Selective satellite signal measurement

Abstract

A satellite signal method includes: receiving a satellite signal at a device; transmitting one or more outbound signals from the apparatus; and inhibiting, by the apparatus, processing of at least a first portion of the satellite signal across the first set of frequencies, the at least first portion of the satellite signal comprising at least a portion of an interfering signal corresponding to the transmission of the one or more outbound signals.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application for "SELECTIVE SATELLITE SIGNAL MEASUREMENT" with the application date of August 17, 2022, application number 202280061135.1.

[0002] Cross - reference to related applications

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 17 / 475,820, filed on September 15, 2021, entitled "SELECTIVE SATELLITE SIGNAL MEASUREMENT", which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. Background of the Invention

[0004] Wireless communication systems have evolved through several generations, including first - generation analog wireless telephone service (1G), second - generation (2G) digital wireless telephone service (including transitional 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third - generation (3G) high - speed data wireless service with Internet capabilities, fourth - generation (4G) services (e.g., Long - Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax), fifth - generation (5G) services, etc. There are many different types of wireless communication systems currently in use, including cellular and Personal Communication Services (PCS) systems. Examples of known cellular systems include cellular analog Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), GSM TDMA variants, etc.

[0005] The fifth - generation (5G) mobile standard requires higher data transmission speeds, a larger number of connections, better coverage, and other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance, the 5G standard is designed to provide a data rate of tens of megabits per second to each of tens of thousands of users, with a data rate of 1 gigabit per second to dozens of workers on an office floor. To support large - scale sensor deployments, hundreds of thousands of simultaneous connections should be supported. Therefore, compared with the current 4G standard, the spectral efficiency of 5G mobile communication should be significantly improved. In addition, compared with the current standard, the signaling efficiency should be improved, and the latency should be significantly reduced. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An example apparatus includes: a transceiver configured to receive satellite signals and transmit one or more outbound signals; a memory; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, the processor being configured to: transmit the one or more outbound signals via the transceiver; and inhibit processing of at least a first portion of the satellite signals across a first set of frequencies, the at least first portion of the satellite signals including at least a portion of an interference signal corresponding to the transmission of the one or more outbound signals by the transceiver.

[0007] Specific implementations of such apparatus may include one or more of the following features. The first portion of the satellite signals is a frequency portion of the satellite signals, the apparatus further includes a frequency filter, and to inhibit processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signals, the processor is configured to actuate the frequency filter based on the transmission of the one or more outbound signals to attenuate the portion of the interference signal and the first portion of the satellite signals. The first portion of the satellite signals is a frequency portion of the satellite signals, and the processor is configured to process a second portion of the satellite signals across a second set of frequencies different from the first set of frequencies to determine a time of arrival of the satellite signals at the apparatus, wherein the first portion of the satellite signals and the second portion of the satellite signals are different frequency portions of the same time portion of the satellite signals. The satellite signals are a split-spectrum modulation signal including a first main lobe and a second main lobe, and the first set of frequencies includes a first portion of the second main lobe and the second set of frequencies includes a second portion of the second main lobe. The satellite signals are a split-spectrum modulation signal including a first main lobe and a second main lobe, and the first set of frequencies includes at least some of the second main lobe and the second set of frequencies does not include the second main lobe.

[0008] Additionally or alternatively, specific implementations of such apparatus may include one or more of the following features. The first portion of the satellite signals is a frequency portion of the satellite signals, the apparatus further includes a frequency filter, and to inhibit processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signals, the processor is configured to frequency shift the interference signal based on the transmission of the one or more outbound signals to produce a frequency-shifted interference signal such that the frequency-shifted interference signal is in a frequency span of higher attenuation of the frequency filter than the interference signal. The first portion of the satellite signals is a time portion of the satellite signals, and to inhibit processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signals, the processor is configured to blank the satellite signals based on one or more sub-bands of the one or more outbound signals during a time period corresponding to the transmission of the one or more outbound signals.

[0009] An example satellite signal method includes: receiving a satellite signal at a device; transmitting one or more outbound signals from the device; and prohibiting, by the device, processing of at least a first portion of the satellite signal that spans a first set of frequencies, where at least the first portion of the satellite signal includes at least a portion of an interference signal corresponding to the transmission of the one or more outbound signals.

[0010] Specific implementations of such methods may include one or more of the following features. The first portion of the satellite signal is a frequency portion of the satellite signal, and prohibiting processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signal includes actuating a frequency filter based on the transmission of the one or more outbound signals to attenuate the portion of the interference signal and the first portion of the satellite signal. The first portion of the satellite signal is a frequency portion of the satellite signal, and the method further includes processing a second portion of the satellite signal that spans a second set of frequencies different from the first set of frequencies to determine an arrival time of the satellite signal at the device, where the first portion of the satellite signal and the second portion of the satellite signal are different frequency portions of the same time portion of the satellite signal. The satellite signal is a split-spectrum modulation signal including a first main lobe and a second main lobe, and the first set of frequencies includes a first portion of the second main lobe and the second set of frequencies includes a second portion of the second main lobe. The satellite signal is a split-spectrum modulation signal including a first main lobe and a second main lobe, and the first set of frequencies includes at least some of the second main lobe and the second set of frequencies does not include the second main lobe.

[0011] Additionally or alternatively, specific implementations of such methods may include one or more of the following features. The first portion of the satellite signal is a frequency portion of the satellite signal, and prohibiting processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signal includes: frequency-shifting the interference signal based on the transmission of the one or more outbound signals to produce a frequency-shifted interference signal such that the frequency-shifted interference signal is in a frequency span of higher attenuation of a frequency filter of the device than the interference signal; and applying the frequency filter to the frequency-shifted interference signal. The first portion of the satellite signal is a time portion of the satellite signal, and prohibiting processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signal includes blanking the satellite signal during a time period corresponding to the transmission of the one or more outbound signals based on one or more sub-bands of the one or more outbound signals.

[0012] Another example device includes: means for receiving a satellite signal; means for transmitting one or more outbound signals; and means for prohibiting, by the device, processing of at least a first portion of the satellite signal that spans a first set of frequencies, where at least the first portion of the satellite signal includes at least a portion of an interference signal corresponding to the transmission of the one or more outbound signals.

[0013] Specific implementations of such a device may include one or more of the following features. The first portion of the satellite signal is a frequency portion of the satellite signal, and the component for prohibiting processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signal includes a component for actuating a frequency filter to attenuate the portion of the interfering signal and the first portion of the satellite signal based on transmission of the one or more outbound signals. The first portion of the satellite signal is a frequency portion of the satellite signal, and the device further includes a component for processing a second portion of the satellite signal spanning a second frequency set different from the first frequency set to determine an arrival time of the satellite signal at the device, wherein the first portion of the satellite signal and the second portion of the satellite signal are different frequency portions of the same time portion of the satellite signal. The satellite signal is a sub-spectrum modulated signal including a first main lobe and a second main lobe, and the first frequency set includes a first portion of the second main lobe and the second frequency set includes a second portion of the second main lobe. The satellite signal is a sub-spectrum modulated signal including a first main lobe and a second main lobe, and the first frequency set includes at least some of the second main lobe and the second frequency set does not include the second main lobe.

[0014] Additionally or alternatively, specific implementations of such a device may include one or more of the following features. The first portion of the satellite signal is a frequency portion of the satellite signal, and the component for prohibiting processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signal includes: a component for frequency shifting the interfering signal based on transmission of the one or more outbound signals to produce a frequency-shifted interfering signal such that the frequency-shifted interfering signal is in a frequency span of higher attenuation of a frequency filter of the device than the interfering signal; and a component for applying the frequency filter to the frequency-shifted interfering signal. The first portion of the satellite signal is a time portion of the satellite signal, and wherein the component for prohibiting processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signal includes a component for blanking the satellite signal based on one or more sub-bands of the one or more outbound signals during a time period corresponding to transmission of the one or more outbound signals.

[0015] An example non-transitory processor-readable storage medium includes processor-readable instructions for causing a processor of a device to: receive a satellite signal; transmit one or more outbound signals; and prohibit, by the device, processing of at least a first portion of the satellite signal spanning a first frequency set, the at least first portion of the satellite signal including at least a portion of an interfering signal corresponding to transmission of the one or more outbound signals.

[0016] Specific implementations of such storage media may include one or more of the following features. The first portion of the satellite signal is a frequency portion of the satellite signal, and the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to inhibit processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signal include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to actuate a frequency filter based on transmission of the one or more outbound signals to attenuate the portion of the interfering signal and the first portion of the satellite signal. The first portion of the satellite signal is a frequency portion of the satellite signal, and the storage media further includes processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to process a second portion of the satellite signal that spans a second frequency set different from the first frequency set to determine an arrival time of the satellite signal at the device, wherein the first portion of the satellite signal and the second portion of the satellite signal are different frequency portions of the same time portion of the satellite signal. The satellite signal is a split-spectrum modulated signal including a first main lobe and a second main lobe, and the first frequency set includes a first portion of the second main lobe and the second frequency set includes a second portion of the second main lobe. The satellite signal is a split-spectrum modulated signal including a first main lobe and a second main lobe, and the first frequency set includes at least some of the second main lobe and the second frequency set does not include the second main lobe.

[0017] Additionally or alternatively, specific implementations of such storage media may include one or more of the following features. The first portion of the satellite signal is a frequency portion of the satellite signal, and the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to inhibit processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signal include: processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to frequency-shift the interfering signal based on transmission of the one or more outbound signals to produce a frequency-shifted interfering signal such that the frequency-shifted interfering signal is in a frequency span of higher attenuation of a frequency filter of the device than the interfering signal; and processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to apply the frequency filter to the frequency-shifted interfering signal. The first portion of the satellite signal is a time portion of the satellite signal, and the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to inhibit processing of at least the first portion of the satellite signal include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to blank the satellite signal based on one or more sub-bands of the one or more outbound signals during a time period corresponding to transmission of the one or more outbound signals. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of an example wireless communication system.

[0019] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a block diagram of components of the example user equipment shown in

[0020] Figure 3It is a block diagram of components of an example transmit / receive point.

[0021] Figure 4 It is a block diagram of components of an example server, and various embodiments of the example server are shown in Figure 1 it.

[0022] Figure 5 It is a simplified diagram of a user equipment that receives satellite signals.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a simplified diagram of a correlation peak obtained by correlating a BOC modulation signal.

[0024] Figure 7 It is a diagram of the power distribution of a BPSK-modulated GPS satellite signal as a function of frequency.

[0025] Figure 8 It is a diagram of the power distribution of a Galileo satellite signal component modulated by BOC as a function of frequency.

[0026] Figure 9 It is a diagram of the power distribution of a composite BOC-modulated Galileo satellite signal as a function of frequency.

[0027] Figure 10 It is Figure 7 a diagram of the superposition of the power distribution shown in Figure 9 and the power distribution shown in

[0028] Figure 11 It is a simplified block diagram of an example user equipment.

