Measurement for on-demand positioning reference signal transmission

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for configuring and / or transmitting positioning reference signals (PRSs) are provided. A method may include providing configuration information to a user equipment for determining a reference point for positioning measurements or for user equipment assisted measurements. The assistance information indicates a packet of downlink reference signals for measurement and reporting.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of an invention patent application with an application date of March 19, 2020, application number 202080024299.8, and invention name “Measurement for on-demand positioning reference signal transmission”.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 823,973, filed on March 26, 2019. The contents of that earlier-filed application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0004] Some example embodiments generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology) or other communication systems. For example, certain embodiments may relate to systems and / or methods for configuring and / or transmitting positioning reference signals (PRS) in communication systems such as NR. Background Art

[0005] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro and / or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. 5G wireless systems refer to next generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. 5G is primarily built on New Radio (NR), but 5G (or NG) networks may also be built on E-UTRA radio. It is estimated that NR can provide bit rates on the order of 10-20 Gbit / s or higher, and can support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to provide ultra-wideband and ultra-robust low latency connectivity and large-scale networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). As IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications become more prevalent, the demand for networks that can meet the requirements of low power consumption, low data rates and long battery life will continue to grow. Note that in 5G, a node that can provide radio access functions to user equipment (i.e., similar to Node B in UTRAN or eNB in ​​LTE) can be named gNB when built on NR radio, and can be named NG-eNB when built on E-UTRA radio. Summary of the invention

[0006] One embodiment may be directed to a method that may be implemented by a network node. The method may include providing configuration information (e.g., network assistance information) to a UE for determining a reference point for positioning measurements or for UE-assisted measurements. The assistance information may indicate a grouping of downlink reference signals for measurement and reporting.

[0007] Another embodiment may be directed to an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: provide configuration information for determining a reference point to a UE, the aforementioned reference point being used for positioning measurement or for UE assisted measurement. The assistance information may indicate a grouping of downlink reference signals used for measurement and reporting.

[0008] In one embodiment, a particular signal in a group may be considered as a reference point for position measurement using the PRS or for auxiliary measurement for configuration of the PRS.

[0009] In one embodiment, the grouping of downlink reference signals may be used for at least one of the following: before the PRS is configured for the UE, so that when the UE performs auxiliary measurements for the PRS configuration, the measurements and reports are determined based on the grouping information provided by the network, or after the UE receives the configuration for the PRS to perform positioning measurements on the PRS, the group information is used when determining which signals to use for the PRS measurements and how to report the results.

[0010] In one embodiment, the measurement includes UE-assisted measurement of SSB / CSI-RS / L3 CSI-RS or PRS for UE position measurement.

[0011] In one embodiment, the grouping of signals may be performed for PRS signals or for DL ​​RS (SSB / CSIRS), and the association between PRS and DL RS may be provided by the network.

[0012] In one embodiment, the method may further include configuring one or more measurement reporting thresholds for the UE. In some variations, the measurement reporting threshold(s) may be based on RSRP, SINR and / or RSRQ.

[0013] In one embodiment, the method may further include receiving from the UE a report of measurements of the PRS of the N highest quality beams (eg, based on RSRP, SINR, and / or RSRQ) above a measurement reporting threshold(s).

[0014] In one embodiment, the method may further include receiving from the UE a report of the measurement of the PRS for the beam with the highest RSRP on each group or in each cell or in the reference point. In one variation, the measurement of the PRS may include the RSTD reference signal time difference between different reference points.

[0015] In one embodiment, the method may further include: when performing group-based measurements on the PRS for positioning purposes, receiving from the UE a report of the measurements of the PRS for the beam with the highest RSRP at each group or reference point. In one variation, the measurements on the PRS may include RSTD reference signal time differences between different reference points or groups.

[0016] In one embodiment, the method may further include receiving a report from the UE of one or N beams having the highest RSRP per group or reference point when performing group-based measurements for assistance purposes.

[0017] In one embodiment, the method may further comprise modifying the LPP to include a signalling exchange between the LMF and the UE. In a variant, the new signalling may comprise (new) UE measurements, as these are configured by the network, reported to the LMF together with corresponding requested capabilities signalled from the LMF to the UE.

[0018] In one embodiment, the method may further comprise modifying the NRPPa to include a signaling exchange between the LMF and the NG_RAN. In one variation, the new signaling may comprise a (new) OTDOA information request signaled from the LMF to the NG_RAN, and an OTDOA information response signaled from the NG_RAN to the LMF.

[0019] Another embodiment may be directed to a method that may be implemented by a UE. The method may include receiving a configuration from a network for performing positioning specific assistance measurements and reporting the measurements to the network. The configuration for positioning assistance measurements may include at least one of: a positioning report specific threshold for determining whether beam quality (SSB / CSIRS / CSI_RS_L3) is suitable for being reported in an assistance report; or a signal type specific threshold, where the threshold is specific to the signal type.

[0020] Another embodiment may be directed to an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a configuration for performing positioning specific assistance measurements from a network, and report the measurements to the network. The configuration for positioning assistance measurements may include at least one of: a positioning report specific threshold for determining whether beam quality (SSB / CSIRS / CSI_RS_L3) is suitable for being reported in an assistance report; or a signal type specific threshold, where the threshold is specific to the signal type.

[0021] In one embodiment, the signal type may include, for example, SSB signal / CSI-RS for beam management / CSI-RS for L3 mobility.

[0022] In one embodiment, receiving may include receiving the configuration in a request capabilities message or a new request measurements message received from the LMF.

[0023] In one embodiment, reporting may include reporting the measurements in an Offer Capabilities message or a New Offer Measurements message.

[0024] In one embodiment, the report may include a transmission measurement report including at most N highest quality beams and / or up to M cells / transmission points above one or more thresholds.

[0025] In one embodiment, upon receiving the configuration, the method may further include generating an assisted measurement report when at least one of the following conditions is met: immediately when M cells or reference points are available or immediately after a time offset. In one variation, the availability of a cell may indicate that at least one or X candidates are detected above a configured threshold. In one example, M may be, for example, 3. In one variation, a timer may be started when an assisted measurement request is received. In one example, the timer may expire when the measurement report criteria is triggered as described above, and when the timer expires and the UE detects that less than M cells or reference points are available, the UE may report a subset of cells and beams.

