Method and apparatus for sounding reference signals for localization

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sounding reference signals for positioning. A sounding reference signal (SRS) transmitted by a UE (e.g., for positioning or channel estimation) may be configured for one or both of a frequency tone level cyclic shift and symbol level code, which, e.g., enables multiplexing of a greater number of UEs. Frequency tone level cyclic shifts are generated by jointly processing multiple symbols with an extended cyclic shift structure. The SRS may be configured to use a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level, which increases multiplexing opportunities. The symbol level code may further indicate an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across tones in symbols associated with the symbol group level.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application with the application date of August 18, 2021, application number No. 202180055772.3, and invention name “Method and device for sounding reference signal for positioning”.

[0002] Priority claim under 35 U.S.C. § 119

[0003] This application claims patent rights under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 067,841, filed on August 19, 2020, and entitled “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SOUNDING REFERENCE SIGNALS FOR POSITIONING,” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 068,948, filed on August 21, 2020, and entitled “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SOUNDING REFERENCE SIGNALS FOR POSITIONING,” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 068,948, filed on August 17, 2021, and entitled “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SOUNDING REFERENCE SIGNALS FOR POSITIONING.”

[0014] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a method and apparatus for providing a reference signal for positioning, which are assigned to the assignee of the present application and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Background Art

[0004] field :

[0005] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to sounding reference signals (SRS) transmitted by mobile devices, and more particularly, to configuration of SRS.

[0006] information :

[0007] The location of a mobile device (such as a cellular phone) may be useful or essential for several applications including emergency calls, navigation, direction finding, asset tracking, and internet services. The location of a mobile device may be estimated based on information collected from various systems. For example, in a cellular network implemented according to 4G (also known as fourth generation) long term evolution (LTE) radio access or 5G (also known as fifth generation) "new radio" (NR), a base station may transmit a positioning reference signal (PRS) that can be received and measured by a mobile device. For example, a UE may generate positioning measurements (such as reference signal time difference (RSTD), reference signal received power (RSRP), and receive and transmit (RX-TX) time difference measurements) based on downlink (DL) PRS, which may be used for downlink positioning methods (such as DL-time difference of arrival (TDOA), DL-angle of departure (AOD)). Similarly, a mobile device may transmit a reference signal, such as a sounding reference signal (SRS), that is received and measured by a base station. The base station can generate positioning measurements (such as RSTD and Rx-Tx) based on the uplink (UL) SRS, which can be used for uplink positioning methods (such as UL-TDOA, UL-AoA). Additionally, combined measurements using PRS and SRS (such as Rx-Tx) can be used for combined DL and UL based positioning, including, for example, round trip time (RTT), which can be with one or more neighboring base stations (multi-RTT).

[0008] Mobile devices are provided with SRS configuration information to generate SRSs, and base stations use this configuration information to process SRSs received from mobile devices. When using SRSs for positioning, multiple mobile devices may need to be multiplexed. Therefore, improvements to the configuration of SRSs may be desirable.

[0009] Overview

[0010] The sounding reference signal (SRS) transmitted by the UE (for example, for positioning or channel estimation) can be configured for one or both of frequency frequency modulation level cyclic shift and codeword level code, which, for example, enables multiplexing of a larger number of UEs. The frequency frequency modulation level cyclic shift is generated by jointly processing multiple codewords with an extended cyclic shift structure. The SRS can be configured to use a codeword group level indicating the number of codewords associated with the cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating the multiplier applied to the SRS at the codeword level, which increases the multiplexing opportunity. The codeword level code can further indicate an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in the phase rotation across the frequency modulation in the codeword associated with the codeword group level.

[0011] In one implementation, a method performed by a user equipment (UE) for supporting wireless transmission of the UE in a wireless network includes: receiving a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station, the configuration for the SRS including: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code; and transmitting the SRS to one or more base stations.

[0012] In one implementation, a user equipment (UE) configured to support wireless transmission in a wireless network includes: a wireless transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with entities in the wireless network; at least one memory; at least one processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station via the wireless transceiver, the configuration for the SRS including: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; prepare the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code; and transmit the SRS to one or more base stations via the wireless transceiver.

[0013] In one implementation, a user equipment (UE) configured to support wireless transmissions in a wireless network includes: means for receiving a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station, the configuration for the SRS including: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; means for preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code; and means for transmitting the SRS to one or more base stations.

[0014] In one implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes program code stored thereon, the program code being operable to configure at least one processor in a user equipment (UE) configured to support wireless transmissions of the UE in a wireless network, the program code including instructions for: receiving a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station, the configuration for the SRS including: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code; and transmitting the SRS to one or more base stations.

[0015] In one implementation, a method performed by a serving base station for supporting wireless transmission of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network includes: sending a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the UE, the configuration for the SRS including: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; receiving the SRS from the UE; and processing the SRS received from the UE according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code.

[0016] In one implementation, a base station configured to support wireless transmission of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network, the base station being a serving base station for the UE, comprises: an external interface configured to wirelessly communicate with an entity in the wireless network; at least one memory; at least one processor coupled to the external interface and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: send a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the UE via the external interface, the configuration for the SRS comprising: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; receive the SRS from the UE via the external interface; and process the SRS received from the UE according to the configuration for the SRS comprising the symbol group level and the outer code.

[0017] In one implementation, a serving base station for supporting wireless transmissions of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network includes: means for sending a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the UE, the configuration for the SRS including: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; means for receiving the SRS from the UE; and means for processing the SRS received from the UE according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code.

[0018] In one implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes program code stored thereon, the program code being operable to configure at least one processor in a serving base station to support wireless transmissions by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network, the program code including instructions for: sending a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the UE, the configuration for the SRS including: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; receiving the SRS from the UE; and processing the SRS received from the UE according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code.

[0019] Other objects and advantages associated with the aspects disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings are presented to aid in describing the aspects of the disclosure and are provided solely for illustration of the aspects and not limitation thereof.

[0021] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system is illustrated in which one or both of frequency tone level cyclic shifts and symbol level codes can be implemented.

[0022] Figure 2A and Figure 2B Example wireless network structures are illustrated in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 3 The explanation can be Figure 1 Block diagram of a design of a base station and one of user equipment (UE) in a network.

[0024] Figure 4 The structure of an exemplary subframe sequence for a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) is shown.

[0025] Figure 5 An exemplary sequence of a 4-symbol 4-tooth sounding reference signal (SRS) with conventional non-staggered cyclic shifts is illustrated.

[0026] Figure 6 An exemplary sequence of 4-symbol 4-comb SRS with conventional staggered cyclic shifts is illustrated.

[0027] Figure 7 An example of a 4-symbol 4-comb SRS configured with a frequency tone level cyclic shift by jointly processing the cyclic shift on multiple combined symbols is illustrated.

[0028] Figure 8 An example of a 4-symbol 4-comb SRS configured with frequency-tone level cyclic shift and symbol level code by jointly processing the cyclic shift on multiple combined symbols and implementing an outer code is explained.

[0029] Figure 9 Another example of a 4-symbol 4-comb SRS configured with frequency-tone level cyclic shift and symbol level code by jointly processing the cyclic shift on multiple combined symbols and implementing an outer code is illustrated.

[0030] Figure 10 An example of a 4-symbol 4-tooth SRS configured with a symbol-level code by implementing an outer code is explained.

[0031] Figure 11is a message flow illustrating messaging between a location server, a base station, and a user equipment (UE) for positioning using a UL SRS configured for one or both of frequency tone level cyclic shifts and symbol level outer codes.

[0032] Figure 12 Shown is a schematic block diagram illustrating certain exemplary features of a UE capable of supporting configuration of SRS with frequency tone level cyclic shift and / or symbol level code.

[0033] Figure 13 A schematic block diagram illustrating certain exemplary features of a base station capable of supporting configuration of SRS for frequency tone level cyclic shift and / or symbol level code is shown.

[0034] Figure 14 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary method performed by a UE for supporting wireless transmission of the UE in a wireless network is shown.

[0035] Figure 15 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary method performed by a serving base station for supporting wireless transmission of a UE in a wireless network is shown. Detailed description

[0036] Aspects of the present disclosure are provided below in the description and related drawings of various examples provided for illustrative purposes. Alternative aspects can be designed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, well-known elements in the present disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted to avoid obscuring the relevant details of the present disclosure.

[0037] The words "exemplary" and / or "example" are used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" and / or "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Likewise, the term "aspects of the disclosure" does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation.

[0038] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the information and signals described below may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referred to throughout the following description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the specific application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, etc.

[0039] In addition, many aspects are described in terms of sequences of actions performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein can be performed by dedicated circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of the two. In addition, the sequences of actions described herein may be considered to be fully embodied within any form of non-transient computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a corresponding set of computer instructions that, upon execution, will cause or instruct an associated processor of a device to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, various aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in several different forms, all of which have been contemplated as falling within the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, for each aspect described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect may be described herein as, for example, "logic configured to perform the described actions."

[0040] As used herein, the terms "user equipment" (UE) and "base station" are not intended to be specific to or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT), unless otherwise specified. In general, a UE can be any wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, router, tablet, laptop, tracking device, wearable device (e.g., smart watch, glasses, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) headset, etc.), vehicle (e.g., car, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.), Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.) used by a user to communicate on 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 device," "subscriber terminal," "subscriber station," "user terminal" or UT, "mobile terminal," "mobile station," "mobile device," or variations thereof. In general, 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 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 wireless local area network (WLAN) network (eg, based on IEEE 802.11, etc.), and the like.

[0041] A base station may operate according to one of several RATs when in communication with a UE, depending on the network in which it is deployed, and may be referred to interchangeably as an access point (AP), a network node, a NodeB, an evolved NodeB (eNB), a New Radio (NR) NodeB (also known as a gNB), etc. Additionally, in some systems, a base station may provide pure edge node signaling functionality, while in other systems, a base station may provide additional control and / or network management functionality. The communication link by which a UE may send signals to a base station is referred to as an uplink (UL) channel (e.g., a reverse traffic channel, a reverse control channel, an access channel, etc.). The communication link by which a base station may send signals to a UE is referred to as a downlink (DL) 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 a UL / reverse or a DL / forward traffic channel.

[0042] The term "base station" may refer to a single physical transmit and receive point (TRP) or may refer to multiple physical TRPs that may or may not be co-located. For example, where the term "base station" refers to a single physical TRP, the physical TRP may be the base station antenna corresponding to the cell of the base station. Where the term "base station" refers to multiple co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP may be the antenna array of the base station (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system or where the base station employs beamforming). Where the term "base station" refers to multiple non-co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP may be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source via a transmission medium) or a remote radio head (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station). Alternatively, the non-co-located physical TRPs may be a serving base station that receives measurement reports from a UE and a neighbor base station whose reference radio frequency (RF) signal the UE is measuring.

[0043] To support UE positioning, two major categories of location solutions have been defined: control plane and user plane. With control plane (CP) location, signaling related to positioning and positioning support can be carried over existing network (and UE) interfaces and using existing protocols dedicated to signaling. With user plane (UP) location, signaling related to positioning and positioning support can be carried as part of other data using protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

[0044] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has defined control plane location solutions for UEs using radio access according to the Global System for Mobile Communications GSM (2G), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) (3G), LTE (4G), and Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR). These solutions are defined in 3GPP Technical Specifications (TS) 23.271 and 23.273 (common parts), 43.059 (GSM access), 25.305 (UMTS access), 36.305 (LTE access), and 38.305 (NR access). The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) similarly defines a UP location solution called Secure User Plane Location (SUPL), which can be used to locate UEs accessing any of several radio interfaces supporting IP packet access, such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) in GSM, GPRS in UMTS, or IP access in LTE or NR.

[0045] Both CP and UP location solutions may employ a location server to support positioning. The location server may be part of or accessible from the UE's serving network or home network, or may simply be accessible over the Internet or a local intranet. If positioning of a UE is required, the location server may initiate a session (e.g., a location session or a SUPL session) with the UE and coordinate location measurements performed by the UE and determination of an estimated position of the UE. During a location session, the location server may request the UE's positioning capabilities (or the UE may provide these capabilities without request), may provide assistance data to the UE (e.g., upon or without request from the UE), and may request a position estimate or position measurements from the UE for various positioning techniques (e.g., for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), Angle of Departure (AOD), Round Trip Time (RTT), or Multi-cell RTT (Multi-RTT) and / or Enhanced Cell ID (ECID) positioning methods). The assistance data may be used by the UE to acquire and measure GNSS and / or PRS signals (e.g., by providing expected characteristics of these signals (such as frequency, expected time of arrival, signal coding, signal Doppler)). Additionally or alternatively, the UE may be provided with SRS configuration information and instructed to transmit SRS for positioning. One or more base stations may receive and process the transmitted SRS based on the configuration information and perform various positioning measurements of the SRS, which may be provided to a network entity (such as a location server or UE) for positioning estimation, for example, using UL-TDOA or RTT or multi-RTT.

[0046] In the UE-based mode of operation, assistance data may additionally or alternatively be used by the UE to help determine a position estimate from the resulting position measurement (e.g., where the assistance data provides satellite ephemeris data in the case of GNSS positioning, or base station position and other base station characteristics (such as PRS timing) in the case of terrestrial positioning using, for example, TDOA, AoD, Multi-RTT, etc.).

[0047] In the UE-assisted mode of operation, the UE may return position measurements to a location server, which may determine an estimated position of the UE based on these measurements and possibly also based on other known or configured data (e.g., satellite ephemeris data for GNSS positioning or base station characteristics (including base station position and possibly PRS timing) in the case of terrestrial positioning using, for example, TDOA, AoD, multi-RTT, etc.).

[0048] In another standalone operating mode, the UE may make position-related measurements without any positioning assistance data from a location server, and may further calculate position or position change without any positioning assistance data from a location server. Positioning methods that may be used in standalone mode include GPS and GNSS (e.g., where the UE obtains satellite orbit data from data broadcast by the GPS and GNSS satellites themselves) and sensors.

