Method, apparatus, and computer program

Abstract

A method, computer program, and apparatus are provided for determining a first measurement reporting configuration based on at least one condition of a reporting apparatus, wherein the first measurement report configuration comprises at least one of: a list of at least one allowable window size for reporting active taps, a maximum number of windows for reporting active taps, or a maximum frequency for reporting measurement information comprising active taps; signaling the first measurement report configuration to a reporting device and a request for the reporting device to select a second measurement report configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement report configuration; receiving a measurement report from the reporting device according to the second measurement report configuration; and using at least one value included in the measurement report as an input to the artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a method, an apparatus, a system, and a computer program, and particularly, but not limited to, a location management function that uses at least one value included in a measurement report as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model. Background Art

[0002] A communication system can be regarded as a facility that enables a communication session between two or more entities (such as user terminals, base stations, and / or other nodes) by providing a carrier between various entities involved in a communication path. For example, a communication system can be provided by means of a communication network and one or more compatible communication devices. A communication session can include, for example, communication for carrying data of communication such as voice, video, email, text messages, multimedia, and / or content data. Non-limiting examples of the services provided include two-way or multi-way calls, data communication, or multimedia services, as well as access to a data network system such as the Internet.

[0003] In a wireless communication system, at least a part of a communication session between at least two stations occurs over a wireless link. Examples of wireless systems include a public land mobile network (PLMN), a satellite-based communication system, and different wireless local area networks, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN). Some wireless systems can be divided into cells and are therefore commonly referred to as cellular systems.

[0004] A user can access a communication system by means of a suitable communication device or terminal. The user's communication device can be referred to as a user equipment (UE) or a user device. The communication device is equipped with suitable signal receiving and transmitting means for enabling communication, such as enabling access to a communication network or direct communication with other users. The communication device can access a carrier provided by a station (such as a base station of a cell) and transmit and / or receive communication on the carrier.

[0005] Communication systems and associated devices typically operate according to a given standard or specification that defines what various entities associated with the system are allowed to do and how they should be implemented. Communication protocols and / or parameters used for connections are also typically defined. An example of a communication system is UTRAN (3G radio). Other examples of communication systems are the long-term evolution (LTE) of the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) radio access technology and the so-called 5G or new radio (NR) network. NR is being standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided an apparatus for a location management function, the apparatus comprising components for performing the following: determining a first measurement report configuration based on at least one condition of a reporting device, wherein the first measurement report configuration comprises at least one of the following: a list of at least one allowed window size for reporting valid taps, a maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or a maximum frequency of reporting measurement information including valid taps; signaling the first measurement report configuration to the reporting device, and a request for the reporting device to select a second measurement report configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement report configuration; receiving a measurement report from the reporting device according to the second measurement report configuration; and using at least one value included in the measurement report as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

[0007] According to a second aspect, there is provided an apparatus for a location management function, the apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including code which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to perform: determining a first measurement report configuration based on at least one condition of a reporting device, wherein the first measurement report configuration comprises at least one of the following: a list of at least one allowed window size for reporting valid taps, a maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or a maximum frequency of reporting measurement information including valid taps; signaling the first measurement report configuration to the reporting device, and a request for the reporting device to select a second measurement report configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement report configuration; receiving a measurement report from the reporting device according to the second measurement report configuration; and using at least one value included in the measurement report as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

[0008] According to a third aspect, there is provided a method for an apparatus for a location management function, the method comprising: determining a first measurement report configuration based on at least one condition of a reporting device, wherein the first measurement report configuration comprises at least one of the following: a list of at least one allowed window size for reporting valid taps, a maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or a maximum frequency of reporting measurement information including valid taps; signaling the first measurement report configuration to the reporting device, and a request for the reporting device to select a second measurement report configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement report configuration; receiving a measurement report from the reporting device according to the second measurement report configuration; and using at least one value included in the measurement report as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided an apparatus for a location management function, the apparatus comprising: a determination circuitry for determining a first measurement report configuration based on at least one condition of a reporting device, wherein the first measurement report configuration includes at least one of the following: a list of at least one allowed window size for reporting valid taps, a maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or a maximum frequency of reporting measurement information including valid taps; a signaling circuitry for signaling the first measurement report configuration to the reporting device and for requesting that the reporting device select a second measurement report configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement report configuration; a receiving circuitry for receiving a measurement report from the reporting device according to the second measurement report configuration; and a usage circuitry for using at least one value included in the measurement report as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

[0010] In all of the above aspects, using at least one value included in the measurement report as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model may further include performing: identifying the second measurement report configuration from the received measurement report; using the second measurement report configuration to reconstruct at least one of a channel impulse response or a power delay profile or a delay profile; and using at least one of the reconstructed channel impulse response or power delay profile or delay profile as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

[0011] The maximum frequency of reporting measurements may define: the maximum frequency of periodic measurement reports and / or the maximum frequency of event-based reporting.

[0012] The first measurement report configuration may configure the reporting device to report measurements periodically and / or using an event-based criterion.

[0013] The first measurement report configuration may include a plurality of third measurement report configurations, each of the third measurement report configurations being associated with a respective port.

[0014] The first measurement report configuration may include a plurality of third measurement report configurations, the third measurement report configurations relating to the same plurality of ports.

[0015] The measurement report may include: an indication of the number of windows for reporting, and for each window, the position of the start point of the window, the width of the window, and the position of the valid taps within the window.

[0016] For each window, the measurement report may further include at least one of the following: phase information of the valid taps reported in the window, amplitude information of the valid taps reported in the window, and / or the energy of the valid taps reported in the window.

[0017] For each window, the measurement report may further include: an indication of a threshold for identifying valid taps included in the window.

[0018] The reporting device may include a user equipment, and the signaling may include positioning protocol signaling.

[0019] The reporting device may include an access network node, and the signaling may include New Radio Positioning Protocol A.

[0020] At least one condition of the reporting device may include at least one of the following: the number of antenna ports, the available bandwidth available to the reporting device, the maximum number of taps to be reported by the reporting device, the maximum number of transmission reception points to be reported by the reporting device, or the type of measurement to be reported.

[0021] Determining the first measurement configuration may be based on at least one additional condition, the at least one additional condition including at least one of the following: the cell identifier to be reported, the scenario to be reported, or an indication of the quality of the data set to be used for training.

[0022] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided an apparatus for a reporting device, the apparatus including components for performing the following: receiving, from a Location Management Function (LMF), a first measurement report configuration, wherein the first measurement report configuration includes at least one of the following: a list of at least one allowed window size for reporting valid taps, the maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or the maximum frequency of reporting measurement information including valid taps; receiving, from the LMF, a request for the reporting device to select a second measurement report configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement report configuration; selecting the second measurement report configuration based on the first measurement report configuration; measuring the state of a channel between the measurement reporting device and another device; and signaling, according to the second measurement report configuration, a measurement report to the LMF, the measurement report including a value based on the measured state of the channel.

[0023] According to a sixth aspect, there is provided an apparatus for a reporting device, the apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including code which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to perform: receiving a first measurement report configuration from a Location Management Function (LMF), wherein the first measurement report configuration includes at least one of the following: a list of at least one allowed window size for reporting valid taps, a maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or a maximum frequency of reporting measurement information including valid taps; receiving a request from the LMF for the reporting device to select a second measurement report configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement report configuration; selecting the second measurement report configuration based on the first measurement report configuration; measuring the state of a channel between the reporting device and another device; and signaling a measurement report to the LMF according to the second measurement report configuration, the measurement report including a value based on the measured state of the channel.

[0024] According to a seventh aspect, there is provided a method for an apparatus of a reporting device, the method comprising: receiving a first measurement report configuration from a Location Management Function (LMF), wherein the first measurement report configuration includes at least one of the following: a list of at least one allowed window size for reporting valid taps, a maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or a maximum frequency of reporting measurement information including valid taps; receiving a request from the LMF for the reporting device to select a second measurement report configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement report configuration; selecting the second measurement report configuration based on the first measurement report configuration; measuring the state of a channel between the reporting device and another device; and signaling a measurement report to the LMF according to the second measurement report configuration, the measurement report including a value based on the measured state of the channel.

[0025] According to an eighth aspect, there is provided an apparatus for a reporting device, the apparatus comprising: receiving circuitry for receiving a first measurement report configuration from a Location Management Function (LMF), wherein the first measurement report configuration includes at least one of the following: a list of at least one allowed window size for reporting valid taps, a maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or a maximum frequency of reporting measurement information including valid taps; receiving circuitry for receiving a request from the LMF for the reporting device to select a second measurement report configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement report configuration; selection circuitry for selecting the second measurement report configuration based on the first measurement report configuration; measurement circuitry for measuring the state of a channel between the reporting device and another device; and signaling circuitry for signaling a measurement report to the LMF according to the second measurement report configuration, the measurement report including a value based on the measured state of the channel.