[0026] In one embodiment, the UE may have a specific reporting configuration for reporting and measuring specific beam types based on one or more configured thresholds. In one example, when applicable to a serving or neighboring cell, the beams may be reported in the following priority: (1) radio link monitoring RS, (2) beam failure detection RS, (3) TCI status for PDCCH (CSI-RS / SSB for beam management), (4) TCI status for PDSCH (CSI-RS / SSB for beam management), (5) CSI-RS for L3 mobility, and (6) SSB. In another variation, if a signal type (SSB / CSI-RS / CSI-RS for L3) specific threshold is configured, the items with the threshold are prioritized. Alternatively, in another variation, only signals with the threshold are considered in the report.

[0027] In one embodiment, when the UE performs auxiliary measurements on SSB / CSI-RS / CSI-RS for L3 mobility beam-specific reporting of the measurement results, the method may include reporting in a beam or panel-specific manner, including the panel / beam ID in the reported beam measurement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] For a proper understanding of the exemplary embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] Figure 1 Examples of schematic diagrams showing PRS transmission in LTE and NR, respectively;

[0030] Figure 2 shows an example system diagram according to an embodiment;

[0031] Figure 3 An example signaling diagram illustrating a process according to certain embodiments;

[0032] Figure 4 An example signaling diagram illustrating a process according to some embodiments;

[0033] Figure 5a An example flow chart of a method according to an embodiment is shown;

[0034] Figure 5b An example flow chart of a method according to an embodiment is shown;

[0035] Figure 6a An example block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment is shown;

[0036] Figure 6b An example block diagram of an apparatus according to another embodiment is shown;

[0037] Figure 7shows an example of a request capabilities message structure according to one embodiment;

[0038] Figure 8a shows an example of a provide capabilities message structure according to an embodiment;

[0039] Figure 8b shows an example of a continuation of a Provide Capabilities message structure according to an embodiment;

[0040] Fig. 9 shows an example of a request assistance data message structure according to an embodiment;

[0041] Fig.10 shows an example of an OTDOA information request message structure according to an embodiment;

[0042] Fig.11 shows an example of an OTDOA information response message structure according to one embodiment;

[0043] Fig.12a An example of providing an assistance data message structure according to one embodiment is shown;

[0044] Figure 12b shows an example of providing a continuation of an assistance data message structure according to one embodiment;

[0045] Fig.13 shows an example of a request location information message structure according to an embodiment; Fig.14 shows an example of a request location information message structure according to an embodiment;

[0046] Fig.15 An example of time-frequency mapping of a downlink reference signal according to some embodiments is shown; and

[0047] Fig.16 An example of deployment of a beam-based system in accordance with some embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] It will be readily appreciated that the components of certain example embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for configuring and / or transmitting positioning reference signals (PRS) is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments, but is representative of selected example embodiments.

[0049] The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, use of the phrases "certain embodiments," "some embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrases "certain embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same set of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments.

[0050] In addition, if desired, the different functions or steps discussed below may be performed in different orders and / or simultaneously with each other. In addition, if desired, one or more of the described functions or steps may be optional or may be combined. Therefore, the following description should be considered as merely an illustration of the principles and teachings of certain example embodiments, and is not intended to be limited thereto.

[0051] Certain embodiments may involve configuring and transmitting PRS. PRS may be transmitted by the network so that the UE can measure them and report the results of such measurements back to the network. Based on such reports, the location of the UE may be estimated. One technique associated with the use of PRS is Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA).

[0052] In LTE, PRS is transmitted according to the antenna configuration, where, for example, an omni-directional antenna will transmit PRS in all directions, while a sector antenna will transmit PRS in the direction of the antenna boresight with a sector radiation pattern. One major factor that distinguishes PRS transmission in NR from that in LTE is the beamforming involved. This is especially true for frequency range 2 (FR2), where a large number of beams are expected to be transmitted per cell and / or transmission point. Therefore, PRS transmission in NR is not a direct extension of the LTE case.

[0053] In NR, when a cell is covered using multiple beams, especially in FR2 (but also in FR1), PRS needs to be transmitted in a beam-forming manner to compensate for the higher path loss at higher carrier frequencies. Therefore, a beam scanning procedure such as SS / PBCH, system information (SI) or paging needs to be followed. Transmitting PRS in a beam scanning manner leads to an inefficient use of downlink resources, because not all beams are relevant or detectable to the corresponding UE for positioning measurements. In other words, one problem associated with pure beam scanning PRS is the inefficiency. That is, if only PRS transmission from LTE to NR FR2 is adopted, PRS transmission to all beam scanning directions will result in unnecessary PRS transmission.

[0054] It should be noted that this inefficiency of PRS transmission is relevant not only from a resource usage perspective, but also from a latency perspective, because reducing the number of beam scans of a PRS signal can reduce the total time required for the UE to measure the PRS signal, thereby reducing the total time of the complete positioning process.

[0055] Figure 1 An example of a schematic diagram of PRS transmission in NR and LTE is shown. Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 5 , each cell has eight beams, corresponding to a total of eight PRS transmissions per cell. If such PRS transmissions are configured in a static manner, they are constantly transmitted regardless of whether there is a UE in the beam area associated with the positioning service. This leads to the inefficiency problem described above. As will be discussed below, the example embodiments provide a solution to at least this problem.

[0056] Figure 2 An example system diagram according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 2 As shown in the example of , some embodiments may involve signaling between UE 201 and location server 202 through LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) via Non-Access Stratum (NAS). In addition, some embodiments may involve signaling between transmission points 204, 205 (transmission points corresponding to the serving cell and transmission points corresponding to the neighboring cells) and location server 202 through New Radio Positioning Protocol Annex (NRPPa).

[0057] One embodiment provides a method for positioning measurements and related signaling to enable on-demand transmission of PRS signals. The PRS signals are associated with positioning services associated with a given UE. In other words, one embodiment provides targeted transmission of PRS signals in a beamforming manner on beams measured and reported by the UE, particularly on those beams that the UE can detect with sufficient quality.

[0058] Therefore, certain embodiments provide at least a solution to the problem of unnecessary PRS transmissions in downlink beam scanning based positioning systems.One embodiment may involve utilizing information about assisted measurements provided by a UE.

[0059] In some embodiments, the UE may perform positioning specific assisted measurements, which may be used for on-demand PRS transmission. For example, in one embodiment, the network may configure a measurement reporting threshold, such as a reference signal received power (RSRP), for the UE. Alternatively or additionally, the measured quantity and the reporting threshold may be, for example, one of a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ). Therefore, the beam quality in some embodiments herein may refer to RSRP, RSRQ, or SINR, etc. According to one embodiment, the measurement reporting threshold may involve different values. This is because, for positioning purposes, more neighboring cells may need to be detected to allow enough physical points to be included in the triangulation process.

