Reporting additional user equipment (UE) measurements for enhanced cell identification (E-CTD)

Abstract

A method and corresponding network node and computer readable medium wherein a network node receives a request from a location server to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report and sends a response to the location server, the response comprising the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report includes coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons, wireless local area network (WLAN) location information indicating measurements of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, and wireless local area network (WLAN) access points. UWB location information indicative of measurements of one or more ultra wide band (UWB) transmitters, sensor location information indicative of measurements of one or more sensors, or any combination thereof.

Description

Background Art 1. Technical Field

[0002] Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communications.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Technologies

[0004] Wireless communication systems have evolved over many generations, including first-generation analog wireless telephone service (1G), second-generation (2G) digital wireless telephone service (including transitional 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data, internet-enabled wireless services, and fourth-generation (4G) services (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax). Currently, many different types of wireless communication systems are in use, including cellular systems and Personal Communications Service (PCS) systems. Examples of known cellular systems include the cellular analog Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and the like.

[0005] The fifth-generation (5G) wireless standard, known as New Radio (NR), enables higher data speeds, increased connectivity, and improved coverage, among other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance, the 5G standard is designed to provide higher data rates, more accurate positioning (e.g., based on reference signals for positioning (RS-P), such as downlink, uplink, or sidelink Positioning Reference Signals (PRS)), and other technical enhancements compared to previous standards. These enhancements, along with the use of higher frequency bands, advances in PRS procedures and technology, and high-density deployments of 5G, enable highly accurate positioning based on 5G. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects disclosed herein. Therefore, the following summary should neither be considered an exhaustive overview of all contemplated aspects nor be considered to identify key or critical elements related to all contemplated aspects or to delineate the scope associated with any particular aspect. Therefore, the sole purpose of the following summary is to present certain concepts related to one or more aspects of the mechanisms disclosed herein in a simplified form prior to the detailed description presented below.

[0007] In one aspect, a communication method performed by a network node includes: receiving a request from a location server to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE); and sending a response to the location server, the response including the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report including coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons, wireless local area network (WLAN) location information indicating measurements of one or more WLAN access points, ultra-wideband (UWB) location information indicating measurements of one or more UWB transmitters, sensor location information indicating measurements of one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0008] In one aspect, a network node includes: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor, the at least one processor being communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: receive, via the at least one transceiver, a request to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE) from a location server; and send, via the at least one transceiver, a response to the location server, the response including the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report including coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons, WLAN location information indicating measurements of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, ultra-wideband (UWB) location information indicating measurements of one or more UWB transmitters, sensor location information indicating measurements of one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0009] In one aspect, a network node includes: means for receiving a request from a location server to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE); and means for sending a response to the location server, the response including the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report including coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons, wireless local area network (WLAN) location information indicating measurements of one or more WLAN access points, ultra-wideband (UWB) location information indicating measurements of one or more UWB transmitters, sensor location information indicating measurements of one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0010] In one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a network node, cause the network node to: receive a request from a location server to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE); and send a response to the location server, the response including the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report including coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons, wireless local area network (WLAN) location information indicating measurements of one or more WLAN access points, ultra-wideband (UWB) location information indicating measurements of one or more UWB transmitters, sensor location information indicating measurements of one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0011] Other objects and advantages associated with the aspects disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The accompanying drawings are presented to aid in describing various aspects of the present disclosure and are provided solely for illustration and not limitation of the aspects.

[0013] Figure 1 An example wireless communication system according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0014] Figure 2A 、 Figure 2B and Figure 2C Example wireless network structures according to aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0015] Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3C is a simplified block diagram of several sample aspects of components that may be employed in a user equipment (UE), a base station, and a network entity, respectively, and configured to support communications as taught herein.

[0016] Figure 4 Examples of various positioning methods supported in New Radio (NR) according to aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0017] Figure 5 An example location services process according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0018] Figure 6 Example Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) reference sources for positioning are illustrated.

[0019] Figure 7An example LPP capability transfer procedure, an assistance data transfer procedure, and a location information transfer procedure between a target device and a location server according to aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0020] Figure 8 An example uplink enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement procedure between a next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) node and a location management function (LMF) according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0021] Figure 9 An “ECID-ProvideLocationInformation” information element (IE) according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0022] Figure 10A and Figure 10B An example "LocationInfo" IE in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0023] Figure 11 Example communication methods according to aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Various aspects of the present disclosure are provided below in the description and related drawings of various examples provided for illustrative purposes. Alternative aspects may be devised without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, well-known elements of the present disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted to avoid making the relevant details of the present disclosure difficult to understand.

[0025] The words "exemplary" and / or "example" are used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" and / or "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Likewise, the term "aspects of the disclosure" does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation.

[0026] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of a variety of different techniques and methods may be used to represent the information and signals described below. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the following description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the specific application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, and so on.

[0027] Furthermore, many aspects are described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein may be performed by specific circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), by program instructions executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. Additionally, the sequences of actions described herein may be viewed as being fully embodied within any form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a corresponding set of computer instructions that, when executed, will cause or command an associated processor of a device to perform the functionality described herein. Accordingly, various aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in a variety of different forms, all of which are contemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, for each of the various aspects described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect may be described herein as, for example, "logic configured to perform the described actions."

