Determination of positioning anchor

Abstract

A method is disclosed, comprising: receiving, by an apparatus, a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element; performing, by the apparatus, beam-specific downlink measurements on one or more second beams of the network element, obtaining a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams; and determining, by the device, whether the device is in a suitable position for acting as a positioning anchor for the target user equipment based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The following example embodiments relate to wireless communications and positioning. Background Art

[0002] Positioning technology can be used to estimate the physical location of a user device. In order to more accurately estimate the location of a user device, it is desirable to improve positioning accuracy. Summary of the invention

[0003] The scope of protection sought by various example embodiments is defined by the claims. Example embodiments and features described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the claims, if any, should be interpreted as examples that aid in understanding the various embodiments.

[0004] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the device to at least: receive a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element; obtain a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more second beams of the network element; and determine whether the device is in a suitable position for acting as a positioning anchor for a target user equipment based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information.

[0005] According to another aspect, a device is provided, comprising: a device for receiving a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element; a device for obtaining a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more second beams of the network element; and a device for determining whether the device is in a suitable position for serving as a positioning anchor for a target user equipment based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information.

[0006] According to another aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving, by a device, a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element; performing, by the device, beam-specific downlink measurements on one or more second beams of the network element to obtain a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams; and determining, by the device at least in part based on the first set of information and the second set of information, whether the device is in a suitable position for serving as a positioning anchor for a target user equipment.

[0007] According to another aspect, a computer program comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to at least: receive a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element; obtain a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more second beams of the network element; and determine, based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information, whether the apparatus is in a suitable position for acting as a positioning anchor for a target user equipment.

[0008] According to another aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions, which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element; obtain a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more second beams of the network element; and determine, based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information, whether the apparatus is in a suitable position for acting as a positioning anchor for a target user equipment.

[0009] According to another aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions is provided, which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to at least: receive a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element; obtain a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more second beams of the network element; and determine, based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information, whether the apparatus is in a position suitable for acting as a positioning anchor for a target user equipment.

[0010] According to another aspect, a device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the device to at least: obtain a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more first beams; receive a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of the network element from a candidate positioning anchor; and determine whether the candidate positioning anchor is in a suitable position for serving as a positioning anchor for the device based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information.

[0011] According to another aspect, a device is provided, comprising: a device for obtaining a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more first beams; a device for receiving a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of the network element from a candidate positioning anchor; and a device for determining whether the candidate positioning anchor is in a suitable position for serving as a positioning anchor for the device based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information.

[0012] According to another aspect, a method is provided, comprising: performing, by a device, beam-specific downlink measurements on one or more first beams of a network element to obtain a first set of information associated with the one or more first beams; receiving, by the device, a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of the network element from a candidate positioning anchor; and determining, by the device based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information, whether the candidate positioning anchor is in a suitable position for serving as a positioning anchor for the device.

[0013] According to another aspect, a computer program comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to at least: obtain a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more first beams; receive a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of the network element from a candidate positioning anchor; and determine, based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information, whether the candidate positioning anchor is in a suitable position for serving as a positioning anchor for the apparatus.

[0014] According to another aspect, a computer-readable medium comprising program instructions is provided, which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to at least: obtain a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more first beams; receive a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of the network element from a candidate positioning anchor; and determine, based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information, whether the candidate positioning anchor is in a suitable position for serving as a positioning anchor for the apparatus.

[0015] According to another aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions, which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: obtain a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more first beams; receive a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of the network element from a candidate positioning anchor; and determine, based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information, whether the candidate positioning anchor is in a suitable position for serving as a positioning anchor for the apparatus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Various exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0017] Figure 1 An example of a cellular communication network is illustrated;

[0018] Figure 2 Three different examples of geometric dilution of precision are illustrated;

[0019] Figure 3 An example scenario of a target user equipment selecting a suitable anchor node is illustrated;

[0020] Figure 4 illustrates an example of selecting a suitable anchor node according to an example embodiment;

[0021] Figure 5 illustrates a signaling diagram according to an example embodiment;

[0022] Figure 6 illustrates a signaling diagram according to an example embodiment;

[0023] Figure 7 illustrates a signaling diagram according to an example embodiment;

[0024] Figure 8 illustrates a signaling diagram according to an example embodiment;

[0025] Fig. 9 illustrates a signaling diagram according to an example embodiment;

[0026] Fig.10 illustrates a flow chart according to an example embodiment;

[0027] Fig.11 illustrates a flow chart according to an example embodiment;

[0028] Fig.12 illustrates a flow chart according to an example embodiment;

[0029] Fig.13 illustrates a flow chart according to an example embodiment; and

[0030] Fig.14 An example of an apparatus is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following embodiments are used as examples. Although the specification may refer to "one" or "some" embodiments in several places in the text, this does not necessarily mean that each reference refers to the same embodiment, or that a particular feature applies to only a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

[0032] Below, as examples of access architectures to which the example embodiments may be applied, different example embodiments will be described using a radio access architecture based on Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced, LTE-A), New Radio (NR, 5G), Beyond 5G or Sixth Generation (6G), but the example embodiments are not limited to such architectures. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the example embodiments may also be applied to other types of communication networks with suitable devices by appropriate adjustment of parameters and procedures. Some examples of other options suitable for the system may be Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, which is essentially the same as E-UTRA), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or Wi-Fi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), 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 Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0033] Figure 1 An example of a simplified system architecture is depicted, wherein some elements and functional entities are shown, which are all logical units, the implementation of which may differ from what is shown. Figure 1 The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system may also include Figure 1 Other functions and structures than those shown.

[0034] However, the exemplary 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.

[0035] Figure 1 The example of FIG. 1 shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0036] Figure 1User equipment 100 and 102 are shown, which are configured to wirelessly connect to an access node 104 on one or more communication channels in a radio cell, such as an evolved Node B (abbreviated as eNB or eNodeB) or a next generation Node B (abbreviated as gNB or gNodeB), thereby providing a radio cell. The physical link from the user equipment to the access node can be called an uplink (UL) or reverse link, and the physical link from the access node to the user equipment can be called a downlink (DL) or forward link. The user equipment can also communicate directly with another user equipment via a side link (SL) communication. It should be understood that the access nodes or their functions can be implemented by using any node, host, server or access point entity suitable for such purpose.

[0037] The communication system may include multiple access nodes, in which case the access nodes may also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links may be used for signaling purposes. An access node may be a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. An access node may also be referred to as a base station, a base transceiver station (BTS), an access point, or any other type of interface device including a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. An access node may include or be coupled to a transceiver. A connection to an antenna unit may be provided from the transceiver of the access node, which establishes a bidirectional radio link to a user device. The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The access node may also be connected to a core network 110 (CN or next generation core NGC). Depending on the system, the counterpart on the CN side may be a service gateway (S-GW, routing and forwarding user data packets), a packet data network gateway (P-GW) for providing a connection of a user device to an external packet data network, a user plane function (UPF), a mobility management entity (MME), an access and mobility management function (AMF), or a location management function (LMF), etc.

[0038] The user equipment illustrates a device that can allocate and specify resources on the air interface, so any features related to the user equipment described in this document can be implemented with a corresponding device (eg, a relay node).

[0039] An example of such a relay node may be a layer 3 relay towards an access node (self-backhaul relay). A self-backhaul relay node may also be referred to as an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node. An IAB node may include two logical parts: a mobile terminal (MT) part, responsible for the backhaul link (i.e., the link between the IAB node and a donor node (also referred to as a parent node)) and a distributed unit (DU) part, responsible for the access link, i.e., the sub-link between the IAB node and a user equipment and / or between the IAB node and other IAB nodes (multi-hop scenario).

[0040] Another example of such a relay node may be a layer 1 relay called a repeater. A repeater may amplify a signal received from an access node and forward it to a user device, and / or amplify a signal received from a user device and forward it to an access node.

[0041] User equipment may also be referred to as a subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, terminal device or user equipment (UE), to name just a few names or devices. User equipment may refer to a portable computing device, including wireless mobile communication devices 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), handhelds, devices using wireless modems (alarm or measurement devices, etc.), laptops and / or touch screen computers, tablets, game consoles, portable computers, multimedia devices, low capacity (RedCap) devices, wireless sensor devices, or any device integrated in a vehicle.

[0042] It should be understood that a user device may also be an almost exclusively uplink-only device, an example of which may be a camera or camcorder that loads images or video clips to a network. A user device may also be a device with the ability to operate on an Internet of Things (IoT) network, in which objects may have the ability to transmit data over a network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. User devices may also use the cloud. In some applications, a user device may include a small portable or wearable device (e.g., a watch, headphones, or glasses) with a radio component, and the computation may be performed in the cloud or in another user device. A user device (or, in some example embodiments, a layer 3 relay node) may be configured to perform one or more user device functions.

[0043] The various techniques described in this article can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems of cooperating computing elements that control physical entities). CPS can enable and utilize a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors, etc.) embedded in physical objects in different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems, where the physical system in question can have inherent mobility. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0044] Furthermore, although these devices are described as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units may be implemented. Figure 1 not all are shown).

