Non-uniform reference signal patterns for positioning and sensing

Abstract

An example method of positioning, sensing, or both performed by a receiving device may include receiving a non-uniform reference signal configuration for positioning, sensing, or both; receiving a reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, where the reference signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and where a frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a plurality of different values; and determining one or more time of arrival (TOA) measurements for positioning, sensing, or both based on the received reference signal.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. application No. 18 / 169,035, filed on February 14, 2023, entitled “NON-UNIFORM REFERENCE SIGNALPATTERNS FOR POSITIONING AND SENSING,” which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of radio frequency (RF)-based sensing (or simply "RF sensing") in wireless networks, such as cellular networks.

[0004] Related technical description

[0005] The sensing of objects and the positioning of devices can have a wide range of consumer, industrial, commercial, military, and other applications. The position of an object or device can be estimated based on information collected using different sensing and / or positioning technologies. For example, cellular networks such as fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) cellular networks can be used to determine the position of wireless devices such as user equipment (UE), and are being expanded into RF sensing to enable the detection of objects (including their position and velocity) from reflections (or echoes) of RF signals reflected from objects. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An example method for positioning, sensing, or both, performed by a receiving device, the method may include: receiving a non-uniform reference signal configuration for positioning, sensing, or both; receiving a reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, wherein the reference signal includes a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein a frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal includes a plurality of different values; and determining one or more time of arrival (TOA) measurements for positioning, sensing, or both based on the received reference signal.

[0007] An example method for positioning, sensing, or both, performed by a server, the method may include: determining a non-uniform reference signal configuration of a reference signal for positioning, sensing, or both, wherein the reference signal includes multiple subcarriers, and wherein according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, the reference signal is configured such that frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal includes multiple different values; and transmitting the non-uniform reference signal configuration for determining one or more time of arrival (TOA) measurements based on the reference signal.

[0008] An example device for performing positioning, sensing, or both may include: a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. The one or more processors may be configured to: receive a non-uniform reference signal configuration for positioning, sensing, or both; receive a reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, wherein the reference signal includes a plurality of subcarriers and wherein a frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal includes a plurality of different values; and determine one or more TOA measurements for positioning, sensing, or both based on the received reference signal.

[0009] An example server for performing positioning, sensing, or both may include: a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. The one or more processors may be configured to: determine a non-uniform reference signal configuration for a reference signal used for positioning, sensing, or both, wherein the reference signal includes a plurality of subcarriers and wherein, according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, the reference signal is configured such that a frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal includes a plurality of different values; and transmit the non-uniform reference signal configuration for use in determining one or more time of arrival (TOA) measurements based on the reference signal.

[0010] This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used alone to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. This subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification, any or all of the drawings, and each claim. The foregoing and other features and examples are described in more detail in the following description, claims, and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is an illustration of a communication / positioning / sensing system according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 is a diagram of a fifth generation new radio (5G NR) network according to an implementation scheme.

[0013] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a frame structure for NR and associated terms.

[0014] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example combining (comb) structure of how an example RF signal may utilize different sets of resource elements according to some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a resource block including a single symbol of a non-uniformly patterned RS configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern according to some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a resource block including a plurality of symbols of non-uniformly patterned RSs configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating how non-uniform patterned reference signals may be used to perform radio frequency sensing of a target device (eg, to locate the target device) according to some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 8 is a flowchart of a method of radio frequency sensing for sensing a target device performed by the target device using a non-uniformly patterned RS according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0019] Figure 9 is a flowchart of a method of radio frequency sensing for sensing a target device performed by a server according to some embodiments.

[0020] Figure 10 is a block diagram of an implementation scheme of a UE.

[0021] Figure 11 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system.

[0022] Figure 12 is a block diagram of an implementation scheme of a base station.

[0023] Similar reference symbols in the various figures indicate similar elements according to certain example implementations. In addition, multiple instances of an element may be indicated by following the first digit of the element with a letter or hyphen and a second digit. For example, multiple instances of element 110 may be indicated as 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, etc., or as 110a, 110b, 110c, etc. When only the first digit is used to refer to such an element, it should be understood that any instance of the element (e.g., element 110 in the previous example would refer to elements 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3, or to elements 110a, 110b, and 110c) is included. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following description is directed to certain specific implementations for the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of the various embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of different ways. The described implementations can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of sending and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to any communication standard, such as any of the following: the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard for ultra-wideband (UWB), the IEEE 802.11 standard (including those identified as Wi-Fi), and the like. ®technology standards), Bluetooth ® Standard, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), GSM / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA), Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), 1xEV-DO, EV-DO Revision A, EV-DO Revision B, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Evolved High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), or other known signals used for communicating within a wireless, cellular, or Internet of Things (IoT) network, such as a system utilizing 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or further implementations thereof.

[0025] As used herein, an "RF signal" includes electromagnetic waves that transmit information through the space between a transmitter (or transmitting device) and a receiver (or receiving device). As used herein, a transmitter may transmit a single "RF signal" or multiple "RF signals" to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of each RF signal through multiple channels or paths, a receiver may receive multiple "RF signals" corresponding to each transmitted RF signal.

[0026] Additionally, unless otherwise specified, references to "positioning reference signals," "reference signals for positioning," and the like may be used to refer to signals used to locate mobile devices, such as user equipment (UE) in a 5G New Radio (NR) network. As described in more detail herein, such signals may include any of a variety of signal types, but may not necessarily be limited to positioning reference signals (PRS) as defined in relevant wireless standards. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, references to "sensing reference signals," "reference signals for sensing," and the like may be used to refer to signals used for RF sensing (also generally referred to herein as "sensing") as described herein. Signals used for RF sensing and / or positioning may be generally referred to herein as reference signals (RS). As described in more detail herein, such signals may include any of a variety of signal types, but may not necessarily be limited to signals used only for RF sensing.

[0027] As previously noted, object sensing and device positioning are being considered for a variety of applications, including wireless networks such as cellular networks. For example, reference signals (RSs) may be received by a receiving device via a cellular network for use in determining sensing and / or positioning measurements. When performing sensing and positioning using a cellular network, unlike communication between wireless devices within the network, RF sensing is primarily interested in estimating the delay of the reflection and line-of-sight (LOS) paths of the received RSs (e.g., time-of-arrival (TOA)-based sensing, where TOA measurements can be determined based on the covariance matrix of the received reference signal), and accurate overall channel impulse response (CIR) / channel frequency response (CFR) estimates may be less important. Therefore, in delay estimation applications, uniform subcarrier spacing patterns (e.g., comb-2, comb-4, comb-6) may be excessive in terms of processing complexity and overhead when configuring resource elements for the RSs. Embodiments herein utilize a non-uniform subcarrier spacing pattern to configure the RSs, where the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the RSs includes multiple different values. As discussed in detail below, using non-uniformly configured RSs for sensing and / or positioning can yield similar performance compared to using conventional uniformly configured RSs, but with a smaller number of resource elements, higher power per resource element, and lower processing overhead and latency. Additional details will be provided after the discussion of applicable techniques.

[0028] Figure 1FIG1 is a simplified illustration of a wireless system capable of communication, positioning, and sensing, referred to herein as a "communication / positioning / sensing system" 100, according to one embodiment, in which a mobile device 105, a network function server 160, and / or other components of the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 may use the techniques provided herein to perform RF sensing and / or positioning. (That is, embodiments are not necessarily limited to such systems.) The techniques described herein may be implemented by one or more components of the communication / positioning / sensing system 100. The communication / positioning / sensing system 100 may include a mobile device 105; one or more satellites 110 (also referred to as space vehicles (SVs)), which may include global navigation satellite system (GNSS) satellites (e.g., satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, etc.) and / or non-terrestrial network (NTN) satellites; a base station 120; an access point (AP) 130; a network function server 160; a network 170; and external clients 180. In general, the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 may enable communication between the mobile device 105 and other devices, positioning of the mobile device 105 and / or other devices, RF sensing by the mobile device 105 and / or other devices, or a combination thereof. For example, the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 may estimate the location of the mobile device 105 based on RF signals received by and / or transmitted from the mobile device 105 and the known locations of other components that transmit and / or receive RF signals (e.g., GNSS satellites 110, base stations 120, APs 130). Additionally or alternatively, wireless devices such as the mobile device 105, base stations 120, and satellites 110 (and / or other NTN platforms that may be implemented on aircraft, drones, balloons, etc.) may be used to perform positioning (e.g., positioning of one or more wireless devices) and / or perform RF sensing (e.g., RF sensing of one or more objects using RF signals transmitted by one or more wireless devices).

[0029] It should be pointed out that Figure 1 Only a generalized illustration of the various components is provided, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate, and each component may be repeated as needed. Specifically, although only one mobile device 105 is illustrated, it should be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may utilize the communication / positioning / sensing system 100. Similarly, the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 may include more than one mobile device. Figure 11. The illustrated connections connecting the various components in the communication / positioning / sensing system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. In addition, various components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted depending on the desired functionality. In some embodiments, for example, the external client 180 may connect directly to the network function server 160. Those skilled in the art will recognize many modifications to the illustrated components.

[0030] Depending on the desired functionality, network 170 may include any of a variety of wireless and / or wired networks. Network 170 may, for example, include any combination of public and / or private networks, local area networks, and / or wide area networks. Furthermore, network 170 may utilize one or more wired and / or wireless communication technologies. In some embodiments, network 170 may include, for example, a cellular or other mobile network, a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), and / or the Internet. Examples of network 170 include Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless networks, fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks (also known as New Radio (NR) wireless networks or 5G NR wireless networks), Wi-Fi WLAN, and the Internet. LTE, 5G, and NR are wireless technologies defined or currently being defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In LTE, 5G, or other cellular networks, mobile device 105 may be referred to as user equipment (UE). Network 170 may also include more than one network and / or more than one type of network.

[0031] Base stations 120 and access points (APs) 130 are communicatively coupled to network 170. In some embodiments, base stations 120 may be owned, maintained, and / or operated by a cellular network provider and may employ any of a variety of wireless technologies, as described below. Depending on the technology of network 170, base stations 120 may include a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a base transceiver station (BTS), a radio base station (RBS), an NR NodeB (gNB), a next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), and the like. In the case where network 170 is a 5G network, base stations 120, acting as gNBs or ng-eNBs, may be part of a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) that may be connected to a 5G core network (5GC). In view of the open radio access network (O-RAN) and / or virtualized radio access network (V-RAN or vRAN) in 5G or higher networks, the functions performed by the base station 120 in the earlier networks (e.g., 3G and 4G) can be divided into different functional components (e.g., radio unit (RU), distributed unit (DU) and central unit (CU)) and layers (e.g., L1 / L2 / L3), which can be executed on different devices at different locations connected, for example, via fronthaul connection, midhaul connection and backhaul connection. As referred to herein, a "base station" (or ng-eNB, gNB, etc.) may include any or all of these functional components. For example, the AP 130 may include a Wi-Fi AP or a Bluetooth AP. ® AP or an AP with cellular capabilities (e.g., 4G LTE and / or 5G NR). Thus, mobile device 105 can access network 170 via base station 120 using first communication link 133 to transmit and receive information with network-connected devices (such as network function server 160). Additionally or alternatively, because AP 130 can also be communicatively coupled to network 170, mobile device 105 can communicate with network-connected and internet-connected devices (including network function server 160) using second communication link 135 or via one or more other mobile devices 145.

