Positioning reference signal integrity detection and quantization in sidelink positioning

Abstract

Various techniques are provided for a method that includes receiving, by a first terminal device from a location management device, configuration information for a positioning reference signal (PRS) integrity check related to one or more second terminal devices configured to support positioning of a target terminal device; based on the configuration information, collecting measurements of one or more PRS transmissions; and performing an integrity check on the one or more PRS transmissions based on the measured respective received energy profiles from the collected PRS transmissions.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 483,093, filed on February 3, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This specification relates to wireless communications. Background Art

[0003] A communication system may be a facility that enables communication between two or more nodes or devices, such as fixed communication devices or mobile communication devices. Signals may be carried on wired carriers or wireless carriers.

[0004] An example of a cellular communication system is the architecture standardized by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Recent developments in this area are often referred to as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) radio access technology. E-UTRA (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access) is the air interface of 3GPP's Long Term Evolution (LTE) upgrade path for mobile networks. In LTE, base stations or APs, referred to as enhanced node access points (APs) (eNBs), provide wireless access within a coverage area or cell. In LTE, mobile devices or mobile stations are referred to as user equipment (UE) or terminal devices. LTE has included many improvements or developments. Various aspects of LTE continue to improve.

[0005] 5G New Radio (NR) development is part of the ongoing mobile broadband evolution process to meet the requirements of 5G, similar to the earlier evolution of 3G and 4G wireless networks. In addition to mobile broadband, 5G also targets emerging use cases. The goal of 5G is to provide significant improvements in wireless performance, which may include new levels of data rate, latency, reliability and security. 5G NR can also be extended to efficiently connect the massive Internet of Things (IoT) and can provide new types of mission-critical services. For example, ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) equipment may require high reliability and very low latency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to an example embodiment, a method may include: receiving, by a first terminal device, configuration information from a location management device, the configuration information being used for a positioning reference signal (PRS) integrity check associated with one or more second terminal devices configured to support positioning of a target terminal device; collecting measurements of one or more PRS transmissions based on the configuration information; and performing an integrity check on the one or more PRS transmissions based on corresponding received energy curves from the collected measurements of the PRS transmissions.

[0007] According to another example embodiment, a method may include: transmitting, by a location management device, a location integrity configuration to a second terminal device; receiving, by the location management device, an integrity report from the second terminal device, the integrity report including measurements associated with a first location reference signal PRS and a second PRS; and determining, by the location management device, whether the second PRS is a valid PRS based on the integrity report.

[0008] The details of one or more examples of the embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a wireless network according to an example embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a network using sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3C is a graph illustrating measured positioning reference signals according to an example embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a graph illustrating measured positioning reference signals according to an example embodiment.

[0013] Figure 5A and Figure 5B A signal flow diagram according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0014] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a method of verifying a positioning reference signal according to example embodiments.

[0015] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating another method of verifying a positioning reference signal according to example embodiments.

[0016] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a wireless station or wireless node (e.g., AP, BS, gNB, RAN node, relay node, UE or user equipment, terminal device, network node, network entity, DU, CU-CP, CU-CP, ... or other node) according to an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a wireless network 130 according to an example embodiment. Figure 1In a wireless network 130, user equipment 131, user equipment 132, user equipment 133, and user equipment 135 (also referred to as mobile stations (MSs), user equipment (UEs), or terminal devices) can connect to (and communicate with) a base station (BS) 134, which can also be referred to as an access point (AP), an enhanced Node B (eNB), a BS, a next-generation Node B (gNB), a next-generation enhanced Node B (ng-eNB), or a network node. The terms user equipment (device) and user equipment (equipment) (UE) can be used interchangeably. The BS can also include or be referred to as a RAN (Radio Access Network) node, and can include a portion of the BS or a portion of a RAN node, such as (for example, in the case of a split BS, such as a centralized unit (CU) and / or a distributed unit (DU)). At least a portion of the functionality of a BS (e.g., an access point (AP), a base station (BS), or an (e)Node B (eNB), a BS, a RAN node) can also be performed by any node, server, or host that can be operably coupled to a transceiver (such as a remote radio head). BS (or AP) 134 provides wireless coverage within cell 136, including providing wireless coverage to user equipment (or UE) 131, 132, 133, and 135. Although only four user equipment (or UE) are shown as connected or attached to BS 134, any number of user equipment may be provided. BS 134 is also connected to core network 150 via an S1 interface or NG interface 151. This is just one simple example of a wireless network, and other examples may be used.

[0018] A base station (e.g., such as BS 134) is an example of a radio access network (RAN) node within a wireless network. A BS (or RAN node) may be, or may include (or may alternatively be referred to as), for example, an access point (AP), a gNB, an eNB, or a portion thereof (such as a centralized unit (CU) and / or distributed unit (DU) in the case of a split BS or split gNB), or other network node. For example, a BS (or gNB) may include: a distributed unit (DU) network entity, such as a gNB-distributed unit (gNB-DU), and a centralized unit (CU) that can control multiple DUs. In some cases, for example, the centralized unit (CU) may be split or divided into: a control plane entity, such as a gNB centralized (or central) unit-control plane (gNB-CU-CP); and a user plane entity, such as a gNB centralized (or central) unit-user plane (gNB-CU-UP). For example, the CU sub-entities (gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU-UP) may be provided as different logical entities or different software entities (e.g., as separate or different software entities communicating), which may run or be provided on the same hardware or server, in the cloud, etc., or may be provided on different hardware, systems, or servers, e.g., physically separated or running on different systems, hardware, or servers.

[0019] As described above, in a split configuration of gNB / BS, the gNB functionality can be split into the DU and CU. A distributed unit (DU) can provide or establish wireless communications with one or more UEs. Thus, a DU can provide one or more cells and can allow a UE to communicate with and / or establish a connection to a DU in order to receive wireless services, such as allowing a terminal device (e.g., UE) to send or receive data. A centralized (or central) unit (CU) can provide control functions and / or data plane functions for one or more connected DUs, including, for example, control functions such as gNB control of the transmission of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, session management, etc., in addition to those functions specifically assigned to the DU. The CU can control the operation of the DU (e.g., the CU communicates with one or more DUs) via the fronthaul (Fs) interface.

