., at 214), and setting a delay timer for the purpose of an SRS configuration update, UE 110 may decide whether to trigger a request for an SRS configuration update. Similar to operation 213, UE 110 may make a decision based on capabilities and / or current SRS configuration. Capability information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a device category, a power state, a power saving mode of UE 110, and information indicating whether a positioning service is involved. The current SRS configuration may include, but is not limited to, SRS configuration parameters, etc.

[0077] As an example, if UE 110 is a low power UE (e.g., an asset tracking device or LPHAP UE) and it recognizes that the remaining power is low, a determination may be made to trigger a request to update the SRS configuration. As another example, if most of the current SRS configuration is out of the DRX on-duration, UE 110 may make a decision to trigger an SRS configuration update.

[0078] When a request for SRS configuration update is triggered, at operation 412b, UE 110 may, for example, send a request via LPP signaling to location server 130. Alternatively, UE 110 may send a request to base station 120a via RRC signaling, and then base station 120a forwards the request to location server 130 via NRPPa signaling.

[0079] In response to receiving the request from UE 110, location server 130 may assist base station 120a in determining an SRS configuration update for UE 110. For example, through operations 414b, 416b, 418b, location server 130 may determine a suggested SRS configuration and send it to base station 120a, and base station 120a may then determine an SRS configuration update based at least on the suggested SRS configuration from location server 130, and send the SRS configuration update to location server 130. Operations 414b, 416b, 418b are similar to the above-described operations 412a, 414a, 416a, and a restored description is omitted herein.

[0080] As above, the base station 120a may send the determined SRS configuration update to the UE 110. For example, at operation 430, the SRS configuration update may be carried in an RRC release or a release with pause message, wherein the pause message indicates that the UE 110 enters an RRC inactive or idle state. On the other hand, when the delay timer expires before determining the SRS configuration update, the base station 120a may also generate an RRC release or a release with pause message and send it to the UE 110. At operation 240, the UE 110 may switch from the RRC connected state to one of the RRC inactive or idle states upon receiving the RRC message.

[0081] Figure 6 1 is a flow chart of an example method 500 for updating a positioning configuration according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 500 may be implemented at a terminal device (e.g., the UE 110 described above). It should be understood that the steps shown in dashed boxes represent optional steps and may be omitted in some example embodiments. In some example embodiments, the method 500 may also include the steps described above with respect to Figures 4 to 5 One or more steps described above and performed at UE 110. It should also be understood that the above Figures 4 to 5 Details regarding some of the steps in process 500 are discussed, and process 500 will be described here in a simplified manner.

[0082] At block 510, the terminal device reports the capabilities of the terminal device to the network device. For example, the capabilities include at least one of the following: device category, power state, and power saving mode of the terminal device.

[0083] At block 520, the terminal device may receive an indication of a delay timer from the network device, by which a release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal device and the network device is delayed. In some example embodiments, the indication of the delay timer is received in an RRC release or release with pause message. In some example embodiments, the indication of the delay timer is received via RRC signaling.

[0084] At block 530, the terminal device may receive from the network device an indication of a reason for a delay and / or discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration used by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state. For example, the DRX configuration may be sent with an indication of a delay timer via RRC signaling or in an RRC release or release with pause message.

[0085] At block 540 , the terminal device may decide to trigger a request for a positioning configuration update based on the capabilities and / or current positioning configuration of the terminal device before sending the request for a positioning configuration update.

[0086] At block 550, the terminal device may send a request for a positioning configuration update to a network device or a location server in response to an indication of the delay timer. In some example embodiments, the request for a positioning configuration update may include a request for an update to positioning assistance data for downlink positioning; and / or a request for an update to a sounding reference signal configuration for uplink positioning. In some example embodiments, the request may include at least one of: a reason for sending the request; a suggestion for one or more parameters for the positioning configuration; a response timer before which the location server provides a positioning configuration update; and a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state.

[0087] At block 560, the terminal device may receive an RRC release or release with pause message from the network device. For example, in response to the RRC release or release with pause message, the terminal device may switch to an RRC inactive or idle state.

[0088] At block 570, when a positioning configuration update or an RRC release or a release with suspend message is received at the terminal device or the delay timer expires, the terminal device may switch to an RRC inactive or idle state.

