System and method for positioning accuracy enhancement for low-capability user equipment

Abstract

Systems and methods for positioning are presented. A user equipment (UE) may receive configuration information for a reference signal for positioning from a network. The configuration information may include information associated with frequency hopping of the reference signal. The UE may receive a reference signal. The UE may measure a reference signal. The UE may send a report to the network that includes the measurement result of the reference signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods for positioning accuracy improvement for low-capability user equipment (UE). Background Art

[0002] A location server is a physical or logical entity that can collect measurements and other location information from devices and base stations, and can utilize the measurements and estimate characteristics such as its location, etc. A location server can process requests from devices, and can provide the requested information to the devices. Summary of the invention

[0003] The example embodiments disclosed herein are intended to solve problems related to one or more of the problems raised in the prior art, as well as to provide additional features, which will become clear by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example, not by way of limitation, and it will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art who read this disclosure that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A user equipment (UE) may receive configuration information of a reference signal for positioning from a network. The configuration information may include information associated with frequency hopping of the reference signal. The UE may receive the reference signal. The UE may measure the reference signal. The UE may send a report to the network. The report may include a measurement result of the reference signal.

[0005] In some implementations, the report may include the phase of the channel in each hop of the frequency hop and the associated channel figure. In some implementations, the report may include the carrier phase difference relative to a reference carrier. In some implementations, the report may include an identification (ID) of each hop of the frequency hop.

[0006] In some implementations, the report may indicate that the first hop of the frequency hopping starts or restarts at a specific system frame number. In some implementations, the configuration information may indicate an overlapping factor. In some implementations, the configuration information may indicate an overlapping bandwidth.

[0007] In some implementations, the configuration information may include the number of resource blocks (RBs) configured for sending reference signals. This number may be equal to m SRS,b +NumberOfOverlappedRB.m SRS,bThe first higher layer may be configured to send a reference signal, and the NumberOfOverlappedRB may be configured by the second higher layer to send a reference signal. In some implementations, the configuration information may include the length of the reference signal with frequency overlapping hopping. The length may be equal to NumberOfOverlappedSC may be the length of the reference signal with frequency non-overlapping hopping, and NumberOfOverlappedSC may be the number of overlapping subcarriers configured by higher layers or the network.

[0008] In some implementations, the configuration information may include the length of the reference signal with frequency overlapping hopping. The length may be equal to may be the sequence length of the reference signal for each hop of the non-overlapping frequency hopping, and NumberOfHop may be the number of hops. In some implementations, the configuration information may include: for each hop of the frequency hopping, the associated frequency position index n b Can be equal to

[0009] n RRC 、m SRS，b 、N b can be configured by higher layers or the network, and F b (n SRS ) can be a value associated with the transmission of a reference signal.

[0010] In some implementations, the configuration information may include: for each hop of the frequency hopping, the associated frequency position index n b Can be equal to n RRC 、m SRS,b 、N b can be configured by higher layers or the network, and F b (n SRS ) can be a value associated with the transmission of a reference signal.

[0011] In some implementations, the UE may determine that a frequency position index associated with a frequency hop is outside the range of a bandwidth part (BWP) but outside the range of a carrier. The UE may continue to receive the reference signal. In some implementations, the configuration information may include a generator configured to generate a pseudo-random sequence to generate the reference signal, wherein the generator is based on

[0012]

[0013] is initialized. Can be a timeslot number, sequence ID It can be configured by the higher layer, l can be the symbol index in the time slot, It can be the number of symbols in the time slot, and HopID can be the frequency hopping ID of the reference signal.

[0014] In some implementations, the configuration information may include the total length m of the sequence of all hops of the frequency hopping. m may be equal to NumberOfRB*NumberOfHop. NumberOfRB may be the number of RBs per hop without overlap, and NumberOfHop may be the number of hops. In some implementations, the configuration information may include the bandwidth of the reference signal. The bandwidth may be equal to n RRC +NumberOfOverlappedRB.n RRC It can be the bandwidth with non-overlapped transmission, and NumberOfOverlappedRB can be configured by higher layers.

[0015] In some implementations, the configuration information may indicate that the comb size of the reference signal may be configured as 1 or 3. In some implementations, the configuration information may indicate that when the UE is a RedCap UE, the total measurement delay is relaxed with the number of hops. In some implementations, the report may include: The positioning procedure window PPW configured for the RedCap UE may be NormalPPW*NumberOfHop. NormalPPW may be the PPW for normal UEs.

[0016] In some implementations, the report may include: the number of paths used for measurements for relaxed RedCap UEs. In some implementations, the report may include: positioning related information measured based on multiple synchronization signal blocks (SSBs). The report may include the UE's ability to support measurements on multiple SSBs.

[0017] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A base station (BS) may determine configuration information of a reference signal for positioning. The configuration information may include information associated with frequency hopping of the reference signal. The BS may receive the reference signal. The BS may measure the reference signal. The BS may send a report including a measurement result of the reference signal to a network.

[0018] In some implementations, the report may include measurements of one or more concatenated sounding reference signals (SRS). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Various example embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings or figures. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only example embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of description, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0020] Figure 1 shows an example cellular communication network in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of example base stations and user equipment devices according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 3 An example of downlink (DL) signaling for measuring reference signals according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0023] Figure 4 An example of uplink (UL) signaling for measuring reference signals according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0024] Figure 5 shows an example graph of phase estimation error relative to a cumulative distribution function (CDF) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 6 shows an example of an identification / identifier (ID) associated with a portion of positioning measurement(s) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 7 An example graph showing positioning accuracy relative to CDF according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 8 shows an example of frequency overlap between two adjacent transmissions of a reference signal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Fig. 9 shows an example of a reference signal pattern according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig.10 shows an example of a carrier with several bandwidth parts (BWPs) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0030] Fig.11 A flowchart of an example method for low-capability UE positioning according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] 1. Mobile communication technology and environment

[0032] Figure 1An example wireless communication network and / or system 100 is shown in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100." Such an example network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 102"; also referred to as a wireless communication node) and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104"; also referred to as a wireless communication device) that may communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 covering a geographic area 101. Figure 1 1, BS 102 and UE 104 are contained within respective geographic boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating within its allocated bandwidth to provide adequate radio coverage to its intended users.

[0033] For example, BS 102 may operate with an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide adequate coverage to UE 104. BS 102 and UE 104 may communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In the present disclosure, BS 102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes", which may generally practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of the present solution, such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0034] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for sending and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of the present solution is shown. The system 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that need not be described in detail herein. In an illustrative embodiment, the system 200 may be used in applications such as Figure 1 The data symbols are communicated (eg, sent and received) in a wireless communication environment such as the wireless communication environment 100 of FIG. 1 , as described above.

[0035] The system 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 202") and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 204"). The BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled to and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 220 as needed. The UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled to and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 240 as needed. The BS 202 communicates with the UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for data transmission as described herein.

[0036] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the system 200 may also include Figure 2 Any number of other modules outside the modules shown. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any actual combination thereof. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described according to their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on specific applications and design constraints imposed on the entire system. People familiar with the concepts described herein can implement such functions in a suitable manner for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210, which includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. The downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that when the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212, the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In turn, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that when the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232, the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with minimal guard times between changes in duplex direction.