[0020] According to an illustrative example, in general, a BS node (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, ...) or a radio access network (RAN) may be part of a mobile telecommunications system. A RAN (radio access network) may include one or more BSs or RAN nodes that implement a radio access technology, for example, to allow one or more UEs to access a network or core network. Thus, for example, a RAN (RAN node, such as a BS or gNB) may reside between one or more user devices or UEs and a core network. According to an example embodiment, each RAN node (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, ...) or BS may provide one or more wireless communication services to one or more UEs or user devices, for example, to allow a UE to wirelessly access a network via a RAN node. Each RAN node or BS may perform or provide wireless communication services, for example, such as allowing a UE or user device to establish a wireless connection to a RAN node and to send data to and / or receive data from one or more UEs. For example, after establishing a connection to a UE, a RAN node (e.g., a base station (BS), an eNB, a gNB, a CU / DU, etc.) may forward data received from the network or core network to the terminal device (e.g., the UE), and / or forward data received from the terminal device (e.g., the UE) to the network or core network. RAN nodes (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, etc.) may also perform various other wireless functions or services, such as broadcasting control information (e.g., such as system information) to the UE, paging the UE when there is data to be delivered to the UE, assisting the terminal device (e.g., the UE) in handovers between cells, scheduling resources for uplink data transmission from (multiple) UEs and downlink data transmission to (multiple) UEs, sending control information to configure one or more UEs, etc. These are just a few examples of one or more functions that a RAN node or BS may perform. A base station may also be the DU (distributed unit) portion of an IAB (integrated access and backhaul) node (also known as a relay node). The DU supports access link connections to the IAB node.

[0021] A user device (user terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile terminal, terminal device, handheld wireless device, etc.) may refer to a portable computing device including a wireless mobile communication device operating with or without a subscriber identity module (SIM) (which may be referred to as a universal SIM), including (as examples) but not limited to the following types of devices: a mobile station (MS), a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handset, a device using a wireless modem (alarm or measurement device, etc.), a laptop and / or touch screen computer, a tablet computer, a tablet phone, a game console, a notebook computer, a vehicle, a sensor and multimedia device, or any other wireless device. It should be understood that a user device may also be (or may include) an almost dedicated uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that uploads images or video clips to a network. A user device may also be the MT (mobile terminal) portion of an IAB (integrated access and backhaul) node (also known as a relay node). The MT supports backhaul connections to the IAB node.

[0022] In LTE (as an illustrative example), the core network 150 may be referred to as an evolved packet core (EPC), which may include a mobility management entity (MME) that may handle or assist mobility / handover of user equipment between BSs, one or more gateways that may forward data and control signals between the BS and a packet data network or the Internet, and other control functions or blocks. Other types of wireless networks, such as 5G (which may be referred to as new radio (NR)), advanced 5G, 6G, etc., may also include a core network (e.g., which may be referred to as 5GC in 5G / NR).

[0023] In addition, as illustrative examples, the various example embodiments or techniques described herein may be applied to various types of user devices or data service types, or may be applied to user devices that may have multiple applications running thereon, which may be different data service types. New radio (5G) and 6G developments may support a variety of different applications or a variety of different data service types, such as, for example: machine type communication (MTC), enhanced machine type communication (eMTC), massive MTC (mMTC), Internet of Things (IoT) and / or narrowband IoT user devices, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), and ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC). Many of these new 5G (NR) and 6G-related applications may generally require higher performance than previous wireless networks.

[0024] The IoT may refer to a growing set of objects that may have internet or network connectivity, such that these objects can send and receive information to and from other network devices. For example, many sensor-type applications or devices may monitor physical conditions or states and may, for example, send reports to a server or other network device when an event occurs. For example, machine-type communication (MTC or machine-to-machine communication) may be characterized by fully automated data generation, exchange, processing, and actuation between intelligent machines, with or without human intervention. Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) may support data rates much higher than those currently available in LTE.

[0025] Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) is a new data service type or new use case that can be supported for New Radio (5G) and 6G systems. This enables the emergence of new applications and services such as industrial automation, autonomous driving, vehicle safety, e-health services, etc. As an illustrative example, the goal of 3GPP is to provide a data service with a corresponding -5 The invention relates to a connection with a block error rate (BLER) of 100% and a reliability of U-plane (user / data plane) latency of 1 millisecond (ms). Thus, for example, a URLLC user equipment / UE may require a significantly lower block error rate and low latency (with or without high reliability) than other types of user equipment / UE. Thus, for example, a URLLC UE (or a URLLC application on a UE) may require a much shorter latency than an eMBB UE (or an eMBB application running on a UE).

[0026] Various example embodiments may be applied to various wireless technologies or wireless networks, such as LTE, LTE-A, 5G (New Radio (NR)), 6G, cmWave band networks and / or mmWave band networks, IoT, MTC, eMTC, mMTC, eMBB, URLLC, etc., or any other wireless network or wireless technology. These example networks, technologies, or data service types are provided as illustrative examples only.

[0027] In 5G NR positioning, it is a known problem how to identify that a legitimate PRS transmission is being simulated or imitated by a so-called spoofer. Spoofed PRS transmissions can be attributed to a malfunction or with malicious intent. The problem with PRS spoofing is that it can cause significant errors in the positioning of the target terminal device (e.g., UE). In addition, PRS spoofing can be a positioning process in its entirety. Unlike traditional Uu positioning where PRS are broadcast by network gNBs via their TRPs, a signaling device (e.g., an unidentified device sending a malicious PRS) or a faulty sidelink terminal device (e.g., UE) can become a spoofer in SL positioning. An example implementation may involve a 5G NR sidelink positioning scenario where any sidelink terminal device (e.g., UE) can become a positioning anchor that broadcasts a SL PRS.

[0028] Example implementations can address the aforementioned issues caused by spoofing devices in SL positioning, where the spoofing devices are sending PRSs to the target device. Example implementations can include using an anchor terminal device (e.g., a sidelink UE) to measure a PRS identified as suspected of being a spoofed PRS. A device (e.g., a network entity, a BS, a DU, a CU, a UE, etc.) including a location management function (LMF) can use PRS measurements performed by a target terminal device (e.g., a UE) and PRS measurements performed by an anchor UE to perform a verification decision associated with a PRS identified as suspected of being a spoofed PRS. A device including an LMF can be referred to as a location management device. Therefore, in the example implementations described herein, a network entity, a BS, a DU, a CU, a UE, etc. can be a location management device.

[0029] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a network using sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the network includes BS 134, UE 205, UE 210, UE 215, UE 220, and a signal transmission device 225 (sometimes referred to as device 225). BS 134 can be a combination of devices. For example, BS 134 can represent a BS and a core network device (or entity), BS 134 can represent a BS and a control device (or entity), BS 134 can represent a base station on a satellite, a satellite acting as a repeater and a ground base station, and any other similar combination of network devices. Individual devices and / or combinations of devices may sometimes be referred to as devices, systems, etc. UE 205, UE 210, UE 215, and UE 220 can be user equipment, terminal devices, user terminals, mobile devices, fixed devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, any wireless (or cellular) connected device, etc.

