Selective positioning reference signal aggregation

Abstract

A selective positioning reference signal (PRS) aggregation method includes receiving, at an apparatus, a first PRS extending over a first frequency range; receiving, at the apparatus, a second PRS extending over a second frequency range that is at least partially different from the first frequency range; and providing, by the apparatus, positioning information based on the first PRS or based on an aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Greek Patent Application No. 20230100051, filed on January 24, 2023, entitled “SELECTIVE POSITIONING REFERENCESIGNAL AGGREGATION,” which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Background Art

[0003] Wireless communication systems have evolved over several generations, including first-generation analog wireless telephone service (1G), second-generation (2G) digital wireless telephone service (including transitional 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data wireless service with internet capabilities, fourth-generation (4G) services (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax), fifth-generation (5G) services, and the like. Currently, there are many different types of wireless communication systems in use, including cellular systems and Personal Communications Service (PCS) systems. Examples of known cellular systems include the cellular analog Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Access (GSM) TDMA variants, and the like.

[0004] The fifth generation (5G) mobile standard calls for higher data transfer speeds, a greater number of connections, and better coverage, among other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance, the 5G standard is designed to provide data rates of tens of megabits per second to each of tens of thousands of users, with a data rate of 1 gigabit per second provided to dozens of workers on an office floor. To support large sensor deployments, hundreds of thousands of simultaneous connections should be supported. Therefore, the spectrum efficiency of 5G mobile communications should be significantly improved compared to the current 4G standard. In addition, signaling efficiency should be improved, and latency should be significantly reduced compared to the current standard. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An example apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal including a first positioning reference signal (PRS) extending over a first frequency range and a second PRS extending over a second frequency range at least partially different from the first frequency range; and a processor communicatively coupled to the receiver and configured to provide positioning information based on the first PRS or based on an aggregate of the first and second PRS based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to an aggregate of the first and second PRS.

[0006] An example selective positioning reference signal (PRS) aggregation method includes: receiving, at a device, a first PRS extending over a first frequency range; receiving, at the device, a second PRS extending over a second frequency range that is at least partially different from the first frequency range; and providing, by the device, positioning information based on the first PRS or based on the aggregate of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregate of the first PRS and the second PRS.

[0007] Another example apparatus includes means for receiving a first positioning reference signal (PRS) extending over a first frequency range; means for receiving a second PRS extending over a second frequency range that is at least partially different from the first frequency range; and means for providing positioning information based on the first PRS or based on an aggregate of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to an aggregate of the first PRS and the second PRS.

[0008] An example non-transitory processor-readable storage medium includes processor-readable instructions for causing a processor of an apparatus to: receive a first positioning reference signal (PRS) extending over a first frequency range; receive a second PRS extending over a second frequency range that is at least partially different from the first frequency range; and provide positioning information based on the first PRS or based on an aggregate of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to an aggregate of the first PRS and the second PRS. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of an example wireless communication system.

[0010] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of components of an example user equipment is shown in FIG.

[0011] Figure 3is a block diagram of the components of an example send / receive point.

[0012] Figure 4 is a block diagram of components of an example server, various implementations of which are described in Figure 1 Shown in.

[0013] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an example user equipment.

[0014] Figure 6 is a block diagram of the example server.

[0015] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating hierarchical prioritization of assistance data for measuring and / or reporting positioning reference signal resources.

[0016] Figure 8 is a frequency diagram of three examples of positioning reference signals.

[0017] Figure 9 yes Figure 5 A block diagram of example components of user equipment is shown in FIG.

[0018] Figure 10 is a graph of simulated channel energy response for two positioning reference signals and an aggregation of positioning reference signals in the absence of timing error.

[0019] Figure 11 is a graph of simulated channel energy response for two positioning reference signals and an aggregate of the positioning reference signals with timing error.

[0020] Figure 12 It is a timing diagram of the signaling and process flow used to determine positioning information.

[0021] Figure 13 is the timing diagram of the positioning reference signal.

[0022] Figure 14 It is a flowchart of a selective positioning reference signal aggregation method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Techniques for selectively aggregating positioning reference signals (PRS) are discussed herein. Channel response measurements and / or simulations may be performed on multiple PRSs individually, and channel response measurements and / or simulations may be performed on the aggregated multiple PRSs. One or more characteristics of the channel response may be evaluated to determine whether the characteristics of the aggregated PRS are better than the characteristics of a single PRS. If the aggregated PRS channel response characteristics are better than a single PRS (possibly by more than one or more threshold amounts), the PRSs may be aggregated, at least until the next time the channel response is evaluated. However, other configurations may be used.

[0024] The items and / or techniques described herein may provide one or more of the following capabilities, as well as other capabilities not mentioned. For example, by avoiding aggregating PRS when aggregating PRS may not provide improved results, processing power and / or time may be saved. Positioning accuracy may be improved, for example, by aggregating PRS when aggregating PRS may improve positioning performance (e.g., by at least a threshold amount). PRS may be better aggregated in the time, frequency, and / or phase domains. Better quality PRS measurements may be obtained and reported. Other capabilities may be provided, and not every implementation according to the present disclosure necessarily provides any, let alone all, of the capabilities discussed.

[0025] Obtaining the location of a mobile device accessing a wireless network can be used for many applications, including, for example, emergency calling, personal navigation, consumer asset tracking, locating friends or family members, etc. Existing positioning methods include those based on measuring radio signals transmitted from various devices or entities, including satellite vehicles (SVs) and terrestrial radio sources such as base stations and access points in wireless networks. It is expected that standardization for 5G wireless networks will include support for various positioning methods that can utilize reference signals transmitted by base stations for positioning determination in a manner similar to how LTE wireless networks currently utilize positioning reference signals (PRS) and / or cell-specific reference signals (CRS).

[0026] The descriptions herein may refer to a sequence of actions to be performed by, for example, an element of a computing device. Each action described herein can be performed by a dedicated circuit (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of the two. The sequence of actions described herein may be embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a corresponding set of computer instructions that, when executed, cause an associated processor to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the various examples described herein may be embodied in a number of different forms, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure, including the claimed subject matter.

[0027] As used herein, the terms "user equipment" (UE) and "base station" are not dedicated to or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT), unless otherwise specified. Generally speaking, such a UE can be any wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a router, a tablet, a laptop, a consumer asset tracking device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.) used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network. A UE can be mobile or can be stationary (e.g., at certain times) and can communicate with a radio access network (RAN). As used herein, the term "UE" can be interchangeably referred to as an "access terminal" or "AT", "client device", "wireless device", "subscriber equipment", "subscriber terminal", "subscriber station", "user terminal" or UT, "mobile terminal", "mobile station", "mobile device" or variations thereof. Generally speaking, a UE can communicate with a core network via the RAN, and through the core network, the UE can connect to external networks such as the Internet and to other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for connecting to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible for the UE, such as through a wired access network, a WiFi network (eg, based on IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11, etc.), and the like.

[0028] Depending on the network in which the base station is deployed, the base station may operate according to one of several RATs when communicating with a UE. Examples of base stations include an access point (AP), a network node, a NodeB, an evolved NodeB (eNB), or a generalized NodeB (gNodeB, gNB). Furthermore, in some systems, a base station may provide only edge node signaling functions, while in other systems, a base station may provide additional control functions and / or network management functions.

[0029] The UE may be implemented by any of several types of devices, including but not limited to a printed circuit (PC) card, a compact flash device, an external or internal modem, a wireless or wired phone, a smartphone, a tablet device, a consumer asset tracking device, an asset tag, etc. The communication link through which the UE can transmit signals to the RAN is referred to as an uplink channel (e.g., a reverse traffic channel, a reverse control channel, an access channel, etc.). The communication link through which the RAN can transmit signals to the UE is referred to as a downlink or forward link channel (e.g., a paging channel, a control channel, a broadcast channel, a forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term "traffic channel (TCH)" may refer to either an uplink / reverse traffic channel or a downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0030] As used herein, the term "cell" or "sector" may correspond to one of a plurality of cells of a base station or to the base station itself, depending on the context. The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity used to communicate with a base station (e.g., on a carrier) and may be associated with an identifier to distinguish between adjacent cells operating via the same or different carriers (e.g., a physical cell identifier (PCID), a virtual cell identifier (VCID)). In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells, and different cells may be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., machine type communication (MTC), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), or other protocol types) that may provide access to different types of devices. In some examples, the term "cell" may refer to a portion of a geographic coverage area (e.g., a sector) on which the logical entity operates.

[0031] refer to Figure 1 , an example of a communication system 100 includes a UE 105, a UE 106, a radio access network (RAN) (here, a fifth generation (5G) next generation (NG) RAN (NG-RAN) 135), a 5G core network (5GC) 140, and a server 150. UE 105 and / or UE 106 may be, for example, an IoT device, a location tracker device, a cellular phone, a vehicle (e.g., a car, truck, bus, boat, etc.), or another device. A 5G network may also be referred to as a new radio (NR) network; NG-RAN 135 may be referred to as a 5G RAN or NR RAN; and 5GC 140 may be referred to as an NG core network (NGC). Standardization of NG-RAN and 5GC is underway within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Accordingly, NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140 may comply with current or future standards from 3GPP for 5G support. NG-RAN 135 may be another type of RAN, such as a 3G RAN, a 4G long term evolution (LTE) RAN, or the like. UE 106 may be similarly configured and coupled to UE 105 to transmit and / or receive signals to and / or from similar other entities in system 100, but for simplicity of the drawing, the UE 106 is shown in FIG. Figure 11. Similarly, for simplicity, the discussion focuses on the UE 105. The communication system 100 may utilize information from a constellation 185 of satellite vehicles (SVs) 190, 191, 192, 193 of a satellite positioning system (SPS), such as a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), Galileo, or BeiDou, or some other local or regional SPS, such as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), or the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). Additional components of the communication system 100 are described below. The communication system 100 may include additional or alternative components.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG, NG-RAN 135 includes NR nodeBs (gNBs) 110a and 110b and a next-generation eNodeB (ng-eNB) 114, and 5GC 140 includes an access and mobility management function (AMF) 115, a session management function (SMF) 117, a location management function (LMF) 120, and a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) 125. gNBs 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 are communicatively coupled to one another and are each configured for bidirectional wireless communication with a UE 105. They are also communicatively coupled to AMF 115 and are configured for bidirectional communication with the AMF. gNBs 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 may be referred to as base stations (BSs). AMF 115, SMF 117, LMF 120, and GMLC 125 are communicatively coupled to one another, and the GMLC is communicatively coupled to an external client 130. The SMF 117 may serve as the initial contact point for a service control function (SCF) (not shown) to create, control, and delete media sessions. A base station (such as gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) may be a macro cell (e.g., a high-power cellular base station) or a small cell (e.g., a low-power cellular base station) or an access point (e.g., a short-range base station configured to operate with a short-range technology such as WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), One or more base stations (e.g., one or more of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) may be configured to communicate with UE 105 via multiple carriers. Each of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic area (e.g., a cell). Each cell may be divided into multiple sectors based on base station antennas.

[0033] Figure 1 A generalized illustration of various components is provided, wherein any or all components may be utilized as appropriate, and each component may be repeated or omitted as needed. Specifically, although a single UE 105 is illustrated, many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may be utilized in the communication system 100. Similarly, the communication system 100 may include a greater (or smaller) number of SVs (i.e., more or less than the four SVs 190-193 shown), gNBs 110a, gNBs 110b, ng-eNBs 114, AMFs 115, external clients 130, and / or other components. The illustrated connections connecting the various components in the communication system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, the various components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted depending on the desired functionality.

[0034] Although Figure 1 A 5G-based network is illustrated, but similar network implementations and configurations may be used for other communication technologies, such as 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc. Implementations described herein (which may be used for 5G technologies and / or for one or more other communication technologies and / or protocols) may be used to transmit (or broadcast) directional synchronization signals, receive and measure the directional signals at a UE (e.g., UE 105), and / or provide location assistance to the UE 105 (via the GMLC 125 or other location server), and / or calculate the position of the UE 105 at a device with positioning capabilities (such as the UE 105, gNB 110a, gNB 110b, or LMF 120) based on measurements received at the UE 105 for such directionally transmitted signals. The Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 125, Location Management Function (LMF) 120, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 115, SMF 117, ng-eNB (eNodeB) 114 and gNB (gNodeB) 110a, 110b are examples and may be replaced by or include various other location server functionalities and / or base station functionalities in various embodiments.

[0035] System 100 is capable of wireless communication because the various components of system 100 can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (at least sometimes using wireless connections), for example, via gNBs 110a, 110b, ng-eNBs 114, and / or 5GCs 140 (and / or one or more other devices (not shown), such as one or more other base transceiver stations). For indirect communication, the communication may be modified during transmission from one entity to another, for example, to change header information, alter the format of a data packet, etc. UE 105 may include multiple UEs and may be a mobile wireless communication device, but may communicate both wirelessly and via wired connections. UE 105 may be any of a variety of devices, such as a smartphone, tablet, or vehicle-based device, but these are merely examples, as UE 105 need not be in any of these configurations, and other configurations of UEs may be used. Other UEs may include wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart jewelry, smart glasses, or head-mounted devices). Other UEs, whether currently existing or developed in the future, may also be used. In addition, other wireless devices (whether mobile or not) may be implemented within the system 100 and may communicate with each other and / or with the UE 105, gNBs 110a, 110b, ng-eNBs 114, 5GCs 140, and / or external clients 130. For example, such other devices may include Internet of Things (IoT) devices, medical devices, home entertainment and / or automation devices, etc. The 5GC 140 may communicate with the external client 130 (e.g., a computer system), for example, to allow the external client 130 (e.g., via the GMLC 125) to request and / or receive location information about the UE 105.