[0045] 5G is able to use Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) antennas, more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites operating in cooperation with small sites, and adopt various radio technologies depending on service needs, use cases and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications can support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different ways of sharing data and various forms of machine type applications (such as (massive) machine type communications (mMTC), including vehicle safety, different sensors and real-time control. 5G can have multiple radio interfaces, namely sub-6GHz, centimeter wave (cmWave) and millimeter wave (mmWave), and can also be integrated with existing traditional radio access technologies (such as LTE). At least in the early stages, the integration with LTE can be implemented as a system, where macro coverage can be provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access can be achieved through small cells aggregated to LTE. In other words, 5G can support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as sub-6GHz-cmWave-mmWave). One of the concepts considered for use in 5G networks can be network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnets (network instances) can be created within essentially the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput and mobility.

[0046] Current architectures in LTE networks can be fully distributed in the radio and fully centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G may require content to be close to the radio, which leads to local bursting and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G may enable analysis and knowledge generation to occur at the source of data. This approach may require the use of resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC may provide a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It may also have the ability to store and process content close to cellular users to improve response time. Edge computing may cover a wide range of technologies such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing, and may also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, cloud, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency critical), critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analysis, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0047] The communication system may also be able to communicate with other networks, such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 112, 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 The communication system may also include a central control entity or the like, providing facilities for networks of different operators to cooperate, for example in spectrum sharing.

[0048] The edge cloud can be incorporated into the radio access network (RAN) using network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined networking (SDN). Using the edge cloud can mean that the access node operations are at least partially performed in a server, host or node coupled to a remote radio head (RRH) or a radio unit (RU) or an access node including a radio component. The node operations can also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes or hosts. For example, by applying the cloudRAN architecture, RAN real-time functions can be performed on the RAN side (in the distributed unit DU 104) and non-real-time functions can be performed in a centralized manner (in the central unit CU 108).

[0049] It should also be understood that the labor distribution between core network operations and access node operations may be different from LTE, or even non-existent. Some other technological advances that can be used include big data and all-IP, which may change the way networks are built and managed. 5G (or new radio, NR) networks can be designed to support multiple hierarchical structures, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and access nodes. It should be noted that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0050] 5G can also make use of non-terrestrial communications, such as satellite communications, to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example by providing backhaul. Possible use cases could be to provide service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or onboard passengers, or to ensure service availability for critical communications and future rail / maritime / aeronautical communications. Satellite communications can make use of geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite systems, but also low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, in particular mega-constellations (systems with hundreds of (nano) satellites deployed). At least one satellite 106 in a mega-constellation can cover several satellite network entities creating a terrestrial cell. A terrestrial cell can be created by a terrestrial relay node 104 or a gNB located on the ground or in a satellite.

[0051] 6G networks are expected to adopt flexible decentralized and / or distributed computing systems and architectures and ubiquitous computing, with local spectrum licensing, spectrum sharing, infrastructure sharing and intelligent automation management supported by mobile edge computing, artificial intelligence, short packet communications and blockchain technologies. The main features of 6G may include intelligent connection management and control functions, programmability, integrated sensing and communication, reduced energy footprint, trusted infrastructure, scalability and affordability. In addition to this, 6G also targets new use cases, covering the integration of positioning and sensing capabilities into system definitions to unify the user experience of the physical and digital worlds.

[0052] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the described system is only an example of a part of a radio access system, and in practice, the system may include multiple access nodes, user equipment may access multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements, etc. At least one of the access nodes may be a Home eNodeB or a Home gNodeB.

[0053] In addition, the access node can also be divided into: a radio unit (RU), including a radio transceiver (TRX), i.e., a transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx); one or more distributed units (DU), which can be used for so-called layer 1 (LI) processing and real-time layer 2 (L2) processing; and a central unit (CU) (also called a centralized unit), which can be used for non-real-time L2 and layer 3 (L3) processing. The CU can be connected to one or more DUs, for example, by using an Fl interface. Such a decomposition can make the CU centralized relative to the cell station and DU, while the DU can be more decentralized and can even be retained at the base station. The CU and DU together can also be referred to as a baseband or baseband unit (BBU). The CU and DU can also be included in a radio access point (RAP).

[0054] The CU may be defined as a logical node that carries higher layer protocols of the access node, such as radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and / or packet data convergence protocol (PDCP). The DU may be defined as a logical node that carries the radio link control (RIC), medium access control (MAC), and / or physical (PHY) layers of the access node. The operation of the DU is at least partially controlled by the CU. The CU may include a control plane (CU-CP), which may be defined as a logical node that carries the RRC and the control plane portion of the PDCP protocol for the CU of the access node. The CU may also include a user plane (CU-UP), which may be defined as a logical node that carries the PDCP protocol and the user plane portion of the SDAP protocol of the CU of the access node.

[0055] The cloud computing platform can also be used to run the CU and / or DU. The CU can run in the cloud computing platform, which can be called a virtualized CU (vCU). In addition to the vCU, there can also be a virtualized DU (vDU) running in the cloud computing platform. In addition, there can also be a combination in which the DU can use a so-called bare metal solution, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a customer-specific standard product (CSSP) system-on-chip (SoC) solution. It should also be understood that the above-mentioned access node units, or the distribution of labor between different core network operations and access node operations, may be different.

[0056] In addition, in a geographical area of ​​a radio communication system, a plurality of different types of radio cells and a plurality of radio cells may be provided. A radio cell may be a macro cell (or umbrella cell), a large cell with a diameter of up to tens of kilometres, or a small cell such as a micro cell, a femto cell or a pico cell. Figure 1 An access node can provide any type of these cells. A cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network including several radio cells. In a multi-layer network, one access node can provide one or more radio cells, so multiple access nodes may be needed to provide such a network structure.

[0057] In order to meet the needs of improving the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" access nodes can be introduced. In addition to home eNodeBs or home gNodeBs, networks that can use "plug and play" access nodes can also include home NodeB gateways or HNB-GWs ( Figure 1 (not shown). The HNB-GW, which can be installed in the operator's network, can aggregate traffic from a large number of home eNodeBs or home gNodeBs back to the core network.

[0058] Positioning techniques can be used to estimate the physical location of a user equipment. The user equipment that needs to be positioned is referred to as the target UE. For example, the following positioning techniques can be used in NR: downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDoA), uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDoA), downlink angle of departure (DL-AoD), uplink angle of arrival (UL-AoA) and / or multi-cell round trip time (multi-RTT).

[0059] In wireless positioning, multiple positioning anchors in a known position may transmit and / or receive one or more positioning reference signals (PRS) to a target UE and / or from a target UE. For example, a multipoint positioning technique may then be used to locate (i.e., position) the target UE relative to the positioning anchor. A positioning anchor may also be referred to herein as an anchor, anchor node, multilateral positioning anchor, or reference point. A positioning anchor may be, for example, a radio access node (in uplink / downlink positioning) or other UE (in sidelink positioning). At least three positioning anchors may be required to locate the target UE, but positioning accuracy may be improved by using a greater number of positioning anchors (e.g., five to ten positioning anchors).

[0060] Sidelink (SL) positioning refers to a positioning method in which the target UE utilizes a sidelink (i.e. a direct device-to-device link) to locate itself, either absolutely (in the case of absolute positioning, the coordinates of the target UE are obtained in the form of global or local Cartesian coordinates) or relative (in the case of relative positioning, the position of the target UE is estimated relative to another entity, such as another non-static UE).

[0061] Sidelink positioning involves using a supporting UE or a group of supporting UEs (referred to as "anchor UEs") to assist a positioning session of a target UE. Anchor UE support can be implemented in a variety of ways, including the anchor UE estimating the position of the target UE, the target UE obtaining positioning assistance data through the anchor UE, and the target UE measuring reference signals from the anchor UE (or vice versa) for positioning purposes.

[0062] Some example embodiments relate to means for supporting the final identification of an anchor UE of a target UE in sidelink positioning, i.e., the case where the target UE measures reference signals from an anchor UE (or vice versa) for positioning purposes. In an example scenario, a mobile target UE needs to be located, but there are not enough static gNBs or transmit and receive points (TRPs) to transmit and / or receive positioning reference signals. Therefore, it may be necessary to recruit one or more other mobile devices (anchor UEs) to act as positioning anchors for the target UE. In this case, the anchor UE may transmit a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) to the target UE in the sidelink, and / or receive an SL-PRS from the target UE.

[0063] Considering the above information, in the case of recruiting an anchor UE or a group of anchor UEs to assist in locating at least one target UE via the sidelink, the question that arises is how to select the optimal group of anchor UEs. This problem may particularly affect distributed settings where no network support is available (e.g., UEs out of coverage in SL autonomous resource selection mode).

[0064] Anchor UE candidates may need to meet a set of criteria before being selected as a positioning anchor. These criteria may include resource availability, energy supply, interference and / or relative location.

[0065] The accuracy of the positioning estimate depends on the relative positions of the anchor UEs, both relative to each other and relative to the target UE. Figure 2 This effect is illustrated in , and is called Geometric Dilution of Precision (GDOP).