[0030] exist Figure 2 In the example implementation shown, UE 205 may be a target UE (eg, UE and / or terminal device) for which a location is to be determined. Figure 2 In the illustrated example implementation, UE 210, UE 215, and UE 220 may be anchor UEs (e.g., UEs that transmit PRSs for determining (or assisting in determining) the location of a target UE). In the example implementation, the network entity may include a LMF. In this implementation, UE 205, UE 210, UE 215, and UE 220 may communicate with the network entity including the LMF via base station 134. In the example implementation, a terminal device (e.g., a UE) may include the LMF. In this implementation, UE 205, UE 210, UE 215, and UE 220 may transmit location information directly to a terminal device (e.g., a UE) including the LMF. For example, UE 220 may include the LMF. Therefore, UE 205, UE 210, and UE 215 may transmit location information directly to UE 220.

[0031] exist Figure 2 In the example of FIG2 , UE 210 transmits PRS 230, UE 215 transmits PRS 235, and UE 220 transmits PRS 240. Additionally, UE 205 (as a target UE) may measure PRS 230, PRS 235, and PRS 240. The PRS measurements may be used to determine the location of UE 205.

[0032] Figure 2 Also shown is a signaling device 225 or device 225 that transmits a spoofed PRS 245. The spoofed PRS 245 can be configured by the device 225 to spoof, for example, the PRS 235. In other words, the spoofed PRS 245 may be spoofing the legitimate PRS 235, which may adversely affect the positioning process of the UE 205 (as the target UE). In an example embodiment, the UE 210 may also measure the spoofed PRS 245, and the LMF may use the spoofed PRS 245 measured by the UE 205 and the spoofed PRS 245 measured by the UE 210 to verify the spoofed PRS 245 (in this example, the spoofed PRS 245 should be determined to be invalid).

[0033] Example implementations can determine whether a PRS is valid based on one (or both) of two techniques. In the first technique, a device sending a spoofed PRS (e.g., spoofing of a legitimate PRS) cannot generate a spoofed PRS that is time-aligned with a legitimate PRS transmission at both the target terminal device (e.g., UE) and the anchor terminal device (e.g., UE) because the anchor terminal devices (e.g., UE and / or anchor UE) are at different locations. In the second technique, the distance between the PRS source anchor terminal device (e.g., UE) and (any) other reference anchor UEs allows accurate estimation of the PRS time of arrival (ToA) and validation of the PRS measurement.

[0034] In a first technique, if a device (e.g., device 225) transmitting a spoofed PRS (e.g., spoofed PRS 245) synchronizes the spoofed PRS transmission with a legitimate PRS transmission at a target terminal device (e.g., UE 205), at least one of the anchor terminal device(s) (e.g., UE 210, UE 215, and UE 220) will observe two different PRS copies because the device (e.g., device 225) transmitting the spoofed PRS (e.g., spoofed PRS 245) will also be unable to synchronize with the anchor UE due to the disjoint positions of the anchor UE relative to the target terminal device (e.g., UE 205). The device (e.g., device 225) transmitting the spoofed PRS (e.g., spoofed PRS 245) can synchronize the spoofed PRS transmission with the legitimate PRS transmission at the target terminal device (e.g., UE 205) to, for example, reduce positioning accuracy while minimizing detection risk.

[0035] In a first technique, if a device (e.g., device 225) transmitting a spoofed PRS (e.g., spoofed PRS 245) does not synchronize the spoofed PRS transmission with a legitimate PRS transmission at a target terminal device (e.g., UE 205), the target terminal device (e.g., UE 205) may be able to observe two different copies of the same PRS. A device transmitting a spoofed PRS without synchronizing the spoofed PRS transmission is sometimes referred to as blind PRS interference.

[0036] In the second technique, the location of the (multiple) positioning anchor UEs is known to the LMF and the server UE. Therefore, the expected time of arrival (ToA) of a given PRS can be calculated (anchor distance / speed of light) when propagating from its source anchor to (any) other anchors. The expected ToA of the PRS can be compared with the actual measured TOA. In addition, if the expected ToA is not within a predefined tolerance range, an integrity alarm can be triggered for the PRS.

[0037] Furthermore, using either or both of the first and second techniques, the signal power or signal energy associated with the measured PRS can help identify spoofed PRS transmissions. For example, a legitimate PRS transmission may have an expected signal power or signal energy. Thus, if the measured PRS transmission signal power or signal energy is higher or lower than the expected signal power or signal energy (e.g., within a predefined threshold), an integrity alarm may be triggered for the PRS. However, if the measured PRS transmission signal power or signal energy is lower than a predefined threshold signal power or signal energy, the PRS transmission may be identified as noise (e.g., a reflection of some other PRS transmission).

[0038] Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3Cis a graph illustrating measured positioning reference signals according to an example embodiment. Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3C In the example, the measurements are shown as pulses for clarity. However, the measured positioning reference signals may have more like the following Figure 4A and Figure 4B The waveform shown in . Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3C Shown are measured PRS 305 and measured PRS 310. Measured PRS 305 may be associated with legitimate PRS transmissions (eg, PRS 230, PRS 235, and PRS 240), and measured PRS 310 may be associated with a spoofed PRS (eg, spoofed PRS 245).

[0039] Figure 3A The PRS 305 and PRS 310 measured at the target terminal device (eg, UE 205) may be represented. Figure 3A In , PRS 305 and PRS 310 are measured with a time difference Δt1. The time difference Δt1 is less than the separation tolerance 315. Therefore, Figure 3A A spoofed PRS transmission may be shown that overlaps with a legitimate PRS transmission. The overlapping PRS transmission may not be detected by the target terminal device (e.g., UE 205). In other words, the target terminal device (e.g., UE 205) may not be able to measure, for example, ToA. However, the target terminal device (e.g., UE 205) may determine that there is more than one peak. A PRS transmission with more than one peak may trigger an integrity alarm for the PRS.

[0040] Figure 3B It can represent the PRS 305 and PRS 310 measured at the anchor terminal device (eg, UE 210). Figure 3B In the example of , the anchor terminal device (eg, UE 210) may be further away from the source of PRS 310 than the target UE. In FIG3 , PRS 305 and PRS 310 are measured with a time difference Δt2. The time difference Δt2 is greater than the separation tolerance 315. In addition, Figure 3B The spoofed PRS transmission may be shown to be delayed relative to the legitimate PRS transmission. The delayed PRS transmission may be detected by the anchor terminal device (e.g., UE 210) because, for example, the time difference Δt2 is greater than the separation tolerance 315. In other words, the anchor terminal device (e.g., UE 210) may be able to measure, for example, the ToA. Thus, the anchor terminal device (e.g., UE 210) may make measurements that may be used to verify the PRS.