[0049] In the case of 3GPP CP location, the location server may be an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) in the case of LTE access, a Standalone SMLC (SAS) in the case of UMTS access, a Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC) in the case of GSM access, or a Location Management Function (LMF) in the case of 5G NR access. In the case of OMA SUPL positioning, the location server may be a SUPL Location Platform (SLP), which may act as any of the following: (i) Home SLP (H-SLP) (if in or associated with the UE's home network, or if a permanent subscription for location services is provided to the UE); (ii) Discovered SLP (D-SLP) (if in or associated with some other (non-home) network, or if not associated with any network); (iii) Emergency SLP (E-SLP) (if positioning for emergency calls initiated by the UE is supported); or (iv) Visited SLP (V-SLP) (if in or associated with the UE's serving network or current local area).

[0050] During a location session, the location server and the UE may exchange messages defined in accordance with a positioning protocol to coordinate the determination of an estimated location. Possible positioning protocols may include, for example, the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) defined by 3GPP in 3GPP TS 36.355 and the LPP Extension (LPPe) protocol defined by OMA in OMA TS OMA-TS-LPPe-V1_0, OMA-TS-LPPe-V1_1, and OMA-TS-LPPe-V2_0. The LPP and LPPe protocols may be used in combination, with the LPP message containing an embedded LPPe message. The combined LPP and LPPe protocols may be referred to as LPP / LPPe. LPP and LPP / LPPe may be used to help support 3GPP control plane solutions for LTE or NR access, in which case LPP or LPP / LPPe messages are exchanged between the UE and the E-SMLC or between the UE and the LMF. LPP or LPPe messages may be exchanged between the UE and the E-SMLC via the UE's serving mobility management entity (MME) and the serving evolved Node B. LPP or LPPe messages may also be exchanged between the UE and the LMF via the UE's serving access and mobility management function (AMF) and the serving NR Node B (gNB). LPP and LPP / LPPe may also be used to help support OMA SUPL solutions for many types of wireless access that support IP messaging, such as LTE, NR, and WiFi, where LPP or LPP / LPPe messages are exchanged between a SUPL-enabled terminal (SET) (SET is the term for UE in SUPL) and the SLP and may be transported within SUPL messages, such as SUPL POS or SUPL POSINIT messages.

[0051] A location server and a base station (e.g., an evolved Node B for LTE access) can exchange messages to enable the location server to: (i) obtain positioning measurements for a specific UE from the base station, or (ii) obtain location information (such as the position coordinates of the base station's antenna), the cells supported by the base station (e.g., the cell identity), the cell timing of the base station, and / or parameters of signals transmitted by the base station (such as PRS signals) from a base station not associated with the specific UE. In the case of LTE access, the LPP A (LPPa) protocol can be used to communicate such messages between a base station as an evolved Node B and a location server as an E-SMLC. In the case of NR access, the NRPPA protocol can be used to communicate such messages between a base station as a g Node B and a location server as an LMF. Note that the terms "parameters" and "information elements" (IEs) are synonymous and are used interchangeably herein.

[0052] In addition to positioning, the SRS transmitted by the UE can be used for other purposes, such as channel estimation. The requirements for the SRS used for channel estimation and the SRS used for positioning are not completely consistent. For example, it is expected that the SRS used for positioning can be configured to multiplex a larger number of UEs. Traditionally, the SRS is configured based on bandwidth, number of symbols, number of comb teeth, and cyclic shift. The SRS can be configured using an interlaced comb pattern to multiplex more UEs, which is acceptable for positioning because the SRS used for positioning does not require the same level of accuracy as the SRS used for channel estimation.

[0053] In some implementations, additional SRS configuration parameters may be implemented to further increase the number of UEs that can use the SRS. In one implementation, the SRS may be configured for frequency tone level cyclic shifts, for example, where multiple SRS symbols are combined to handle an extended cyclic shift structure. For example, the SRS may be configured using a symbol group level indicating the number of symbols combined to produce the cyclic shift structure and an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across the tone in the symbols combined according to the symbol group level. In one implementation, the SRS may be configured additionally or alternatively using symbol level codes. For example, the SRS configuration parameter may be an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level. The extended cyclic shift and outer code selected for the UE may be used to identify the UE and increase multiplexing opportunities.

[0054] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system 100 is illustrated in which one or both of frequency-tone-level cyclic shifts and symbol-level codes may be implemented, as discussed herein. The wireless communication system 100, which may also be referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN), may include various base stations 102 and various UEs 104. The base stations 102 may include macrocell base stations (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cell base stations (low-power cellular base stations). In one aspect, the macrocell base stations may include eNBs (where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an LTE network), or gNBs (where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to a 5G network), or a combination of both, and the small cell base stations may include femtocells, picocells, microcells, etc. The architecture of a gNB may be divided into functional components, including, for example, one or more of a gNB central unit (gNB-CU), one or more gNB distributed units (gNB-DUs), and one or more gNB remote units (gNB-RUs), any of which may be physically co-located or physically separate from other components of the gNB.

[0055] Each base station 102 may collectively form a RAN and interface with a core network 170 (e.g., an evolved packet core (EPC) or a next generation core (NGC)) via backhaul links 122, and, via the core network 170, with one or more location servers 172. Among other functions, the base stations 102 may also perform functions related to one or more of communicating user data, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection setup and release, load balancing, distribution of non-access stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, RAN sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracking, RAN information management (RIM), paging, positioning, and delivery of alert messages. The base stations 102 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via the EPC / NGC) over backhaul links 134, which may be wired or wireless.

[0056] Base stations 102 may communicate wirelessly with UEs 104. Each base station 102 may provide communication coverage for a respective geographic coverage area 110. In one aspect, one or more cells may be supported by base stations 102 in each coverage area 110. A "cell" is a logical communication entity used to communicate with a base station (e.g., on a frequency resource, which may be referred to as a carrier frequency, component carrier, carrier, frequency band, etc.) and may be associated with an identifier (e.g., a physical cell identifier (PCID), a virtual cell identifier (VCID)) to distinguish between cells operating on the same or different carrier frequencies. In some cases, different cells may be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., machine type communication (MTC), narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), or other) that may provide access to different types of UEs. In some cases, the term "cell" may also refer to a geographic coverage area (e.g., a sector) of a base station, in the sense that a carrier frequency may be detected and used for communications within a portion of geographic coverage area 110.

[0057] Although the geographic coverage areas 110 of adjacent macrocell base stations 102 may partially overlap (e.g., in a handover region), some geographic coverage areas 110 may be substantially overlapped by a larger geographic coverage area 110. For example, a small cell base station 102' may have a coverage area 110' that substantially overlaps with the coverage areas 110 of one or more macrocell base stations 102. A network that includes both small cell and macrocell base stations may be referred to as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include a home eNB (HeNB), which may provide service to a restricted group known as a closed subscriber group (CSG).

[0058] The communication link 120 between the base station 102 and the UE 104 may include UL (also known as reverse link) transmissions from the UE 104 to the base station 102 and / or downlink (DL) (also known as forward link) transmissions from the base station 102 to the UE 104. The communication link 120 may utilize MIMO antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link 120 may be over one or more carrier frequencies. The allocation of carriers may be asymmetric with respect to the DL and UL (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to the DL than to the UL).

[0059] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) 150 in communication with a WLAN station (STA) 152 in an unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz) via a communication link 154. When communicating in the unlicensed spectrum, the WLAN STA 152 and / or the WLAN AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) to determine whether the channel is available before communicating.

[0060] Small cell base station 102' can operate in licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum. When operating in the unlicensed spectrum, small cell base station 102' can employ LTE or 5G technology and use the same 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum used by WLAN AP 150. Small cell base station 102' employing LTE / 5G in the unlicensed spectrum can improve coverage and / or increase capacity of the access network. LTE in the unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as LTE Unlicensed (LTE-U), Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), or MulteFire.

[0061] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a millimeter wave (mmW) base station 180 that can operate in mmW and / or near-mmW frequencies to communicate with a UE 182. Extremely high frequencies (EHF) are part of the RF spectrum within the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF has a range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz and a wavelength between 1 mm and 10 mm. Radio waves in this frequency band may be referred to as millimeter waves. Near-mmW frequencies extend down to 3 GHz with a wavelength of 100 mm. Super high frequency (SHF) frequency bands extend between 3 GHz and 30 GHz and are also referred to as centimeter waves. Communications using mmW / near-mmW radio frequency bands have high path loss and a relatively short range. The mmW base station 180 and the UE 182 may utilize beamforming (transmit and / or receive) on the mmW communication link 184 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short range. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that, in alternative configurations, one or more base stations 102 may also transmit using mmW or near-mmW frequencies and beamforming. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the foregoing explanation is merely an example, and should not be construed as limiting the various aspects disclosed herein.

[0062] Transmit beamforming is a technique for focusing an RF signal in a specific direction. Conventionally, when a network node (e.g., a base station) broadcasts an RF signal, it broadcasts the signal in all directions (omnidirectionally). Using transmit beamforming, the network node determines where a given target device (e.g., a UE) is located (relative to the transmitting network node) and projects a stronger downlink RF signal in that specific direction, thereby providing the receiving device with a faster (in terms of data rate) and stronger RF signal. To change the directionality of an RF signal during transmission, the network node can control the phase and relative amplitude of the RF signal at each of one or more transmitters broadcasting the RF signal. For example, the network node can use an antenna array (referred to as a "phased array" or "antenna array") that generates a beam of RF waves that can be "steered" in different directions without physically moving the antennas. Specifically, the RF currents from the transmitters are fed to the individual antennas in the correct phase relationship so that the radio waves from the separate antennas add together in the desired direction to increase radiation, while canceling out in undesired directions to suppress radiation.

[0063] In receive beamforming, a receiver uses a receive beam to amplify the RF signal detected on a given channel. For example, the receiver may increase the gain setting of the antenna array and / or adjust the phase setting of the antenna array in a particular direction to amplify (e.g., increase the gain level of) the RF signal received from that direction. Thus, when a receiver is said to be beamforming in a certain direction, it means that the beam gain in that direction is high relative to the beam gain along other directions, or the beam gain in that direction is the highest compared to the beam gain in that direction for all other receive beams available to the receiver. This results in a stronger received signal strength (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), etc.) for the RF signal received from that direction.

[0064] In 5G, the spectrum in which wireless nodes (e.g., base stations 102 / 180, UEs 104 / 182) operate is divided into multiple frequency ranges: FR1 (from 450 to 6000 MHz), FR2 (from 24250 to 52600 MHz), FR3 (above 52600 MHz), and FR4 (between FR1 and FR2). In a multi-carrier system (such as 5G), one of the carrier frequencies is referred to as the "primary carrier" or "anchor carrier" or "primary serving cell" or "PCell," and the remaining carrier frequencies are referred to as "secondary carriers" or "secondary serving cells" or "SCells." In carrier aggregation, the anchor carrier is the carrier operating on the primary frequency (e.g., FR1) utilized by the UE 104 / 182 and on the cell in which the UE 104 / 182 performs an initial radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment procedure or initiates an RRC connection re-establishment procedure. The primary carrier carries all common and UE-specific control channels. A secondary carrier is a carrier operating on a second frequency (e.g., FR2) that can be configured once an RRC connection is established between a UE 104 and an anchor carrier, and can be used to provide additional radio resources. A secondary carrier may contain only necessary signaling information and signals; for example, UE-specific signaling information and signals may not be present in a secondary carrier, as both primary uplink and downlink carriers are typically UE-specific. This means that different UEs 104 / 182 in a cell can have different downlink primary carriers. The same is true for the uplink primary carrier. The network can change the primary carrier for any UE 104 / 182 at any time. This can be done, for example, to balance the load on different carriers. Because a "serving cell" (whether a PCell or SCell) corresponds to the carrier frequency / component carrier that a base station is using for communications, the terms "cell," "serving cell," "component carrier," "carrier frequency," etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0065] For example, still referring to Figure 1 In one embodiment, one of the frequencies utilized by the macrocell base station 102 may be an anchor carrier (or "PCell"), and the other frequencies utilized by the macrocell base station 102 and / or the mmW base station 180 may be secondary carriers ("SCells"). Simultaneous transmission and / or reception of multiple carriers enables the UE 104 / 182 to significantly increase its data transmission and / or reception rate. For example, two 20 MHz aggregated carriers in a multi-carrier system would theoretically result in a two-fold increase in data rate (i.e., 40 MHz) compared to the data rate achieved by a single 20 MHz carrier.

[0066] The wireless communication system 100 may further include one or more UEs (such as UE 190) that are indirectly connected to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) or peer-to-peer (P2P) links. Figure 1 In the example shown in FIG1 , UE 190 has a D2D P2P link 192 with one UE 104 connected to one base station 102 (e.g., through which UE 190 can indirectly obtain cellular connectivity), and a D2D P2P link 194 with a WLAN STA 152 connected to a WLAN AP 150 (through which UE 190 can indirectly obtain WLAN-based Internet connectivity). In one example, the D2D P2P links 192 and 194 can use any well-known D2D RAT (such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), etc.) to support.

[0067] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a UE 164 that may communicate with the macrocell base station 102 over the communication link 120 and / or with the mmW base station 180 over the mmW communication link 184. For example, the macrocell base station 102 may support a PCell and one or more SCells for the UE 164, and the mmW base station 180 may support one or more SCells for the UE 164.