[0029] Figure 12 It is Figure 11 a block diagram of the frequency shift and filtering components of the user equipment shown in

[0030] Figure 13 It is Figure 7 and Figure 9 a diagram of the power distribution, the normalized power distribution of the lower frequency interference region and the attenuation pattern shown in

[0031] Figure 14 It is Figure 13 a diagram of the attenuation pattern shown in Figure 13 and the normalized power distribution and interference region of the downshifted

[0032] Figure 15 It is Figure 7 and Figure 9 a diagram of the power distribution, the higher frequency interference region, and Figure 13 the normalized power distribution of the attenuation pattern shown in

[0033] Figure 16 It isFigure 15 The attenuation mode shown, and the upward frequency-shifted Figure 15 Graphs of the normalized power distribution and interference regions shown.

[0034] Figure 17 Is a power distribution graph of the correlation peaks related to various signal portions.

[0035] Figure 18 Is Figure 11 Block diagram of the selective frequency filtering component of the user equipment shown.

[0036] Figure 19 Is Figure 11 Block diagram of the blanking component of the user equipment shown.

[0037] Figure 20 Is a flowchart of a satellite signal method.

[0038] Figure 21 Is Figure 20 Flowchart of an example of the method shown in

[0039] Figure 22 Is Figure 20 Flowchart of another example of the method shown in Detailed Description

[0040] Techniques for measuring satellite signals in the presence of interference are discussed herein. For example, a device may transmit one or more outbound signals (e.g., communication signals), which may generate one or more interference signals (e.g., signal harmonics, intermodulation distortion signals) at one or more interference frequencies that may interfere with an inbound satellite signal. The device may measure a portion (e.g., a frequency portion or a time portion) of the satellite signal and prohibit the measurement of another portion (frequency portion or time portion) of the satellite signal based on the presence or expected presence of interference. The device may determine whether interference is present or expected based on the transmission time of the outbound signal (the time at which the device transmits (e.g., is transmitting or is scheduled to transmit) the outbound signal). For example, the device may measure a first frequency portion of the satellite signal to find a correlation peak, without measuring a second frequency portion (including the interference signal) of the satellite signal that is at the same time portion as the first frequency portion corresponding to the transmission time of the outbound signal. The correlation peak (from the correlation of the satellite signal with a reference signal) may be used to determine the arrival time of the satellite signal, which may be used to determine the location of the device. As another example, the device may blank the satellite signal (e.g., not measure any satellite signal) during the transmission time of the outbound signal. These are examples, and other examples may be implemented.

[0041] The projects and / or technologies described herein may provide one or more of the following capabilities, as well as other capabilities not mentioned. Location and / or time determination accuracy can be improved, for example, by measuring the non-interfered part of the satellite signal and simultaneously prohibiting the measurement of the interfered part of the satellite signal, or by blanking the satellite signal measurement based on the transmission of an outbound signal that can induce satellite signal interference without blanking the satellite signal in the presence of an outbound signal transmission that does not induce satellite signal interference. Better interference signal rejection can be provided. Selectively blanking the satellite signal based on the sub-bands of one or more transmitted (e.g., WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network)) signals can help avoid processing satellite signals with interference (e.g., improving measurement accuracy and / or reducing measurement latency), while avoiding blanking the SV signal based on the transmission of an outbound signal that will not significantly interfere with the SV signal (e.g., the outbound signal transmission of the WWAN signal). Other capabilities can be provided, and not every specific implementation according to the present disclosure must provide any of the capabilities discussed, let alone all of them. Additionally, it is also possible to achieve the above effects by means other than those described, and the described projects / technologies may not necessarily produce the described effects.

[0042] Obtaining the location of a mobile device can be used for many applications, including, for example, emergency calls, personal navigation, consumer asset tracking, locating friends or family members, etc. Location methods include methods based on measuring radio signals transmitted from various devices or entities, which include satellite vehicles (SVs) and terrestrial wireless power sources in a wireless network, such as base stations and access points.

[0043] The description herein may refer to a sequence of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. The various actions described herein can be performed by special-purpose circuitry (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. The sequence of actions described herein can be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a corresponding set of computer instructions that, when executed, will cause the associated processor to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the various aspects described herein can be implemented in several different forms, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure, including the claimed subject matter.

[0044] As used herein, the terms "user equipment" (UE) and "base station" are not dedicated to or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT) unless otherwise specified. In general, such a UE can be any wireless communication device used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network (e.g., a mobile phone, router, tablet computer, laptop computer, consumer asset tracking device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.). The UE can be mobile or can be stationary (e.g., at certain times) and can communicate with a radio access network (RAN). As used herein, the term "UE" can be referred to interchangeably as "access terminal" or "AT", "client device", "wireless device", "subscriber equipment", "subscriber terminal", "subscriber station", "user terminal" or "UT", "mobile terminal", "mobile station", "mobile device", or variants thereof. Generally, the UE can communicate with a core network via the RAN, and through the core network, the UE can connect to external networks such as the Internet and to other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for connecting to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible for the UE, such as via a wired access network, a WiFi network (e.g., based on IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11, etc.).

[0045] Depending on the network in which the base station is deployed, the base station can operate according to one of several RATs when communicating with the UE. Examples of base stations include access points (APs), network nodes, NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), or general Node Bs (gNodeBs, gNBs). Additionally, in some systems, the base station may only provide edge node signaling functionality, while in other systems, the base station can provide additional control functionality and / or network management functionality.

[0046] The UE can be implemented by any of several types of devices, including but not limited to printed circuit (PC) cards, compact flash devices, external or internal modems, wireless or wired telephones, smart phones, tablet devices, consumer asset tracking devices, asset tags, etc. The communication link by which the UE can send signals to the RAN is referred to as an uplink channel (e.g., reverse traffic channel, reverse control channel, access channel, etc.). The communication link by which the RAN can send signals to the UE is referred to as a downlink or forward link channel (e.g., paging channel, control channel, broadcast channel, forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term "traffic channel (TCH)" can refer to an uplink / reverse or downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0047] As used herein, depending on the context, the term "cell" or "sector" may correspond to one of multiple cells of a base station or to the base station itself. The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity for communicating with a base station (e.g., on a carrier), and may be associated with an identifier to distinguish adjacent cells operating via the same or different carriers (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCID), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCID)). In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells, and different cells may be configured according to different protocol types that may provide access for different types of devices (e.g., Machine-Type Communication (MTC), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), or other protocol types). In some examples, the term "cell" may refer to a portion of a geographical coverage area over which a logical entity operates (e.g., a sector).

[0048] Reference Figure 1 , examples of the communication system 100 include UE 105, UE 106, a Radio Access Network (RAN) 135 (here, a Fifth Generation (5G) Next Generation (NG) RAN (NG-RAN)), and a 5G Core Network (5GC) 140. UE 105 and / or UE 106 may be, for example, IoT devices, location tracker devices, cellular phones, vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks, buses, boats, etc.), or other devices. The 5G network may also be referred to as a New Radio (NR) network; the NG-RAN 135 may be referred to as a 5G RAN or an NR RAN; and the 5GC 140 may be referred to as an NG Core Network (NGC). The standardization of the NG-RAN and 5GC is being carried out in the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Accordingly, the NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140 may follow current or future standards from 3GPP for 5G support. The NG-RAN 135 may be another type of RAN, e.g., a 3G RAN, a 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAN, etc. UE 106 may be similarly configured and coupled to UE 105 to send and / or receive signals from similar other entities in the system 100, but for simplicity of the drawings, in Figure 1Such signaling is not indicated in []. Similarly, for simplicity, the discussion focuses on UE 105. The communication system 100 may utilize information from a constellation 185 of satellite vehicles (SVs) 190, 191, 192, 193 of a satellite positioning system (SPS) (e.g., a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), Galileo, or Beidou or some other local or regional SPS (such as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), or the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)). Additional components of the communication system 100 are described below. The communication system 100 may include additional or alternative components.

[0049] As Figure 1 shown in [], the NG-RAN 135 includes NR nodeBs (gNBs) 110a, 110b and next-generation eNodeBs (ng-eNBs) 114, and the 5GC 140 includes an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 115, a Session Management Function (SMF) 117, a Location Management Function (LMF) 120, and a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 125. The gNBs 110a, 110b and the ng-eNB 114 are communicatively coupled to each other, each configured to perform two-way wireless communication with the UE 105, and each communicatively coupled to the AMF 115 and configured to perform two-way communication with the AMF 115. The gNBs 110a, 110b and the ng-eNB 114 may be referred to as base stations (BSs). The AMF 115, SMF 117, LMF 120 and GMLC 125 are communicatively coupled to each other, and the GMLC is communicatively coupled to an external client 130. The SMF 117 may serve as an initial point of contact for a Service Control Function (SCF) (not shown) to create, control, and delete media sessions. A base station (such as the gNBs 110a, 110b and / or the ng-eNB 114) may be a macro cell (e.g., a high-power cellular base station), or a small cell (e.g., a low-power cellular base station), or an access point (e.g., a short-range base station configured to communicate with short-range technologies such as WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Zigbee, etc.). One or more base stations (e.g., one or more of the gNBs 110a, 110b and / or the ng-eNB 114) may be configured to communicate with the UE 105 via multiple carriers. Each of the gNBs 110a, 110b and / or the ng-eNB 114 may provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic area (e.g., a cell). Each cell may be divided into multiple sectors according to the base station antennas.

[0050] Figure 1A generalized illustration of the various components is provided, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate, and each component may be repeated or omitted as desired. Specifically, although one UE 105 is illustrated, many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may be utilized in the communication system 100. Similarly, the communication system 100 may include a greater (or smaller) number of SVs (i.e., more or fewer than the four SVs 190 - 193 shown), gNBs 110a, 110b, ng-eNBs 114, AMFs 115, external clients 130, and / or other components. The illustrated connections that couple the various components in the communication system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. In addition, the components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted according to the desired functionality.

[0051] The UE 105 may include and / or may be referred to as a device, mobile device, wireless device, mobile terminal, terminal, mobile station (MS), secure user plane location (SUPL)-enabled terminal (SET), or some other name. Additionally, the UE 105 may correspond to a cellular phone, smartphone, laptop computer, tablet device, PDA, consumer asset tracking device, navigation device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, health monitor, security system, smart city sensor, smart meter, wearable tracker, or some other portable or mobile device.