[0038] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with an appropriately configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 capable of supporting a specific wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to application to specific standards and associated protocols. Instead, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 can be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0039] According to various embodiments, for example, BS 202 may be an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtocell or a microcell. In some embodiments, UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user equipment, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a wearable computing device, etc. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or implemented with a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. In this way, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0040] In addition, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, in firmware, in software modules executed by the processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, the memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, so that the processor modules 210 and 230 may read information from and write information to the memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, the memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0041] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202, which enables two-way communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the network base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 can be configured to support Internet or WiMAX services. In a typical deployment, without limitation, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface so that the base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet-based computer network. In this way, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). The terms "configured for", "configured to", and variations thereof as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform a specified operation or function.

[0042] The open systems interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "open systems interconnection model") is a concept and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnect and communicate with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual set of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines a logical network and effectively describes computer packet transmission by using different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be referred to as a seven-layer OSI model or a seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be a physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be a media access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be a radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be a radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be a non-access stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is another layer.

[0043] Various example embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present solution. As will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, after reading the present disclosure, various changes or modifications may be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the example embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. In addition, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely example methods. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in an example order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented. 2. Systems and methods for improving positioning accuracy for low-capability UEs

[0044] In some systems, positioning reference signals (PRS) (e.g., from BS 102, gNB, transmission / reception point (TRP), or wireless communication node) and / or sounding reference signals (SRS) (e.g., from UE 104 or wireless communication device) may be used on the radio side to provide or perform positioning methods (e.g., positioning measurements or determinations). In some cases, some UEs 104 may have relatively reduced / lower capabilities, such as relative to other UEs 104 with higher capabilities. For example, these UEs 104 with reduced / low capabilities (e.g., referred to herein as reduced capability (RedCap) UEs) may have a reception and / or transmission bandwidth that is limited, capped, or constrained at or below a certain frequency, such as at or below 20 MHz (e.g., in frequency range one (FR1)), 5 MHz (e.g., in the 700 MHz band), etc.

[0045] In addition, the positioning accuracy may be related to the bandwidth of the reference signal (e.g., PRS and / or SRS) used for UE positioning. In some cases, the reduced capability UE may have a single receive / transmit antenna (e.g., in FR1). In this case, the positioning accuracy of the reduced capability UE may be lower or reduced compared to other UEs 104 with relatively high capabilities (e.g., higher frequency bandwidth, antenna, etc.). Due to the reduced capabilities, the positioning accuracy of the UE 104 in some systems may be lower than expected (e.g., with a positioning accuracy of 3 meters or more). In some cases, environmental factors such as dense urban areas or obstacles may further cause the positioning accuracy of the UE 104 to be reduced. In the case where some UEs 104 have reduced capabilities and certain environmental factors that affect positioning accuracy, it may be difficult to achieve, for example, a positioning accuracy less than a predefined distance (e.g., at or below 1 meter). Therefore, the system and method of the technical solution discussed herein may provide methods, mechanisms, features, operations, or techniques for improving the positioning accuracy of UE 104 (including reduced capability UEs).

[0046] refer to Figure 3 , depicts an example of downlink (DL) signaling 300 for measuring reference signals. In the DL, one or more BSs 102 may transmit / send / transmit / signal / provide PRS to a UE 104. As discussed herein, the UE 104 may be a reduced capability UE (e.g., a UE 104 having relatively low capability / support for frequency bandwidth, having a single antenna, etc.). The UE 104 may measure the PRS from the BS 102, or measure multiple PRSs from multiple BSs 102. Subsequently, the UE 104 may report / notify / transmit / send / provide the measurement results of (multiple) PRSs to the network (e.g., a location management function (LMF) 302 in a core network (CN), etc.). In various arrangements, the network element may include at least one of the BS 102, the UE 104, and / or the CN.

[0047] Figure 4 An example of uplink (UL) signaling 400 for measuring reference signals is depicted. In the UL, the UE 104 may send an SRS to one or more BSs 102. One or more BSs 102 may measure the SRS of the UE 104. The BSs 102 may then report the measurement results (multiple) to the network (e.g., LMF 302). In some cases, the transmission, reception, and / or communication of the PRS and / or SRS used to locate the UE 104 may be affected by the radio propagation environment (e.g., fading, distortion, interference, blocking, etc.), thereby limiting, inhibiting, reducing, or degrading the positioning accuracy.

[0048] The systems and methods of the technical solutions discussed herein can apply multiple segments (e.g., hops) to (multiple) reduced capability (RedCap) UEs (e.g., supporting limited bandwidths of 20MHz, 5MHz, etc. in FR1) for improving positioning accuracy. In various implementations, the reduced capability UE can receive / acquire / obtain / collect and / or send multiple hops at different frequencies (e.g., at relatively low bandwidths) and / or at different times / moments to form similar or equivalent high bandwidths (e.g., different frequencies aggregated / accumulated / calculated into high frequency bandwidths). The system and method can avoid / mitigate technical issues / problems associated with frequency hopping (e.g., transmission frequency hopping and / or reception frequency hopping), such as random phases at each hop, large time delays, etc.

[0049] Example implementation 1: Reporting channel phase and / or channel number

[0050] In various implementations, after the UE 104 receives the PRS and / or the BS 102 (e.g., gNB or TRP) receives the SRS, the UE 104 and / or the BS 102 (e.g., depending on the type of the receiving party or reference signal) may calculate / estimate / measure channel-related information, such as the phase of the channel, the channel impulse response (CIR), and / or the channel number, etc. The channel number may be associated with the CIR in certain time taps. For example, for time taps 0ns, 0.5ns, and 1ns, the channel numbers may be 1+j, 2+j3, and 4+j5, respectively. In some cases, the channel number may be a channel frequency response (CFR). For example, for subcarriers 0, 1, and 2, the channel numbers may be 2-j4, 3-j2, and 7+j8, respectively.

[0051] For frequency hopping of PRS / SRS (e.g., the frequencies between hops do not overlap, such as for DL ​​frequency hopping and / or UL frequency hopping), UE 104 and / or BS 102 may report positioning related information to the network (e.g., LMF 302). The positioning related information may include at least one of time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), etc. Additionally or alternatively, for frequency hopping of PRS / SRS (e.g., the frequencies between hops do not overlap), UE 104 and / or BS 102 may report positioning related information with a timestamp to the network. In this case, the calculation / processing of positioning related information may be performed / loaded / configured on the UE 104 side (e.g., UE reporting for DL).

[0052] In various implementations, the network (e.g., LMF 302) may provide configuration information of reference signals (e.g., PRS / SRS) used for positioning to UE 104 and / or BS 102. The configuration information may include information related to or associated with frequency hopping of the reference signal. For example, the configuration information may be described herein with respect to configuring frequency hopping.

[0053] Additionally or alternatively, when reporting location-related information, the UE 104 (e.g., a reduced capability UE) may attach / include / provide / indicate in the report: a tag, code, or flag (e.g., "RedCap," "LowAccuracy," etc.) indicating that the UE 104 has reduced capabilities. The tag may indicate that the positioning accuracy may be lower than other UEs 104 with relatively higher capabilities / support. In some cases, the tag may indicate that the positioning accuracy standard, accuracy threshold, or expected accuracy level may be lower than certain other UEs 104 with relatively higher capabilities / support. In some cases, the tag may indicate that the uncertainty (e.g., error tolerance or inaccuracy) of positioning for the reduced capability UE may be wider than for other UEs 104 with relatively higher capabilities.