[0036] The UE 105 or other device may be configured to communicate in various networks and / or for various purposes and / or using various technologies (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi communication, multi-frequency Wi-Fi communication, satellite positioning, one or more types of communication (e.g., GSM (Global System for Mobile), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), V2X (Vehicle to Vehicle, e.g., V2P (vehicle to pedestrian), V2I (vehicle to infrastructure), V2V (vehicle to vehicle), etc.), IEEE 802.11p, etc.). V2X communication can be cellular (Cellular-V2X (C-V2X)) and / or WiFi (e.g., DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Connection)). System 100 can support operation on multiple carriers (waveform signals of different frequencies). A multi-carrier transmitter can simultaneously transmit modulated signals on multiple carriers. Each modulated signal can be a code division multiple access (CDMA) signal, a time division multiple access (TDMA) signal, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) signal, a single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) signal, etc. Each modulated signal can be transmitted on a different carrier and can carry pilots, overhead information, data, etc. UE 105, 106 can communicate with each other through UE-to-UE sidelink (SL) communication by transmitting on one or more sidelink (SL) channels, such as a physical sidelink synchronization channel (PSSCH), a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), or a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH). Direct wireless device-to-wireless device communication (not through a network) can generally be referred to as sidelink communication, without limiting the communication to a specific protocol.

[0037] UE 105 may include and / or may be referred to as a device, a mobile device, a wireless device, a mobile terminal, a terminal, a mobile station (MS), a secure user plane location (SUPL) enabled terminal (SET), or some other name. In addition, UE 105 may correspond to a cellular phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet device, a PDA, a consumer asset tracking device, a navigation device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a health monitor, a security system, a smart city sensor, a smart meter, a wearable tracker, or some other portable or movable device. Typically, although not required, UE 105 may use one or more radio access technologies (RATs) to support wireless communications, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), LTE, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 WiFi (also known as Wi-Fi), (BT), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), 5G New Radio (NR) (e.g., using NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140), etc. UE 105 may use a wireless local area network (WLAN) to support wireless communications, which may be connected to other networks (e.g., the Internet) using, for example, a digital subscriber line (DSL) or packet cable. Using one or more of these RATs may allow UE 105 (e.g., via elements of 5GC 140 ( Figure 1 125), or possibly via the GMLC 125) communicates with the external client 130 and / or allows the external client 130 to receive location information about the UE 105 (eg, via the GMLC 125).

[0038] UE 105 may comprise a single entity or may comprise multiple entities, such as in a personal area network where a user may employ audio, video, and / or data I / O (input / output) devices, and / or body sensors and separate wired or wireless modems. The estimate of the location of UE 105 may be referred to as location, location estimate, location fix, fix, position, position estimate, or position fix, and may be geographic, providing location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) of UE 105, which may or may not include an altitude component (e.g., height above sea level; height above or depth below ground level, floor level, or basement level). Alternatively, the location of UE 105 may be expressed as a civic location (e.g., a postal address or a designation of a point or smaller area in a building, such as a particular room or floor). The location of UE 105 may be represented as an area or volume (geographically or civically defined) within which UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of the UE 105 may be expressed as a relative location including, for example, a distance and a direction relative to a known location. The relative location may be expressed as relative coordinates (e.g., X, Y (and Z) coordinates) defined relative to some origin at a known location, which may be defined, for example, geographically, municipally, or with reference to a point, area, or volume indicated, for example, on a map, floor plan, or building plan. In the description contained herein, use of the term "location" may include any of these variations unless otherwise indicated. When calculating the location of the UE, local x, y, and (possibly) z coordinates are typically solved for, and then (if necessary) the local coordinates are converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0039] The UE 105 may be configured to communicate with other entities using one or more of a variety of technologies. The UE 105 may be configured to connect indirectly to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links. The D2D P2P links may be supported using any suitable D2D radio access technology (RAT), such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Etc. One or more UEs in a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be located within the geographic coverage area of a transmit / receive point (TRP), such as one or more of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114. Other UEs in the group may be outside such geographic coverage area or otherwise unable to receive transmissions from the base station. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, in which each UE may transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP may facilitate the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication may be performed between UEs without involving a TRP. One or more UEs in a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be located within the geographic coverage area of a TRP. Other UEs in the group may be outside such geographic coverage area or otherwise unable to receive transmissions from the base station. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, in which each UE may transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP may facilitate the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication may be performed between UEs without involving TRP.

[0040] Figure 1 The base stations (BSs) in the NG-RAN 135 shown in FIG. 1 include NR Node Bs (referred to as gNBs 110a and 110b). Each pair of gNBs 110a and 110b in the NG-RAN 135 may be connected to each other via one or more other gNBs. Access to the 5G network is provided to the UE 105 via wireless communications between the UE 105 and one or more of the gNBs 110a and 110b. These gNBs may provide wireless communications access to the 5GC 140 on behalf of the UE 105 using 5G. Figure 1 , it is assumed that the serving gNB for UE 105 is gNB 110a, but another gNB (e.g., gNB 110b) may serve as the serving gNB if UE 105 moves to another location, or may serve as a secondary gNB to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 105.

[0041] Figure 1The base stations (BSs) in the NG-RAN 135 shown in FIG. 1 may include an ng-eNB 114, also known as a next-generation evolved Node B. The ng-eNB 114 may be connected to one or more of the gNBs 110a, 110b in the NG-RAN 135, possibly via one or more other gNBs and / or one or more other ng-eNBs. The ng-eNB 114 may provide LTE radio access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) radio access to the UE 105. One or more of the gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may be configured to function as a positioning-only beacon, which may transmit signals to assist in determining the location of the UE 105 but may not receive signals from the UE 105 or other UEs.

[0042] The gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or the ng-eNB 114 may each include one or more TRPs. For example, each sector within a cell of a BS may include a TRP, but multiple TRPs may share one or more components (e.g., a shared processor but with separate antennas). The system 100 may include only macro TRPs, or the system 100 may have different types of TRPs, such as macro TRPs, pico TRPs, and / or femto TRPs. A macro TRP may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access by terminals with service subscriptions. A pico TRP may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a pico cell) and may allow unrestricted access by terminals with service subscriptions. A femto or home TRP may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a femto cell) and may allow restricted access by terminals associated with the femto cell (e.g., terminals of users in a home).

[0043] Each of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may include a radio unit (RU), a distributed unit (DU), and a central unit (CU). For example, gNB 110b includes RU 111, DU 112, and CU 113. RU 111, DU 112, and CU 113 divide the functionality of gNB 110b. Although gNB 110b is shown as having a single RU, a single DU, and a single CU, a gNB may include one or more RUs, one or more DUs, and / or one or more CUs. The interface between CU 113 and DU 112 is referred to as the F1 interface. RU 111 is configured to perform digital front-end (DFE) functions (e.g., analog-to-digital conversion, filtering, power amplification, transmit / receive) and digital beamforming) and includes a portion of the physical (PHY) layer. RU 111 may use massive multiple-input / multiple-output (MIMO) to perform DFE and may be integrated with one or more antennas of gNB 110b. DU 112 hosts the radio link control (RLC), medium access control (MAC), and physical layers of gNB 110b. A DU can support one or more cells, with each cell supported by a single DU. The operation of DU 112 is controlled by CU 113. CU 113 is configured to perform functions for delivering user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, session management, etc., although some functions are assigned only to DU 112. CU 113 hosts the radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocols of gNB 110b. UE 105 can communicate with CU 113 via the RRC, SDAP, and PDCP layers, with DU 112 via the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers, and with RU 111 via the PHY layer.

[0044] As pointed out, although Figure 1 Nodes configured to communicate according to a 5G communication protocol are depicted, but nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols, such as, for example, an LTE protocol or an IEEE 802.11x protocol, may also be used. For example, in an Evolved Packet System (EPS) that provides LTE radio access to a UE 105, the RAN may include an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), which may include base stations including evolved Node Bs (eNBs). The core network for the EPS may include an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The EPS may include the E-UTRAN plus the EPC, where the E-UTRAN corresponds to Figure 1 The NG-RAN 135 in the figure and the EPC correspond to the 5GC 140 in the figure.

[0045] gNBs 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 may communicate with AMF 115; for positioning functionality, the AMF communicates with LMF 120. AMF 115 may support mobility of UE 105, including cell change and handover, and may participate in supporting signaling connections with UE 105 and possibly data and voice bearers for UE 105. LMF 120 may communicate directly with UE 105, or directly with gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114, for example, via wireless communications. The LMF 120 may support positioning of the UE 105 when the UE 105 accesses the NG-RAN 135 and may support various positioning procedures / methods, such as Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (e.g., downlink (DL) OTDOA or uplink (UL) OTDOA), Round Trip Time (RTT), multi-cell RTT, Real-Time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID), Angle of Arrival (AoA), Angle of Departure (AoD), and / or other positioning methods. The LMF 120 may process location service requests for the UE 105, for example, received from the AMF 115 or the GMLC 125. The LMF 120 may be connected to the AMF 115 and / or the GMLC 125. The LMF 120 may be referred to by other names, such as a Location Manager (LM), a Location Function (LF), a Commercial LMF (CLMF), or a Value-Added LMF (VLMF). A node / system implementing LMF 120 may additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as an enhanced serving mobile location center (E-SMLC) or a secure user plane location (SUPL) location platform (SLP). At least a portion of the positioning functionality (including the derivation of the location of UE 105) may be performed at UE 105 (e.g., using signal measurements obtained by UE 105 for signals sent by wireless nodes (such as gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114), and / or assistance data provided to UE 105 by LMF 120, for example). AMF 115 may serve as a control node for handling signaling between UE 105 and 5GC 140, and may provide QoS (Quality of Service) flow and session management. AMF 115 may support the mobility of UE 105 (including cell change and handover) and may participate in supporting signaling connections with UE 105.

[0046] The server 150 (e.g., a cloud server) is configured to obtain a location estimate for the UE 105 and provide it to the external client 130. The server 150 may, for example, be configured to run a microservice / service that obtains a location estimate for the UE 105. The server 150 may, for example, obtain (e.g., by transmitting a location request) a location estimate from the UE 105, one or more of the gNBs 110a, 110b (e.g., via the RU 111, DU 112, and CU 113), and / or the ng-eNB 114, and / or the LMF 120. As another example, the UE 105, one or more of the gNBs 110a, 110b (e.g., via the RU 111, DU 112, and CU 113), and / or the LMF 120 may push the location estimate for the UE 105 to the server 150.

[0047] The GMLC 125 may support location requests for the UE 105 received from the external client 130 via the server 150 and may forward the location requests to the AMF 115 for forwarding by the AMF 115 to the LMF 120, or may forward the location requests directly to the LMF 120. A location response (e.g., containing a location estimate for the UE 105) from the LMF 120 may be returned to the GMLC 125 directly or via the AMF 115, and the GMLC 125 may then return the location response (e.g., containing the location estimate) to the external client 130 via the server 150. The GMLC 125 is shown as being connected to both the AMF 115 and the LMF 120, but in some implementations may not be connected to either the AMF 115 or the LMF 120.

[0048] like Figure 1 For further example, LMF 120 may communicate with gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 using a new radio positioning protocol A (which may be referred to as NPPa or NRPPa), which may be defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. NRPPa may be the same as, similar to, or an extension of LTE Positioning Protocol A (LPPa) defined in 3GPP TS 36.455, wherein NRPPa messages are communicated between gNB 110a (or gNB 110b) and LMF 120, and / or between ng-eNB 114 and LMF 120 via AMF 115. Figure 1For further example, the LMF 120 and the UE 105 may communicate using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP), which may be defined in 3GPP TS 36.355. Additionally or alternatively, the LMF 120 and the UE 105 may communicate using a new radio positioning protocol (which may be referred to as NPP or NRPP), which may be the same as, similar to, or an extension of the LPP. Here, LPP and / or NPP messages may be communicated between the UE 105 and the LMF 120 via the AMF 115 and the UE 105's serving gNB 110a, gNB 110b, or serving ng-eNB 114. For example, the LPP and / or NPP messages may be communicated between the LMF 120 and the AMF 115 using the 5G Location Services Application Protocol (LCS AP), and between the AMF 115 and the UE 105 using the 5G Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol. The LPP and / or NPP protocols may be used to support positioning of the UE 105 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based positioning methods, such as A-GNSS, RTK, OTDOA, and / or E-CID. The NRPPa protocol may be used to support positioning of the UE 105 using network-based positioning methods, such as E-CID (e.g., when used with measurements obtained by the gNB 110a, 110b, or ng-eNB 114) and / or may be used by the LMF 120 to obtain location-related information from the gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114, such as parameters defining directional SS or PRS transmissions from the gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114. The LMF 120 may be co-located or integrated with the gNB or TRP, or may be located remotely from the gNB and / or TRP and configured to communicate directly or indirectly with the gNB and / or TRP.

[0049] Using UE-assisted positioning methods, UE 105 may obtain location measurements and transmit these measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) for use in calculating a location estimate for UE 105. For example, the location measurements may include one or more of received signal strength indication (RSSI), round-trip signal propagation time (RTT), reference signal time difference (RSTD), reference signal received power (RSRP), and / or reference signal received quality (RSRQ) of gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, and / or WLAN APs. The location measurements may additionally or alternatively include measurements of GNSS pseudoranges, code phases, and / or carrier phases of SVs 190-193.