[0026] The maximum frequency of the reported measurement can be defined as: the maximum frequency of periodic measurement reports and / or the maximum frequency of event-based reports.

[0027] The first measurement report configuration can configure the reporting device to report measurements periodically and / or using event-based criteria.

[0028] The first measurement report configuration can include a plurality of third measurement report configurations, each of the third measurement report configurations being associated with a corresponding port, wherein the second measurement report configuration is selected from the third measurement configurations based on the port used for channel state measurement.

[0029] The first measurement report configuration can include a plurality of third measurement report configurations that relate to the same plurality of ports.

[0030] The measurement report can include: an indication of the number of windows for reporting, and for each window, the position of the start point of the window, the width of the window, and the position of the valid taps within the window.

[0031] For each window, the measurement report can further include at least one of the following: phase information of the valid taps reported in the window, amplitude information of the valid taps reported in the window, and / or the energy of the valid taps reported in the window.

[0032] For each window, the measurement report can further include: an indication of a threshold for identifying the valid taps included in the window.

[0033] The reporting device can include a user equipment, and the signaling can include positioning protocol signaling.

[0034] The reporting device can include an access network node, and the signaling can include New Radio positioning protocol A signaling.

[0035] The second report configuration can be selected to include a window size based on the measured channel state.

[0036] The second report configuration can be selected to include a reporting period based on at least one of the following: the capabilities of the reporting device, the power state of the reporting device, the available bandwidth of the reporting device, and / or the number of ports.

[0037] The first report configuration can be included in a specific function that includes a configuration set that includes at least the conditions of the reporting device and / or additional conditions.

[0038] At least one condition of the reporting device may include at least one of the following: the number of antenna ports, the available bandwidth available to the reporting device, the maximum number of taps to be reported by the reporting device, the maximum number of transmission and reception points to be reported by the reporting device, the type of measurement to be reported.

[0039] The at least one additional condition includes at least one of the following: the cell identifier to be reported, the scenario to be reported, or an indication of the quality of the data set to be used for training.

[0040] Any of the above aspects may further include performing: selecting a threshold amount x dB for identifying valid taps, where valid taps are those sample values measured within x dB of the maximum sample value.

[0041] Any of the above aspects may further include performing: selecting a threshold amount y dB for identifying valid taps, where valid taps are those sample values measured y dB above the average channel energy of the channel whose state is being measured.

[0042] According to one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the medium including program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to any of the foregoing aspects.

[0043] Above, many different embodiments have been described. It should be understood that additional embodiments may be provided by any combination of two or more of the above embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0045] Figure 1 A representation of a network system according to some example embodiments is shown;

[0046] Figure 2 A representation of a control device according to some example embodiments is shown;

[0047] Figure 3 A representation of a device according to some example embodiments is shown;

[0048] Figures 4 to 5B Example artificial intelligence and / or machine learning inputs and outputs are illustrated;

[0049] Figures 6A to 6C Channel state information as a function of taps is illustrated;

[0050] Figures 7A to 7B Example signaling between the devices described herein is illustrated;

[0051] Figure 8 Illustrates how the windowing mechanism can be applied to delay path reporting;

[0052] Figure 9 Illustrates an example report structure;

[0053] Figure 10 Illustrates an example table;

[0054] Figures 11A to 11D Illustrates example window sizes for different power delay path measurements;

[0055] Figure 12 Illustrates how the windowing mechanism can be applied to delay path reporting;

[0056] Figures 13 to 15 Illustrates an example report structure; and

[0057] Figures 16 to 17 Illustrates example operations that the apparatus described herein can perform. Detailed Description

[0058] Generally, the following relates to providing an efficient reporting mechanism for reporting measurement information to be used by a Location Management Function (LMF) in determining the location of a device. The LMF can cause the measurement information to be used as input to a trained Artificial Intelligence (AI) model and / or a Machine Learning (ML) model, where the trained AI model and / or ML model is caused to output the location of the device when provided with at least the input. The measurement information can be reported by a UE and / or an access network node (such as, for example, a gNB).

[0059] Specifically, the following discloses an LMF that can be used to select a set of configuration parameters to be used by a reporting device (e.g., a UE and / or an access network node) in reporting channel state information. The set of configuration parameters (e.g., maximum window size, maximum reporting frequency, maximum number of windows, etc.) can be selected based on the capabilities of the reporting device and / or the current bandwidth available to the reporting device. The reporting device can then use information about the current channel state (e.g., the interference currently experienced between the UE and the access network node) to select a reporting configuration from the set of configuration parameters that is actually used to report the channel state information. The reporting device then provides measurement information indicative of the current channel state by reporting measurement results using the selected reporting configuration to the LMF. The LMF can use the provided measurement information as input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model to determine the location of the UE.

[0060] More specifically, a mechanism is disclosed below that can be used to reduce the overhead for reporting channel state information (such as, for example, delay path (DP) information, power delay path (PDP) information, and / or channel impulse response (CIR) information) measured during a measurement duration from a reporting device to an LMF, relative to current mechanisms.

[0061] This can be achieved by using a window-based mechanism to send DP information.

[0062] Currently, DP information is sent using a bitmap that uses a "1" value to indicate valid taps (e.g., those measurement samples determined to be within a threshold range of the maximum measurement sample), and a "0" value to indicate invalid taps (e.g., those measurement samples determined to be outside the threshold range of the maximum measurement sample).

[0063] With the window-based mechanism, the active region in the DP information (e.g., the signal region including 1-bit values) is identified and defined as a window. It should be understood that there can be one or more windows. The first value of each defined window can include the "1" values in the DP bitmap, and the duration of each defined window can last for a certain number of taps. This certain number can be predefined by the LMF and / or selected by the UE and / or the access network node. The starting position of each window can be associated with a corresponding offset relative to an initial tap value. In the case of multiple windows, each window can have the same duration as each other (e.g., the same number of taps), or can have different durations from each other (e.g., different numbers of taps).

[0064] Subsequently, for each window, the DP information can be reported to the LMF using a bitmap that identifies the positions of the valid and invalid taps within the window, as well as the starting position of the window relative to a predefined reference point (e.g., a predefined time and / or a predefined tap). Where applicable, the length of the window can also be specified for each window. This window-based mechanism can be useful because there may be a large number of invalid taps during the measurement duration that are not signaled (e.g., not explicitly signaled) because they fall outside the duration of the (multiple) windows. This means that less bits can be used to send the valid tap information compared to when signaling a complete DP report (e.g., identifying the validity of each tap during the measurement duration).

[0065] In addition, the window-based DP report can be accompanied by phase and / or amplitude information, which can be used to reconstruct at least some parts of the CIR and / or PDP. The reconstructed CIR and / or PDP can additionally or alternatively be used as inputs to a trained AI model and / or a trained ML model to determine the location of the device. This will be described in detail below.

[0066] By allowing the reporting device to determine what reporting configuration to use (from among the reporting configuration range defined by the maximum reporting configuration described above), the reporting device can efficiently report measurement information for determining the location of the user equipment.

[0067] In the following, some embodiments are explained with reference to a mobile communication device capable of communicating via a wireless cellular system and a mobile communication system serving such a mobile communication device. Before explaining the exemplary embodiments in detail, reference is made to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , and Figure 3 briefly explain some general principles of a wireless communication system, its access system, and a mobile communication device to assist in understanding the technology behind the examples described.

[0068] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a 5G system (5GS) is shown. The 5GS may include: a terminal or user equipment (UE), a 5G radio access network (5GRAN) or next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN), a 5G core network (5GC), one or more application functions (AF), and one or more data networks (DN).

[0069] The 5G-RAN may include: one or more gNodeBs (gNBs), and one or more gNodeB distributed unit functions connected to the centralized unit function of one or more gNodeBs (gNBs).

[0070] The 5GC may include the following entities: a network slice selection function (NSSF); a network exposure function; a network repository function (NRF); a policy control function (PCF); a unified data management (UDM); an application function (AF); an authentication server function (AUSF); an access and mobility management function (AMF); and a session management function (SMF). Figure 1 Also shown are the various interfaces (N1, N2, etc.) that can be implemented between the elements of the system.