[0068] Figure 2AAn example wireless network architecture 200 is illustrated. For example, NGC 210 (also referred to as "5GC") can be functionally considered to include control plane functions 214 (e.g., UE registration, authentication, network access, gateway selection, etc.) and user plane functions 212 (e.g., UE gateway functions, access to data networks, IP routing, etc.), which operate in conjunction to form a core network. A user plane interface (NG-U) 213 and a control plane interface (NG-C) 215 connect gNBs 222 to NGC 210, specifically to control plane functions 214 and user plane functions 212. In additional configurations, eNBs 224 can also connect to NGC 210 via NG-C 215 to control plane functions 214 and NG-U 213 to user plane functions 212. Furthermore, eNBs 224 can communicate directly with gNBs 222 via backhaul connections 223. In some configurations, the new RAN 220 may have only one or more gNBs 222, while other configurations include both one or more eNBs 224 and one or more gNBs 222. The gNB 222 or the eNB 224 may communicate with the UE 204 (e.g., Figure 1 204). Another optional aspect may include one or more location servers 230a, 230b (sometimes collectively referred to as location servers 230) (which may correspond to location server 172), which may be in communication with control plane function 214 and user plane function 212 in NGC 210, respectively, to provide location assistance for UE 204. Location servers 230 may be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules spread across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively may each correspond to a single server. Location servers 230 may be configured to support one or more location services for UE 204, which may be connected to location servers 230 via the core network, NGC 210, and / or via the Internet (not illustrated). Furthermore, location servers 230 may be integrated into a component of the core network, or alternatively may be external to the core network (e.g., in new RAN 220).

[0069] Figure 2BAnother example wireless network architecture 250 is illustrated. For example, NGC 260 (also referred to as "5GC") can be functionally considered to include control plane functions provided by access and mobility management function (AMF) 264, user plane function (UPF) 262, session management function (SMF) 266, SLP 268, and LMF 270, which operate in concert to form the core network (i.e., NGC 260). User plane interface 263 and control plane interface 265 connect ng-eNB 224 to NGC 260, specifically to UPF 262 and AMF 264, respectively. In an additional configuration, gNB 222 can also connect to NGC 260 via control plane interface 265 to AMF 264 and user plane interface 263 to UPF 262. Furthermore, eNB 224 can communicate directly with gNB 222 via backhaul connection 223, regardless of whether it has direct gNB connectivity with NGC 260. In some configurations, the new RAN 220 may have only one or more gNBs 222, while other configurations include both one or more ng-eNBs 224 and one or more gNBs 222. The gNB 222 or the eNB 224 may communicate with the UE 204 (e.g., Figure 1 The base stations of the new RAN 220 communicate with the AMF 264 over the N2 interface and with the UPF 262 over the N3 interface.

[0070] The functions of the AMF include registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception, session management (SM) messaging between the UE 204 and the SMF 266, a transparent proxy service for routing SM messages, access authentication and access authorization, short message service (SMS) messaging between the UE 204 and the short message service function (SMSF) (not shown), and security anchor functionality (SEAF). The AMF also interacts with the authentication server function (AUSF) (not shown) and the UE 204, and receives intermediate keys established as a result of the UE 204 authentication process. In the case of authentication based on the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), the AMF retrieves security material from the AUSF. The functions of the AMF also include security context management (SCM). The SCM receives keys from the SEAF, which are used by the SCM to derive keys that vary depending on the access network. The functionality of the AMF also includes location service management for regulatory services, location service messaging between the UE 204 and the Location Management Function (LMF) 270 (which may correspond to the location server 172) and between the new RAN 220 and the LMF 270, EPS bearer identifier allocation for interworking with the Evolved Packet System (EPS), and mobility event notification for the UE 204. In addition, the AMF also supports functionality for non-3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access networks.

[0071] The functions of the UPF include: acting as an anchor point for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (when applicable), acting as an external protocol data unit (PDU) session point for interconnection to the data network (not shown), providing packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane policy rule enforcement (e.g., gating, redirection, traffic steering), lawful interception (user plane collection), traffic usage reporting, user plane quality of service (QoS) handling (e.g., UL / DL rate enforcement, reflective QoS marking in DL), UL traffic verification (mapping of service data flows (SDFs) to QoS flows), transport level packet marking in UL and DL, DL packet buffering and DL data notification triggering, and sending and forwarding one or more "end markers" to the source RAN node.

[0072] The functions of the SMF 266 include session management, UE Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation and management, selection and control of user plane functions, configuration of traffic steering for routing traffic to the correct destination at the UPF, control of part of policy enforcement and QoS, and downlink data notification. The interface over which the SMF 266 communicates with the AMF 264 is called the N11 interface.

[0073] Another optional aspect may include an LMF 270 that can be in communication with the NGC 260 to provide location assistance for the UE 204. The LMF 270 can be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules spread across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each can correspond to a single server. The LMF 270 can be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204, which can connect to the LMF 270 via the core network, the NGC 260, and / or via the Internet (not illustrated).

[0074] Figure 3 A block diagram shows a design 300 of base station 102 and UE 104, which may be Figure 1 One for each base station and one for each UE in the base station 102. The base station 102 may be equipped with T antennas 334a through 334t, and the UE 104 may be equipped with R antennas 352a through 352r, where in general T ≥ 1 and R ≥ 1.

[0075] At base station 102, transmit processor 320 may receive data for one or more UEs from data source 312, select one or more modulation and coding schemes (MCS) for each UE based at least in part on a channel quality indicator (CQI) received from the UE, process (e.g., encode and modulate) the data for each UE based at least in part on the MCS selected for the UE, and provide data symbols for all UEs. Transmit processor 320 may also process system information (e.g., for semi-static resource partitioning information (SRPI)) and control information (e.g., CQI requests, grants, upper layer signaling, etc.), and provide overhead symbols and control symbols. Transmit processor 320 may also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., a cell-specific reference signal (CRS)) and synchronization signals (e.g., a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS)). A transmit (TX) multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) processor 330 may perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​data symbols, control symbols, overhead symbols, and / or reference symbols, as applicable, and may provide T output symbol streams to T modulators (MODs) 332a through 332t. Each modulator 332 may process a respective output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator 332 may further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and frequency upconvert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. The T downlink signals from modulators 332a through 332t may be transmitted via T antennas 334a through 334t, respectively. According to various aspects described in greater detail below, position coding may be utilized to generate synchronization signals to convey additional information.

[0076] At UE 104, antennas 352a through 352r may receive downlink signals from base station 102 and / or other base stations and may provide received signals to demodulators (DEMODs) 354a through 354r, respectively. Each demodulator 354 may condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) the received signal to obtain input samples. Each demodulator 354 may further process the input samples (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain received symbols. A MIMO detector 356 may obtain received symbols from all R demodulators 354a through 354r, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols where applicable, and provide detected symbols. A receive processor 358 may process (e.g., demodulate and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for UE 104 to a data sink 360, and provide decoded control information and system information to a controller / processor 380. The channel processor may determine reference signal received power (RSRP), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), channel quality indicator (CQI), etc. In some aspects, one or more components of the UE 104 may be included in a housing.

[0077] On the uplink, at the UE 104, a transmit processor 364 may receive and process data from a data source 362 and control information (e.g., for reports including RSRP, RSSI, RSRQ, CQI, etc.) from the controller / processor 380. The transmit processor 364 may also generate reference symbols for one or more reference signals. The symbols from the transmit processor 364 may be precoded by a TX MIMO processor 366, if applicable, further processed by modulators 354a through 354r (e.g., for DFT-s-OFDM, CP-OFDM, etc.), and transmitted to the base station 102. At the base station 102, uplink signals from the UE 104 and other UEs may be received by the antennas 334, processed by the demodulators 332, detected by the MIMO detector 336, if applicable, and further processed by the receive processor 338 to obtain decoded data and control information sent by the UE 104. The receive processor 338 may provide decoded data to a data sink 339 and decoded control information to a controller / processor 340. The base station 102 may include a communication unit 344 and communicate with a network controller 389 via the communication unit 344. The network controller 389 may include a communication unit 394, a controller / processor 390, and a memory 392.

[0078] The controller / processor 340 of the base station 102, the controller / processor 380 of the UE 104, the controller 390 of the network controller 389 (which may be the location server 172), and / or Figure 3Any other component(s) of the UE 104 may perform one or more techniques associated with SRS configuration of one or both of frequency tone level cyclic shift and symbol level code, as described in more detail elsewhere herein. For example, the controller / processor 380 of the UE 104, the controller / processor 340 of the base station 102, and / or Figure 3 Any other component of the may perform or direct e.g. Figure 14 and 15 The operations of processes 1400 and 1500 and / or other processes as described herein may be performed. Memories 342, 382, ​​and 392 may store data and program codes for base station 102, UE 104, and network controller 389, respectively. In some aspects, memory 342 and / or memory 382 and / or memory 392 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions for wireless communication. For example, the one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of UE 104 and base station 102, may perform or direct, for example, Figure 14 and 15 The scheduler 346 may schedule UEs for data transmission on the downlink and / or uplink.

[0079] As indicated above, Figure 3 are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those described in Figure 3 Examples described.

[0080] Figure 4 The structure of an exemplary subframe sequence 400 with positioning reference signal (PRS) positioning opportunities according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The subframe sequence 400 can be suitable for broadcasting PRS signals from a base station (e.g., any base station described herein) or other network node. The subframe sequence 400 can be used in LTE systems, and the same or similar subframe sequences can be used in other communication technologies / protocols (such as 5G and NR). Figure 4 In FIG, time is represented horizontally (e.g., on the X-axis), where time increases from left to right, and frequency is represented vertically (e.g., on the Y-axis), where frequency increases (or decreases) from bottom to top. Figure 4 As shown in , downlink and uplink radio frames 410 may each have a duration of 10 milliseconds (ms). For downlink frequency division duplex (FDD) mode, in the illustrated example, the radio frame 410 is organized into ten subframes 412, each having a duration of 1 ms. Each subframe 412 includes two time slots 414, each of which has a duration of, for example, 0.5 ms.

[0081] In the frequency domain, the available bandwidth can be divided into evenly spaced orthogonal subcarriers 416 (also referred to as "tones" or "bins"). For example, for a normal length cyclic prefix (CP) using, for example, 15 kHz spacing, the subcarriers 416 can be grouped into groups of twelve (12) subcarriers. A resource (represented as a block of subframes 412) that is one OFDM symbol long in the time domain and one subcarrier in the frequency domain is called a resource element (RE). Each grouping of 12 subcarriers 416 and 14 OFDM symbols is called a resource block (RB), and in the above example, the number of subcarriers in a resource block can be written as For a given channel bandwidth, the number of available resource blocks on each channel 422 (which is also referred to as a transmission bandwidth configuration 422) is represented as For example, for the 3 MHz channel bandwidth in the above example, the number of available resource blocks on each channel 422 is given by Note that the frequency components of a resource block (eg, 12 subcarriers) are called physical resource blocks (PRBs).

[0082] The base station can Figure 4 , or a similar or identical frame configuration to that shown in , to transmit a radio frame (e.g., radio frame 410) supporting a PRS signal (i.e., downlink (DL) PRS) or other physical layer signaling sequence that can be measured and used for UE (e.g., any UE described herein) positioning estimation. Other types of wireless nodes in a wireless communication network (e.g., distributed antenna systems (DAS), remote radio heads (RRHs), UEs, APs, etc.) may also be configured to transmit signals to communicate with Figure 4 The PRS signal is configured in a manner similar to (or identical to) that described in .

[0083] The set of resource elements used to transmit a PRS signal is referred to as a "PRS resource". This set of resource elements can span multiple PRBs in the frequency domain and can span N (e.g., one or more) consecutive symbols within a time slot 414 in the time domain. For example, the cross-hatched resource elements in time slot 414 can be examples of two PRS resources. A "PRS resource set" is a set of PRS resources used to transmit a PRS signal, where each PRS resource has a PRS resource identifier (ID). In addition, the PRS resources in a PRS resource set are associated with the same transmit receive point (TRP). The PRS resource ID in a PRS resource set is associated with a single beam transmitted from a single TRP (wherein a TRP can transmit one or more beams). Note that this does not have any implications as to whether the TRP and beam transmitting the signal are known to the UE.

[0084] PRS may be transmitted in special positioning subframes grouped into positioning opportunities. A PRS opportunity is an example of a periodically repeating time window (e.g., consecutive time slots) in which PRS is expected to be transmitted. Each periodically repeating time window may include a group of one or more consecutive PRS opportunities. Each PRS opportunity may include a number N PRS The PRS positioning opportunities for the cellular cells supported by the base station can be arranged at intervals (number T PRS milliseconds or subframes). Figure 4 Explains the periodicity of positioning opportunities, where N PRS is equal to 4(418), and T PRS Greater than or equal to 20 (420). In some aspects, T PRS It may be measured in terms of the number of subframes between the start of consecutive positioning opportunities.Multiple PRS opportunities may be associated with the same PRS resource configuration, in which case each such opportunity is referred to as a "PRS resource opportunity" or the like.

[0085] The PRS may be transmitted at constant power. The PRS may also be transmitted at zero power (i.e., muted). Turning off muting of regularly scheduled PRS transmissions may be useful when PRS signals between different cells overlap due to occurring at or near the same time. In this case, PRS signals from some cells may be muted, while PRS signals from other cells are transmitted (e.g., at constant power). Muting may assist the UE in signal acquisition and time of arrival (TOA) and reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurements of non-muted PRS signals (by avoiding interference from muted PRS signals). Muting may be considered as not transmitting a PRS for a given positioning opportunity for a particular cell. A muting pattern (also referred to as a muting sequence) may be signaled to the UE using a bit string (e.g., using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP)). For example, if the bit at position j is set to '0' in the bit string signaled to indicate the muting pattern, the UE may infer that the PRS is muted for the jth positioning opportunity.

[0086] To further improve the audibility of the PRS, the positioning subframe may be a low-interference subframe transmitted without a user data channel. As a result, in an ideally synchronized network, the PRS may be interfered with by PRSs of other cells with the same PRS pattern index (i.e., with the same frequency shift), but not by data transmissions. The frequency shift may be defined as a function of the PRS ID for the cell or other transmission point (TP) (denoted as ) or a function of the physical cell identifier (PCI) if no PRS ID is assigned (denoted by ), which results in an effective frequency reuse factor of six (6).