[0060] According to some embodiments, any beam above the measurement reporting threshold (alternatively, any threshold comparison in any method may include determining whether the signal quality is equal to or above the threshold) may be considered a candidate for reporting. This results in positioning specific reporting beams, as such beams may not be reported for purposes other than positioning. In one embodiment, the UE may be configured to report up to N highest quality (e.g., based on RSRP, SINR, etc.) beams above the threshold and up to M cells or transmission points or reference points. For example, a reference point may be a physical point or a set of signals that may be considered to be transmitted from a specific / same physical point used in the positioning measurement process. N and / or M may be configurable by the network. A reference point may also be a TRP (transmission reception point), and from the perspective of the measurement process, signals transmitted at the same TRP may be considered to be transmitted from the same physical point, or a set of signals in a specific TRP / Cell may be considered to be a reference point. A cell may have one or more TRPs. Signals transmitted from one TRP may be considered to be co-located. Thus, signals from different TRPs may be considered to originate from different physical locations.

[0061] In further embodiments, the UE may trigger an assisted measurement report immediately or after a time offset or when M cells / reference points / TRPs are available. The availability of a cell / reference point / TRP may mean that at least one or X candidates are detected above a configured threshold.

[0062] According to another aspect regarding measurement, the UE may have a specific reporting configuration for reporting and measuring specific beam types. As an example, the UE may be configured to measure and report only synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block (SS / PBCH or "SSB" for short) beams (e.g., the N highest cells or reference points out of M cells or reference points). For example, this may be applicable to idle or inactive mode measurements. As another example, the UE may be configured to first measure and report Layer 3 (L3) mobility channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) for beams with up to N highest measurement quantities (e.g., RSRP, SINR, RSRQ) above a threshold on a per-cell basis. If up to N CSI-RS are not detected, the UE may report SSBs above the threshold so that up to N may be reported. In one embodiment, the SSBs reported by the UE may be associated with the CSI-RS already included in the report. For example, in a case where a serving cell will provide multiple potential reference points for positioning measurements, the UE may further prioritize reporting the serving cell.

[0063] As another example, the UE may measure and report up to N_serving_cell highest CSI-RS signals (these may be L3 mobility CSI-RS or CSI-RS for beam management, such as NZP-CSI-RS, non-zero power CSI-RS) and / or SSBs and up to N beams of non-serving cells. When the UE determines the serving cell beam (e.g., downlink reference signal) to be reported, the UE may also prioritize the following configured signals: (1) radio link monitoring RS, (2) beam failure detection RS, (3) transmission configuration indication (TCI) status for physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (CSI-RS / SSB for beam management), (4) TCI status for physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) (CSI-RS / SSB for beam management), (5) CSI-RS for L3 mobility, and / or (6) SSB. Therefore, the UE may also prioritize the measurement of these signals.

[0064] In one embodiment, in response to the UE measurement, the network may provide PRS measurement assistance data to the UE. According to some embodiments, the PRS measurement assistance data may include the network indicating to the UE the reference beam for PRS transmission, for example, it may provide an association of a specific PRS index and a reported DL RS (beam) index. The PRS may be associated with, for example, a specific SSB time position index / SSB index, an NZP-CSI-RS resource or resource set ID, a CSI-RS resource ID for L3 mobility CSI-RS. In some embodiments, the network may also indicate grouping information for PRS measurement, where from the UE's perspective, a specific signal in a group may be considered as one of the reference points for the positioning process. As an example, the reference point may be a point for PRS-based location measurement. As an example, the UE may have reported from a single cell SSB#0-SSB#7 and the network may indicate that group 1 includes SSB#0-SSB#3 and group 2 includes SSB#4-SSB#7. This will provide information to the UE that two reference points / physical points can be used with respect to a signal based on one cell or a TRP of a cell. In some embodiments, by associating one or more PRS signals with one or more specific downlink reference signals (CSI-RS / SSB), grouping information can be provided and the grouping of the PRS signals will be based on the grouping information about the associated signals. In one example, the grouping can be, for example, TRP-specific or cell-specific, that is, downlink reference signals transmitted from the same TRP / cell are grouped (and the grouping is indicated to the UE). In another example, the grouping information can group multiple TRPs across one cell, TRPs across multiple cells, or even signals for multiple cells. When the UE determines the grouping and associated processes, the actual TRP or even the cell used for the grouping may not be visible to the UE. However, in some examples, an indication of, for example, a TRP index can be provided and an indication that a signal transmitted from a specific TRP index can be considered to be a group or reference point.

[0065] The association signaling between a specific signal and a TRP index may be provided by the network. The network may provide grouping for any of the signals described herein, such as CSI-RS for beam management (NZP-CSI-RS), SSB signals, CSI for L3 mobility, or positioning reference signals such as PRS. Grouping may consider only a single type of reference signal or any combination. For example, CSI-RS and SSB may be in the same group, SSB may be in one group, and CSI-RS may be in another group. Alternatively, the network may provide a mapping between a PRS index and a corresponding (e.g., associated or associated by quasi-co-location (QCL) assumption) DL RS (SSB / CSI-RS / L3CSI-RS). Grouping information may be provided for PRS signals, and the UE may be aware of the grouping for related signals. The quasi-co-location assumption indicates to the UE that the signals of the QCL or shared QCL assumption share similar properties, such as Doppler spread, average delay, or spatial RX assumption. The spatial RX assumption or type D QCL assumption indicates to the UE that the signal may be received using the same RX beam. This is particularly applicable to situations where the UE is assumed to use beamforming, such as at higher frequencies. At lower frequencies where the network may use beamforming, the UE may be assumed to have omni-directional reception. For example, these may sometimes be referred to as FR1 (lower frequencies) and FR2 (higher frequencies). It should be noted that any of the methods herein are not specifically limited to any particular operating frequency. As further examples of QCL assumptions, the following QCL types may be indicated to the UE in NR:

[0066] - 'QCL-TypeA': {Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, delay spread}

[0067] - 'QCL-TypeB': {Doppler shift, Doppler spread}

[0068] - 'QCL-TypeC': {Doppler shift, average delay}

[0069] -'QCL-TypeD': {spatial reception parameters}

[0070] In one example, the UE may report PRS measurements for the beam with the highest RSRP on each group or in each cell. In an example embodiment, the network may provide grouping information to the UE before configuration of the assisted measurement, in the same or different configuration message for the assisted measurement, or as a response to the reported measurement. The grouping information may also be provided as part of the PRS configuration. In one embodiment, the UE may utilize the grouping information to perform and report positioning measurements on downlink reference signals (such as SSB / CSI-RS / CSI-RS for L3 mobility). The positioning measurement may be, for example, RSTD. The positioning measurement may be performed independently or may be performed instead of positioning measurements on PRS signals or used in combination with PRS measurements.