[0071] Figure 2 Illustrated for controlling as Figure 1An example of a control device 200 for the functions of the 5G RAN or 5G Core Network (5GC) shown. The control device may include at least one Random Access Memory (RAM) 211a, at least one Read Only Memory (ROM) 211b, at least one processor 212, 213, and an input / output interface 214. The at least one processor 212, 213 may be coupled to the RAM 211a and the ROM 211b. The at least one processor 212, 213 may be configured to execute appropriate software code 215. The software code 215 may, for example, permit the execution of one or more steps to perform one or more aspects in this regard. The software code 215 may be stored in the ROM 211b. The control device 200 may be interconnected with another control device 200 that controls another function of the 5G RAN or 5GC. In some embodiments, each function of the 5G RAN or 5GC includes a control device 200. In alternative embodiments, two or more functions of the 5G RAN or 5GC may share a control device.

[0072] Figure 3 An example of a terminal 300 is illustrated, such as Figure 1 the terminal shown. The terminal 300 may be provided by any device capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals. Non-limiting examples include user equipment, mobile station (MS) or mobile device (such as a mobile phone or so-called'smartphone'), a computer equipped with a wireless interface card or other wireless interface facilities (e.g., a USB dongle), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or tablet computer equipped with wireless communication capabilities, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) device, an Internet of Things (IoT) type communication device, or any combination of these devices, etc. The terminal 300 may provide, for example, communication for carrying data of the communication. The communication may be one or more of voice, email, text message, multimedia, data, machine data, etc.

[0073] The terminal 300 may receive signals via an appropriate device for reception over the air or radio interface 307, and may transmit signals via an appropriate device for transmitting radio signals. In Figure 3 this case, the transceiver device is schematically represented by block 306. The transceiver device 306 may be provided, for example, by means of radio components and an associated antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement may be disposed inside or outside the mobile device.

[0074] The terminal 300 may be equipped with at least one processor 301, at least one memory ROM 302a, at least one RAM 302b, and other possible components 303 for software and hardware assistance in performing the tasks it is designed to perform, including controlling access to and communication with access systems and other communication devices. At least one processor 301 is coupled to RAM 302b and ROM 302a. At least one processor 301 may be configured to execute appropriate software code 308. The software code 308 may, for example, allow the execution of one or more aspects in this aspect. The software code 308 may be stored in ROM 302a.

[0075] The processor, storage device, and other related control devices may be provided on a suitable circuit board and / or chipset. This feature is denoted by reference numeral 304. The device may optionally have a user interface, such as a keypad 305, a touch-sensitive screen or touchpad, a combination thereof, etc. Depending on the type of device, one or more of a display, a speaker, and a microphone may be optionally provided.

[0076] For several different reasons, it is important to determine the location of a determining device (e.g., a UE and / or a mobile access network node). For example, the location of the UE may affect the services available to the UE, the physical resources (e.g., time and / or frequency resources) available for the UE to communicate via a network access node (such as a gNB), handover decisions, etc.

[0077] To determine the location of a device, 3GPP has previously introduced specific functions in the core of the core network that can be used to determine (or otherwise enable the determination of) the location of a device. This function is called the Location Management Function (LMF).

[0078] Since a large amount of data may be available for determining the location of a device, 3GPP has been considering deploying artificial learning (AI) and / or machine learning (ML) mechanisms to determine the location of a device (e.g., see 3GPP TR 38.843). These AI and / or ML (AL / ML) mechanisms can be used for "direct AI / ML positioning" (where the AI / ML model output includes the determined location of the device) and / or "AI / ML assisted positioning" (where the AI / ML model output includes new measurements for determining the location of the device and / or enhancements to existing measurements for determining the location of the device (e.g., line-of-sight / non-line-of-sight identification, measurement time and / or angle, measurement likelihood, etc.)).

[0079] The following relates to direct AI / ML positioning, where the AI / ML model providing the output is located at a network function (such as the LMF), and where at least one input to the model includes measurements determined by the device (e.g., a UE) whose location is to be determined and / or by a network access node (e.g., a gNB).

[0080] Generally, an AI / ML mechanism includes at least one of the following: a data collection process, a training process, or an inference process.

[0081] During the data collection process, data is collected by at least one of a network node, a management entity, or a UE for AI / ML model training, data analysis, and / or an inference process.

[0082] During the training process, an AI / ML model is trained in a data-driven model (e.g., to learn input / output relationships) to obtain a trained AI / ML model for the inference process.

[0083] During the inference process, the trained AI / ML model is used to generate an output set based on an input set. In other words, the trained AI / ML model is configured to: during the inference process, use the learned input / output relationships to convert the provided input of the trained AI / ML model into an output.

[0084] Recently, 3GPP has agreed to use an indication of the current channel conditions when determining the location of a device. The current channel conditions (e.g., state, channel state, etc.) can be determined using measurements performed by an access network node (e.g., measurements performed by a gNB on a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmitted by a UE) and / or using measurements performed by a UE (e.g., by performing measurements on a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted by an access network node). For clarity and conciseness, it can be understood that the following only relates to operations performed by a UE when reporting measurement information to an LMF, and these operations can also be performed by an access network node (where the measurement information refers to measurement information related to measurements performed on an SRS and not measurement information related to measurements performed on a PRS).

[0085] According to the model location, channel state information (which will be further discussed below with respect to channel impulse response (CIR), power delay profile (PDP), and / or delay profile (DP)) is fed back to the corresponding node where the model will be deployed.

[0086] This is as Figure 4 shown in FIG. 5.

[0087] More specifically, when the channel state information is to be reported to a network entity (e.g., a radio access network entity such as a gNB and / or a location management function (LMF)) for use as a model input for training and inference, as Figure 4 shown.

[0088] Figure 4Illustrated is the measurement information 401 that is input as an inference output to the direct AI / ML positioning algorithm 402. The UE location is output by the direct AI / ML positioning algorithm 402 using the measurement information 401. The measurement information may include channel state information.

[0089] Figure 5A and Figure 5B respectively illustrate two positioning scenarios where the AI / ML model is located at the LMF and uses feedback from the UE ( Figure 5A ) or an access network node (e.g., gNB, Figure 5B ) as input. Among other feedback information, CIR, PDP, and DP are considered possible feedback information.

[0090] Figure 5A Illustrated is an example where the UE 502 performs measurements on a downlink positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted by the transmission reception point 501 to determine the location of the UE 502. The result of the positioning measurement 503 is provided to the LMF 504 to be used as input to the AI / ML model to determine the location of the UE 502. The AI / ML model outputs the location 505, and the location 505 indicates the location of the UE 502.

[0091] Figure 5B Illustrated is an example where the gNB 501’ performs measurements on a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted by the UE 502’ to determine the location of the UE 502’. The result of the positioning measurement 503’ is provided to the LMF 504’ to be used as input to the AI / ML model to determine the location of the UE 502’. The AI / ML model outputs the location 505’, and the location 505’ indicates the location of the UE 502’.

[0092] Although there are several existing parameters indicating the channel state and thus can be used as channel state information (such as, for example, reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received path power (RSRPP), and / or reference signal time difference (RSTD)), according to RAN1 AI / ML (Rel-18) for air interface research, at least one of the channel impulse response (CIR), power delay profile (PDP), or delay profile (DP) can be used as input to the AI / ML model to determine the location of the device. These will be further described below.

[0093] The Channel Impulse Response (CIR) is a concept used to describe the behavior of a communication channel. The CIR is a mathematical function that describes how a signal propagates through a communication channel. More specifically, the CIR is a mathematical function that describes the response of a communication channel to a short pulse or impulse. The channel impulse response represents the time-domain response of the channel to the impulse response of the channel and can be used to predict how a signal will be distorted as it propagates through the channel. The CIR is typically represented as a sequence of values corresponding to different times. These values are called taps, and they represent the amplitude and phase of the channel's response at each time. The CIR can be measured using various techniques, depending on the type of communication channel and the available equipment. Typically, the CIR is measured by sending a short pulse or impulse into the channel and observing the response at the receiver. The CIR includes a list of measurements, where each measurement contains the following information: (a) delay, (b) power, and (c) phase.

[0094] The Power Delay Profile (PDP) is a representation of the functional relationship between the power of a received signal and its delay and characterizes the time-varying channel impulse response between a transmitter and a receiver. Thus, it can be said that the PDP quantifies the strength and timing of different propagation paths. In a power delay profile plot, the signal power of each multipath is plotted against its corresponding propagation delay.

[0095] To measure the PDP, one method is to transmit a known signal and then correlate the received signal with a copy of the transmitted signal with different time offsets. This correlation process produces the channel impulse response, which represents the response of the channel to an impulse-like input. The square of the magnitude of the impulse response provides the power delay distribution.