[0050] Using the UE-based positioning method, UE 105 can obtain position measurements (e.g., which can be the same as or similar to the position measurements of the UE-assisted positioning method) and can calculate the position of UE 105 (e.g., with the help of assistance data received from a location server (such as LMF120) or broadcast by gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114 or other base station or AP).

[0051] With network-based positioning methods, one or more base stations (e.g., gNBs 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114) or APs may obtain location measurements (e.g., measurements of RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, or time of arrival (ToA) of signals sent by UE 105) and / or may receive measurements obtained by UE 105. The one or more base stations or APs may transmit the measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) for use in computing a position estimate for UE 105.

[0052] The information provided by gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114 to LMF 120 using NRPPa may include timing and configuration information for directional SS or PRS transmission, as well as location coordinates. LMF 120 may provide some or all of this information to UE 105 as assistance data in LPP and / or NPP messages via NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140.

[0053] The LPP or NPP message transmitted from LMF 120 to UE 105 may instruct UE 105 to do any of a variety of things, depending on the desired functionality. For example, the LPP or NPP message may include instructions for UE 105 to obtain measurements for GNSS (or A-GNSS), WLAN, E-CID, and / or OTDOA (or some other positioning method). In the case of E-CID, the LPP or NPP message may instruct UE 105 to obtain one or more measurement parameters (e.g., beam ID, beam width, average angle, RSRP, RSRQ measurements) of directional signals transmitted within a particular cell supported by one or more of gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 (or supported by some other type of base station, such as an eNB or WiFi AP). The UE 105 may transmit these measurement parameters back to the LMF 120 in an LPP or NPP message (e.g., within a 5G NAS message) via the serving gNB 110a (or serving ng-eNB 114) and the AMF 115.

[0054] As noted, while the communication system 100 is described with respect to 5G technology, the communication system 100 may be implemented to support other communication technologies (such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, etc.) for supporting and interacting with mobile devices (such as UE 105) (e.g., to implement voice, data, positioning, and other functionality). In some such embodiments, the 5GC 140 may be configured to control different air interfaces. For example, the 5GC 140 may use the Non-3GPP Interworking Function (N3IWF) in the 5GC 140 to control the 5G network. Figure 1 115). In these other embodiments, positioning of UE 105 using directional PRS may be supported in a manner similar to that described herein for 5G networks, with the difference that the functions and processes described herein for gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115, and LMF 120 may in some cases be applied alternatively to other network elements, such as eNBs, WiFi APs, MMEs, and E-SMLCs.

[0055] As noted, in some embodiments, positioning functionality may be implemented, at least in part, using directional SS or PRS beams transmitted by base stations (such as gNBs 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114) that are located at the UE (e.g., Figure 1 In some instances, the UE may calculate its positioning using directional SS beams or directional PRS beams from multiple base stations (such as gNBs 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, etc.).

[0056] Also refer to Figure 2UE 200 may be an example of one of UEs 105 and 106 and may include a computing platform including a processor 210, a memory 211 including software (SW) 212, one or more sensors 213, a transceiver interface 214 for a transceiver 215 (which includes a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250), a user interface 216, a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver 217, a camera 218, and a positioning device (PD) 219. The processor 210, the memory 211, the sensor 213, the transceiver interface 214, the user interface 216, the SPS receiver 217, the camera 218, and the positioning device 219 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 220 (which may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., the camera 218, the positioning device 219, and / or one or more of the sensors 213) may be omitted from the UE 200. Processor 210 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the like. Processor 210 may include multiple processors, including a general / application processor 230, a digital signal processor (DSP) 231, a modem processor 232, a video processor 233, and / or a sensor processor 234. One or more of processors 230 through 234 may include multiple devices (e.g., multiple processors). For example, sensor processor 234 may include a processor for RF (radio frequency) sensing (where one or more transmitted (cellular) wireless signals and reflections are used to identify, map, and / or track objects) and / or ultrasound. Modem processor 232 may support dual SIM cards / dual connectivity (or even more SIM cards). For example, one SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module or Subscriber Identity Module) may be used by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and another SIM card may be used by the end user of UE 200 to obtain connectivity. Memory 211 may be a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM), and the like. Memory 211 may store software 212, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that, when executed, may be configured to cause processor 210 to perform the various functions described herein. Alternatively, software 212 may not be directly executable by processor 210, but may be configured to cause processor 210 to perform these functions, for example, when compiled and executed. The description herein may refer to processor 210 performing a function, but this includes other specific implementations, such as specific implementations in which processor 210 executes software and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to processor 210 performing a function as shorthand for one or more of processors 230 to 234 performing the function.The description herein may refer to UE 200 performing a function as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of UE 200 performing that function. Processor 210 may include memory with stored instructions in addition to and / or in lieu of memory 211. The functionality of processor 210 is discussed more fully below.

[0057] Figure 2 The configuration of UE 200 shown in the figure is an example and does not limit the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, an example configuration of the UE may include one or more of the processors 230 to 234 in the processor 210, the memory 211, and the wireless transceiver 240. Other example configurations may include one or more of the processors 230 to 234 in the processor 210, the memory 211, the wireless transceiver, and one or more of the following: sensor 213, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, PD 219, and / or wired transceiver.

[0058] The UE 200 may include a modem processor 232 that may be capable of performing baseband processing of signals received and downconverted by the transceiver 215 and / or the SPS receiver 217. The modem processor 232 may perform baseband processing of signals to be upconverted for transmission by the transceiver 215. Additionally or alternatively, the baseband processing may be performed by the general / application processor 230 and / or the DSP 231. However, other configurations may be used to perform the baseband processing.

[0059] UE 200 may include sensors 213, which may include, for example, one or more of various types of sensors, such as one or more inertial sensors, one or more magnetometers, one or more environmental sensors, one or more optical sensors, one or more weight sensors, and / or one or more radio frequency (RF) sensors. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) may include, for example, one or more accelerometers (e.g., collectively responsive to acceleration of UE 200 in three dimensions) and / or one or more gyroscopes (e.g., a three-dimensional gyroscope). Sensors 213 may include one or more magnetometers (e.g., a three-dimensional magnetometer) to determine orientation (e.g., relative to magnetic north and / or true north), which may be used for any of a variety of purposes (e.g., to support one or more compass applications). Environmental sensors may include, for example, one or more temperature sensors, one or more barometric pressure sensors, one or more ambient light sensors, one or more camera imagers, and / or one or more microphones. Sensors 213 may generate analog and / or digital signals, indications of which may be stored in memory 211 and processed by DSP 231 and / or general / application processor 230 to support one or more applications (e.g., applications involving positioning and / or navigation operations).

[0060] Sensors 213 may be used for relative position measurement, relative position determination, motion determination, and the like. Information detected by sensors 213 may be used for motion detection, relative displacement, dead reckoning, sensor-based position determination, and / or sensor-assisted position determination. Sensors 213 may be used to determine whether UE 200 is stationary (stationary) or mobile and / or whether to report certain useful information related to the mobility of UE 200 to LMF 120. For example, based on information obtained / measured by sensors 213, UE 200 may notify / report to LMF 120 that UE 200 has detected movement or that UE 200 has moved, and report relative displacement / distance (e.g., via dead reckoning implemented by sensors 213, sensor-based position determination, or sensor-assisted position determination). In another example, for relative positioning information, sensors / IMUs may be used to determine the angle and / or orientation of another device relative to UE 200.

[0061] The IMU can be configured to provide measurements of the direction and / or speed of motion of the UE 200, which can be used for relative position determination. For example, one or more accelerometers and / or one or more gyroscopes of the IMU can detect the linear acceleration and rotational speed of the UE 200, respectively. The linear acceleration measurements and rotational speed measurements of the UE 200 can be integrated over time to determine the instantaneous direction of motion and displacement of the UE 200. The instantaneous direction of motion and displacement can be integrated to track the position of the UE 200. For example, a reference position of the UE 200 at a certain moment can be determined, for example, using the SPS receiver 217 (and / or by some other means), and measurements obtained from the accelerometers and gyroscopes after that moment can be used for dead reckoning to determine the current position of the UE 200 based on the movement (direction and distance) of the UE 200 relative to the reference position.

[0062] The magnetometer can determine the strength of the magnetic field in different directions, which can be used to determine the orientation of the UE 200. For example, the orientation can be used to provide a digital compass for the UE 200. The magnetometer may include a two-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect and provide an indication of the strength of the magnetic field in two orthogonal dimensions. The magnetometer may include a three-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect and provide an indication of the strength of the magnetic field in three orthogonal dimensions. The magnetometer may provide a component for sensing a magnetic field and providing an indication of the magnetic field, for example, to the processor 210.

[0063] The transceiver 215 may include a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 240 may include a wireless transmitter 242 and a wireless receiver 244 coupled to an antenna 246 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more downlink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) wireless signals 248 and converting signals from wireless signals 248 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and vice versa. The wireless transmitter 242 includes appropriate components (e.g., a power amplifier and a digital-to-analog converter). The wireless receiver 244 includes appropriate components (e.g., one or more amplifiers, one or more frequency filters, and an analog-to-digital converter). The wireless transmitter 242 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wireless receiver 244 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 240 may be configured to operate in accordance with various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Zigbee, etc.) to communicate signals (e.g., with a TRP and / or one or more other devices). The new radio may use millimeter wave frequencies and / or frequencies below 6 GHz. The wired transceiver 250 may include a wired transmitter 252 and a wired receiver 254 configured for wired communication, for example, a network interface that may be utilized to communicate with the NG-RAN 135 to transmit communications to the NG-RAN 135 and receive communications from the NG-RAN. The wired transmitter 252 may include a plurality of transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 254 may include a plurality of receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 250 may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication. The transceiver 215 may be communicatively coupled to the transceiver interface 214, for example, via an optical connection and / or an electrical connection. The transceiver interface 214 may be at least partially integrated with the transceiver 215. The wireless transmitter 242 , the wireless receiver 244 , and / or the antenna 246 may include multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, and / or multiple antennas, respectively, for transmitting and / or receiving appropriate signals, respectively.

[0064] The user interface 216 may include one or more of a number of devices, such as, for example, a speaker, a microphone, a display device, a vibration device, a keyboard, a touch screen, and the like. The user interface 216 may include more than one of any of these devices. The user interface 216 may be configured to enable a user to interact with one or more applications hosted by the UE 200. For example, the user interface 216 may store indications of analog and / or digital signals in the memory 211 in response to actions from the user for processing by the DSP 231 and / or the general / application processor 230. Similarly, applications hosted on the UE 200 may store indications of analog and / or digital signals in the memory 211 to present output signals to the user. The user interface 216 may include an audio input / output (I / O) device, including, for example, a speaker, a microphone, digital-to-analog circuitry, analog-to-digital circuitry, an amplifier, and / or gain control circuitry (including more than one of any of these devices). Other configurations of audio I / O devices may be used. Additionally or alternatively, the user interface 216 may include one or more touch sensors that respond to touch and / or pressure on, for example, a keyboard and / or a touch screen of the user interface 216 .

[0065] The SPS receiver 217 (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) receiver) may be capable of receiving and acquiring SPS signals 260 via an SPS antenna 262. The SPS antenna 262 is configured to convert the SPS signals 260 from wireless signals to wired signals (e.g., electrical signals or optical signals) and may be integrated with the antenna 246. The SPS receiver 217 may be configured to process the acquired SPS signals 260 in whole or in part to estimate the position of the UE 200. For example, the SPS receiver 217 may be configured to determine the position of the UE 200 by performing trilateration using the SPS signals 260. The general / application processor 230, the memory 211, the DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors (not shown) may be utilized in conjunction with the SPS receiver 217 to process the acquired SPS signals in whole or in part and / or calculate the estimated position of the UE 200. The memory 211 may store indications (e.g., measurements) of the SPS signals 260 and / or other signals (e.g., signals obtained from the wireless transceiver 240) for use in performing positioning operations. The general / application processor 230, the DSP 231, and / or one or more special-purpose processors, and / or the memory 211 may provide or support a location engine for processing the measurements to estimate the location of the UE 200.

[0066] The UE 200 may include a camera 218 for capturing still or moving images. The camera 218 may include, for example, an imaging sensor (e.g., a charge-coupled device or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) imager), a lens, analog-to-digital circuitry, a frame buffer, etc. Additional processing, conditioning, encoding, and / or compression of signals representing captured images may be performed by the general / application processor 230 and / or the DSP 231. Additionally or alternatively, a video processor 233 may perform conditioning, encoding, compression, and / or manipulation of signals representing captured images. The video processor 233 may decode / decompress stored image data for presentation on a display device (not shown) (e.g., of the user interface 216).