[0066] Figure 2 Three different examples of GDOP are illustrated 210, 220, 230. Assuming two anchor nodes 201, 202 are used to locate the target UE, and utilizing ranging techniques, the accuracy in the possible location of the target UE decreases as the geometry of the anchor nodes and the target UE deviates from forming a triangle (as shown in block 220 with a low GDOP) and instead becomes collinear with a high GDOP (as shown in block 230).

[0067] In block 210, the distances to two landmarks have been measured, and their points have been measured as the intersection of two circles with the measurement radius. In block 220, the measurements have some error margins, and their true positions may be anywhere in the area where the individual circles intersect. In block 230, the measurement errors may be the same as in block 220, but the errors in their positions (i.e., the area where the circles intersect) have been significantly increased due to the arrangement of the landmarks.

[0068] Therefore, in the absence of sufficient gNB / TRPs for target UE positioning, the target UE may need to consider the (approximate) position of the candidate anchor nodes relative to its own position before selecting an anchor node in the positioning process. Given that the target UE does not know its own position before the positioning session starts, the target UE cannot simply request the absolute position information of the candidate anchor nodes, as this is of no (apparent) use to the target UE. Instead, the target UE may consider the relative position information of the candidate anchor nodes relative to the target UE and the static gNB / TRP. However, the term "candidate anchor node" here refers to a potential anchor node that has not yet acted as an anchor node. The candidate anchor node of this embodiment can be a UE or a gNB, and the following embodiments are all described with the candidate anchor node being a UE. However, these embodiments may also be applied when the candidate anchor node is a gNB.

[0069] Figure 3An example scenario of the target UE 300 selecting a suitable anchor node is illustrated. In this example scenario, the target UE 300 uses the first gNB 310 and the second gNB 320 as positioning anchors for its positioning session (i.e., the target UE measures the PRS from the first gNB and the second gNB). However, the target UE 300 requires an additional positioning anchor node to complete its positioning (when two gNBs are not enough), so it needs to activate the additional anchor node for this purpose. The target UE 300 considers the relative position information of the candidate anchor points A, B, C and D (301, 302, 303, 304) to evaluate whether they are suitable to act as anchor nodes in the role of additional positioning anchors.

[0070] In this example, anchor point B 302 is not suitable because its relative position produces a higher GDOP. The reason is that anchor point B is located between the target UE and at least one TRP (gNB1 in this example). Therefore, if anchor point B is selected, low positioning accuracy will result. On the other hand, anchor point C 303, anchor point D 304, and anchor point A 301 have suitable relative positions and thus have higher positioning accuracy. However, the target UE does not have any prior knowledge of the relative positions of these candidate anchor nodes (for example, it cannot determine whether anchor point B is located between gNB1 and the target UE). Therefore, "blindly" activating anchor point B will result in degraded positioning performance.

[0071] In an example embodiment, the target UE may obtain relative position information of candidate anchor UEs to evaluate whether they are suitable to be anchor UEs. In this way, the target UE may select anchor UEs with lower collinearity relative to the target UE.

[0072] Some example embodiments are described below using the principles and terminology of 5G technology, but the example embodiments are not limited to 5G communication systems.

[0073] Some example embodiments are based on the principle that candidate anchor nodes can identify whether they are in a suitable relative position with respect to a target UE and at least one gNB based on their DL measurements of the gNB beams and their relationship to the same measurements made at the target UE. In an example embodiment, the target UE broadcasts its DL (gNB-specific and beam-specific) measurements via a sidelink and the candidate anchor nodes use these measurements to evaluate whether they are in a suitable relative position with respect to the target UE.

[0074] The target UE may collect DL measurements in a similar manner as collecting DL-AoD measurements. However, in contrast to DL-AoD positioning, the target UE may broadcast information about the DL-AoD measurements in the sidelink (instead of reporting them to the network) with the goal of identifying a suitable anchor UE for positioning using the sidelink.

[0075] Figure 4 An example of selecting suitable anchor nodes according to an example embodiment is illustrated. In this example, the target UE 400 uses the first gNB 410 and the second gNB 420 as positioning anchors for its positioning session (i.e., the target UE measures PRS from the first gNB and the second gNB). However, (when two gNBs are not enough) the target UE 400 requires additional positioning anchors to complete its positioning, so it needs to activate one or more anchor nodes for this purpose. The target UE 400 broadcasts beam-specific DL measurements, and the candidate anchor nodes 401, 402, 403 and 404 declare their suitability based on a comparison of their own measurements with the measurements of the target UE.

[0076] refer to Figure 4 , the target UE 400 may measure, for example, a first reference signal received power (RSRP) level of a second beam 412 of a first gNB 410, a first RSRP level of a second beam 422 of a second gNB 420, a second RSRP level of a first beam 411 of a first gNB 410, and a second RSRP level of a first beam 421 of a second gNB 420 as part of a DL-AoD measurement.

[0077] The target UE 400 may broadcast the above-mentioned measurements (e.g., unprocessed RSRP measurements or processed AoD information) in the sidelink, for example: a) as part of a request to an anchor UE, or b) together with one or more thresholds that indicate whether the candidate anchor UE should declare suitability when compared with the candidate anchor UE's own measurements, such as based on thresholds or ranges associated with those measurements.

[0078] The candidate anchor nodes 401, 402, 403, 404 may process the (gNB-specific and beam-specific) measurement information broadcasted by the target UE 400 and compare it with their own measurements. In this example, for anchor node A 401, anchor node C 403, and anchor node D 404, their DL-AoD beam measurements result in significantly different RSRP levels of the beams in relation to the RSRP level of the target UE 400. For example, anchor node A 401 may measure the second beam 412 of the first gNB 410 and the second beam 422 of the second gNB 420 at RSRP levels significantly lower than the RSRP level of the target UE 400, while anchor node A 401 additionally measures the second RSRP level of the third beam 413 of the first gNB 410 and the first RSRP level of the third beam 423 of the second gNB 420. This is an indication of anchor node A 401, which is not between the target UE 400 and any gNB 410, 420, so anchor node A 401 can declare itself as a suitable positioning anchor for the target UE 400. The same applies to anchor node C 403 and anchor node D 404.

[0079] On the other hand, the anchor Node B 402 measures the second beam 412 of the first gNB 410, the second beam 422 of the second gNB 420, the first beam 411 of the first gNB 410, and the first beam 421 of the second gNB 420 at a similar RSRP level (within the configured threshold) as the target UE 400, and therefore infers that it is not applicable. As a result, the anchor Node B 402 no longer acts as a positioning anchor for the target UE 400 (e.g., does not transmit SL-PRS), and may declare itself as an inappropriate positioning anchor due to the inappropriate relative position between the target UE 400 and the first gNB 410.

[0080] The term "beam" herein may refer to a communication resource. Different beams may be considered as different resources. A beam may also be represented as a spatial filter, a spatial direction, or an angle. The technology for forming a beam may be a beamforming technology or other technology. The beamforming technology may specifically be a digital beamforming technology, an analog beamforming technology, or a hybrid digital-analog beamforming technology. A communication device (e.g., a UE or a gNB) may communicate with another communication device through one or more beams. A beam may include one or more antenna ports and may be configured for a data channel, a control channel, and the like. One or more antenna ports constituting a beam may also be considered as an antenna port set. A beam may be configured with a set of resources, or a set of resources for measurement. An example is a synchronization signal block (SSB) resource configuration and / or a channel state information (CSI) resource configuration, which may include a CSl-ResourceConfigId and a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set.

[0081] Figure 5 A signaling diagram according to an example embodiment is shown, where the target UE broadcasts its own DL measurements (unprocessed gNB-specific and beam-specific measurements), leaving the candidate anchor UEs to decide whether they are in a suitable position to act as positioning anchors for the target UE.

[0082] although Figure 5 Two candidate anchor UEs are shown in FIG. 1 , but it should be noted that the number of candidate anchor UEs may not be two. In other words, there may be one or more candidate anchor UEs. Figure 5 The signaling process shown can be expanded and applied according to the actual number of candidate anchor UEs.

[0083] refer to Figure 5 In block 501, the target UE performs beam-specific downlink measurements, such as RSRP measurements, on one or more first beams of a network element to obtain a first set of information associated with the one or more first beams of the network element. In other words, the first set of information may include first beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more first beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The network element may be, for example, a base station such as a gNB or a TRP that acts as a positioning anchor for the target UE. The one or more first beams refer to one or more beams received by the target UE.

[0084] In block 502, the target UE transmits or broadcasts a first set of information including first beam-specific DL measurement information to a first candidate anchor UE and a second candidate anchor UE via a sidelink. The first candidate anchor UE and the second candidate anchor UE receive the first set of information from the target UE via a sidelink.

[0085] For example, the target UE may transmit a first set of information in an anchor UE request message indicating a request for a positioning anchor.Such a combined message may improve resource efficiency in order to efficiently indicate the anchor UE request to the candidate anchor UEs while also (indirectly) indicating where the anchor UE should be located.