[0096] The PDP includes a list of measurements, where each measurement contains the following information: (a) delay, and (b) power.

[0097] The Delay Profile (DP) represents a degraded version of the PDP as it does not include power-delay information. The DP provides information about the delay, time dispersion, multipath components, and fading effects experienced by the transmitted signal. The DP includes a list of measurements, where each measurement contains the following information: (a) delay.

[0098] In existing DP proposals, the reporting is performed as follows.

[0099] First, the PDP is evaluated at the UE. A threshold (referred to herein as the "preconfigured threshold") can be used to determine all channel taps (e.g., all measurement samples) that are x dB below the maximum channel tap. This can help ensure that only the stronger taps are used to determine the location of the UE. The taps that fall within the threshold are called "valid taps" and correspond to the taps that the UE is to report to the network.

[0100] Secondly, after determining the valid taps, a bitmap of all zeros with a length equal to the number of taps used is created. The length can be configured by the LMF or agreed upon between the LMF and the UE / gNB.

[0101] Thirdly, in the bitmap, a "1" is introduced at the corresponding positions where the associated channel power is higher than the estimated threshold. In other words, the bitmap is modified such that the valid taps are represented as "1" and the remaining taps are represented as "0". Then, this information is fed back to the LMF, which uses the bitmap as the model input for the AI / ML model to estimate the location. Thus, when there are N t taps in the PDP estimate, a DP report bitmap of length N t is sent to the LMF for use in the model.

[0102] In other words, for the DP report, only those taps that exceed the preconfigured threshold are represented as "1" in the bitmap provided to the LMF. For example, if the number of channel taps (which is typically less than the cyclic prefix (CP)) has 256 samples, the DP report includes a 256-bit sequence where "1" is at the points where the channel strength is greater than the preconfigured threshold. Thus, even if there are fewer valid taps, a maximum 256-bit length sequence can be sent, which is mapped to the positions with valid peaks exceeding the preconfigured threshold. Optionally, the maximum number of reports can be set to another number (e.g., 128 or 64), which can reduce the maximum number of bits used for reporting. However, this reduction will correspond to truncation of the reported values, and thus some information may be lost.

[0103] Whether CIR, PDP, and / or DP are used for location positioning can depend on their performance impact and the associated signaling overhead of using the new measurements (e.g., CIR / PDP / DP).

[0104] Figures 6A to 6C Illustrated separately are the overheads in the channel state information (CSI) resulting from an increasing number of taps, which can be attributed to each of CIR, PDP, and DP.

[0105] As shown in these figures, CIR incurs the highest overhead, followed by PDP, and then DP. This is because, in the CIR report, the time-domain channel observed by the UE or gNB is fed back to the LMF together with the phase and amplitude information. In contrast, in the PDP report, only the amplitude information is fed back to the LMF, thus reducing the overhead relative to the CIR report. Different from PDP and CIR, DP only provides the positions of the main channel taps without providing additional power and / or phase information, which reduces the CSI overhead relative to the PDP and / or CIR reports while maintaining the same power level for all valid channel taps.

[0106] In other words, considering the CIR, PDP, and DP, for a given set of parameters (e.g., the number of transmission and reception points, the number of ports, the number of time-domain samples, etc.):

[0107] · The CIR has the largest measurement size, where the CIR includes a list of measurements, and each measurement contains the following information: (a) delay, (b) power, and (c) phase;

[0108] · The PDP has a measurement size smaller than that of the CIR, where the PDP includes a list of measurements, and each measurement contains the following information: (a) delay, and (b) power; and

[0109] · The DP has the smallest measurement size, where the DP includes a list of measurements, and each measurement contains the following information: (a) delay.

[0110] Section 6.2.4 of TR 38.843 considers how a reduction in the number of evaluation numbers used as inputs to a trained AI / ML model affects the positioning accuracy.

[0111] For example, for direct AI / ML positioning evaluation, using Nt consecutive time-domain samples as model inputs, the evaluation results show that when using the CIR, PDP, or DP as model inputs and using different Nt while keeping other parameters unchanged,

[0112] · Reducing Nt from 256 to 128 does not significantly reduce the positioning accuracy, while the measurement size and signaling overhead are reduced to (about) 1 / 2 of Nt = 256.

[0113] · The positioning error at Nt = 128 is 0.81 to 1.19 times that at Nt = 256;

[0114] · Reducing Nt from 256 to 64 - 32 may reduce the positioning accuracy, while the measurement size and signaling overhead are reduced to (about) 1 / 4 - 1 / 8 of Nt = 256, respectively.

[0115] · The positioning error at Nt = 64 is 0.88 to 3.00 times that at Nt = 256;

[0116] · The positioning error at Nt = 32 is 1.05 to 4.29 times that at Nt = 256;

[0117] where the change in positioning accuracy depends on the complexity of the AI / ML model.

[0118] For direct AI / ML positioning, the evaluation of positioning accuracy during model inference is affected by the model input type and the complexity of AI / ML. For a given AI / ML model design, there is a trade-off among the model input, the complexity of AI / ML (model complexity and computational complexity), and the positioning accuracy.

[0119] Currently, there is no defined process and / or signaling that can be used to specify how to deliver channel state information (such as, for example, CIR / PDP / DP) from the UE to the network. CIR and PDP are typically truncated after a certain number of taps (where the number can be determined based on the specific sampling rate used and the expected use case). However, such transactions can be challenging and result in information loss.

[0120] More specifically, the transaction-based approach truncates the reported data after a certain number of taps, which is beneficial for saving network resources (as it limits the overhead for signaling). However, due to the dynamic nature of the radio channel, it is difficult to define the heuristic nature of these methods (such as when determining which thresholds to apply). Therefore, it may be difficult to determine for different scenarios: how the network configures the UE for the transmission of channel-related information, how the UE selects an appropriate window and corresponding energy to report channel-related information, and whether the LMF can consider the UE capabilities (antenna ports, bandwidth) to define the reporting configuration.

[0121] 3GPP considered the concepts of using heuristic methods and codebooks to handle large measurement reports by quantifying the reporting entries while minimizing the quantization loss. More specifically, 3GPP considered configuring the LMF to select a quantization codebook for transmitting measurement values from the reporting device (such as, for example, the UE and / or gNB) to the LMF.

[0122] Compared with the previously considered methods, the following provides flexibility for the reporting device (such as, for example, the UE and / or access network node) to adjust and configure an appropriate reporting configuration based on the instantaneous channel conditions. Specifically, the mechanisms discussed below provide a trade-off between overhead and complexity using window-specific energy reporting.

[0123] More specifically, the reporting device determines whether there are clusters in the DP report in which there are a large number of consecutive "0"s (e.g., a large number of taps that are not considered to fall within the threshold of the maximum tap value). The gaps between these large numbers of "0"s are hereinafter referred to as "windows". Each window includes at least two non-zero entries (e.g., each window includes at least two valid taps). The reporting device creates a bitmap for each window, and for that window, the bitmap indicates the positions of the valid taps within the window relative to the start of the window. The reporting device can provide an indication of the position of the window within the duration of the measurement being performed, and when the window size is not predefined, can additionally provide the corresponding window size. In other words, the reporting device can provide an offset representing the position of the start of the window relative to a predefined start point, and can additionally provide the corresponding size of the window. The selection and size of the window can be based on the capabilities of the reporting device and the observed RF conditions.

[0124] Accordingly, at least one procedure of the UE is described below, which is used to report channel-related information when the channel-related information is to be used as at least one input to an AI / ML model operating on the network side, so that an appropriate reporting configuration can be adjusted based on the UE capabilities and the available bandwidth.

[0125] In other words, the following relates to the UE and / or the access network node, which can dynamically adjust the reporting configuration based on the observed channel. The reporting configuration adapted by the UE and / or the access network node can be adapted and / or selected from the reporting configuration provided to the entity by the LMF. The provided reporting configuration can include information indicating the maximum and / or minimum values of the parameters that can be used for the reporting configuration actually used by the UE and / or the access network node. Accordingly, an efficient procedure for reporting delay distribution information is provided, such that a variable number of overhead bits can be used to report the channel state information. This can reduce the transmitted bits relative to the current procedure.

[0126] More specifically, a method is proposed below, which enables reducing the overhead generated by reporting by selecting and reporting the valid taps present in multiple windows of the DP execution. This can significantly reduce the overhead compared to the existing DP reporting scheme. In addition, the power observed on each window can be reported below to improve the estimation performance.

[0127] This is as Figures 7A to 13 shown.