[0052] The UE 105 may include a single entity or may include multiple entities, such as in a personal area network, where the user may employ audio, video, and / or data I / O (input / output) devices, and / or body sensors, as well as separate wired or wireless modems. The estimation of the location of the UE 105 may be referred to as location, location estimation, location lock, lock, positioning, positioning estimation, or positioning lock, and may be geographical, thereby providing location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the UE 105, which may or may not include an altitude component (e.g., height above sea level; height above or depth below a ground plane, floor plane, or basement plane). Alternatively, the location of the UE 105 may be expressed as a civic location (e.g., expressed as a postal address or a designation of a point or smaller area within a building (such as a specific room or floor)). The location of the UE 105 may be expressed as a region or volume (defined geographically or in civic form) within which the UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of the UE 105 may be expressed as a relative location, which includes, for example, distance and direction from a known location. The relative location may be expressed as relative coordinates (e.g., X, Y (and Z) coordinates) defined relative to an origin at a known location, which may be defined, for example, geographically, in civic form, or with reference to a point, region, or volume indicated on a map, floor plan, or building plan. In the descriptions contained herein, the use of the term location may include any of these variants, unless otherwise indicated. When calculating the location of the UE, local x, y, and possibly z coordinates are typically solved for and then (if needed) converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., with respect to latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0053] The UE 105 may be configured to communicate with other entities using one or more of a variety of techniques to determine and / or provide location information of the UE 105. The UE 105 may be configured to connect indirectly to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links. The D2D P2P links may be supported using any suitable D2D radio access technology (RAT), such as LTE direct (LTE-D), WiFi direct (WiFi-D), etc. One or more UEs in a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographical coverage area of a transmit / receive point (TRP), such as one or more of gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114.

[0054] As mentioned, although Figure 1depicts a node configured to communicate according to the 5G communication protocol, but nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols (such as, for example, the LTE protocol or the IEEE 802.11x protocol) can also be used. For example, in an evolved packet system (EPS) that provides LTE radio access to UE 105, the RAN can include an evolved universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN), which can include base stations containing evolved Node Bs (eNBs). The core network for EPS can include an evolved packet core (EPC). EPS can include E-UTRAN plus EPC, where E-UTRAN corresponds to Figure 1 the NG-RAN 135 in Figure 1 and EPC corresponds to

[0055] the 5GC 140 in

[0056] Using UE-based positioning methods, UE 105 can obtain position measurements and can calculate the position of UE 105 (e.g., by receiving from a location server such as LMF 120 or by auxiliary data broadcast by gNB 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114 or other base stations or APs). UE 105 can use SPS signal measurements to determine Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). UE 105 can provide the position of UE 105 to the server, for example, directly and / or via a base station, such that the server can provide location information to a location client.

[0057] The information provided by gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 to LMF 120 using NRPPa can include timing and configuration information for directed SS or PRS transmissions and position coordinates. LMF 120 can provide some or all of this information to UE 105 as auxiliary data in LPP (LTE positioning protocol) and / or NPP (new radio positioning protocol) messages via NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140.

[0058] Also refer to Figure 2, UE 200 can be an example of one of UEs 105, 106, and includes a computing platform including a processor 210, a memory 211 including software (SW) 212, one or more sensors 213, a transceiver interface 214 for a transceiver 215 (which includes a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250), a user interface 216, a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver 217, a camera 218, and a positioning device (PD) 219. The processor 210, the memory 211, the sensors 213, the transceiver interface 214, the user interface 216, the SPS receiver 217, the camera 218, and the positioning device 219 can be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 220 (which can be configured for, for example, optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., one or more of the camera 218, the positioning device 219, and / or the sensors 213, etc.) can be omitted from the UE 200. The processor 210 can include one or more intelligent hardware devices, e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 210 can include multiple processors, including a general-purpose / application processor 230, a digital signal processor (DSP) 231, a modem processor 232, a video processor 233, and / or a sensor processor 234. One or more of the processors 230-234 can include multiple devices (e.g., multiple processors). For example, the sensor processor 234 can include, for example, processors for RF (radio frequency) sensing (where one or more (cellular) wireless signals transmitted and reflections are used to identify, map, and / or track objects), and / or ultrasound, etc. The modem processor 232 can support dual SIM / dual connectivity (or even more SIMs). For example, one SIM (subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module) can be used by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and another SIM can be used by an end user of the UE 200 to obtain connectivity. The memory 211 is a non-transitory storage medium that can include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk memory, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. The memory 211 stores software 212, which can be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that are configured to cause the processor 210 to perform the various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, the software 212 can be non-directly executable by the processor 210, but can be configured to (e.g., when compiled and executed) cause the processor 210 to perform functions. The description herein may only refer to the processor 210 performing functions, but this includes other specific implementations, such as those in which the processor 210 executes software and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to the processor 210 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more of the processors 230-234 performing the function.This specification may refer to the UE 200 performing functions as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of the UE 200 performing the functions. The processor 210 may include a memory with stored instructions as a supplement to and / or alternative to the memory 211. The functionality of the processor 210 is discussed more fully below.

[0059] Figure 2 The configuration of the UE 200 shown is an example and not a limitation on the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, example configurations of the UE include one or more of the processors 230 - 234 in the processor 210, the memory 211, and the wireless transceiver 240. Other example configurations may include one or more of the processors 230 - 234 in the processor 210, the memory 211, the wireless transceiver, and one or more of the following: the sensor 213, the user interface 216, the SPS receiver 217, the camera 218, the PD 219, and / or the wired transceiver.

[0060] The UE 200 may include a modem processor 232 that may be capable of performing baseband processing on signals received and downconverted by the transceiver 215 and / or the SPS receiver 217. The modem processor 232 may perform baseband processing on signals to be upconverted for transmission by the transceiver 215. Additionally or alternatively, the baseband processing may be performed by the general - purpose / application processor 230 and / or the DSP 231. However, other configurations may be used to perform the baseband processing.

[0061] The UE 200 may include a sensor 213, which may include, for example, one or more of various types of sensors, such as one or more inertial sensors, one or more magnetometers, one or more environmental sensors, one or more optical sensors, one or more weight sensors, and / or one or more radio - frequency (RF) sensors, etc. The inertial measurement unit (IMU) may include, for example, one or more accelerometers (e.g., jointly responsive to the acceleration of the UE 200 in three dimensions) and / or one or more gyroscopes (e.g., three - dimensional gyroscopes). The sensor 213 may include one or more magnetometers (e.g., three - dimensional magnetometers) to determine orientation (e.g., relative to magnetic north and / or true north), which may be used for any of various purposes (e.g., to support one or more compass applications). The environmental sensors may include, for example, one or more temperature sensors, one or more barometric pressure sensors, one or more ambient light sensors, one or more camera imagers, and / or one or more microphones, etc. The sensor 213 may generate analog and / or digital signals, indications of which may be stored in the memory 211 and processed by the DSP 231 and / or the general - purpose / application processor 230 to support one or more applications (such as applications involving positioning and / or navigation operations).

[0062] The sensor 213 may be used for relative position measurement, relative position determination, motion determination, etc. The information detected by the sensor 213 may be used for motion detection, relative displacement, dead reckoning, sensor-based position determination, and / or sensor-assisted position determination. The sensor 213 may be used to determine whether the UE 200 is fixed (stationary) or mobile and / or whether to report certain useful information related to the mobility of the UE 200 to the LMF 120. For example, based on the information obtained / measured by the sensor 213, the UE 200 may notify / report to the LMF 120 that the UE 200 has detected movement or that the UE 200 has moved, and report the relative displacement / distance (e.g., via dead reckoning implemented by the sensor 213, or sensor-based position determination, or sensor-assisted position determination). In another example, for relative positioning information, the sensor / IMU may be used to determine the angle and / or orientation of another device relative to the UE 200, etc.

[0063] The IMU may be configured to provide measurements of the direction of motion and / or speed of motion of the UE 200, which may be used for relative position determination. For example, one or more accelerometers and / or one or more gyroscopes of the IMU may detect the linear acceleration and rotational speed of the UE 200, respectively. The linear acceleration measurements and rotational speed measurements of the UE 200 may be integrated over time to determine the instantaneous direction of motion and displacement of the UE 200. The instantaneous direction of motion and displacement may be integrated to track the position of the UE 200. For example, a reference position of the UE 200 at a certain moment may be determined, for example, using the SPS receiver 217 (and / or by some other means), and measurements obtained from the accelerometers and gyroscopes after that moment may be used for dead reckoning to determine the current position of the UE 200 based on the movement (direction and distance) of the UE 200 relative to the reference position.

[0064] The magnetometer can determine the magnetic field strength in different directions, which can be used to determine the orientation of the UE 200. For example, the orientation can be used to provide a digital compass for the UE 200. The magnetometer may include a two-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect and provide an indication of the magnetic field strength in two orthogonal dimensions. The magnetometer may include a three-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect and provide an indication of the magnetic field strength in three orthogonal dimensions. The magnetometer may provide a component for sensing a magnetic field and providing an indication of the magnetic field, for example, to the processor 210.

[0065] The transceiver 215 may include a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250 configured to communicate with other devices via a wireless connection and a wired connection, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 240 may include a wireless transmitter 242 and a wireless receiver 244 coupled to an antenna 246 for transmitting and / or (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) receiving a wireless signal 248 and converting the signal from the wireless signal 248 to a wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signal and from a wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signal to the wireless signal 248. The wireless transmitter 242 includes appropriate components (e.g., a power amplifier and a digital-to-analog converter). The wireless receiver 244 includes appropriate components (e.g., one or more amplifiers, one or more frequency filters, and an analog-to-digital converter). The wireless transmitter 242 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wireless receiver 244 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 240 may be configured to transmit signals (e.g., to a TRP and / or one or more other devices) according to various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Zigbee, etc.). The New Radio may use millimeter wave frequencies and / or sub-6 GHz frequencies. The wired transceiver 250 may include a wired transmitter 252 and a wired receiver 254 configured for wired communication, e.g., a network interface that may be used to communicate with the NG-RAN 135 to send communications to the NG-RAN 135 and receive communications from the NG-RAN. The wired transmitter 252 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 254 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 250 may be configured for, e.g., optical communication and / or electrical communication. The transceiver 215 may be communicatively coupled to the transceiver interface 214 (e.g., via an optical connection and / or an electrical connection). The transceiver interface 214 may be at least partially integrated with the transceiver 215. The wireless transmitter 242, the wireless receiver 244, and / or the antenna 246 may each include multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, and / or multiple antennas, respectively, for transmitting and / or receiving appropriate signals.

[0066] The user interface 216 may include one or more of a number of devices such as a speaker, a microphone, a display device, a vibration device, a keyboard, a touch screen, etc. The user interface 216 may include more than one of any of these devices. The user interface 216 may be configured to enable a user to interact with one or more applications hosted by the UE 200. For example, the user interface 216 may store an indication of an analog and / or digital signal in the memory 211 in response to an action from the user for processing by the DSP 231 and / or the general-purpose / application processor 230. Similarly, an application hosted on the UE 200 may store an indication of an analog and / or digital signal in the memory 211 to present an output signal to the user. The user interface 216 may include an audio input / output (I / O) device that includes, for example, a speaker, a microphone, a digital-to-analog circuit, an analog-to-digital circuit, an amplifier, and / or a gain control circuit (including more than one of any of these devices). Other configurations of the audio I / O device may be used. Additionally or alternatively, the user interface 216 may include one or more touch sensors that respond to a touch and / or pressure on, for example, the keyboard and / or the touch screen of the user interface 216.