[0071] In another embodiment, when the UE performs measurements on CSI-RS / SSB / CSI-RS or PRS for L3 mobility according to the example embodiments described herein, the UE may use panel or beam specific reporting. According to one example, the UE may determine the report based on spatial filtering; the best PRS_ID with the current RX panel / beam setting (same direction) is considered for reporting. For example, the best positioning measurement result according to a metric (e.g., RSTD) is selected per antenna panel or beam. According to some embodiments, the panel information (e.g., panel ID) may be included in the auxiliary measurement report or included when reporting the positioning measurement.

[0072] Some embodiments described herein involve transmitting measurements from a UE to a location server, which in NR may be referred to as a location management function (LMF). According to one embodiment, the measurements transmitted to the LMF may contain information about which beams and from which cells (i.e., both serving cells and neighboring cells) are detectable at the UE. The location server may then use this information to inform the respective serving cells and neighboring cells (i.e., cells whose beams are detected) which specific beams a given UE (i.e., a UE associated with a positioning service) can detect. In certain embodiments, upon receiving such information, the respective cell may activate PRS transmission on demand for a given UE, and only on the respective beams indicated by the server. This provides for more refined / targeted PRS transmission in the sense of avoiding excessive PRS transmissions.

[0073] Figure 3 An example signaling diagram of a process according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 3 As shown in the example of , at 301, the LMF may request beam measurement. For example, each time the positioning client requests the LMF to obtain the location of a given UE, the LMF may request such beam measurement from the corresponding network entity that can obtain such beam measurement report. Figure 3In the example of , the request including the beam measurement configuration parameters may be included in the request capability message. However, alternatively, the request may be included in a separate message.

[0074] In one embodiment, the request capabilities message body may be an LPP message and may be used by a location server (LMF) to request target device capability information and supported individual positioning methods for the LPP. Figure 7 An example of a request capabilities message structure according to an embodiment is shown. The request capabilities message may include an otdoa-RequestCapabilities parameter, which may include parameters required for beam measurement configuration (threshold, N, etc.).

[0075] continue Figure 3 In the example of , at 302, the UE may report beam measurements to the LMF, and the LMF may identify a reference beam for PRS transmission. In response to receiving the measurement report from the UE via the LPP protocol, the LMF may identify cell ID values ​​and beam ID values ​​from the serving cell and neighboring cells that may be detected by the UE. Figure 3 In the example of UE1, these measurements are reported back to the LMF in a provide capabilities message. However, in other embodiments, the measurements may be reported from the UE in a separate message.

[0076] The Provide Capabilities message body may be an LPP message and may be used to indicate the LPP capabilities of the target device to a location server (LMF). Figure 8a and Figure 8b An example of a capability provision message structure according to an embodiment is shown. Specifically, Figure 8b As shown, a target device (eg, UE) may use the OTDOA-ProvideCapabilities information element (IE) to indicate its ability to support OTDOA and provide its OTDOA positioning capabilities (LMF) to a location server.

[0077] like Figure 3 As further shown in the example of , at 303, the UE may transmit a request assistance data message to a location server (LMF). Fig. 9 An example of a request assistance data message structure according to an embodiment is shown. In one example, the request assistance data message may be an LPP message for requesting assistance data from a location server. Fig. 9As shown in the example of , the target device (eg, UE) may use the OTDOA-RequestAssistanceData IE to request assistance data from a location server (LMF).

[0078] At 304, the LMF may request the RAN to transmit PRS on demand. For example, information about cell ID values ​​and beam ID values ​​detectable at the UE may be used by the LMF to trigger on-demand transmission of PRS to the RAN. Specifically, the LMF may trigger the following PRS transmissions: (i) PRS at the serving beam of the serving cell (e.g., using the above example, transmission of PRS at beam #8 of cell A); (ii) PRS at all detectable neighboring cell IDs and beam IDs (using the same example, PRS transmission at beam #8 of cell B and beam #8 of cell B is triggered). In one embodiment, this request to trigger PRS on demand at the RAN may be performed via the NRPPa protocol, for example, using an OTDOA information request.

[0079] Fig.10 An example of an OTDOA information request message structure according to an embodiment is shown. In one example, in the event that the current PRS configuration needs to be modified, a request to change it may be included in the OTDOA information request message.

[0080] According to some embodiments, the involved serving cell and neighboring cells may send a confirmation to the LMF confirming the activation of the PRS transmission on the designated beam at 305. In one embodiment, this signaling exchange may also be performed via the NRPPa protocol (eg, using an OTDOA message response). Fig.11 An example of an OTDOA Information Response message structure according to one embodiment is shown. In one example, in the event that a current PRS configuration needs to be modified, the OTDOA Information Response message may confirm the modification.

[0081] Also like Figure 3 As shown in the example of , at 306, the LMF can provide PRS assistance information to the UE. For example, after activating PRS, the LMF can inform the UE which beam IDs and cell IDs transmit PRS information related to the specific UE. Note that the PRS signal is not limited to being measured by only a single UE in principle. For example, if a nearby UE is requesting a positioning service, the LMF can provide PRS assistance information to the UE, and such information can be partially the same or completely the same.

[0082] Fig.12a and Figure 12b An example of providing an auxiliary data message structure according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, Fig.12aThe message depicted in may include the PRS configuration (including the new PRS if one has been added). In one embodiment, Figure 12b The message depicted in may optionally link the PRS information to the beam reporting information.

[0083] At 307, the LMF may transmit a request location information message to the UE requesting PRS measurement. Fig.13 An example of a request location information message structure according to an embodiment is shown. In one example, the request location information message may be an LPP message used by a location server (LMF) to request positioning measurements or location estimates from a target device (eg, UE).

[0084] According to one embodiment, the UE may then measure and report the required positioning related measurements to the LMF at 308. For example, the UE may report a reference signal time difference (RSTD) value between PRS transmissions using PRS transmissions on the indicated or configured beams and cells. Fig.14 An example of a Provide Location Information message structure according to an embodiment is shown. The Provide Location Information message can be an LPP message used by a target device (e.g., UE) to provide positioning measurements or position estimates to a location server (LMF). In one example, the OTDOA-ProvideLocationInformation IE can be used by a target device (e.g., UE) to provide OTDOA location measurements to a location server (LMF). In another example, the OTDOA-ProvideLocationInformation IE can also be used to provide OTDOA positioning specific error causes. According to one embodiment, the Provide Location Information message may include PRS measurements, which include measurements from additional PRSs (if measurements from additional PRSs have been added), but the format of the message will remain unchanged.