[0086] The target UE may also indicate one or more thresholds for comparison between the target UE measurement values ​​and the candidate anchor UE measurement values. That is, the target UE may, for example, together with the first beam-specific DL measurement values, indicate in the SL broadcast signal an acceptable range that these candidate anchor UEs should consider to mark themselves as being in a suitable or inappropriate position based on the comparison with the candidate anchor UE's own measurement values ​​and the ranging estimate between the target UE and the candidate anchor UEs (e.g., based on SL RSRP measurement). The comparison between beam-specific DL measurement values ​​(or comparison on AoD) may result in some differences in angles. For example, in the case where the difference is about 10 degrees, the 10 degree difference may or may not be sufficient, depending on: a) the distance between the devices (candidate anchor UE to target UE) and the performance requirements. This corresponds to an acceptable range of angle values ​​(e.g., a difference of -15 degrees to +15 degrees). One or more thresholds may be configured by the target UE or the network.

[0087] Alternatively or additionally, the target UE may transmit information on one or more location areas together with the first set of information (or separately from the first set of information) to the candidate anchor UEs to help the candidate anchor UEs determine whether they are in a suitable position relative to the target UE. For example, the target UE may define one or more exclusion and / or inclusion areas, which are absolute location areas based on the absolute position of the target UE, and exclusion (or inclusion) areas of anchor UEs that are unfavorable (or favorable) for other UEs to be selected as target UEs. In this case, the network may also (pre-)configure such exclusion and / or inclusion areas for the target UE and / or candidate anchor UEs. For example, the network may define an exclusion area relative to the latest position of the target UE.

[0088] If a given candidate anchor UE is within the exclusion region, it means that the candidate anchor UE is not in a suitable position relative to the target UE. On the other hand, if the candidate anchor UE is within the inclusion region, it means that the candidate anchor UE is in a suitable position relative to the target UE.

[0089] For example, there may be some location areas around the target UE, such that a candidate anchor UE that happens to reside within one of these areas corresponds to a relative AoD information that generates an unsuitable anchor UE. Figure 4, for example, the area around the target UE 400 where beams 412, 422 (i.e., the second beam from gNB1 and the second beam from gNB2) are the strongest, will be the exclusion area. The exclusion area may be defined as a range of AoDs measured from the gNBs. As a non-limiting example, if a candidate anchor UE measures an AoD from gNB1 between 15-25 degrees and an AoD from gNB2 between 35-45 degrees, then the candidate anchor UE may be in an exclusion area (i.e., an unsuitable location). In a similar manner, inclusion areas may be defined, for example, in areas where beams 412, 422 are weaker. These areas may be dynamically adjusted as the target UE moves.

[0090] In block 503, the first candidate anchor UE performs its own beam-specific downlink measurement, such as RSRP measurement, on one or more second beams of the network element to obtain a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams of the network element. In other words, the second set of information may include second beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more second beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The one or more second beams refer to one or more beams received by the first candidate anchor UE. The one or more second beams may be part of the one or more first beams, or the one or more second beams may be different from the one or more first beams. The one or more first beams and the one or more second beams may be transmitted from the same network element.

[0091] In block 504, the first candidate anchor UE compares a first set of information sensed at the target UE with a second set of information sensed at the first candidate anchor UE.

[0092] For example, the first candidate anchor UE may infer whether it is located halfway between the network element and the target UE (without extracting AoD information from the measurements). As a result, the first candidate anchor UE may estimate the GDOP level and infer whether it is in a suitable position relative to the target UE.

[0093] Alternatively, the first candidate anchor UE may extract or derive the first AoD information from first beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with one or more first beams of the network element (received from the target UE). The first candidate anchor UE may also extract or derive the second AoD information based on its own beam-specific DL measurement values, i.e., from second beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with one or more second beams of the network element (i.e., relative to the same network element as the first AoD information). The AoD information may be extracted by converting the different RSRP levels of each beam into the direction of the transmitted signal from the network element. The first candidate anchor UE may compare the AoD information of the target UE with its own AoD information for the network element. For example, this alternative may be applied when the first candidate anchor UE is in a UE-based positioning mode, so that the first candidate anchor UE is also able to estimate its own AoD relative to the network element. In this case, the first candidate anchor UE may receive position calculation assistance information from the network element, which allows the first candidate anchor UE to interpret the beam-specific DL measurement values ​​as DL-AoD information.

[0094] In block 505, based on a comparison of the first beam-specific downlink measurement information with the second beam-specific downlink measurement information, or based on a comparison of the first AoD information with the second AoD information, the first candidate anchor UE determines whether it is in a suitable position relative to the target UE to serve as a positioning anchor for the target UE.

[0095] The determination may also be based at least in part on one or more thresholds received from the target UE or from a network element.Alternatively or additionally, the determination may be based at least in part on one or more location areas defined by the target UE or the network.

[0096] In block 506, the first candidate anchor UE may transmit an indication to the target UE to indicate whether the first candidate anchor UE is a suitable anchor UE and / or is in a suitable position to serve as a positioning anchor for the target UE. For example, in the case where the first candidate anchor UE receives an anchor UE request message from the target UE (e.g., in block 502), the first candidate anchor UE may transmit a response message in response to the anchor UE request message, wherein the response message indicates whether the first candidate anchor UE is a suitable anchor UE and / or is in a suitable position.

[0097] The response message may further include a second set of information (e.g., second beam-specific downlink measurement information or second AoD information based on its own measurement value). In this way, the responding candidate anchor UE may include its own beam-specific DL measurement value or AoD information as additional information in its response message, so that other candidate anchor UEs in the same area may refrain from responding. This reduces the likelihood that multiple candidate anchor UEs reside near each other when responding to the request. This may be beneficial, for example, when all candidate anchor UEs do not respond at the same time.

[0098] Block 506 may be performed by all candidate anchor UEs that received the anchor UE request message or the first set of information from the target UE.

[0099] In block 507, the target UE may select a first candidate anchor UE among the candidate anchor UEs as a positioning anchor (if the first candidate anchor UE indicates that it is in a suitable position). The target UE may then transmit an indication to the first candidate anchor UE to activate it as a positioning anchor for the target UE. If there are multiple suitable candidate anchor UEs, the target UE may select one or more of them based on its positioning requirements. If the positioning requirement is high, the target UE may activate all available candidate anchor UEs; otherwise, the target UE may downselect the available candidate anchor UEs.

[0100] In response to being selected / activated as a positioning anchor for the target UE, the first candidate anchor UE may begin broadcasting one or more sidelink positioning reference signals to assist in positioning the target UE in block 508. Alternatively, the first candidate anchor UE may autonomously begin broadcasting SL-PRS in response to determining that it is in a suitable location (i.e., without being individually selected by the target UE).

[0101] In the case where the first candidate anchor UE transmits a SL-PRS for positioning the target UE, the first candidate anchor UE may also configure the directionality of the SL-PRS based on the first beam-specific DL measurement information (or based on the first AoD information) received from the target UE. This means that the first candidate anchor UE will not transmit SLPRS in all directions (in an omnidirectional manner), but in a direction defined based on the processing result of the information transmitted by the target UE. In other words, the first candidate anchor UE may transmit one or more sidelink positioning reference signals in one or more directions, where one or more directions may be based on the first set of information received from the target UE. The term "direction" here may refer to a spatial direction or angle.

[0102] In block 509, the second candidate anchor UE performs its own beam-specific downlink measurement, such as RSRP measurement, on one or more third beams of the network element to obtain a third set of information associated with the one or more third beams of the network element. In other words, the third set of information may include third beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more third beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The one or more third beams refer to one or more beams received by the second candidate anchor UE. The one or more third beams may be part of the one or more first beams, or the one or more second beams may be different from the one or more first beams. The one or more first beams and the one or more third beams may be transmitted from the same network element.

[0103] In block 510 , the second candidate anchor UE compares the first set of information sensed at the target UE with the third set of information sensed at the second candidate anchor UE, similar to that described above with respect to block 504 .

[0104] In block 511, based on a comparison of unprocessed beam-specific DL measurements or processed AoD information of the target UE and the second candidate anchor UE, the second candidate anchor UE determines whether it is in a suitable position relative to the target UE and the network element acting as a positioning anchor for the target UE.

[0105] The determination may also be based at least in part on one or more thresholds received from the target UE or from the network.Alternatively or additionally, the determination may be based at least in part on one or more location areas defined by the target UE or the network.

[0106] In the case where the second candidate anchor UE determines that it is an unsuitable anchor UE or is in an unsuitable position, the second candidate anchor UE no longer transmits the SL-PRS and declares itself to be an unsuitable anchor UE. In this case, the second candidate anchor UE may explicitly indicate that it is unsuitable, for example, by transmitting a response message in response to an anchor UE request message that may be received from the target UE. Alternatively, the second candidate anchor UE may implicitly indicate that it is unsuitable, for example, by not responding to an anchor UE request message that may be received from the target UE.