[0054] In various arrangements, for frequency hopping of PRS / SRS (e.g., the frequencies between hops do not overlap), the UE 104 and / or BS102 may report the phase of the channel to the network (e.g., LMF 302). Additionally or alternatively, the UE 104 and / or BS102 may report the phase of the channel and the channel number to the network. Additionally or alternatively, the UE 104 and / or BS102 may report the phase of the channel in each hop, segment, reception, or signaling together with the associated channel number (e.g., CIR, channel frequency response (CFR)) to the network (e.g., LMF). For example, the report from the UE 104 and / or BS102 to the network may include / contain: the phase of the channel in each hop of the frequency hopping and the associated channel number. In this case, the calculation of the positioning related information may be performed / loaded on the network side (e.g., on the LMF302), thereby, for example, reducing resource consumption, computational complexity, or processing load on the UE 104.

[0055] In some implementations, the CIR of the first arrival path (e.g., 6.05e-08-6.14e-08i, -1.47e-07+1.53e-07i, 3.89e-08-4.21e-08i, 1.20e-07-1.26e-07i, -1.19e-07+1.27e-07i, etc.) may be reported to the network by at least one of the UE 104 and / or the BS 102. Additionally or alternatively, the CIR of at least one additional path (e.g., path(s) in addition to or excluding the first arrival path) may be reported. In some cases, for the channel phase in the time domain, the phase of the first arrival path (e.g., 0.3135*2πrad or 112.86 degrees) may be reported. Additionally or alternatively, the channel phase on at least one additional path may be reported. In some cases, the channel phase may be in units of 2π(rad) with a resolution / accuracy / precision of 0.0001. In other cases, the phase may be in units of rad. In other cases, for example, the phase may be in units of degrees with a resolution within 0.1 degrees.

[0056] In various implementations, for CFR, the CFR of one or more subcarriers (e.g., included in a report) may be reported to the network, such as by UE 104 and / or BS 102. In some cases, the CFR of the center subcarrier of a carrier may be reported. The CFR of the direct current (DC) subcarrier of a carrier may be reported.

[0057] In some arrangements, for the channel phase in the frequency domain, the phase of one or more subcarriers may be reported (e.g., the phase on the center subcarrier, the phase on the DC subcarrier, etc.). For the channel phase, there may be a reference TRP (e.g., referenced to BS 102), such as a TRP with a PRS resource ID of 0. In this case, the UE 104 may report a channel phase difference relative to or associated with the reference TRP. In some arrangements, for the channel phase, there may be a reference hop, such as a hop at a specific system frame number (SFN), for example, SFN=0 (a hop with a PRS resource ID of 0). In this case, the UE 104 may report a channel phase difference relative to the reference hop.

[0058] Using information about or related to the channel phase in each hop (e.g., a given phase difference between hops), the network can determine / decide whether to cascade / combine / link / merge between at least two hops to form / generate / acquire a relatively large / wide frequency bandwidth. Additionally or alternatively, the information about the reported channel phase may include uncertainty (e.g., ±0.001rad if the signal power noise ratio (SNR) is less than 0dB). Additionally or alternatively, the information about the channel phase may indicate whether the channel (or hop) can be cascaded to one or more channels (or hops). Additionally or alternatively, the information about the channel phase may indicate whether the channel (or hop) can be cascaded to one or more other channels (or hops), and indicate a confidence or probability level (e.g., a relatively large phase difference may be associated with a relatively low confidence) for cascading channels / hops to provide the desired positioning accuracy. For example, a confidence level of 90% may indicate that the cascading of a hop with a previous hop (e.g., an adjacent or consecutive hop) can improve the positioning accuracy (e.g., by a certain amount) in 90% of cases when performing positioning. For example, the confidence level may indicate the likelihood or probability that the concatenated channel results in a positioning accuracy within a desired distance (eg, 1 meter, etc.).

[0059] In some implementations, from the perspective of UE 104 (e.g., a reduced capability UE), a hop may be considered a carrier. Additionally or alternatively, UE 104 and / or BS 102 may perform / calculate a measurement of a carrier phase (e.g., a phase of a carrier or hop) for each carrier. UE 104 and / or BS 102 may report the carrier phase measurement for each carrier to the network. Additionally or alternatively, UE 104 and / or BS 102 may measure a carrier phase difference (e.g., a single difference or a double / multiple difference, such as the difference between two single differences) between at least two carriers. UE 104 and / or BS 102 may report the measurement of the carrier phase difference to the network in response to performing the measurement. Additionally or alternatively, the carrier phase difference may be relative to a reference carrier (e.g., a reference frequency layer (FL), a reference cell, a reference serving cell, and / or a reference point, etc.) or associated with a reference carrier. In some cases, the reference carrier may be the carrier with the lowest carrier identification (ID) (e.g., ID=0). Additionally or alternatively, the reference carrier may be a carrier having a resource ID (eg, RS resource ID).

[0060] refer to Figure 5, depicts an example graph 500 of phase estimation error relative to a cumulative distribution function (CDF) (e.g., probability or confidence). As discussed herein, the accuracy of the phase can be associated with the accuracy of positioning, so that a higher phase accuracy can reflect a higher positioning accuracy. In various implementations, the phase can be calculated / estimated / determined for each hop, such as by the network, UE 104 and / or BS 102 and other network elements. The difference between the calculated phase and the actual phase (e.g., a phase without any error, sometimes referred to as a true phase, a true phase, or a perfect phase) can be referred to or described as a phase error. As shown, in the case of a signal power to noise power ratio (SNR) of 5 dB, the phase error at 90% (e.g., 0.9) of the CDF can be calculated as follows: 0.057 / 2π=0.0091 radians (rad)≈1%. A relatively small phase difference / error (e.g., about 1% in this case) can be used to locate the UE 104. For example, a lower phase error can correspond to a higher positioning accuracy. As described herein, the calculation of positioning related information (e.g., including CIR, CFR, channel number, channel phase, etc. on each hop) can be delegated / moved / transmitted to the network. Positioning related information can be used by the positioning side / end to cascade multiple hops. The positioning side can form a larger / wider bandwidth through phase adjustment to improve the positioning accuracy of UE 104, such as enabling a reduced capability UE to transmit a larger bandwidth / information to the network at different hops (e.g., with minimal phase error). The wider the bandwidth of the carrier, the higher the positioning accuracy, for example, accuracy = (bandwidth) / (speed of light).

[0061] Example Implementation 2: PRS - Transmit with Large / Wide Bandwidth and Receive with Narrow Bandwidth

[0062] In various arrangements, the BS 102 (e.g., a gNB, a TRP, or a wireless communication node) may transmit / send / provide / signal / transmit a PRS having a relatively large / wide bandwidth (e.g., 100 MHz, 110 MHz, 120 MHz, etc.) to the UE 104 via multiple transmissions (or repetitions). At the receiver of the PRS, the UE 104 may receive at least a portion of the complete / entire PRS bandwidth from the BS 102, such as a relatively narrow bandwidth compared to the entire PRS bandwidth (e.g., 5 MHz, 20 MHz, etc. at similar or different frequencies for each reception).