[0085] Figure 4 Another example signaling diagram of a process according to certain embodiments is shown. Figure 4 An example signaling diagram is similar to Figure 3 , but the measurement configuration and corresponding reporting are performed via two new messages, the request measurement message 404 and the provide measurement message 405.

[0086] Fig.15 An example of time-frequency mapping of a downlink reference signal according to some embodiments is shown. Fig.15An example of SS / PBCH or SSB, CSI-RS for beam management (NZP-CSI-RS), L3 mobility CSI-RS signal in the time-frequency grid is shown. CSI-RS for L3 mobility can be used to perform L3 / RRC / cell mobility measurements, while NZP-CSI-RS can be used for serving cell beam management. SSB measurements can be used for beam management purposes (e.g., L1-RSRP) or for L3 mobility purposes and for downlink reference signals for positioning measurements. Fig.15 This is just one example way to map a signal in a time-frequency grid. Fig.15 .

[0087] Fig.16 An example of deployment of a beam-based system in accordance with some embodiments is shown. Fig.16 A multi-TRP deployment is shown, where a single cell can be covered using multiple TRPs (Cell 1). It also shows beam-based transmission of downlink reference signals, such as SS / PBCH or SSB, CSI-RS for beam management, L3 mobility CSI-RS, and downlink reference signals for positioning measurements (e.g., PRS). The embodiments are not limited to Fig.16 .

[0088] Figure 5a An example flow chart of a method for configuring and transmitting PRS according to one embodiment is shown. In some example embodiments, for example, Figure 5a The flowchart may be executed by a network node serving a cell (such as a base station, Node B, eNB, gNB or any other access node, or one or more servers in a 5GC or cloud configuration). In one embodiment, for example, Figure 5a The method can be performed by a location server (such as LMF in NR).

[0089] like Figure 5a As shown in the example of , the method may include: at 500, transmitting a request for beam measurement to the UE. For example, in one embodiment, when the positioning client requests to obtain the position of a given UE, a request for beam measurement may be transmitted to the given UE. In one example, the request may include beam measurement configuration parameters and may be included in a request capability message. However, alternatively, the request may be included in a separate request measurement message.

[0090] The method may then include, at 510, receiving a beam measurement report from the UE and identifying a reference beam for PRS transmission. When the measurement report is received from the UE, for example via the LPP protocol, cell ID values ​​and beam ID values ​​from the serving cell and neighboring cells may be identified, which may be detected by the UE. In one example, receiving 510 may include receiving the beam measurements in a provide capabilities message. However, in other embodiments, the measurements may be received, for example, in a separate provide measurements message.

[0091] The method may also include, at 520, receiving a request assistance message from the UE, and at 530, requesting an on-demand PRS from the RAN node. For example, the request 530 may include triggering an on-demand transmission of the PRS to the RAN using information about a cell ID value and a beam ID value detectable at the UE. More specifically, in one embodiment, the following PRS transmissions may be triggered: (i) PRS at a serving beam of a serving cell (e.g., using the above example, PRS transmission at beam #8 of cell A); (ii) PRS at all detectable neighboring cell IDs and beam IDs (using the same example, PRS transmission at beam #8 of cell B and beam #8 of cell B is triggered). In one embodiment, the request 530 may include transmitting a request for on-demand triggering of the PRS at the RAN via the NRRPPa protocol, for example, using an OTDOA information request message.

[0092] According to some embodiments, the method may further include receiving an acknowledgment from the serving cell and / or neighboring cell involved to confirm the activation of the PRS transmission on the designated beam at 540. In one embodiment, receiving 540 may include receiving the acknowledgment via the NRPPa protocol, for example, using an OTDOA information response message.

[0093] In some embodiments, the method may further include: at 550, transmitting PRS assistance information to the UE. In one embodiment, the transmission 550 of the assistance information may include providing network assistance information to the UE, the network assistance information being used to determine a reference point for positioning measurements or for UE-assisted measurements. For example, after the PRS is activated, the transmission 550 may include notifying the UE which beam IDs and cell IDs transmit PRS information related to the particular UE. In some embodiments, the PRS signal is not necessarily limited to being measured by only a single UE. For example, if nearby UEs also request positioning services, the transmission 550 may also include providing PRS assistance information to those nearby UEs, and such information may be partially the same or completely the same.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the method may further include: transmitting a request location information message to the UE to request PRS measurements at 555. The method may then include: receiving a report of the requested positioning related measurements from the UE at 560. For example, receiving 560 may include receiving a report of RSTD values ​​between PRS transmissions using PRS transmissions on the indicated or configured beams and cells.

[0095] Figure 5b An example flow chart of a method for configuring and / or measuring a PRS according to one embodiment is shown. In some embodiments, Figure 5b The method can be executed by, for example, a mobile station, a mobile device, a UE, an IoT device, a terminal, etc.

[0096] like Figure 5b As shown in the example of , the method may include: at 570, receiving a request for beam measurement from a location server such as an LMF. In one example, the request may include beam measurement configuration parameters and may be included in a request capability message. However, alternatively, the request may be included in a separate request measurement message.

[0097] In one embodiment, the method may then include transmitting a report of the beam measurements to a location server at 575. In one example, transmitting 575 may include transmitting the beam measurements in an Provide Capabilities message. However, in other embodiments, for example, the measurements may be transmitted in a separate Provide Measurements message.

[0098] According to one embodiment, the method may further include: at 580, transmitting a request assistance message to a location server, and at 585, receiving PRS assistance information from the location server. In one embodiment, receiving 585 of the assistance information may include receiving network assistance information for determining a reference point for positioning measurements or for UE-assisted measurements. For example, after PRS is activated, receiving 585 may include receiving information about which beam IDs and cell IDs transmit PRS information related to the specific UE.

[0099] According to one embodiment, the method may further include: receiving a request location information message to request PRS measurements at 590. The method may include: performing measurements according to the request for PRS measurements at 595. In one embodiment, the method may then include: transmitting a report of the requested positioning-related measurements to a location server at 597. For example, transmitting 597 may include transmitting a report of RSTD values ​​between PRS transmissions using PRS transmissions on the indicated or configured beams and cells.

[0100] Figure 6aAn example of an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a node, a host or a server in a communication network, or serve such a network. For example, the apparatus 10 may be a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB) and / or a WLAN access point associated with a radio access network such as an LTE network, 5G or NR. In an example embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be an eNB in ​​LTE or a gNB in ​​5G. In another embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a location server or may be included in a location server such as an LMF in NR.

[0101] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and the radio nodes may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection. For example, in certain example embodiments where the device 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides the gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functionality (such as transmission of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and / or session management, etc.). The CU may control the operation of (multiple) DUs via a fronthaul interface. The DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of gNB functionality, depending on the functional splitting option. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the device 10 may include Figure 6a Components or features not shown.