[0107] Figure 6 A signaling diagram according to another example embodiment is illustrated, in which the target UE processes beam-specific RSRP measurements and extracts AoD information relative to one or more gNBs. The target UE then broadcasts its processed AoD information via a sidelink. This example embodiment is applicable, for example, to the case where the target UE is in UE-based positioning mode.

[0108] although Figure 6Two candidate anchor UEs are shown in FIG. 1 , but it should be noted that the number of candidate anchor UEs may not be two. In other words, there may be one or more candidate anchor UEs. Figure 6 The signaling process shown can be expanded and applied according to the actual number of candidate anchor UEs.

[0109] refer to Figure 6 In block 601, the target UE performs beam-specific downlink measurements, such as RSRP measurements, on one or more first beams of a network element to obtain first beam-specific downlink measurement values ​​associated with the one or more first beams of the network element. The network element may be, for example, a base station such as a gNB or a TRP that acts as a positioning anchor for the target UE. The one or more first beams refer to one or more beams received by the target UE. The one or more first beams and the one or more second beams may be transmitted from the same network element.

[0110] In block 602, the target UE extracts or derives first AoD information from first beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with one or more first beams of a network element. The first AoD information may be extracted by translating the different RSRP levels of each beam into the direction of a transmitted signal from the network element.

[0111] In block 603, the target UE transmits or broadcasts a first set of information of the first AoD information to the first candidate anchor UE and the second candidate anchor UE via a side link. The first candidate anchor UE and the second candidate anchor UE receive the first set of information from the target UE via the side link.

[0112] For example, the target UE may transmit a first set of information in an Anchor UE Request message indicating a request for a positioning anchor.Such a combined message may improve resource efficiency in order to efficiently indicate the anchor UE request to the candidate anchor UEs while also (indirectly) indicating where the anchor UE should be located.

[0113] The target UE may also indicate one or more thresholds for comparison between the first AoD information (as perceived at the target UE) and the AoD information perceived at a given candidate anchor UE. That is, the target UE may, for example, indicate in the SL broadcast signal together with the first AoD information an acceptable range that these candidate anchor UEs should consider to mark themselves as being in a suitable or unsuitable position based on a comparison with the candidate anchor UEs' own measurements and a ranging estimate between the target UE and the candidate anchor UEs.

[0114] Alternatively or additionally, the target UE may transmit information on one or more location areas to the candidate anchor UEs together with the first set of information (or separately from the first set of information) to help the candidate anchor UEs determine whether they are in a suitable position relative to the target UE. For example, the target UE may define one or more exclusion and / or inclusion areas, which are absolute location areas based on the absolute position of the target UE, and exclusion (or inclusion) areas of anchor UEs that are unfavorable (or favorable) to selecting other UEs to be selected as target UEs. In this case, the network may also (pre-)configure such exclusion and / or inclusion areas for the target UE and / or candidate anchor UEs. For example, the network may define exclusion areas relative to the latest position of the target UE.

[0115] In block 604, the first candidate anchor UE performs its own beam-specific downlink measurement, such as RSRP measurement, on one or more second beams of the network element to obtain second beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more second beams of the network element. The one or more second beams refer to one or more beams received by the first candidate anchor UE. The one or more second beams may be part of the one or more first beams, or the one or more second beams may be different from the one or more first beams.

[0116] In block 605, the first candidate anchor UE extracts or derives second AoD information from second beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with one or more second beams of the network element. The second AoD information may be extracted by translating the different RSRP levels of each beam into the direction of the transmitted signal from the network element.

[0117] In block 606, the first candidate anchor UE compares the first AoD information perceived at the target UE with the second AoD information perceived at the first candidate anchor UE.

[0118] In block 607 , based on the comparison of the first AoD information and the second AoD information, the first candidate anchor UE determines whether it is a suitable anchor UE or is in a suitable location relative to the target UE and the network element for serving as a positioning anchor for the target UE.

[0119] The determination may also be based at least in part on one or more thresholds received from the target UE or from the network. For example, the first candidate anchor UE may check whether a difference between the first AoD information and the second AoD information exceeds a range defined by the one or more thresholds. The first AoD information refers to the AoD between the network element and the target UE, and the second AoD information refers to the AoD between the network element and the first candidate anchor UE.

[0120] As a non-limiting example, the first AoD information may indicate that the AoD between the network element and the target UE is 21-23 degrees, and the one or more thresholds may indicate that the AoD between the network element and the first candidate anchor UE (the second AoD information) should be at least 10 degrees greater or less than the AoD between the network element and the target UE. In other words, in this case, if the AoD between the network element and the first candidate anchor UE is greater than 31-33 degrees or less than 11-13 degrees, the first candidate anchor UE may determine that it is in a suitable position relative to the target UE.

[0121] Alternatively or additionally, the determination may be based at least in part on one or more location areas defined by the target UE or the network.

[0122] In block 608, the first candidate anchor UE may transmit an indication to the target UE to indicate whether the first candidate anchor UE is a suitable anchor UE or is in a suitable location based on the determination. For example, in the case where the first candidate anchor UE receives an anchor UE request message from the target UE, the first candidate anchor UE may transmit a response message in response to the anchor UE request message, wherein the response message indicates whether the first candidate anchor UE is a suitable anchor UE and / or is in a suitable location.

[0123] The response message may also include second beam-specific downlink measurement information or second AoD information.

[0124] In block 609, the target UE may select the first candidate anchor UE as the positioning anchor (if the first candidate anchor UE indicates that it is in a suitable position), and the target UE may transmit an indication to the first candidate anchor UE to activate it as the positioning anchor of the target UE. If there are multiple suitable candidate anchor UEs, the target UE may select one or more of them based on its positioning requirement. If the positioning requirement is high, the target UE may activate all available candidate anchor UEs; otherwise, the target UE may select the available candidate anchor UE downward.

[0125] In response to being selected / activated as a positioning anchor for a target UE, the first candidate anchor UE may begin broadcasting one or more sidelink positioning reference signals to assist in positioning the target UE in block 610. Alternatively, the first candidate anchor UE may autonomously begin broadcasting SL-PRS in response to determining that it is in a suitable location (i.e., without being individually selected by the target UE).

[0126] In the case where the first candidate anchor UE transmits SL-PRS to locate the target UE, the first candidate anchor UE may also configure the directionality of the SL-PRS based on the first beam-specific DL measurement information it receives from the target UE. This means that the first candidate anchor UE will not transmit SLPRS in all directions (in an omnidirectional manner), but in a direction defined by the processing result of the information transmitted by the target UE. In other words, the first candidate anchor UE may transmit one or more sidelink positioning reference signals in one or more directions, where one or more directions may be based on the first set of information received from the target UE. The term "direction" here may refer to a spatial direction or an angle.

[0127] In block 611, the second candidate anchor UE performs its own beam-specific downlink measurement, such as RSRP measurement, on one or more third beams on the network element to obtain third beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more third beams of the network element. The one or more third beams refer to one or more beams received by the second candidate anchor UE. The one or more third beams may be part of the one or more first beams, or the one or more third beams may be different from the one or more first beams.

[0128] In block 612, the second candidate anchor UE extracts or derives third AoD information from third beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with one or more third beams of the network element. The third AoD information may be extracted by translating the different RSRP levels of each beam into the direction of the transmitted signal from the network element.

[0129] In block 613, the second candidate anchor UE compares the first AoD information perceived at the target UE with the third AoD information perceived at the second candidate anchor UE.

[0130] In block 614, based on the comparison of the first AoD information and the third AoD information, the second candidate anchor UE determines whether it is in a suitable position relative to the target UE and the network element serving as a positioning anchor for the target UE.

[0131] The determination may also be based at least in part on one or more thresholds received from the target UE or from the network. For example, the second candidate anchor UE may check whether the difference between the first AoD information and the third AoD information exceeds a range defined by the one or more thresholds. The first AoD information refers to the AoD between the network element and the target UE, and the third AoD information refers to the AoD between the network element and the second candidate anchor UE. Alternatively or additionally, the determination may be based at least in part on one or more location areas that may be defined by the target UE.

[0132] In the event that the second candidate anchor UE determines that it is an unsuitable anchor UE or is in an unsuitable location, the second candidate anchor UE no longer transmits the SL-PRS and declares itself to be an unsuitable anchor UE. In this case, the second candidate anchor UE may explicitly indicate unsuitability, for example, by a response message transmitted in response to an anchor UE request message that may be received from the target UE. Alternatively, the second candidate anchor UE may implicitly indicate that the second candidate anchor UE is not a suitable anchor UE and / or is in an unsuitable location, for example, by not responding to an anchor UE request message that may be received from the target UE.

[0133] Figure 7 A signaling diagram according to another example embodiment is shown, in which the selection of the anchor UE occurs at the target UE (rather than at the candidate anchor UE itself). In this example embodiment, the responding candidate anchor UE may include measurements for one or more of the indicated gNB / TRP beams, so that the target UE may consider those measurements with lower GDOP in the anchor UE selection.