[0087] Also to improve the audibility of the PRS (e.g., when the PRS bandwidth is limited, such as to have only 6 resource blocks corresponding to a 1.4 MHz bandwidth), the frequency band for consecutive PRS positioning occasions (or consecutive PRS subframes) can be changed in a known and predictable manner via frequency hopping. In addition, a cell supported by a base station can support more than one PRS configuration, where each PRS configuration may include a unique frequency shift (vshift), a unique carrier frequency, a unique bandwidth, a unique code sequence, and / or have a specific number of subframes per positioning occasion (N). PRS ) and specific periodicity (T PRS In a certain implementation, one or more PRS configurations supported in a cell may be used for directional PRS and may then have additional unique properties (such as a unique transmission direction, a unique horizontal angle range, and / or a unique vertical angle range).

[0088] The PRS configuration described above including the PRS transmission / muting schedule is signaled to the UE to enable the UE to perform PRS positioning measurements. It is not expected that the UE performs detection of the PRS configuration blindly.

[0089] Note that the terms "positioning reference signal" and "PRS" may sometimes refer to a specific reference signal used for positioning in LTE / NR systems. However, as used herein, unless otherwise indicated, the terms "positioning reference signal" and "PRS" refer to any type of reference signal intended for positioning.

[0090] Similar to the transmission of the DL PRS by the base station discussed above, the UE may transmit an UL sounding reference signal (SRS) for positioning. The UL SRS transmitted by the UE may be used for purposes other than positioning, such as channel estimation.

[0091] Using the DL PRS received from the base station and / or the UL SRS transmitted to the base station for positioning, the UE and / or the base station can perform various positioning measurements, such as reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurement for arrival time difference (TDOA) positioning technology, reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement for TDOA, departure angle and round-trip time (RTT) or multi-cell RTT (multi-RTT) positioning technology, time difference between reception and transmission of signals (Rx-Tx) for multi-RTT positioning technology, etc.

[0092] Various positioning techniques rely on DL PRS and / or UL SRS. For example, positioning techniques using reference signals include downlink-based positioning, uplink-based positioning, and combined downlink and uplink-based positioning. For example, downlink-based positioning includes positioning methods such as DL-TDOA and DL-AoD. Uplink-based positioning includes positioning methods such as UL-TDOA and UL-AoA. Downlink- and uplink-based positioning includes positioning methods such as RTT (multi-RTT) with one or more neighboring base stations. There are other positioning methods, including methods that do not rely on PRS. For example, enhanced cell ID (E-CID) is based on radio resource management (RRM) measurements.

[0093] Figure 5 An exemplary sequence of a 4-symbol 4-comb SRS 500 with conventional cyclic shifts consistent with 3GGP Technical Specification (TS) 38.211 Version 15 is illustrated. As can be seen, the comb pattern in the SRS 500 is non-interleaved. Figure 5 In the example, the phase information e is used jan The cyclic shift in SRS 500 is based on each corresponding symbol. For example, SRS 500 is illustrated as using a frequency with 24 tones and 4 comb teeth. The cyclic shift in SRS 500 is based on each individual symbol, such as Figure 5 As illustrated, 6 cyclic shifts are provided among the 6 tones, labeled e jα0 、e jα1 、e jα2 、e jα3 、e jα4 、e jα5 , where j is the imaginary unit and a is the cyclic shift. The maximum number of cyclic shifts a that can be supported by 6 tones is 6 different cyclic shifts.

[0094] Figure 6 Another exemplary sequence of 4-symbol 4-tooth SRS 600 with legacy cyclic shift consistent with Release 16 of 3GGP TS 38.211 is illustrated. Figure 6 As shown, the cyclic shift in SRS 600 is similar to Figure 5 SRS 500 is shown, but SRS 600 is configured with a staggered comb pattern. Figure 6 The staggered comb pattern shown in allows multiplexing additional UEs, which is acceptable for positioning because SRS 600 is used for positioning and does not require the same level of accuracy as SRS used for channel estimation. However, similar to SRS 500, the cyclic shift in SRS 600 is based on each corresponding symbol, which limits the cyclic shift. For example, similar to Figure 5 , Figure 6The SRS 600 illustrated in FIG provides 6 cyclic shifts among the 6 tones, labeled e jα0 、e jα1 、e jα2 、e jα3 、e jα4 、e jα5 The maximum number of cyclic shifts a that can be supported by 6 tones is 6 different cyclic shifts.

[0095] In one implementation, the cyclic shift used in the SRS can be extended by jointly processing the cyclic shift over multiple symbols, which is referred to herein as an extended cyclic shift. For example, instead of processing the cyclic shift over N individual symbols, several of the N symbols can be correlated for joint processing, and the extended cyclic shift linearly increases the phase rotation across the tones in the correlated symbols to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0096] For example, Figure 7 Illustrated is a 4-symbol, 4-comb SRS 700 configured with frequency tone level cyclic shifts by jointly processing the cyclic shifts over multiple related symbols. Figure 7 An SRS 700 with a cyclic shift of an extended configuration transmitted by a UE 104 and received by a base station 102 is illustrated. Figure 7 Additionally shown is an associated symbol 710, which visually illustrates the combining of four symbols of SRS 700 for joint processing, wherein the extended cyclic shift linearly increases the phase rotation across the tones in combined symbol 710 to produce the cyclic shift structure of SRS 700. Associated symbol 710 may sometimes be referred to herein as combined symbol 710. It should be understood that combined symbol 710 is shown merely as an illustration of multiple symbols combined and processed based on the extended cyclic shift (e.g., by UE 104 prior to transmitting SRS 700 or by base station 102 receiving SRS 700), and that UE 104 transmits SRS 700 rather than combined symbol 710.

[0097] like Figure 7 As illustrated, the cyclic shift of SRS 700 is not based on each corresponding symbol (e.g. Figure 5 and Figure 6 , as performed in conventional SRS 500 and SRS 600). The extended cyclic shift used with SRS 700 is processed based on the association of the symbols in SRS 700, as illustrated by combined symbol 710. For example, Figure 7It is illustrated that 4 symbols of SRS 700 can be combined into 1 combined symbol 710, and that the extended cyclic shift linearly increases the phase rotation across all tones in the combined symbol 710. For example, SRS 700 is illustrated as employing 4 symbols, employing a frequency with 24 tones and 4 comb teeth. By combining 4 symbols of SRS 700 to handle the extended cyclic shift, as illustrated by combined symbol 710, SRS 700 produces the ideal 24 cyclic shifts, labeled e, across the 24 tones. jα0 、e jα1 、e jα2 、e jα3 、e jα4 、e jα5 、e jα6 、e jα7 、…e jα23 Therefore, it can be seen that Figure 5 and Figure 6 Compared with the cyclic shift based on individual codeword processing as explained in Figure 7 The illustrated joint processing of cyclic shifts over multiple combined symbols significantly increases the number of cyclic shifts.

[0098] Although Figure 7 It is illustrated that the four symbols in the SRS 700 are combined into one combined symbol 710 to handle the cyclic shift, but it should be understood that the four symbols in the SRS 700 can be combined into a different number of combined symbols, for example, the four symbols can be combined into two symbols to handle the cyclic shift. The number of symbols combined to produce the cyclic shift structure can be configured by the symbol group level parameter in the SRS configuration information. The symbol group level indicates the number of combined symbols processed jointly and can be a function of the number of symbols and the number of comb teeth. For example, Figure 7 The processing of one combined symbol is explained, and therefore, a symbol group level of 1 may be used. If configured with a symbol group level of 2, the four symbols in SRS 700 will be combined into two combined symbols, and each combined symbol will be processed jointly. If configured with a symbol group level of 4, the four symbols in SRS 700 will be combined into four combined symbols (i.e., equivalent to no combined symbols), and each combined symbol will be processed jointly, which is different from conventional processing (e.g., Figure 6 Therefore, using the code group level to configure SRS is backward compatible.

[0099] For example, Table 1 provides the comb interleaving offsets for SRS version 16. As the number of comb teeth K TC and OFDM symbol index l' and SRS OFDM symbol number For example, Figure 6 Shown And K TC = 4 interleaving patterns 0, 2, 1, 3. When the combined symbol has a frequency comb structure, adjacent SRS symbols can be combined.

[0100]

[0101] Table 1

[0102] For an SRS having 2 symbols, a symbol grouping level of 1 or 2 may be used, indicating that 2 symbols may be combined and processed as 1 symbol, or 2 symbols may be processed as 2 symbols.

[0103] For example, Figure 7 As illustrated, for SRS with 4 symbols and 4 comb teeth, a symbol group level of 1 or 2 or 4 may be used, indicating that 4 symbols may be combined and processed as 1 symbol, or combined and processed as 2 symbols, or 4 symbols may be processed as 4 symbols.

[0104] For an SRS having 4 symbols, a symbol grouping level of 1 or 2 may be used, indicating that 2 symbols may be combined and processed as 1 symbol, or 2 symbols may be processed as 4 symbols.

[0105] For SRS with 4 symbols and 8 comb teeth, a symbol group level of 1, 2, or 4 can be used, indicating that 4 symbols can be combined and processed as 1 symbol, or 4 symbols can be combined and processed as 2 symbols, or 4 symbols can be processed as 4 symbols.

[0106] For SRS with 8 symbols and 4 comb teeth, a symbol group level of 2, 4, or 8 can be used, indicating that 8 symbols can be combined and processed as 2 symbols, or 8 symbols can be combined and processed as 4 symbols, or 8 symbols can be processed as 8 symbols.

[0107] For SRS with 8 codewords and 8 comb teeth, a codeword group level of 1 or 2 or 4 or 8 can be used, indicating that 8 codewords can be combined and processed as 1 codeword, or 8 codewords can be combined and processed as 2 codewords, or 8 codewords can be combined and processed as 4 codewords, or 8 codewords can be processed as 8 codewords.

[0108] For SRS with 12 symbols, 4 or 8 comb teeth, a symbol group level of 3, 6 or 12 may be used, indicating that 12 symbols may be combined and processed as 3 symbols, or 12 symbols may be combined and processed as 6 symbols, or 12 symbols may be processed as 12 symbols.

[0109] In conjunction with the symbol group level, the SRS configuration includes an extended cyclic shift that indicates an increase in the phase rotation across the tones in the symbols combined according to the symbol group level. The extended cyclic shift increases the feasible value of α. For example, in Figure 5 and 6 In , the cyclic shift of α can be selected from {0, 2π / 6, ... 2π×5 / 6}, ideally with 6 tones. Figure 7 In

[15] , the cyclic shift of α can be selected from {0, 2π / 24, ... 2π × 23 / 24}, ideally with 24 tones.

[0110] Thus, the SRS generated and transmitted by the UE 104 and received and processed by the base station may be configured based on the symbol group size and extended cyclic shift as well as conventional parameters such as bandwidth, number of symbols, and comb size, e.g., as described in detail in 3GPP TS 38.211.

[0111] like Figure 7 As explained, combining 4 symbols into 1 combined symbol to handle extended cyclic shifts may not be suitable for all UEs. For example, for high Doppler UEs, combining 4 symbols into 1 combined symbol may result in unacceptable performance degradation. Therefore, as discussed above, the 4 symbols can be combined into 2 separate symbols, and each of the 2 combined symbols is processed with the extended cyclic shift.

[0112] In another implementation, the two pairs of two symbols corresponding to the two combined symbols can be further separated based on an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level. For example, the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier of the UE relative to other UEs that transmit SRS using the same symbol group level and the same extended cyclic shift but with a different outer code.

[0113] For example, Figure 8 A 4-symbol 4-comb SRS 800 is illustrated that is configured with frequency tone level cyclic shift and symbol level code by jointly processing the cyclic shift and implementing an outer code over multiple associated symbols. Figure 8 An SRS 800 with a configured extended cyclic shift transmitted by a UE 104 and received by a base station 102 is illustrated, and an associated symbol 810 is additionally illustrated, which intuitively illustrates that four symbols of the SRS 800 are combined into two associated symbols 812 and 814 for joint processing, wherein the extended cyclic shift linearly increases the phase rotation across the tones in the pair of combined symbols 812, 814, thereby producing the cyclic shift structure of the SRS 800. The associated symbols 810, 812, and 814 may sometimes be referred to herein as combined symbols 810, 812, and 814. Figure 7Likewise, it should be understood that combined symbol 810 is shown merely as an illustration of multiple symbols combined and processed based on extended cyclic shift (e.g., by UE 104 prior to transmitting SRS 800 or by base station 102 receiving SRS 800), and that UE 104 transmits SRS 800 rather than combined symbol 810.

[0114] like Figure 8 As illustrated, two pairs of symbols in SRS 800 are combined: symbol 1 and symbol 2 are combined to form combined symbol 812 (represented by symbol 1+2), and symbol 3 and symbol 4 are combined to form combined symbol 814 (represented by symbol 3+4). Thus, for example, SRS 800 can be configured based on symbol group level 2 and based on an extended cyclic shift α.

[0115] In addition, the SRS 800 may be further configured using an outer code 820, for example, to increase the multiplexing capacity of the SRS 800. The outer code 820 is a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level. Figure 8 As illustrated, outer code 820 can be [1, 1] or [1, -1]. Thus, for outer code 820, symbols 1 and 2 are multiplied by 1, and symbols 3 and 4 are multiplied by 1. Alternatively, for outer code 820, symbols 1 and 2 are multiplied by 1, while symbols 3 and 4 are multiplied by -1. Other multipliers can be used if desired. Figure 8 The use of outer codes 820 as shown in

[0066] doubles the multiplexing capacity of SRS 800.