[0067] The SPS receiver 217 (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver) may be capable of receiving and acquiring SPS signals 260 via the SPS antenna 262. The SPS antenna 262 is configured to convert the SPS signals 260 from wireless signals to wired signals (e.g., electrical signals or optical signals) and may be integrated with the antenna 246. The SPS receiver 217 may be configured to fully or partially process the acquired SPS signals 260 to estimate the location of the UE 200. For example, the SPS receiver 217 may be configured to determine the location of the UE 200 by using trilateration with the SPS signals 260. The general-purpose / application processor 230, the memory 211, the DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors (not shown) may be utilized in conjunction with the SPS receiver 217 to fully or partially process the acquired SPS signals and / or calculate an estimated location of the UE 200. The memory 211 may store an indication (e.g., a measurement) of the SPS signals 260 and / or other signals (e.g., signals acquired from the wireless transceiver 240) for use in performing a positioning operation. The general-purpose / application processor 230, the DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors, and / or the memory 211 may provide or support a location engine for processing measurements to estimate the location of the UE 200.

[0068] The UE 200 may include a camera 218 for capturing still or moving images. The camera 218 may include, for example, an imaging sensor (e.g., a charge-coupled device or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) imager), a lens, analog-to-digital circuitry, a frame buffer, etc. Additional processing, conditioning, encoding, and / or compression of the signal representing the captured image may be performed by the general / application processor 230 and / or the DSP 231. Additionally or alternatively, the video processor 233 may perform conditioning, encoding, compression, and / or manipulation of the signal representing the captured image. The video processor 233 may decode / decompress the stored image data for presentation on a display device (not shown) (e.g., of the user interface 216).

[0069] A positioning device (PD) 219 may be configured to determine the location of the UE 200, the movement of the UE 200, and / or the relative location of the UE 200, and / or time. For example, the PD 219 may communicate with and / or include some or all of the SPS receiver 217. The PD 219 may suitably work in cooperation with the processor 210 and the memory 211 to perform at least a portion of one or more positioning methods, although the description herein may only refer to the PD 219 being configured to perform or performing according to a positioning method. The PD 219 may additionally or alternatively be configured to: perform trilateration using ground-based signals (e.g., at least some wireless signals 248), assist in obtaining and using SPS signals 260, or both to determine the location of the UE 200. The PD 219 may be configured to determine the location of the UE 200 based on the cell of the serving base station (e.g., cell center) and / or another technique such as E-CID. The PD 219 may be configured to determine the location of the UE 200 using one or more images from the camera 218 and image recognition in combination with the known locations of landmarks (e.g., natural landmarks such as mountains and / or artificial landmarks such as buildings, bridges, streets, etc.). The PD 219 may be configured to: use one or more other techniques (e.g., relying on the self-reported location of the UE (e.g., a portion of the UE's positioning beacon)) to determine the location of the UE 200, and may use a combination of techniques (e.g., SPS and ground positioning signals) to determine the location of the UE 200. The PD 219 may include one or more sensors 213 (e.g., gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, etc.), which may sense the orientation and / or movement of the UE 200 and provide an indication of the orientation and / or movement, and the processor 210 (e.g., the general / application processor 230 and / or the DSP 231) may be configured to use the indication to determine the movement of the UE 200 (e.g., velocity vector and / or acceleration vector). The PD 219 may be configured to provide an indication of the uncertainty and / or error of the determined location and / or movement. The functionality of the PD 219 may be provided in a variety of ways and / or configurations, such as by the general / application processor 230, the transceiver 215, the SPS receiver 217, and / or another component of the UE 200, and may be provided by hardware, software, firmware, or various combinations thereof.

[0070] Also refer to Figure 3, examples of the TRP 300 of gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 include a computing platform including a processor 310, a memory 311 including software (SW) 312, and a transceiver 315. The processor 310, the memory 311, and the transceiver 315 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 320 (which may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., the wireless transceiver) may be omitted from the TRP 300. The processor 310 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 310 may include multiple processors (e.g., including a general-purpose / application processor, a DSP, a modem processor, a video processor, and / or a sensor processor, as Figure 2 shown). The memory 311 may be a non-transitory storage medium that may include, for example, random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk memory, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. The memory 311 may store software 312, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that are configured to cause the processor 310 to perform various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, the software 312 may not be directly executable by the processor 310, but may be configured to (e.g., when compiled and executed) cause the processor 310 to perform functions.

[0071] The description herein may refer to the processor 310 performing functions, but this includes other specific implementations, such as those in which the processor 310 executes software and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to the processor 310 performing functions as an abbreviation for one or more processors included in the processor 310 performing the functions. The description herein may refer to the TRP 300 performing functions as an abbreviation for one or more appropriate components of the TRP 300 (and thus one of gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) (e.g., the processor 310 and the memory 311) performing the functions. The processor 310 may include a memory with stored instructions as a supplement and / or alternative to the memory 311. The functionality of the processor 310 is discussed more fully below.

[0072] The transceiver 315 may include a wireless transceiver 340 and / or a wired transceiver 350 configured to communicate with other devices via a wireless connection and a wired connection, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 340 may include a wireless transmitter 342 and a wireless receiver 344 coupled to one or more antennas 346 for transmitting and / or (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more downlink channels) receiving wireless signals 348 and converting the signals from the wireless signals 348 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and from the wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals to wireless signals 348. Accordingly, the wireless transmitter 342 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wireless receiver 344 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 340 may be configured to communicate signals (e.g., with the UE 200, one or more other UEs, and / or one or more other devices) according to various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Zigbee, etc.). The wired transceiver 350 may include a wired transmitter 352 and a wired receiver 354 configured for wired communication, e.g., a network interface that may be used to communicate with the NG-RAN 135 to send communications to and receive communications from, e.g., the LMF 120 and / or one or more other network entities. The wired transmitter 352 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 354 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 350 may be configured for, e.g., optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0073] Figure 3 The configuration of the TRP 300 shown is an example and is not limiting of the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, the description herein discusses that the TRP 300 may be configured to perform several functions or that the TRP performs several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by the LMF 120 and / or the UE 200 (i.e., the LMF 120 and / or the UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0074] Also refer toFigure 4 , the server 400 (an example of which can be the LMF 120) may include: a computing platform including a processor 410, a memory 411 including software (SW) 412, and a transceiver 415. The processor 410, the memory 411, and the transceiver 415 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 420 (which may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., the wireless transceiver) may be omitted from the server 400. The processor 410 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 410 may include multiple processors (e.g., including a general-purpose / application processor, a DSP, a modem processor, a video processor, and / or a sensor processor, as Figure 2 shown). The memory 411 is a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk memory, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. The memory 411 stores software 412, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that are configured to cause the processor 410 to perform the various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, the software 412 may not be directly executable by the processor 410, but may be configured to (e.g., when compiled and executed) cause the processor 410 to perform functions. The description herein may refer to the processor 410 performing functions, but this includes other specific implementations, such as those in which the processor 410 executes software and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to the processor 410 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more processors included in the processor 410 performing the functions. The description herein may refer to the server 400 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of the server 400 performing the functions. The processor 410 may include a memory with stored instructions as a supplement and / or alternative to the memory 411. The functionality of the processor 410 is discussed more fully below.

[0075] The transceiver 415 may include a wireless transceiver 440 and / or a wired transceiver 450 configured to communicate with other devices via a wireless connection and a wired connection, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 440 may include a wireless transmitter 442 and a wireless receiver 444 coupled to one or more antennas 446 for transmitting and / or (e.g., on one or more downlink channels) receiving wireless signals 448 and converting the signals from the wireless signals 448 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and from wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals to wireless signals 448. Thus, the wireless transmitter 442 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wireless receiver 444 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 440 may be configured to communicate signals (e.g., with the UE 200, one or more other UEs, and / or one or more other devices) according to various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Zigbee, etc.). The wired transceiver 450 may include a wired transmitter 452 and a wired receiver 454 configured for wired communication, e.g., a network interface that may be used to communicate with the NG-RAN 135 to send and receive communications to / from, e.g., the TRP 300 and / or one or more other network entities. The wired transmitter 452 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 454 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 450 may be configured for, e.g., optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0076] The description herein may refer to the processor 410 performing functions, but this includes other specific implementations, such as those in which the processor 410 executes software (stored in the memory 411) and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to the server 400 performing functions as an abbreviation for the one or more appropriate components of the server 400 (e.g., the processor 410 and the memory 411) performing the functions.

[0077] Figure 4The configuration of server 400 shown is an example and is not limiting of the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, wireless transceiver 440 may be omitted. Additionally or alternatively, the description herein discusses server 400 being configured to perform several functions or the server performing several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by TRP 300 and / or UE 200 (i.e., TRP 300 and / or UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0078] SPS positioning technology

[0079] Referring to Figure 5 , UE 510 (here, a smart phone) may measure signals from one or more satellite positioning systems (SPSs) (Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs)) to determine the location of UE 510. For example, UE 200 may be an example of UE 510, and the SPS receiver 217 of UE 510 may measure signals 535 from GPS satellites 530 of the GPS (Global Positioning System) SPS and measure satellite signals 525 from Galileo satellites 520 of the Galileo SPS. UE 510 may measure signals from other GPS satellites and / or other Galileo satellites not shown, and / or signals from satellites of other SPSs (e.g., GLONASS, etc.) not shown. The Galileo system is defined for 50 pseudo-random noise (PRN) (code phase) sequences with three carrier frequencies (labeled E1, E5, and E6). The Galileo E1 (GAL E1) carrier frequency is 1575.42 MHz, which is the same carrier frequency as the GPS L1 signal. The GAL E1 signal uses composite binary offset carrier (CBOC) modulation including both BOC(1,1) and BOC(6,1) modulations. The BOC(1,1) component of the GAL E1 signal includes 10 / 11 of the power of the E1 signal and the BOC(6,1) component includes 1 / 11 of the power of the E1 signal. The GAL E1 signal has two modulations (BOC(1,1) and BOC(6,1)) and two codes, one code for data and one code for pilot. The data code is called E1-B and is an in-phase signal, while the pilot code is called E1-C and is an anti-phase signal. The GAL E1-B and E1-C codes may be generated from a look-up table at a 1.023 MHz sampling rate within 4 ms, where each code has 4,092 chips. For a convolutional encoded message, the GAL E1-B signal has symbol bits every 4 ms, and for 100 ms, the GAL E1-C signal has a covering code of 25 bits.