[0041] Figure 3CThe PRS 305 and PRS 310 measured at the anchor terminal device (eg, UE 215) may be represented. Figure 3C In the example of , the anchor terminal device (eg, UE 215) may be closer to the source of PRS 310 than the target UE. In FIG3 , PRS 305 and PRS 310 are measured with a time difference Δt3. The time difference Δt3 is greater than the separation tolerance 315. In addition, Figure 3C The spoofed PRS transmission may be shown to be earlier than the legitimate PRS transmission. The early PRS transmission may be detected by the anchor terminal device (e.g., UE 215) because, for example, the time difference Δt3 is greater than the separation tolerance 315. In other words, the anchor terminal device (e.g., UE 215) may be able to measure, for example, the ToA. Therefore, the anchor terminal device (e.g., UE 215) may make measurements that can be used to verify the PRS.

[0042] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a graph illustrating measured positioning reference signals according to an example embodiment. Figure 4A and Figure 4B A more typical measured PRS waveform is shown. Figure 4A As shown above about Figure 3A Described is a spoofed PRS transmission that overlaps with a legitimate PRS transmission. Figure 4B Shown with respect to the above Figure 3B and Figure 3C The legitimate PRS transmission is delayed and the spoofed PRS transmission is early as described.

[0043] Example implementations may use the first and second techniques described above to detect PRS spoofing and trigger an integrity alert for the PRS. For example, a network entity including an LMF and / or a terminal device (e.g., UE) including an LMF (referred to as a server UE) may trigger a PRS validation check in response to an integrity alert. In example implementations, the target terminal device (e.g., UE) uses a PRS without a single spike as a trigger (e.g., as Figure 3A and Figure 4A In another example implementation, a network entity including an LMF and / or a server UE may detect measurement mismatch(es) and / or excessive errors.

[0044] The PRS to be verified may be identified and a suitable verification node may be selected. In an example implementation, the verification node may be an anchor UE. The anchor terminal device (e.g., UE) may be selected randomly or based on RSRP (e.g., a weaker RSRP may be used to identify a non-colocated anchor). In another example implementation, the verification node may be a transmission reception point (TRP). In another example implementation, the verification node may have a common synchronization reference with the source anchor of the PRS to be verified (e.g., the PRS selected for verification).

[0045] A network entity including an LMF and / or a server UE may configure integrity verification measurements by sending configuration data. In an example implementation, the configuration data may identify the PRS to be verified. The selected PRS may be marked in the configuration data using a binary flag indicating the selection for verification checking. In another example implementation (or in addition), the configuration data may also include information about the distance between the PRS source anchor and the selected verification node (e.g., absolute position or distance). In another example implementation (or in addition), the configuration may also include an offset (e.g., timing advance) relative to a common synchronization reference.

[0046] In another example implementation (or in addition), the configuration may also include an indication of integrity assessment criteria. The anchor terminal device (e.g., UE) selected during the verification process may be configured to collect measurements of the selected PRS and may assess the PRS integrity based on the criteria. In an example implementation, the criteria may be based on an assessment of a single PRS energy or power peak. In another example implementation (or in addition), the criteria may be based on a comparison of the PRS time of arrival (ToA) with an expected ToA. The expected ToA may be calculated as the distance between the source anchor and the verification anchor. The ToA may be calculated by taking into account an offset (e.g., timing advance) relative to a reference clock of a common synchronization source.

[0047] The verification anchor terminal device (e.g., UE) may report the result of the integrity verification in report data to a network entity including the LMF and / or the server UE. In an example implementation, the report data may include a binary flag indicating success or failure of the integrity check for a given PRS. The measurement report associated with the selected PRS may be marked by the binary flag. In another example implementation, the network entity including the LMF and / or the server UE may be configured to determine success or failure of the integrity check for a given PRS, and the measurement report may include the measurement data. The network entity including the LMF and / or the server UE may be configured to update the positioning process based on the integrity verification (e.g., reconfigure the affected PRS and / or source anchor UE in the event of a failure).

[0048] Figure 5A and Figure 5B A signal flow diagram according to an example embodiment is shown. Figure 5A is a signal flow diagram according to an example embodiment. Figure 5A As shown, the network may include a network entity 505 (e.g., a location management device, LMF, location server, and / or sensing server), a BS 134, UEs 205, UEs 210, UEs 220, and a signaling device 225 (sometimes referred to as device 225). In an example implementation, the network entity 505 may communicate with the UEs 205, UEs 210, and UEs 220 via the BS 134. The BS 134 may be a combination of devices. For example, the BS 134 may represent a BS and a core network device (or entity), the BS 134 may represent a BS and a control device (or entity), the BS 134 may represent a base station on a satellite, a satellite acting as a relay and a ground base station, and any other similar combination of network devices. Individual devices and / or combinations of devices may sometimes be referred to as devices, systems, and the like. The UEs 205, UEs 210, and UEs 220 may be user equipment, terminal devices, user terminals, mobile devices, fixed devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, any wireless (or cellular) connected device, and the like.

[0049] In block 510, assistance data may be transmitted via the network. The assistance data may be generated and transmitted by the network entity 505 and / or UE 205, UE 210, UE 215, and / or UE 220 as a server UE. In block 520, a PRS is generated and transmitted by UE 220. UE 205 (as a target terminal device) then receives and measures the PRS transmitted by UE 220. In block 522, device 225 (as a signal transmitting device) generates a spoofed PRS. The spoofed PRS generated by device 225 may be configured to spoof the PRS transmitted by UE 220. UE 205 (as a target terminal device) then receives and measures the spoofed PRS transmitted by device 225.

[0050] In block 515, the network node triggers a positioning integrity check. The positioning integrity check may be triggered by a target terminal device (e.g., UE) that observes an unclear curve of the received PRS without any (single) distinct peak, or by a network entity including an LMF and / or a server UE in the event of an excessive error in one PRS relative to other measurements. In other words, in block 515, the positioning integrity check may be triggered by any one of UE 205 (as the target terminal device), network entity 505 (as the location management device), and / or UE 205, UE 210, UE 215, and / or UE 220 as a server UE.

[0051] In block 524, the network entity 505 (as a location management device) determines that the PRS is to be verified and that the UE 210 is selected as the terminal device (e.g., UE) for PRS verification measurements. The network entity 505 may generate configuration data associated with PRS verification. The network entity 505 may transmit (e.g., wirelessly transmit) a message received by the BS 134 (block 526A). The BS 134 may transmit (e.g., wirelessly transmit) a message received by the UE 210 (block 526B). In this implementation, the message is generated by the network entity 505 and transmitted to the UE 210 via the BS 134. The message may include configuration data generated by the network entity 505. The configuration data may identify the PRS selected for integrity verification. For example, the selected PRS may be marked in the assistance data (e.g., retransmitted, updated, etc.) by an added binary flag. The configuration data may also include information regarding the distance (e.g., absolute location or distance) between the PRS source anchor and the selected verification node. This information may be available via the initial assistance data distribution. The configuration data may also include information about the offset relative to the common synchronization reference (eg, timing advance in case TRP is selected as the verification anchor). Furthermore, the configuration data may include an indication of integrity assessment criteria.