[0089] Figure 7 1 is a flow chart of an example method 600 for positioning configuration update according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 600 may be implemented at a network device, such as the serving base station 120a, as discussed above. It should be understood that the steps shown in dashed boxes represent optional steps and may be omitted in some example embodiments. In some example embodiments, the method 600 may also include one or more steps performed at the base station 120a, as described above with respect to Figures 4 to 5 It should also be understood that the above Figures 4 to 5 Details of some of the steps in process 600 are discussed, and process 600 will be described here in a simplified manner.

[0090] At block 610, the network device may decide to delay a release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the network device and the terminal device.

[0091] At block 620, the network device may send an indication of a delay timer to the terminal device, and the release of the RRC connection between the network device and the terminal device is delayed by the delay timer. In some example embodiments, the indication of the delay timer is sent in an RRC release or release message with pause. In some example embodiments, the indication of the delay timer is sent via RRC signaling.

[0092] At block 630, the network device may send an indication to the terminal device of a reason for a delay and / or discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration used by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state. For example, the DRX configuration may be sent with an indication of a delay timer via RRC signaling or in an RRC release or release with pause message.

[0093] At block 640 , the network device may determine whether a positioning configuration update is required for the terminal device based on the capabilities and / or current positioning configuration of the terminal device.

[0094] At block 650, the network device may send a request for a positioning configuration update for the terminal device to the location server. In some example embodiments, the request for a positioning configuration update may include a request for an update to positioning assistance data for downlink positioning; and / or a request for an update to a sounding reference signal configuration for uplink positioning. In some example embodiments, the request may include at least one of: a reason for sending the request; a suggestion for one or more parameters for the positioning configuration; a response timer before which the location server provides a positioning configuration update; and a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state.

[0095] At block 660 , the network device may receive a suggested sounding reference signal configuration for the terminal device from the location server.

[0096] At block 670, the network device may determine a sounding reference signal configuration update for the terminal device based at least in part on the suggested sounding reference signal configuration.

[0097] At block 680 , the network device may send a sounding reference signal configuration update for the terminal device to the terminal device and the location server.

[0098] At block 690, when the delay timer expires or when the network device has determined that the positioning configuration for the terminal device is updated, the network device may send an RRC release or a release with pause message to the terminal device.

[0099] Figure 8 1 is a flow chart showing an example method 700 for positioning configuration update according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 700 may be implemented at a location server, such as the location server 130 discussed above. In some example embodiments, the method 700 may also include one or more steps performed at the location server 130, as described above with respect to Figures 4 to 5 It should also be understood that the above Figures 4 to 5 Details of some of the steps in process 700 are discussed, and process 700 will be described here in a simplified manner.

[0100] At block 710 , the location server may receive a request for a positioning configuration update for a terminal device from a terminal device or a network device, the request including a response timer.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the response timer expires before a delay timer that defines a duration for which a release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal device and the network device is delayed.

[0102] In some example embodiments, the request may also include at least one of: a reason for sending the request; a suggestion for one or more parameters for positioning configuration; and a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state.

[0103] At block 720 , the location server may send a positioning configuration update for the terminal device to the terminal device or the network device before the response timer expires.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the request for the positioning configuration update comprises a request for a positioning assistance data update for downlink positioning, and the positioning configuration update comprises a positioning assistance data update for the terminal device, and the positioning configuration update is sent to the terminal device.

[0105] In some example embodiments, wherein the request for a positioning configuration update comprises a request for a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration update for uplink positioning, and the positioning configuration update comprises a suggested SRS configuration for the terminal device, and the positioning configuration update is sent to the network device.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the method 700 may also receive an SRS configuration update from the network device for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state.

[0107] Fig. 9 8 is a block diagram of an example communication system 800 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Fig. 9 As shown, the communication system 800 may include a terminal device 810 that may be implemented as the above-mentioned UE 110, a network device 820 that may be implemented as any one of the above-mentioned base stations 120, and a network function node 830 that may be implemented as the above-mentioned location server 130. In some example embodiments, the location server 130 may be implemented as a component or part in the network device 820 instead. Fig. 9 One network device 820 is shown, but it should be understood that the communication system 800 may include multiple network devices 820 to locate or assist in locating the terminal device 810.

[0108] refer to Fig. 9 , the terminal device 810 may include one or more processors 811, one or more memories 812, and one or more transceivers 813 interconnected by one or more buses 814. The one or more buses 814 may be address, data, or control buses, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fiber, optical device, or other optical communication device, etc. Each of the one or more transceivers 813 may include a receiver and a transmitter connected to one or more antennas 816. The terminal device 810 may communicate wirelessly with the network device 820 via the one or more antennas 816. The one or more memories 812 may include computer program code 815. The one or more memories 812 and the computer program code 815 may be configured to cause the terminal device 810 to perform operations and processes related to the UE 110 as above when executed by the one or more processors 811.