[0116] Thus, the UE 104 can be identified from the SRS 800 based on the selection of the extended cyclic shift α and the outer code 820 [1, 1] or [1, -1]. In some implementations, SRS configuration information can be provided to the UE 104, including available options for symbol group level, extended cyclic shift, and outer code, and the UE 104 can select the combination as an identifier. For example, the UE 104 can provide an indication of the selection to the serving base station 102. In other implementations, the serving base station 102 can select the combination of parameters for the UE 104 and transmit the selected symbol group level, extended cyclic shift, and outer code in the SRS configuration information to the UE 104.

[0117] Thus, the SRS generated and transmitted by the UE 104 and received and processed by the base station may be configured based on the symbol group size, spreading cyclic shift and outer code, as well as conventional parameters such as bandwidth, number of symbols and comb size, e.g., as described in detail in 3GPP 38.211.

[0118] like Figure 8 As shown, the phase of the first tone in symbols 2 and 4 is affected by the extended cyclic shift, and therefore, Figure 8 The configuration explained in Figure 6 The received version 16 is not backward compatible. In some implementations, an outer code may be used to provide backward compatibility. For example, a common phase shift may be included in the outer code, and the configured SRS may be consistent with version 16.

[0119] For example, Figure 9 A 4-symbol 4-comb SRS 900 configured with frequency tone level cyclic shift and symbol level code by jointly processing the cyclic shift over multiple combined symbols and implementing an outer code including a common phase is illustrated. Figure 9 Similar to Figure 8 , and illustrates an SRS 900 with a configured extended cyclic shift transmitted by UE 104 and received by base station 102 and additionally illustrates combined symbols 810, which are as shown Figure 8 , which intuitively illustrates the merging of four symbols of SRS 800 into two combined symbols 812 and 814 for joint processing, where the cyclic shift linearly increases the phase rotation across the tones in the pair of combined symbols 812 and 814. Figure 7 Likewise, it should be understood that combined symbol 810 is shown merely as an illustration of multiple symbols combined and processed based on extended cyclic shift (e.g., by UE 104 prior to transmitting SRS 900 or by base station 102 receiving SRS 900), and that UE 104 transmits SRS 900 rather than combined symbol 910.

[0120] The combined symbol 810 may be used to generate the SRS 900 and an outer code 920 that includes a common phase shift of at least a portion of the combined symbol that acts as a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level. Figure 9 As explained, the outer code 920 may be [1,e jα1 ,1,e jα1 ] or [1,e jα1 ,-1,-e jα1 Therefore, for the outer code 920[1,e jα1 ,1,e jα1 ], code element 1 multiplied by 1, code element 2 multiplied by e ja1 , symbol 3 is multiplied by 1, and symbol 4 is multiplied by e jα1 On the other hand, for the outer code 920[1,e jα1 ,-1,-e j α1 ], code element 1 multiplied by 1, code element 2 multiplied by e jα1 , symbol 3 is multiplied by -1, and symbol 4 is multiplied by -e jα1 Therefore, if Figure 8As shown, SRS 900 with outer code 920 is equivalent to SRS 800 with outer code 820. Advantageously, using SRS 900 doubles the possible value of α because the two symbols are cyclically shifted and combined, thereby increasing the multiplexing capacity. In addition, SRS 900 (without outer code 920) has the same pattern as shown in SRS 600 and is therefore backward compatible.

[0121] Thus, the UE 104 can be identified from the SRS 900 based on the selection of the extended cyclic shift α and the outer code 920. In some implementations, SRS configuration information can be provided to the UE 104, including available options for symbol group level, extended cyclic shift, and outer code, and the UE 104 can select the combination as an identifier. For example, the UE 104 can provide an indication of the selection to the serving base station 102. In other implementations, the serving base station 102 can select the combination of parameters for the UE 104 and transmit the selected symbol group level, extended cyclic shift, and outer code in the SRS configuration information to the UE 104.

[0122] If desired, other multipliers may be used. In addition, the outer code used may depend on the symbol group level. For example, for symbol group level 1, for example, Figure 7 As illustrated, because there is 1 merging symbol, it may not be desirable to implement outer codes using SRS 700.

[0123] For example, Figure 10 An example of a 4-symbol 4-tooth SRS 1000 configured with a symbol-level code by implementing an outer code is explained. Figure 10 The SRS1000 in Figure 6 , but also includes an outer code 1020, which can be one of several possible outer codes, such as [1, 1, 1, 1], [1, j, -1, -j], [1, -j -1, j], or [1, -1, 1, -1]. Other outer codes are also possible. For example, the set of possible outer codes can be a set or subset of orthogonal bases including Fourier bases and Hadamard bases. Figure 10 The use of multiple outer codes 1020 as shown in increases the multiplexing capacity of the SRS 1000 while maintaining backward compatibility. Thus, a UE 104 can be identified from the SRS 1000 based on the selection of an outer code 1020, which can be selected by either the UE 104 or the serving base station 102.

[0124] Thus, the SRS generated and transmitted by the UE 104 and received and processed by the base station may be configured based on the outer code and conventional parameters such as bandwidth, number of symbols, and comb size, for example, as described in detail in 3GPP 38.211.

[0125] Figure 11is a message flow 1100 illustrating messaging between the LMF 270, gNBs 102, and UE 104 for positioning using a UL SRS configured for frequency tone level cyclic shift and symbol level outer code, as shown in FIG. Figure 7-10 The serving gNB 102-1 and multiple neighboring gNBs 102-2 and 102-3 may sometimes be collectively referred to as gNB 102. Figure 11 The illustrated process is illustrated for UL SRS positioning measurements for gNB 102, such as RSTD for UL-TDOA, UL AoA, Rx-Tx time difference measurement. In some implementations, additional signaling may be performed for DL ​​measurements for UE 104 (e.g., Rx-Tx time difference measurement), which may be used in conjunction with UL SRS measurements for RTT or multi-RTT positioning techniques. In addition, although Figure 11 In the context of positioning of UE 104, the following is shown: Figure 7-10 100 for extending the cyclic shift and symbol-level outer code, but it should be understood that the SRS can be used for non-positioning purposes, such as channel estimation. Additional, different, or fewer messages shown in the message flow 1100 can be used for positioning. For example, additional messages can be used to initiate and end positioning sessions, such as in a mobile terminal location request (MT-LR) or a mobile originated location request (MO-LR), or in a periodic or triggered positioning procedure.

[0126] In Phase 1, LMF 270 may request positioning capabilities of UE 104 using the LPP capability transfer procedure.

[0127] In phase 2, the UE 104 may send an LPP OfferCapability message, which may indicate that the UE 104 supports extended cyclic shift and / or symbol-level outer code. For example, the LPP OfferCapability message may provide an indication that the UE 104 supports SRS, which may be configured using symbol group level and extended cyclic shift, outer code, or a combination thereof.

[0128] In phase 3, LMF 270 sends an NRPPa positioning information request message to serving gNB 102-1 to request UL information of UE 104.

[0129] In stage 4, serving gNB 102-1 determines the resources available for UL SRS and configures UE 104 with the UL-SRS resource set in stage 4a. UE 104 may be configured with SRS configuration information such as bandwidth, number of symbols, number of combs, as well as symbol group level and extended cyclic shift, outer code, or a combination thereof.

[0130] In Phase 5, the serving gNB 102-1 provides the UL SRS configuration information in the NRPPa Positioning Information Response message to the LMF 270. The serving gNB 102-1 provides the SRS configuration information including the symbol group level and the extended cyclic shift, outer code, or a combination thereof to the LMF 270.

[0131] In phase 6a, LMF 270 may send an NRPPa request UE SRS activation message to serving gNB 102-1. In phase 6b, serving gNB 102-1 may activate UE SRS transmission.

[0132] In Phase 7, the LMF 270 may provide UL information in an NRPPa Measurement Request message to the selected gNB 102. The message may include SRS configuration information for the UE 104, including symbol group level and extended cyclic shift, outer code, or a combination thereof.

[0133] In stage 8a, UE 104 prepares an SRS according to the SRS configuration information (including the symbol group level and extended cyclic shift, outer code, or a combination thereof) and sends the SRS to gNB 102. In stage 8b, each gNB 102 configured in stage 7 receives the SRS transmitted by UE 104, processes the SRS based on the SRS configuration information of UE 104 (including the symbol group level and extended cyclic shift, outer code, or a combination thereof), and performs the requested UE SRS measurement.

[0134] In Phase 9, each gNB 102 reports the UE SRS measurements to the LMF 270 in an NRPPa Measurement Response message.

[0135] In stage 10, LMF 270 may determine a positioning estimate for UE 104 using the SRS measurements received in stage 9 and any positioning measurements of the DL PRS performed by UE 104 and received by LMF 270 from UE 104 (not shown). In some implementations, gNB 102 may report the UE SRS measurements to UE 104 in stage 9, and UE 104 may determine a positioning estimate based on the UE SRS measurements and any positioning measurements of the DL PRS performed by UE 104.

[0136] Figure 12 1200 (which may be Figure 1 104) is a schematic block diagram of certain exemplary features of a UE 104 shown in FIG, which is capable of supporting SRS configurations with frequency tone level cyclic shifts and / or symbol level codes (e.g., using symbol group level and extended cyclic shifts, outer codes, or a combination thereof), as described herein, for example, in Figure 7-11 UE 1200 may be configured to perform Figure 14 . UE 1200 may, for example, include one or more processors 1202, memory 1204, and an external interface (such as a transceiver 1210, e.g., a wireless network interface) that may be operatively coupled to a non-transitory computer-readable medium 1220 and memory 1204 using one or more connections 1206 (e.g., a bus, wire, fiber, link, etc.). UE 1200 may further include additional items not shown, such as a user interface through which a user may interface with the UE, which may include, for example, a display, a keypad or other input device (such as a virtual keypad on a display), or a satellite positioning system receiver. In certain example implementations, all or a portion of UE 1200 may take the form of a chipset or the like. Transceiver 1210 may, for example, include a transmitter 1212 implemented to transmit one or more signals over one or more types of wireless communication networks, and a receiver 1214 configured to receive one or more signals transmitted over the one or more types of wireless communication networks.

[0137] In some embodiments, UE 1200 may include an antenna 1211, which may be internal or external. UE antenna 1211 may be used to transmit and / or receive signals processed by transceiver 1210. In some embodiments, UE antenna 1211 may be coupled to transceiver 1210. In some embodiments, measurements of signals received (transmitted) by UE 1200 may be performed at the connection point between UE antenna 1211 and transceiver 1210. For example, the measurement reference point for received (transmitted) RF signal measurements may be the input (output) terminal of receiver 1214 (transmitter 1212) and the output (input) terminal of UE antenna 1211. In UE 1200 with multiple UE antennas 1211 or an antenna array, the antenna connector may be considered a virtual point representing the aggregated output (input) of the multiple UE antennas. In some embodiments, UE 1200 may measure received signals (including signal strength and TOA measurements), and the raw measurements may be processed by one or more processors 1202.

[0138] The one or more processors 1202 may be implemented using a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. For example, the one or more processors 1202 may be configured to perform the functions discussed herein by implementing one or more instructions or program code 1208 on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as the medium 1220 and / or the memory 1204. In some embodiments, the one or more processors 1202 may represent one or more circuits that may be configured to perform at least a portion of a data signal computation procedure or process associated with the operation of the UE 1200.

[0139] The medium 1220 and / or memory 1204 may store instructions or program code 1208 containing executable code or software instructions that, when executed by one or more processors 1202, cause the one or more processors 1202 to operate as a special-purpose computer programmed to perform the techniques disclosed herein. As illustrated in UE 1200, the medium 1220 and / or memory 1204 may include one or more components or modules that may be implemented by the one or more processors 1202 to perform the methodologies described herein. While each component or module is illustrated as software in the medium 1220 that is executable by the one or more processors 1202, it should be understood that each component or module may be stored in the memory 1204 or may be dedicated hardware within or external to the one or more processors 1202. Several software modules and data tables may reside in the medium 1220 and / or memory 1204 and be utilized by the one or more processors 1202 to manage both the communications and functionality described herein. It should be appreciated that the organization of the contents of the media 1220 and / or memory 1204 as shown in the UE 1200 is merely exemplary, and as such, the functionality of the various modules and / or data structures may be combined, separated, and / or constructed in various manners depending on the implementation of the UE 1200.

[0140] The medium 1220 and / or the memory 1204 may include a UL SRS module 1222 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 1202, configures the one or more processors 1202 to receive an SRS configuration, e.g., via the transceiver 1210, and prepare an SRS according to the configuration, e.g., Figure 7-10 As discussed in . For example, one or more processors 1202 can be configured to generate an SRS based on the following: a code group level indicating the number of code symbols associated with generating a cyclic shift structure, and an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency tones in code symbols associated according to the code group level, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the code symbol level. One or more processors 1202 can be configured to generate an SRS based on configuration parameters such as bandwidth, number of code symbols, and comb size. One or more processors 1202 can be configured to transmit the SRS, for example, via a transceiver 1210.

[0141] The medium 1220 and / or the memory 1204 may include an extended cyclic shift module 1224 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 1202, configures the one or more processors 1202 to receive and determine a frequency tone level cyclic shift based on: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with generating a cyclic shift structure, and an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across tones in symbols associated according to the symbol group level, which is used to generate an SRS, e.g., as described with reference to Figure 7-10 For example, the symbol group level may be based on the number of symbols and the comb tooth size.

[0142] The medium 1220 and / or the memory 1204 may include an outer code module 1226 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 1202, configures the one or more processors 1202 to receive and determine a symbol-level code, e.g., based on an outer code indicating a multiplier to be applied to the SRS at the symbol level, e.g., as described with reference to FIG. Figure 8-10 For example, the one or more processors 1202 may be configured to include in the outer code a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated according to the symbol group level.

[0143] The methodologies described herein may be implemented by various means depending on the application. For example, the methodologies may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. For hardware implementations, the one or more processors 1202 may be implemented within one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof.