[0032] As used herein, the term "base station" may generally refer to a single physical transmission point or multiple co-located physical transmission points, which may be located at a base station 120. A transmit-receive point (TRP) (also referred to as a transmit / receive point) corresponds to this type of transmission point, and the term "TRP" may be used interchangeably herein with the terms "gNB," "ng-eNB," and "base station." In some cases, a base station 120 may include multiple TRPs—for example, where each TRP is associated with a different antenna or antenna array of the base station 120. As used herein, the transmit functionality of a TRP may be performed using a transmit point (TP), and / or the receive functionality of a TRP may be performed by a receive point (RP), which may be physically separate or distinct from the TP. That is, a TRP may include both a TP and an RP. A physical transmission point may include the antenna array of the base station 120 (for example, as in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) system and / or where the base station employs beamforming). In accordance with aspects of the applicable 5G cellular standard, base station 120 (e.g., gNB) is capable of transmitting different "beams" in different directions and performing "beam scanning," wherein signals are transmitted in different beams in different directions (e.g., one after another). The term "base station" may also refer to multiple non-co-located physical transmission points, which 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).

[0033] Satellites 110 may be used for positioning in communications in one or more ways. For example, satellites 110 (also referred to as space vehicles (SVs)) may be part of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, or BeiDou. Positioning using RF signals from GNSS satellites may include measuring multiple GNSS signals at the GNSS receiver of mobile device 105 to perform code-based and / or carrier-based positioning, which can be highly accurate. Additionally or alternatively, satellites 110 may be used for NTN-based positioning, where satellites 110 may functionally operate as a TRP (or TP) for a network (e.g., an LTE and / or NR network) and may be communicatively coupled with network 170. Specifically, reference signals (e.g., PRSs) transmitted by satellites 110 for NTN-based positioning may be similar to those transmitted by base stations 120 and may be coordinated by network function server 160, which may operate as a location server. In some embodiments, the satellites 110 used for NTN-based positioning may differ from those used for GNSS-based positioning. In some embodiments, NTN nodes may include non-terrestrial vehicles, such as aircraft, balloons, drones, etc., which may supplement or replace NTN satellites. RF sensing may also be performed using NTN satellites 110 and / or other NTN platforms. As described in more detail below, satellites may use JCS symbols in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform to enable both RF sensing and / or positioning as well as communication.

[0034] The network function server 160 may include one or more servers and / or other computing devices configured to provide network management and / or network assistance functions, such as operating as a location server and / or a sensing server. For example, the location server may determine an estimated location of the mobile device 105 and / or provide data (e.g., "assistance data") to the mobile device 105 to facilitate location measurement and / or location determination by the mobile device 105. In some embodiments, the location server may include a Home Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (H-SLP), which may support the SUPL User Plane (UP) positioning solution defined by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and may support location services for the mobile device 105 based on subscription information about the mobile device 105 stored in the location server. In some embodiments, the location server may include a Discovery SLP (D-SLP) or an Emergency SLP (E-SLP). The location server may also include an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC), which uses a Control Plane (CP) positioning solution to support positioning of the mobile device 105 for LTE radio access of the mobile device 105. The location server may also include a location management function (LMF) that supports positioning of the mobile device 105 using a control plane (CP) positioning solution for NR or LTE radio access of the mobile device 105 .

[0035] Similarly, the network function server 160 can function as a sensing server. The sensing server can be used to coordinate and / or assist in coordinating the sensing of one or more objects (also referred to herein as "targets") by one or more wireless devices in the communication / positioning / sensing system 100. This can include mobile devices 105, base stations 120, access points 130, other mobile devices 145, satellites 110, or any combination thereof. Wireless devices capable of performing RF sensing may be referred to herein as "sensing nodes." To perform RF sensing, the sensing server can coordinate a sensing session in which one or more RF sensing nodes can perform RF sensing by transmitting RF signals (e.g., reference signals (RS)) and measuring reflected signals, or "echoes," comprising reflections of the transmitted RF signals from one or more objects / targets. For example, the reflected signals and object / target detection can be determined from channel state information (CSI) received at the receiving device. Sensing may include (i) monostatic sensing using a single device as a transmitter (of RF signals) and a receiver (of reflected signals); (ii) bistatic sensing using a first device as a transmitter and a second device as a receiver; or (iii) multistatic sensing using multiple transmitters and / or multiple receivers. To facilitate sensing (e.g., in a sensing session between one or more sensing nodes), a sensing server may provide data (e.g., "assistance data") to the sensing nodes to facilitate RS transmission and / or measurement, object / target detection, or any combination thereof. Such data may include RS configurations indicating which resources (e.g., time and / or frequency resources) may be used (e.g., in a sensing session) to transmit RSs for RF sensing. According to some embodiments, the sensing server may include a sensing management function (SMF).

[0036] Although the ground components (such as AP 130 and base station 120) can be fixed, embodiments are not limited in this regard. Mobile components can be used. For example, in some embodiments, the location of mobile device 105 can be estimated based at least in part on measurements of RF signals 140 communicated between mobile device 105 and one or more other mobile devices 145 (the one or more other mobile devices can be mobile or fixed). As illustrated, the other mobile devices can include, for example, mobile phone 145-1, vehicle 145-2, static communication / positioning device 145-3, or other static and / or mobile devices capable of providing wireless signals for locating mobile device 105, or combinations thereof. The wireless signals from mobile device 145 for locating mobile device 105 can include using, for example, Bluetooth ® (including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), IEEE 802.11x (e.g., Wi-Fi ®), ultra-wideband (UWB), IEEE 802.15x, or a combination thereof. The mobile device 145 may additionally or alternatively use non-RF wireless signals for positioning of the mobile device 105, such as infrared signals or other optical technologies.

[0037] The estimated location of mobile device 105 can be used in a variety of applications, such as to assist a user of mobile device 105 with direction finding or navigation, or to assist another user (e.g., associated with external client 180) in locating mobile device 105. "Location" is also referred to herein as a "position estimate," "estimated location," "position," "position estimate," "position fix," "estimated position," "position fix," or "fix." The process of determining location may be referred to as "positioning," "position determination," "position determination," or the like. The location of mobile device 105 can include the absolute location of mobile device 105 (e.g., latitude and longitude, and possibly altitude) or the relative location of mobile device 105 (e.g., a location expressed as a distance north or south, east or west, and possibly above or below, of some other known fixed location (including, for example, the location of base station 120 or AP 130) or some other location, such as the location of mobile device 105 at some known previous time, or the location of mobile device 145 (e.g., another UE) at some known previous time). The location may be specified as a geodetic location including coordinates that may be absolute (e.g., latitude, longitude, and optionally, altitude), relative (e.g., relative to a known absolute location), or local (e.g., X, Y, and optionally Z coordinates according to a coordinate system defined relative to a local area, such as a factory, warehouse, university campus, shopping mall, stadium, or convention center). The location may alternatively be a municipal location and may then include one or more of a street address (e.g., including a country, state, county, city, road and / or street name or label, and / or road or street number) and / or a label or name of a place, a building, a portion of a building, a floor of a building, and / or a room within a building. The location may also include an uncertainty or error indication, such as a horizontal distance, and possibly a vertical distance, within which the location is expected to be in error, or an indication of an area or volume (e.g., a circle or ellipse) within which the mobile device 105 is expected to be located with a certain confidence level (e.g., 95% confidence).

[0038] The external client 180 may be a web server or remote application that may have some association with the mobile device 105 (e.g., accessible by a user of the mobile device 105), or may be a server, application, or computer system that provides location services to one or more other users, which may include obtaining and providing the location of the mobile device 105 (e.g., to enable services such as friend or relative locating or child or pet location). Additionally or alternatively, the external client 180 may obtain the location of the mobile device 105 and provide it to emergency service providers, government agencies, etc.

[0039] As previously noted, the example communication / positioning / sensing system 100 may be implemented using a wireless communication network such as an LTE-based or 5G NR-based network or a future 6G network. Figure 2 A diagram of a 5G NR network 200 is shown, illustrating an embodiment of a communication system (e.g., communication / positioning / sensing system 100) implemented in 5G NR. The 5G NR network 200 may be configured to implement wireless communications by using access nodes, determining UEs 205 (which may correspond to Figure 1 These access nodes may include NR Node Bs (gNBs) 210-1 and 210-2 (collectively referred to herein as gNBs 210), ng-eNBs 214, and / or WLANs 216. These access nodes may use RF signaling to communicate, implement one or more positioning methods, and / or implement RF sensing. The gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNBs 214 may communicate with Figure 1 The base station 120 corresponds to the WLAN 216, and the WLAN 216 can be connected to the base station 120. Figure 1 130. Optionally, the 5G NR network 200 may be additionally configured to determine the location of the UE 205 using the LMF 220 (which may correspond to the location server 160) to implement the one or more positioning methods. The SMF 221 may coordinate RF sensing of the 5G NR network 200. Here, the 5G NR network 200 includes the UE 205 and components of the 5G NR network, including the next generation (NG) radio access network (RAN) (NG-RAN) 235 and the 5G core network (5G CN) 240. The 5G NR network 200 may also be referred to as a 5G network and / or an NR network; the NG-RAN 235 may be referred to as a 5G RAN or NR RAN; and the 5G CN 240 may be referred to as an NG core network. Additional components of the 5G NR network 200 are described below. The 5G NR network 200 may include additional or alternative components.

[0040] The 5G NR network 200 may also utilize information from satellites 110. As previously indicated, satellites 110 may include GNSS satellites from a GNSS system such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) or similar systems (e.g., GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)). Additionally or alternatively, satellites 110 may include NTN satellites, which may be communicatively coupled with the LMF 220 and operable to serve as TRPs (or TPs) in the NG-RAN 235. As such, satellites 110 may communicate with one or more gNBs 210.

[0041] It should be pointed out that Figure 2 This generalized illustration of various components is provided only; any or all of these components may be utilized as appropriate, and each of these components may be repeated or omitted as needed. Specifically, while only one UE 205 is illustrated, it should be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may utilize the 5G NR network 200. Similarly, the 5G NR network 200 may include a greater (or lesser) number of satellites 110, gNBs 210, ng-eNBs 214, wireless local area networks (WLANs) 216, access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 215, external clients 230, and / or other components. The illustrated connections connecting the various components in the 5G NR network 200 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted depending on the desired functionality.