[0063] refer to Figure 6 , depicts an example 600 of an ID associated with a portion of (multiple) positioning measurement results. When UE 104 (and / or BS 102) reports (multiple) positioning measurement results to the network, UE 104 (or BS 102) may tag, include, or provide an identification (ID) of each portion, segment, or hop of the hopping frequency. Figure 6As shown in example 600 of , IDs 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 may be marked for the first repetition / transmission, the second repetition / transmission, the third repetition / transmission, the fourth repetition / transmission, and the fifth repetition / transmission, respectively. In some cases, UE 104 may report a channel number (e.g., CIR and / or CFR) with an ID for each hop. Additionally or alternatively, UE 104 may report a channel number, and / or a channel phase including an ID for each hop. In some cases, the order of reception and / or the order of IDs marked for each hop may be indicated by BS 102 and / or LMF 302 (e.g., a network). Additionally or alternatively, the received ID may be provided as follows:

[0064] ID=SlotNumber mod RepetitionFactor

[0065] In some implementations, the "SlotNumber" of the example reception ID may be a slot number in a radio frame. In some cases, the "SlotNumber" may be a symbol ID within a slot. The "mod" of the example reception ID may refer to a modulo operation / function. The "RepetitionFactor" of the example reception ID may refer to or may be a repetition factor of the PRS (e.g., in Figure 6 In the case of 5). Additionally or alternatively, "RepetitionFactor" may be provided as follows:

[0066] RepetitionFactor=ceil(BandwidthOfPRS / BandwidthOfReception).

[0067] In this case, the repetition factor "cei1 (...)" may represent an operation for obtaining an integer greater than or equal to an operand (e.g., BandwidthOfPRS / BandwidthOfReception). The repetition factor "BandwidthOfPRS" may be a bandwidth of the PRS (e.g., 100 MHz, etc.). The repetition factor "BandwidthOfReception" may be a reception bandwidth in each hop (e.g., 20 MHz).

[0068] In some implementations, if the receive bandwidth in each hop (e.g., 5 MHz or 20 MHz, etc.) is smaller than the bandwidth of the PRS (e.g., 100 MHz, etc.), the comb size of the PRS may be configured / set to be smaller than a certain value, such as smaller than the repetition factor of the PRS (e.g., Figure 6In some other implementations, if the reception bandwidth in each hop is smaller than the bandwidth of the PRS, the comb size of the PRS may be configured / set to be larger than a certain value, such as larger than the repetition factor of the PRS.

[0069] In some cases, the first hop of frequency hopping (e.g., hop with frequency hopping ID 0) may start / initiate / restart at a specific / certain radio frame. In some other cases, the first hop (e.g., hop with frequency hopping ID 0) may start (or restart) at or with a specific SFN (such as SFN 0). An indication of the start or restart of the first hop of frequency hopping may be included in the report.

[0070] In various aspects, any two frequencies of reception (e.g., a pair of reception / communication) may be non-overlapping. In this case, the above-described phase estimation / calculation may be applied to non-overlapping frequencies. In some implementations, any two adjacent received frequencies may overlap with certain bandwidths (e.g., some RBs, some REs, and / or some subchannels, etc.). In this case, the overlapping bandwidth (e.g., at least one overlapping RB) may be utilized to estimate the channel phase difference between two adjacent hops. In response to or after the estimation of the channel phase difference between two adjacent hops, the channel phase for subsequent / later reception may be calculated, such as by UE 104.

[0071] Depending on the capabilities of UE 104, the overlapping bandwidth may include or may be one or more RBs, REs, and / or subcarriers (SCs). UE 104 may report its capabilities to the network and / or BS 102. The overlapping bandwidth may be provided as follows: BandwidthOfReception*OverlapFactor. In this case, "OverlapFactor" may be or represent a relatively small overlap value (e.g., 1%). For a reception bandwidth of 20 MHz (e.g., 100 RBs at an SCS of 15 kHz), the overlapping bandwidth may be one RB. In various aspects, the network may indicate the overlapping factor (e.g., in the configuration information of the reference signal). Additionally or alternatively, the network may indicate the overlapping bandwidth (e.g., 2 RBs, 12 REs, 12 SCs, etc.), such as in the configuration information.

[0072] refer to Figure 7, depicting an example graph 700 of positioning accuracy relative to a CDF. The example graph 700 may include simulations of positioning accuracy performed for receive bandwidths of a single 20 MHz, a full 100 MHz, and multiple hops with phase adjustment in a particular environment (e.g., an indoor factory). In this case, five hops with phase adjustment may be simulated in the example graph 700. As shown, five hops with phase adjustment may improve positioning accuracy from 2.3 meters (e.g., a single 20 MHz at 90% CDF) to 0.6 meters (e.g., multiple hops with phase adjustment at 90% CDF), thereby meeting a desired positioning accuracy, such as under 1 meter. Thus, by performing the example operations for phase adjustment, a larger / wider / wider bandwidth with phase adjustment may be formed / generated to enhance / improve positioning accuracy of a UE 104 (e.g., a reduced capability UE).

[0073] Example Implementation 3: PRS / SRS—Transmission and Reception with Relatively Narrow Bandwidth In various implementations, PRS and / or SRS may be transmitted (e.g., sent and / or received) with a relatively small bandwidth (e.g., 5 MHz, 20 MHz, etc., for transmission and reception) between the UE 104 and the BS 102. For each transmission of the PRS / SRS (e.g., each hop of the PRS / SRS), the frequencies may be non-overlapping.

[0074] In some implementations, for two adjacent communications (eg, two adjacent hops) of PRS / SRS, some frequencies may overlap. Figure 8 An example of frequency overlap 800 between two adjacent transmissions of a reference signal is depicted. The transmission of a PRS / SRS with frequency hopping may start from the lowest frequency (or lowest absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN)) of the carrier. In this case, the overlapping frequencies may be on the upper side (e.g., the higher frequency end, such as Figure 8 Additionally or alternatively, the transmission of PRS / SRS with frequency hopping may start from the highest frequency (or highest ARFCN) of the carrier. In this case, the overlapping frequencies may be on the bottom side (e.g., the lower frequency end, such as Figure 8 the lowest part of the frequency band shown in the second hop).

[0075] For SRS / PRS transmission with frequency overlapping hopping, the number of RBs used or configured for SRS transmission can be calculated as: m SRS，b +NumberOfOverlappedRB.m SRS,bThe parameter m may be configured by a (e.g., first) higher layer (e.g., RRC of BS 102) for SRS transmission (e.g., for non-overlapped transmission). The "NumberOfOverlappedRB" may be configured by a (e.g., second) higher layer or network (e.g., LMF 302, such as NumberOfOverlappedRB=1). In some cases, for overlapping transmission of SRS, the parameter m may be configured by a (e.g., first) higher layer (e.g., RRC of BS 102) for SRS transmission (e.g., for non-overlapped transmission). SRS,b Can be replaced by m SRS,b +NumberOfOverlappedRB. The number of RBs may be provided / configured / included in the configuration information.

[0076] In some implementations, the configuration may include the length of the SRS / PRS signal with frequency overlap hopping. The length may be equal to It may be the length of SRS and / or PRS with non-overlapping frequency hopping.NumberOfOverlappedSC may be the number of overlapping subcarriers (SC) that may be configured by higher layers or the network.

[0077] In various cases, the length of the SRS and / or PRS with frequency overlapping hopping may be equal to or calculated as It can be the sequence length of the PRS / SRS (e.g., reference signal) for each hop without overlap (or without frequency hopping). NumberOfHop can be the number of hops. and NumberOfHop, the network can ensure that the PRS / SRS sequence is generated as a whole (eg, no missing hops or the length of each hop).