[0128] In Figure 7A the example, the AI / ML model runs on the network side (e.g., at the LMF) and uses channel data (e.g., CIR / PDP / DP) to train the model or perform inference.

[0129] Figure 7AIllustrates the signaling that can be performed between UE 701 and LMF 702.

[0130] During 7001, LMF 701 determines the measurement report configuration to be applied by UE 702.

[0131] The measurement report configuration can include, for example, the measurement window size and / or the maximum number of measurement windows. The measurement report configuration can be based on UE capabilities and / or UE bandwidth.

[0132] The LMF can configure different levels of reporting based on UE capabilities (e.g., the number of ports available to the UE) and provide a list of possible reporting configurations for common CIR / PPD / DP profiles / port-specific / all-port reports.

[0133] The LMF can configure the reporting period of the UE (e.g., aperiodic / semi-persistent / on-demand, etc.).

[0134] Several reporting structures for reporting delay distribution information from the UE to the LMF are discussed below. Contrary to the above example, the described reporting structures do not use bit patterns to indicate the position of taps exceeding a specific threshold. Parameters common to all the described reporting structures are described below.

[0135] · N W Is the number of bits that limits the number of windows used for the reporting process.

[0136] · W i Is the window size, e.g., the size of the DP bit string including "1" and "0", which indicates when the measurement sample exceeds a specific threshold (or is within it) (such as, for example,

[0137] Within x dB of the maximum sample value, and / or within y dB of the average sample value).

[0138] ○ The length of the window can be from a fixed set, such as where the selection of the window requires bits.

[0140] ○ Alternatively, any size of the window can be used, e.g.,

[0141] which uses log2 N t bits to notify the window length.

[0142] · O i = log2 N t bits are used to report the offset applied to the window.

[0143] · Corresponds to that by W iTotal energy observed in the CIR within the defined window.

[0144] In the first reporting structure, it is assumed that N W = 2 windows are used to report the DP. In this reporting structure, the entity creating the DP information can choose one or two windows to report the DP information. Thus, indicating the number of windows (“0” or “1”) uses 1 bit, where “1” is for two windows and “0” is for one window.

[0145] The window size can be arbitrarily selected from a set of fixed values, which can be agreed upon or signaled between the LMF and the gNB or UE. For example, the list can be or Each list uses bits for reporting.

[0146] Thus, after having the possible window list at the gNB or UE, using the positioning reference signal as the input for CIR generation, a DP profile is created at the generating entity (e.g., the UE), and this CIR generation is used to create the delay distribution information.

[0147] The selection of the window chosen by the UE or gNB can be indicated to the LMF 702 using bits. Thus, to report the DP using the window scheme, the following method can be performed.

[0148] First, the UE uses the PRS to obtain the CIR / PDP estimate.

[0149] Second, using the estimated CIR / PDP, the UE uses a preconfigured threshold to determine the DP mode. As described above, the DP mode includes a bit string of “1”s and “0”s of length N t .

[0150] Third, the entity creating the DP mode uses the first significant bit (e.g., “1”) to determine the position of the first window. The starting position of the first window is offset from the starting position of the sampling period by a certain number of taps. This is shown as O1 in Figure 8 . The first window is labeled w1 in Figure 8 and has a width of a certain number of taps. Initially, the entity creating the DP mode determines whether it is efficient to group all the valid taps within a single window (e.g., because they are relatively closely clustered together). When it is determined that grouping all the taps together is efficient, the entity creating the DP mode defines the window. When it is determined that grouping all the taps together is inefficient, the entity creating the DP mode determines whether it is effective to group all the valid taps into two windows.

[0151] In other words, the entity creating the DP mode (e.g., the UE) can continue to identify the second offset as shown inFigure 8 as shown by O2 in

[0152] By assuming two windows, the DP information can be provided using a reduced number of bits relative to the current reporting scheme.

[0153] Figure 8 An example of using two windows is illustrated in

[0154] Figure 9 where the first window is offset O1 from the start of the sampling period and has a width of w1 taps, and the second window is offset O2 from the start of the sampling period and has a width of w2 taps. w The value represented by N Figure 9 indicates the number of windows included in the signaling of

[0155] At 901, information for reporting the first window is indicated. This first window information 901 includes: an indication of the first offset O1 (e.g., the starting position of the first window from the first tap associated with the reported sampling period, in terms of the number of taps), an indication of the first window width w1 (in terms of the number of taps), and a data pattern ([1, 0, 0, 1, 0,....]) that identifies the positions of the valid taps included in the first window only within the first window. For example, the first offset to be reported to the LMF is reported using log2N t bits. The first window width can be reported using the window index used in list W, so B W bits are used to report the window index value representing the window length for the first window (e.g., the length of the data pattern). Then, the validity of each bit within the window duration is determined using the length bit pattern indicated by the index value B W

[0156] Similarly, at 902, information for reporting the second window is indicated. This second window information 902 includes an indication of the second offset O2 (e.g., the starting position of the second window from the first tap associated with the reported sampling period, in terms of the number of taps), an indication of the second window width w2 (in terms of the number of taps), and a data pattern ([1, 0, 1]) that identifies the positions of the valid taps included in the second window only within the second window.

[0157] Depending on the number of windows determined to be used, more information can be added. For example, at 903, information for reporting the nth window is indicated. This nth window information 903 includes an indication of the second offset O n (e.g., the starting position of the second window from the first tap associated with the reported sampling period, in terms of the number of taps), the second window width w​n An indication (in terms of the number of taps), and a data pattern ([1, 0, 0,...]) that identifies the positions of the valid taps included in the second window only within the second window.

[0158] The total number of bits used by window DP for "i ∈ {1, 2,..., N W}" windows can be calculated as follows.

[0159]

[0160] The maximum value of this total is comparable to the worst-case conventional DP reported value. However, this total can be much smaller than the DP overhead of N t bits.

[0161] The list of possible windows can be pre-configured at the UE or signaled in a look-up table (LUT). An example LUT is as Figure 10 shown.

[0162] Figures 11A to 11D Illustrates how to represent PDP as DP using different window sizes.

[0163] For example, Figure 11A Illustrates 3 diagrams. The first diagram shows the PDP (or CIR) diagram / measurement to be converted to DP. The second diagram shows the DP diagram using a window size selected from the set of selected window sizes {1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 218}. It should be understood that any predefined window size can be used. The third diagram shows the DP diagram using any window size (e.g., from 1 to 128 in this example).

[0164] As another example, Figure 11B Illustrates 3 diagrams. The first diagram shows the PDP (or CIR) diagram / measurement to be converted to DP. The second diagram shows the DP diagram using two window sizes selected from the set of selected window sizes {1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 218}. It should be understood that any predefined window size can be used. The third diagram shows the DP diagram using two windows selected from any window size (e.g., from 1 to 128 in this example).

[0165] As another example, Figure 11CThree charts are illustrated. The first chart shows the PDP (or CIR) chart / measurement to be converted to DP. The second chart shows the DP chart using two window sizes selected from the selected window sizes of the set {1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 218}. It should be understood that any predefined window size can be used. The third chart shows the DP chart using two windows selected from any window size (e.g., 1 to 128 in this example).

[0166] As another example, Figure 11D Three charts are illustrated. The first chart shows the PDP (or CIR) chart / measurement to be converted to DP. The second chart shows the DP chart using two window sizes selected from the selected window sizes of the set {1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 218}. It should be understood that any predefined window size can be used. The third chart shows the DP chart using two windows selected from any window size (e.g., 1 to 128 in this example).

[0167] Compare Figures 11A to 11D , compared to all combinations, a fixed window size with eight different window size options produces a different number of overhead bits for transmitting the combination of window size and valid taps. The fixed version uses 3 bits to notify the window size, and in this example, the window size is limited to 8 options. In contrast, the variable window size option (which uses 128 (N t ) different window size options) has better coverage and higher overhead to report the window size used, e.g., log2N t bits. The number of overhead bits can be different in different cases (e.g., compared to the variable window size, the fixed window size can be determined to be better in a few cases, and vice versa).

[0168] After the UE or gNB configures the maximum number of windows to be used in the network or LMF configuration, the UE or gNB may not have to use the configured maximum number of windows. Based on overhead reduction, the UE or gNB can arbitrarily select the number of windows for reporting. Exhaustive search can also be used to determine the best combination of window size and the number of reporting windows.

[0169] Therefore, in FIG. 11, it can be seen that the number of bits used by the generating entity (which is the UE or gNB) to report the same delay distribution is reduced. The overall reduction in the number of bits depends entirely on the number of window sizes provided by the LMF for selection.

[0170] Another reporting structure is as shown with respect to Figures 12 to 13 shown.