[0109] The network device 820 may include one or more processors 821, one or more memories 822, one or more transceivers 823, and one or more network interfaces 827 interconnected by one or more buses 824. The one or more buses 824 may be address, data, or control buses, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fiber, optical device, or other optical communication device, etc. Each of the one or more transceivers 823 may include a receiver and a transmitter connected to one or more antennas 826. The network device 820 may operate as a base station for the terminal device 810 and communicate wirelessly with the terminal device 810 through one or more antennas 826. One or more network interfaces 827 may provide a wired or wireless communication link, and the network device 820 may communicate with other network devices, entities, elements, or functions through a wired or wireless communication link. The one or more memories 822 may include a computer program code 825. The network device 820 may communicate with the network function node 830 via a backhaul connection 828. The one or more memories 822 and the computer program code 825 may be configured to, when executed by the one or more processors 821 , cause the network device 820 to perform operations and processes associated with any of the base stations 120 .

[0110] The network function node 830 may include one or more processors 831, one or more memories 832, and one or more network interfaces 837 interconnected by one or more buses 834. The one or more buses 834 may be address, data, or control buses, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fiber, optical device, or other optical communication device, etc. The network function node 830 may operate as a core network function node and communicate with the network device 820 through one or more links in wired or wireless communication. The one or more network interfaces 837 may provide a wired or wireless communication link through which the network function node 830 may communicate with other network devices, entities, elements, or functions. The one or more memories 832 may include computer program code 835. The one or more memories 832 and the computer program code 835 may be configured to cause the network function node 830 to perform operations and processes related to the location server 130 as described above when executed by the one or more processors 831.

[0111] The one or more processors 811, 821, and 831 discussed above may be any appropriate type suitable for a local technology network, and may include a general purpose processor, a dedicated processor, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), one or more processors in a processor-based multi-core processor architecture, and one or more of those dedicated processors such as those developed based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The one or more processors 811, 821, and 831 may be configured to control other elements of the UE / network device / network element, and operate in cooperation with them to implement the above-mentioned processes.

[0112] One or more memories 812, 822, and 832 may include at least one storage medium in various forms, such as volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Volatile memory may include, but is not limited to, for example, random access memory (RAM) or cache. Non-volatile memory may include, but is not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, etc. In addition, one or more memories 812, 822, and 832 may include, but are not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or equipment, or any combination thereof.

[0113] It should be understood that the blocks in the drawings can be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more blocks can be implemented using software and / or firmware (e.g., machine executable instructions stored in a storage medium). In addition to or in place of machine executable instructions, some or all of the blocks in the drawings can be implemented at least in part by one or more hardware logic components. For example, but not limited to, illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs), systems on chips (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and the like.

[0114] Some exemplary embodiments also provide computer program codes or instructions that can make the device or apparatus perform the above-mentioned process when executed by one or more processors. The computer program code for executing the process of the exemplary embodiments can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The computer program code can be provided to one or more processors or controllers of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device, so that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, enables the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be realized. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0115] Some exemplary embodiments also provide a computer program product or computer readable medium in which computer program code or instructions are stored. A computer readable medium may be any tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus. A machine readable medium may be a machine readable signal medium or a machine readable storage medium. A machine readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of machine readable storage media would include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0116] In addition, although the operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or performing all the operations shown to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these details should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0117] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receiving, from a network device, an indication of a delay timer by which a release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal device and the network device is delayed; In response to the indication of the delay timer, sending a request for a positioning configuration update to the network device or location server; as well as When the positioning configuration update is received at the terminal device or the delay timer expires, switching to an RRC inactive or idle state.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the request for location configuration update comprises: Request for positioning assistance data update for downlink positioning; and / or Request for a sounding reference signal configuration update for uplink positioning.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the request comprises at least one of the following: The reason for sending the request; a recommendation for one or more parameters of the positioning configuration; a response timer, the location server providing the positioning configuration update before the response timer; and A discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in the RRC inactive or idle state.

4. The terminal device of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the delay timer is received in an RRC Release or Release with Pause message.

5. The terminal device of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the delay timer is received via RRC signaling, and The at least one memory and the computer program code are also configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive an RRC release or a release with pause message from the network device, and in response to the RRC release or the release with pause message, the terminal device switches to the RRC inactive or idle state.

6. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: Receiving from the network equipment a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state, the DRX configuration being received together with the indication of the delay timer via RRC signaling, or in an RRC release or release with pause message.

7. A terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the indication of the delay time is received together with an indication of a reason for the delay, and The at least one memory and the computer program code are also configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the terminal device to decide to trigger the request for positioning configuration update based on the capabilities and / or current positioning configuration of the terminal device at least before sending the request for positioning configuration update.

8. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: Report the capabilities of the terminal device to the network device, where the capabilities include at least one of the following: device category, power status, and power saving mode of the terminal device.

9. A network device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: deciding to delay the release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the network device and the terminal device; An indication of a delay timer is sent to the terminal device, and the release of the RRC connection between the network device and the terminal device is delayed by the delay timer.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein the indication of the delay time is sent together with an indication of a cause for the delay, and The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to determine whether a positioning configuration update is required for the terminal device based at least on capabilities and / or a current positioning configuration of the terminal device.

11. The network device of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: Send a request for updating the positioning configuration of the terminal device to a location server.

12. The network device according to claim 11, wherein the request for positioning configuration update comprises: Request for positioning assistance data update for downlink positioning; and / or Request for a sounding reference signal configuration update for uplink positioning.

13. The network device according to claim 11, wherein the request comprises at least one of the following: The reason for sending the request; a recommendation for one or more parameters of the positioning configuration; a response timer, the location server providing the positioning configuration update before the response timer; and A discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state.

14. The network device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: receiving, from the location server, a sounding reference signal configuration recommended for the terminal device; determining a sounding reference signal configuration update for the terminal device based at least in part on the suggested sounding reference signal configuration; as well as The sounding reference signal configuration update for the terminal device is sent to the terminal device and the location server.

15. The network device of claim 9, wherein the indication of the delay timer is sent in an RRC Release or Release with Pause message.

16. The network device of claim 9, wherein the indication of the delay timer is sent via RRC signaling, and The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the network device to at least: send an RRC release or a release with pause message to the terminal device when the delay timer expires or when the network device has determined a positioning configuration update for the terminal device.

17. The network device of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: A discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state is sent to the terminal device, the DRX configuration being sent together with the indication of the delay timer via RRC signaling or in an RRC release or release with pause message.

18. A location server comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the location server to at least: receiving a request for updating the positioning configuration of the terminal device from a terminal device or a network device, wherein the request includes a response timer; and Before the response timer expires, a positioning configuration update for the terminal device is sent to the terminal device or the network device.

19. The location server of claim 18, wherein the response timer expires before a delay timer that defines a duration for which a release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal device and the network device is delayed.

20. The location server of claim 18, wherein the request for positioning configuration update comprises a request for positioning assistance data update for downlink positioning, and the positioning configuration update comprises a positioning assistance data update for the terminal device, and the positioning configuration update is sent to the terminal device.

21. A location server according to claim 18, wherein the request for positioning configuration update includes a request for a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration update for uplink positioning, and the positioning configuration update includes an SRS configuration recommended for the terminal device, and the positioning configuration update is sent to the network device.

22. The location server of claim 21, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the location server to at least: An SRS configuration update is received from the network device for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state.

23. The location server of claim 18, wherein the request further comprises at least one of the following: The reason for sending the request; a recommendation for one or more parameters of the positioning configuration; and A discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state.

24. A method implemented on a terminal device, comprising: receiving, from a network device, an indication of a delay timer by which a release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal device and the network device is delayed; In response to the indication of the delay timer, sending a request for a positioning configuration update to the network device or location server; as well as When the positioning configuration update is received at the terminal device or the delay timer expires, switching to an RRC inactive or idle state.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the request for a location configuration update comprises: Request for positioning assistance data update for downlink positioning; and / or Request for a sounding reference signal configuration update for uplink positioning.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the request comprises at least one of: The reason for sending the request; a recommendation for one or more parameters of the positioning configuration; a response timer, the location server providing the positioning configuration update before the response timer; and A discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in the RRC inactive or idle state.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the indication of the delay timer is received in an RRC Release or Release with Pause message.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the indication of the delay timer is received via RRC signaling, and the method further comprises: An RRC release or a release with pause message is received from the network device, and in response to the RRC release or the release with pause message, the terminal device switches to the RRC inactive or idle state.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising: Receiving from the network equipment a discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state, the DRX configuration being received together with the indication of the delay timer via RRC signaling, or in an RRC release or release with pause message.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the indication of the delay time is received together with an indication of a reason for the delay, and the method further comprises: Before sending the request for updating the positioning configuration, based on the capability of the terminal device and / or the current positioning configuration, it is decided to trigger the request for updating the positioning configuration.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising: Report the capabilities of the terminal device to the network device, where the capabilities include at least one of the following: device category, power status, and power saving mode of the terminal device.