[0052] In block 528, a PRS is generated and transmitted by UE 220. UE 210 (as an authentication anchor terminal device) then receives and measures the PRS transmitted by UE 220. In block 530, device 225 (as a signaling device) generates a spoofed PRS. The spoofed PRS generated by device 225 may be configured to spoof the PRS transmitted by UE 220. UE 210 (as an authentication anchor terminal device) then receives and measures the spoofed PRS transmitted by device 225.

[0053] In block 532, UE 210 (serving as the verification anchor UE) may be configured to collect measurements of the selected PRS and assess the PRS integrity based on a criterion. The criterion may be based on the detection of a single clear PRS peak in the received energy profile. Alternatively, the criterion may be based on comparing the measured PRS arrival time with the expected arrival time. The expected arrival time may be calculated based on the distance between the source anchor and the verification anchor (distance / speed of light minus hardware propagation delay (if known)). The expected arrival time may be calculated by taking into account the offset (e.g., timing advance) of the reference clock relative to the common synchronization source at UE 220 and UE 210 (serving as the verification anchor terminal device). This difference may be added to a value corresponding to distance / speed of light minus hardware propagation delay.

[0054] UE 210 may transmit (e.g., wirelessly transmit) a message to be received by BS 134 (block 534A). BS 134 may transmit (e.g., wirelessly transmit) a message to be received by network entity 505 (block 534B). In this implementation, the message is generated by UE 210 and transmitted to network entity 505 via BS 134. The message may include the result of the integrity verification of the selected PRS. For example, the message may include report data. The report data may include a binary flag indicating the success or failure of the integrity verification performed on the selected PRS. For example, the measurement report associated with the selected PRS may be marked with a binary flag. In block 536, network entity 505 may perform a positioning procedure update based on the result of the integrity verification of the selected PRS.

[0055] Figure 5B is a signal flow diagram according to an example embodiment. Figure 5B In the example of , the terminal device (eg, UE) is a location management device (eg, server UE), and Figure 5A In the example of , the network entity 505 is a location management device. Figure 5B In the Figure 5A The boxes in are the same and will not be discussed for the sake of brevity.

[0056] In block 538, UE 220 (as a location management device) determines that the PRS is to be verified and that UE 210 is selected as the terminal device (e.g., UE) to perform PRS verification measurements. UE 220 may generate configuration data associated with PRS verification. UE 220 may transmit (e.g., wirelessly) a message received by UE 210 (block 540). The message may include the configuration data generated by UE 220. The configuration data may identify the PRS selected for integrity verification. For example, the selected PRS may be marked in the assistance data (e.g., retransmitted, updated, etc.) by a raised binary flag. The configuration data may also include information about the distance (e.g., absolute position or distance) between the PRS source anchor and the selected verification node. This information may be available via the initial assistance data distribution. The configuration data may also include information about the offset relative to a common synchronization reference (e.g., timing advance if the TRP is selected as the verification anchor). In addition, the configuration data may include an indication of integrity assessment criteria.

[0057] UE 210 may transmit (e.g., wirelessly transmit) a message for reception by UE 220 (block 542). The message may include the result of the integrity verification of the selected PRS. For example, the message may include report data. The report data may include a binary flag indicating the success or failure of the integrity verification performed on the selected PRS. For example, the measurement report associated with the selected PRS may be marked with a binary flag. In block 544, UE 220 may perform a positioning procedure update based on the result of the integrity verification of the selected PRS.

[0058] Example 1. Figure 6 FIG is a block diagram of a method for verifying a PRS according to an example embodiment. Figure 6 As shown, in step S605, a first terminal device receives configuration information from a location management device for performing a positioning reference signal (PRS) integrity check associated with one or more second terminal devices configured to support positioning of a target terminal device. In step S610, measurements of one or more PRS transmissions are collected based on the configuration information. In step S615, integrity checks are performed on the one or more PRS transmissions based on corresponding received energy curves from the collected measurements of the PRS transmissions.

[0059] Example 2. The method of Example 1 may further include determining, by the first terminal device, whether the one or more PRS transmissions are from the one or more second terminal devices by evaluating corresponding received power energy profiles based on the collected measurements of the PRS transmissions.

[0060] Example 3. The method of example 1 or example 2, wherein the first terminal device and the one or more second terminal devices may be anchor terminal devices configured to support positioning of the target terminal device.

[0061] Example 4. The method of Example 3 may further include generating, by the first terminal device, an integrity report including a result of the integrity check, and sending the integrity report to the location management device.

[0062] Example 5. A method according to Example 1, wherein collecting measurements of one or more PRS transmissions may include: measuring, by the first terminal device, a first PRS associated with one of the one or more second terminal devices identified in the configuration information; and measuring, by the first terminal device, a second PRS associated with one of the one or more second devices, the method may also include: generating, by the first terminal device, an integrity report associated with the target terminal device based on the first PRS and the second PRS.

[0063] Example 6. The method of Example 5, wherein the second PRS may be a copy of the first PRS.

[0064] Example 7. A method according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the location management device may be located in a network device, and the method may further include: transmitting an integrity report by the first terminal device to the network device; and receiving a verification report associated with the target terminal device from the location management device by the first terminal device, wherein the verification report indicates whether the second PRS is a valid PRS.

[0065] Example 8. A method according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the location management device may be located in a network device, the method may further include: transmitting an integrity report by the first terminal device to the network device; and receiving by the first terminal device at least one of an updated auxiliary configuration, reconfiguration data, and location instructions associated with the target terminal device from the location management device.

[0066] Example 9. A method according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the location management device may be located in a location server terminal device, the method may further include: transmitting an integrity report by the first terminal device to the location server terminal device; and receiving a verification report associated with the target terminal device from the location management device by the first terminal device, wherein the verification report indicates whether the second PRS is a valid PRS.

[0067] Example 10. The method of any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the location management device may be located in the first terminal device, the method further comprising determining, by the first terminal device, whether the second PRS is a valid PRS based on at least one of: a temporal distance between a power curve associated with the first PRS and a power curve associated with the second PRS, a temporal distance between a local power maximum associated with the first PRS and a local power maximum associated with the second PRS, a temporal distance between a global power maximum associated with the first PRS and a global power maximum associated with the second PRS, a temporal distance between a predefined power value associated with the first PRS and a predefined power value associated with the second PRS, a temporal distance between a predefined power derivative associated with the first PRS and a predefined power derivative associated with the second PRS, an arrival time associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS, a peak power associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS, and an expected arrival time associated with the first PRS.