[0067] Positioning device (PD) 219 may be configured to determine the location of UE 200, the motion of UE 200, and / or the relative location of UE 200, and / or time. For example, PD 219 may communicate with SPS receiver 217 and / or include a portion or all of an SPS receiver. PD 219 may work in conjunction with processor 210 and memory 211, as appropriate, to perform at least a portion of one or more positioning methods, although the description herein may refer to PD 219 being configured to perform or the PD performing in accordance with a positioning method. PD 219 may additionally or alternatively be configured to determine the location of UE 200 using trilateration using ground-based signals (e.g., at least some wireless signals 248), assisted acquisition, and the use of SPS signals 260, or both. PD 219 may be configured to determine the location of UE 200 based on the cell of a serving base station (e.g., cell center) and / or another technique (such as E-CID). The PD 219 may be configured to determine the location of the UE 200 using one or more images from the camera 218 and image recognition combined with known locations of landmarks (e.g., natural landmarks (such as mountains) and / or artificial landmarks (such as buildings, bridges, streets), etc.). The PD 219 may be configured to determine the location of the UE 200 using one or more other techniques (e.g., relying on the UE's self-reported location (e.g., as part of the UE's location beacon)), and may use a combination of techniques (e.g., SPS and terrestrial positioning signals) to determine the location of the UE 200. The PD 219 may include one or more sensors 213 (e.g., gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, etc.) that can sense the orientation and / or motion of the UE 200 and provide an indication of the orientation and / or motion, which the processor 210 (e.g., general / application processor 230 and / or DSP 231) may be configured to use to determine the motion of the UE 200 (e.g., velocity vector and / or acceleration vector). The PD 219 may be configured to provide an indication of uncertainty and / or error in the determined position and / or motion. The functionality of the PD 219 may be provided in various ways and / or configurations, such as by the general / application processor 230, the transceiver 215, the SPS receiver 217, and / or another component of the UE 200, and may be provided by hardware, software, firmware, or various combinations thereof.

[0068] Also refer to Figure 3, an example of a TRP 300 for gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114 includes a computing platform including a processor 310, a memory 311 including software (SW) 312, and a transceiver 315. The processor 310, the memory 311, and the transceiver 315 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 320 (which may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., a wireless transceiver) may be omitted from the TRP 300. The processor 310 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 310 may include multiple processors (e.g., including a general / application processor, a DSP, a modem processor, a video processor, and / or a sensor processor, such as a processor). Figure 2 ). Memory 311 may be a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM). Memory 311 may store software 312, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause processor 310 to perform the various functions described herein. Alternatively, software 312 may not be directly executable by processor 310, but may be configured to cause processor 310 to perform these functions, for example, when compiled and executed.

[0069] The description herein may refer to the processor 310 performing a function, but this includes other implementations, such as implementations in which the processor 310 executes software and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to the processor 310 performing a function as shorthand for one or more of the processors included in the processor 310 performing the function. The description herein may refer to the TRP 300 performing a function as shorthand for one or more appropriate components (e.g., the processor 310 and the memory 311) of the TRP 300 (and thus one of the gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) performing the function. The processor 310 may include a memory with stored instructions in addition to and / or in lieu of the memory 311. The functionality of the processor 310 is discussed more fully below.

[0070] The transceiver 315 may include a wireless transceiver 340 and / or a wired transceiver 350 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 340 may include a wireless transmitter 342 and a wireless receiver 344 coupled to one or more antennas 346 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more downlink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more downlink channels and / or one or more uplink channels) wireless signals 348 and converting signals from the wireless signals 348 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and vice versa. Thus, the wireless transmitter 342 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wireless receiver 344 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 340 may be configured to operate in accordance with a variety of radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), The wired transceiver 350 may include a wired transmitter 352 and a wired receiver 354 configured for wired communication, for example, a network interface that can be used to communicate with the NG-RAN 135 to transmit communications to, for example, the LMF 120 and / or one or more other network entities and receive communications from the LMF and / or the one or more other network entities. The wired transmitter 352 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 354 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 350 may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0071] Figure 3 The configuration of the TRP 300 shown in the accompanying drawings is an example and is not intended to limit the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, the description herein discusses that the TRP 300 may be configured to perform several functions or that the TRP performs several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by the LMF 120 and / or the UE 200 (i.e., the LMF 120 and / or the UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0072] Also refer to Figure 4 , the server 400 (LMF 120 may be an example thereof) may include: a computing platform including a processor 410, a memory 411 including software (SW) 412, and a transceiver 415. The processor 410, the memory 411, and the transceiver 415 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 420 (the bus may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the devices shown (e.g., a wireless transceiver) may be omitted from the server 400. The processor 410 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 410 may include a plurality of processors (e.g., including a general / application processor, a DSP, a modem processor, a video processor, and / or a sensor processor, such as Figure 2 ). Memory 411 may be a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. Memory 411 may store software 412, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that are configured to cause processor 410 to perform the various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, software 412 may not be directly executable by processor 410, but may be configured to cause processor 410 to perform these functions, for example, when compiled and executed. The description herein may refer to processor 410 performing functions, but this includes other specific implementations, such as specific implementations in which processor 410 executes software and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to processor 410 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more of the processors included in processor 410 performing the functions. The description herein may refer to server 400 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of server 400 performing the functions. Processor 410 may include a memory with stored instructions in addition to and / or in place of memory 411. The functionality of processor 410 is discussed more fully below.

[0073] The transceiver 415 may include a wireless transceiver 440 and / or a wired transceiver 450 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 440 may include a wireless transmitter 442 and a wireless receiver 444 coupled to one or more antennas 446 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more downlink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more uplink channels) wireless signals 448 and converting signals from wireless signals 448 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and vice versa. Thus, the wireless transmitter 442 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wireless receiver 444 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 440 may be configured to operate in accordance with various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Zigbee, etc.) to communicate signals (e.g., with UE 200, one or more other UEs, and / or one or more other devices). The wired transceiver 450 may include a wired transmitter 452 and a wired receiver 454 configured for wired communication, for example, a network interface that can be used to communicate with the NG-RAN 135 to transmit and receive communications to, for example, the TRP 300 and / or one or more other network entities. The wired transmitter 452 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 454 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 450 may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0074] The description herein may refer to processor 410 performing a function, but this includes other implementations, such as implementations in which processor 410 executes software and / or firmware (stored in memory 411). The description herein may refer to server 400 performing a function as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of server 400 (e.g., processor 410 and memory 411) performing that function.

[0075] Figure 4The configuration of server 400 shown in the figure is an example and does not limit the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, wireless transceiver 440 may be omitted. Additionally or alternatively, the description herein discusses that server 400 is configured to perform several functions or that the server performs several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by TRP 300 and / or UE 200 (i.e., TRP 300 and / or UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0076] Positioning technology

[0077] For terrestrial positioning of UEs in cellular networks, techniques such as Advanced Forward Link Trilateration (AFLT) and Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) typically operate in a "UE-assisted" mode, where measurements of reference signals (e.g., PRS, CRS, etc.) transmitted by base stations are acquired by the UE and then provided to a location server. The location server then calculates the UE's position based on the measurements and the known positions of the base stations. Because these techniques use a location server (rather than the UE itself) to calculate the UE's position, these positioning techniques are not frequently used in applications such as automotive or cell phone navigation, which instead typically rely on satellite-based positioning.

[0078] UEs can use a satellite positioning system (SPS) (Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)) to perform high-accuracy positioning using Precise Point Positioning (PPP) or Real-Time Kinematics (RTK) techniques. These techniques use assistance data, such as measurements from ground-based stations. LTE Release 15 allows data to be encrypted so that only UEs subscribed to the service can read the information. This assistance data changes over time. As a result, a UE subscribed to the service may not be able to easily "break the encryption" for other UEs by passing the data to other UEs that have not paid for the subscription. This transfer needs to be repeated each time the assistance data changes.

[0079] In UE-assisted positioning, the UE transmits measurements (e.g., TDOA, Angle of Arrival (AoA), etc.) to a positioning server (e.g., LMF / eSMLC). The positioning server has a base station almanac (BSA) that contains multiple "entries" or "records," one per cell, where each record contains the geographic cell location but may also include other data. An identifier for a "record" among the multiple "records" in the BSA can be referenced. The BSA and the measurements from the UE can be used to calculate the UE's position.

[0080] In conventional UE-based positioning, the UE calculates its own position, avoiding the need to transmit measurements to the network (e.g., a location server), which in turn improves latency and scalability. The UE uses the associated BSA record information from the network (e.g., the location of the gNB (and more broadly, base stations)). The BSA information can be encrypted. However, because BSA information changes much less frequently than, for example, the PPP or RTK assistance data described above, it may be easier to make BSA information available to UEs that are not subscribed and do not pay for decryption keys (compared to PPP or RTK information). The gNB's transmission of reference signals makes the BSA information potentially accessible to crowdsourcing or driving attacks, essentially enabling BSA information to be generated based on in-the-field and / or over-the-top observations.

[0081] Positioning techniques can be characterized and / or evaluated based on one or more criteria, such as positioning determination accuracy and / or latency. Latency is the time elapsed between the event that triggers the determination of positioning-related data and the availability of that data at a positioning system interface (e.g., the interface of LMF 120). Upon positioning system initialization, the latency for the availability of positioning-related data is called the time to first fix (TTFF) and is greater than the latency after the TTFF. The inverse of the time elapsed between two consecutive positioning-related data availability is called the update rate, i.e., the rate at which positioning-related data is generated after the first fix. Latency may depend on the processing capability (e.g., of the UE). For example, assuming a 272 PRB (Physical Resource Block) allocation, the UE may report its processing capability as the duration (in time units (e.g., milliseconds)) of a DL PRS symbol that the UE can process per T amount of time (e.g., T ms). Other examples of capabilities that may affect latency are the number of TRPs from which the UE can process PRSs, the number of PRSs that the UE can process, and the UE's bandwidth.

[0082] One or more of a number of different positioning techniques (also known as positioning methods) can be used to determine the location of an entity (such as one of UEs 105 and 106). For example, known positioning determination techniques include RTT, multi-RTT, OTDOA (also known as TDOA and including UL-TDOA and DL-TDOA), enhanced cell identification (E-CID), DL-AoD, UL-AoA, and the like. RTT uses the time it takes for a signal to travel from one entity to another and back to determine the distance between the two entities. This distance, combined with the known position of a first one of the entities and the angle (e.g., azimuth) between the two entities, can be used to determine the position of a second one of the entities. In multi-RTT (also known as multi-cell RTT), multiple distances from one entity (e.g., a UE) to other entities (e.g., TRPs) and the known positions of the other entities can be used to determine the location of the one entity. In TDOA techniques, the difference in travel time between one entity and the other entities can be used to determine the relative distance to the other entity, and this relative distance, combined with the known positions of the other entities, can be used to determine the location of the one entity. Angle of arrival and / or angle of departure can be used to help determine the location of the entity. For example, the angle of arrival or departure of a signal in combination with the distance between devices (distance determined using the signal (e.g., travel time of the signal, received power of the signal, etc.)) and the known position of one of the devices can be used to determine the position of the other device. The angle of arrival or departure can be an azimuth relative to a reference direction (such as true north). The angle of arrival or departure can be a zenith angle relative to directly upward from a physical body (i.e., relative to radially outward from the center of the earth). E-CID uses the identity of the serving cell, the timing advance (i.e., the difference between the reception time and the transmission time at the UE), the estimated timing and power of the detected neighbor cell signals, and possible angles of arrival (e.g., the angle of arrival of the signal from the base station at the UE, or vice versa) to determine the position of the UE. In TDOA, the difference in the arrival times of signals from different sources at a receiving device, together with the known positions of those sources and the known offsets in the transmission times from those sources, are used to determine the position of the receiving device.

[0083] In network-centric RTT estimation, a serving base station instructs a UE to scan / receive RTT measurement signals (e.g., PRS) on serving cells of two or more neighboring base stations (and typically a serving base station, since at least three base stations are required). The one or more base stations transmit RTT measurement signals on low reuse resources (e.g., resources used by the base station to transmit system information) allocated by the network (e.g., a location server, such as LMF 120). The UE records the arrival time (also known as reception time, received time, received time, or time of arrival (ToA)) of each RTT measurement signal relative to the current downlink timing of the UE (e.g., as derived by the UE from the DL signal received from its serving base station), and (e.g., when instructed by its serving base station) transmits a common or individual RTT response message (e.g., an SRS (sounding reference signal) for positioning, i.e., UL-PRS) to the one or more base stations, and may use the time difference T between the ToA of the RTT measurement signal and the transmission time of the RTT response message as the time difference. Rx→Tx (i.e., UE T Rx-Tx or UE Rx-Tx ) is included in the payload of each RTT response message. The RTT response message will include a reference signal from which the base station can infer the ToA of the RTT response. The difference T between the transmission time of the RTT measurement signal from the base station and the ToA of the RTT response at the base station is calculated. Tx→Rx Time difference T with UE report Rx→Tx Compare and subtract UE Rx-Tx , the base station can infer the propagation time between the base station and the UE, based on which the base station can determine the distance between the UE and the base station by assuming the speed of light during the propagation time.

[0084] UE-centric RTT estimation is similar to the network-based approach, except that the UE sends an uplink RTT measurement signal (e.g., when commanded by the serving base station), which is received by multiple base stations in the vicinity of the UE. Each of the involved base stations responds with a downlink RTT response message, which may include in the RTT response message payload the time difference between the ToA of the RTT measurement signal at the base station and the time the RTT response message was sent from the base station.

[0085] For both network-centric and UE-centric processes, the side performing the RTT calculation (the network or the UE) typically (but not always) sends a first message or signal (e.g., an RTT measurement signal), and the other side responds with one or more RTT response messages or signals, which may include the difference between the ToA of the first message or signal and the sending time of the RTT response message or signal.