32. A method implemented at a network device, comprising: deciding to delay the release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the network device and the terminal device; An indication of a delay timer is sent to the terminal device, and the release of the RRC connection between the network device and the terminal device is delayed by the delay timer.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein the indication of the delay time is sent together with an indication of the reason for the delay, and the method further comprises: Whether a positioning configuration update is required for the terminal device is determined based on the capability and / or the current positioning configuration of the terminal device.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising: Send a request for updating the positioning configuration of the terminal device to a location server.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the request for positioning configuration update comprises: Request for positioning assistance data update for downlink positioning; and / or Request for a sounding reference signal configuration update for uplink positioning.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the request comprises at least one of: The reason for sending the request; a recommendation for one or more parameters of the positioning configuration; a response timer, the location server providing the positioning configuration update before the response timer; and A discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state.

37. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 36, further comprising: receiving, from the location server, a sounding reference signal configuration recommended for the terminal device; determining a sounding reference signal configuration update for the terminal device based at least in part on the suggested sounding reference signal configuration; as well as The sounding reference signal configuration update for the terminal device is sent to the terminal device and the location server.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the indication of the delay timer is sent in an RRC Release or Release with Pause message.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the indication of the delay timer is sent via RRC signaling, and the method further comprises: When the delay timer expires or when the network device has determined that the positioning configuration for the terminal device is updated, an RRC release or a release with pause message is sent to the terminal device.

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising: A discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state is sent to the terminal device, the DRX configuration being sent together with the indication of the delay timer via RRC signaling or in an RRC release or release with pause message.

41. A method implemented at a location server, comprising: Receiving a request for updating the positioning configuration of the terminal device from a terminal device or a network device, wherein the request includes a response timer; as well as Before the response timer expires, a positioning configuration update for the terminal device is sent to the terminal device or the network device.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the response timer expires before a delay timer that defines a duration for which a release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal device and the network device is delayed.

43. A method according to claim 41, wherein the request for positioning configuration update includes a request for positioning assistance data update for downlink positioning, and the positioning configuration update includes a positioning assistance data update for the terminal device, and the positioning configuration update is sent to the terminal device.

44. A method according to claim 41, wherein the request for positioning configuration update includes a request for a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration update for uplink positioning, and the positioning configuration update includes an SRS configuration recommended for the terminal device, and the positioning configuration update is sent to the network device.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising: An SRS configuration update is received from the network device for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state.

46. ​​The method of claim 41, wherein the request further comprises at least one of: The reason for sending the request; a recommendation for one or more parameters of the positioning configuration; and A discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration for use by the terminal device in an RRC inactive or idle state.

47. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from a network device, an indication of a delay timer by which a release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal device and the network device is to be delayed; means for sending a request for a positioning configuration update to the network device or location server in response to the indication of the delay timer; as well as Means for switching to an RRC inactive or idle state when the positioning configuration update is received at the terminal device or the delay timer expires.

48. An apparatus comprising: means for deciding to delay the release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the network device and the terminal device; as well as Means for sending an indication of a delay timer to the terminal device, by which the release of the RRC connection between the network device and the terminal device is delayed.

49. An apparatus comprising: A component for receiving a request for updating the positioning configuration of the terminal device from a terminal device or a network device, wherein the request includes a response timer; as well as A component for sending a positioning configuration update for the terminal device to the terminal device or the network device before the response timer expires.

50. A computer program product, embodied in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least: receiving, from a network device, an indication of a delay timer by which a release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal device and the network device is delayed; In response to the indication of the delay timer, sending a request for a positioning configuration update to the network device or location server; and When the positioning configuration update is received at the terminal device or the delay timer expires, switching to an RRC inactive or idle state.

51. A computer program product, embodied in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least: deciding to delay the release of a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the network device and the terminal device; An indication of a delay timer is sent to the terminal device, and the release of the RRC connection between the network device and the terminal device is delayed by the delay timer.

52. A computer program product, embodied in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least: receiving a request for updating the positioning configuration of the terminal device from a terminal device or a network device, wherein the request includes a response timer; and Before the response timer expires, a positioning configuration update for the terminal device is sent to the terminal device or the network device.

Images