[0080] The satellite signal can be measured by the UE 510 because the UE 510 can correlate the satellite signal with a reference PN code (pseudo-random noise code) for the corresponding satellite of the corresponding SPS. The UE 510 changes the timing of the reference signal to determine one or more correlation peaks with corresponding timings. Also refer to Figure 6 , the BOC(1,1) signal generates three correlation peaks 610, 620, 630 in the correlation curve 600. By finding the correlation peaks corresponding to the known PN code and the incoming satellite signal, the UE 510 can determine the arrival time of the signal. The UE 510 can determine the travel time of the signal based on the arrival time, and the UE 510 can determine the distance between the UE 510 and the transmitting satellite based on the travel time. The UE 510 can repeat this process for multiple satellites. The UE 510 can use the known position of the satellite in the sky and the determined distance to determine the position of the UE 510.

[0081] A positioning estimate (e.g., for a UE) can be referred to by other names, such as position estimate, location, positioning, position lock, lock, etc. A positioning estimate can be geodetic and include coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude), or can be civic and include a street address, postal address, or some other phrased location description. A positioning estimate can be further defined relative to some other known position or in absolute terms (e.g., using latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude). A positioning estimate can include an expected error or uncertainty (e.g., by including the region or volume within which the expected position will be included with a certain specified or default confidence).

[0082] Interference-based SV signal measurement

[0083] In mobile devices (such as smart phones) where small size and low cost are desired, GNSS (circuit and associated antenna) is combined with WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network), WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), BT Close proximity to and / or other wireless technologies is common. As a result, antenna-to-antenna isolation may be poor, leading to interference with the GNSS spectrum, especially during transmission operations of one or more non-GNSS technologies where the power levels are typically much higher than the received signals. For example, since WWAN, WLAN, and BT are ground-based technologies, the power levels of these technologies may be tens of dB higher than GNSS signals (satellite-based). Examples of interfering signals include second-order or higher-order harmonics of signals in other frequency bands, signals with the fundamental frequency (which may be referred to as the first harmonic) in the frequency band of the signal to be measured, and / or one or more intermodulation signals (also referred to as intermodulation distortion signals) with frequencies in the frequency band of the signal to be measured (e.g., the sum and / or difference of the frequencies of multiple signals). While the discussion herein may focus on harmonics as interfering signals, the discussion applies to other types of interfering signals (such as intermodulation signals). As discussed herein, a device (e.g., a UE) may be configured to measure satellite signals (also referred to as satellite vehicle (SV) signals) while adapting to interference or possible interference.

[0084] BOC modulation signals (such as the GAL E1 signal) are referred to as split-spectrum signals because the modulation changes the signal from a single main-lobe signal to a multi-main-lobe signal, where multiple main lobes span different spectra. For example, referring to Figure 7 and Figure 8 , a BPSK modulation (binary phase shift keying modulation) signal 700 (such as a GPS L1 signal) has a single main lobe 710, while a BOC(1,1) signal 810 has two main lobes 811, 812 adjacent to the center frequency 830 of the signal 810, and a BOC(6,1) signal 820 has two main lobes 821, 822 far from the center frequency 830. The two main lobes 811, 812 are centered at -1.023 MHz and +1.023 MHz, respectively, and the energy of the two main lobes 811, 812 is 3 dB less than the energy of the main lobe 710. Also referring to Figure 9 , Figure 8 the signals 810, 820 shown in are components of the GAL E1 signal 900, where the BOC(1,1) signal 810 includes 10 / 11 of the power of the E1 signal 900, and the BOC(6,1) signal 820 includes 1 / 11 of the power of the E1 signal 900. A band-pass filter may be applied to the GAL E1 signal 900 to pass the energy (e.g., the main part of the energy of the signal) in a frequency band 910 of + / - 2 MHz spanning the center frequency 830, which will effectively allow only the main part of the BOC(1,1) signal 810 to be processed for determining the signal arrival time. Also referring to Figure 10, GPS L1 signal 1010 may be bandpass filtered along with GAL E1 signal 900 to pass energy in band 910, where the energy in band 910 is sufficient for each of signals 700, 810 to correlate with good sensitivity.

[0085] BOC modulation provides the opportunity to process portions of the BOC modulated signal independently. For a C×4 (chip rate times four) sampling rate, four samples are taken per chip at a sampling rate of 4.092 MHz. BOC(1,1) modulation is equivalent to upsampling the PN sequence (a sequence of chips with values ​​+1 or -1), replacing each +1 chip with [+1 -1] and each -1 chip with [-1+1]. In order to sample at four times the chip rate, the BOC values ​​are repeated for correlation. Therefore, for BOC(1,1) at C×4, each +1 or -1 chip in the PN sequence is multiplied by [+1 +1 -1 -1] to obtain a C×4 sequence for correlation. GAL E1 at C×4 with 4 ms of BOC modulation B或C The code generator can be given by

[0086] BOC_E1 B或C [1:4092] atcx4 =BPSK_E1 B或C [1:4092] at cx .*repmat([+1+1-1-1],1,4092) (1)

[0087] where repmat is the number of times the array elements are repeated in the output. command, and "*" is element-wise multiplication. Under C×4, repmat([+1+1 -1-1]) is equivalent to two subcarriers at + / -1.023MHz, so that

[0088]

[0089] BOC E1 B或C The correlation is the sum of the two BPSK correlations at = / -1.023 MHz, as given by

[0090]

[0091] Although each BPSK E1 B或C Related power ratio BOC E1 B或C The associated power is 3dB less, but there is the possibility to process each signal at + / -1.023MHz independently by BPSK modulation.

[0092] Reference Figure 11 , further referenceFigure 2 , the UE 1100 includes a processor 1110, a transceiver 1120, and a memory 1130, which are communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 1140. The UE 1100 may include Figure 11 the components shown in Figure 2 any of the components shown therein, such that the UE 200 may be an example of the UE 1100. For example, the processor 1110 may include one or more of the components of the processor 210. The transceiver 1120 may include one or more of the components of the antenna 262 and the SPS receiver 217, and may include one or more of the components of the transceiver 215. For example, a wireless transmitter 242 and an antenna 246, or a wireless receiver 244 and an antenna 246, or a wireless transmitter 242, a wireless receiver 244, and an antenna 246, or a wired transmitter 252 and / or a wired receiver 254. The memory 1130 may be configured similarly to the memory 211, for example, including software having processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor 1110 to perform functions. The UE 510 may be an example of the UE 1100.

[0093] The description herein may only refer to the processor 1110 performing functions, but this includes other specific implementations, such as those in which the processor 1110 executes software and / or firmware (stored in the memory 1130). The description herein may refer to the UE1100 performing functions as an abbreviation for one or more appropriate components of the UE 1100 (e.g., the processor 1110 and the memory 1130) performing the function. The processor 1110 (possibly in combination with the memory 1130 and, where appropriate, the transceiver 1120) may include an SPS signal measurement unit 1150 and an event-based interference unit 1160. The event-based interference unit 1160 may be configured to affect the signals processed by the SPS signal measurement unit 1150 based on outbound signal transmissions (e.g., outbound WWAN signal transmissions) performed by the UE 1100. The event-based interference unit 1160 may be configured, for example, to adjust the attenuation applied to incoming signals and / or selectively blank incoming SV signals. The SPS signal measurement unit 1150 and the event-based interference unit 1160 are further discussed below, and the description may generally refer to the processor 1110 or generally refer to the UE 1100 performing any functions of the SPS signal measurement unit 1150 and / or the event-based interference unit 1160, where the UE 1100 is configured to perform these functions.

[0094] Event-based interference is interference that is induced by the occurrence of an event and is repeatable such that the interference induced by the event is known (e.g., having a known frequency and magnitude). The event-based interference unit 1160 can know the event-based interference, e.g., both the interference and the event that induces the interference. For example, the event-based interference can be Tx interference caused by the transmission of one or more signals by the UE 1100, in which case the event-based interference unit 1160 obtains knowledge of the occurrence of the event from another part of the processor 1110 (e.g., which controls the transmission of communication signals). The event-based interference unit 1160 may not know the interference induced by the event, but knows what actions to take to avoid the negative impact of the interference, e.g., what measurements to use and / or not use during the event. The event-based interference unit 1160 can determine that Tx interference is currently occurring (e.g., based on a notification of the Tx transmission) and / or can determine the time of future Tx interference (e.g., based on the Tx schedule). The event-based interference unit 1160 can obtain an indication of the event that induces the interference from another part of the UE 1100 and / or from outside the UE 1100 (e.g., via the transceiver 1120). The interference occurs at one or more known frequencies and / or within one or more known frequency ranges. Multiple events that each induce interference may occur, and one or more of the events that induce interference may end, resulting in the end of the event-induced interference.

[0095] Reference is also made to Figure 12 , the UE 1100 can be configured to frequency shift the SV signal and the interference signal and filter the frequency-shifted signals. The UE 1100 (e.g., the transceiver 1120) can include a transmitter 1210 (e.g., the wireless transmitter 242), an antenna 1220 (e.g., the antenna 246), an SPS antenna 1230 (e.g., the SPS antenna 262), a frequency shifter 1240, and a frequency filter 1250. The transmitter 1210 and the antenna 1220 are configured to transmit an outbound signal, e.g., a WWAN signal (e.g., data, communication, etc.), based on a transmission indicator signal 1260. The TX indicator signal 1260 indicates the timing and frequency of the outbound signal transmission. The SPS antenna 1230 is configured to receive the SV signal. The frequency filter 1250 is configured to provide an attenuation having an attenuation profile as a function of frequency. The frequency shifter 1240 is configured to selectively apply or not apply a frequency shift based on what interference, if any, may exist for one or more SV signals corresponding to the TX indicator signal 1260.

[0096] Reference is also made to Figure 13, the transmitter 1210 and the antenna 1220 can transmit signals of various frequencies, and some of these signals can cause interference to one or more SV signals received by the SPS antenna 1230. The center bandwidth of + / - 4 MHz of each of the normalized GPS L1 signal 1310 and the normalized GAL E1 signal 1320 is shown (i.e., where the center frequencies of the signals 1310, 1320 are 0 MHz). The transmitter 1210 and the antenna 1220 can transmit one or more outbound signals, and one or more signals (e.g., interference signal 1360) whose frequencies that can interfere with the signals 1310, 1320 are in the region 1330 (below about -2.3 MHz from the center frequency). For example, the second harmonic of the transmitted signal in the B13 band may interfere with the signals in the region 1330. The frequency filter 1250 provides attenuation 1340 to the signals received by the SPS antenna 1230. For example, the frequency filter 1250 can be an LTE frequency filter to help prevent interference caused by LTE signal transmission. The interference signals in the region 1330 (especially those near the edge 1332 of the region 1330) may interfere with parts of the signals 1310, 1320 more than the desired interference. To help increase the attenuation of such interference signals, the frequency shifter 1240 is configured to respond to the TX indicator signal 1260 by selectively shifting the frequency of the signals received by the SPS antenna 1230 as appropriate (e.g., if appropriate and in the appropriate direction), and the TX indicator signal indicates the transmission of one or more signals that can induce interference to one or more of the signals 1310, 1320.