[0086] Multi-RTT technology can be used to determine positioning. For example, a first entity (e.g., a UE) can transmit one or more signals (e.g., unicast, multicast, or broadcast from a base station), and multiple second entities (e.g., other TSPs, such as base stations and / or UEs) can receive the signals from the first entity and respond to the received signals. The first entity receives responses from the multiple second entities. The first entity (or another entity, such as an LMF) can use the responses from the second entities to determine the distance to the second entity, and can use the multiple distances and the known positions of the second entities to determine the position of the first entity through trilateration.

[0087] In some instances, additional information in the form of an angle of arrival (AoA) or angle of departure (AoD) may be obtained, which defines a straight line direction (e.g., which may be in the horizontal plane or in three dimensions) or a range of possible directions (e.g., of the UE as seen from the base station's location). The intersection of the two directions may provide another estimate of the UE's position.

[0088] For positioning techniques (e.g., TDOA and RTT) that use PRS (Positioning Reference Signal) signals, the PRS signals transmitted by multiple TRPs are measured, and the arrival times of these signals, the known transmission times, and the known locations of the TRPs are used to determine the distance from the UE to the TRPs. For example, RSTD (Reference Signal Time Difference) can be determined for PRS signals received from multiple TRPs, and used in TDOA techniques to determine the location (position) of the UE. Positioning reference signals may be referred to as PRS or PRS signals. PRS signals are typically transmitted using the same power, and PRS signals with the same signal characteristics (e.g., the same frequency shift) may interfere with each other, so that PRS signals from farther TRPs may be drowned out by PRS signals from closer TRPs, so that signals from farther TRPs may not be detected. PRS muting can be used to help reduce interference by muting some PRS signals (reducing the power of the PRS signal, for example, to zero and thereby not transmitting the PRS signal). In this way, the UE can more easily detect (at the UE) a weaker PRS signal without a stronger PRS signal interfering with the weaker PRS signal. The term RS and its variants (e.g., PRS, SRS, CSI-RS (Channel State Information - Reference Signal)) may refer to one reference signal or more than one reference signal.

[0089] Positioning Reference Signals (PRS) include downlink PRS (DL PRS, often referred to as PRS for short) and uplink PRS (UL PRS) (the uplink PRS may be referred to as SRS (Sounding Reference Signal) for positioning). The PRS may include a PN code (pseudo-random number) or be generated using a PN code (e.g., by modulating a carrier signal with a PN code) so that the source of the PRS can be used as a pseudo-satellite. The PN code may be unique to the PRS source (at least within a specified area, so that the same PRS from different PRS sources do not overlap). The PRS may include PRS resources and / or PRS resource sets of a frequency layer. A DL PRS positioning frequency layer (or simply a frequency layer) is a collection of DL PRS resource sets from one or more TRPs, where the PRS resources have common parameters configured by higher-layer parameters DL-PRS-PositioningFrequencyLayer, DL-PRS-ResourceSet, and DL-PRS-Resource. Each frequency layer has a DL PRS subcarrier spacing (SCS) for the DL PRS resource set and DL PRS resources in that frequency layer. Each frequency layer has a DL PRS cyclic prefix (CP) for the DL PRS resource set and DL PRS resources in that frequency layer. In 5G, a resource block occupies 12 consecutive subcarriers and a specified number of symbols. A common resource block is a set of resource blocks that occupies the channel bandwidth. A bandwidth part (BWP) is a set of contiguous common resource blocks and may include all common resource blocks within the channel bandwidth or a subset of the common resource blocks. In addition, the DL PRS point A parameter defines the frequency of the reference resource block (and the lowest subcarrier of that resource block), where DL PRS resources belonging to the same DL PRS resource set have the same point A, and all DL PRS resource sets belonging to the same frequency layer have the same point A. Frequency layers also have the same DL PRS bandwidth, the same starting PRB (and center frequency), and the same comb size value (i.e., the frequency of PRS resource elements per symbol, such that for comb-N, every Nth resource element is a PRS resource element). A PRS resource set is identified by a PRS resource set ID and can be associated with a specific TRP (identified by the cell ID) transmitted by the antenna panel of the base station. The PRS resource ID in a PRS resource set can be associated with an omnidirectional signal and / or associated with a single beam (and / or beam ID) transmitted from a single base station (where a base station can transmit one or more beams). Each PRS resource in a PRS resource set can be transmitted on a different beam, and as such, a PRS resource (or simply a resource) can also be referred to as a beam. This does not imply that the base station and beam on which the PRS is transmitted are known to the UE.

[0090] The TRP can be configured, for example, by instructions received from a server and / or by software in the TRP, to transmit DL PRS on a schedule. According to the schedule, the TRP can intermittently (e.g., periodically at consistent intervals from the initial transmission) transmit DL PRS. The TRP can be configured to transmit one or more PRS resource sets. A resource set is a collection of PRS resources across a TRP, where the resources have the same periodicity, a common muting pattern configuration (if any), and the same repetition factor across time slots. Each PRS resource set in a PRS resource set includes multiple PRS resources, where each PRS resource includes multiple OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) resource elements (REs), which can be in multiple resource blocks (RBs) within N (one or more) consecutive symbols within a time slot. PRS resources (or generally, reference signal (RS) resources) can be referred to as OFDM PRS resources (or OFDM RS resources). An RB is a set of REs that spans a certain number of one or more consecutive symbols in the time domain and a certain number (12 for 5G RBs) of consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. Each PRS resource is configured with an RE offset, a slot offset, a symbol offset within a slot, and the number of consecutive symbols that the PRS resource can occupy within a slot. The RE offset defines the starting RE offset in frequency for the first symbol within the DL PRS resource. The relative RE offsets of the remaining symbols within the DL PRS resource are defined based on the initial offset. The slot offset is the starting slot of the DL PRS resource relative to the corresponding resource set slot offset. The symbol offset determines the starting symbol of the DL PRS resource within the starting slot. The transmitted REs may be repeated across slots, with each transmission being referred to as a repetition, such that there may be multiple repetitions in a PRS resource. The DL PRS resources in a DL PRS resource set are associated with the same TRP, and each DL PRS resource has a DL PRS resource ID. The DL PRS resource ID in a DL PRS resource set is associated with a single beam transmitted from a single TRP (although a TRP may transmit one or more beams).

[0091] PRS resources can also be defined by quasi-colocation parameters and starting PRB parameters. Quasi-colocation (QCL) parameters can define any quasi-colocation information of DLPRS resources with other reference signals. DL PRS can be configured to be QCL type D with DL PRS or SS / PBCH (synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel) blocks from a serving cell or a non-serving cell. DL PRS can be configured to be QCL type C with SS / PBCH blocks from a serving cell or a non-serving cell. The starting PRB parameter defines the starting PRB index of the DLPRS resource with respect to reference point A. The starting PRB index has a granularity of one PRB and can have a minimum value of 0 PRBs and a maximum value of 2176 PRBs.

[0092] A PRS resource set is a collection of PRS resources with the same periodicity, the same muting pattern configuration (if any), and the same repetition factor across slots. Each time all repetitions of all PRS resources in a PRS resource set are configured for transmission is referred to as an "instance." Thus, an "instance" of a PRS resource set is a specified number of repetitions for each PRS resource and a specified number of PRS resources within the PRS resource set, such that the instance is complete once the specified number of repetitions has been transmitted for each of the specified number of PRS resources. An instance may also be referred to as an "occasion." A DL PRS configuration including a DL PRS transmission schedule may be provided to a UE to facilitate (or even enable) the UE to measure DL PRS.

[0093] Multiple frequency layers of a PRS can be aggregated to provide an effective bandwidth that is larger than any of the bandwidths of the individual layers. Multiple frequency layers belonging to component carriers (which can be contiguous and / or separate) and meeting criteria such as quasi-co-location (QCL) and having the same antenna port can be spliced to provide a larger effective PRS bandwidth (for DL PRS and UL PRS), thereby improving the accuracy of arrival time measurements. Splicing involves combining PRS measurements on various bandwidth segments into a unified segment so that the spliced PRS can be treated as if it were taken from a single measurement. In the case of QCL, different frequency layers behave similarly, so that splicing of PRSs results in a larger effective bandwidth. The larger effective bandwidth (which can be referred to as the bandwidth of the aggregated PRS or the frequency bandwidth of the aggregated PRS) provides better time domain resolution (e.g., TDOA resolution). The aggregated PRS comprises a collection of PRS resources, and each PRS resource in the aggregated PRS can be referred to as a PRS component, and each PRS component can be transmitted on a different component carrier, frequency band, or frequency layer, or on a different portion of the same frequency band.

[0094] RTT positioning is an active positioning technology because RTT uses positioning signals transmitted by the TRP to the UE and positioning signals transmitted by the UE (participating in RTT positioning) to the TRP. The TRP can transmit a DL-PRS signal received by the UE, and the UE can transmit an SRS (sounding reference signal) signal received by multiple TRPs. The sounding reference signal may be referred to as an SRS or an SRS signal. In 5G multi-RTT, coordinated positioning can be used, in which the UE transmits a single UL-SRS for positioning received by multiple TRPs, instead of transmitting a separate UL-SRS for positioning for each TRP. A TRP participating in multi-RTT will typically search for UEs currently residing on the TRP (served UEs, where the TRP is the serving TRP) and also search for UEs residing on adjacent TRPs (neighbor UEs). A neighbor TRP can be the TRP of a single BTS (base transceiver station) (e.g., a gNB), or it can be the TRP of one BTS and the TRP of a separate BTS. For RTT positioning (including multi-RTT positioning), the DL-PRS signal and the UL-SRS positioning signal in the PRS / SRS positioning signal pair used to determine the RTT (and thereby the distance between the UE and the TRP) may occur close in time to each other so that errors due to UE motion and / or UE clock drift and / or TRP clock drift are within acceptable limits. For example, the signals in the PRS / SRS positioning signal pair may be sent from the TRP and the UE, respectively, within approximately 10 ms of each other. Where the SRS for positioning is being transmitted by the UE and the PRS and the SRS for positioning are delivered close in time to each other, it has been found that radio frequency (RF) signal congestion (which may result in excessive noise, etc.) may result (especially if many UEs are attempting positioning concurrently) and / or computational congestion may result at the TRP where many UEs are attempting to measure concurrently.

[0095] RTT positioning can be UE-based or UE-assisted. In UE-based RTT, UE 200 determines the RTT and corresponding distance to each TRP in TRP 300, and determines the position of UE 200 based on the distance to TRP 300 and the known location of TRP 300. In UE-assisted RTT, UE 200 measures positioning signals and provides measurement information to TRP 300, and TRP 300 determines RTT and distance. TRP 300 provides the distance to a location server (e.g., server 400), and the server determines the position of UE 200 based on, for example, the distance to different TRPs 300. RTT and / or distance can be determined by the TRP 300 receiving signals from UE 200, by the TRP 300 in combination with one or more other devices (e.g., one or more other TRPs 300 and / or server 400), or by one or more devices other than the TRP 300 receiving signals from UE 200.

[0096] 5G NR supports various positioning technologies. NR-native positioning methods supported in 5G NR include DL-only positioning, UL-only positioning, and DL+UL positioning. Downlink-based positioning methods include DL-TDOA and DL-AoD. Uplink-based positioning methods include UL-TDOA and UL-AoA. Combined DL+UL-based positioning methods include RTT with one base station and RTT with multiple base stations (multi-RTT).

[0097] A position estimate (e.g., for a UE) may be referred to by other names, such as a position estimate, a position, a fix, a position fix, a fix, etc. A position estimate may be geodetic and include coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude), or may be municipal and include a street address, a postal address, or some other textual description of the location. A position estimate may be further defined relative to some other known location or in absolute terms (e.g., using latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude). A position estimate may include an expected error or uncertainty (e.g., by including an area or volume within which the location is expected to be contained with some specified or default confidence level).

[0098] Auxiliary data selection

[0099] The UE may communicate (receive and / or transmit) PRS as part of a positioning technique to determine and / or assist another entity in determining positioning information (e.g., one or more measurements, ranges, positioning estimates, etc.). Discussions herein refer to PRS, and the term PRS may refer to DL-PRS, UL-PRS (SRS for positioning), and / or SL-PRS. These signals may also be referred to as NRS (Navigation Reference Signals).

[0100] For NR positioning, PRS is defined for UEs to detect and measure one or more neighboring entities, such as TRPs and UEs. Several configurations of PRS are supported to enable various deployments (e.g., indoor, outdoor, sub-6 GHz, mmWave). For example, Table 1 shows various reference signals, the corresponding versions of the 3GPP standard, the corresponding UE measurements, and the corresponding positioning technologies for which the reference signals can be used.

[0101] Table 1

[0102]

[0103]

[0104] Also refer to Figure 5 UE 500 includes a processor 510, a transceiver 520, and a memory 530 that are communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 540. UE 500 may include Figure 5 UE 500 may include one or more other components (such as Figure 2 ) such that UE 200 may be an example of UE 500. For example, processor 510 may include one or more of the components of processor 210. Transceiver 520 may include one or more of the components of transceiver 215, for example, wireless transmitter 242 and antenna 246, or wireless receiver 244 and antenna 246, or wireless transmitter 242, wireless receiver 244, and antenna 246. Additionally or alternatively, transceiver 520 may include a wired transmitter 252 and / or a wired receiver 254. Memory 530 may be configured similarly to memory 211, for example, including software having processor-readable instructions configured to cause processor 510 to perform functions.