[0068] Example 11. A method according to any one of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the location integrity configuration may include at least one of the following: a PRS to be checked, a distance between the target terminal device and the anchor terminal device, an offset relative to a common synchronization reference, and an integrity assessment criterion, the PRS to be checked may be a first PRS, the target terminal device may be a target terminal device, and the anchor terminal device may be a first terminal device.

[0069] Example 12. A method according to any one of Examples 1 to 11, wherein the integrity assessment criteria may include at least one of the following: PRS peak power, PRS peak power range, PRS peak power increment, PRS arrival time, PRS arrival time window, PRS arrival time mask and PRS arrival time increment.

[0070] Example 13. Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of another method for verifying a PRS according to an example embodiment. Figure 7 As shown, in step S705, the location management device transmits a location integrity configuration to the second terminal device. In step S710, the location management device receives an integrity report from the second terminal device that includes measurements associated with a first location reference signal (PRS) and a second PRS. In step S715, the location management device determines whether the second PRS is a valid PRS based on the integrity report.

[0071] Example 14. The method of Example 13, wherein determining whether the second PRS is a valid PRS may include at least one of: an arrival time associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS, a peak power associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS, and an expected arrival time associated with the first PRS.

[0072] Example 15. The method of Example 13 or Example 14 may further include triggering, by the location management device, a location integrity check associated with the first terminal device.

[0073] Example 16. The method of Example 15, wherein triggering the location integrity check can be based on at least one of detecting a PRS without a single peak power, at least two PRS peak powers within a time window, and at least two PRS peak powers greater than a threshold power and within a time window.

[0074] Example 17. A method according to any one of Examples 13 to 16, wherein the location integrity configuration may include at least one of the following: a PRS to be checked, a distance between the target terminal device and the anchor terminal device, an offset relative to a common synchronization reference, and an integrity assessment criterion, the PRS to be checked may be a first PRS, the target terminal device may be a target terminal device, and the anchor terminal device may be the first terminal device.

[0075] Example 18. The method of Example 17, wherein the integrity assessment criteria may include at least one of: PRS peak power, PRS peak power range, PRS peak power delta, PRS arrival time, PRS arrival time window, PRS arrival time mask, and PRS arrival time delta.

[0076] Example 19. The method of any one of Examples 13 to 18, wherein the location management device may be located in one of a network device, a base station, a distributed unit, a central unit, a transmission reception point, or a location server terminal device.

[0077] Example 20. A method according to Example 19, wherein the location management device can switch from a network device, a base station or a transmission receiving point to one of the location server terminal devices based on network unavailability, or switch from a location server terminal device to a network device, a base station or a transmission receiving point based on network availability.

[0078] Example 21. A method may include any combination of one or more of Examples 1 to 20.

[0079] Example 22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon, which instructions, when executed by at least one processor, are configured to cause a computing system to perform the method of any one of Examples 1 to 21.

[0080] Example 23. An apparatus comprising means for performing the method of any one of Examples 1 to 21.

[0081] Example 24. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform the method of any one of Examples 1 to 21.

[0082] Example 25. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform the method of any one of Examples 1 to 21.

[0083] Figure 8 8 is a block diagram of a wireless station 800 or a wireless node or a network node 800 according to an example embodiment. According to an example embodiment, the wireless node or wireless station or network node 800 may include, for example, one or more of an AP, a BS, a gNB, a RAN node, a relay node, a UE, a terminal device or user equipment, a network node, a network entity, a DU, a CU-CP, a CU-UP, ... or other nodes.

[0084] The wireless station 800 may include, for example, one or more (e.g., Figure 8 1 and 2. The wireless station also includes two (2) radio frequency (RF) or wireless transceivers 802A, 802B, each of which includes a transmitter for sending signals and a receiver for receiving signals. The wireless station also includes a processor or control unit / entity (controller) 804 to execute instructions or software and control the transmission and reception of signals, and a memory 806 for storing data and / or instructions.

[0085] The processor 804 may also make decisions or determinations, generate frames, packets, or messages for transmission, decode received frames or messages for further processing, and other tasks or functions described herein. For example, the processor 804, which may be a baseband processor, may generate messages, packets, frames, or other signals for transmission via the wireless transceiver 802 (802A or 802B). The processor 804 may control the transmission of signals or messages over a wireless network and may control the reception of signals or messages, etc., via a wireless network (e.g., after down-conversion by the wireless transceiver 802). The processor 804 may be programmable and capable of executing software or other instructions stored in a memory or other computer medium to perform the various tasks and functions described above, such as one or more of the tasks or methods described above. The processor 804 may be (or may include), for example, hardware, programmable logic, a programmable processor executing software or firmware, and / or any combination thereof. For example, using other terminology, the processor 804 and transceiver 802 together may be considered a wireless transmitter / receiver system.

[0086] In addition, reference Figure 8 , the controller (or processor) 808 can execute software and instructions and can provide overall control for the station 800 and can Figure 8 Other systems not shown provide controls, such as controlling input / output devices (e.g., display, keyboard), and / or may execute software for one or more applications that may be provided on wireless station 800, such as, for example, an email program, audio / video applications, a word processor, a voice over IP application, or other applications or software.

[0087] Additionally, a storage medium may be provided that includes stored instructions that, when executed by a controller or processor, may cause the processor 804 or other controllers or processors to perform one or more of the functions or tasks described above.

[0088] According to another example embodiment, the RF or wireless transceiver(s) 802A / 802B may receive signals or data and / or transmit or send signals or data. The processor 804 (and possibly the transceiver 802A / 802B) may control the RF or wireless transceiver 802A or 802B to receive, send, broadcast or transmit signals or data.

[0089] However, the example embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but those skilled in the art may apply the solutions to other communication systems. Another example of a suitable communication system is a 5G system. It is assumed that the network architecture in 5G will be very similar to that of advanced LTE. 5G may use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, many more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites that operate in collaboration with smaller stations, and may also adopt various radio technologies to obtain better coverage and enhanced data rates. Another example of a suitable communication system is a 6G system. It is assumed that the network architecture in 6G will be similar to that of 5G.

[0090] It will be appreciated that future networks will most likely utilize Network Function Virtualization (NFV), a network architecture concept that proposes virtualizing network node functions into "building blocks" or entities that can be operatively connected or linked together to provide services. A virtualized network function (VNF) may include one or more virtual machines that use standard or general-purpose servers rather than custom hardware to run computer program code. Cloud computing or data storage may also be utilized. In radio communications, this may mean that node operations may be performed at least in part in a server, host, or node that is operatively coupled to a remote radio head. Node operations may also be distributed across multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. It will also be appreciated that the allocation of labor between core network operations and base station operations may differ from that of LTE or may even not exist.