[0078] In some implementations, for each hop of the frequency hopping, such as b=0, 1, 2, 3, ..., b hop -1 (for example, for b hop =5, and for frequency hopping starting from the low end of the frequency), the associated frequency position index n b can be equal to:

[0079]

[0080] n RRC 、m SRS，b and / or N b It may be configured by higher layers (e.g., BS 102) and / or the network. b (n SRS ) may be a value associated with a reference signal (eg, PRS / SRS) transmission. Additionally or alternatively, for each hop of the frequency hop (eg, for a hop starting from a high frequency), the frequency position index n bcan be equal to:

[0081]

[0082] In some implementations, the UE 104 (e.g., and / or the BS 102) may determine or identify whether a frequency location index associated with at least one hop of the frequency hopping may be outside the range of a bandwidth part (BWP). If the frequency location index is outside the range of the BWP, the UE 104 and / or the BS 102 may constrain / suppress / limit its lowest and / or highest frequency location index. In some cases, if the frequency location index is outside the range of the carrier, the UE 104 and / or the BS 102 may limit its lowest and / or highest frequency location index. In some cases, if the frequency location index is outside the range of the BWP but not outside the range of the carrier (e.g., within the range of the carrier), the UE 104 and / or the BS 102 may continue / continue to send / receive PRS / SRS.

[0083] In some arrangements, the UE 104 may be triggered by DL control information (DCI) from the BS 102 and / or the network with aperiodic SRS information (e.g., frequency resources, antenna port index, symbol index, time slot, repetition, and / or frequency hopping). The DCI may include at least one of the following items: an ID of a hop (e.g., from a second hop, etc.), an SRS resource of a hop (e.g., RB allocation), resource set information, time slot information, a mapping between SRS resources and hops, etc. The resource set information may include one or more SRS resources. The control information (e.g., DL control information) may be part of the configuration information from the network.

[0084] In some implementations, UE 104 may request aperiodic SRS for positioning. The request may include at least one of the following items: number of hops, hop ID, and / or SRS resource of the hop, etc. For each hop (except the last hop), such as b=0, 1, 2, 3, ..., b hop -2 (for example, b hop =5, and for frequency hopping starting from the low frequency), the frequency position index n b can be equal to:

[0085]

[0086] nRRC、m SRS,b , and / or N b Can be configured by higher layers or the network. b (n SRS) may depend on or be based on RS transmission. The last hop (in some cases the first hop) may follow a non-overlapping procedure / operation / technique, for example, by setting NumberOfOverlappedRB=0.

[0087] In some implementations, for each hop except / excluding the first hop, such as b=1, 2, 3, ..., b hop -1 (for example, b hop =5, and for frequency hopping starting from the high frequency), the frequency position index n b can be equal to:

[0088]

[0089] Additionally or alternatively, at least two adjacent / continuous hops of PRS / SRS may be continuous in frequency (e.g., continuous in frequency). The frequencies between at least two adjacent hops may form a continuous larger bandwidth (e.g., aggregated or combined frequencies). In this case, there may be no frequency separation between at least two adjacent hops.

[0090] In various arrangements, UE 104 may indicate to BS 102 at least one hop or segment of SRS to be sent by UE 104 at a later time. In some other arrangements, BS 102 may indicate to UE 104 at least one hop or segment of PRS to be sent by BS 102 at a later time.

[0091] In some implementations, the BS 102 and / or the network may configure one or more patterns for transmission of PRS / SRS (e.g., with multiple hops). The BS 102 and / or the network may indicate (e.g., via DCI) the pattern(s) to be used for subsequent PRS / SRS transmission(s). In some cases, for overlapping transmissions of PRS / SRS, the pattern(s) may be a subset(s) of non-overlapping transmissions of PRS / SRS. In some cases, the pattern(s) may be configured by a higher layer (e.g., via a system information block (SIB)).

[0092] In various implementations, the sequence r(m) for PRS / SRS may be as follows:

[0093]

[0094] A pseudo-random sequence generator configured to generate a pseudo-random sequence c(i) to generate a reference signal (eg, PRS / SRS) may be initialized / started / executed based on or using the following formula:

[0095]

[0096] Can be a time slot number. Sequence ID It can be configured by higher layers. l can represent the symbol index within the time slot. The HopID may correspond to the number of symbols in a slot (e.g., 12 or 14, etc.). HopID may be a hopping ID for the PRS / SRS (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. for overlapping transmissions). In various implementations, a generator (e.g., a pseudo-random sequence generator) may be included as part of the configuration information from the BS 102 and / or the network.

[0097] In some implementations, the total length m of the PRS / SRS sequence of one or more hops may be equal to m=NumberOfRB*NumberOfHop. NumberOfRB may represent or correspond to the number of RBs per hop without overlap. NumberOfHop may correspond to the number of hops. Based on the total length m, the PRS / SRS sequence may be generated as a whole by the UE 104 and / or the BS 102. The total length may be included / provided / indicated as part of the configuration information.

[0098] In some cases, the generator for generating the pseudo-random sequence c(i) can be initialized based on the following formula:

[0099]

[0100] or

[0101]

[0102] Additionally or alternatively, the bandwidth of the PRS / SRS (eg, in number of RBs) may be included as part of the configuration information. The bandwidth may be equal to n RRC +NumberOfOverlappedRB.n RRC The bandwidth (e.g., in the number of RBs) of PRS / SRS with non-overlapping transmission, non-frequency hopping transmission, and / or normal transmission may be indicated. NumberOfOverlappedRB may be configured by a higher layer. In some cases, NumberOfOverlappedRB may be set to 0 for the first hop and / or the last hop() of PRS / SRS with overlapping transmission, depending on the starting direction of the hop(s) (e.g., from the high frequency end or the low frequency end).

[0103] In some arrangements, the configuration information may include or indicate a comb size for the PRS / SRS. The comb size for the PRS / SRS (e.g., reference signal) may be configured to be a value such as 1 or 3. In this configuration / setting, the measurement delay and / or buffer size of the signal used for reference signal measurement may be reduced for multiple hops. For example, in the case where the comb size is 1, the PRS / SRS may start transmission at subcarrier 0 in each RB. In another example, in the case where the comb size is 3, the PRS / SRS may start transmission at subcarriers 0, 1, and 2 of symbol index SymbolIndex mod 3 in each RB.

[0104] In some implementations, for PRS / SRS transmission with frequency hopping, the BS 102 and / or the network may mute / ignore one or more PRS / SRS hops, for example, to mitigate interference from neighboring cells for good reception from the UE 104. A bitmap may be used to indicate whether a particular hop is muted. For example, depending on the configuration, a bitmap value of "1" may indicate that the hop is muted, and vice versa.

[0105] For reduced capability UEs, the total measurement delay may be relaxed or less restricted. For example, the configuration information may indicate that for reduced capability UEs, the total measurement delay may be relaxed with the number of hops. The total measurement delay may be relaxed as MeasureDelayNormal*NumberOfHop. MeasureDelayNormal may be the measurement delay for a relatively normal UE (e.g., predefined in the configuration information). In some cases, MeasureDelayNormal may be the measurement delay for a single hop. NumberOfHop may be a value configured by higher layers and / or the network.

[0106] In some arrangements, the measurement period (e.g., duration) may be relaxed for reduced capability UEs. Additionally or alternatively, the effective processing period / time / duration (Teff) may be associated with the number of hops (H) (e.g., calculated as Teff=H*TOneHop). In some cases, the effective processing period may be associated with the total bandwidth or effective bandwidth (e.g., the bandwidth after a number of hops, such as 5 hops, each with 20 MHz, which equals 5*20=100 MHz). The effective bandwidth may depend on or be based on the UE capabilities reported by the UE 104 to the network.