[0105] The description herein may refer to the processor 510 performing a function, but this includes other implementations, such as an implementation in which the processor 510 executes software and / or firmware (stored in the memory 530). The description herein may refer to the UE 500 performing a function as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of the UE 500 (e.g., the processor 510 and the memory 530) performing that function. The processor 510 (possibly in combination with the memory 530 and, where appropriate, with the transceiver 520) may include a PRS aggregation unit 550. The PRS aggregation unit 550 is discussed further below, and the description may generally refer to the processor 510 or generally to the UE 500 performing any of the functions of the PRS aggregation unit 550, where the UE 500 is configured to perform the function.

[0106] Also refer to Figure 6, the server 600 includes a processor 610, a transceiver 620, and a memory 630 communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 640. The server 600 may include Figure 6 The server 600 may include one or more other components, such as Figure 4 4 , so that server 400 may be an example of server 600. For example, processor 610 may include one or more of the components of processor 410. Transceiver 620 may include one or more of the components of transceiver 415. Memory 630 may be configured similarly to memory 411, for example, including software having processor-readable instructions configured to cause processor 610 to perform functions.

[0107] Descriptions herein may refer to processor 610 performing a function, but this includes other implementations, such as an implementation in which processor 610 executes software (stored in memory 630) and / or firmware. Descriptions herein may refer to server 600 performing a function as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of server 600 (e.g., processor 610 and memory 630) performing that function. Processor 610 (possibly in combination with memory 630 and, where appropriate, transceiver 620) may include an AD unit 650 (auxiliary data unit). AD unit 650 is discussed further below, and the description may generally refer to processor 610 or generally to server 600 performing any of the functions of AD unit 650, where server 600 is configured to perform the function.

[0108] Also refer to Figure 7, AD 700 (e.g., DL-PRS assistance data) from server 600 indicates frequency layers 710, TRPs 720, PRS resource sets 730, and PRS resources 740 arranged in a hierarchical priority. Within a positioning frequency layer (PFL), DL-PRS resources are sorted in descending order of priority for measurement by UE 500, with the reference indicated by the nr-DL-PRS-ReferenceInfo information element being the highest priority for measurement. AD 700 is arranged in priority order, and frequency layers 710, TRPs 720, PRS resource sets 730, and PRS resources 740 are provided with index numbers corresponding to their respective priorities in their respective portions (e.g., PRS resources within a PRS resource set) of the priorities indicated by AD 700. Of the priorities indicated by AD 700, frequency layer 710 has a frequency layer priority, such that all scheduled PRS resources of a frequency layer will be measured before any PRS resources of the next highest priority frequency layer. Similarly, TRPs 720 associated with each frequency layer in frequency layers 710 have a TRP priority, PRS resource sets 730 associated with each TRP priority have a PRS resource set priority, and PRS resources 740 associated with each PRS resource set have a PRS resource priority. Index numbers (as shown) may be reused for each subset of priorities indicated by AD 700 (e.g., PRS resources within a PRS resource set, a PRS resource set corresponding to a TRP, etc.). AD 700 includes a complete configuration of four frequency layers, i.e., 64 TRPs in each frequency layer, two PRS resource sets per TRP, and 64 PRS resources in each PRS resource set, but other numbers of frequency layers, TRPs, PRS resource sets, and / or PRS resources may be used, and the numbers may be different (e.g., different numbers of PRS resources in different PRS resource sets). UE 500 may be configured to report a lower number of PRS measurements than the available PRS measurements, or even the maximum number of PRS measurements measured by UE 500. The auxiliary data for the side link may include a PRS resource set and a PRS resource, or include a PRS resource but not a PRS resource set.

[0109] AD 700 may be divided into multiple AD sets. For example, each AD set may correspond to a respective PFL. As another example, a single PFL may be divided into multiple AD sets, such as AD sets 751 and 752. As another example, a combination of these AD sets may be used, i.e., one or more AD sets each corresponding to a PFL, and one or more PFLs each including multiple AD sets. As another example, different AD sets may have different repetition factors and / or different time schedules (e.g., different system frame numbers). The UE may determine one or more AD sets from the AD, for example, by selecting one or more subsets of the AD as one or more AD sets. For example, if the UE receives an AD corresponding to X PRS resources and is able to find XY PRS resources (i.e., X minus the number of Y resources) during an initial search for the X PRS resources, the UE may track the XY PRS resources as the selected AD set.

[0110] Historically, and currently, UEs each supported a single PFL, and the LMF selected an AD corresponding to a single PFL for each UE to best match the TRP capabilities and UE capabilities (as indicated by the UE), for example, based on the UE's coarse location (e.g., using E-CID or serving cell center) and the location of a TRP near the UE and the TRP's corresponding PFL. For example, the LMF may choose to use a TRP that supports a single PFL supported by the UE and is within the UE's range, and select an associated AD set for the single PFL supported by the UE. However, a TRP can send PRS using multiple AD sets (e.g., on multiple PFLs). In addition, different TRPs may have different AD implementations (e.g., due to different TRP configurations and / or current channel conditions) and / or different AD sets may have different numbers of TRPs. In addition, without the UE and / or TRP sending information to the LMF, the LMF may not know information that may be useful (e.g., that may affect positioning latency and / or accuracy) in determining which AD set to use. Therefore, this document discusses techniques for selecting one or more AD sets in new ways (e.g., based on the number of PRS resources in the AD set and / or based on information that is available to the UE without the UE sending information to the server and is unavailable or generally unavailable to the server, etc.).

[0111] refer to Figure 8, the three PRSs 811, 812, 813 occupy three different frequency ranges 821, 822, 823 (also referred to as frequency ranges). Aggregating (performing carrier aggregation) two or more of the PRSs 811, 812, 813 for processing may provide one or more advantages over processing one of the PRSs 811 to 813 individually, and aggregating all three of the PRSs 811 to 813 for processing may provide one or more advantages over aggregating two of the PRSs 811 to 813 for processing. For example, by aggregating two or more of the PRSs 811 to 813, finer time-of-arrival resolution in the time domain may be achieved compared to a case without aggregation. This may provide a more accurate positioning estimate for a target device based on the PRSs 811 to 813. Different PRSs 811 to 813 may be transmitted in different BWPs.

[0112] Technologies with larger unaggregated bandwidth can provide competitive positioning accuracy. For example, WiFi / UWB (ultra-wideband) provides competitive positioning performance due to its large bandwidth. For example, WiFi can use bandwidths up to 1600 MHz, and WiFi 7 can increase the supported bandwidth to 320 MHz. Commercially available UWB-based positioning uses a bandwidth of at least 500 MHz. For cellular positioning, the signal can occupy a portion of one or more licensed bands, such as 200 MHz from 3400 MHz to 3600 MHz in the FR2 band (e.g., 28 GHz and / or 39 GHz), 160 MHz from 2496 MHz to 2690 MHz, and 150 MHz from 3550 MHz to 3700 MHz. Cellular positioning signals can occupy one or more unlicensed band portions. The 3GPP specification does not prevent / exclude the transmission of PRS in unlicensed spectrum. In situations where both cellular-based positioning (e.g., NR-based positioning) and WiFi / UWB-based positioning are available, PRS (e.g., DL-PRS and / or UL-PRS (SRS for positioning)) aggregation may be desirable, for example, to provide positioning accuracy that meets or exceeds the positioning accuracy available with WiFi / UWB positioning.

[0113] Various issues can affect positioning performance based on positioning signals. For example, timing error, phase error, frequency error, group delay error, multipath distribution, and / or LOS / NLOS (line-of-sight / non-line-of-sight) can affect positioning performance (e.g., accuracy). Errors such as timing error, phase error, frequency error, and group delay error can affect PRS / SRS aggregation performance.

[0114] Generally speaking, timing errors between signals limit the amount of bandwidth that can be coherently combined. Timing (delay) errors introduce a linear phase term in the frequency domain, where the phase slope is equal to the timing error. Delays in the time domain can produce slopes in the frequency domain. Resource elements that are farther apart in frequency experience larger relative phase errors, resulting in a progressively larger loss of combining gain across a larger bandwidth. In positioning applications, these losses will manifest as smearing / fading of peaks in the channel response, leading to degradation of temporal resolution. If the timing error is large, multiple peaks may appear in the channel response, and there may be no accuracy improvement from coherent combining (combining signals while taking phase into account (e.g., by vector summing)). Even if different entities are highly synchronized, there may be timing errors between PRSs sent by different entities. Similar time errors corresponding to positioning signals of different bandwidths will have different effects. For example, the same time error may cause the peak correlation amplitude to decrease, and even multiple peaks to be generated as the positioning signal bandwidth increases.

[0115] Similar to timing errors, static phase errors between carriers will produce a loss in the combining gain across the carriers. The loss due to phase error does not depend on the aggregate bandwidth (frequency separation), but rather on the number of carriers being combined and the magnitude of the corresponding phase error, and can be arbitrarily large. For two carriers, the loss θ for phase error will be 20·log 10 |cosθ|. Phase error can cause constructive or destructive interference; for example, perfect cancellation occurs when θ = 180°. For example, if the corresponding signals are modulated / demodulated by separate oscillators with independent phase states, phase error between carriers may be introduced. Analog / RF components other than the oscillators may also introduce phase error between carriers. Phase error between PRS / SRS layers / carriers can be analyzed to determine the feasibility of PRS / SRS bandwidth aggregation.

[0116] Frequency error in the demodulated signal limits the time span over which coherent combining gain can be obtained. Frequency error introduces a linear phase term in the time domain, where the phase slope is equal to the frequency error. Reference signal resources that are separated in time experience larger relative phase errors, resulting in a progressively larger loss of combining gain over larger time intervals. This is true even in the case of a single carrier; it is not a problem unique to carrier aggregation. In both cases, frequency error will limit the time interval / offset between resources that can be effectively combined. If all carriers are generated using a single transmitter chain and processed using a single receiver chain, frequency error between carriers can be avoided. Frequency error between carriers can be analyzed to determine the feasibility of PRS / SRS bandwidth aggregation, but the impact of frequency error on such feasibility is likely to be smaller than that of phase error.

[0117] In addition to the impact of frequency error, the time interval / offset between PRS / SRS resources across different layers / carriers to be aggregated may be limited by other factors such as UE mobility and the coherence time of the propagation channel.

[0118] The transmitter reference point and receiver reference point for positioning measurements are specified as the antenna or antenna connector (the connection point between the antenna and the front-end circuit (FEC), or the connection point between the antenna and the line between the antenna and FEC (e.g., transmit line)). Therefore, to report timing-based positioning measurements (DL-RSTD, UL-RTOA, UE / gNB Rx-Tx), the UE / TRP can calibrate the transmitter / receiver group delay between the baseband and the antenna receive port (ARP). Different group delays may be generated by different receive chains (the combination of components used to receive signals from the antenna and process them (e.g., amplify, filter, convert from analog to digital, frequency shift to baseband frequency, etc.)), where the group delay is the time delay from the antenna to the memory used for baseband processing.

[0119] Given various issues that may affect PRS / SRS aggregation performance, a device (e.g., a UE, a TRP, etc.) for receiving PRS (e.g., DL-PRS, UL-PRS) may be configured to determine whether PRS aggregation should be performed, e.g., the desirability and / or feasibility of PRS aggregation. The device may determine whether the improved accuracy achieved by aggregating PRSs justifies the additional processing time and / or processing power required to aggregate the PRSs, e.g., whether aggregating the PRSs actually and / or is expected to improve performance (e.g., measurement accuracy) by at least a threshold amount. If performance does not and / or is not expected to improve by at least a threshold amount (improvement is less than the threshold amount, no improvement, or decrease), the device may determine not to aggregate the PRSs. The discussion herein may focus on a UE (such as UE 500) as a receiver of PRSs, and thus on devices evaluating whether to aggregate PRSs, but the discussion is applicable to other types of devices. By evaluating whether to aggregate PRSs, a PRS receiver may improve positioning performance (e.g., positioning accuracy, measurement accuracy, etc.), for example, by avoiding the use of signals with one or more errors that would degrade positioning performance, compared to aggregating the PRSs without evaluating the desirability of doing so.

[0120] Also refer to Figure 9UE 500 may include antennas 911, 912, receive chains 921, 922, and a baseband processing unit 930. Antennas 911, 912 may be configured to convert between wired signals and wireless signals in corresponding frequency ranges. Receive chains 921, 922 may be communicatively coupled to antennas 911, 912 and configured to appropriately process received wireless signals (e.g., receive chains 921, 922 may include corresponding amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), frequency converters, etc. to convert received analog signals into digital signals at baseband frequencies). Receive chains 921, 922 may be synchronized, which may help achieve one or more advantages of PRS aggregation, for example. Baseband processing unit 930 may be communicatively coupled to receive chains 921, 922 and configured to process (e.g., measure, etc.) digital baseband signals received from receive chains 921, 922.