[0028] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the terms "user equipment" (UE) and "base station" are not intended to be specific or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT). Generally speaking, a UE can be any wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, router, tablet, laptop, consumer asset location device, wearable device (e.g., smartwatch, glasses, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) headset, etc.), vehicle (e.g., car, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.), Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.) used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network. A UE can be mobile or (e.g., stationary at certain times) and can communicate with a radio access network (RAN). As used herein, the term "UE" can be interchangeably referred to as an "access terminal" or "AT," "client device," "wireless device," "subscriber equipment," "subscriber terminal," "subscriber station," "user terminal" or "UT," "mobile device," "mobile terminal," "mobile station," or variations thereof. Generally speaking, a UE can communicate with a core network via the RAN, and through the core network, the UE can connect to external networks such as the Internet and other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms are also possible for the UE to connect to the core network and / or the Internet, such as through a wired access network, a wireless local area network (WLAN) network (eg, based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 specification, etc.).

[0029] A base station may operate according to one of several RATs to communicate with UEs, depending on the network in which it is deployed, and may alternatively be referred to as an access point (AP), network node, Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), new radio (NR) Node B (also known as gNB or gNodeB), etc. A base station may primarily support wireless access for UEs, including supporting data, voice, and / or signaling connections for the supported UEs. In some systems, a base station may only provide edge node signaling functions, while in other systems, a base station may provide additional control and / or network management functions. The communication link through which a UE can transmit signals to a base station is called an uplink (UL) channel (e.g., a reverse traffic channel, a reverse control channel, an access channel, etc.). The communication link through which a base station can transmit signals to a UE is called a downlink (DL) or forward link channel (e.g., a paging channel, a control channel, a broadcast channel, a forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term "traffic channel (TCH)" may refer to either an uplink / reverse traffic channel or a downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0030] The term "base station" may refer to a single physical transmit-receive point (TRP) or multiple physical TRPs that may or may not be co-located. For example, where the term "base station" refers to a single physical TRP, the physical TRP may be an antenna of the base station corresponding to the cell (or several cell sectors) of the base station. Where the term "base station" refers to multiple co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP may be an antenna array of the base station (e.g., as in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) system or where the base station employs beamforming). Where the term "base station" refers to multiple non-co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP may be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source via a transmission medium) or a remote radio head (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station). Alternatively, the non-co-located physical TRP may be a serving base station that receives measurement reports from a UE and a neighboring base station whose reference radio frequency (RF) signal the UE is measuring. Because, as used herein, a TRP is the point through which a base station transmits and receives wireless signals, references to transmitting from or receiving at a base station should be understood to refer to a specific TRP of the base station.

[0031] In some implementations that support UE positioning, a base station may not support wireless access by the UE (e.g., may not support data, voice, and / or signaling connections for the UE), but may instead transmit a reference signal to the UE to be measured by the UE and / or may receive and measure signals transmitted by the UE. Such a base station may be referred to as a positioning beacon (e.g., when transmitting a signal to the UE) and / or as a position measurement unit (e.g., when receiving and measuring a signal from the UE).

[0032] An "RF signal" comprises an electromagnetic wave of a given frequency that transmits information through the space between a transmitter and a receiver. 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 RF signals through multipath channels, a receiver may receive multiple "RF signals" corresponding to each transmitted RF signal. The same transmitted RF signal on different paths between a transmitter and a receiver may be referred to as a "multipath" RF signal. As used herein, an RF signal may also be referred to as a "wireless signal" or simply as a "signal" where the context clearly indicates that the term "signal" refers to either a wireless signal or an RF signal.

[0033] Figure 1 An example wireless communication system 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The wireless communication system 100, which may also be referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN), may include various base stations 102 (labeled "BS") and various UEs 104. The base stations 102 may include macrocell base stations (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cell base stations (low-power cellular base stations). In one aspect, the macrocell base stations may include eNBs and / or ng-eNBs (where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an LTE network), or gNBs (where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an NR network), or a combination of the two, and the small cell base stations may include femtocells, picocells, microcells, etc.

[0034] The base stations 102 may collectively form a RAN and interface with a core network 170 (e.g., an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC)) via backhaul links 122. The base stations 102 may also interface with one or more location servers 172 (e.g., a location management function (LMF) or a secure user plane location (SUPL) location platform (SLP)) via the core network 170. The location servers 172 may be part of the core network 170 or external to the core network 170. The location servers 172 may be integrated with the base stations 102. The UEs 104 may communicate with the location servers 172 directly or indirectly. For example, the UE 104 may communicate with the location servers 172 via the base station 102 currently serving the UE 104. The UE 104 may also communicate with the location servers 172 via another path, such as via an application server (not shown), via another network, such as via a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) (e.g., AP 150 described below), etc. For signaling purposes, communication between UE 104 and location server 172 may be represented as an indirect connection (e.g., through core network 170, etc.) or a direct connection (e.g., as shown via direct connection 128), with intermediate nodes (if any) omitted from the signaling diagram for clarity.