[0107] The effective processing period may be associated with the interval between hops (e.g., at least one interval in a time slot). For example, the effective processing period may be calculated as follows: Teff = H*(TOneHop+Gap) or Teff = H*TOneHop+(H-1)*Gap. Gap may correspond to the duration between hops. If the time interval between hops is different, the total interval duration may be applied, such as Teff = H*TOneHop+TotalGap.

[0108] In some implementations, the relaxed measurement delay can be configured to not exceed (eg, inhibit / limit / constrain) a certain value, such as MeasureDelayNormal*min(5, NumberOfHop).

[0109] In some arrangements, a positioning procedure window (PPW) or measurement gap (MG) for a UE 104 (e.g., a reduced capability UE) may be related or associated with the number of hops that the UE 104 is capable of supporting. The UE 104 may report its capabilities, including / regarding the number of hops supported by the UE 104. The PPW configured for a reduced capability UE may be NormalPPW*NumberOfHop. NormalPPW may be a PPW for a relatively normal UE (e.g., a non-reduced capability UE). In some cases, the PPW configured for a reduced capability UE may be NormalPPW*min(3, NumberOfHop). The PPW may be included in the report.

[0110] In some cases, the number of paths measured for reduced capability UEs (e.g., reference signal received path power (RSPP)) can be reduced or relaxed (e.g., 1 / 2, 1 / 4, 1 / 8, or 1 / NumberOfHop). In some cases, a single path with the best channel quality (e.g., the path with the highest RSRP) can be reported for reduced capability UEs. The number of measured paths can be included in the report.

[0111] In some implementations, for PRS / SRS frequency hopping, there may be a frequency hopping application delay (e.g., 2 slots, 4 slots, etc., because different parameter configuration numerologies have different slot durations). The delay may ensure stable / consistent transmission of the signal after radio frequency (RF) retuning or other conditions, etc. For each PRS / SRS hop, the UE 104 and / or the BS 102 may indicate the transmission phase to each other. For each PRS / SRS hop, the phase may be set / configured / indicated (e.g., 0, π / 2, π, and / or 3π / 2 for the first hop, the second hop, the third hop, and / or the fourth hop).

[0112] In some cases, the PRS / SRS pattern (eg, periodicity, repetition, or hopping) may be configured for reduced capability UEs, such as in configuration information from the BS 102 and / or the network. Fig. 9 , depicting an example of a reference signal pattern 900. Although a PRS pattern is shown, it may be similar to Fig. 9 The SRS pattern may be described or illustrated by using a PRS pattern of 10 time slots. For example, the PRS pattern may include a period of 10 time slots, a repetition factor of 4 symbols (e.g., symbols #1, 2, 3, and 4), two resources (on different frequencies, continuous or non-continuous), and / or two hops. For example, using the PRS pattern, the UE 104 may measure a first PRS resource on symbol #1, and / or report the measured first PRS resource to the network. Subsequently, the UE 104 may measure and / or report the measurement of the second PRS resource on symbol #3. In addition, the UE 104 may measure and report the measurement of the concatenated signal of the first PRS resource on symbol #1 and the second PRS resource on symbol #3. In some cases, the report may include a symbol ID. In some aspects, the report may include: a combination of at least a resource ID and a symbol ID. In some cases, the report may include: a combination of at least a resource ID, a symbol ID, and a concatenation state. In some cases, the report may include a hop ID.

[0113] In some implementations, the same PRS / SRS pattern may be configured for UEs 104 in different serving cells or serving TRPs / BSs 102 / gNBs with muting (e.g., two neighboring BSs 102). For example, symbol #1 and symbol #3 may be used for a specific UE communicating with a first BS (e.g., in a first cell), while symbol #1 and symbol #3 may be muted for another UE communicating with a second BS (e.g., in a second cell). In this case, symbol #2 and symbol #4 may be muted for a certain UE in the first cell, while available for another UE in the second cell. Given the muting of various signals / symbols, the (e.g., positioning) measurements of the UE 104 may not be interfered with by one or more neighboring BSs 102. Thus, using (multiple) PRS / SRS patterns, a receiver (e.g., BS 102 and / or network) may improve positioning of the UE 104 by forming a larger bandwidth through phase adjustments provided with a relatively narrow bandwidth.

[0114] Example implementation 4: Other signals for positioning

[0115] In various arrangements, other signals (e.g., synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs), tracking reference signals (TRSs), SRS multiple-input / multiple-output (MIMO), etc.) may be used to locate the UE 104. Fig.10, depicts an example of a carrier with several BWPs. For example, a carrier of UE 104 (e.g., positioning frequency layer (PFL), component carrier (CC), etc.) may have several BWPs. Each BWP may include at least one SSB. In this case, Fig.10 Four BWPs of a carrier with corresponding SSBs are shown in FIG.

[0116] In some implementations, the UE 104 may receive multiple SSBs on different BWPs (or carriers, different BWPs on different carriers, etc.). The UE 104 may receive multiple CSI-RS or TRS (e.g., a subset of CSI-RS) on different BWPs (or carriers, different BWPs on different carriers, etc.). The UE 104 may concatenate multiple SSBs (e.g., and / or CSI-RS and / or TRS) on different frequencies, BWPs, and / or carriers to form a relatively large bandwidth. The UE 104 may perform (multiple) positioning-related measurements and provide (multiple) reports on the concatenated SSBs, CSI-RSs, or TRSs. In some implementations, the UE 104 may measure and / or report positioning-related information related to TOA, TDOA, round-trip time (RTT), carrier phase, received power, received path power, etc. measured based on the concatenated multiple SSBs, CSI-RSs, and / or TRSs. When reporting (multiple) measurement results to the network, the SSB ID / BWP ID / carrier ID may be marked.

[0117] In various aspects, the UE 104 may report its capabilities regarding its support for multiple SSBs, CSI-RSs, and / or TRSs that are concatenated. In some cases, the UE 104 may report its capabilities to support one or more SSBs, CSI-RSs, and / or TRSs, which may include the buffering capabilities of the UE 104 (e.g., storing multiple signals). The UE 104 may measure and / or report positioning information related to TOA / TDOA / RTT / carrier phase / received power / received path power measured based on one or more SSBs (or CSI-RSs or TRSs), as well as other location-related information.

[0118] In various implementations, the UE 104 may transmit / send / provide SRS using multiple antennas (e.g., SRS-MIMO, such as from a reduced capability UE on frequency range 2 (FR2)). The UE 104 may be configured to transmit SRS using multiple antennas, where each antenna (e.g., antenna port) may be associated with an SRS resource or a set of SRS resources. Additionally or alternatively, at least one antenna (or antenna port) may be associated with an SRS resource (or a set of SRS resources). In some cases, different SRS resources (or sets of SRS resources) may be communicated via different frequencies (e.g., on different BWPs, different carriers, etc.).

[0119] In some arrangements, BS102 (e.g., gNB or TRP) may receive SRS-MIMO with different SRS resources (or SRS resource sets) from different UE antennas (or antenna ports). BS102 may concatenate different SRS signals to form / generate a large bandwidth (e.g., a combined / concatenated / merged bandwidth / SRS signal). BS102 may measure and / or report (multiple) positioning-related measurements on the concatenated SRS signals. In some cases, BS102 may measure and / or report to the network: positioning information related to TOA / TDOA / round trip time (RTT) / multiple RTTs / carrier phase / received power / received path power, etc. on the concatenated SRS signals.