[0134] although Figure 7 Two candidate anchor UEs are shown in FIG. 1 , but it should be noted that the number of candidate anchor UEs may not be two. In other words, there may be one or more candidate anchor UEs. Figure 7 The signaling process shown can be expanded and applied according to the actual number of candidate anchor UEs.

[0135] refer to Figure 7 In block 701, the target UE performs beam-specific downlink measurements, such as RSRP measurements, on one or more first beams of a network element to obtain a first set of information associated with the one or more first beams of the network element. In other words, the first set of information may include first beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more first beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The network element may be, for example, a base station such as a gNB or a TRP that acts as a positioning anchor for the target UE. The one or more first beams refer to one or more beams received by the target UE.

[0136] In block 702, the target UE transmits or broadcasts a request for beam-specific DL measurement information associated with a network element to a first candidate anchor UE and a second candidate anchor UE via a sidelink. The first candidate anchor UE and the second candidate anchor UE receive the request of the target UE via the sidelink.

[0137] In block 703, the first candidate anchor UE performs its own beam-specific downlink measurement, such as RSRP measurement, on one or more second beams of the network element to obtain a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams of the network element. In other words, the second set of information may include second beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more second beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The one or more second beams refer to one or more beams received by the first candidate anchor UE. The one or more second beams may be part of the one or more first beams, or the one or more second beams may be different from the one or more first beams. The one or more first beams and the one or more second beams may be transmitted from the same network element.

[0138] In block 704, the first candidate anchor UE transmits a second set of information including second beam-specific downlink measurement information to the target UE in response to the request received from the target UE.

[0139] In block 705, the second candidate anchor UE performs its own beam-specific downlink measurement, such as RSRP measurement, on one or more third beams on the network element to obtain a third set of information associated with the one or more third beams of the network element. In other words, the third set of information may include third beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more third beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The one or more third beams refer to one or more beams received by the second candidate anchor UE. The one or more third beams may be part of the one or more first beams, or the one or more third beams may be different from the one or more first beams. The one or more first beams and the one or more third beams may be transmitted from the same network element.

[0140] In block 706, the second candidate anchor UE transmits a third set of information including third beam-specific downlink measurement information to the target UE in response to the request received from the target UE.

[0141] In block 707, the target UE compares the first set of information sensed at the target UE with the second set of information sensed at the first candidate anchor UE. The target UE further compares the first set of information sensed at the target UE with the third set of information sensed at the second candidate anchor UE.

[0142] For example, the target UE may infer / determine whether a given candidate anchor UE is located midway between the network element and the target UE (without extracting AoD information from the measurements). As a result, the target UE may estimate the level of GDOP and infer / determine whether the candidate anchor UE is in a suitable position relative to the target UE.

[0143] Alternatively, the target UE may extract or derive the first AoD information from first beam-specific downlink measurement information (measured by the target UE) associated with one or more first beams of the network element. The target UE may also extract or derive the second AoD information from second beam-specific DL measurement information provided by a first candidate anchor UE (i.e., relative to the same network element as the first AoD information). The target UE may also extract or derive the third AoD information based on third beam-specific DL measurement information provided by a second candidate anchor UE (i.e., relative to the same network element as the first AoD information). The AoD information may be extracted by converting the different RSRP levels of each beam into the direction of the transmitted signal from the network element. The target UE may compare the first AoD information with the second AoD information, and may also compare the first AoD information with the third AoD information.

[0144] In block 708, based on a comparison of the beam-specific downlink measurement information of the target UE with the beam-specific downlink measurement information of a given candidate anchor UE, or based on a comparison of the AoD information of the target UE with the AoD information of a given candidate anchor UE, the target UE determines whether the candidate anchor UE is in a suitable position relative to the target UE and the network element acting as a positioning anchor for the target UE.

[0145] The determination may also be based at least in part on one or more predefined thresholds for a difference between the target UE measurement value and the candidate anchor UE measurement value.Alternatively or additionally, the determination may be based at least in part on one or more predefined location areas.

[0146] In block 709, the target UE may transmit an indication to the first candidate anchor UE and / or the second candidate anchor UE to indicate whether the particular candidate anchor UE is a suitable anchor UE or is in a suitable location based on the determination.

[0147] In block 710, if the target UE indicates that the first candidate anchor UE is a suitable anchor UE or is in a suitable position relative to the target UE, the first candidate anchor UE may become the anchor UE of the target UE and the first candidate anchor UE may start broadcasting one or more sidelink positioning reference signals.

[0148] Figure 8 A signaling diagram according to another example embodiment is illustrated, wherein the selection of the anchor UE occurs at the target UE based on the AoD information received from the candidate anchor UEs.

[0149] although Figure 8 Two candidate anchor UEs are shown in FIG. 1 , but it should be noted that the number of candidate anchor UEs may not be two. In other words, there may be one or more candidate anchor UEs. Figure 8The process shown can be expanded and applied according to the actual number of candidate anchor UEs.

[0150] refer to Figure 8 In block 801, the target UE performs beam-specific downlink measurements, such as RSRP measurements, on one or more first beams of a network element to obtain first beam-specific downlink measurement information, such as RSRP measurement information, associated with the one or more first beams of the network element. The network element may be, for example, a base station such as a gNB or a TRP that acts as a positioning anchor for the target UE. The one or more first beams refer to one or more beams received by the target UE.

[0151] In block 802, the target UE extracts or derives first AoD information from first beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with one or more first beams of a network element. The first AoD information may be extracted by translating the different RSRP levels of each beam into the direction of a transmitted signal from the network element.

[0152] In block 803, the target UE transmits or broadcasts a request for AoD information associated with the network element to the first candidate anchor UE and the second candidate anchor UE via a sidelink. The first candidate anchor UE and the second candidate anchor UE receive the target UE's request via the sidelink.

[0153] In block 804, the first candidate anchor UE performs its own beam-specific downlink measurement, such as RSRP measurement, on one or more second beams on the network element to obtain second beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more second beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The one or more second beams refer to one or more beams received by the first candidate anchor UE. The one or more second beams may be part of the one or more first beams, or the one or more second beams may be different from the one or more first beams. The one or more first beams and the one or more second beams may be transmitted from the same network element.

[0154] In block 805, the first candidate anchor UE extracts or derives second AoD information from second beam-specific downlink measurements associated with one or more second beams of the network element. The second AoD information may be extracted by translating the different RSRP levels of each beam into the direction of the transmitted signal from the network element.

[0155] In block 806, the first candidate anchor UE transmits a second set of information including second AoD information to the target UE in response to the request received from the target UE.

[0156] In block 807, the second candidate anchor UE performs its own beam-specific downlink measurement, such as RSRP measurement, on one or more third beams on the network element to obtain third beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more third beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The one or more third beams refer to one or more beams received by the second candidate anchor UE. The one or more third beams may be part of the one or more first beams, or the one or more third beams may be different from the one or more first beams.

[0157] In block 808, the first candidate anchor UE extracts or derives third AoD information from third beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with one or more third beams of the network element. The third AoD information may be extracted by translating the different RSRP levels of each beam into the direction of the transmitted signal from the network element.

[0158] In block 809 , the second candidate anchor UE transmits a third set of information including third AoD information to the target UE in response to the request received from the target UE.

[0159] In block 810, the target UE compares the first set of information (first AoD information) perceived at the target UE and the second set of information (second AoD information) perceived at the first candidate anchor UE. The target UE further compares the first set of information (first AoD information) perceived at the target UE and the third set of information (third AoD information) perceived at the second candidate anchor UE.

[0160] In block 811, based on the comparison, the target UE determines whether each candidate anchor UE is a suitable anchor UE, or is in a suitable location relative to the target UE and the network element for serving as a positioning anchor for the target UE.

[0161] The determination may also be based at least in part on one or more predefined thresholds for comparison between the target UE measurement values ​​and the candidate anchor UE measurement values.Alternatively or additionally, the determination may be based at least in part on one or more predefined location areas.

[0162] In block 812, the target UE may transmit an indication to the first candidate anchor UE and / or the second candidate anchor UE to indicate whether the particular candidate anchor UE is in a suitable location based on the determination.

[0163] In block 813, if the target UE indicates that the first candidate anchor UE is a suitable anchor UE or is in a suitable position relative to the target UE, the first candidate anchor UE may become the anchor UE of the target UE and the first candidate anchor UE may start broadcasting one or more sidelink positioning reference signals.

[0164] Fig. 9 A signaling diagram according to another example embodiment is illustrated, in which at least one "learning" UE can help the target UE and candidate anchor UEs create a lookup table, which is used at the anchor UE to infer whether they are suitable anchor UEs or are in a suitable location. The learning UE can be a "pseudo target UE", that is, a UE that plays the role of a target UE, but it is not intended to locate or be located, but collects beam measurement data (for example, in a driving test). In other words, the learning UE can be a user equipment that is not the target UE of this positioning session, but performs measurements to assist the target UE in finding a suitable anchor UE. For example, the learning UE can be a UE that moves in parallel with the target UE (for example, on the same highway or in the same car). Therefore, the "learning UE" can provide / suggest information of a suitable set of anchor UEs to the target UE. In this way, the target UE can skip or reduce its own beam measurements because they have been performed by the "learning UE".