[0042] UE 205 may include and / or be referred to as a device, a mobile device, a wireless device, a mobile terminal, a terminal, a mobile station (MS), a terminal supporting secure user plane location (SUPL) (SET), or some other designation. In addition, UE 205 may correspond to a cellular phone, a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, a personal data assistant (PDA), a navigation device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, or some other portable or portable device. Typically, although not necessarily, UE 205 may support the use of one or more radio access technologies (RATs) such as GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, LTE, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi, and the like. ® , Bluetooth, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX ™), 5G NR (e.g., using NG-RAN 235 and 5GCN 240), etc. The UE 205 may also support wireless communications using WLAN 216, which (like one or more RATs and as previously described) Figure 1 Using one or more of these RATs may allow the UE 205 (e.g., via Figure 2 205, or possibly via a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 225) to communicate with an external client 230 and / or allow the external client 230 to receive location information about the UE 205 (e.g., via the GMLC 225). When implemented in or communicatively coupled with a 5G NR network, Figure 2 The external client 230 may correspond to Figure 1 External client 180.

[0043] UE 205 may comprise a single entity, or may comprise multiple entities, such as in a personal area network where a user may employ audio, video, and / or data I / O devices, and / or body sensors, and a separate wired or wireless modem. The estimate of the location of UE 205 may be referred to as location, location estimate, location fix, fix, position, position estimate, or position fix, and may be geodetic, providing location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) of UE 205, which may or may not include an altitude component (e.g., height above sea level; height above or depth below ground level, floor level, or basement level). Alternatively, the location of UE 205 may be expressed as a civic location (e.g., a postal address or the name of a point or small area in a building, such as a specific room or floor). The location of UE 205 may also be expressed as an area or volume (geodically or civic-defined) within which UE 205 is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of the UE 205 may also be a relative location, including, for example, a distance and direction or relative X, Y (and Z) coordinates defined relative to some origin at a known location, which may be defined geodetically, municipally, or by reference to a point, area, or volume indicated on a map, floor plan, or building plan. In the descriptions contained herein, the use of the term "location" may include any of these variations unless otherwise indicated. When calculating the location of the UE, local X, Y, and possibly Z coordinates are typically solved for, and then, if necessary, the local coordinates are converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0044] Figure 2The base stations in the NG-RAN 235 shown may correspond to Figure 1 The base stations 120 in the NG-RAN 235 may include gNBs 210. Pairs of gNBs 210 in the NG-RAN 235 may be connected to each other (e.g., Figure 2 210, or indirectly via other gNBs 210). The communication interface between base stations (gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) may be referred to as an Xn interface 237. Access to the 5G network is provided to the UE 205 via wireless communications between the UE 205 and one or more gNBs in the gNB 210, which may provide wireless communication access to the 5G CN 240 on behalf of the UE 205 using 5G NR. The wireless interface between the base station (gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) and the UE 205 may be referred to as a Uu interface 239. 5G NR radio access may also be referred to as NR radio access or 5G radio access. In Figure 2 , it is assumed that the serving gNB for UE 205 is gNB 210-1, but other gNBs (e.g., gNB 210-2) may serve as serving gNBs if UE 205 moves to another location, or may serve as secondary gNBs to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 205.

[0045] Figure 2 The base stations in the illustrated NG-RAN 235 may additionally or alternatively include a next-generation evolved Node B (also referred to as an ng-eNB) 214. The ng-eNB 214 may be connected to one or more gNBs 210 in the NG-RAN 235—e.g., directly or indirectly via other gNBs 210 and / or other ng-eNBs. The ng-eNB 214 may provide LTE radio access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) radio access to the UE 205. Figure 2Some gNBs 210 (e.g., gNB 210-2) and / or ng-eNBs 214 in the 5G network may be configured to function as positioning-only beacons, which may transmit signals (e.g., positioning reference signals (PRS)) and / or broadcast assistance data to assist in locating the UE 205, but may not receive signals from the UE 205 or from other UEs. Some gNBs 210 (e.g., gNB 210-2 and / or another gNB (not shown)) and / or ng-eNBs 214 may be configured to function as detection-only nodes, which may scan for signals containing, for example, PRS data, assistance data, or other location data. Such detection-only nodes may not transmit signals or data to the UE, but may transmit signals or data (relating to, for example, PRS, assistance data, or other location data) to other network entities (e.g., one or more components of the 5G CN 240, the external client 230, or a controller), which may receive and store the data or use the data to locate at least the UE 205. It should be noted that, although Figure 2 Only one ng-eNB 214 is shown in FIG, but some embodiments may include multiple ng-eNBs 214. Base stations (e.g., gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) may communicate directly with each other via an Xn communication interface. Additionally or alternatively, the base stations may communicate directly or indirectly with other components of the 5G NR network 200, such as LMF 220 and AMF 215.

[0046] The 5G NR network 200 may also include one or more WLANs 216 that may be connected to a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 250 in the 5G CN 240 (e.g., in the case of an untrusted WLAN 216). For example, the WLAN 216 may support IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi access for the UE 205 and may include one or more Wi-Fi APs (e.g., Figure 1130). Here, the N3IWF 250 may connect to other elements in the 5G CN 240, such as the AMF 215. In some embodiments, the WLAN 216 may support another RAT, such as Bluetooth. The N3IWF 250 may provide support for secure access of the UE 205 to other elements in the 5G CN 240 and / or may support interworking of one or more protocols used by the WLAN 216 and the UE 205 with one or more protocols used by other elements of the 5G CN 240, such as the AMF 215. For example, the N3IWF 250 may support: IPSec tunnel establishment with the UE 205, termination of the IKEv2 / IPSec protocol with the UE 205, termination of the N2 and N3 interfaces to the 5G CN 240 for the control plane and user plane, respectively, and relay of uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) control plane non-access stratum (NAS) signaling between the UE 205 and the AMF 215 across the N1 interface. In some other embodiments, WLAN 216 may be directly connected to elements in 5G CN 240 (e.g., Figure 2 215) and not via the N3IWF 250. For example, a direct connection of the WLAN 216 to the 5GCN 240 may occur if the WLAN 216 is a trusted WLAN to the 5GCN 240 and may use a Trusted WLAN Interworking Function (TWIF) ( Figure 2 It should be noted that although Figure 2 Only one WLAN 216 is shown in FIG, but some embodiments may include multiple WLANs 216.

[0047] The access node may include any of a variety of network entities that enable communication between the UE 205 and the AMF 215. As noted, this may include a gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, WLAN 216, and / or other types of cellular base stations. However, the access node providing the functionality described herein may additionally or alternatively include a cellular network entity that enables communication with the UE 205 and the AMF 215. Figure 2 An access node is an entity that communicates with any of a variety of RATs (which may include non-cellular technologies) not illustrated in the present disclosure. Therefore, as used in the embodiments described below, the term "access node" may include, but is not necessarily limited to, a gNB 210, an ng-eNB 214, or a WLAN 216.

[0048] In some embodiments, access nodes such as gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216 (alone or in combination with other components of 5G NR network 200) may be configured to, in response to receiving a request for location information from LMF 220, obtain location measurements for uplink (UL) signals received from UE 205 and / or obtain DL location measurements from UE 205 for downlink (DL) signals received by UE 205 from one or more access nodes. As noted, although Figure 2 The access nodes (gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and WLAN 216) are depicted as being configured to communicate according to 5G NR, LTE, and Wi-Fi communication protocols, respectively, but access nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols may be used, such as, for example, a Node B using the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) protocol for the Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), an eNB using the LTE protocol for the Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), or using Bluetooth for WLAN. ® For example, in a 4G Evolved Packet System (EPS) that provides LTE radio access to UE 205, the RAN may include E-UTRAN, which may include base stations including eNBs that support LTE radio access. The core network for EPS may include Evolved Packet Core (EPC). EPS may then include E-UTRAN plus EPC, where Figure 2 , E-UTRAN corresponds to NG-RAN 235 and EPC corresponds to 5GCN 240. The methods and techniques described herein for obtaining the municipal location of UE 205 may be applicable to such other networks.

[0049] The gNB 210 and ng-eNB 214 can communicate with the AMF 215, which communicates with the LMF 220 for positioning functions. The AMF 215 can support the mobility of the UE 205, including cell change and handover of the UE 205 from an access node of a first RAT (e.g., gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, or WLAN 216) to an access node of a second RAT. The AMF 215 can also participate in supporting signaling connections to the UE 205 and possibly data and voice bearers for the UE 205. The LMF 220 may support positioning of the UE 205 using a CP location solution when the UE 205 accesses the NG-RAN 235 or the WLAN 216, and may support positioning procedures and methods, including UE-assisted / UE-based and / or network-based procedures / methods, such as Assisted-GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (which may be referred to as Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) in NR), Frequency Difference of Arrival (FDOA), Real-Time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (ECID), Angle of Arrival (AoA), Angle of Departure (AoD), WLAN positioning, round-trip signal propagation delay (RTT), multi-cell RTT, and / or other positioning procedures and methods. The LMF 220 may also process location service requests for the UE 205, for example, received from the AMF 215 or from the GMLC 225. The LMF 220 may be connected to the AMF 215 and / or the GMLC 225. In some embodiments, the network (such as 5GCN 240) may additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC) or a SUPL location platform (SLP). It should be noted that in some embodiments, at least a portion of the positioning functionality (including determining the location of UE 205) may be performed at UE 205 (e.g., by measuring downlink PRS (DL-PRS) signals sent by wireless nodes (such as gNB 210, ng-eNB 214 and / or WLAN 216) and / or using assistance data provided to UE 205 by, for example, LMF 220).

[0050] The Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 225 may support location requests for the UE 205 received from the external client 230 and may forward such location requests to the AMF 215 for forwarding by the AMF 215 to the LMF 220. A location response (e.g., containing a location estimate for the UE 205) from the LMF 220 may similarly be returned to the GMLC 225 directly or via the AMF 215, and the GMLC 225 may then return the location response (e.g., containing a location estimate) to the external client 230.

[0051] A network exposure function (NEF) 245 may be included in the 5GCN 240. The NEF 245 may support secure exposure of capabilities and events regarding the 5GCN 240 and the UE 205 to the external client 230, which may then be referred to as an access function (AF), and may enable secure provisioning of information from the external client 230 to the 5GCN 240. The NEF 245 may connect to the AMF 215 and / or the GMLC 225 for the purpose of obtaining a location (e.g., a municipal location) of the UE 205 and providing the location to the external client 230.