[0091] Example embodiments of the various technologies described herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Example embodiments may be implemented as a computer program product, i.e., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier (e.g., in a machine-readable storage device or in a propagated signal) for execution by a data processing device (e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers) or for controlling the operation of a data processing device (e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers). The embodiments may also be provided on a computer-readable medium or a computer-readable storage medium, which may be a non-transitory medium. Embodiments of the various technologies may also include embodiments provided via transient signals or media, and / or program and / or software embodiments downloadable via the Internet or other (multiple) networks (wired networks and / or wireless networks). In addition, embodiments may be provided via machine type communication (MTC) and also via the Internet of Things (IOT).

[0092] A computer program may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and it may be stored on some carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers include, for example, recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optical and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunications signals, and software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, a computer program may be executed on a single electronic digital computer or may be distributed among multiple computers.

[0093] Furthermore, example embodiments of the various techniques described herein may utilize cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems of cooperating computing elements that control physical entities). CPS may enable the implementation and utilization of a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors microcontrollers, ...) embedded in physical objects at different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems where the physical systems in question have inherent mobility. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices that are transported by humans or animals. The growth in popularity of smartphones has increased interest in the field of mobile cyber-physical systems. Therefore, various embodiments of the techniques described herein may be provided via one or more of these techniques.

[0094] Computer programs (such as the above-mentioned computer program(s)) can be written in any form of programming language (including compiled or interpreted languages) and can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine or other unit suitable for a computing environment or a portion thereof. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0095] The method steps may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing a computer program or portion of a computer program to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The method steps may also be performed by, and the apparatus may be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).

[0096] For example, processors suitable for executing a computer program include general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any type of digital computer, chip, or chipset. Typically, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory, or both. Elements of a computer may include at least one processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, a computer may also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices (e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical, or optical disks) for storing data. Information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and memory may be supplemented by, or incorporated into, special-purpose logic circuitry.

[0097] To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments may be implemented on a computer having a display device for displaying information to the user, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor, and a user interface, such as a keyboard and a pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball, through which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may also be used to provide for interaction with the user; for example, the feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user may be received in any form, including sound, voice, or tactile input.

[0098] Example embodiments may be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component (e.g., as a data server), or includes a middleware component (e.g., an application server), or includes a front-end component (e.g., a client computer with a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with the embodiment), or any combination of such back-end components, middleware components, or front-end components. The components may be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs), such as the Internet.

[0099] While certain features of the described embodiments have been shown as described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the various embodiments.

Claims

1. A method comprising: Receiving, by a first terminal device from a location management device, configuration information for a positioning reference signal (PRS) integrity check associated with one or more second terminal devices configured to support positioning of a target terminal device; collecting measurements of one or more PRS transmissions based on the configuration information; as well as An integrity check is performed on the one or more PRS transmissions based on corresponding received energy profiles from the collected measurements of the PRS transmissions.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determining, by the first terminal device, whether the one or more PRS transmissions are from the one or more second terminal devices by evaluating the corresponding received energy profiles from the collected measurements of the PRS transmissions. 3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first terminal device and the one or more second terminal devices are anchor terminal devices configured to support the positioning of the target terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: Generating, by the first terminal device, an integrity report including a result of the integrity check; as well as The integrity report is sent to the location management device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein collecting the measurements of the one or more PRS transmissions comprises: measuring, by the first terminal device, a first PRS associated with one of the one or more second terminal devices; as well as Measuring, by the first terminal device, a second PRS associated with one of the one or more second devices, the method further comprising: An integrity report associated with a target terminal device is generated by the first terminal device based on the first PRS and the second PRS. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second PRS is a copy of the first PRS.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the location management device is located in a network device, the method further comprising: Transmitting the integrity report by the first terminal device to the network device; as well as A verification report associated with the target terminal device is received by the first terminal device from the location management device, wherein the verification report indicates whether the second PRS is a valid PRS.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the location management device is located in a network device, the method further comprising: Transmitting the integrity report by the first terminal device to the network device; as well as At least one of an updated auxiliary configuration, reconfiguration data, and location instructions associated with the target terminal device is received by the first terminal device from the location management device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the location management device is located in a location server terminal device, the method further comprising: Transmitting the integrity report by the first terminal device to the location server terminal device; as well as A verification report associated with the target terminal device is received by the first terminal device from the location management device, wherein the verification report indicates whether the second PRS is a valid PRS.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the location management device is located in the first terminal device, the method further comprising: The first terminal device determines whether the second PRS is a valid PRS based on at least one of the following: a temporal distance between a power curve associated with the first PRS and a power curve associated with the second PRS; a temporal distance between a local power maximum associated with the first PRS and a local power maximum associated with the second PRS; a temporal distance between a global power maximum associated with the first PRS and a global power maximum associated with the second PRS; a temporal distance between a predefined power value associated with the first PRS and a predefined power value associated with the second PRS; a temporal distance between a predefined power derivative associated with the first PRS and a predefined power derivative associated with the second PRS; an arrival time associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS; a peak power associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS; or An expected time of arrival associated with the first PRS.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein The location integrity configuration includes at least one of the following: PRS to be checked, The distance between the target terminal device and the anchor terminal device; offset relative to a common synchronization reference, or Integrity assessment criteria; The PRS to be checked is the first PRS; The target terminal device is the target terminal device; and The anchor terminal device is the first terminal device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the integrity assessment criteria comprises at least one of the following: PRS peak power, PRS peak power range, PRS peak power increment, PRS arrival time, PRS arrival time window, PRS arrival time mask, or PRS arrival time increment.

13. A method comprising: Transmitting the location integrity configuration by the location management device to the second terminal device; receiving, by the location management device, an integrity report from the second terminal device, the integrity report comprising measurements associated with a first position reference signal (PRS) and a second PRS; as well as The location management device determines whether the second PRS is a valid PRS based on the integrity report.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the second PRS is a valid PRS comprises at least one of: an arrival time associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS; a peak power associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS; or An expected time of arrival associated with the first PRS.