[0097] Also refer to Figure 14, the frequency shifter 1240 is configured to shift the signal received by the SPS antenna 1230 downward in frequency based on the TX indicator signal 1260, which indicates the transmission of one or more outbound signals that may induce interference in the lower frequency range of signals 1310, 1320 (e.g., in region 1330). The frequency shifter 1240 can achieve this frequency shift by, for example, increasing the downconverter frequency of the downconverter that processes signals 1310, 1320 and the signal that will become the interference. In this example, the frequency shifter 1240 has shifted signals 1310, 1320 downward by 511.5 kHz (although other amounts of frequency shift can be used). Thus, the new edge 1410 of region 1420 of the potential interference signal (e.g., the frequency-shifted interference signal 1460, which is the interference signal 1360 after frequency shift) has been moved to a portion with higher attenuation (e.g., -50 dB or greater) than edge 1332 (e.g., approximately -34 dB). Without frequency shift, the processing of the two main lobes of the GAL E1 signal 1320 can include interference and thus result in poor accuracy in determining the location and / or poor accuracy in determining the time of the UE 1100. With frequency shift, the UE 1100 can process the two main lobes of the GAL E1 signal 1320, thereby providing more processed energy, more resolved correlation peaks, and thus better accuracy in the time of arrival of signal 1320 and thus a more accurate position estimate for the UE 1100. Additionally or alternatively, with frequency shift, the time determined by processing the two main lobes of the GAL E1 signal 1320 can be more accurate.

[0098] Also refer to Figure 15 and Figure 16 , the transmitter 1210 and the antenna 1220 can transmit signals that may cause interference in the higher frequency region of signals 1310, 1320. The transmitter 1210 and the antenna 1220 can transmit one or more outbound signals that generate one or more signals whose frequencies may interfere with signals 1310, 1320 in region 1510 (above the edge frequency 1512 that is approximately +1.5 MHz away from the center frequency). For example, the second harmonic of each of one or more transmitted signals in the B14 band (e.g., 5 MHz mode, 10 MHz mode) may interfere with the signals in region 1510. Similar to the lower band interference, the frequency shifter 1240 is configured to respond to the TX indicator signal 1260 by selectively shifting the frequency of the signal received by the SPS antenna 1230, which indicates the transmission of one or more signals that may induce interference to one or more of signals 1310, 1320. The frequency shifter 1240 is configured to shift the signal received by the SPS antenna 1230 upward in frequency based on the TX indicator signal 1260, as Figure 16As shown, the TX indicator signal indicates the transmission of one or more outbound signals that can induce interference in the higher frequency range of signals 1310, 1320 (e.g., in region 1510). In this example, the frequency shifter 1240 has shifted signals 1310, 1320 upward by 511.5 kHz (although other amounts of frequency shift can be used). Accordingly, the new edge 1612 of region 1610 of the potential interference signal has been moved to a portion with higher attenuation (e.g., -24 or greater) than edge frequency 1512 (e.g., approximately -12 dB). As discussed above, without frequency shift, the processing of the two main lobes of the GALE1 signal 1320 can include interference and thus result in a difference in accuracy in determining the location and / or time of the UE 1100. With frequency shift, the UE 1100 can process the two main lobes of the GALE1 signal 1320, thereby providing more processing energy, enabling the determination of correlation peaks with better resolution and thus enabling a better accuracy in determining the time of arrival of signal 1320 and thus a more accurate location estimate for the UE 1100. Additionally or alternatively, a more accurate time can be determined.

[0099] Frequency shifting the received signal with respect to the frequency filter attenuation pattern can provide one or more advantages. For example, frequency shift can provide better interference signal suppression. As another example, frequency shift enables the processing of more received SV signals. Also refer to Figure 17 , the correlation peaks 1710, 1720 obtained by processing within + / - 2 MHz of the center frequency of the BOC GALE1C signal with and without applying attenuation 1340 are higher and narrower than the peak 1730 obtained by processing one main lobe of a BPSK GALE1C signal and not the other. A clearer correlation peak 1740 corresponding to the processing of one of the two main lobes can be obtained by applying a finite impulse response (FIR) filter.

[0100] Other techniques can be used by the event-based interference unit 1160 to adjust the attenuation applied to the incoming signal. For example, also refer to Figure 18 , the UE 1100 can include frequency filters 1810, 1820 and a selector 1830 (e.g., a switch) to selectively route the signal received by the SPS antenna 1840 to one of the filters 1810, 1820 or around the filters 1810, 1820. The filters 1810, 1820 can be configured to allow the processing of the desired frequency portion of the SV signal and suppress interference signals. For example, the frequency filter 1810 can be configured to pass the frequency range 1351 that contains the higher frequency main lobe of the GALE1C signal 1320 ( Figure 13)The passed band - pass filter (BPF). As another example, the frequency filter 1810 can be a BPF configured to pass the frequency range 1352 that includes the two main lobes of the GAL E1C signal 1320 and simultaneously suppress the signal frequencies outside the frequency range 1352. The frequency filter 1810 can be configured to pass a part of the main lobe of the signal 1320. For example, the frequency filter 1810 can be a BPF configured to pass the frequency range 1353 that includes a part (less than all) of the lower - frequency main lobe of the signal 1320 and the higher - frequency main lobe of the signal 1320. This can help avoid interference and simultaneously process more energy of the signal 1310 (e.g., compared to using the range 1351), which can help improve the positioning accuracy and / or time - determination accuracy. The frequency filter 1810 can provide a pass - band that is symmetric (e.g., the frequency range 1352) or asymmetric (e.g., the frequency ranges 1351, 1353) about the center frequency of the signal 1320. As another example, the frequency filter 1810 can be a high - pass filter (HPF) configured to pass the frequency range 1354 that includes a part (less than all) of the lower - frequency main lobe of the signal 1320 and the higher frequencies (including the higher - frequency main lobe of the signal 1320) and suppress the signal frequencies below the frequency range 1354. The selector 1830 is configured to select one of the filters 1810, 1820 or not select a filter for the signal received by the SPS antenna 1840 based on the TX indicator 1850, which, for example, indicates the expected interference based on the outbound signal transmission by the transmitter 1210 and the antenna 1220. Similar to the frequency filter 1810, the frequency filter 1820 can be configured to pass the SV signal frequencies and prohibit the interference frequencies to facilitate the accurate positioning and / or time determination of the UE 1100. For example, the frequency filter 1820 can be configured to pass the signals in the frequency ranges 1551, 1552, 1553, 1554( Figure 15 ). There can be some other examples of the frequency ranges provided by the frequency filter 1810 and / or the frequency filter 1820 that are used to pass the desired signal part and suppress the undesired signals. In addition, although in Figure 18Two frequency filters are shown, but other amounts of frequency filters may be used. Additionally, the TX indicator may indicate the expected interference signal in various ways. For example, the TX indicator may indicate one or more frequencies of one or more outbound signals being transmitted or to be transmitted, and / or may indicate one or more frequencies at which one or more signals (e.g., harmonic and / or intermodulation signals) may be induced due to the transmission of one or more outbound signals. As another example, the TX indicator may indicate the frequency shift to be implemented and / or the frequency band to be passed and / or the frequency band to be suppressed (e.g., an indication to implement one of the frequency ranges 1351 - 1354 and / or one of the frequency ranges 1551 - 1554, or an indication of the frequency filter to be applied, etc.).

[0101] Adjusting the frequency of an incoming signal and / or adjusting frequency filtering can be used for various split-spectrum signals, such as BOC signals centered at 1.57542 GHz (e.g., GAL E1, BDS (BeiDou Navigation Satellite System) B1C, GPS L1C), and can provide various advantages. For example, such techniques can provide improved signal processing accuracy. As another example, for better sensitivity, an SV signal (e.g., GAL E1, BDS B1C, GPS L1C) can continue to be correlated during the presence of what would otherwise be interference (e.g., due to LTE B13 and / or LTE B14 interference). As another example, blanking of the SV signal (e.g., during WWAN transmissions) can be avoided. As another example, a + / -511.5 kHz frequency shift of the incoming signal can provide improved LTE signal suppression, thereby reducing the interference signal impact on the correlation peak and / or automatic gain control of the SV signal. As another example, at a + / -511.5 kHz frequency shift of the incoming signal, the GPS L1 signal can be processed with C×4, thereby saving buffer usage in the sample memory (SM) (e.g., 64 kilobytes in acquisition and 8 kilobytes in tracking), thereby enabling sharing of a common sample memory between the GPS L1 signal and other L1 band signals (including GAL E1). As another example, each sideband (corresponding to the main lobe) of a BOC-modulated signal can be processed separately from BPSK modulation, for example, by modifying the code generator characteristics (e.g., a code generator having BOC characteristics as discussed with respect to equations (1) to (4)) or by modifying the chip-matched filter characteristics from BOC to BPSK. If there is an interference signal in one sideband and no interference signal in the other sideband, the sideband without interference can be processed by BPSK modulation. Thus, satellite tracking can continue despite the presence of interference signals in the bandwidth of the satellite signal. As another example, the 1.023 MHz chip rate and several millisecond code period of the L1 signal facilitate rapid acquisition. The ability to process a portion of such a signal in the presence of potential interference enables rapid acquisition regardless of the interference. As another example, by processing a portion of the SV signal while there is interference in another portion of the SV signal, the global geometry of the satellite (GDOP-PDOP (Geometric Dilution of Precision - Position Dilution of Precision)) can be maintained regardless of the presence of what would otherwise be interference. The UE 1100 can dynamically switch between processing full-band SV signals and partial-band SV signals to accommodate the intermittent presence of interference.

[0102] Referring to Figure 19 , and further referring to Figure 2 and Figure 11, the event-based interference unit 1160 may be configured to selectively blank an incoming SV signal based on whether an outbound signal will induce a signal that will have a significant impact on the processing of the SV signal. For example, the WWAN band may be very large, and WWAN signals may be transmitted on a small portion of the WWAN band. Depending on the frequency at which the WWAN signal is transmitted, one or more interfering signals may or may not be generated (e.g., within the band of the signal to be processed and the magnitude of which has a significant impact on the signal to be processed, e.g., causing the SINR (signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio) to be below a threshold). That is, within the WWAN band, the frequency of the interfering signal that may induce a result may be much narrower than the entire WWAN band. For example, some WWAN transmissions (including NR 5G) may cause RF interference to the GNSS constellation (e.g., GPS L1). To mitigate this interference, the event-based interference unit 1160 may send a TX indicator 1910 to the blanking unit 1920, which is configured to selectively blank the SV signal received by the SPS antenna 1930, e.g., blank the SV signal during a WWAN transmission that will induce (or at least is expected to induce) a resulting interference, and not blank the SV signal in the absence of a WWAN transmission corresponding to the resulting interfering signal. The event-based interference unit 1160 may adjust one or more detection thresholds (e.g., for relevant peaks) used by the SPS signal measurement unit 1150 based on the amount of blanking (e.g., the number of blanked samples of the SV signal). The blanking provided by the blanking unit 1920 may be applied on a WWAN sub-band basis, that is, based on what sub-band of the WWAN band is being used for outbound signal transmission via the transceiver 1120 (e.g., wireless transmitter 242 and antenna 246). Selectively blanking may help avoid processing SV signals with interference (thus improving measurement accuracy and / or reducing latency), while avoiding blanking the SV signal based on outbound signal transmissions that will not significantly interfere with the SV signal (e.g., outbound signal transmissions of WWAN signals).