[0052] like Figure 2 As further illustrated, the LMF 220 may communicate with the gNB 210 and / or with the ng-eNB 214 using the NR Positioning Protocol Annex (NRPPa) as defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. NRPPa messages may be passed between the gNB 210 and the LMF 220 and / or between the ng-eNB 214 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215. Figure 2 As further illustrated, the LMF 220 and the UE 205 may communicate using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) as defined in 3GPP TS 37.355. Here, LPP messages may be communicated between the UE 205 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215 and the UE 205's serving gNB 210-1 or serving ng-eNB 214. For example, LPP messages may be communicated between the LMF 220 and the AMF 215 using service-based messaging (e.g., based on the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)), and may be communicated between the AMF 215 and the UE 205 using the 5G NAS protocol. The LPP protocol may be used to support positioning of the UE 205 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based positioning methods, such as A-GNSS, RTK, TDOA, multi-cell RTT, AoD, and / or ECID. The NRPPa protocol may be used to support positioning of the UE 205 using network-based positioning methods such as ECID, AoA, uplink TDOA (UL-TDOA), and / or may be used by the LMF 220 to obtain location-related information from the gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214, such as parameters defining DL-PRS transmissions from the gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214.

[0053] In the event that the UE 205 accesses the WLAN 216, the LMF 220 may use NRPPa and / or LPP to obtain the location of the UE 205 in a manner similar to that just described for the UE 205 accessing the gNB 210 or ng-eNB 214. Thus, NRPPa messages may be passed between the WLAN 216 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215 and the N3IWF 250 to support network-based positioning of the UE 205 and / or transfer of other location information from the WLAN 216 to the LMF 220. Alternatively, NRPPa messages may be passed between the N3IWF 250 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215 to support network-based positioning of the UE 205 based on location-related information and / or location measurements that are known to or accessible to the N3IWF 250 and transferred from the N3IWF 250 to the LMF 220 using NRPPa. Similarly, LPP and / or LPP messages may be communicated between the UE 205 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215, the N3IWF 250, and the serving WLAN 216 of the UE 205 to support UE-assisted or UE-based positioning of the UE 205 by the LMF 220.

[0054] As mentioned above, cellular networks such as 5G NR cellular networks can be used to determine the location of wireless devices such as user equipment (UE), and are being expanded into RF sensing to enable detection of objects (including their position and velocity) from reflections (or echoes) of RF signals reflected from objects. For example, Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an example of a frame structure and associated terminology for NR, which can serve as the basis for physical layer communications between a UE 105 and a base station / TRP (e.g., gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214). The transmission timeline for each of the downlink and uplink may be divided into units of radio frames. Each radio frame may have a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 ms) and may be divided into 10 subframes, indexed 0 through 9, each of 1 ms. Each subframe may include a variable number of slots, depending on the subcarrier spacing. Each slot may include a variable number of symbol periods (e.g., 7 or 14 symbols), depending on the subcarrier spacing. The symbol periods in each slot may be assigned an index. A minislot may include a subslot structure (e.g., 2, 3, or 4 symbols). Figure 3 The full OFDM of a subframe is additionally shown in , showing how a subframe can be partitioned into multiple resource blocks (RBs) across both time and frequency. A single RB may include a grid of resource elements (REs) spanning 14 symbols and 12 subcarriers.

[0055] When performing sensing and / or positioning (e.g., TOA-based sensing), a reference signal (RS) may be sent by a wireless node (e.g., base station 120) after appropriate configuration (e.g., by an operations and maintenance (O&M) server, a location server, and / or an SMF). Figure 3 In the frame structure of the PRS, the set of REs used to send RS is called "RS resources". The set of REs can span multiple RBs in the frequency domain and one or more consecutive symbols within a time slot in the time domain, within which a pseudo-random quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) sequence is transmitted from the antenna port of the TRP. In a given OFDM symbol in the time domain, the RS resources occupy consecutive RBs in the frequency domain. The transmission of RS resources within a given RB has a specific combination or "comb" size. (The comb size can also be called "comb density"). In the prior art solution, the comb size "N" represents the subcarrier spacing (or frequency / frequency modulation spacing) within each symbol of the RS resource configuration, where the configuration uses every Nth subcarrier of certain symbols of the RB. For example, for comb-4, for each of the four symbols of the PRS resource configuration, the RE corresponding to every fourth subcarrier (e.g., subcarriers 0, 4, 8) is used to send the RS of the RS resource. Comb sizes such as comb-2, comb-4, comb-6, and comb-12 can be used in PRS. Figure 4 Examples of different comb sizes used with different numbers of symbols are provided in .

[0056] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated 5G NR positioning system 200, the TRP (gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216) can transmit frames or other physical layer signaling sequences supporting RS signals (i.e., DL-PRS) according to the frame configuration described previously. These frames or other physical layer signaling sequences can be measured and used to determine the positioning of the UE 105. As noted, other types of radio network nodes (including other UEs) can also be configured to transmit RS signals configured in a similar (or identical) manner as described above. Because the transmission of RS by a radio network node can be directed to all UEs within radio range, the radio network node can be considered to transmit (or broadcast) RS.

[0057] As noted above, unlike communications between wireless devices performing a network, accurate overall channel impulse response (CIR) / channel frequency response (CFR) estimates may be less of an interest in delay estimation applications (e.g., TOA-based sensing). Angle of arrival (AOA) estimation using antenna arrays and TOA-based sensing and / or positioning (e.g., TOA estimation using OFDM) share a common received signal model:

[0058]

[0059] where α m represents the gain of the mth path, τ m represents the normalized angle in AOA estimation ( ) (where d is the antenna spacing) or the normalized delay in TOA-based sensing and / or positioning ( )(in is the subcarrier spacing), and w k Represents additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). Similar to AOA estimation, in TOA-based sensing and / or positioning, TOA measurements can be similarly determined based on the covariance matrix of the received RS. Therefore, if an RS with a specially designed non-uniform subcarrier spacing pattern (also referred to as a "non-uniformly patterned RS") can have the same covariance matrix as a corresponding RS with a uniform subcarrier spacing pattern (also referred to as a "uniformly patterned RS") while using fewer subcarriers, configuring the RS's REs using a uniform subcarrier spacing pattern (e.g., comb-2, comb-4, comb-6, where the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the RS has a constant value) may be excessive in terms of processing complexity and overhead. The results also show that, when using the same number of subcarriers, higher TOA resolution can be achieved using the non-uniformly patterned RS as disclosed herein compared to using existing uniformly patterned RS.

[0060] To ensure the same covariance matrix as the corresponding uniformly patterned RS, in the non-uniformly patterned RS disclosed herein, the multiple subcarriers of the non-uniformly patterned RS may be configured such that the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the RS includes multiple different values. In some embodiments, the multiple subcarriers of the non-uniformly patterned RS may be configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern determined based on a minimum hole sequence, a minimum redundancy sequence, a nested sequence, or any other suitable non-uniform pattern, wherein the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the RS includes multiple different values. In some embodiments, according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers and non-adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal includes a set of consecutive integers. As will be discussed in detail below, depending on the configuration, the multiple subcarriers of the non-uniformly patterned RS may be interleaved (e.g., across multiple symbols if the non-uniformly patterned RS includes multiple symbols) or de-interleaved (e.g., if the non-uniformly patterned RS includes one symbol).

[0061] For example, Table 1 shows some non-exhaustive examples of minimal hole sequences of different orders. In a minimal hole sequence, no two pairs of numbers in the sequence have the same distinct values. That is, the difference set (e.g., the distinct values ​​of a pair of numbers) is non-redundant. In a minimal hole sequence, the difference set may be discontinuous between zero and the sequence length (e.g., there are "holes" in the difference set values). For example, in the 5th-order minimal hole sequence of {0, 2, 7, 8, 11}, the multiple distinct values ​​may include a set of consecutive integers (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3, ..., 8, 9, and 11), and there is no difference value of 10. Similarly, in another 5th-order minimal hole sequence of {0, 1, 4, 9, 11}, there is no difference value of 6. Therefore, compared to other sequences disclosed herein, at a given order, a minimal hole sequence is the shortest sequence (e.g., having the smallest and largest values ​​of sequence numbers).

[0062] Order length sequence 2 1 {0,1} 3 3 {0,1,3} 4 6 {0,1,4,6} 5 11 {0,1,4,9,11}{0,2,7,8,11} 6 17 {0,1,4,10,12,17}{0,1,4,10,15,17}{0,1,8,11,13,17}{0,1,8,12,14,17}

[0063] Table 1

[0064] Table 2 shows some non-exhaustive examples of minimal redundancy sequences of different orders. In a minimal redundancy sequence, the difference set (e.g., the difference between a pair of numbers) has all possible integer values ​​between zero and the length of the sequence (e.g., the difference set values ​​are "hole-free"). More than one pair of numbers with the same difference value can exist in the sequence (e.g., the difference set has redundancy). For example, in an order-5 minimal redundancy sequence, the difference between 1 and 4 and between 4 and 7 is 3. Compared to other sequences disclosed herein, minimal redundancy sequences minimize redundancy.

[0065] Order length sequence 2 1 {0,1} 3 3 {0,1,3} 4 6 {0,1,4,6} 5 9 {0,1,4,7,9} 6 13 {0,1,6,9,11,13}

[0066] Table 2

[0067] Table 3 shows some non-exhaustive examples of nested sequences of different orders. In a nested sequence, the difference set (e.g., the difference between a pair of numbers) has all possible integer values ​​between zero and the sequence length (e.g., the difference set values ​​are "hole-free"), similar to a minimally redundant sequence. Nested sequences have closed-form expression (e.g., there is only one possible nested sequence of any given order) and can be extended to any order and sequence length without exhaustive search.

[0068] Order length sequence 4 4 {0,1,2,4} 5 6 {0,1,2,4,6} 6 9 {0,1,2,3,6,9} 7 12 {0,1,2,3,6,9,12}

[0069] Table 3

[0070] Figure 5is a diagram illustrating an example of a resource block (RB) including a single symbol of a non-uniformly patterned RS configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern, according to some embodiments. For example, resource block 510 may include a grid of REs spanning one symbol and 12 subcarriers. Resource block 510 may be configured according to an order-4 minimum redundancy sequence (e.g., {0, 1, 4, 6}), where subcarriers 0, 1, 4, and 6 are used to transmit the non-uniformly patterned RS. Consequently, the difference between the selected subcarriers (e.g., frequency spacing) may be {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, resulting in a subcarrier utilization of 33.3%, and a power boost of 4.7 dB.

[0071] Resource block 520 may include a grid of REs spanning one symbol and 12 subcarriers. Resource block 520 may be configured according to a 5th-order minimum hole sequence (e.g., {0, 2, 7, 8, 11}), where subcarriers 0, 2, 7, 8, and 11 are used to transmit non-uniformly patterned RSs. Therefore, the difference between the selected subcarriers (e.g., frequency spacing values) may be {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11}, resulting in a subcarrier utilization of 41.7% and a power boost of 3.8 dB.