[0144] For firmware and / or software implementations, the methodologies may be implemented using modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. Any machine-readable medium that tangibly embodies instructions may be used to implement the methodologies described herein. For example, software code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium 1220 or memory 1204 connected to and executed by one or more processors 1202. Memory may be implemented within the one or more processors or external to the one or more processors. As used herein, the term "memory" refers to any type of long-term, short-term, volatile, non-volatile, or other memory, and is not limited to any particular type of memory or number of memories, or the type of medium on which memory is stored.

[0145] If implemented in firmware and / or software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or program code 1208 on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as medium 1220 and / or memory 1204. Examples include computer-readable media encoded with data structures and computer-readable media encoded with computer program code 1208. For example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program code 1208 stored thereon may include program code 1208 for supporting an SRS configured with frequency-modulated frequency level cyclic shifts and / or symbol level codes, e.g., using symbol group level and extended cyclic shifts, outer codes, or a combination thereof, in a manner consistent with the disclosed embodiments. The non-transitory computer-readable medium 1220 includes physical computer storage media. The storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code 1208 in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer; disk and disc, as used herein, include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0146] In addition to being stored on computer-readable media 1220, instructions and / or data may also be provided as signals on a transmission medium included in a communication device. For example, the communication device may include a transceiver 1210 with signals indicating instructions and data. These instructions and data are configured to cause one or more processors to implement the functions outlined in the claims. In other words, the communication device includes a transmission medium with signals indicating information for performing the disclosed functions.

[0147] Memory 1204 may represent any data storage mechanism. Memory 1204 may include, for example, primary memory and / or secondary memory. Primary memory may include, for example, random access memory, read-only memory, and the like. Although illustrated in this example as being separate from one or more processors 1202, it should be understood that all or a portion of primary memory may be located within one or more processors 1202 or otherwise co-located / coupled with one or more processors 1202. Secondary memory may include, for example, the same or similar type of memory as primary memory and / or one or more data storage devices or systems (such as, for example, magnetic disk drives, optical disk drives, tape drives, solid-state memory drives, and the like).

[0148] In some implementations, the secondary storage may be operatively housed or otherwise configurable to be coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium 1220. Thus, in some example implementations, the methods and / or apparatus presented herein may take the form of all or a portion of a computer-readable medium 1220 that may include computer-implementable program code 1208 stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors 1202, may be operatively implemented to perform all or a portion of the example operations as described herein. The computer-readable medium 1220 may be part of the memory 1204.

[0149] Figure 13 An illustrative base station 1300 (e.g. Figure 1 1 is a schematic block diagram of certain exemplary features of a base station 102 in FIG. 1 that is capable of supporting SRS configurations for frequency modulation level cyclic shifts and / or symbol level codes (e.g., using symbol group level and extended cyclic shifts, outer codes, or a combination thereof), as described herein, for example, in Figure 7-11 The base station 1300 may be an eNB or a gNB. The base station 1300 may be configured to perform Figure 15 . Base station 1300 may, for example, include one or more processors 1302, memory 1304, an external interface that may include a transceiver 1310 (e.g., a wireless network interface) and a communication interface 1316 (e.g., a wired or wireless network interface to other base stations and / or entities in the core network (such as a location server)), which may be operably coupled to a non-transitory computer-readable medium 1320 and memory 1304 using one or more connections 1306 (e.g., a bus, wire, optical fiber, link, etc.). Base station 1300 may further include additional items not shown, such as a user interface through which a user can interface with the base station, which may include, for example, a display, a keypad, or other input device (such as a virtual keypad on a display). In certain example implementations, all or a portion of base station 1300 may take the form of a chipset, etc. Transceiver 1310 may, for example, include a transmitter 1312 implemented to transmit one or more signals over one or more types of wireless communication networks, and a receiver 1314 configured to receive one or more signals transmitted over the one or more types of wireless communication networks. The communication interface 1316 may be a base station or network entity capable of connecting to other base stations or network entities in the RAN (such as Figure 1 A wired or wireless interface to the location server 172 shown in FIG.

[0150] In some embodiments, base station 1300 may include an antenna 1311, which may be internal or external. Antenna 1311 may be used to transmit and / or receive signals processed by transceiver 1310. In some embodiments, antenna 1311 may be coupled to transceiver 1310. In some embodiments, measurements of signals received (transmitted) by base station 1300 may be performed at the connection point between antenna 1311 and transceiver 1310. For example, the measurement reference point for received (transmitted) RF signal measurements may be the input (output) terminal of receiver 1314 (transmitter 1312) and the output (input) terminal of antenna 1311. In base stations 1300 having multiple antennas 1311 or an antenna array, the antenna connector may be considered a virtual point representing the aggregated output (input) of the multiple antennas. In some embodiments, base station 1300 may measure received signals (including signal strength and TOA measurements), and the raw measurements may be processed by one or more processors 1302.

[0151] The one or more processors 1302 may be implemented using a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. For example, the one or more processors 1302 may be configured to perform the functions discussed herein by implementing one or more instructions or program code 1308 on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as the medium 1320 and / or the memory 1304. In some embodiments, the one or more processors 1302 may represent one or more circuits that may be configured to perform at least a portion of a data signal computation procedure or process associated with the operation of the base station 1300.

[0152] The medium 1320 and / or memory 1304 may store instructions or program code 1308 containing executable code or software instructions that, when executed by one or more processors 1302, cause the one or more processors 1302 to operate as a special-purpose computer programmed to perform the techniques disclosed herein. As illustrated in base station 1300, the medium 1320 and / or memory 1304 may include one or more components or modules that may be implemented by the one or more processors 1302 to perform the methodologies described herein. While each component or module is illustrated as software in the medium 1320 that is executable by the one or more processors 1302, it should be understood that each component or module may be stored in the memory 1304 or may be dedicated hardware within or external to the one or more processors 1302. Several software modules and data tables may reside in the medium 1320 and / or memory 1304 and be utilized by the one or more processors 1302 to manage both the communications and functionality described herein. It should be appreciated that the organization of the contents of the media 1320 and / or memory 1304 as shown in the base station 1300 is merely exemplary, and as such, the functionality of the various modules and / or data structures may be combined, separated and / or constructed in different manners depending on the implementation of the base station 1300.

[0153] The medium 1320 and / or the memory 1304 may include an SRS configuration module 1322 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 1302, configures the one or more processors 1302 to generate an SRS configuration for the UE, such as, for example. Figure 7-10 As discussed in . For example, one or more processors 1302 can be configured to generate an SRS configuration based on the following: a code group level indicating the number of code elements associated with generating a cyclic shift structure, and an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in the phase rotation of the cross-frequency tone in the code elements associated according to the code group level, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the code element level. One or more processors 1302 can be configured to generate an SRS configuration with parameters such as bandwidth, number of code elements, and comb size. One or more processors 1302 can be configured to transmit the SRS configuration, for example, via a transceiver 1310.

[0154] The medium 1320 and / or the memory 1304 may include an extended cyclic shift module 1324 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 1302, configures the one or more processors 1302 to configure a frequency tone level cyclic shift based on: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with generating a cyclic shift structure, and an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across tones in symbols associated with the symbol group level, which is used to configure an SRS, e.g., as described with reference to Figure 7-10For example, the symbol group level may be based on the number of symbols and the comb tooth size.

[0155] The medium 1320 and / or the memory 1304 may include an SRS module 1326, which, when implemented by one or more processors 1302, configures the one or more processors 1302 to receive an SRS from a UE via the transceiver 1310 and process the SRS according to an SRS configuration, including a symbol group level, an extended cyclic shift, an outer code, a bandwidth, a number of symbols, and a comb size.

[0156] The medium 1320 and / or the memory 1304 may include an outer code module 1328 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 1302, configures the one or more processors 1302 to generate a symbol-level code, e.g., an outer code indicating a multiplier to be applied to the SRS at the symbol level, e.g., as described with reference to FIG. Figure 8-10 For example, the one or more processors 1302 may be configured to include in the outer code a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated according to the symbol group level.

[0157] The medium 1320 and / or the memory 1304 may include a positioning session module 1330 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 1302, configures the one or more processors 1302 to participate in a positioning session for the UE. For example, the one or more processors 1302 may be configured to transmit and receive LLP messages for the UE 104 and the location server 172 to participate in the positioning session. The one or more processors 1302 may be configured to transmit an SRS configuration to the UE and perform positioning measurements for the SRS received from the UE. The one or more processors 1302 may be configured to transmit the positioning measurements to a network entity such as a location server or the UE via the transceiver 1310 or the communication interface 1316.

[0158] The methodologies described herein may be implemented by various means depending on the application. For example, these methodologies may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. For hardware implementations, the one or more processors 1302 may be implemented within one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof.

[0159] For firmware and / or software implementations, the methodologies may be implemented using modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. Any machine-readable medium that tangibly embodies instructions may be used to implement the methodologies described herein. For example, software code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium 1320 or memory 1304 connected to and executed by one or more processors 1302. Memory may be implemented within the one or more processors or external to the one or more processors. As used herein, the term "memory" refers to any type of long-term, short-term, volatile, non-volatile, or other memory, and is not limited to any particular type of memory or number of memories, or the type of medium on which memory is stored.

[0160] If implemented in firmware and / or software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or program code 1308 on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as medium 1320 and / or memory 1304. Examples include computer-readable media encoded with data structures and computer-readable media encoded with computer program code 1308. For example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program code 1308 stored thereon may include program code 1308 for supporting a configuration of SRS with frequency-modulated frequency-level cyclic shifts and / or symbol-level codes, e.g., using symbol group-level and extended cyclic shifts, outer codes, or a combination thereof, in a manner consistent with the disclosed embodiments. The non-transitory computer-readable medium 1320 includes physical computer storage media. The storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code 1308 in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer; disk and disc, as used herein, include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0161] In addition to being stored on computer-readable media 1320, instructions and / or data may also be provided as signals on a transmission medium included in a communication device. For example, the communication device may include a transceiver 1310 with signals indicating instructions and data. These instructions and data are configured to cause one or more processors to implement the functions outlined in the claims. In other words, the communication device includes a transmission medium with signals indicating information for performing the disclosed functions.

[0162] Memory 1304 may represent any data storage mechanism. Memory 1304 may include, for example, primary memory and / or secondary memory. Primary memory may include, for example, random access memory, read-only memory, and the like. Although illustrated in this example as being separate from one or more processors 1302, it should be understood that all or a portion of primary memory may be located within one or more processors 1302 or otherwise co-located / coupled with one or more processors 1302. Secondary memory may include, for example, the same or similar type of memory as primary memory and / or one or more data storage devices or systems (such as, for example, magnetic disk drives, optical disk drives, tape drives, solid-state memory drives, and the like).

[0163] In some implementations, the secondary storage may be operatively housed or otherwise configurable to be coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium 1320. Thus, in some example implementations, the methods and / or apparatus presented herein may take the form of all or a portion of a computer-readable medium 1320 that may include computer-implementable program code 1308 stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors 1302, may be operatively implemented to perform all or a portion of the example operations as described herein. The computer-readable medium 1320 may be part of the memory 1304.

[0164] Figure 14 A flow diagram is shown of an example process 1400 performed by a user equipment (UE), such as UE 104, to support wireless transmissions by the UE in a wireless network, in a manner consistent with disclosed implementations.

[0165] At block 1402, the UE receives a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station, the configuration for the SRS including a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level, e.g., as in Figure 11 An apparatus for receiving a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station, the configuration for the SRS including a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level, may include a wireless transceiver 1210 and a processor having dedicated hardware or implementation. Figure 12 One or more processors 1202 of the UE 1200 are shown as executing code or software instructions in memory 1204 and / or media 1220, such as a UL SRS module 1222, an extended cyclic shift module 1224, and an outer code module 1226.

[0166] At block 1404, the UE may prepare the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code, e.g., as in Figure 11 As discussed in Stage 8a of Figure 7-10 An apparatus for preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code may include a wireless transceiver 1010 and a dedicated hardware or implementation Figure 12 One or more processors 1202 of the UE 1200 shown in FIG. 1 may be operable to execute code or software instructions (such as an extended cyclic shift module 1224) in a memory 1204 and / or media 1220.

[0167] At block 1406, the UE may transmit the SRS to one or more base stations, e.g., as in Figure 11 For example, the SRS may be transmitted to the one or more base stations for channel estimation or positioning. The apparatus for transmitting the SRS to the one or more base stations may include a wireless transceiver 1010 and a dedicated hardware or implementation. Figure 12 One or more processors 1202 of the UE 1200 shown in FIG. 1 may be operable to execute code or software instructions (such as a UL SRS module 1222) in a memory 1204 and / or media 1220.

[0168] In one implementation, the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs that transmit SRS using the same symbol group level and the same spreading cyclic shift but with different outer codes. For example, the outer code may include a set or subset of an orthogonal basis including one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

[0169] In one implementation, the configuration for the SRS may further include an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency tones in the symbols associated with the symbol group level, wherein preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS further includes the extended cyclic shift. The combination of the extended cyclic shift and the outer code may serve as an identifier for the UE. In one implementation, a common phase shift of at least a portion of the symbols associated with the symbol group level is included in the outer code. The configuration for the SRS may further include a bandwidth and a comb size. For example, the maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols and the comb size and the symbol group level. For example, the symbol group level may be based on the number of symbols and the comb size. In one example, when the number of symbols is 2, the symbol group level indicates that 2 symbols are associated to produce a single symbol cyclic shift structure, or 2 symbols are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure. In another example, when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 4, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are associated to generate a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure. In another example, when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 2, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure. In one example, when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 8, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are associated to generate a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure. In one example, when the number of symbols is 8 and the comb size is 4, the symbol group level indicates that 8 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 8 symbols are associated to generate a four-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 8 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure. In one example, when the number of symbols is 8 and the comb size is 8, the symbol group level indicates that 8 symbols are associated to generate a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 8 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 8 symbols are associated to generate a four-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 8 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure. In one example, when the number of symbols is 12 and the comb size is 4 or 8, the symbol group level indicates that 12 symbols are associated to generate a three-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 12 symbols are associated to generate a six-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 12 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0170] Figure 15A flowchart of an exemplary process 1500 performed by a serving base station (such as gNB 102-1) of a user equipment (UE) to support wireless transmissions of the UE in a wireless network is shown in a manner consistent with the disclosed implementations.