[0171] In Figures 12 to 13In the example, the UE provides the quantized power levels of the channel taps within each window to improve the reconstruction on the LMF side for model input. For example, the window-specific total channel tap power can be provided. Thus, the feedback entity (e.g., the UE in this example) can additionally provide information about the total energy observed within the window to help the LMF-side model achieve better estimation accuracy.

[0172] The proposed method reduces the overall feedback bit count without degrading performance. The overhead involved in feeding back additional power information significantly increases the overhead, which scales with the number of bits used to report the power levels, i.e., N t ×ρ bits, where ρ represents the number of bits used to report the tap power levels. A similar approach can also be used for the proposed scheme.

[0173] Figure 13 Illustrates the reporting structure reported by the DP, which includes Figure 12 the additional window-level power shown in Figure 13 In w the value represented by N Figure 13 indicates the number of windows included in the signaling of

[0174] Relative to Figure 9 , in addition to including information about window offset, width, and valid tap positions, Figure 13 the reporting structure in Nw 2 also includes σ

[0175] For its corresponding window, which indicates the power levels of the taps included in the window.

[0176] The power levels can correspond to the power observed within the corresponding window. For example, the value of the power level can correspond to the total power evaluated over all taps within the corresponding window that exceed a threshold (e.g., in other words, the power level can correspond to the sum of the measured powers of all taps).

[0177] Figure 14 Illustrates another example reporting structure. In Figure 14 the value represented by N w indicates the number of windows included in the signaling of Figure 14 In the example of Figure 14 , in addition to reporting the DP (with or without σ Nw 2, other than those not shown), the reporting structure can also be used to provide CIR and / or PDP feedback (e.g., the phase and / or amplitude of the effective taps). In Figure 14 In the example of, x i，j represents the power or channel tap observations within window i, and the valid sample j in window i. As shown, since the positions of the effective taps are already included in the reporting structure, results below the threshold used to identify the effective taps are not sent.

[0178] Figure 15 FIG. illustrates another example reporting structure. In Figure 15 In this example of, the LMF can enforce reporting using a fixed number of windows, and the UE reports using a fixed number of windows configured by the LMF. However, the size of each window can be determined by the UE or the gNB. The size of the window can be based on, for example, the energy concentration of the CIR / PDP profile (e.g., such that window-specific energy reporting can facilitate model inference at the LMF), and / or based on reducing the overhead involved in the reporting. Figure 15 This example of is different from the example of Figure 13 because Figure 15 uses a fixed number of windows, while Figure 13 does not use a fixed number of windows (e.g., Figure 13 an example involving a variable number of windows). This means that the signaling of Figure 15 does not include the value of N w .

[0179] Therefore, the selection of the report can be performed by the UE according to the channel conditions, as shown in Figure 15 .

[0180] During 7002, the LMF 702 signals the UE 701. This signaling can include a request for the UE to perform measurements to obtain measurement results that can be used to determine the location of the UE 701 (where the measurement results can be used to determine the location of the UE 701 when the LMF is configured to use the measurement results to determine the location of the UE). The request can be included in a Location Positioning Protocol (LPP) message that includes the reporting configuration determined during 7001. The UE can be configured to select at least one configuration for reporting the measurement results to the UE based on the current network configuration to select an appropriate setting that reflects the UE and RF conditions. The reporting configuration can also be part of function-based Lifecycle Management (LCM). Function-based LCM is a framework for handling LCM operations of AI / ML-controlled air interface mechanisms, such as monitoring and inference. In other words, function-based LCM refers to those configurations facilitated by AI / ML functions.

[0181] In other words, during 7002, the LMF 702 signals a request for the UE 701 to request a window selection and shares window configurations to report at least one of CIR, PDP, and / or DP.

[0182] During 7003, the UE performs and calculates layer 1 (e.g., physical layer) measurements on reference signals received from a network access node (e.g., PRS). The UE 701 processes at least one of CIR, PDP, and / or DP based on the measurement results obtained from these measurements.

[0183] During 7004, the UE 701 determines (e.g., selects) a window size for reporting the measurement results (e.g., CIR, PDP, and / or DP) of 7003. This selection can be based on the information provided during 7002.

[0184] The UE can select a corresponding threshold for each window to determine the DP profile and the corresponding total power based on the usefulness of the channel taps. The threshold can be window-specific, which changes the DP profile within each window.

[0185] The UE can determine the window by implementing a window algorithm. The UE can implement the window algorithm as follows.

[0186] First, the UE uses the positioning reference signal to estimate the CIR / PDP.

[0187] Second, the UE applies a threshold based on certain conditions, such as x dB below the maximum tap or y dB above the average channel energy.

[0188] Third, the UE generates a DP report (denoted as d), where "1" in the DP report corresponds to those sampling points that exceed the threshold, and the rest of the bits in the report are set to zero.

[0189] Fourth, the edges and isolated points are obtained by performing a double-differential operation on the DP report. The "edges" can be regarded as the potential start and / or end positions of the window. For example, after applying the window "011111000" to the filter "-1,-1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,-1,0,0". The "isolated points" can be regarded as including the bit value "1" that is surrounded by the bit value "0". In other words, the isolated points can include the taps that exceed the threshold (e.g., this is a valid tap) and do not have any adjacent valid taps. For example, after applying "0001000" to the filter "0,0,0,-1,2,-1,0,0,0". For example, this can be achieved by convolving the DP report with the filter g = [-1, 2, -1]. The resulting output of this filter (e.g., f = d * g) has the following behavior:

[0190] a. f == 2 represents an isolated point.

[0191] b. f == 1 represents an edge point.

[0192] Therefore, f == 1 can be marked as an edge as a transition point.

[0193] When the count of transition points is odd, the DP report array can include an additional "0", and / or a pair of adjacent values can be considered as a block of consecutive "1"s.

[0194] Using edge points and isolated points, possible window positions can be determined. Then, the possible window positions can be analyzed to select a window configuration (and a DP report configuration) to be used for reporting DP values. In other words, the identified edge points and isolated points are used to perform an exhaustive search on possible window options, and the possible window options can be used to determine the DP report configuration.

[0195] During 7005, the UE 701 signals the LMF 702. This signaling can include measurement results (e.g., CIR, PDP, and / or DP) to be reported using the selected window of 7004 and the report configuration of 7002. The signaling can be performed using LPP signaling.

[0196] In a variant of 7005, during 7005, the UE can report to the LMF using a maximum request window instead of reporting measurements using a variable number of windows smaller than the maximum request window.

[0197] During 7006, the LMF 702 uses the information signaled during 7005 and uses the report configuration of the selected model input to reconstruct at least one of CIR, PDP, and / or DP. Reconstructing at least one of CIR and / or PDP and / or DP to be used as input can ensure that the same type (and size) of input is always used as the input for the AI / ML model.

[0198] Figure 7B Another example is illustrated, where the AI / ML model runs on the network side (e.g., at the LMF) and uses channel data (e.g., CIR / PPD / DP) to train the model or make inferences from the network access node 701' (e.g., gNB).

[0199] Figure 7B The signaling that can be performed between the network access node 701' and the LMF 702' is illustrated.

[0200] During 7001', the LMF 702' determines the measurement report configuration to be applied by the network access node 702'. This can be as described above regarding Figure 7Aas described for the UE, where the reference to the UE is replaced by a network access node, and the reference to the PRS is replaced by a sounding reference signal sent by the UE whose location is to be determined.

[0201] During 7002’, the LMF 702’ signals the network access node 701’. This signaling may include a request for the network access node to perform measurements to obtain measurement results that can be used to determine the location of the network access node 701’ (where the measurement results can be used to determine the location of the network access node 701’ when the LMF is configured to use the measurement results to determine the location of the network access point). The request may be included in a New Radio Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) message that includes the reporting configuration determined during 7001’. The network access node may be configured to select at least one configuration for reporting measurement results to the network access node based on the current network configuration to select appropriate settings that reflect the network access node and RF conditions.

[0202] In other words, during 7002’, the LMF 702’ signals the network access node 701’ with a request for the network access node to select a window and shares the window configuration to report at least one of CIR, PDP, and / or DP.

[0203] During 7003’, the network access node performs and calculates layer 1 (e.g., physical layer) measurements on the reference signal received from the network access node (e.g., PRS). The network access node 701’ processes at least one of CIR, PDP, and / or DP based on the measurement results obtained from these measurement calculations.

[0204] During 7004’, the network access node 701’ determines (e.g., selects) the window size for reporting the measurement results (e.g., CIR, PDP, and / or DP) of 7003’. This selection may be based on the information provided during 7002’.