[0072] Resource block 530 may include a grid of REs spanning one symbol and 12 subcarriers. Resource block 530 may be configured according to a 5th-order minimum redundancy sequence (e.g., {0, 1, 4, 7, 9}), where subcarriers 0, 1, 4, 7, and 9 are used to transmit non-uniformly patterned RSs. Therefore, the difference between the selected subcarriers (e.g., frequency spacing values) may be {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}, resulting in a subcarrier utilization of 41.7% and a power boost of 3.8 dB.

[0073] Resource block 540 may include a grid of REs spanning 1 symbol and 12 subcarriers. Resource block 540 may be configured according to a 6-order nested sequence (e.g., {0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9}), where subcarriers 0, 1, 4, and 6 are used to transmit non-uniformly patterned RSs. Thus, the difference between the selected subcarriers (e.g., frequency spacing values) may be {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}, with a subcarrier utilization of 50% and a power boost of 3 dB.

[0074] Figure 6is a diagram illustrating an example of an RB including multiple symbols of a non-uniformly patterned RS configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the non-uniformly patterned RS may include multiple symbols, and the multiple subcarriers of the non-uniformly patterned RS may be dispersed across the multiple symbols.

[0075] For example, resource block 610 may include a grid of REs spanning 4 symbols and 12 subcarriers. Resource block 610 may be configured according to a 4th-order minimum redundancy sequence (e.g., {0, 1, 4, 6}) spread across 4 symbols, where the 0th subcarrier of the 1st symbol; the 1st subcarrier of the 2nd symbol; the 4th subcarrier of the 3rd symbol; and the 6th subcarrier of the 4th symbol are used to transmit non-uniformly patterned RSs. Consequently, subcarrier utilization is 8.3%, and the power boost may be 10.8 dB.

[0076] Resource block 620 may include a grid of REs spanning 6 symbols and 12 subcarriers. Resource block 620 may be configured according to a 6-order nested sequence (e.g., {0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9}) spread across 6 symbols, where the 0th subcarrier of the 1st symbol; the 1st subcarrier of the 2nd symbol; the 2nd subcarrier of the 3rd symbol; the 3rd subcarrier of the 4th symbol; the 6th subcarrier of the 5th symbol; and the 9th subcarrier of the 6th symbol are used to transmit non-uniformly patterned RSs. Consequently, subcarrier utilization is 8.3%, and the power boost may be 10.8 dB.

[0077] Because the non-uniform patterned RS can have the same sensing performance (e.g., have the same covariance matrix) while using fewer subcarriers, the non-uniform patterned RS can have a higher power boost per subcarrier and a larger number of frequency domain multiplexing (e.g., allowing a larger number (e.g., 12) of non-uniform patterned RS resources to be multiplexed) compared to the existing uniform patterned RS.

[0078] It can be pointed out that Figure 5 and Figure 6 RBs 510, 520, 530, 540, 610, and 620 are shown as non-limiting examples of RBs in the non-uniformly patterned RSs disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the non-uniformly patterned RSs may be configured according to more than one non-uniform sequence pattern (e.g., using a minimum hole sequence, a minimum redundancy sequence, a nested sequence, and / or any combination of RBs with a signal or multiple symbols).

[0079] In some embodiments, the non-uniform RS configuration may be determined by a server (e.g., an operation and maintenance (O&M) server, a location server, and / or an SMF) and may be sent to a radio network node (e.g., a base station or a UE) for configuring the non-uniform patterned RS. In some embodiments, the non-uniform RS configuration may include parameters associated with the non-uniform sequence pattern (e.g., the type of the non-uniform sequence pattern, the sequence order of the non-uniform sequence pattern, the RE level offset (for multiplexing), the time staggering pattern), a power boosting factor of the reference signal, or any combination thereof.

[0080] In some embodiments, the non-uniform RS configuration may be determined based on a capability report received from a receiving device (e.g., a wireless device such as a UE). For example, the capability report may include the non-uniform RS patterns supported by the receiving device, a preference for a non-uniform reference signal pattern, a preferred power boost factor, or any combination thereof. The capability report may be sent from the receiving device to a server or wireless network node using an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) message. Thus, unlike existing RS configurations that are configured in a cell-specific manner, the non-uniform RS configuration disclosed herein may be configured in a receiving device-specific manner (e.g., customized according to the capabilities / preferences of the receiving device).

[0081] For example, Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating how non-uniformly patterned RSs may be used to perform RF sensing and / or positioning according to embodiments disclosed herein. In some embodiments, RF sensing and / or positioning may be performed between a server 705, a wireless network node 710, and a receiving device 715. In some embodiments, the server 705 may communicate with a wireless network node 710. Figure 1 The radio network node 710 may correspond to a location server 160 (eg, including LMF), a dedicated server, a packet controller (eg, including session management function (SMF)), or any other suitable server. Figure 1 Base station 120 and / or Figure 2 The receiving device 715 can be connected to the gNB 210. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The mobile device 145 or UE 105 in the embodiment of the present invention corresponds to any other wireless device suitable for performing the RF sensing and / or positioning disclosed herein. As will be discussed in detail below, the technical solutions disclosed herein can be used to sense and / or locate the receiving device 715 and / or sense targets (detect objects, including their position and velocity) from reflections (or echoes) of RF signals reflected from the targets.

[0082] Beginning at arrow 725, the server 705 may transmit a non-uniform RS configuration for RF sensing and / or positioning to the radio network node 710 and / or the receiving device 715. For example, the server 705 may transmit the non-uniform RS configuration directly to the radio network node 710 and the receiving device 715, or the server 705 may transmit the non-uniform RS configuration to the radio network node 710, which may relay the non-uniform RS configuration to the receiving device 715. As noted above, the non-uniform RS configuration may include parameters associated with a non-uniform sequence pattern (e.g., a type of the non-uniform sequence pattern, a sequence order of the non-uniform sequence pattern, an RE level offset (for multiplexing), a time interleaving pattern), a power boosting factor of a reference signal, or any combination thereof.

[0083] At block 735, RF sensing and / or positioning may be performed using a non-uniform patterned RS configured according to a non-uniform RS configuration. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The non-uniform RS patterns discussed above are used to configure the non-uniform patterned RS. As noted above, in some embodiments, when sensing and / or positioning the receiving device 715, the positioning of the receiving device 715 may be determined based on TOA measurements determined using a covariance matrix of the RSs received by the receiving device 715. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, when RF sensing targets, the detection of targets (including their positions and velocities) may be determined based on TOA measurements determined using a covariance matrix of reflections of the non-uniform patterned RSs reflected by the targets and received by the receiving device 715. As discussed above, the use of the non-uniform patterned RSs disclosed herein for RF sensing and / or positioning may have higher TOA resolution when using the same number of subcarriers, have a higher power boost for each subcarrier used, and may allow a larger number of RSs to be multiplexed, compared to the use of existing uniformly patterned RSs.

[0084] In some embodiments, prior to arrow 725, at arrow 720, the receiving device 715 may send a capability report to the server 705 and / or the radio network node 710. As noted above, the capability report may include non-uniform RS patterns supported by the receiving device 715, a preference for non-uniform reference signal patterns, a preferred power boost factor, or any combination thereof. The capability report may be sent from the receiving device 715 using an LPP message. In some embodiments, the non-uniform RS configuration may be determined based on the capability report received from the receiving device 715. Thus, unlike existing RS configurations that are configured in a cell-specific manner, the non-uniform RS configurations disclosed herein may be configured in a receiving device-specific manner (e.g., customized according to the capabilities / preferences of the receiving device).

[0085] Figure 8is a flow chart of a method 800 of performing RF positioning, sensing, or both by a receiving device using non-uniformly patterned RSs according to embodiments disclosed herein. Figure 8 The functional means / structures illustrated by one or more of the illustrated blocks may be performed by hardware and / or software components of a receiving device (eg, UE) as described herein. Figure 10 Example components of a UE that may act as a receiving device are illustrated in FIG, and are described in more detail below.

[0086] At block 810, the functionality includes receiving a non-uniform reference signal configuration for positioning, sensing, or both. In some embodiments, the non-uniform RS configuration may include parameters associated with a non-uniform sequence pattern (e.g., type of non-uniform sequence pattern, sequence order of the non-uniform sequence pattern, RE level offset (for multiplexing), time staggering pattern), a power boosting factor of the reference signal, or any combination thereof.

[0087] Means for performing the functionality at block 810 may include the bus 1005, the processor 1010, the wireless communication interface 1030, the memory 1060, and / or other components of the wireless device 1000, such as Figure 10 exemplified.

[0088] At block 820, the functionality includes receiving an RS configured according to a non-uniform reference signal configuration, wherein the RS includes a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal includes a plurality of different values ​​(e.g., configured as a non-uniformly patterned RS). In some embodiments, according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers and non-adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal includes a set of consecutive integers. As discussed above, the non-uniformly patterned RS may be configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The non-uniform RS pattern discussed is configured (e.g., multiple subcarriers of the non-uniform patterned RS can be configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern determined based on a minimum hole sequence, a minimum redundancy sequence, a nested sequence, or any combination thereof, and can be interleaved (e.g., across multiple symbols in the case where the non-uniform patterned RS includes multiple symbols) or de-interleaved (e.g., in the case where the non-uniform patterned RS includes one symbol)).

[0089] Means for performing the functionality at block 820 may include the bus 1005, the processor 1010, the wireless communication interface 1030, the memory 1060, and / or other components of the wireless device 1000, such as Figure 10 exemplified.

[0090] At block 830, the functionality includes determining one or more TOA measurements for positioning, sensing, or both based on a received reference signal (e.g., using a multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm). In some embodiments, when sensing and / or positioning a receiving device, the positioning of the receiving device may be determined based on TOA measurements determined using a covariance matrix of RSs received by the receiving device. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, when RF sensing a target, the detection of the target (including their position and velocity) may be determined based on TOA measurements determined using a covariance matrix of reflections of non-uniformly patterned RSs reflected by the target and received by the receiving device. Means for performing the functionality at block 830 may include bus 1005, processor 1010, wireless communication interface 1030, memory 1060, and / or other components of wireless device 1000, such as Figure 10 It should be noted that the covariance matrix-based method discussed here is for illustrative purposes only. Any other suitable sensing and / or positioning method (eg, matrix beam method) may also be applicable.

[0091] In some embodiments, the method 800 may further include: power boosting multiple subcarriers of the non-uniformly patterned RS. In some embodiments, the method 800 may further include: multiplexing multiple non-uniformly patterned RSs disclosed herein.

[0092] As noted above, the use of non-uniformly patterned RSs for RF sensing and / or positioning disclosed herein can have higher TOA resolution when using the same number of subcarriers, have a higher power boost factor for each subcarrier used, and allow a larger number of RSs to be multiplexed, compared to the use of existing uniformly patterned RSs.