[0120] In various cases, reduced capability UEs (e.g., wearable devices or smart watches, and other devices with reduced capabilities compared to reference devices that are considered "normal" devices) may be power sensitive. In these cases, the network (e.g., LMF 302) may instruct / provide / signal the reduced capability UE to skip / ignore the reception of PRS (and / or the transmission of SRS for positioning) during time periods / durations outside of active time (e.g., discontinuous reception off (DRX-OFF) or DRX-OFF before receiving paging related information, etc.).

[0121] In some implementations, for a UE 104 in an RRC idle / inactive state, the UE 104 may receive PRS during a DRX-ON period (e.g., when receiving paging related information). In this case, the UE 104 may skip the reception of PRS during a DRX-OFF period (e.g., outside of active time) during the RRC idle / inactive / connected state. Additionally or alternatively, the UE 104 may skip the transmission of SRS during a DRX-OFF period (e.g., outside of active time) during the RRC idle / inactive / connected state.

[0122] In various implementations, the UE 104 may be equipped / configured / embedded with two physical antennas and one RF channel (or RF chain). In this case, the UE 104 may transmit a reference signal (e.g., receive PRS and / or transmit SRS) using one physical antenna at a specific time (e.g., on odd symbols), and transmit a reference signal using another physical antenna at another time (e.g., on even symbols). Based on this configuration of the UE 104, the UE 104 may measure the angle of arrival (AoA) and / or carrier phase (or carrier phase difference between the two antennas) of the PRS. Additionally or alternatively, in this case, the BS 102 may measure the angle of departure (AoD) and / or carrier phase (or carrier phase difference between the two antennas) of the SRS from the UE 104.

[0123] In some cases, the network or BS 102 may configure different PRS / SRS resources (or resource sets) for different antennas. UE 104 may report AoA and / or carrier phase (or carrier phase difference between two antennas) to LMF 302 (e.g., the network) using at least the PRS resource ID (or resource set ID). Additionally or alternatively, BS 102 may report AoD and / or carrier phase (or carrier phase difference between two antennas) to the network using at least the SRS resource ID (or resource set ID). Based on the concatenation of symbols or signals discussed herein, UE 104 and / or BS 102 may generate / form a larger bandwidth with (multiple) signals other than PRS / SRS, thereby improving the accuracy of positioning.

[0124] Fig.11 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 1100 for low-capability UE positioning. Fig.11 , the method 1100 may be performed by one or more network elements (e.g., at least one UE 104, at least one BS 102 / TRP, and / or at least one LMF 302 / CN). In some arrangements, at 1102, the method 1100 may include receiving or determining configuration information for a reference signal. At 1104, the method 1100 may include receiving a reference signal. At 1106, the method 1100 may include measuring the reference signal. At 1108, the method 1100 may include sending a report.

[0125] Still reference Fig.11 , and in more detail, at 1102, a UE (e.g., a wireless communication device) may receive configuration information of a reference signal (e.g., PRS / SRS) from a network (e.g., an LMF or a CN), and / or a BS (e.g., a radio communication node, a gNB, or a TRP) may determine configuration information of the reference signal. The configuration information may include information associated with frequency hopping of the reference signal.

[0126] In various implementations, the configuration information may indicate / provide an overlapping factor. The overlapping factor may be used to estimate / determine the correct phase of the channel to remove the random phase of each hop. In some implementations, the configuration information may indicate an overlapping bandwidth. In some implementations, the configuration information may include the number of resource blocks (RBs) configured for sending reference signals. The number of RBs may be equal to m SRS，b +NumberOfOverlappedRB.m SRS,bThe first higher layer may be configured to send a reference signal, and NumberOfOverlappedRB may be configured by a second higher layer to send a reference signal. In some cases, for example, at least one of the overlapping factor, the overlapping bandwidth, and / or the number of RBs may be used to estimate the correct phase of the channel for removing the random phase of each hop.

[0127] In some implementations, the configuration information may include the length of the reference signal with frequency overlapping hopping. The length may be equal to NumberOfOverlappedSC may be the length of the reference signal with frequency non-overlapping hopping, and NumberOfOverlappedSC may be the number of overlapping subcarriers configured by higher layers or the network.

[0128] In some implementations, the configuration information may include a length of a reference signal with frequency overlapping hopping, where the length is equal to in this case, may be the sequence length of the reference signal for each hop with no overlap, and NumberOfHop may be the number of hops. In some cases, the length of the reference signal for frequency hopping with frequency overlap may be used to remove the random phase for each hop.

[0129] In some implementations, for each frequency hop, the configuration information may include an associated frequency location index n b , which can be equal to:

[0130]

[0131] n RRC 、m SRS，b 、N b Each can be configured by higher layers or the network. b (n SRS ) may be a value associated with the transmission of a reference signal. The frequency position index may be used to form / generate / determine the sequence of each hop as a whole, such as to reject potential interference from other network entities / elements.

[0132] In some implementations, for each frequency hop, the configuration information may include an associated frequency location index n b , which can be equal to:

[0133]

[0134] n RRC 、m SRS，b 、N b Each can be configured by higher layers or the network. b (n SRS) can be a value associated with the transmission of a reference signal.

[0135] In various implementations, the configuration information may include a generator. The generator may be configured to generate a pseudo-random sequence (e.g., c init ) to generate a reference signal and / or obtain / get the correct frequency hopping ID. The generator can be initialized / started based on the following formula:

[0136]

[0137] Can be a time slot number. Sequence ID It can be configured by higher layers. l can be the symbol index within the time slot. It may be the number of symbols in a timeslot. HopID may be a hopping ID of a reference signal. In some implementations, the configuration information may include the total length m of the sequence of all hops of the hopping. The total length may be used to form the sequence of each hop as a whole, thereby avoiding / rejecting possible interference. m may be equal to NumberOfRB*NumberOfHop. NumberOfRB may correspond to the number of RBs for each hop without overlap. NumberOfHop may correspond to the number of hops.

[0138] In some implementations, the configuration information may include a bandwidth of the reference signal, for example, to generate overlapping resources for each hop. The bandwidth may be equal to n RRC +NubberOfOverlappedRB.n RRC The number of RBs may be configured by a higher layer. In some implementations, the configuration information may indicate that the comb size of the reference signal may be configured to be 1 or 3 for reducing processing delays, such as processing delays of the UE and / or the BS. In some implementations, the configuration information may indicate that when the UE is a RedCap UE, the total measurement delay is relaxed with the number of hops (e.g., the total measurement delay is related to the number of hops).

[0139] At 1104, the UE and / or BS may receive / acquire / obtain a reference signal (e.g., a PRS and / or SRS, respectively). In this case, the UE may receive the PRS from the BS, and / or the BS may receive the SRS from the UE. In some implementations, the UE and / or BS may determine that a frequency location index associated with a hop of the frequency hopping is outside the range of a bandwidth part (BWP) but not outside the range of a carrier. In response to this determination, the UE and / or BS may continue to receive reference signals, for example, to generate overlapping resources for each hop.

[0140] At 1106, the UE and / or the BS may measure the corresponding reference signal. For example, the UE may measure the PRS, and / or the BS may measure the SRS. In response to obtaining / determining the measurement, the UE and / or the BS may respectively generate a report including at least the measurement result of the reference signal.