[0205] The network access node may select a corresponding threshold for each window to determine the DP profile and the corresponding total power based on the usefulness of the channel taps. The threshold may be window-specific, which changes the DP profile within each window.

[0206] During 7005’, the network access node 701’ signals the LMF 702’. This signaling may include the measurement results (e.g., CIR, PDP, and / or DP) to be reported using the selected window of 7004’ and the reporting configuration of 7002’. The signaling may be performed using the NRPPa protocol.

[0207] In a variant of 7005’, during 7005’, instead of using a variable number of windows smaller than the maximum request window, the network access node can use the maximum request window to report to the LMF. This can help ensure that the reporting overhead from the UE to the LMF is always less than or equal to the reporting overhead from the gNB to the LMF.

[0208] During 7006’, the LMF 702’ uses the information signaled during 7005’ and the reporting configuration of the selected model input to reconstruct at least one of CIR, PDP, and / or DP. This can be performed for the reasons described above in connection with 7006.

[0209] In Figures 7A to 7B all of the above examples, the reporting structure can vary based on the number of ports to be reported.

[0210] More specifically, when a port is mapped to multiple antennas (e.g., each port is considered a beam), the DP profile (e.g., window start position, window length, etc.) can be different for each port or the same for two or more ports (e.g., the same for all ports). For example, each port (e.g., each beam) can have a DP reporting profile that is determined independently of the (multiple) determination of the DP reporting profiles of other ports. As another example, at least two ports (e.g., all ports) can have the same DP reporting profile that is determined dependently on each other.

[0211] When a port is mapped to only one antenna, since they are spatially correlated, the DP profile is common to all antennas. In this case, only the energy seen by each antenna can be provided as a separate entity.

[0212] Below regarding Figures 16 to 17 illustrates the features of the above examples. Thus, it can be understood that the following features can correspond functionally to the above features, especially in cases where the same terms are used.

[0213] Figure 16 illustrates operations that a device for a Location Management Function (LMF) can perform. The device can be included as a function in a 5G core network. The device can be included as part of an access network node (e.g., gNB). The device can be as described above in connection with Figure 2 described.

[0214] During 1601, the device determines a first measurement reporting configuration based on at least one condition of the reporting device, where the first measurement reporting configuration includes at least one of the following: a list of at least one allowed window size for reporting valid taps, the maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or the maximum frequency for reporting measurement information including valid taps. The reporting device can be Figure 17 the reporting device of

[0215] Taps (including valid taps) can be as described above. For example, a tap can be considered a representation of the delay and / or attenuation in the time domain of at least one of CIR, PDP, or DP (which is the result of distortion caused by the influence of surrounding objects and mobility). A valid tap can correspond to a measurement sample located within x dB of the maximum sample value or within y dB of the average energy of the channel.

[0216] Windows can be as described in the above examples. For example, a single window can represent a time interval less than a specific measurement interval (e.g., less than the specified duration for performing measurements, where the specified duration is defined in the first measurement reporting configuration). In other words, a single window can correspond to a sub - portion (e.g., not all) of all DP taps identified during a specific measurement interval. Each window includes at least one valid tap of the DP.

[0217] At least one condition of the reporting device can include at least one of the following: the number of antenna ports, the available bandwidth available to the reporting device (e.g., the bandwidth of the positioning reference signal), the maximum number of taps the reporting device is to report, the maximum number of transmission - reception points the reporting device is to report, or the type of measurement to be reported (e.g., CIP, PDP, and / or DP).

[0218] Determining the first measurement configuration can be based on at least one additional condition, which includes at least one of the following: the cell identifier to be reported, the scenario to be reported, or an indication of the quality of the data set to be used for training. In other words, determining the first measurement configuration can be based on the conditions of the UE (such as those described in the previous paragraph) and additional conditions (e.g., based on the characteristics of the data to be input into the AI / ML model). In other words, the conditions of the reporting device can correspond to the configuration of the reporting device when the reporting device is performing measurements, while the additional conditions can correspond to the characteristics of the data to be input into the AL / ML model.

[0219] the cell identifier to be reported, the scenario to be reported, or an indication of the quality of the data set to be used for training.

[0220] During 1602, the device signals to the reporting device a first measurement reporting configuration and a request for the reporting device to select a second measurement reporting configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement reporting configuration.

[0221] During 1603, the device receives a measurement report from the reporting device according to the second measurement reporting configuration.

[0222] For at least one window, the measurement report may include a bit string identifying valid taps of the DP of the window. For each window of the at least one window, the measurement report may include: an indication of the length of the window, and / or an indication of power and / or energy associated with the window. In the case where the first measurement configuration does not include an instruction to use a predetermined number of windows, the measurement report may include an indication of the number of windows reported in the measurement report.

[0223] During 1604, the device uses at least one value included in the measurement report as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

[0224] The input to the AI / ML model can be used to train the AI / ML model, and / or for obtaining an analysis of the values included in the measurement report (e.g., an analysis of the values corresponding to the current radio environment of the reporting device), and / or for obtaining a recommendation for an action to be performed based on the values included in the measurement report (e.g., the values corresponding to the current radio environment of the reporting device).

[0225] Using at least one value included in the measurement report as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model may include: identifying the second measurement reporting configuration from the received measurement report; using the second measurement reporting configuration to reconstruct at least one of a channel impulse response, or a power delay profile, or a delay profile; and using at least one of the reconstructed channel impulse response, or power delay profile, or delay profile, as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

[0226] The maximum frequency of reporting measurements may define: the maximum frequency of periodic measurement reports, and / or the highest frequency of measurement reports provided according to event-based reporting (e.g., the maximum frequency of aperiodic measurement reports).

[0227] The first measurement reporting configuration may configure the reporting device to report measurements periodically and / or using event-based criteria. The event-based criteria may provide a criterion that, when satisfied, causes the measurement report to be provided according to 1603.

[0228] The first measurement reporting configuration may include a plurality of third measurement reporting configurations, each of the third measurement reporting configurations being associated with a respective port.

[0229] The first measurement report configuration may include a plurality of third measurement report configurations, and the third measurement report configurations relate to the same plurality of ports.

[0230] The measurement report may include: an indication of the number of windows for reporting, and for each window, the position of the starting point of the window, the width of the window, and the positions of the valid taps within the window.

[0231] For each window, the measurement report may include at least one of the following: phase information of the valid taps reported in the window, amplitude information of the valid taps reported in the window, and / or the energy of the valid taps reported in the window.

[0232] For each window, the measurement report may further include: an indication of a threshold for identifying the valid taps included in the window.

[0233] When the reporting device includes a user equipment, the signaling may be signaled using the positioning protocol signaling.

[0234] When the reporting device includes an access network node, the signaling may be signaled using the New Radio Positioning Protocol A.

[0235] Figure 17 Diagrams the operations that a device of the reporting device may perform. The reporting device may include a terminal (as described in connection with Figure 3 the above). The reporting device may include a controller for an access network node (such as a gNB), where the controller may be as described in connection with Figure 2 the above.

[0236] During 1701, the device receives a first measurement report configuration from a Location Management Function (LMF), where the first measurement report configuration includes at least one of the following: a list of at least one allowed window size for reporting valid taps, the maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or the maximum frequency for reporting measurement information including valid taps.

[0237] The LMF may be as described above with respect to Figure 16 the above. The taps (e.g., valid taps) may be as described above with respect to Figure 16 the above. The window may be as described above in connection with Figure 16 the above.

[0238] The first configuration may be included in a specific function, which includes a set of configurations based on conditions of a reporting device and additional conditions. For example, the conditions of the reporting device may include at least one of the following items: the number of antenna ports, the available bandwidth available to the reporting device (e.g., the bandwidth of a positioning reference signal), the maximum number of taps to be reported by the reporting device, the maximum number of transmission and reception points to be reported by the reporting device, or the type of measurement to be reported. The additional conditions may include at least one of the following items: the cell identifier to be reported, the scenario to be reported, or an indication of the quality of the dataset to be used for training.

[0239] During 1702, the device receives a request from the LMF for the reporting device to select a second measurement reporting configuration to be used by the reporting device based on a first measurement reporting configuration.

[0240] During 1703, the device selects a second measurement reporting configuration based on the first measurement reporting configuration.

[0241] During 1704, the device measures the state of the channel between the reporting device and another device.

[0242] During 1705, the device signals a measurement report to the LMF according to the second measurement reporting configuration, the measurement report including a value based on the measured state of the channel.

[0243] The maximum frequency of reporting measurements may define: the maximum frequency of periodic measurement reports, and / or the maximum frequency of event-based reports.