15. The method according to claim 13 or claim 14, further comprising: A location integrity check associated with the first terminal device is triggered by the location management device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein triggering the location integrity check is based on at least one of detecting a PRS without a single peak power, at least two PRS peak powers within a time window, and at least two PRS peak powers greater than a threshold power and within a time window.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein: The location integrity configuration includes at least one of the following: PRS to be checked, The distance between the target terminal device and the anchor terminal device; offset relative to a common synchronization reference, or Integrity assessment criteria; The PRS to be checked is the first PRS; The target terminal device is the target terminal device; and The anchor terminal device is the first terminal device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the integrity assessment criteria comprises at least one of the following: PRS peak power, PRS peak power range, PRS peak power increment, PRS arrival time, PRS arrival time window, PRS arrival time mask, or PRS arrival time increment.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the location management device is located in one of a network device, a base station, a distributed unit, a central unit, a transmission reception point, or a location server terminal device.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the location management device is switched from one of the following: Based on the network being unavailable, from the network device, the base station or the transmission receiving point to the location server terminal device, or Based on the availability of the network, the transmission is transmitted from the location server terminal device to the network device, the base station or the transmission receiving point.

21. A first terminal device, comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first terminal device to: receiving configuration information from a location management device, wherein the configuration information is used for a positioning reference signal (PRS) integrity check associated with one or more second terminal devices configured to support positioning of a target terminal device; collecting measurements of one or more PRS transmissions based on the configuration information; as well as An integrity check is performed on the one or more PRS transmissions based on corresponding received energy profiles from the collected measurements of the PRS transmissions.

22. The first terminal device according to claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first terminal device to: It is determined whether the one or more PRS transmissions are from the one or more second terminal devices by evaluating the corresponding received energy profiles from the collected measurements of the PRS transmissions.

23. The first terminal device according to claim 21 or claim 22, wherein the first terminal device and the one or more second terminal devices are anchor terminal devices configured to support the positioning of the target terminal device.

24. The first terminal device according to claim 23, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first terminal device to: generating, by the first terminal device, an integrity report including a result of the integrity check; and The integrity report is sent to the location management device.

25. The first terminal device of claim 21 , wherein the collecting the measurements of the one or more PRS transmissions comprises: measuring a first PRS associated with one of the one or more second terminal devices; as well as measuring a second PRS associated with one of the one or more second terminal devices; When the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the first terminal device is further caused to: An integrity report associated with a target terminal device is generated based on the first PRS and the second PRS.

26. The first terminal device of claim 25, wherein the second PRS is a copy of the first PRS.

27. The first terminal device according to any one of claims 21 to 26, wherein the location management device is located in a network device, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first terminal device to: transmitting the integrity report to the network device; and A verification report associated with the target terminal device is received from the location management device, wherein the verification report indicates whether the second PRS is a valid PRS.

28. The first terminal device according to any one of claims 21 to 26, wherein the location management device is located in a network device, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first terminal device to: transmitting the integrity report to the network device; and At least one of an updated auxiliary configuration, reconfiguration data, and location instructions associated with the target terminal device is received from the location management device.

29. The first terminal device according to any one of claims 21 to 26, wherein the location management device is located in a location server terminal device, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first terminal device to: transmitting the integrity report to the location server terminal device; and A verification report associated with the target terminal device is received from the location management device, the verification report indicating whether the second PRS is a valid PRS.

30. The first terminal device according to any one of claims 21 to 26, wherein the location management device is located in the first terminal device, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the first terminal device to determine whether the second PRS is a valid PRS based on at least one of the following: A temporal distance between a power curve associated with the first PRS and a power curve associated with the second PRS: a temporal distance between a local power maximum associated with the first PRS and a local power maximum associated with the second PRS; a temporal distance between a global power maximum associated with the first PRS and a global power maximum associated with the second PRS; a temporal distance between a predefined power value associated with the first PRS and a predefined power value associated with the second PRS; a temporal distance between a predefined power derivative associated with the first PRS and a predefined power derivative associated with the second PRS; an arrival time associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS; a peak power associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS; or An expected time of arrival associated with the first PRS.

31. The first terminal device according to any one of claims 21 to 30, wherein the location integrity configuration comprises at least one of the following: PRS to be checked, The distance between the target terminal device and the anchor terminal device; offset relative to a common synchronization reference, or Integrity assessment criteria; The PRS to be checked is the first PRS, The target terminal device is the target terminal device, and The anchor terminal device is the first terminal device.

32. The first terminal device according to claim 31, wherein the integrity assessment criteria comprises at least one of the following: PRS peak power, PRS peak power range, PRS peak power increment, PRS arrival time, PRS arrival time window, PRS arrival time mask, or PRS arrival time increment.

33. A location management device comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the location management device to: transmitting a location integrity configuration to a second terminal device; receiving an integrity report from the second terminal device, the integrity report comprising measurements associated with the first position reference signal (PRS) and the second PRS; as well as A determination is made based on the integrity report whether the second PRS is a valid PRS.

34. The location management device according to claim 33, wherein the determining whether the second PRS is a valid PRS comprises at least one of the following: an arrival time associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS; a peak power associated with at least one of the first PRS and the second PRS; or An expected time of arrival associated with the first PRS.

35. The location management device of claim 33 or claim 34, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the location management device to trigger, by the location management device, a location integrity check associated with the first terminal device.

36. The location management device of claim 35, wherein triggering the location integrity check is based on at least one of the following: A PRS with no single peak power is detected, At least two PRS peak powers within the time window, or At least two PRS peak powers that are greater than a threshold power and within a time window.

37. The location management device according to any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein: The location integrity configuration includes at least one of the following: PRS to be checked, The distance between the target terminal device and the anchor terminal device; offset relative to a common synchronization reference, or Integrity assessment criteria; The PRS to be checked is the first PRS; The target terminal device is the target terminal device; or The anchor terminal device is the first terminal device.

38. The location management device according to claim 37, wherein the integrity assessment criteria include at least one of the following: PRS peak power, PRS peak power range, PRS peak power increment, PRS arrival time, PRS arrival time window, PRS arrival time mask, or PRS arrival time increment.

39. The location management device according to any one of claims 33 to 38, wherein the location management device is located in one of a network device, a base station, a distributed unit, a central unit, a transmission reception point, or a location server terminal device.

40. The location management device according to claim 39, wherein the location management device is switched from one of the following: Based on the network being unavailable, from the network device, the base station or the transmission receiving point to the location server terminal device, or Based on the availability of the network, the positioning server terminal device is sent to the network device, the base station or the transmission receiving point.

41. A first terminal device, comprising: A component for receiving configuration information from a location management device, wherein the configuration information is used for a positioning reference signal (PRS) integrity check associated with one or more second terminal devices configured to support positioning of a target terminal device; means for collecting measurements of one or more PRS transmissions based on the configuration information; as well as means for performing an integrity check on the one or more PRS transmissions based on corresponding received energy profiles from the collected measurements of the PRS transmissions.

42. A location management device comprising: means for transmitting a location integrity configuration to a second terminal device; means for receiving an integrity report from the second terminal device, the integrity report comprising measurements associated with the first position reference signal (PRS) and the second PRS; as well as Means for determining whether the second PRS is a valid PRS based on the integrity report.

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