[0102] like Figure 6a As shown in the example of , the device 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, for example, the processor 12 may include one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 6a A single processor 12 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system capable of supporting multiprocessing (e.g., in which case the processor 12 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0103] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits that form communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 10 (including processes associated with management of communication resources).

[0104] The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external) (the memory 14 may be coupled to the processor 12) for storing information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology (such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory). For example, the memory 14 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 12, enables the device 10 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0105] In one embodiment, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software executed by the processor 12 and / or the device 10.

[0106] In some embodiments, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for transmitting signals and / or data to and receiving signals and / or data from the device 10. The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, multiple radio interfaces that may be coupled to (multiple) antennas 15. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of the following: GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, radio frequency identification (RFID), ultra-wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interface may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, fast Fourier transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and receive symbols (e.g., via uplinks).

[0107] Thus, the transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15 and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 10. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly transmitting receive symbols and receive signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices).

[0108] In one embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules (such as applications or programs) to provide additional functionality to device 10. The components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware or any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0109] According to some embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in or may form part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in or may form part of transceiver circuitry.

[0110] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a pure hardware circuit implementation (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor) with software that works together to enable a device (e.g., device 10) to perform various functions, and / or a hardware circuit and / or processor or portion that operates using software (but the software may not be present when not required for operation). As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also cover an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network node or device, or other computing device or network device.

[0111] As described above, in some embodiments, the device 10 may be a network node or a RAN node, such as a base station, an access point, a Node B, an eNB, a gNB, a WLAN access point, etc. In another embodiment, the device 10 may be a location server, such as a LMF.

[0112] According to some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 or Figure 5aIn some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be configured to, for example, perform a process for configuring and measuring a PRS. In one embodiment, for example, the apparatus 10 may perform any function of the LMF, such as Figure 2-4 shown.

[0113] For example, in one embodiment, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to transmit a request for beam measurement to the UE. For example, in one embodiment, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to transmit a request for beam measurement to a given UE when the positioning client requests to obtain the position of the given UE. In one example, the request may include beam measurement configuration parameters and may be included in a request capability message. However, alternatively, the request may be included in a separate request measurement message.

[0114] In one embodiment, the device 10 can be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive a beam measurement report from the UE and identify a reference beam for PRS transmission. For example, in response to receiving a measurement report from the UE via the LPP protocol, a cell ID value and a beam ID value from a serving cell and a neighboring cell that can be detected by the UE can be identified. In one example, the device 10 can be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive the beam measurement in a provide capability message. However, in other embodiments, for example, the measurement can be received in a separate provide measurement message.

[0115] According to one embodiment, the device 10 can be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive a request assistance message from the UE and request an on-demand PRS from the RAN node. For example, the device 10 can be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to trigger on-demand transmission of PRS to the RAN using information about a cell ID value and a beam ID value detectable at the UE. More specifically, in one embodiment, the following PRS transmissions can be triggered: (i) PRS at the serving beam of the serving cell (for example, using the above example, PRS transmission at beam #8 of cell A); (ii) PRS at all detectable neighboring cell IDs and beam IDs (using the same example, PRS transmission at beam #8 of cell B and beam #8 of cell B is triggered). In one embodiment, the device 10 can be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to transmit a request for on-demand triggering of PRS at the RAN via the NRPPa protocol, for example, using an OTDOA information request message.

[0116] According to some embodiments, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive a confirmation from the serving cell and / or neighboring cell involved to confirm the activation of the PRS transmission on the designated beam. In one embodiment, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive the confirmation through the NRPPa protocol, for example, using an OTDOA information response message.

[0117] In some embodiments, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to transmit PRS assistance information to the UE. In one embodiment, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to provide the UE with network assistance information, which is used to determine a reference point for positioning measurement or for UE-assisted measurement. For example, after the PRS is activated, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to inform the UE which beam IDs and cell IDs transmit PRS information related to the particular UE. In some embodiments, if other nearby UEs are also requesting positioning services, the device 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to provide PRS assistance information to those nearby UEs, and this information may be partially the same or completely the same.

[0118] According to one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to transmit a request location information message to the UE to request PRS measurements. In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive a report of the requested positioning-related measurements from the UE. For example, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive a report of the RSTD value between PRS transmissions using PRS transmissions on the indicated or configured beams and cells.

[0119] Figure 6b An example of an apparatus 20 according to another embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be a node or element in a communication network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, a mobile equipment (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device, or other device. As described herein, a UE may alternatively be referred to as, for example, a mobile station, a mobile device, a mobile unit, a mobile device, a user equipment, a subscriber station, a wireless terminal, a tablet computer, a smart phone, an IoT device, a sensor, or a NB-IoT device, etc. As an example, the apparatus 20 may be implemented in, for example, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, etc.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies (such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology). It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 20 may include Figure 6b Components or features not shown.

[0121] like Figure 6b As shown in the example of , the device 20 may include or be coupled to a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, for example, the processor 22 may include one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 6b A single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system capable of supporting multiprocessing (e.g., in which case the processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0122] Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 20, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits that form communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20 (including processes associated with management of communication resources).

[0123] The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external) (the memory 24 may be coupled to the processor 22) for storing information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories, and may be of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology (such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory). For example, the memory 24 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 22, enables the device 20 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0124] In one embodiment, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software executed by the processor 22 and / or the device 20.

[0125] In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for receiving downlink signals from the device 20 and transmitting via an uplink. The device 20 may also include a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 28 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of the following: GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components (such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc.) to process symbols (such as OFDMA symbols) carried by the downlink or uplink.

[0126] For example, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 25 and demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other elements of the device 20. In other embodiments, the transceiver 28 is capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the device 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include a user interface (such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen).

[0127] In one embodiment, the memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 22. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules (such as applications or programs) to provide additional functionality to the device 20. The components of the device 20 may be implemented in hardware or any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, the device 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology such as NR.

[0128] According to some embodiments, processor 22 and memory 24 may be included in or may form part of processing circuitry or control circuitry.Furthermore, in some embodiments, transceiver 28 may be included in or may form part of transceiver circuitry.

[0129] As described above, according to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be, for example, a UE, a mobile device, a mobile station, a ME, an IoT device, and / or an NB-IoT device. According to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform functions associated with the example embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to execute any flowchart or signaling diagram described herein (such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 or Figure 5b In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to, for example, perform a process for configuring and / or measuring a PRS.