[0171] At block 1502, the base station transmits a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the UE, the configuration for the SRS comprising a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level, e.g., as in Figure 11 An apparatus for transmitting a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to a UE, the configuration for the SRS comprising: a symbol group level indicating the number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level, may, for example, comprise a wireless transceiver 1310 and a processor having dedicated hardware or implementation. Figure 13 One or more processors 1302 of the base station 1300 are shown as executing code or software instructions in memory 1304 and / or media 1320 , such as an SRS configuration module 1322 and an extended cyclic shift module 1324 .

[0172] At block 1504, the base station receives an SRS from a UE, e.g., as in Figure 11 The apparatus for receiving SRS from UE may include, for example, a wireless transceiver 1310 and a dedicated hardware or implementation. Figure 13 One or more processors 1302 executing code or software instructions in a memory 1304 and / or media 1320 in the base station 1300 shown in FIG.

[0173] At block 1506, the base station may process the SRS received from the UE according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code, e.g., as in Figure 11 As discussed in Stage 8a of Figure 7-10 An apparatus for processing an SRS received from a UE according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code may include, for example, a device having dedicated hardware or implementing Figure 13 One or more processors 1302 of the base station 1300 shown in FIG. 1 may be operable to execute code or software instructions (such as an SRS module 1326 and an extended cyclic shift module 1324 and an outer code module 1328) in a memory 1304 and / or a medium 1320.

[0174] In one implementation, the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs that transmit SRS using the same symbol group level and the same spreading cyclic shift but with different outer codes. For example, the outer code may include a set or subset of an orthogonal basis including one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

[0175] In one implementation, the configuration for the SRS may further include an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency tones in the symbols associated with the symbol group level, wherein processing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS further includes the extended cyclic shift. The combination of the extended cyclic shift and the outer code serves as an identifier for the UE. In one implementation, a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated with the symbol group level is included in the outer code. The configuration for the SRS may further include a bandwidth and a comb size. For example, the maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols and the comb size and the symbol group level. For example, the symbol group level is based on the number of symbols and the comb size. In one example, when the number of symbols is 2, the symbol group level indicates that two symbols are associated to produce a single symbol cyclic shift structure, or that two symbols are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure. In one example, when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 4, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are associated to generate a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure. In one example, when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 2, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure. In one example, when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 8, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are associated to generate a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure. In one example, when the number of symbols is 8 and the comb size is 4, the symbol group level indicates that 8 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 8 symbols are associated to generate a four-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 8 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure. In one example, when the number of symbols is 8 and the comb size is 8, the symbol group level indicates that 8 symbols are associated to generate a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 8 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 8 symbols are associated to generate a four-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 8 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure. In one example, when the number of symbols is 12 and the comb size is 4 or 8, the symbol group level indicates that 12 symbols are associated to generate a three-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 12 symbols are associated to generate a six-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 12 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0176] In one implementation, the SRS received from the UE may be used for channel estimation. In another implementation, the method may further include generating a positioning measurement based on the SRS received from the UE, for example, as in Figure 11The apparatus for generating positioning measurements based on the SRS received from the UE may comprise, for example, dedicated hardware or an implementation Figure 13 The base station may send the positioning measurements to a network entity for use in a positioning estimate of the UE, for example, as in FIG. Figure 11 The apparatus for sending the positioning measurement to the network entity for use in the positioning estimation of the UE may include, for example, a wireless transceiver 1310 and a dedicated hardware or implementation. Figure 13 One or more processors 1302 of the base station 1300 shown in FIG. 13 may be operable to execute code or software instructions (such as a positioning session module 1330) in a memory 1304 and / or a medium 1320.

[0177] References throughout this specification to "one example," "an example," "some examples," or "example implementations" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with a feature and / or example can be included in at least one feature and / or example of the claimed subject matter. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one example," "an example," "in some examples," or "in some implementations" or other similar phrases throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same feature, example, and / or limitation. Furthermore, these particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more examples and / or features.

[0178] Some parts of the detailed description included herein are presented in the form of algorithms or symbolic representations of operations on binary digital signals stored in the memory of a specific device or a dedicated computing device or platform. In the context of this specific specification, the term specific device, etc. includes a general-purpose computer that performs specific operations according to instructions from program software once it is programmed. Algorithmic descriptions or symbolic representations are examples of techniques used by those of ordinary skill in signal processing or related fields to convey the essence of their work to other technicians in the field. Algorithms are generally considered to be self-consistent sequences of operations or similar signal processing leading to a desired result. In this context, operations or processing involve physical manipulation of physical quantities. Typically, but not necessarily, such quantities can take the form of electrical or magnetic signals that can be stored, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated. Mainly for reasons of common use, it has proven sometimes convenient to refer to such signals as bits, data, values, elements, code elements, characters, terms, numbers, numerical values, etc. However, it should be understood that all of these or similar terms are associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless otherwise specifically stated, as will be apparent from the discussion herein, it should be understood that throughout this specification, discussions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," etc., refer to actions or processes of a specific apparatus, such as a special-purpose computer, a special-purpose computing apparatus, or a similar special-purpose electronic computing device. In the context of this specification, a special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device is therefore capable of manipulating or transforming signals that are typically represented as physical electronic or magnetic quantities within a memory, register, or other information storage device, transmission device, or display device of the special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device.

[0179] In the foregoing detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods and apparatus known to those skilled in the art have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the claimed subject matter.

[0180] As used herein, the terms "and," "or," and "and / or" may include a variety of meanings that are also intended to depend, at least in part, on the context in which such terms are used. Generally, "or," if used in connection with a list, such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C (used herein in an inclusive sense) as well as A, B, or C (used herein in an exclusive sense). Additionally, as used herein, the term "one or more" may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in the singular, or may be used to describe a plurality of features, structures, or characteristics, or some other combination thereof. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example, and claimed subject matter is not limited to this example.

[0181] While there has been illustrated and described what are presently considered to be example features, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other modifications may be made, and equivalents may be substituted, without departing from the claimed subject matter. Additionally, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular scenario to the teachings of the claimed subject matter without departing from the central concept described herein.

[0182] In view of this description, various embodiments may include different combinations of features. Various implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses.

[0183] Clause 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) to support wireless transmission of the UE in a wireless network, the method comprising: receiving a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station, the configuration for the SRS comprising: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level and the outer code; and transmitting the SRS to one or more base stations.

[0184] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs that transmit SRS using the same symbol group level but with different outer codes.

[0185] Clause 3. The method of any of clauses 1-2, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

[0186] Clause 4. A method as described in any of clauses 1-3, wherein the configuration for the SRS further includes an extended cyclic shift, the extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency modulation in the codewords associated with the codeword group level, wherein preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS further includes the extended cyclic shift.

[0187] Clause 5. The method of clause 4, wherein a combination of an extended cyclic shift and an outer code serves as an identifier for the UE.

[0188] Clause 6. The method of any of clauses 4-5, wherein a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated with the symbol group level is included in the outer code.

[0189] Clause 7. The method of any of clauses 4-6, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

[0190] Clause 8. The method of clause 7, wherein the maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols and the comb size and the symbol group level.

[0191] Clause 9. The method of any of clauses 7-8, wherein the symbol group level is based on the number of symbols and the comb size.

[0192] Clause 10. The method of clause 7, wherein when the number of symbols is 2, the symbol group level indicates that the two symbols are correlated to produce a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or the two symbols are not correlated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0193] Clause 11. A method as described in Clause 7, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0194] Clause 12. The method of clause 7, wherein when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 2, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are associated to produce a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0195] Clause 13. A method as described in Clause 7, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0196] Clause 14. A method as described in Clause 7, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0197] Clause 15. A method as described in Clause 7, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a single-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0198] Clause 16. A method as described in Clause 7, wherein when the number of codewords is 12 and the comb size is 4 or 8, the codeword group level indicates that 12 codewords are associated to produce a three-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are associated to produce a six-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0199] Clause 17. The method of any of clauses 1-16, wherein the SRS is transmitted to the one or more base stations for channel estimation or positioning.

[0200] Clause 18. A user equipment (UE) configured to support wireless transmission of the UE in a wireless network, comprising: a wireless transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with entities in the wireless network; at least one memory; at least one processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station via the wireless transceiver, the configuration for the SRS comprising: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; prepare the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS comprising the symbol group level and the outer code; and transmit the SRS to one or more base stations via the wireless transceiver.

[0201] Clause 19. The UE of clause 18, wherein the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs transmitting SRS using the same symbol group level but with different outer codes.

[0202] Clause 20. The UE of any of clauses 18-19, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

[0203] Clause 21. A UE as described in any of clauses 18-20, wherein the configuration for the SRS further includes an extended cyclic shift, the extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency tones in the codewords associated with the codeword group level, wherein preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS further includes the extended cyclic shift.

[0204] Clause 22. The UE of clause 21, wherein a combination of an extended cyclic shift and an outer code serves as an identifier of the UE.

[0205] Clause 23. The UE of any of clauses 21-22, wherein a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated with the symbol group level is included in the outer code.

[0206] Clause 24. The UE of any of clauses 21-23, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

[0207] Clause 25. The UE of clause 24, wherein a maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols and the comb size and the symbol group level.

[0208] Clause 26. The UE of any of clauses 24-25, wherein the symbol group level is based on the number of symbols and the comb size.

[0209] Clause 27. The UE of clause 24, wherein when the number of symbols is 2, the symbol group level indicates that the two symbols are correlated to generate a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or the two symbols are not correlated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0210] Clause 28. A UE as described in clause 24, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to generate a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to generate a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0211] Clause 29. The UE of clause 24, wherein when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 2, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are associated to generate a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0212] Clause 30. A UE as described in clause 24, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to generate a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to generate a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0213] Clause 31. A UE as described in clause 24, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to generate a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to generate a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0214] Clause 32. A UE as described in clause 24, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to generate a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to generate a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to generate a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0215] Clause 33. A UE as described in clause 24, wherein when the number of codewords is 12 and the comb size is 4 or 8, the codeword group level indicates that 12 codewords are associated to produce a three-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are associated to produce a six-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0216] Clause 34. The UE of any of clauses 18-33, wherein the SRS is transmitted to the one or more base stations for channel estimation or positioning.

[0217] Clause 35. A user equipment (UE) configured to support wireless transmission of the UE in a wireless network, comprising: a device for receiving a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station, the configuration for the SRS comprising: a code group level indicating a number of code elements associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the code symbol level; a device for preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS comprising the code group level and the outer code; and a device for transmitting the SRS to one or more base stations.

[0218] Clause 36. The UE of clause 35, wherein the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs transmitting SRS using the same symbol group level but with different outer codes.

[0219] Clause 37. The UE of any of clauses 35-36, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

[0220] Clause 38. A UE as described in any of clauses 35-37, wherein the configuration for the SRS further includes an extended cyclic shift, the extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency modulation in codewords associated with the codeword group level, wherein preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS further includes the extended cyclic shift.

[0221] Clause 39. The UE of clause 38, wherein a combination of an extended cyclic shift and an outer code serves as an identifier of the UE.

[0222] Clause 40. The UE of any of clauses 38-39, wherein a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated with the symbol group level is included in the outer code.

[0223] Clause 41. The UE of any of clauses 38-40, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

[0224] Clause 42. The UE of clause 41, wherein a maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols and the comb size and the symbol group level.

[0225] Clause 43. The UE of any of clauses 41-42, wherein the symbol grouping level is based on the number of symbols and the comb size.

[0226] Clause 44. The UE of clause 41, wherein when the number of symbols is 2, the symbol group level indicates that the two symbols are correlated to generate a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or the two symbols are not correlated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0227] Clause 45. A UE as described in clause 41, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0228] Clause 46. The UE of clause 41, wherein when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 2, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are associated to produce a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0229] Clause 47. A UE as described in clause 41, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0230] Clause 48. A UE as described in clause 41, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0231] Clause 49. A UE as described in clause 41, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to generate a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to generate a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to generate a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0232] Clause 50. A UE as described in clause 41, wherein when the number of codewords is 12 and the comb size is 4 or 8, the codeword group level indicates that 12 codewords are associated to produce a three-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are associated to produce a six-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0233] Clause 51. The UE of any of clauses 35-50, wherein the SRS is transmitted to the one or more base stations for channel estimation or positioning.

[0234] Clause 52. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program code stored thereon, the program code being operable to configure at least one processor in a user equipment (UE) configured to support wireless transmission of the UE in a wireless network, the program code comprising instructions for: receiving a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station, the configuration for the SRS comprising: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS comprising the symbol group level and the outer code; and transmitting the SRS to one or more base stations.

[0235] Clause 53. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 52, wherein the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs transmitting SRS using the same symbol group level but with different outer codes.

[0236] Clause 54. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of Clauses 52-53, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

[0237] Clause 55. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in any of clauses 52-54, wherein the configuration for the SRS further includes an extended cyclic shift, the extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency modulation in the codewords associated with the codeword group level, wherein preparing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS further includes the extended cyclic shift.

[0238] Clause 56. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 55, wherein a combination of an extended cyclic shift and an outer code serves as an identifier for the UE.

[0239] Clause 57. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 55-56, wherein a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated with the symbol group level is included in the outer code.

[0240] Clause 58. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of Clauses 55-57, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

[0241] Clause 59. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 58, wherein a maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols and the comb size and the symbol group level.

[0242] Clause 60. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 58-59, wherein the symbol group level is based on the number of symbols and the comb size.