[0093] In some embodiments, prior to block 810, method 800 may optionally include block 805, the functionality of which includes: sending a request to a server (e.g., Figure 7 705 in the server) and / or wireless network nodes (e.g., Figure 7 The radio network node 710 in FIG. 100 sends a capability report. As noted above, the capability report may include non-uniform RS patterns supported by the receiving device, a preference for non-uniform reference signal patterns, a preferred power boost factor, or any combination thereof. The capability report may be sent from the receiving device using an LPP message. In some embodiments, the non-uniform RS configuration may be determined based on the capability report received from the receiving device. Thus, unlike existing RS configurations that are configured in a cell-specific manner, the non-uniform RS configuration disclosed herein may be configured in a receiving device-specific manner (e.g., customized according to the capabilities / preferences of the receiving device).

[0094] Means for performing the functionality at block 805 may include the bus 1005, the processor 1010, the wireless communication interface 1030, the memory 1060, and / or other components of the wireless device 1000, such as Figure 10 exemplified.

[0095] Figure 9 is a flow chart of a method 900 of sensing, positioning, or both performed by a server according to some embodiments. For example, for performing Figure 9 Functional means / structures illustrated by one or more of the illustrated blocks may be performed by hardware and / or software components of a server (eg, an operations and maintenance (O&M) server, a location server, and / or an SMF). Figure 11 Example components of a computer system that can function as a server are illustrated in [ 15 ] and are described in more detail below. In some embodiments, a receiving device (e.g., a UE) can initiate a request to determine the location of the receiving device (e.g., from an application or "app" executed by the receiving device), and positioning and / or sensing can be UE-based. In some other embodiments, a server and / or an external client (e.g., external client 230) can initiate the request, and positioning and / or sensing can be UE-assisted (or "network-based").

[0096] At block 910, the functionality includes determining a non-uniform reference signal configuration for a reference signal for positioning, sensing, or both, wherein the reference signal includes a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, the reference signal is configured such that frequency spacings between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal include a plurality of different values. In some embodiments, according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, the frequency spacings between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers and non-adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal include a set of consecutive integers. In some embodiments, the non-uniform RS configuration may include parameters associated with a non-uniform sequence pattern (e.g., a type of non-uniform sequence pattern, a sequence order of the non-uniform sequence pattern, an RE level offset (for multiplexing), a time interleaving pattern), a power boosting factor of the reference signal, or any combination thereof. As discussed above, the non-uniformly patterned RS may be configured according to a parameter associated with the non-uniform sequence pattern. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The non-uniform RS pattern discussed is configured (e.g., multiple subcarriers of the non-uniform patterned RS can be configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern determined based on a minimum hole sequence, a minimum redundancy sequence, a nested sequence, or any combination thereof, and can be interleaved (e.g., across multiple symbols in the case where the non-uniform patterned RS includes multiple symbols) or de-interleaved (e.g., in the case where the non-uniform patterned RS includes one symbol)).

[0097] Means for performing the functionality at block 910 may include bus 1105, processor 1110, storage device 1125, communication subsystem 1130, memory 1135 (e.g., including operating system 1140 and applications 1145), and / or other components of computing system 1100, such as Figure 11 exemplified.

[0098] At block 920, the functionality includes sending a non-uniform RS configuration for determining one or more TOA measurements based on a reference signal. For example, the server may send a non-uniform RS configuration directly to a wireless network node (e.g., Figure 7 ) and a receiving device (e.g., Figure 7 The server may send the non-uniform RS configuration to the receiving device 715 ), or the server may send the non-uniform RS configuration to a wireless network node, which may relay the non-uniform RS configuration to the receiving device.

[0099] Means for performing the functionality at block 920 may include bus 1105, processor 1110, storage device 1125, communication subsystem 1130, memory 1135 (e.g., including operating system 1140 and applications 1145), and / or other components of computing system 1100, such as Figure 11 exemplified.

[0100] In some embodiments, multiple subcarriers of a non-uniform RS may be power boosted.In some embodiments, the non-uniform patterned RS disclosed herein may be multiplexed.

[0101] In some embodiments, prior to block 910, method 900 may optionally include block 905, the functionality of which includes receiving a capability report from a receiving device. As noted above, the capability report may include non-uniform RS patterns supported by the receiving device, a preference for non-uniform reference signal patterns, a preferred power boost factor, or any combination thereof. The capability report may be sent from the receiving device using an LPP message. In some embodiments, the non-uniform RS configuration may be determined based on the capability report received from the receiving device. Thus, unlike existing RS configurations that are configured in a cell-specific manner, the non-uniform RS configuration disclosed herein may be configured in a receiving device-specific manner (e.g., customized according to the capabilities / preferences of the receiving device).

[0102] Means for performing the functionality at block 905 may include bus 1105, processor 1110, storage device 1125, communication subsystem 1130, memory 1135 (e.g., including operating system 1140 and applications 1145), and / or other components of computing system 1100, such as Figure 11 exemplified.

[0103] In some embodiments, method 900 may optionally include block 925 , the functionality of which includes performing positioning, sensing, or both using one or more TOA measurements.

[0104] Means for performing the functionality at block 925 may include bus 1105, processor 1110, storage device 1125, communication subsystem 1130, memory 1135 (e.g., including operating system 1140 and applications 1145), and / or other components of computing system 1100, such as Figure 11 exemplified.

[0105] Figure 10 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a UE 1000 that can be utilized as described herein (e.g., in conjunction with previously described figures). In some embodiments, for example, the UE 1000 can include, for example, a mobile (e.g., removable / portable) device (e.g., a tablet, laptop, vehicle, etc.). Note that Figure 10 It is intended merely to provide a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate.

[0106] UE 1000 is shown as including hardware elements that may be electrically coupled via bus 1005 (or may communicate in other ways as appropriate). The hardware elements may include a processor 1010, which may include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., application processors), one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processor (DSP) chips, graphics acceleration processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.), and / or other processing structures or components. Processor 1010 may include one or more processing units, which may be housed in a single integrated circuit (IC) or multiple ICs. Figure 10 As shown, some embodiments may have a separate DSP 1020, depending on the desired functionality. Position determination and / or other determinations based on wireless communications may be provided in the processor 1010 and / or the wireless communication interface 1030 (discussed below). The UE 1000 may also include: one or more input devices 1070, which may include but are not limited to one or more keyboards, touch screens, touch pads, microphones, buttons, dials, switches, etc.; and one or more output devices 1015, which may include but are not limited to one or more displays (e.g., touch screens), light emitting diodes (LEDs), speakers, etc.

[0107] The UE 1000 may further include a wireless communication interface 1030, which may include but is not limited to a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device and / or a chipset (such as Bluetooth ®Devices such as IEEE 802.11 devices, IEEE 802.15.4 devices, Wi-Fi devices, WiMAX devices, WAN devices, and / or various cellular devices, etc., may enable UE 1000 to communicate with other devices as described in the above-described embodiments. Wireless communication interface 1030 may permit communication (e.g., transmission and reception) of data and signaling with a base station of a network, for example, via an eNB, gNB, ng-eNB, access point, various base stations and / or other access node types, and / or other network components, computer systems, and / or any other electronic device communicatively coupled to a base station, as described herein. Communication may be performed via one or more wireless communication antennas 1032 that transmit and / or receive wireless signals 1034. According to some embodiments, wireless communication antennas 1032 may include multiple discrete antennas, antenna arrays, or any combination thereof. Antennas 1032 may be capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals using beams (e.g., Tx beams and Rx beams). Beamforming may be performed using digital and / or analog beamforming techniques with corresponding digital and / or analog circuitry. Wireless communication interface 1030 may include such circuitry.

[0108] Depending on the desired functionality, the wireless communication interface 1030 may include separate receivers and transmitters, or any combination of transceivers, transmitters, and / or receivers to communicate with base stations (e.g., ng-eNBs and gNBs) and other terrestrial transceivers (such as wireless devices and access points). The UE 1000 may communicate with different data networks, which may include various network types. For example, one such network type may include a wireless wide area network (WWAN), which may be a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) network, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network, a single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) network, a WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) network, and the like. A CDMA network may implement one or more radio access technologies (RATs), such as CDMA2000. ® , Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), etc. CDMA2000 ® These include IS-95, IS-2000, and / or IS-856 standards. A TDMA network may implement Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System (D-AMPS), or some other RAT. An OFDMA network may employ Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR), and the like. 5G NR, LTE, LTE-Advanced, GSM, and WCDMA are described in documents from the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). CDMA2000 ®Described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). 3GPP and 3GPP2 documents are publicly available. A wireless local area network (WLAN) can also be an IEEE 802.11x network, while a wireless personal area network (WPAN) can be a Bluetooth network, IEEE 802.15x, or some other type of network. The techniques described herein can also be used for any combination of WWAN, WLAN, and / or WPAN.

[0109] The UE 1000 may also include sensors 1040. The sensors 1040 may include, but are not limited to, one or more inertial sensors and / or other sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, magnetometers, altimeters, microphones, proximity sensors, light sensors, barometers, etc.), some of which may be used to obtain positioning-related measurements and / or other information.

[0110] Implementations of the UE 1000 may also include a sensing unit 1050. The sensing unit 1050 may include hardware and / or software components capable of sending and / or receiving RF signals (e.g., RS) in order to detect one or more targets in the manner described herein. The sensing unit 1050 may include a stand-alone component connected to the bus 1005, as illustrated, or may be incorporated into another component (e.g., the wireless communication interface 1030). In addition, the sensing unit 1050 may be communicatively coupled to the antenna 1032, which the sensing unit may share with the wireless communication interface 1030. Additionally or alternatively, the sensing unit 1050 may have its own antenna (not shown). In some embodiments, the sensing unit 1050 may be communicatively coupled to multiple antennas or antenna arrays capable of transmitting and / or receiving RF signals via directional beams.

[0111] Embodiments of the UE 1000 may also include a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver 1080 capable of receiving signals 1084 from one or more GNSS satellites using an antenna 1082 (which may be the same as antenna 1032). Positioning based on GNSS signal measurements may be used to supplement and / or incorporate the techniques described herein. The GNSS receiver 1080 may use conventional techniques to extract the position of the UE 1000 from GNSS satellites of GNSS systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, GLONASS, the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) covering Japan, the IRNSS covering India, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) covering China, and the like. In addition, the GNSS receiver 1080 may be used with various augmentation systems, such as satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS), which may be associated with or otherwise enabled for use with one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems, such as, for example, the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), the Multifunctional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), and the Geographic Augmentation Navigation System (GAGAN), among others.