[0130] According to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to receive a request for beam measurement from a location server (such as an LMF). In one example, the request may include beam measurement configuration parameters and may be included in a request capabilities message. However, alternatively, the request may be included in a separate request measurement message.

[0131] In one embodiment, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to transmit a report of the beam measurements to the location server. In one example, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to transmit the beam measurements in a provide capabilities message. However, in other embodiments, for example, the measurements may be transmitted in a separate provide measurements message.

[0132] According to one embodiment, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to transmit a request assistance message to a location server and receive PRS assistance information from the location server. In one embodiment, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to receive network assistance information, which is used to determine a reference point for positioning measurement or for UE-assisted measurement. For example, after PRS is activated, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to receive information about which beam IDs and cell IDs transmit PRS information related to the device 20.

[0133] According to one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to receive a request location information message to request PRS measurements. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may then be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform measurements according to the request for PRS measurements. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to transmit a report of the requested positioning-related measurements to a location server. For example, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to transmit a report of RSTD values ​​between PRS transmissions using PRS transmissions on the indicated or configured beams and cells.

[0134] Therefore, certain example embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements and / or advantages. For example, one of the advantages of the example embodiments is that the network can transmit PRS using a designated beam associated with a designated signal detected by the UE (according to a configuration provided by the network to the UE), thereby avoiding the transmission of unnecessary PRS. In addition, according to the example embodiments, the network can use the provided information to configure the UE to measure PRS on a subset of signals, thereby avoiding too many measurements for forming RSTD reports. In addition, according to the example embodiments, in addition to UE measurements for inter-cell mobility, additional measurements customized for positioning purposes can also be provided to the network (for example, L# Radio Resource Management RRM measurements may not be sufficient for positioning because more neighboring cells are usually heard by the UE for positioning). Therefore, the use of certain example embodiments improves the functionality of communication networks and their nodes.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the functionality of any method, process, signaling diagram, algorithm or flow chart described herein may be implemented by software and / or computer program code or code portions stored in a memory or other computer readable or tangible medium and executed by a processor.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may be included in or associated with at least one software application, module, unit or entity configured as (multiple) arithmetic operations, or a program or part thereof (including added or updated software routines), executed by at least one operating processor. Programs (also referred to as program products or computer programs) include software routines, applets and macros, may be stored in any apparatus-readable data storage medium, and may include program instructions for performing specific tasks.

[0137] The computer program product may include one or more computer executable components that are configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is run. The one or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or code portion. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of the example embodiments may be performed as (multiple) routines that may be implemented as (multiple) added or updated software routines. In one example, (multiple) software routines may be downloaded to a device.

[0138] For example, the software or computer program code or code portion may be in source code form, object code form or some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium or computer readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such a carrier may include a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal and / or a software distribution package. Depending on the processing power required, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed among multiple computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

[0139] In other example embodiments, the function may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device (e.g., device 10 or device 20), such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other hardware and software combination. In yet another example embodiment, the function may be implemented as a signal, such as a non-tangible means that may be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0140] According to example embodiments, an apparatus such as a node, a device or a corresponding component may be configured as a circuit system, a computer or a microprocessor (such as a single-chip computer element), or may be configured as a chipset, which may include at least: a memory for providing storage capacity for (multiple) arithmetic operations and / or an operation processor for performing (multiple) arithmetic operations.

[0141] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the example embodiments discussed above may be practiced with steps in a different order and / or hardware elements in a different configuration than disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based on these exemplary preferred embodiments, it is clear to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0142] The first embodiment may relate to a method that may be implemented by a network node. The method may include providing network assistance information for determining a reference point to a UE, the aforementioned reference point being used for positioning measurement or for UE-assisted measurement. The assistance information may indicate a grouping of downlink reference signals for measurement and reporting. A specific signal in a group may be considered as a reference point, the aforementioned reference point being used for position measurement using a PRS or for assisted measurement for configuration of a PRS.

[0143] In one variation, the grouping of downlink reference signals may be used for at least one of the following: before the PRS is configured for the UE, so that when the UE performs auxiliary measurements for the PRS configuration, the measurements and reports are determined based on the grouping information provided by the network, or after the UE receives the configuration for the PRS to perform positioning measurements on the PRS, the grouping information is used when determining which signals to use for the PRS measurements and how to report the results.

[0144] In one variation, the measurements include UE-assisted measurements of SSB / CSI-RS / L3 CSI-RS or PRS for UE position measurement.

[0145] In one variation, the grouping of signals may be performed for PRS signals or for DL ​​RS (SSB / CSIRS), and the association between PRS and DL RS may be provided by the network.

[0146] In one variation, the method may further include configuring one or more measurement reporting thresholds for the UE.In some variations, the measurement reporting threshold(s) may be based on RSRP, SINR and / or RSRQ.

[0147] In one variation, the method may further comprise receiving from the UE a report of measurements of the PRSs of the N highest quality beams (eg, based on RSRP, SINR and / or RSRQ) above a measurement reporting threshold(s).

[0148] In one variation, the method may further include receiving from the UE a report of a measurement of the PRS for the beam with the highest RSRP on each group or in each cell or in the reference point. In one variation, the measurement of the PRS may include a RSTD reference signal time difference between different reference points.

[0149] In one variation, the method may further include: when performing group-based measurements on the PRS for positioning purposes, receiving from the UE a report of the measurements of the PRS for the beam with the highest RSRP for each group / reference point. In one variation, the measurements on the PRS may include RSTD reference signal time differences between different reference points or groups.

[0150] In one variation, the method may further include receiving from the UE a report of one or N beams with the highest RSRP per group / reference point when performing group-based measurements for assistance purposes.

[0151] In one variation, the method may further comprise modifying the LPP to include a signalling exchange between the LMF and the UE. In one variation, the new signalling may comprise (new) UE measurements, as these are configured by the network, reported to the LMF together with corresponding requested capabilities signalled from the LMF to the UE.

[0152] In one variation, the method may further comprise modifying the NRPPa to include a signaling exchange between the LMF and the NG_RAN. In one variation, the new signaling may comprise a (new) OTDOA Information Request signaled from the LMF to the NG_RAN, and an OTDOA Information Response signaled from the NG_RAN to the LMF.

[0153] A second embodiment relates to a method that can be implemented by a UE. The method may include receiving a configuration from a network for performing positioning specific auxiliary measurements and reporting the measurements to the network. The configuration for positioning auxiliary measurements may include at least one of the following: a positioning report specific threshold for determining whether the beam quality (SSB / CSIRS / CSI_RS_L3) is suitable for reporting in an auxiliary report; or a signal type specific threshold, where the threshold is specific to the signal type. In one variation, the signal type may include, for example, an SSB signal for beam management / CSI-RS / CSI-RS for L3 mobility.