[0244] The first measurement reporting configuration may configure the reporting device to report measurements periodically and / or using event-based criteria.

[0245] The first measurement reporting configuration may include a plurality of third measurement reporting configurations, each of the third measurement reporting configurations being associated with a corresponding port, wherein the second measurement reporting configuration selects from the third measurement configurations based on the port used for channel state measurement.

[0246] The first measurement reporting configuration may include a plurality of third measurement reporting configurations, the third measurement reporting configurations relating to the same plurality of ports.

[0247] The measurement report may include: an indication of the number of windows for reporting, and for each window, the position of the start point of the window, the width of the window, and the position of the valid taps within the window.

[0248] For each window, the measurement report may include at least one of the following items: the phase information of the valid taps reported in the window, the amplitude information of the valid taps reported in the window, and / or the energy of the valid taps reported in the window.

[0249] For each window, the measurement report may include: an indication of a threshold for identifying valid taps included in the window.

[0250] When the reporting device includes a user equipment, the signaling may be performed using positioning protocol signaling.

[0251] When the reporting device includes an access network node, the signaling may be performed using New Radio positioning protocol A signaling.

[0252] A second reporting configuration may be selected to include a window size based on the measured channel state.

[0253] A second reporting configuration may be selected to include a reporting period based on at least one of the following: the capabilities of the reporting device, the power state of the reporting device, the available bandwidth of the reporting device, and / or the number of ports.

[0254] A first reporting configuration may be included in a specific function that includes a configuration set that includes at least the conditions of the reporting device and / or additional conditions. The conditions of the reporting device may be related to the configuration of the reporting device when the reporting device is performing measurements. The additional conditions may correspond to the characteristics of the data to be input into an AL / ML model.

[0255] For example, at least one condition of the reporting device may include at least one of the following: the number of antenna ports, the available bandwidth available to the reporting device, the maximum number of taps to be reported by the reporting device, the maximum number of transmission and reception points to be reported by the reporting device, or the type of measurement to be reported.

[0256] For example, the at least one additional condition includes at least one of the following: the cell identifier to be reported, the scenario to be reported, or an indication of the quality of the dataset to be used for training.

[0257] The device may select a threshold amount (x dB) for identifying valid taps, where the valid taps are those sample values measured within x dB of the maximum sample value.

[0258] The device may select a threshold amount (y dB) for identifying valid taps, where the valid taps are those sample values measured y dB above the average channel energy of the channel whose state is being measured.

[0259] It should be understood that these devices may include or be coupled to other units or modules for transmission and / or reception, such as radio components or radio heads. Although these devices are described as one entity, different modules and memories may be implemented in one or more physical or logical entities.

[0260] It should be noted that although some embodiments have been described with respect to 5G networks, similar principles can also be applied to other networks and communication systems. Thus, although certain embodiments have been described by way of example with reference to certain exemplary architectures of wireless networks, technologies, and standards above, the embodiments can be applied to any other suitable form of communication system other than those shown and described herein.

[0261] It should also be noted herein that although example embodiments have been described above, various changes and modifications can be made to the disclosed solutions without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0262] As used herein, “at least one of the following: <list of two or more elements>” and “at least one of <list of two or more elements>” and similar phrases (where the list of two or more elements is joined by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0263] Generally, the various embodiments can be implemented in hardware or a dedicated circuit, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware, while other aspects can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Although the various aspects of the present disclosure can be shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it is well understood that, by way of non-limiting example, the blocks, apparatus, systems, technologies, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, a dedicated circuit or logic, general hardware or a controller, or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0264] As used in this application, the term “circuitry” can refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0265] (a) only hardware circuit implementations (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuitry) and

[0266] (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as (where applicable):

[0267] (i) combinations of (one or more) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0268] (ii) any portion of (one or more) hardware processors (including (one or more) digital signal processors), software, and (one or more) memories that work together to cause a device such as a mobile phone or a server to perform various functions), and

[0269] (c) One or more hardware circuits and / or one or more processors, such as one or more microprocessors or portions of one or more microprocessors, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may be absent when not required to operate.

[0270] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses implementations of only hardware circuits or processors (or a plurality of processors) or hardware circuits or portions of processors and their attendant software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also includes a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0271] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by computer software executable by a data processor of a mobile device, such as in a processor entity, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The computer software or program (also referred to as a program product, including software routines, applets, and / or macros) may be stored in any device-readable data storage medium, and they include program instructions for performing specific tasks. The computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components, which are configured to perform the embodiments when the program runs. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one software code or a portion thereof.

[0272] In addition, in this regard, it should be noted that any block of the logic flow shown in the figures may represent a program step, or interconnected logic circuits, blocks, and functions, or a combination of program steps and logic circuits, blocks, and functions. The software may be stored on a physical medium implemented within the processor, such as a memory chip or memory block, a magnetic medium such as a hard disk or a floppy disk, and an optical medium such as a DVD and its data variant CD. The physical medium is a non-transitory medium.

[0273] As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, rather than a signal), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM versus ROM).

[0274] The memory can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The data processor can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an FPGA, gate-level circuitry, and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, as non-limiting examples.

[0275] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in various components such as integrated circuit modules. The design of an integrated circuit is generally a highly automated process. Sophisticated and powerful software tools can be used to convert a logic-level design into a semiconductor circuit design for etching and formation on a semiconductor substrate.

[0276] The independent claims define the scope of protection sought by the various embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments and features described in this specification that are not within the scope of the independent claims (if any) will be construed as examples that help to understand the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0277] The foregoing description provides a complete and informative description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure by way of non-limiting examples. However, various modifications and adaptations will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in view of the above description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. However, all such and similar modifications of the teachings of the present disclosure will still fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. In fact, there may be additional embodiments that include combinations of one or more embodiments with any other previously discussed embodiments.

Claims

1. An apparatus for location management functions, the apparatus comprising means for performing the following: determining, based on at least one condition of the reporting device, a first measurement reporting configuration, wherein the first measurement reporting configuration comprises at least one of: a list of at least one allowed window sizes for reporting valid taps, a maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or a maximum frequency for reporting measurement information including valid taps; signaling to the reporting device the first measurement reporting configuration and a request for the reporting device to select a second measurement reporting configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement reporting configuration; receiving a measurement report from the reporting device according to the second measurement reporting configuration; as well as Using at least one value included in the measurement report as input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means for using at least one value included in the measurement report as an input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model further comprises: Components for performing the following: identifying the second measurement reporting configuration from the received measurement report; reconstructing at least one of a channel impulse response or a power delay profile or a delay profile using the second measurement report configuration; as well as Using at least one of the reconstructed channel impulse response or power delay profile or delay profile as input to the artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

3. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the maximum frequency of reporting measurements defines: a maximum frequency of periodic measurement reporting, and / or a maximum frequency of event-based reporting.

4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first measurement reporting configuration configures the reporting apparatus to report measurements periodically and / or using an event-based criteria.

5. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first measurement reporting configuration comprises a plurality of third measurement reporting configurations, each of the third measurement reporting configurations being associated with a respective port.

6. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the measurement report comprises: an indication of the number of windows to report, and for each window, the location of the start point of the window, the width of the window, and the location of the valid taps within the window; as well as for each window, at least one of: phase information of valid taps reported in the window, amplitude information of valid taps reported in the window, and / or energy of valid taps reported in the window; as well as For each window, an indication of a threshold identifying valid taps included in the window.

7. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the reporting apparatus comprises user equipment and the signalling comprises position location protocol signalling.

8. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one condition of the reporting device includes at least one of the following items: the number of antenna ports, the available bandwidth available to the reporting device, the maximum number of taps to be reported by the reporting device, the maximum number of transmission reception points to be reported by the reporting device, and the measurement type to be reported.

9. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the determination based on at least one condition of a reporting device further comprises: Based on the determination of at least one additional condition, the at least one additional condition comprises at least one of: a cell identifier to be reported, a scenario to be reported, or an indication of a quality of a data set to be used for training.

10. A method for a device for location management function, the method comprising: determining, based on at least one condition of the reporting device, a first measurement reporting configuration, wherein the first measurement reporting configuration comprises at least one of: a list of at least one allowed window sizes for reporting valid taps, a maximum number of windows for reporting valid taps, or a maximum frequency for reporting measurement information including valid taps; signaling to the reporting device the first measurement reporting configuration and a request for the reporting device to select a second measurement reporting configuration to be used by the reporting device based on the first measurement reporting configuration; receiving a measurement report from the reporting device according to the second measurement reporting configuration; as well as Using at least one value included in the measurement report as input to an artificial intelligence and / or machine learning model.

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