[0112] It may be pointed out that although Figure 10 GNSS receiver 1080 is illustrated as a distinct component in the present disclosure, but embodiments are not limited thereto. As used herein, the term "GNSS receiver" may include hardware and / or software components configured to obtain GNSS measurements (measurements from GNSS satellites). Thus, in some embodiments, the GNSS receiver may include a measurement engine (as software) executed by one or more processors, such as processor 1010, DSP 1020, and / or a processor within wireless communication interface 1030 (e.g., in a modem). The GNSS receiver may also optionally include a positioning engine that may use the GNSS measurements from the measurement engine to determine the GNSS receiver's position using an extended Kalman filter (EKF), weighted least squares (WLS), particle filter, and the like. The positioning engine may also be executed by one or more processors, such as processor 1010 or DSP 1020.

[0113] The UE 1000 may also include and / or communicate with a memory 1060. The memory 1060 may include, but is not limited to, local and / or network accessible storage, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices such as random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM), which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any suitable data storage, including, but not limited to, various file systems, database structures, etc.

[0114] The memory 1060 of the UE 1000 may also include software elements ( Figure 10 1000 ), including an operating system, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code (such as one or more applications). These software elements may include computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or may be designed to implement methods provided by other embodiments, and / or configure systems provided by other embodiments, as described herein. By way of example only, one or more processes described with respect to the methods discussed above may be implemented as code and / or instructions in memory 1060 that can be executed by UE 1000 (and / or processor 1010 or DSP 1020 within UE 1000). In some embodiments, such code and / or instructions may then be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.

[0115] Figure 11 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system 1100 that may be used, in whole or in part, to provide the functionality of one or more components and / or devices as described in the embodiments herein, including a server (e.g., a sensing server / SMF, a location server / LMF, etc.) that communicates with one or more base stations and / or one or more sensing nodes to coordinate RF sensing as described in the embodiments herein. This may include, for example, a computer server, a personal computer, a personal electronic device, etc. It should be noted that Figure 11 It is intended only to provide a generalized illustration of the various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. Figure 11 Broadly illustrates how individual system elements can be implemented in a relatively separate or relatively more integrated manner. In addition, it can be noted that Figure 11 The illustrated components may be localized to a single device and / or distributed across various networked devices that may be located at different geographical locations.

[0116] Computer system 1100 is shown as including hardware elements that may be electrically coupled via bus 1105 (or may communicate in other ways as appropriate). The hardware elements may include a processor 1110, which may include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors, one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processors, etc.), and / or other processing structures, which may be configured to perform one or more of the methods described herein. Computer system 1100 may also include one or more input devices 1115, which may include, but are not limited to, a mouse, keyboard, camera, microphone, etc.; and one or more output devices 1120, which may include, but are not limited to, a display device, a printer, etc.

[0117] The computer system 1100 may also include (and / or be in communication with) one or more non-transitory storage devices 1125, which may include, but are not limited to, local and / or network accessible storage devices, and / or may include, but are not limited to, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices (such as random access memory ("RAM") and / or read-only memory ("ROM")), which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any suitable data storage, including, but not limited to, various file systems, database structures, etc. Such data storage may include databases and / or other data structures for storing and managing messages and / or other information to be transmitted to one or more devices via the hub, as described herein.

[0118] Computer system 1100 may also include a communication subsystem 1130, which may include wireless communication technologies managed and controlled by a wireless communication interface 1133, as well as wired technologies such as Ethernet, coaxial communication, and Universal Serial Bus (USB). Wireless communication interface 1133 may include one or more wireless transceivers that can transmit and receive wireless signals 1155 (e.g., signals based on 5G NR or LTE) via a wireless antenna 1150. Thus, communication subsystem 1130 may include a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset, etc., which may enable computer system 1100 to communicate on any or all of the communication networks described herein with any device on the corresponding network (including user equipment (UE), base stations and / or other transmission / reception points (TRPs), and / or any other electronic devices described herein). Thus, communication subsystem 1130 may be used to receive and transmit data, as described in the embodiments herein.

[0119] In many embodiments, the computer system 1100 will also include working memory 1135, which may include RAM or ROM devices, as described above. The software elements shown as being located within the working memory 1135 may include an operating system 1140, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code (such as one or more applications 1145), which may include computer programs provided by various embodiments and / or may be designed to implement methods provided by other embodiments and / or configure systems provided by other embodiments, as described herein. By way of example only, one or more of the processes described with respect to the methods discussed above may be implemented as code and / or instructions executable by a computer (and / or a processor within a computer); then, in one aspect, such code and / or instructions may be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.

[0120] The set of these instructions and / or code may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (such as the storage device 1125 described above). In some cases, the storage medium may be incorporated into a computer system such as the computer system 1100. In other embodiments, the storage medium may be separate from the computer system (e.g., removable media such as an optical disc) and / or may be provided in an installation package so that the storage medium can be used to program, configure, and / or adapt a general-purpose computer having the instructions / code stored thereon. The instructions may take the form of executable code that can be executed by the computer system 1100 and / or may take the form of source and / or installable code that, when compiled and / or installed on the computer system 1100 (e.g., using any of a variety of commonly available compilers, installers, compression / decompression utilities, etc.), takes the form of executable code.

[0121] Figure 12 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a base station 1200 that may be utilized as described herein above (with respect to base stations and / or transmit receive points (TRPs)). Note that Figure 12 It is intended only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. In some embodiments, the base station 1200 may correspond to a gNB, an ng-eNB, and / or (more generally) a TRP. In some cases, the base station 1200 may include multiple TRPs (e.g., where each TRP is associated with a different antenna or a different antenna array (e.g., 1232) of the base station 1200). As used herein, the transmit functionality of a TRP may be performed using a transmit point (TP), and / or the receive functionality of a TRP may be performed by a receive point (RP), which may be physically separate or distinct from the TP. That is, a TRP may include both a TP and an RP.

[0122] Considering the open radio access network (O-RAN) and / or virtualized radio access network (V-RAN or vRAN) in 5G or later networks, the functionality performed by the base station 1200 in earlier generation networks (e.g., 3G and 4G) can be divided into different functional components (e.g., radio unit (RU), distributed unit (DU) and central unit (CU)) and layers (e.g., L1 / L2 / L3), which can be performed on different devices located at different locations, for example, connected via fronthaul connections, midhaul connections and backhaul connections. As mentioned herein, a "base station" (or ng-eNB, gNB, etc.) may include any or all of these functional components. The functionality of these functional components may be provided by Figure 12 The system may be implemented by one or more of the illustrated hardware and / or software components.

[0123] Base station 1200 is shown as including hardware elements that may be electrically coupled via bus 1205 (or may communicate in other ways as appropriate). The hardware elements may include a processor 1210, which may include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors, one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processor (DSP) chips, graphics acceleration processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.), and / or other processing structures or components. Figure 12 As shown, some embodiments may have a separate DSP 1220, depending on the desired functionality. According to some embodiments, location determination and / or other determinations based on wireless communications may be provided in the processor 1210 and / or the wireless communication interface 1230 (discussed below). The base station 1200 may also include one or more input devices, which may include but are not limited to a keyboard, display, mouse, microphone, buttons, dials, switches, etc.; and one or more output devices, which may include but are not limited to a display, light emitting diodes (LEDs), speakers, etc.

[0124] The base station 1200 may further include a wireless communication interface 1230, which may include but is not limited to a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device and / or a chipset (such as Bluetooth ®Devices such as IEEE 802.11 devices, IEEE 802.15.4 devices, Wi-Fi devices, WiMAX devices, cellular communication facilities, etc., may enable base station 1200 to communicate as described herein. Wireless communication interface 1230 may permit communication (e.g., transmission and reception) of data and signaling to UEs, other base stations / TRPs (e.g., eNBs, gNBs, and ng-eNBs), and / or other network components, computer systems, and / or other electronic devices described herein. Communication may be performed via one or more wireless communication antennas 1232 that transmit and / or receive wireless signals 1234. According to some embodiments, one or more wireless communication antennas 1232 may include one or more antenna arrays that may be capable of beamforming.

[0125] Embodiments of base station 1200 may also include a sensing unit 1270. Sensing unit 1270 may include hardware and / or software components capable of sending and / or receiving RF signals (e.g., RS) to detect one or more targets in the manner described herein. Sensing unit 1270 may include a standalone component connected to bus 1205, as illustrated, or may be incorporated into another component (e.g., wireless communication interface 1230). Furthermore, sensing unit 1270 may be communicatively coupled to antenna 1232, which it may share with wireless communication interface 1230. Additionally or alternatively, sensing unit 1270 may have its own antenna (not shown). In some embodiments, sensing unit 1270 may be communicatively coupled to multiple antennas or antenna arrays capable of transmitting and / or receiving RF signals via directional beams.

[0126] The base station 1200 may also include a network interface 1280, which may include support for wired communication technologies. The network interface 1280 may include a modem, a network card, a chipset, etc. The network interface 1280 may include one or more input and / or output communication interfaces to allow data to be exchanged with a network, a communication network server, a computer system, and / or any other electronic device described herein.

[0127] In many embodiments, the base station 1200 may also include memory 1260. The memory 1260 may include, but is not limited to, local and / or network accessible storage, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices such as random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM), which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any suitable data storage, including, but not limited to, various file systems, database structures, etc.

[0128] The memory 1260 of the base station 1200 may also include software elements ( Figure 121200 ), including an operating system, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code (such as one or more application programs). These software elements may include computer programs provided by various embodiments and / or may be designed to implement methods provided by other embodiments and / or configure systems provided by other embodiments, as described herein. By way of example only, one or more processes described with respect to the methods discussed above may be implemented as code and / or instructions in memory 1260 that can be executed by base station 1200 (and / or processor 1210 or DSP 1220 within base station 1200). In some embodiments, such code and / or instructions may then be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.

[0129] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that basic modifications may be made to suit specific requirements. For example, customized hardware may be used, and / or specific elements may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software such as applets), or both. Furthermore, connections to other computing devices such as network input / output devices may be employed.

[0130] Referring to the accompanying drawings, components that may include memory may include non-transitory machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any storage medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific manner. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media may be involved when providing instructions / code to a processor and / or other device for execution. Additionally or alternatively, machine-readable media may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code. In many specific implementations, computer-readable media is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such media may take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example: magnetic and / or optical media, any other physical media with a pattern of holes, RAM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or memory cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and / or code.

[0131] The methods, systems, and devices discussed herein are examples. Various embodiments may omit, substitute, or add various processes or components as appropriate. For example, features described for certain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in a similar manner. The various components of the drawings provided herein may be embodied in hardware and / or software. In addition, technology may evolve, and therefore many elements are examples, which do not limit the scope of this disclosure to those specific examples.