[0121] Also refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 , one or more channel response characteristics may be evaluated for aggregated PRS and non-aggregated PRS to determine whether to continue using aggregated PRS or non-aggregated PRS, e.g., until further evaluation is made. Figure 10 , graph 1000 shows a simulation of the aggregate CER 1010 (channel energy response) of two PRSs, each with a 100 MHz bandwidth and no timing error, and the CERs 1020 and 1030 of each of the two PRSs. In the absence of timing error, there is a main peak in each of the CERs 1010, 1020, and 1030, where the CER of the aggregate signal 1010 has a peak CER 1011 that is higher than the peak CERs 1021 and 1031 of the individual PRSs, and where the difference 1040 between the maximum CER of the peak 1011 and the maximum CER of the peak 1021 increases by approximately 5 dB. The peak CER 1011 is much sharper than the peak CERs 1021 and 1031, where the peak CER 1011 has a 3 dB time spread 1050, which is much smaller than the time spread of either of the peak CERs 1021 and 1031. Compared to processing the PRS individually, the peak difference 1040 and the narrower 3dB time spread 1050 may justify aggregation. Figure 11 As shown in FIG, the graph 1100 shows the ( Figure 101030 ). The following simulation shows the aggregate CER 1110 of two PRSs (of the embodiment shown in FIG5 ) and the CERs 1020 and 1030 of each of the two PRSs. In this case, there is a timing error of 20Ts (where 1Ts is approximately 22ns). Therefore, as shown, there are multiple peaks of similar CER values, the peak values 1111 and 1131 of the CERs 1110 and 1130 are essentially the same, and the CER 1120 is significantly lower than the CERs 1110 and 1130. Therefore, there is no improvement in the CER peak or the 3dB time spread by aggregating the PRSs, and therefore aggregating the PRSs is not reasonable in this case.

[0122] refer to Figure 12 , and further reference Figures 1 to 11 , a signaling and process flow 1200 for selectively aggregating PRSs to determine positioning information includes the stages shown. In the process 1200, signals are passed between the TRP 300, the UE 500, and the server 600. The process 1200 is an example, as one or more stages may be added, removed, and / or rearranged, and / or two or more stages may be combined.

[0123] At stage 1210, UE 500 (e.g., PRS aggregation unit 560) may send a capability message 1212 to server 600 (and / or another network entity, such as TRP 300 and / or another network entity). Capability message 1212 may, for example, include an indication of UE 500's ability to aggregate PRSs across different frequency ranges (i.e., frequency spans that differ at least in part such that each frequency range includes at least one frequency that is not included in the other frequency range). Capability message 1212 may indicate that UE 500 may aggregate different PRS frequency ranges for concurrent processing such that the PRSs effectively span the frequency range of the aggregated PRSs. For example, UE 500 may be able to aggregate PRSs 811 to 813 such that effective frequency range 830 spans frequency ranges 821 to 823.

[0124] At stage 1220, the server 600 (e.g., the AD unit 650) may determine assistance data (AD) for the UE 500. For example, the AD unit 650 may determine configuration information for a PRS and / or which PRS should be sent, for example, by the TRP 300, for the UE 500. The server 600 may send an AD message 1222 containing the AD to the TRP 300, and the TRP 300 may send an AD message 1224 containing the AD (including the PRS configuration information (if any) determined by the TRP 300) to the UE 500.

[0125] At stage 1230, the UE 500 (e.g., the PRS aggregation unit 550) may determine one or more characteristics to be evaluated regarding whether to aggregate the PRS. For example, the processor 510 may determine one or more channel response characteristics (e.g., CER characteristics), such as time error, phase error, frequency error, and / or multipath. The channel response characteristics may be one or more actual (e.g., measured) channel response characteristics, one or more expected channel response characteristics, or a combination thereof. Since the UE 500 may be configured for communication, data downlink, and / or data uplink, the processor 510 may determine one or more of these characteristics for one or more of such purposes, or may determine one or more of these characteristics for use in determining whether to aggregate the PRS.

[0126] At stage 1240, the UE 500 (e.g., the PRS aggregation unit 550) may determine whether to aggregate two or more of the PRSs indicated in the AD message 1224. For example, the processor 510 may determine whether a comparison of one or more channel response characteristics (here, CER characteristics) with PRS aggregation relative to one or more corresponding channel response characteristics (here, CER characteristics) without PRS aggregation indicates that one or more benefits of PRS aggregation are worth the processing time and power invested in PRS aggregation. For example, the processor 510 may determine to aggregate the PRSs based on the highest value of the CER gain with PRS aggregation exceeding the highest value of the CER gain without PRS aggregation by at least a first threshold amount (which may be a smaller amount). As another example, the processor 510 may determine to aggregate the PRSs based on the temporal spread of the CER peak without PRS aggregation (e.g., the temporal spread at 3 dB below the peak's highest value) exceeding the temporal spread of the CER peak with PRS aggregation by more than a second threshold amount. As another example, processor 510 may determine to aggregate PRS based on a combination of CER characteristic differences (e.g., the difference in the highest CER gain value exceeds a third threshold, and the time spread difference exceeds a fourth threshold). The first and third thresholds may be the same or different, and / or the second and fourth thresholds may be the same or different. For example, the third threshold may be lower than the first threshold, and / or the fourth threshold may be lower than the second threshold. As another example, the second and fourth thresholds may be lower than the first and third thresholds by a variable amount, for example, such that the closer one of the CER characteristic differences without PRS is to the CER characteristic with PRS aggregation, the greater the other CER characteristic difference threshold may be (e.g., such that the combined percentage difference in CER characteristics exceeds the combined percentage difference threshold), in order to perform aggregation. For example, the combined percentage difference threshold may be 20%. In this case, if the highest CER value without PRS aggregation is 15% lower than the highest CER value with PRS aggregation, and the CER time spread without PRS aggregation is 5% greater than the CER time spread with PRS aggregation, processor 510 will determine to perform PRS aggregation; otherwise, PRS aggregation will not be performed. Also in this case, where the combined percentage difference threshold may be 20%, if the CER time spread without PRS aggregation is 3% greater than the CER time spread with PRS aggregation, then the processor 510 will determine to perform PRS aggregation if the highest CER value with PRS aggregation is greater than the highest CER value without PRS aggregation by more than 17%, and otherwise not to perform PRS aggregation.

[0127] At stage 1250, TRP 300 may send PRS 1252. TRP 300 may send the PRS according to the PRS configuration information included in AD message 1224 (and possibly AD message 1222).

[0128] At stage 1260, the UE 500 may determine positioning information based on one or more of the positioning signals. For example, the processor 510 may aggregate or not aggregate the PRS based on the decision made at stage 1240 and measure the appropriate PRS to determine positioning information. Figure 13 , the processor 510 may aggregate or not aggregate the received PRS within a certain amount of time or a certain amount of PRS instances to determine positioning information, and then return to stage 1240 to re-determine whether to aggregate PRS for the next subsequent set of PRS instances or the next time period. Figure 13 In the example shown in FIG, the processor 510 determines whether to aggregate every T seconds and follows this decision for T seconds until another aggregation / non-aggregation decision is made. Time period-based decisions can reduce the processing involved in making decisions and can provide power saving benefits. In this example, using PRS instance 1310, the processor 510 determines that there is an unacceptable error, making PRS aggregation unreasonable, and therefore processes only PRS1 for each of PRS instances 1311, 1312, 1313, and 1314. Using PRS instance 1320, the processor 510 determines that there is an acceptable error (e.g., an error below a threshold (e.g., no error)), making PRS aggregation reasonable, and therefore aggregates PRS1 and PRS2 for each of PRS instances 1321, 1322, 1323, and 1324. Using PRS instance 1330, processor 510 again determines that there is an unacceptable error (e.g., in PRS2), and therefore PRS aggregation is not reasonable, and therefore processes only PRS2 for each of PRS instances 1331, 1332, 1333, and 1334. The positioning information may be one or more positioning signal measurements, one or more pseudoranges to a signal source (here, TRP 300), a positioning estimate for UE 500, etc. UE 500 may send a positioning information message 1262 containing some or all of the determined positioning information to server 600.

[0129] At stage 1270, the server 600 may determine positioning information for the UE 500 based on the positioning information message 1262. The positioning information determined by the server 600 may be, for example, one or more pseudoranges and / or position estimates for the UE 500. The server 600 may provide the positioning information determined by the server 600 to one or more other entities (e.g., the UE 500, a location service client (not shown), etc.).

[0130] Although Figure 12The discussion herein is directed to a UE determining whether to aggregate DL-PRS, but the discussion is applicable to other PRSs and / or other devices. For example, the discussion may be applied to an apparatus, such as TRP 300, that determines whether to aggregate UL-PRS from a UE. Other examples may also be implemented.

[0131] refer to Figure 14 , and further reference Figures 1 to 13 , the selective PRS aggregation method 1400 includes the stages shown. However, the method 1400 is merely an example and not limiting. The method 1400 can be modified, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, performing one or more stages concurrently, and / or splitting a single stage into multiple stages.

[0132] At stage 1410, method 1400 includes receiving, at the apparatus, a first PRS extending over a first frequency range. For example, at stage 1250, UE 500 receives a first PRS signal having a corresponding first frequency range, such as PRS 811 having frequency range 821. Processor 510 (possibly in conjunction with memory 530 and transceiver 520 (e.g., wireless receiver 244 and antenna 246)) may include means for receiving the first PRS. As another example, processor 310 (possibly in conjunction with memory 311 and transceiver 315 (e.g., wireless receiver 344 and antenna 346)) may include means for receiving the first PRS.

[0133] At stage 1420, method 1400 includes receiving, at the apparatus, a second PRS extending over a second frequency range that is at least partially different from the first frequency range. For example, at stage 1250, UE 500 receives a second PRS signal having a corresponding second frequency range, such as PRS 812 having frequency range 822. Processor 510 (possibly in conjunction with memory 530, in conjunction with transceiver 520 (e.g., wireless receiver 244 and antenna 246)) may include means for receiving the second PRS. As another example, processor 310 (possibly in conjunction with memory 311, in conjunction with transceiver 315 (e.g., wireless receiver 344 and antenna 346)) may include means for receiving the second PRS.

[0134] At stage 1430, method 1400 includes providing, by the apparatus, positioning information based on the first PRS or based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregation of the first and second PRSs. For example, at stage 1260, processor 510 may provide positioning information (e.g., pseudorange) to another portion of processor 510 (or provide the positioning information to memory 530 for further processing by processor 510), e.g., to determine further positioning information (e.g., a positioning estimate). As another example, at stage 1260, processor 510 may provide positioning information to server 600 in a positioning information message 1262. As another example, processor 310 may provide positioning information (e.g., pseudorange) to another portion of processor 310 (or provide the positioning information to memory 311 for further processing by processor 310), e.g., to determine further positioning information (e.g., a positioning estimate). As another example, processor 310 may provide positioning information to server 600 in a positioning information message. Processor 510 (possibly in combination with memory 530 and transceiver 520 (e.g., wireless transmitter 244 and antenna 246)) may include components for providing positioning information. As another example, processor 310 (possibly in combination with memory 311 and transceiver 315 (e.g., wireless transmitter 342 and antenna 346)) may include components for providing positioning information.

[0135] Implementations of method 1400 may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, providing positioning information includes providing positioning information based on an aggregation of a first PRS and a second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being superior to the first channel response characteristic. For example, the PRS aggregation unit 550 may determine whether to aggregate the PRSs based on a peak CER value of the aggregated PRS being greater than a peak CER of a single PRS and / or a time spread of the CER of the aggregated PRS being narrower than a time spread of the CER of the single PRS. In another example implementation, providing positioning information includes providing positioning information based on an aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being superior to the first channel response characteristic by at least a threshold amount. For example, the PRS aggregation unit 550 may determine whether to aggregate the PRSs based on a peak CER value of the aggregated PRS being greater than a peak CER of a single PRS by a first threshold value (e.g., 3 dB) and / or a time spread of the CER of the aggregated PRS being narrower than a time spread of the CER of the single PRS by a second threshold value. In another example implementation, providing positioning information includes providing positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic being higher than a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic. For example, the PRS aggregation unit 550 may determine whether to aggregate the PRSs based on a peak CER value of the aggregated PRS being higher than a peak CER value of a single PRS. In another example implementation, providing positioning information includes providing positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on a second peak temporal spread of the second channel response characteristic being narrower than a first peak temporal spread of the first channel response characteristic. For example, the PRS aggregation unit 550 may determine whether to aggregate the PRSs based on a temporal spread of the CER of the aggregated PRS being narrower than a temporal spread of the CER of the single PRS. In another example implementation, providing positioning information includes providing positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic, a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic, a first peak temporal spread of the first channel response characteristic, and a second peak temporal spread of the second channel response characteristic. For example, the PRS aggregation unit 550 may determine whether to aggregate the PRSs based on the peak CER value of the aggregated PRS being greater than the peak CER of a single PRS and the time spread of the CER of the aggregated PRS being narrower than the time spread of the CER of a single PRS.

[0136] Additionally or alternatively, implementations of method 1400 may include one or more of the following features. In an example implementation, the first channel response characteristic is a first measured channel response characteristic, and the second channel response characteristic is a second measured channel response characteristic. In another example implementation, the first channel response characteristic is a first estimated channel response characteristic, and the second channel response characteristic is a second estimated channel response characteristic. In another example implementation, providing positioning information includes providing positioning information based on the first PRS or the second PRS, or an aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS, based on the first channel response characteristic, the second channel response characteristic, and a third channel response characteristic corresponding to the second PRS. For example, the PRS aggregation unit 550 may determine whether to aggregate the PRSs based on a peak CER value (e.g., of CER 1010) of the aggregated first and second PRSs, a peak CER of the individual first PRSs (e.g., of CER 1020), and a peak CER of the individual second PRSs (e.g., of CER 1030). As another example, the PRS aggregation unit 550 may determine whether to aggregate the PRSs based on a time spread of CERs of the first and second PRSs as aggregated, a time spread of CERs of the first PRS alone, and a time spread of CERs of the second PRS alone.

[0137] Specific implementation examples

[0138] Specific implementation examples are provided in the following numbered clauses.