[0103] This selective blanking may be extended to multi-transmission scenarios, including for different technologies. The blanking may depend on the band combination of multiple transmitted signals and the frequencies of the transmitted signals. For example, instead of blanking based on any LTE TDD ULCA (LTE time-division duplex uplink carrier aggregation) transmission, selectively blank based on a multi-signal transmission that induces a resulting interference, and avoid blanking in other cases. As another example, instead of blanking based on any LTE TDD ULCA (LTE time-division duplex uplink carrier aggregation) transmission, or any LTE and NR 5G NSA (new radio 5G non-standalone) transmission, or any 5G NRCA / DC (carrier aggregation / dual connectivity) transmission, selectively blank based on a multi-signal transmission that induces a resulting interference, and avoid blanking in other cases.

[0104] The blanking applied by the blanking unit 1920 can be any one of a variety of blanking types. For example, the blanking unit 1920 can blank the SV signal by replacing the SV signal (i.e., the entire bandwidth of the SV signal) with a dither pattern of the ON / OFF state sequence of the power amplifier. As another example, the blanking unit 1920 can perform blanking based on GSM or LTE TDD transmission and / or based on LTE FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) B13 / B14 transmission (for GAL E1 mitigation). As another example, the blanking unit 1920 can blank the SV signal based on the DMRS (Demodulation Reference Signal) symbol transmission from LTE FDD transmission (e.g., the SV signal samples obtained during it). As another example, the blanking unit 1920 can blank the SV signal based on and / or WiFi signal transmission.

[0105] Selectively blanking the SV signal for outbound signal transmissions (e.g., WWAN signal transmissions) expected to induce significant SV signal interference and not blanking the SV signal for outbound signal transmissions not expected to induce significant SV signal interference can result in different noise floor measurements compared to the case where blanking is performed for any outbound transmission (e.g., anywhere within the WWAN band). Blanking for interfering WWAN transmissions (interference with induced results) and not blanking for non-interfering WWAN transmissions will result in a higher floor measurement for WWAN transmissions. If blanking is performed for WWAN aggressor transmissions (which will induce interference with consequences) and not performed for non-aggressor WWAN transmissions (WWAN transmissions that will not induce interference with consequences), then the following should be true

[0106] NF_A ≤ NF_B < NF_C (5)

[0107] where NF_A is the GNSS noise floor measured in the absence of WWAN transmission (e.g., of an aggressor or non-aggressor), NF_B is the GNSS noise floor measured during non-aggressor WWAN transmission, and NF_C is the GNSS noise floor measured during aggressor WWAN transmission. However, if blanking is performed for WWAN aggressor transmissions and not performed for non-aggressor WWAN transmissions, then (since blanking raises the noise floor) the following should be true

[0108] NF_A < NF_B ≤ NF_C (5)

[0109] Referring to Figure 20 and further referring to Figures 1 to 19, the satellite signal method 2000 includes the stages shown. However, method 2000 is an example and not a limitation. Method 2000 can be changed, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, concurrently executing, and / or splitting a single stage into multiple stages.

[0110] At stage 2010, method 2000 includes receiving a satellite signal at a device. For example, UE 510 receives satellite signal 525 (and satellite signal 535). The transceiver 1120 (e.g., antenna 262) can include components for receiving satellite signals. As another example, the transceiver 1120 (e.g., SPS receiver 217 and antenna 262) and the processor 1110 can include components for receiving satellite signals.

[0111] At stage 2020, method 2000 includes sending one or more outbound signals from the device. For example, the processor 1110 sends one or more WWAN signals (e.g., LTE signals and / or 5G signals) via the transceiver 1120 (e.g., wireless transmitter 242 and antenna 246). The processor 1110 (possibly in combination with the memory 1130, in combination with the transceiver 1120 (e.g., wireless transmitter 242 and antenna 246)) can include components for sending one or more outbound signals.

[0112] At stage 2030, method 2000 includes prohibiting the device from processing at least a first portion of a satellite signal across a first set of frequencies, the first set of frequencies including at least a portion of an interfering signal corresponding to the transmission of one or more outbound signals. For example, the event-based interference unit 1160 can cause frequency filtering of the satellite signal to be processed to prohibit the frequency band of the satellite signal from being processed, or can cause blanking of one or more samples of the satellite signal to prohibit the time span of the satellite signal from being processed. For example, the event-based interference unit 1160 can provide an indication of the outbound signal transmission and / or the interfering frequency and / or the filtering to be applied to the satellite signal and / or the blanking to be applied to the satellite signal and / or one or more other indications. The event-based interference unit 1160 can include the processor 1110, which sends one or more outbound signals via the transceiver 1120, where the transmission indication causes frequency filtering or blanking. The processor 1110 (possibly in combination with the memory 1130, possibly in combination with the frequency shifter 1240 and the frequency filter 1250, or the selector 1830, or the blanking unit 1920) can include components for prohibiting the processing of at least a first portion of the satellite signal (e.g., to prohibit using the first portion of the satellite signal to determine a correlation peak).

[0113] Many examples of method 2000 can be implemented. For example, as with respect to Figure 21As discussed, an example where the first part of the satellite signal is a frequency part of the satellite signal may be implemented. As another example, as discussed with respect to Figure 22 As discussed, an example where the first part of the satellite signal is a time part of the satellite signal may be implemented.

[0114] Referring to Figure 21 and further reference to Figures 1 to 20 , the satellite signal method 2100 includes the stages shown. However, method 2100 is an example and not a limitation. Method 2100 may be changed, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, concurrently executing, and / or splitting a single stage into multiple stages. Method 2100 is an example of method 2000, where stages 2110, 2120, 2130 correspond to stages 2010, 2020, 2030, but the first part of the satellite signal is a frequency part of the satellite signal.

[0115] A specific implementation of method 2100 may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, prohibiting the processing of at least the first part of the satellite signal includes actuating a frequency filter to attenuate a portion of the interference signal and the first part of the satellite signal based on the transmission of one or more outbound signals. For example, the event-based interference unit 1160 may provide the TX indicator 1850 to the selector 1830, and the selector 1830 may select one of the frequency filters 1810, 1820 to be applied to the satellite signal and the interference signal received by the SPS antenna 1840 to suppress the interference signal and the corresponding frequency of the satellite signal. The processor 1110 (possibly in combination with the memory 1130, in combination with the selector 1830 and the frequency filters 1810, 1820) may include components for prohibiting the processing of at least the first part of the satellite signal.

[0116] Additionally or alternatively, a particular implementation of method 2100 may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, method 2100 further includes processing a second portion of the satellite signal that spans a second frequency set different from the first frequency set to determine the time of arrival of the satellite signal at the device, where the first portion and the second portion of the satellite signal are different frequency portions of the same time portion of the satellite signal. The first frequency set and the second frequency set may be different because due to practical manufacturing considerations, some energy of the first portion and some energy of the second portion may be at the same frequency, but the energy in the first portion will be so low relative to the energy in the second portion that it can be ignored (e.g., below a threshold such as -20 dB or -30 dB relative to the second portion). The first frequency set and the second frequency set may not be perfectly separated, but one set is attenuated (e.g., by a filter) to have a negligible contribution to the signal measurement. The processor 1110 (e.g., the SPS signal measurement unit 1150) may determine the time of arrival by correlating the satellite signal with a reference signal and finding the timing of the correlation peak. The processor 1110 (possibly in conjunction with the memory 1130) may include components for processing the second portion of the satellite signal. In another example implementation, the satellite signal is a split-spectrum modulation signal that includes a first main lobe and a second main lobe, and the first frequency set includes a first portion of the second main lobe and the second frequency set includes a second portion of the second main lobe. For example, the satellite signal may be the GAL E1 signal 1310, the second frequency set may be the frequency range 1553 or the frequency range 1554, and the first frequency set may include frequencies above the frequency ranges 1553, 1554. As another example, the satellite signal may be the GAL E1 signal 1310, the second frequency set may be the frequency range 1353 or the frequency range 1354, and the first frequency set may include frequencies above the frequency ranges 1353, 1354. Although these examples have the first frequency set and the second frequency set adjacent to each other, the first frequency set and the second frequency set may be spaced apart (i.e., have a certain frequency gap between them). In another example implementation, the satellite signal is a split-spectrum modulation signal that includes a first main lobe and a second main lobe, and where the first frequency set includes at least some of the second main lobe and the second frequency set does not include the second main lobe. For example, the satellite signal may be the GAL E1 signal 1310, the second frequency set may be the frequency range 1551, and the first frequency set may include frequencies above the frequency range 1553. As another example, the satellite signal may be the GAL E1 signal 1310, the second frequency set may be the frequency range 1351, and the first frequency set may include frequencies below the frequency range 1353.

[0117] Additionally or alternatively, a particular implementation of method 2100 may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, processing that inhibits at least the first portion of the satellite signal includes: frequency shifting the interference signal based on transmission of the one or more outbound signals to produce a frequency-shifted interference signal such that the frequency-shifted interference signal is in a frequency span of higher attenuation of the frequency filter of the device than the interference signal; and applying the frequency filter to the frequency-shifted interference signal. For example, frequency shifter 1240 may respond to TX indicator signal 1260 by shifting the interference signal and the satellite signal in frequency, e.g., to more inhibit the interference signal by moving the interference signal into an attenuation region 1340 provided by frequency filter 1250, which will attenuate the interference signal more than without the frequency shift. Frequency shifter 1240 may include components for frequency shifting the interference signal. Frequency filter 1250 may include components for applying the frequency filter to the frequency-shifted interference signal.

[0118] Referring to Figure 22 , and further reference to Figures 1 to 20 , satellite signal method 2200 includes the stages shown. However, method 2200 is an example and not a limitation. Method 2200 may be changed, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, concurrently executing, and / or splitting a single stage into multiple stages. Method 2200 is an example of method 2000, where stages 2210, 2220, 2230 correspond to stages 2010, 2020, 2030, where the first portion of the satellite signal is the temporal portion of the satellite signal.