[0243] Clause 61. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 58, wherein when the number of symbols is 2, the symbol group level indicates that the two symbols are correlated to produce a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or the two symbols are not correlated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0244] Clause 62. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in Clause 58, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0245] Clause 63. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in Clause 58, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 2, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0246] Clause 64. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in Clause 58, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0247] Clause 65. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in Clause 58, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0248] Clause 66. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in Clause 58, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0249] Clause 67. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in Clause 58, wherein when the number of codewords is 12 and the comb size is 4 or 8, the codeword group level indicates that 12 codewords are associated to produce a three-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are associated to produce a six-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0250] Clause 68. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 52-67, wherein the SRS is transmitted to the one or more base stations for channel estimation or positioning.

[0251] Clause 69. A method performed by a serving base station for supporting wireless transmission of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network, the method comprising: sending a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the UE, the configuration for the SRS comprising: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; receiving the SRS from the UE; and processing the SRS received from the UE according to the configuration for the SRS comprising the symbol group level and the outer code.

[0252] Clause 70. The method of clause 69, wherein the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs transmitting SRS using the same symbol grouping level but with different outer codes.

[0253] Clause 71. The method of any of clauses 69-70, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

[0254] Clause 72. A method as described in any of clauses 69-71, wherein the configuration for the SRS further includes an extended cyclic shift, the extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency modulation in the codewords associated with the codeword group level, wherein processing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS further includes the extended cyclic shift.

[0255] Clause 73. The method of clause 72, wherein a combination of an extended cyclic shift and an outer code serves as an identifier of the UE.

[0256] Clause 74. The method of any of clauses 72-73, wherein a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated with the symbol group level is included in the outer code.

[0257] Clause 75. The method of any of clauses 72-74, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

[0258] Clause 76. The method of clause 75, wherein the maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols and the comb size and the symbol group level.

[0259] Clause 77. The method of any of clauses 75-76, wherein the symbol group level is based on the number of symbols and the comb size.

[0260] Clause 78. The method of clause 75, wherein when the number of symbols is 2, the symbol group level indicates that the two symbols are correlated to produce a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or the two symbols are not correlated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0261] Clause 79. A method as described in Clause 75, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0262] Clause 80. The method of clause 75, wherein when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 2, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are correlated to produce a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not correlated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0263] Clause 81. A method as described in Clause 75, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0264] Clause 82. A method as described in Clause 75, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0265] Clause 83. A method as described in Clause 75, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0266] Clause 84. A method as described in Clause 75, wherein when the number of codewords is 12 and the comb size is 4 or 8, the codeword group level indicates that 12 codewords are associated to produce a three-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are associated to produce a six-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0267] Clause 85. The method of any of clauses 69-84, wherein the SRS received from the UE is used for channel estimation.

[0268] Clause 86. The method of any of clauses 69-85, further comprising: generating positioning measurements based on the SRS received from the UE; and sending the positioning measurements to a network entity for use in positioning estimation of the UE.

[0269] Clause 87. A base station configured to support wireless transmission of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network, the base station being a serving base station for the UE, comprising: an external interface configured to communicate wirelessly with an entity in the wireless network; at least one memory; at least one processor coupled to the external interface and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: send a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the UE via the external interface, the configuration for the SRS comprising: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; receive the SRS from the UE via the external interface; and process the SRS received from the UE according to the configuration for the SRS comprising the symbol group level and the outer code.

[0270] Clause 88. The base station of clause 87, wherein the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs transmitting SRS using the same symbol grouping level but with different outer codes.

[0271] Clause 89. The base station of any of clauses 87-88, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis, the orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

[0272] Clause 90. A base station as described in any of clauses 87-89, wherein the configuration for the SRS further includes an extended cyclic shift, the extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency modulation in codewords associated with the codeword group level, wherein processing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS further includes the extended cyclic shift.

[0273] Clause 91. The base station of clause 90, wherein a combination of an extended cyclic shift and an outer code serves as an identifier for the UE.

[0274] Clause 92. The base station of any of clauses 90-91, wherein a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated with the symbol group level is included in the outer code.

[0275] Clause 93. The base station of any of clauses 90-92, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

[0276] Clause 94. The base station of clause 93, wherein a maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols and the comb size and the symbol group level.

[0277] Clause 95. The base station of any of clauses 93-94, wherein the symbol grouping level is based on the number of symbols and the comb size.

[0278] Clause 96. The base station of clause 93, wherein when the number of symbols is 2, the symbol group level indicates that the two symbols are correlated to produce a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or the two symbols are not correlated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0279] Clause 97. A base station as described in clause 93, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0280] Clause 98. The base station of clause 93, wherein when the number of symbols is 4 and the comb size is 2, the symbol group level indicates that 4 symbols are associated to produce a two-symbol cyclic shift structure, or 4 symbols are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0281] Clause 99. A base station as described in clause 93, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0282] Clause 100. A base station as described in clause 93, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0283] Clause 101. A base station as described in clause 93, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0284] Clause 102. A base station as described in clause 93, wherein when the number of codewords is 12 and the comb size is 4 or 8, the codeword group level indicates that 12 codewords are associated to produce a three-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are associated to produce a six-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0285] Clause 103. The base station of any of clauses 87-102, wherein the SRS received from the UE is used for channel estimation.

[0286] Clause 104. The base station of any of clauses 87-103, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: generate positioning measurements based on the SRS received from the UE; and send the positioning measurements to a network entity via the external interface for use in positioning estimation of the UE.

[0287] Clause 105. A serving base station configured to support wireless transmissions of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network, comprising: a device for sending a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the UE, the configuration for the SRS comprising: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; a device for receiving the SRS from the UE; and a device for processing the SRS received from the UE according to the configuration for the SRS comprising the symbol group level and the outer code.

[0288] Clause 106. The serving base station of clause 105, wherein the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs transmitting SRS using the same symbol grouping level but with different outer codes.

[0289] Clause 107. The serving base station of any of clauses 105-106, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

[0290] Clause 108. A serving base station as described in any of clauses 105-107, wherein the configuration for the SRS further includes an extended cyclic shift, wherein the extended cyclic shift indicates a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency modulation in codewords associated with the codeword group level, wherein processing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS further includes the extended cyclic shift.

[0291] Clause 109. The serving base station of clause 108, wherein a combination of an extended cyclic shift and an outer code serves as an identifier for the UE.

[0292] Clause 110. The serving base station of any of clauses 108-109, wherein a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated with the symbol group level is included in the outer code.

[0293] Clause 111. The serving base station of any of clauses 108-110, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

[0294] Clause 112. The serving base station of clause 111, wherein a maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols and the comb size and the symbol group level.

[0295] Clause 113. The serving base station of any of clauses 111-112, wherein the symbol grouping level is based on the number of symbols and the comb size.

[0296] Clause 114. The serving base station of clause 111, wherein when the number of symbols is 2, the symbol group level indicates that the two symbols are correlated to generate a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or the two symbols are not correlated to generate a cyclic shift structure.

[0297] Clause 115. A serving base station as described in clause 111, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0298] Clause 116. A serving base station as described in clause 111, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 2, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0299] Clause 117. A serving base station as described in clause 111, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0300] Clause 118. A serving base station as described in clause 111, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0301] Clause 119. A serving base station as described in clause 111, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0302] Clause 120. A serving base station as described in clause 111, wherein when the number of codewords is 12 and the comb size is 4 or 8, the codeword group level indicates that 12 codewords are associated to produce a three-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are associated to produce a six-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0303] Clause 121. The serving base station of any of clauses 105-120, wherein the SRS received from the UE is used for channel estimation.

[0304] Clause 122. The serving base station of any of clauses 105-121, further comprising: means for generating positioning measurements based on the SRS received from the UE; means for sending the positioning measurements to a network entity for use in positioning estimation of the UE.

[0305] Clause 123. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program code stored thereon, the program code being operable to configure at least one processor in a serving base station to support wireless transmission of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network, the program code comprising instructions for: sending a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to the UE, the configuration for the SRS comprising: a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, and an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at the symbol level; receiving the SRS from the UE; and processing the SRS received from the UE according to the configuration for the SRS comprising the symbol group level and the outer code.

[0306] Clause 124. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 123, wherein the outer code increases multiplexing capacity by serving as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs transmitting SRS using the same symbol group level but with a different outer code.

[0307] Clause 125. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 123-124, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

[0308] Clause 126. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in any of clauses 123-125, wherein the configuration for the SRS further includes an extended cyclic shift, wherein the extended cyclic shift indicates a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency modulations in codewords associated with the codeword group level, wherein processing the SRS according to the configuration for the SRS further includes the extended cyclic shift.

[0309] Clause 127. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 126, wherein a combination of an extended cyclic shift and an outer code serves as an identifier for the UE.

[0310] Clause 128. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 126-127, wherein a common phase shift for at least a portion of the symbols associated with the symbol group level is included in the outer code.

[0311] Clause 129. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 126-128, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

[0312] Clause 130. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 129, wherein a maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols and the comb size and the symbol group level.

[0313] Clause 131. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of Clause 129, wherein the symbol group level is based on the number of symbols and the comb size.

[0314] Clause 132. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 129, wherein when the number of symbols is 2, the symbol group level indicates that the two symbols are correlated to produce a single-symbol cyclic shift structure, or the two symbols are not correlated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0315] Clause 133. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in Clause 129, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0316] Clause 134. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in clause 129, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 2, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0317] Clause 135. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in Clause 129, wherein when the number of codewords is 4 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 4 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are associated to produce a double codeword cyclic shift structure, or 4 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0318] Clause 136. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in Clause 129, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 4, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0319] Clause 137. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in Clause 129, wherein when the number of codewords is 8 and the comb size is 8, the codeword group level indicates that 8 codewords are associated to produce a single codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a two-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are associated to produce a four-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 8 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0320] Clause 138. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in clause 129, wherein when the number of codewords is 12 and the comb size is 4 or 8, the codeword group level indicates that 12 codewords are associated to produce a three-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are associated to produce a six-codeword cyclic shift structure, or 12 codewords are not associated to produce a cyclic shift structure.

[0321] Clause 139. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 123-138, wherein the SRS received from the UE is used for channel estimation.

[0322] Clause 140. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 123-139, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for: generating positioning measurements based on the SRS received from the UE; and sending the positioning measurements to a network entity for use in positioning estimation of the UE.

[0323] Therefore, it is intended that the claimed subject matter not be limited to the particular examples disclosed, but that the claimed subject matter may also include all aspects falling within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: at least one memory; as well as at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and based at least in part on instructions stored in the at least one memory, the at least one processor is configured to: receiving a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station, the configuration for the SRS comprising: (1) a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, or (2) an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at a symbol level; as well as The SRS is transmitted to one or more base stations according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level or the outer code.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer code is associated with increased multiplexing capacity because the outer code serves as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs that transmit the SRS using the same symbol group level but with a different outer code.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis, the orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency tones in the number of symbols, and wherein to transmit the SRS, the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the SRS based on the extended cyclic shift. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols associated with the cyclic shift structure, the comb size, and the symbol group level. 7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to transmit the SRS, the at least one processor is configured to transmit the SRS to the one or more base stations for channel estimation or positioning.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to the at least one processor, and wherein to transmit the SRS, the at least one processor is configured to transmit the SRS via the wireless transceiver.

9. An apparatus for wireless communication at a network node, the apparatus comprising: at least one memory; as well as at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and based at least in part on instructions stored in the at least one memory, the at least one processor is configured to: transmitting a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to a user equipment (UE), the configuration for the SRS comprising: (1) a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, or (2) an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at a symbol level; receiving the SRS from the UE; and The SRS is processed according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level or the outer code.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the outer code is associated with increased multiplexing capacity because the outer code serves as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs that transmit the SRS using the same symbol group level but with a different outer code.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis, the orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency tones in the number of symbols, and wherein to process the SRS, the at least one processor is further configured to process the SRS based on the extended cyclic shift.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols associated with the cyclic shift structure, the comb size, and the symbol group level.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein to receive the SRS, the at least one processor is configured to receive the SRS for channel estimation.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: generating positioning measurements based on the SRS; The positioning measurements are sent to a network entity for use in positioning estimation of the UE.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to the at least one processor, and wherein to receive the SRS, the at least one processor is configured to receive the SRS via the wireless transceiver.

18. A method of wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a base station, the configuration for the SRS comprising: (1) a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, or (2) an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at a symbol level; and The SRS is transmitted to one or more base stations according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level or the outer code.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the outer code is associated with increased multiplexing capacity because the outer code serves as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs that transmit the SRS using the same symbol group level but with a different outer code.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis, the orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency tones in the number of symbols, and wherein transmitting the SRS comprises transmitting the SRS based on the extended cyclic shift.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols associated with the cyclic shift structure, the comb size, and the symbol group level.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the SRS comprises transmitting the SRS to the one or more base stations for channel estimation or positioning.

25. A method of wireless communication at a network node, the method comprising: transmitting a configuration for a sounding reference signal (SRS) to a user equipment (UE), the configuration for the SRS comprising: (1) a symbol group level indicating a number of symbols associated with a cyclic shift structure, or (2) an outer code indicating a multiplier applied to the SRS at a symbol level; receiving the SRS from the UE; and The SRS is processed according to the configuration for the SRS including the symbol group level or the outer code.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the outer code is associated with increased multiplexing capacity because the outer code serves as an identifier for the UE relative to other UEs that transmit the SRS using the same symbol group level but with a different outer code.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the outer code comprises a set or subset of an orthogonal basis, the orthogonal basis comprising one of a Fourier basis or a Hadamard basis.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises an extended cyclic shift indicating a linear increase in phase rotation across frequency tones in the number of symbols, and wherein processing the SRS comprises processing the SRS based on the extended cyclic shift.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the configuration for the SRS further comprises a bandwidth and a comb size.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein a maximum number of extended cyclic shifts is based on the number of symbols associated with the cyclic shift structure, the comb size, and the symbol group level.

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