[0141] At 1108, the UE and / or BS may send / transmit / signal / transmit / provide a report to the network. In some implementations, the report may include the phase of the channel in each hop of the frequency hopping and / or the associated channel number. In this case, the calculation of the positioning related information may be performed on the network. The positioning side may form a larger bandwidth through phase adjustment to improve positioning accuracy (e.g., a wider bandwidth).

[0142] In some implementations, the report may include a carrier phase difference relative to a reference carrier. A differential operation (eg, carrier phase difference) may be performed to remove phase errors.

[0143] In some implementations, the report may include an identification (ID) of each hop of the frequency hopping. Based on the ID of each hop, the positioning end (e.g., the network) can determine the hops that are cascaded (e.g., on different frequencies). In some implementations, the report may indicate that the first hop of the frequency hopping starts and / or restarts with a specific system frame number, such as for determining the cascade between two hops on a time boundary. In some cases, at least one pair of hops (e.g., adjacent hops) may not be cascaded based on a time boundary. For example, a signal can be counted / measured by a time block (e.g., 1024*10ms=10.24 seconds). After a time block, the signal can be recounted (e.g., due to May affect c init , the timeslot number may be recounted / restarted). In this case, for example, the hop before the time block and the hop after the time block may not be cascaded. In some implementations, the report may include a positioning procedure window (PPW) configured for a reduced capability (RedCap) UE. The PPW may be NormalPPW*NumberOfHop. NormalPPW may represent or correspond to the PPW of a relatively normal UE.

[0144] In some implementations, the report may include the number of paths used for measurements for relaxed RedCap UEs. In some implementations, the report may include positioning related information measured based on multiple synchronization signal blocks (SSBs). In some cases, the positioning related information may be used to reduce system complexity, for example, for UEs and / or BSs.

[0145] In some implementations, the report may include the UE's ability to support measurements on multiple SSBs. In some implementations, for example, for reporting by a BS, the report may include measurements on one or more concatenated sounding reference signals (SRS).

[0146] Although various arrangements of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only by way of example rather than by way of limitation. Similarly, various figures may depict example architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the example features and functions of the present solution. However, these people will understand that the present solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of some arrangements may be combined with one or more features of another arrangement described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-mentioned illustrative arrangements.

[0147] It should also be understood that any reference to an element using names such as "first," "second," etc., herein generally does not limit the number or order of these elements. Instead, these names can be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Therefore, reference to a first element and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0148] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different methods and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols, etc., that may be referenced in the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0149] Those of ordinary skill in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design codes in conjunction with instructions (which, for convenience, may be referred to herein as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. A skilled technician may implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions will not result in a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0150] In addition, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented or performed within an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may also include antennas and / or transceivers to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein.

[0151] If implemented in software, these functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that can transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access. As an example and not limitation, such a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0152] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the relevant functions described herein. In addition, for the purpose of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as is clear to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs associated functions arranged according to the present solution.

[0153] In addition, memory or other storage devices and communication components can be used in the arrangement of the present solution. It should be understood that, for the sake of clarity, the above description has described the arrangement of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is clear that any suitable functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains can be used without departing from the present solution. For example, the functions illustrated as being performed by a separate processing logic element or controller can be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, reference to a specific functional unit is only a reference to an appropriate manner for providing the described function, rather than representing a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0154] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but should be consistent with the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as described in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method for positioning, comprising: Receiving, by a user equipment (UE) from a network, configuration information of a reference signal used for positioning, wherein the configuration information includes information associated with frequency hopping of the reference signal; Receiving the reference signal by the UE; Measuring, by the UE, the reference signal; as well as The UE sends a report including a measurement result of the reference signal to the network.

2. The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the report includes a phase and an associated channel number of a channel in each hop of the frequency hopping.

3. The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the report comprises a carrier phase difference relative to a reference carrier. 4 . The wireless communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the report includes an identification (ID) of each hop of the frequency hopping. 5 . The wireless communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the report indicates that a first hop of the frequency hopping starts or restarts with a specific system frame number. The wireless communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration information indicates an overlapping factor. The wireless communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration information indicates overlapping bandwidths.

8. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises: The number of resource blocks (RBs) configured for sending the reference signal, wherein the number is equal to m SRS，b +NumberOfOverlappedRB, where m SRS，b The first higher layer is configured to send the reference signal, and NumberOfOverlappedRB is configured by the second higher layer to send the reference signal.

9. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises: The length of the reference signal with frequency overlapping hopping, wherein the length is equal to in is the length of the reference signal with frequency non-overlapping hopping, and NumberOfOverlappedSC is the number of overlapping subcarriers configured by higher layers or the network.

10. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises: The length of the reference signal with frequency overlapping hopping, wherein the length is equal to in is the sequence length of the reference signal for each hop of the frequency hopping without overlap, and NumberOfHop is the number of hops.

11. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises: For each hop of the frequency hopping, the associated frequency position index n b equal Where n RRC 、m SRS，b 、N b Each is configured by a higher level or the network, and F b (n SRS ) is a value associated with the transmission of the reference signal.

12. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises: For each hop of the frequency hopping, the associated frequency position index n b equal Where n RRC 、m SRS，b 、N b Each is configured by a higher level or the network, and F b (n SRS ) is a value associated with the transmission of the reference signal.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determining, by the UE, that a frequency location index associated with a hop of the frequency hopping is outside a range of a bandwidth part (BWP) but not outside a range of a carrier; as well as The UE continues to receive the reference signal.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises: A generator configured to generate a pseudo-random sequence for generating the reference signal, wherein the generator is initialized based on the following formula: in is the time slot number, sequence ID Configured by the higher layer, l is the symbol index within the time slot, is the number of symbols in a time slot, and HopID is the frequency hopping ID of the reference signal.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises: The total length of the sequence of all hops of the frequency hopping is m, where m is equal to NumberOfRB*NumberOfHop, where NumberOfRB is the number of RBs for each of the hops without overlap, and NumberOfHop is the number of the hops.

16. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises: The bandwidth of the reference signal, wherein the bandwidth is equal to n RRC +NumberOfOverlappedRB, where n RRC is the bandwidth with non-overlapped transmission, and NumberOfOverlappedRB is configured by higher layers. 17 . The wireless communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration information indicates that a comb size of the reference signal is configured as 1 or 3.

18. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information indicates that when the UE is a RedCap UE, the total measurement delay is relaxed with the number of hops.

19. The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the report comprises: The Positioning Procedure Window (PPW) configured for RedCap UE is NormalPPW*NumberOfHop, where NormalPPW is the PPW for normal UE.

20. The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the report comprises: The number of paths used for measurements for RedCap UEs that are relaxed.

21. The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the report comprises: Positioning related information measured based on multiple synchronization signal blocks (SSBs).

22. The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the report comprises: The UE has the capability to support measurements of multiple SSBs.

23. A wireless communication method for positioning, comprising: determining, by a base station (BS), configuration information of a reference signal used for positioning, wherein the configuration information includes information associated with frequency hopping of the reference signal; receiving, by the BS, the reference signal; measuring, by the BS, the reference signal; and The BS sends a report including the measurement result of the reference signal to a network.

24. The wireless communication method of claim 23, wherein the report comprises measurements of one or more concatenated sounding reference signals (SRS).

25. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to read a code from the memory and implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. A computer program product comprising computer readable program medium code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

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