[0165] although Fig. 9 One candidate anchor UE is shown in FIG. 1 , but it should be noted that the number of candidate anchor UEs may not be one. In other words, there may be one or more candidate anchor UEs. Fig. 9 The signaling process shown can be extended and applied according to the actual number of candidate anchor UEs.

[0166] refer to Fig. 9 In block 901, the target UE performs (at least partially) beam-specific downlink measurements, such as RSRP measurements, on one or more first beams of a network element to obtain a first set of information associated with the one or more first beams of the network element. In other words, the first set of information may include first beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more first beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The network element may be, for example, a base station such as a gNB or a TRP that acts as a positioning anchor for the target UE. The one or more first beams refer to one or more beams received by the target UE.

[0167] In block 902, the learning UE performs (at least partially) beam-specific downlink measurements, such as RSRP measurements, on one or more fourth beams of the network element to obtain a fourth set of information associated with the one or more fourth beams of the network element. In other words, the fourth set of information may include fourth beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more fourth beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The one or more fourth beams refer to one or more beams received by the learning UE. The one or more fourth beams may be the same as the one or more first beams, or may be different from the one or more first beams.

[0168] In block 903 , the learning UE and the target UE perform inter-UE measurement cooperation with each other.

[0169] In block 904, the learning UE transmits or broadcasts a fourth set of information including fourth beam-specific DL measurement information to the first candidate anchor UE via a sidelink. The first candidate anchor UE receives the fourth set of information from the learning UE via a sidelink.

[0170] In block 905, the target UE transmits or broadcasts a first set of information including first beam-specific DL measurement information to a first candidate anchor UE via a sidelink. The first candidate anchor UE receives the first set of information from the target UE via a sidelink.

[0171] In block 906, the first candidate anchor UE performs its own beam-specific downlink measurement, such as RSRP measurement, on one or more second beams of the network element to obtain a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams of the network element. In other words, the second set of information may include second beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more second beams of the network element, such as RSRP measurement information. The one or more second beams refer to one or more beams received by the first candidate anchor UE. The one or more second beams may be the same as the one or more first beams, or different from the one or more first beams.

[0172] In block 907, the first candidate anchor UE creates a lookup table based at least in part on the first set of information, the second set of information, and the fourth set of information. The lookup table here may represent a list summarizing the decision inputs. The lookup table may define one or more location areas, such as exclusion and / or inclusion areas, which are absolute location areas based on the absolute location of the target UE, and exclusion (or inclusion) areas of anchor UEs that are not conducive (or conducive) to selecting other UEs to be selected as target UEs. The lookup table may remain intact as long as the target UE is not fully relocated. Each time the target UE is relocated, the lookup table is updated accordingly. This may be an action implemented by the UE or may be configured by the network to follow the movement of the target UE.

[0173] In block 908, using the lookup table, the first candidate anchor UE determines whether it is in a suitable location relative to the target UE and the network element for serving as a positioning anchor for the target UE.

[0174] In block 909, the first candidate anchor UE may transmit or broadcast the lookup table to one or more other candidate anchor UEs via a sidelink. In this way, the first candidate anchor UE may share the lookup table with other UEs via a sidelink broadcast channel so that other UEs may utilize this information when creating their own lookup tables for their own exclusion (or inclusion) areas, as described above.

[0175] In block 910, the first candidate anchor UE may transmit an indication to the learning UE and / or the target UE to indicate whether the first candidate anchor UE is in a suitable location based on the determination. The indication may be transmitted with or separately from the lookup table.

[0176] Fig.10 A flow chart of a method performed by an apparatus such as or including or comprised in a candidate anchor UE according to an example embodiment is illustrated. A candidate anchor UE may also be referred to herein as a first candidate anchor UE, a second candidate anchor UE, a candidate anchor user equipment, or a candidate positioning anchor.

[0177] refer to Fig.10 In block 1001, a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element is received. The one or more first beams may refer to one or more beams received by a target user equipment from the network element.

[0178] The first set of information may include, for example, first beam-specific downlink measurement information and / or first departure angle information associated with one or more first beams of the network element as sensed at the target user equipment. The first beam-specific downlink measurement information may include any type of measurement, such as at least one of: power-based measurement, time-based measurement, angle-based measurement, and / or phase-based measurement.

[0179] In block 1002, a second set of information associated with one or more second beams is obtained by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on one or more second beams of a network element. The one or more second beams may refer to one or more beams received by the device from the network element. In other words, the one or more first beams and the one or more second beams originate from the same network element. The one or more second beams may be the same as the one or more first beams, or the one or more second beams may be different from the one or more first beams.

[0180] The second set of information may include, for example, second beam-specific downlink measurement information and / or second departure angle information associated with one or more second beams of the network element, as perceived at the device. The second beam-specific downlink measurement information may include any type of measurement, such as at least one of: a power-based measurement, a time-based measurement, an angle-based measurement, and / or a phase-based measurement.

[0181] In block 1003, the apparatus determines whether the apparatus is in a suitable location for serving as a location anchor for a target user equipment based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information.

[0182] Fig.11A flow chart of a method performed by an apparatus such as or including or comprised in a candidate anchor UE according to another example embodiment is illustrated. The candidate anchor UE may also be referred to herein as a first candidate anchor UE, a second candidate anchor UE, a candidate anchor user equipment or a candidate positioning anchor.

[0183] refer to Fig.11 , in block 1101, a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element is received from a target user equipment.

[0184] In block 1102, a second set of information associated with one or more second beams is obtained by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more second beams of a network element.

[0185] In block 1103, the apparatus determines whether the apparatus is in a suitable location for serving as a location anchor for a target user equipment based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information.

[0186] In block 1104, the device identifies one or more non-line-of-sight (NLOS) beams from the one or more second beams of the network element. In other words, the device may determine a group of beams having a dominant NLOS component (i.e., beams scattered by reflectors or scatterers or blockers) and report the group of NLOS beams because NLOS measurements may reduce positioning accuracy.

[0187] In block 1105, the apparatus reports one or more non-line-of-sight beams to the target user equipment. The target UE may add the NLOS beams to an exclusion list (and / or add the line-of-sight beams to an inclusion list) to avoid taking measurements from these NLOS beams into account.

[0188] Fig.12 A flow chart of a method performed by an apparatus such as or including or comprised in a candidate anchor UE according to another example embodiment is illustrated. The candidate anchor UE may also be referred to herein as a first candidate anchor UE, a second candidate anchor UE, a candidate anchor user equipment or a candidate positioning anchor.

[0189] refer to Fig.12 , in block 1201, a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element is received from a target user equipment.

[0190] In block 1202, a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of a network element is obtained by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more second beams.

[0191] In block 1203, the apparatus determines whether the apparatus is in a suitable location for serving as a location anchor for a target user equipment based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information.

[0192] In block 1204, the apparatus may transmit an indication based on the determination to indicate that the apparatus is in the proper location.

[0193] In block 1205, the device collaborates with the target user equipment and / or one or more positioning anchors of the target user equipment to update a set of positioning anchors for the target user equipment. In other words, the device (which has been selected as a positioning anchor for the target user equipment based on the above process) can collaborate with one or more other positioning anchors and / or target UEs to update the positioning anchors participating in the positioning session of the target user equipment. In this case, the newly added anchor UE will serve as the positioning anchor for the target UE. Therefore, with this addition, any new candidate anchor UE should consider the new anchor UE (e.g., the device) in addition to the positioning anchor of the initial process when determining whether the relative position of the candidate anchor UE is suitable.

[0194] Fig.13 A flow chart of a method performed by an apparatus such as or including or comprised in a target UE according to an example embodiment is illustrated.The target UE may also be referred to herein as a target user equipment.

[0195] refer to Fig.13 In block 1301, a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element is obtained by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more first beams. The one or more first beams may refer to one or more beams received by the apparatus from the network element.

[0196] The first set of information may include, for example, first beam-specific downlink measurement information and / or first departure angle information associated with one or more first beams of the network element sensed at the device. The first beam-specific downlink measurement information may include any type of measurement, such as at least one of: a power-based measurement, a time-based measurement, an angle-based measurement, and / or a phase-based measurement.

[0197] In block 1302, a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of a network element is received from a candidate positioning anchor. The one or more second beams may refer to one or more beams received by the candidate positioning anchor from the network element. In other words, the one or more first beams and the one or more second beams originate from the same network element. The one or more second beams may be the same as the one or more first beams, or the one or more second beams may be different from the one or more first beams.

[0198] The second set of information may include, for example, second beam-specific downlink measurement information and / or second departure angle information associated with one or more second beams of the network element sensed at the candidate positioning anchor. The second beam-specific downlink measurement information may include any type of measurement value, such as at least one of the following: a power-based measurement value, a time-based measurement value, an angle-based measurement value, and / or a phase-based measurement value.

[0199] In block 1303, the device determines whether the candidate location anchor is in a suitable location for serving as a location anchor for the device based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information.