[0132] It proves convenient at times, primarily for reasons of common usage, to refer to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, terms, numbers, digital symbols, and the like. It will be understood, however, that all of these or similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless otherwise specifically stated, as will be apparent from the above discussion, it will be understood that throughout this specification, discussions utilizing terms such as "process," "calculate," "calculate," "determine," "ascertain," "identify," "correlate," "measure," "perform," and the like refer to the actions or processes of a specific apparatus, such as a special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device. Thus, in the context of this specification, a special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device is capable of manipulating or transforming signals, typically expressed as physical, electronic, electrical, or magnetic quantities, in a memory, register, or other information storage device, a transmitting device, or a display device of the special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device.

[0133] As used herein, the terms "and" and "or" may include multiple 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 (where used in an inclusive sense) as well as A, B, or C (where used in an exclusive sense). Furthermore, 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 some combination of features, structures, or characteristics. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example, and the claimed subject matter is not limited to this example. Furthermore, the term "at least one of...", if used in connection with a list, such as A, B, or C, may be interpreted to mean any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, AB, AA, AAB, AABBCCC, etc.

[0134] Several embodiments have been described, and various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the above elements may be merely components of a larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over the application of the various embodiments or otherwise modify the application of the various embodiments. Additionally, multiple steps may be performed before, during, or after consideration of the above elements. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0135] In view of this description, various embodiments may include different combinations of features. Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0136] Clause 1. A method for positioning, sensing, or both performed by a receiving device, the method comprising: receiving a non-uniform reference signal configuration for positioning, sensing, or both; receiving a reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a plurality of different values; and determining one or more TOA measurements for positioning, sensing, or both based on the received reference signal.

[0137] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern determined based on: a minimum hole sequence; a minimum redundancy sequence; a nested sequence; or any combination thereof.

[0138] Clause 3. The method of any one of clauses 1 or 2, wherein the first point in time, the second point in time, and the third point in time are selected from a predetermined time window.

[0139] Clause 4. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration is determined based on a capability report sent by the receiving device, and wherein the method further comprises: before receiving the non-uniform reference signal configuration, sending the capability report indicating the following: the non-uniform reference signal mode supported by the receiving device; the preference for the non-uniform reference signal mode; the preferred power boost factor; or any combination thereof.

[0140] Clause 5. The method of any of clauses 1 to 4, wherein the capability report is indicated in an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) message.

[0141] Clause 6. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration indicates: a parameter associated with the non-uniform sequence pattern; a power boosting factor of the multiple subcarriers of the reference signal; or any combination thereof.

[0142] Clause 7. The method of any of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of symbols, and wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are dispersed across the plurality of symbols.

[0143] Clause 8. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 7, further comprising: multiplexing another reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration.

[0144] Clause 9. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 8, further comprising: receiving a reflection of the reference signal reflected by a target; and locating, sensing, or both, the target based on the reflection of the reference signal.

[0145] Clause 10. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 9, further comprising positioning, sensing, or both, the receiving device based on the one or more TOA measurements.

[0146] Clause 11. A method as described in any of clauses 1 to 10, wherein the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers and non-adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a set of consecutive integers.

[0147] Clause 12. A method for positioning, sensing, or both performed by a server, the method comprising: determining a non-uniform reference signal configuration of a reference signal for positioning, sensing, or both, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein, according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, the reference signal is configured such that a frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a plurality of different values; and sending the non-uniform reference signal configuration for determining one or more TOA measurements based on the reference signal.

[0148] Clause 13. The method of clause 12, wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern determined based on: a minimum hole sequence; a minimum redundancy sequence; a nested sequence; or any combination thereof.

[0149] Clause 14. The method of any of clauses 12 or 13, wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are power boosted.

[0150] Clause 15. A method according to any one of clauses 12 to 14, wherein the method further comprises: before determining the non-uniform reference signal configuration, receiving a capability report from a receiving device, the capability report indicating: a non-uniform reference signal mode supported by the receiving device; a preference for the non-uniform reference signal mode; a preferred power boost factor; or any combination thereof, and wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration is determined based on the capability report.

[0151] Clause 16. The method of any of clauses 12 to 15, wherein the capability report is indicated in an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) message.

[0152] Clause 17. A method according to any one of clauses 12 to 16, wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration indicates: a parameter associated with the non-uniform sequence pattern; a power boosting factor of the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal; or any combination thereof.

[0153] Clause 18. The method of any of clauses 12 to 17, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of symbols, and wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are dispersed across the plurality of symbols.

[0154] Clause 19. The method of any of clauses 12 to 18, wherein the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent and non-adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a set of consecutive integers.

[0155] Clause 20. The method of any of clauses 12 to 19, further comprising: using the one or more TOA measurements to perform positioning, sensing, or both.

[0156] Clause 21. An apparatus for performing positioning, sensing, or both, the apparatus comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. The one or more processors may be configured to: receive a non-uniform reference signal configuration for positioning, sensing, or both; receive a reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein a frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a plurality of different values; and determine one or more TOA measurements for positioning, sensing, or both based on the received reference signal.

[0157] Clause 22. The apparatus of clause 21, wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern determined based on: a minimum hole sequence; a minimum redundancy sequence; a nested sequence; or any combination thereof.

[0158] Clause 23. Apparatus according to any of clauses 21 or 22, wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are power boosted.

[0159] Clause 24. A device according to any one of clauses 20 to 22, wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration is determined based on a capability report sent by the device, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: before receiving the non-uniform reference signal configuration, send the capability report indicating the following: non-uniform reference signal modes supported by the device; a preference for the non-uniform reference signal mode; a preferred power boost factor; or any combination thereof.

[0160] Clause 25. Apparatus according to any of clauses 21 to 24, wherein the capability report is indicated in an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) message.

[0161] Clause 26. An apparatus according to any of clauses 20 to 24, wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration indicates: a parameter associated with the non-uniform sequence pattern; a power boosting factor of the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal; or any combination thereof.

[0162] Clause 27. Apparatus according to any of clauses 21 to 26, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of symbols, and wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are dispersed across the plurality of symbols.

[0163] Clause 28. The apparatus of any of clauses 21 to 27, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: multiplex another reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration.

[0164] Clause 29. The apparatus of any one of clauses 21 to 28, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive a reflection of the reference signal reflected by a target; and locate the target based on the reflection of the reference signal.

[0165] Clause 30. The device of any of clauses 21 to 29, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: locate the device based on the one or more TOA measurements.

[0166] Clause 31. An example server for performing positioning, sensing, or both, the server comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. The one or more processors may be configured to: determine a non-uniform reference signal configuration for a reference signal used for positioning, sensing, or both, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers and wherein, according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, the reference signal is configured such that a frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a plurality of different values; and transmit the non-uniform reference signal configuration for use in determining one or more TOA measurements based on the reference signal.

[0167] Clause 32. The server of clause 31, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: use the one or more TOA measurements to perform positioning, sensing, or both.

Claims

1. A method of positioning, sensing, or both performed by a receiving device, the method comprising: receiving a non-uniform reference signal configuration for positioning, sensing, or both; receiving a reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a plurality of different values; and One or more time of arrival (TOA) measurements for positioning, sensing, or both are determined based on the received reference signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern determined based on: Minimal hole sequence; Minimum redundancy sequence; nested sequences; or Any combination of them. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are power boosted.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration is determined based on a capability report sent by the receiving device, and wherein the method further comprises: Prior to receiving the non-uniform reference signal configuration, sending the capability report indicating: a non-uniform reference signal pattern supported by the receiving device; a preference for the non-uniform reference signal pattern; Optimize power boost factor; or Any combination of them. The method of claim 4 , wherein the capability report is indicated in an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) message.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration indicates: parameters associated with the non-uniform sequence pattern; a power boosting factor of the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal; or Any combination of them.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of symbols, and wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are dispersed across the plurality of symbols.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Another reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration is multiplexed.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a reflection of the reference signal reflected by a target; as well as The target is located, sensed, or both based on the reflection of the reference signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The receiving device is located, sensed, or both based on the one or more TOA measurements.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers and non-adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a set of consecutive integers.

12. A method of positioning, sensing, or both performed by a server, the method comprising: determining a non-uniform reference signal configuration of a reference signal for positioning, sensing, or both, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, the reference signal is configured such that frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a plurality of different values; and The non-uniform reference signal configuration is transmitted for use in determining one or more time of arrival (TOA) measurements based on the reference signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern determined based on: Minimal hole sequence; Minimum redundancy sequence; nested sequences; or Any combination of them. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are power boosted.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: Before determining the non-uniform reference signal configuration, a capability report is received from a receiving device, where the capability report indicates: a non-uniform reference signal pattern supported by the receiving device; a preference for the non-uniform reference signal pattern; Optimize power boost factor; or Any combination of these, and The non-uniform reference signal configuration is determined based on the capability report.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the capability report is indicated in an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) message.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration indicates: parameters associated with the non-uniform sequence pattern; a power boosting factor of the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal; or Any combination of them.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of symbols, and wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are dispersed across the plurality of symbols.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers and non-adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a set of consecutive integers.

20. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: Positioning, sensing, or both are performed using the one or more TOA measurements.

21. An apparatus for performing positioning, sensing, or both, the apparatus comprising: transceiver; Memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receiving a non-uniform reference signal configuration for positioning, sensing, or both; receiving a reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a plurality of different values; and One or more time of arrival (TOA) measurements for positioning, sensing, or both are determined based on the received reference signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are configured according to a non-uniform sequence pattern determined based on: Minimal hole sequence; Minimum redundancy sequence; nested sequences; or Any combination of them.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are power boosted.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration is determined based on a capability report sent by the device, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Prior to receiving the non-uniform reference signal configuration, sending the capability report indicating: a non-uniform reference signal pattern supported by the device; a preference for the non-uniform reference signal pattern; Optimize power boost factor; or Any combination of them.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the capability report is indicated in an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) message.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the non-uniform reference signal configuration indicates: parameters associated with the non-uniform sequence pattern; a power boosting factor of the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal; or Any combination of them.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of symbols, and wherein the plurality of subcarriers of the reference signal are dispersed across the plurality of symbols.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Another reference signal configured according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration is multiplexed.

29. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receiving a reflection of the reference signal reflected by a target; and The target is located based on the reflections of the reference signal.

30. The device of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: The device is located based on the one or more TOA measurements.

31. A server for performing positioning, sensing, or both, the server comprising: transceiver; Memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: determining a non-uniform reference signal configuration of a reference signal for positioning, sensing, or both, wherein the reference signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein according to the non-uniform reference signal configuration, the reference signal is configured such that frequency spacing between different pairs of adjacent subcarriers of the reference signal comprises a plurality of different values; and The non-uniform reference signal configuration is transmitted for use in determining one or more time of arrival (TOA) measurements based on the reference signal.

32. The server of claim 31 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Positioning, sensing, or both are performed using the one or more TOA measurements.

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