[0154] In one variation, receiving may include receiving the configuration in a request capabilities message or a new request measurements message received from the LMF.

[0155] In one variation, reporting may include reporting the measurements in an Offer Capabilities message or an Offer New Measurements message.

[0156] In one variation, the report may comprise a transmission measurement report comprising at most N highest quality beams and / or up to M cells / transmission points above one or more thresholds.

[0157] In one variation, in response to receiving the configuration, the method may further include generating an assisted measurement report when at least one of the following conditions is met: immediately (generating the assisted measurement report) when M cells or reference points are available or immediately after a time offset (generating the assisted measurement report). In one variation, the availability of a cell may indicate that at least one or X candidates are detected above a configured threshold. In one example, M may be, for example, 3. In one variation, a timer may be started when an assisted measurement request is received. In one example, the timer may expire when the measurement report criteria are triggered as described above, and when the timer expires and the UE detects that less than M cells or reference points are available, the UE may report a subset of cells and beams.

[0158] In one variation, the UE may have a specific reporting configuration for reporting and measuring specific beam types based on one or more configured thresholds. In one example, when applicable to a serving cell or a neighboring cell, beams may be reported in the following priority: (1) radio link monitoring RS, (2) beam failure detection RS, (3) TCI status for PDCCH (CSI-RS / SSB for beam management), (4) TCI status for PDSCH (CSI-RS / SSB for beam management), (5) CSI-RS for L3 mobility, and (6) SSB. In another variation, if a signal type (SSB / CSI-RS / CSI-RS for L3) specific threshold is configured, each item with the threshold is prioritized. Alternatively, in another variation, only signals with the threshold are considered in the report.

[0159] In another variation, when the UE performs auxiliary measurements on SSB / CSI-RS / CSI-RS for L3 mobility beam-specific reporting of the measurement results, the method may include reporting in a beam or panel-specific manner and including the panel / beam ID in the reported beam measurements.

[0160] A third embodiment relates to an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform a method according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment or any variation thereof.

[0161] A fourth embodiment is directed to an apparatus which may include circuitry configured to perform the method according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment or any variation discussed above.

[0162] A fifth embodiment is directed to an apparatus which may include means for performing the method according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment or any variation discussed above.

[0163] A sixth embodiment is directed to a computer-readable medium including program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the method according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment or any of the variations discussed above.

Claims

1. A user equipment UE, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the UE to at least: receiving, by the UE from a network, configuration information for determining a reference point, the reference point being used for positioning measurement, The configuration information indicates the grouping of positioning reference signals, wherein an association between the positioning reference signal and one or more downlink reference signals based on the packet is received from the network, and The grouping includes information for associating the positioning reference signal with the downlink reference signal based on a spatial parameter.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the positioning measurement includes UE-assisted measurement of the following items: a synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block, a channel state information reference signal, a layer 3 channel state information reference signal, or a positioning reference signal for UE position measurement. The UE according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning measurement is a measurement of the positioning reference signal.

4. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the UE to at least: A configuration having at least one measurement reporting threshold is received.

5. The UE according to claim 4, wherein the at least one measurement report threshold is based on at least one of the following: a reference signal received power, a signal to interference plus noise ratio, or a reference signal received quality.

6. The UE according to claim 4, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the UE to at least: Sending a report of the measurements of the N highest quality positioning reference signals above the at least one measurement reporting threshold.

7. The UE according to claim 4, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the UE to at least: A report of said measurement of said positioning reference signal for the beam with the highest reference signal received power on each group or in each cell or in a reference point is sent.

8. The UE of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the positioning reference signal comprises a reference signal time difference between different reference points.

9. The UE of claim 1 , wherein when performing group-based measurement of positioning reference signals for positioning purposes, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to at least: A report of said measurement of said positioning reference signal for the beam having the highest reference signal received power for each group or reference point is sent.

10. The UE of claim 1, wherein when performing group-based measurements for assistance purposes, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to at least: A report is sent for the one or N beams with the highest reference signal received power per group or reference point.

11. The UE of claim 1, wherein the configuration for the positioning measurement comprises at least one of a positioning report specific threshold or a signal type specific threshold, the positioning report specific threshold being used to determine whether beam quality is suitable for being reported in an assistance report.

12. The UE according to claim 1, The grouping of downlink reference signals is performed for positioning reference signals, and the group of positioning reference signals are from the same cell, wherein the measurement comprises a UE-assisted measurement of a positioning reference signal, wherein the positioning reference signal measurement includes a reference signal received power measurement, and The report comprises a UE report including a beam identifier in a beam-specific manner.

13. A base station BS, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the BS to at least: providing configuration information for determining a reference point to a user equipment UE, wherein the reference point is used for positioning measurement, The configuration information indicates the grouping of positioning reference signals, wherein an association between the positioning reference signal and one or more downlink reference signals based on the grouping is received from a network, and The grouping includes information for associating the positioning reference signal with the downlink reference signal based on a spatial parameter.

14. The BS according to claim 13, wherein the grouping of the downlink reference signal is used before a positioning reference signal is configured for the UE, so that when the UE performs assisted measurement configured for the positioning reference signal, the UE determines measurement and reporting based on the provided grouping; or The grouping of the downlink reference signal is used after the UE receives the configuration for the positioning reference signal to perform positioning measurements on the positioning reference signal using the grouping when determining which signals to use for the positioning reference signal measurements and how to report results. The BS of claim 13 , wherein the positioning measurement is a UE-assisted measurement.

16. The BS of claim 13, wherein the positioning measurement is a measurement of the positioning reference signal.

17. The BS according to claim 13, The grouping of downlink reference signals is performed for positioning reference signals, and the group of positioning reference signals are from the same cell, wherein the measurement comprises a UE-assisted measurement of a positioning reference signal, wherein the positioning reference signal measurement includes a reference signal received power measurement, and The report comprises a UE report including a beam identifier in a beam-specific manner.

18. A method comprising: receiving, at a user equipment UE, configuration information for determining a reference point from a network, the reference point being used for positioning measurement, The configuration information indicates the grouping of positioning reference signals, wherein an association between the positioning reference signal and one or more downlink reference signals based on the packet is received from the network, and The grouping includes information for associating the positioning reference signal with the downlink reference signal based on a spatial parameter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the configuration for the positioning measurement comprises at least one of a positioning report specific threshold or a signal type specific threshold, the positioning report specific threshold being used to determine whether beam quality is suitable for being reported in an assistance report.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the positioning report specific threshold is based on at least one of the following: a reference signal received power, a signal to interference plus noise ratio, or a reference signal received quality.

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