[0139] Clause 1. An apparatus comprising:

[0140] a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal comprising a first positioning reference signal (PRS) extending over a first frequency range and a second PRS extending over a second frequency range at least partially different from the first frequency range; and

[0141] a processor communicatively coupled to the receiver and configured to provide positioning information based on the first PRS or based on the aggregate of the first and second PRSs based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregate of the first and second PRSs.

[0142] Clause 2. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic.

[0143] Clause 3. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic by at least a threshold amount.

[0144] Clause 4. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a second peak magnitude of the second channel response characteristic being higher than a first peak magnitude of the first channel response characteristic.

[0145] Clause 5. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic being narrower than a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic.

[0146] Clause 6. An apparatus according to clause 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic, a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic, a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic, and a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic.

[0147] Clause 7. The apparatus of Clause 1, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first measured channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second measured channel response characteristic.

[0148] Clause 8. The apparatus of Clause 1, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first estimated channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second estimated channel response characteristic.

[0149] Clause 9. An apparatus according to clause 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the first PRS or the second PRS or the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the first channel response characteristic, the second channel response characteristic and a third channel response characteristic corresponding to the second PRS.

[0150] Clause 10. A method for selective positioning reference signal (PRS) aggregation, the method comprising:

[0151] receiving, at the device, a first PRS extending over a first frequency range;

[0152] receiving, at the apparatus, a second PRS extending over a second frequency range at least partially different from the first frequency range; and

[0153] Positioning information based on the first PRS or based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs is provided by the apparatus based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregation of the first and second PRSs.

[0154] Clause 11. The method of clause 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being superior to the first channel response characteristic.

[0155] Clause 12. The method of clause 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic by at least a threshold amount.

[0156] Clause 13. The method of clause 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a second peak magnitude of the second channel response characteristic being higher than a first peak magnitude of the first channel response characteristic.

[0157] Clause 14. The method of clause 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic being narrower than a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic.

[0158] Clause 15. The method of clause 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic, a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic, a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic, and a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic.

[0159] Clause 16. The method of clause 10, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first measured channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second measured channel response characteristic.

[0160] Clause 17. The method of clause 10, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first estimated channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second estimated channel response characteristic.

[0161] Clause 18. The method of clause 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the first PRS or the second PRS or the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the first channel response characteristic, the second channel response characteristic, and a third channel response characteristic corresponding to the second PRS.

[0162] Clause 19. An apparatus comprising:

[0163] means for receiving a first positioning reference signal (PRS) extending over a first frequency range;

[0164] means for receiving a second PRS extending over a second frequency range at least partially different from said first frequency range; and

[0165] Means for providing positioning information based on the first PRS or based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS.

[0166] Clause 20. The apparatus of clause 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information comprises means for providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being superior to the first channel response characteristic.

[0167] Clause 21. The apparatus of clause 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information comprises means for providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic by at least a threshold amount.

[0168] Clause 22. The apparatus of clause 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information comprises means for providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic being higher than a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic.

[0169] Clause 23. An apparatus according to clause 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information includes means for providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic being narrower than a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic.

[0170] Clause 24. An apparatus according to clause 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information includes means for providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic, a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic, a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic, and a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic.

[0171] Clause 25. The apparatus of Clause 19, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first measured channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second measured channel response characteristic.

[0172] Clause 26. The apparatus of clause 19, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first estimated channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second estimated channel response characteristic.

[0173] Clause 27. An apparatus according to clause 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information includes means for providing the positioning information based on the first PRS or the second PRS or the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the first channel response characteristic, the second channel response characteristic and a third channel response characteristic corresponding to the second PRS.

[0174] Clause 28. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions for causing a processor of a device to:

[0175] receiving a first positioning reference signal (PRS) extending over a first frequency range;

[0176] receiving a second PRS extending over a second frequency range at least partially different from the first frequency range; and

[0177] Positioning information based on the first PRS or based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS is provided based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS.

[0178] Clause 29. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to clause 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being superior to the first channel response characteristic.

[0179] Clause 30. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium as described in clause 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic by at least a threshold amount.

[0180] Clause 31. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to clause 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic being higher than a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic.

[0181] Clause 32. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to clause 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic being narrower than a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic.

[0182] Clause 33. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to clause 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic, a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic, a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic, and a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic.

[0183] Clause 34. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of Clause 28, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first measured channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second measured channel response characteristic.

[0184] Clause 35. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of Clause 28, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first estimated channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second estimated channel response characteristic.

[0185] Clause 36. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to clause 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include providing the positioning information based on the first PRS or the second PRS or the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the first channel response characteristic, the second channel response characteristic, and a third channel response characteristic corresponding to the second PRS.

[0186] Other considerations

[0187] Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software and computers, the functions described above can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof. Features that implement the functions can also be physically located at different locations, including being distributed so that various parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0188] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term "comprising" specifies the presence of recited features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0189] Furthermore, as used herein, “or” used in a list of items (possibly followed by “at least one of” or “one or more of”) indicates a disjunctive list, so that, for example, the list “at least one of A, B, or C,” or the list “one or more of A, B, or C,” or the list “A or B or C” means A or B or C or AB (A and B) or AC (A and C) or BC (B and C) or ABC (i.e., A and B and C), or a combination having more than one feature (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.). Thus, a statement that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform a function with respect to at least one of A or B, or a statement that an item is configured to perform function A or function B, means that the item can be configured to perform the function with respect to A, or can be configured to perform the function with respect to B, or can be configured to perform functions with respect to both A and B. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of A or B" or "a processor configured to measure A or B" means that the processor may be configured to measure A (and may or may not be configured to measure B), or may be configured to measure B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or may be configured to measure A and B (and may be configured to select which one or both of A and B to measure). Similarly, a statement about a component for measuring at least one of A or B includes a component for measuring A (which may or may not be able to measure B), or a component for measuring B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or a component for measuring A and B (which may be able to select which one or both of A and B to measure). As another example, a statement that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform at least one of function X or function Y means that the item may be configured to perform function X, or may be configured to perform function Y, or may be configured to perform function X and function Y. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of X or Y" means that the processor may be configured to measure X (and may or may not be configured to measure Y), or may be configured to measure Y (and may or may not be configured to measure X), or may be configured to measure X and measure Y (and may be configured to select which or both of X and Y to measure).

[0190] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, a recitation that a function or operation is "based on" an item or condition means that the function or operation is based on the recited item or condition and may be based on one or more items and / or conditions other than the recited item or condition.

[0191] Substantial changes can be made according to specific requirements. For example, customized hardware can also be used, and / or specific elements can be implemented in hardware, in software executed by a processor (including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or in both. In addition, connections with other computing devices such as network input / output devices can be adopted. Unless otherwise indicated, components (functional or otherwise) shown in the figures and / or discussed herein as being connected or communicating with each other are communicatively coupled. That is, these components can be connected directly or indirectly to achieve communication between them.

[0192] The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may omit, substitute, or add various processes or components as appropriate. For example, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of the configurations may be combined in similar ways. Furthermore, technology is constantly evolving, and therefore many of the elements are examples and do not limit the scope of this disclosure or the claims.

[0193] A wireless communication system is a system in which communications are transmitted wirelessly between wireless communication devices, i.e., by electromagnetic and / or acoustic waves propagating through air space rather than through wires or other physical connections. A wireless communication system (also referred to as a wireless communication system or wireless communication network) may not cause all communications to be transmitted wirelessly, but may be configured so that at least some communications are transmitted wirelessly. Furthermore, the term "wireless communication device" or similar terms does not require that the functionality of the device be used exclusively or even primarily for communication, that communications using the wireless communication device be exclusively or even primarily wireless, or that the device be a mobile device. Rather, it indicates that the device includes wireless communication capabilities (unidirectional or bidirectional), for example, including at least one radio component (each radio component being part of a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver) for wireless communication.

[0194] Specific details are given in the description herein to provide a thorough understanding of example configurations (including specific implementations). However, configurations can be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary details to avoid confusing these configurations. The description herein provides example configurations without limiting the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claims. On the contrary, the previous description of the configuration provides a description for implementing the described technology. Various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements.

[0195] As used herein, the terms "processor-readable medium," "machine-readable medium," and "computer-readable medium" refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific manner. Using a computing platform, various processor-readable media may be involved in providing instructions / code to a processor for execution, and / or may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code (e.g., as signals). In many specific implementations, processor-readable media is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such media may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical and / or magnetic disks. Volatile media include, but are not limited to, dynamic memory.

[0196] After describing several example configurations, various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents can be used. For example, the above elements can be components of a larger system, wherein other rules can take precedence over the application of the present disclosure or otherwise modify the application of the present disclosure. In addition, several operations can be taken before, during, or after considering the above elements. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the claims.

[0197] Unless otherwise indicated, “approximately” and / or “about” as used herein in reference to a measurable value (such as an amount, a duration of time, etc.) encompasses variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5% or +0.1% from the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein. Unless otherwise indicated, “substantially” as used herein in reference to a measurable value (such as an amount, a duration of time, a physical property (such as frequency), etc.) also encompasses variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5% or +0.1% from the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein.

[0198] A statement that a value exceeds (or is greater than or higher than) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value meets or exceeds a second threshold that is slightly greater than the first threshold, e.g., the second threshold is one value higher than the first threshold at the resolution of the computing system. A statement that a value is less than (or within or below) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value is less than or equal to a second threshold that is slightly lower than the first threshold, e.g., the second threshold is one value lower than the first threshold at the resolution of the computing system.

Claims

1. A device, comprising: a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal comprising a first positioning reference signal (PRS) extending over a first frequency range and a second PRS extending over a second frequency range at least partially different from the first frequency range; and a processor communicatively coupled to the receiver and configured to provide positioning information based on the first PRS or based on the aggregate of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregate of the first PRS and the second PRS. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic by at least a threshold amount. 4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on a second peak magnitude of the second channel response characteristic being higher than a first peak magnitude of the first channel response characteristic.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic being narrower than a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first peak magnitude of the first channel response characteristic, a second peak magnitude of the second channel response characteristic, a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic, and a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first measured channel response characteristic, and the second channel response characteristic is a second measured channel response characteristic.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first estimated channel response characteristic, and the second channel response characteristic is a second estimated channel response characteristic.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the positioning information based on the first PRS or the second PRS or the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the first channel response characteristic, the second channel response characteristic, and a third channel response characteristic corresponding to the second PRS.

10. A method for selectively aggregating a positioning reference signal (PRS), the method comprising: receiving, at the device, a first PRS extending over a first frequency range; receiving, at the apparatus, a second PRS extending over a second frequency range at least partially different from the first frequency range; as well as Positioning information based on the first PRS or based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs is provided by the apparatus based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregation of the first and second PRSs. 11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic by at least a threshold amount.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on a second peak magnitude of the second channel response characteristic being higher than a first peak magnitude of the first channel response characteristic.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic being narrower than a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic, a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic, a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic, and a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first measured channel response characteristic, and the second channel response characteristic is a second measured channel response characteristic.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first estimated channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second estimated channel response characteristic.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the positioning information comprises providing the positioning information based on the first PRS or the second PRS or the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the first channel response characteristic, the second channel response characteristic, and a third channel response characteristic corresponding to the second PRS.

19. A device comprising: means for receiving a first positioning reference signal (PRS) extending over a first frequency range; means for receiving a second PRS extending over a second frequency range at least partially different from said first frequency range; and Means for providing positioning information based on the first PRS or based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information comprises means for providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on the second channel response characteristic being superior to the first channel response characteristic.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information comprises means for providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic by at least a threshold amount.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information comprises means for providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on a second peak magnitude of the second channel response characteristic being higher than a first peak magnitude of the first channel response characteristic.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information comprises means for providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first and second PRSs based on a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic being narrower than a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information comprises means for providing the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first peak magnitude of the first channel response characteristic, a second peak magnitude of the second channel response characteristic, a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic, and a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first measured channel response characteristic, and the second channel response characteristic is a second measured channel response characteristic.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first estimated channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second estimated channel response characteristic.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for providing the positioning information comprises means for providing the positioning information based on the first PRS or the second PRS or the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the first channel response characteristic, the second channel response characteristic, and a third channel response characteristic corresponding to the second PRS.

28. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions for causing a processor of a device to: receiving a first positioning reference signal (PRS) extending over a first frequency range; receiving a second PRS extending over a second frequency range at least partially different from the first frequency range; and Positioning information based on the first PRS or based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS is provided based on a first channel response characteristic corresponding to the first PRS and a second channel response characteristic corresponding to the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS.

29. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being superior to the first channel response characteristic.

30. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the second channel response characteristic being better than the first channel response characteristic by at least a threshold amount.

31. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic being higher than a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic.

32. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic being narrower than a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic.

33. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information include processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information based on the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on a first peak amplitude of the first channel response characteristic, a second peak amplitude of the second channel response characteristic, a first peak time spread of the first channel response characteristic, and a second peak time spread of the second channel response characteristic.

34. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first measured channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second measured channel response characteristic.

35. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the first channel response characteristic is a first estimated channel response characteristic and the second channel response characteristic is a second estimated channel response characteristic.

36. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the processor-readable instructions for causing the processor to provide the positioning information comprise providing the positioning information based on the first PRS or the second PRS or the aggregation of the first PRS and the second PRS based on the first channel response characteristic, the second channel response characteristic, and a third channel response characteristic corresponding to the second PRS.

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