[0200] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions, where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0201] Above through Figures 5 to 13 The blocks, related functions and information exchanges (messages) described are not arranged in an absolute chronological order, and some of them may be executed simultaneously or in a different order than described. Other functions may also be executed between or within them, and other information may be transmitted and / or other rules may be applied. Some of the blocks or one or more of the parts of the blocks or the information may also be omitted or replaced by one or more of the corresponding blocks or parts of the blocks or the information.

[0202] Fig.14 An example of a device 1400 including means for performing any of the above example embodiments is illustrated. The device 1400 may be, for example, a device such as or including or comprised in a user equipment. The user equipment may also be referred to herein as a target UE, a target user equipment, a candidate anchor UE, a first candidate anchor UE, a second candidate anchor UE, a candidate anchor user equipment, or a candidate positioning anchor.

[0203] The device 1400 includes at least one processor 1410. The at least one processor 1410 interprets computer program instructions and processes data. The at least one processor 1410 may include one or more programmable processors. The at least one processor 1410 may include programmable hardware with embedded firmware, and may alternatively or additionally include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0204] At least one processor 1410 is coupled to at least one memory 1420. The at least one processor is configured to read data from and write data to at least one memory 1420. At least one memory 1420 may include one or more storage units. The storage unit may be volatile or non-volatile. It should be noted that in some example embodiments, there may be one or more non-volatile memory units and one or more volatile memory units, or alternatively, there may be one or more non-volatile memory units, or alternatively, there may be one or more volatile memory units. The volatile memory may be, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). The non-volatile memory may be, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, an optical memory, or a magnetic memory. In general, a memory may be referred to as a non-temporary computer-readable medium. At least one memory 1420 stores computer-readable instructions executed by at least one processor 1410 to perform one or more of the above example embodiments. For example, non-volatile memory stores computer readable instructions, and at least one processor 1410 executes the instructions using volatile memory to temporarily store data and / or instructions.

[0205] The computer readable instructions may have been pre-stored in at least one memory 1420, or alternatively or additionally, they may be received by the device via an electromagnetic carrier signal and / or may be copied from a physical entity such as a computer program product. The at least one processor 1410 executes the computer readable instructions so that the device 1400 performs one or more of the above-described example embodiments. That is, at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions may provide a means for providing or causing the execution of any of the above-described methods and / or blocks.

[0206] In the context of this document, "memory" or "computer-readable media" or "computer-readable medium" can be any non-transitory medium or media or device that can contain, store, communicate, propagate or transport for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus or device (such as a computer). The term "non-transitory" as used herein is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, non-signal), as opposed to limitations on data storage persistence (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0207] The device 1400 may also include or be connected to an input unit 1430. The input unit 1430 may include one or more interfaces for receiving input. The one or more interfaces may include, for example, one or more temperature, motion and / or direction sensors, one or more cameras, one or more accelerometers, one or more microphones, one or more buttons and / or one or more touch detection units. In addition, the input unit 1430 may include an interface to which an external device may be connected.

[0208] Device 1400 may also include an output unit 1440. The output unit may include or be connected to one or more displays capable of presenting visual content, such as a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and / or a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) display. Output unit 1440 may also include one or more audio outputs. The one or more audio outputs may be, for example, a speaker.

[0209] The device 1400 also includes a connection unit 1450. The connection unit 1450 is capable of achieving wireless connection with one or more external devices. The connection unit 1450 includes at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, which can be integrated into the device 1400 or can be connected to the device 1400. At least one transmitter includes at least one transmitting antenna, and at least one receiver includes at least one receiving antenna. The connection unit 1450 may include an integrated circuit or a group of integrated circuits that provide wireless communication capabilities for the device 1400. Alternatively, the wireless connection can be a hardwired application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The connection unit 1450 may include one or more components, such as: a power amplifier, a digital front end (DFE), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a frequency converter, a modulator (demodulator) and / or an encoder / decoder circuit, which are controlled by a corresponding control unit.

[0210] It is worth noting that the device 1400 may also include Fig.14 Various components not shown in the figure. The various components can be hardware components and / or software components.

[0211] In this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: a) a hardware-only implementation of the circuit (such as an implementation in analog and / or digital circuitry only) and b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, for example (as applicable): i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware; and ii) a hardware processor and any portion of software (including a digital signal processor), software and one or more memories, which work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone to perform various functions); and c) a hardware circuit and / or processor, such as a microprocessor or a portion of a microprocessor, that requires software (e.g. firmware) to operate, but the software may not be present when not required for operation.

[0212] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or its) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, and where applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuitry" also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0213] The techniques and methods described herein can be implemented in various ways. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or a combination thereof. For hardware implementation, the apparatus of the example embodiments can be implemented in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof. For firmware or software, it can be implemented by a module (e.g., a program, a function, etc.) of at least one chipset that performs the functions described herein. The software code can be stored in a storage unit and executed by a processor. The storage unit can be implemented inside the processor or outside the processor. In the latter case, it can be communicatively coupled to the processor in various ways, as is known in the art. In addition, the components of the system described herein can be rearranged and / or supplemented by additional components to facilitate the embodiments of the present invention to be not limited to the precise configuration shown in the given figures, and those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the precise configuration shown in the given figures.

[0214] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that with the advancement of technology, the concept of the present invention can be implemented in various ways. The embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned example embodiments, but can be varied within the scope of the claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly, and they are intended to illustrate rather than limit the example embodiments.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to at least: receiving a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element; acquiring a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more second beams of the network element; as well as A determination is made based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information as to whether the apparatus is in a suitable location for serving as a location anchor for a target user equipment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: Based on the determination, an indication is transmitted indicating whether the device is in a suitable location.

3. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The first set of information comprises at least one of: first beam-specific downlink measurement information and / or first departure angle information associated with the one or more first beams of the network element, and The second set of information includes at least one of the following: second beam-specific downlink measurement information and / or second departure angle information associated with the one or more second beams of the network element.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: extracting the first departure angle information from the first beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more first beams of the network element; and extracting the second departure angle information from the second beam-specific downlink measurement information associated with the one or more second beams of the network element, in, The determination is based on comparing the first departure angle information and the second departure angle information.

5. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: receiving one or more thresholds for comparison between the first set of information and the second set of information, in, The determination is based at least in part on the one or more thresholds.

6. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: receiving information about one or more location areas, in, The determination is based at least in part on the one or more location areas.

7. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: receiving a message including a request for a location anchor, wherein: The message also includes the first set of information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: transmitting a response message in response to the request, wherein the response message indicates whether the device is in a suitable location, and in, The response message also includes the second set of information.

9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: Implicitly indicates that the device is not in place.

10. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: receiving a third set of information associated with one or more third beams of the network element from another user equipment, wherein: The third set of information includes at least one of the following: third beam-specific measurement information and / or third departure angle information, Wherein, the determination is based at least in part on the third set of information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising: creating a lookup table based at least in part on the first set of information, the second set of information, and the third set of information, wherein the lookup table is used to determine whether the device is in a suitable location; and The lookup table is transmitted.

12. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: and cooperating with the target user equipment and / or one or more location anchors of the target user equipment to update a set of location anchors of the target user equipment.

13. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: identifying one or more non-line-of-sight beams from the one or more second beams of the network element; and The one or more non-line-of-sight beams are reported.

14. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: One or more sidelink positioning reference signals are transmitted in one or more directions, wherein: The one or more directions are based on the first set of information.

15. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: acquiring a first set of information associated with the one or more first beams by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more first beams of the network element; receiving, from a candidate positioning anchor, a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of the network element; as well as A determination is made based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information whether the candidate location anchor is in a suitable location for serving as a location anchor for the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: An indication is transmitted to the candidate location anchor indicating whether the candidate location anchor is in a suitable position based on the determination.

17. The device according to any one of claims 15-16, further comprising: A request for the second set of information is transmitted to the candidate location anchor.

18. A method comprising: receiving, by the apparatus, a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element; performing, by the device, beam-specific downlink measurements on one or more second beams of the network element to obtain a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams; as well as A determination is made, by the apparatus, based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information, as to whether the apparatus is in a suitable location for serving as a location anchor for a target user equipment.

19. A method comprising: performing, by the device, beam-specific downlink measurements on one or more first beams of a network element to obtain a first set of information associated with the one or more first beams; receiving, by the apparatus, from a candidate location anchor, a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of the network element; as well as Determining, by the device, whether a candidate location anchor is in a suitable position for serving as a location anchor for the device based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions, which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving a first set of information associated with one or more first beams of a network element; acquiring a second set of information associated with the one or more second beams by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more second beams of the network element; and A determination is made based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information as to whether the apparatus is in a suitable location for serving as a location anchor for a target user equipment.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions, which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform at least the following: acquiring a first set of information related to the one or more first beams by performing beam-specific downlink measurements on the one or more first beams of a network element; receiving, from a candidate positioning anchor, a second set of information associated with one or more second beams of the network element; as well as A determination is made based at least in part on the first set of information and the second set of information whether the candidate location anchor is in a suitable location for serving as a location anchor for the apparatus.

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