[0119] A particular implementation of method 2200 may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, processing that inhibits at least the first portion of the satellite signal includes blanking the satellite signal based on one or more subbands of the one or more outbound signals during a time period corresponding to transmission of the one or more outbound signals. For example, blanking unit 1920 may respond to TX indicator 1910 indicating transmission of one or more WWAN signals by blanking the SV signal during the duration of the WWAN signal transmission, which transmission will induce interference to the SV signal due to the subbands of the WWAN signal. Blanking unit 1920 may include components for blanking the satellite signal.

[0120] Other considerations

[0121] Other examples and specific implementations are within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software and computers, the above functions can be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof executed by a processor. The features implementing the functions can also be physically located in different places, including being distributed such that parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0122] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" also include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises", "has", "includes", and / or "contains" specify the presence of the stated feature, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0123] Likewise, as used herein, "or" as used in a list of items (which may be followed by "at least one of" or by "one or more of") indicates a disjunctive list such that, for example, a listing of "at least one of A, B, or C", or a listing of "one or more of A, B, or C", or a listing of "A or B or C" means A or B or C or AB (A and B) or AC (A and C) or BC (B and C) or ABC (i.e., A and B and C), or combinations with more than one feature (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.). Thus, a recitation that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform a function with respect to at least one of A or B or a recitation that an item is configured to perform function A or function B means that the item can be configured to perform the function with respect to A, or can be configured to perform the function with respect to B, or can be configured to perform the function with respect to A and B. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of A or B" or "a processor configured to measure A or measure B" means that the processor can be configured to measure A (and may or may not be configured to measure B), or can be configured to measure B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or can be configured to measure A and measure B (and may be configured to select which one or both of A and B to measure). Similarly, a recitation of a component configured to measure at least one of A or B includes: a component configured to measure A (which may or may not measure B), or a component configured to measure B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or a component configured to measure A and B (which may be able to select which one or both of A and B to measure). As another example, a recitation that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform at least one of function X or perform function Y means that the item can be configured to perform function X, or can be configured to perform function Y, or can be configured to perform function X and perform function Y. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of X or Y" means that the processor can be configured to measure X (and may or may not be configured to measure Y), or can be configured to measure Y (and may or may not be configured to measure X), or can be configured to measure X and measure Y (and may be configured to select which one or both of X and Y to measure).

[0124] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, a recitation that a function or operation is "based on" an item or condition means that the function or operation is based on the recited item or condition and may be based on one or more additional items and / or conditions in addition to the recited item or condition.

[0125] Substantial variations can be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized hardware can also be used, and / or specific elements can be implemented in hardware, in software executed by a processor (including portable software such as applets, etc.), or in both. Additionally, connections to other computing devices such as network input / output devices can be employed. Unless otherwise noted, components (functional or otherwise) shown in the figures and / or discussed herein as being interconnected or in communication are communicatively coupled. That is, they can be directly or indirectly connected to enable communication between them.

[0126] The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations can appropriately omit, substitute, or add various programs or components. For example, features described with reference to certain configurations can be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of the configurations can be combined in a similar manner. Additionally, technology evolves, and as a result, many elements are examples and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure or the claims.

[0127] A wireless communication system is a system in which communications are transmitted wirelessly, that is, propagated through the atmosphere by electromagnetic waves and / or sound waves rather than through wires or other physical connections between wireless communication devices. A wireless communication system (also referred to as a wireless communication system, wireless communication network, or wireless communication network) may not have all communications transmitted wirelessly, but is configured to have at least some communications transmitted wirelessly. Additionally, the term "wireless communication device" or similar terms do not require that the functionality of the device be exclusively or even primarily used for communication, or that the communication using the wireless communication device be exclusively or even primarily wireless, or that the device be a mobile device, but rather indicates that the device includes wireless communication capabilities (one-way or two-way), for example, including at least one radio component (each radio component being part of a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver) for wireless communication.

[0128] Specific details are given in this specification to provide a thorough understanding of example configurations (including specific implementations). However, these configurations can be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring these configurations. The description herein provides example configurations without limiting the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claims. Instead, the previous description of the configurations provides a description for implementing the techniques. Various changes can be made to the functions and arrangements of the elements.

[0129] As used herein, the terms "processor-readable medium", "machine-readable medium", and "computer-readable medium" refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a particular fashion. Using a computing platform, various processor-readable media may be involved in providing instructions / code for execution to a processor, and / or may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code (e.g., as a signal). In many implementations, the processor-readable medium is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such media may take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical disks and / or magnetic disks. Volatile media includes but is not limited to dynamic memory.

[0130] After describing several example configurations, various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used. For example, the above elements may be components of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over the application of this disclosure or otherwise modify the application of the invention. Additionally, several operations may be taken before, during, or after considering the above elements. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the claims.

[0131] Unless otherwise indicated, as used herein, "about" and / or "approximately" when referring to a measurable value (such as an amount, a time duration, etc.) encompasses a variation of ±20%, or ±10%, ±5%, or +0.1% of the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein. Unless otherwise indicated, as used herein, "substantially" when referring to a measurable value (such as an amount, a time duration, a physical property (such as frequency), etc.) also encompasses a variation of ±20%, or ±10%, ±5%, or +0.1% of the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein.

[0132] A statement that a value exceeds (or is greater than or higher than) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value meets or exceeds a second threshold that is slightly greater than the first threshold, e.g., the second threshold is higher than the first threshold by one value in the resolution of a computing system. A statement that a value is less than a first threshold (or within or below the first threshold) is equivalent to a statement that the value is less than or equal to a second threshold that is slightly lower than the first threshold, e.g., the second threshold is lower than the first threshold by one value in the resolution of a computing system.

Claims

1. A device, comprising: a transceiver configured to receive satellite signals and transmit one or more outbound signals; a memory; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, the processor being configured to: transmit the one or more outbound signals via the transceiver; blank a first portion of the satellite signals spanning a first frequency set, the first frequency set including at least a portion of interference signals corresponding to the transmission of the one or more outbound signals by the transceiver; process a second portion of the satellite signals spanning a second frequency set that does not include the interference signals; wherein the first frequency set and the second frequency set are different frequency portions of the same time portion of the satellite signals.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first frequency set spans a sub-band of a wireless wide area network band.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more outbound signals include at least one of the following: LTE TDD ULCA (Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex Uplink Carrier Aggregation) transmission; LTE and NR5G NSA (New Radio 5G Non-Standalone) transmission; or 5G NR CA / DC (5G New Radio Carrier Aggregation / Dual Connectivity) transmission.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more outbound signals include at least one short-range wireless signal.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein in order to blank the first portion of the satellite signals, the processor is configured to replace the first portion of the satellite signals with a dither pattern of ON and OFF states of a power amplifier of the device.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to process the second portion of the satellite signals to determine the arrival time of the satellite signals at the device.

7. A satellite signal method, comprising: receiving satellite signals at a device; transmitting one or more outbound signals from the device; blanking, by the device, a first portion of the satellite signals spanning a first frequency set, the first frequency set including at least a portion of interference signals corresponding to the transmission of the one or more outbound signals by the transceiver; processing, by the device, a second portion of the satellite signals spanning a second frequency set that does not include the interference signals; wherein the first frequency set and the second frequency set are different frequency portions of the same time portion of the satellite signals.

8. The satellite signal method according to claim 7, wherein the first frequency set spans a sub-band of a wireless wide area network band.

9. The satellite signal method according to claim 8, wherein the one or more outbound signals include at least one of the following: LTE TDD ULCA (Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex Uplink Carrier Aggregation) transmission; LTE and NR5G NSA (New Radio 5G Non-Standalone) transmission; or 5G NR CA / DC (5G New Radio Carrier Aggregation / Dual Connectivity) transmission.

10. The satellite signal method according to claim 7, wherein the one or more outbound signals include at least one short-range wireless signal.

11. The satellite signal method according to claim 7, wherein blanking the first portion of the satellite signal includes replacing the first portion of the satellite signal with a dither pattern of ON and OFF states of a power amplifier of the device.

12. The satellite signal method according to claim 7, wherein processing the second portion of the satellite signal includes processing the second portion of the satellite signal to determine an arrival time of the satellite signal at the device.

13. An apparatus, comprising: means for receiving a satellite signal; means for transmitting one or more outbound signals from the device; means for blanking a first portion of the satellite signal spanning a first set of frequencies, the first set of frequencies including at least a portion of an interference signal corresponding to transmission of the one or more outbound signals by the transceiver; and means for processing a second portion of the satellite signal spanning a second set of frequencies that does not include the interference signal; wherein the first set of frequencies and the second set of frequencies are different frequency portions of the same time portion of the satellite signal.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first set of frequencies spans a sub-band of a wireless wide area network band.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the one or more outbound signals include at least one of the following: LTE TDD ULCA (Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex Uplink Carrier Aggregation) transmission; LTE and NR5G NSA (New Radio 5G Non-Standalone) transmission; or 5G NR CA / DC (5G New Radio Carrier Aggregation / Dual Connectivity) transmission.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the one or more outbound signals include at least one short-range wireless signal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the means for blanking the first portion of the satellite signal includes means for replacing the first portion of the satellite signal with a dither pattern of ON and OFF states of a power amplifier of the device.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the means for processing the second portion of the satellite signal includes means for determining an arrival time of the satellite signal at the device.

19. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium, comprising processor-readable instructions that cause a processor of a device to perform the following operations: Receive a satellite signal; Transmit one or more outbound signals from the device; Blanking a first portion of the satellite signal spanning a first set of frequencies, the first set of frequencies including at least a portion of an interference signal corresponding to transmission of the one or more outbound signals by the transceiver; Processing a second portion of the satellite signal spanning a second set of frequencies that does not include the interference signal; wherein the first set of frequencies and the second set of frequencies are different frequency portions of the same time portion of the satellite signal.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the first set of frequencies spans sub-bands of a wireless wide area network band.

21. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the one or more outbound signals include at least one of the following: LTE TDD ULCA (Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex Uplink Carrier Aggregation) transmission; LTE and NR 5G NSA (New Radio 5G Non-Standalone) transmission; or 5G NR CA / DC (5G New Radio Carrier Aggregation / Dual Connectivity) transmission.

22. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the one or more outbound signals include at least one short-range wireless signal.

23. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to blank the first portion of the satellite signal comprise: processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to replace the first portion of the satellite signal with a dither pattern of ON and OFF states of a power amplifier of the device.

24. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to process the second portion of the satellite signal comprise: processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to determine the time of arrival of the satellite signal at the device.

25. A device for measuring a satellite signal, comprising: a transceiver configured to receive a satellite signal and transmit one or more outbound signals, the satellite signal being a split-spectrum signal; a memory; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, the processor being configured to: transmit the one or more outbound signals via the transceiver; prohibit processing of at least a first portion of the satellite signal that spans a first set of frequencies, at least the first portion of the satellite signal including at least a portion of an interference signal corresponding to the transmission of the one or more outbound signals by the transceiver.

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