[0035] Among other functions, the base stations 102 may perform functions related to one or more of the following: delivering user data, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection establishment and release, load balancing, distribution of non-access stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, RAN sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracking, RAN information management (RIM), paging, positioning, and delivery of warning messages. The base stations 102 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., through the EPC / 5GC) over a backhaul link 134, which may be wired or wireless.

[0036] Base stations 102 can communicate wirelessly with UEs 104. Each of base stations 102 can provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic coverage area 110. In one aspect, one or more cells can be supported by base station 102 in each geographic coverage area 110. A "cell" is a logical communication entity used for communicating with a base station (e.g., via a frequency resource, such as a carrier frequency, component carrier, carrier, frequency band, etc.) and can be associated with an identifier (e.g., a physical cell identifier (PCI), an enhanced cell identifier (ECI), a virtual cell identifier (VCI), a cell global identifier (CGI), etc.) that distinguishes cells operating on the same or different carrier frequencies. In some cases, different cells can be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., machine type communication (MTC), narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), or other protocol types) that can provide access to different types of UEs. Because a cell is supported by a specific base station, the term "cell" can refer to either or both the logical communication entity and the base station supporting the logical communication entity, depending on the context. Furthermore, since the TRP is typically the physical transmission point of a cell, the terms "cell" and "TRP" may be used interchangeably. In some cases, the term "cell" may also refer to a geographic coverage area (e.g., a sector) of a base station, as long as a carrier frequency can be detected and used for communications within a portion of the geographic coverage area 110.

[0037] While the geographic coverage areas 110 of adjacent macrocell base stations 102 may partially overlap (e.g., in a handover area), some areas of the geographic coverage areas 110 may substantially overlap with the larger geographic coverage area 110. For example, a small cell base station 102' (labeled "SC" for "small cell") may have a geographic coverage area 110' that substantially overlaps with the geographic coverage areas 110 of one or more macrocell base stations 102. A network that includes both small cell base stations and macrocell base stations may be referred to as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include a Home eNB (HeNB), which may provide service to a restricted group known as a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG).

[0038] The communication link 120 between the base station 102 and the UE 104 may include uplink (also known as reverse link) transmissions from the UE 104 to the base station 102 and / or downlink (DL) (also known as forward link) transmissions from the base station 102 to the UE 104. The communication link 120 may utilize MIMO antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link 120 may be over one or more carrier frequencies. The allocation of carriers may be asymmetric for the downlink and uplink (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to the downlink than to the uplink).

[0039] The wireless communication system 100 may also include a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) 150 that communicates with a wireless local area network (WLAN) station (STA) 152 in an unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz) via a communication link 154. When communicating in the unlicensed spectrum, the WLAN STA 152 and / or the WLAN AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) or a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure prior to communicating to determine whether a channel is available.

[0040] The small cell base station 102' can operate in licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum. When operating in the unlicensed spectrum, the small cell base station 102' can employ LTE or NR technology and use the same 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum used by the WLAN AP 150. Small cell base stations 102' employing LTE / 5G in the unlicensed spectrum can improve the coverage and / or increase the capacity of the access network. NR in the unlicensed spectrum can be referred to as NR-U. LTE in the unlicensed spectrum can be referred to as LTE-U, License Assisted Access (LAA), or MulteFire.

[0041] The wireless communication system 100 may also include a millimeter wave (mmW) base station 180, which can operate at mmW and / or near-mmW frequencies to communicate with UE 182. Extremely high frequencies (EHF) are part of the RF portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF has a range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz, with wavelengths between 1 and 10 mm. Radio waves in this frequency band may be referred to as millimeter waves. Near-mmW frequencies extend down to frequencies of 3 GHz, with wavelengths of 100 mm. Super high frequency (SHF) frequency bands extend between 3 GHz and 30 GHz and are also referred to as centimeter waves. Communications using mmW / near-mmW radio frequency bands have high path loss and relatively short range. The mmW base station 180 and the UE 182 may utilize beamforming (transmit and / or receive) on the mmW communication link 184 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short range. Furthermore, it should be understood that, in alternative configurations, one or more base stations 102 may also transmit using mmW or near-mmW frequencies and beamforming. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing illustrations are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the various aspects disclosed herein.

[0042] Transmit beamforming is a technique used to focus an RF signal in a specific direction. Traditionally, when a network node (e.g., a base station) broadcasts an RF signal, it broadcasts it in all directions (omnidirectionally). With transmit beamforming, the network node determines where a given target device (e.g., a UE) is located relative to the transmitting network node and projects a stronger downlink RF signal in that specific direction, thereby providing the receiving device with a faster and stronger RF signal (in terms of data rate). To alter the directionality of the RF signal during transmission, the network node can control the phase and relative amplitude of the RF signal at each of the one or more transmitters broadcasting the RF signal. For example, the network node can use an array of antennas (referred to as a "phased array" or "antenna array"), which forms an RF beam that can be "steered" to point in different directions without actually moving the antennas. Specifically, the RF currents from the transmitters are fed to the individual antennas with the correct phase relationship, so that the radio waves from the individual antennas add together in the desired direction to increase radiation, while canceling out in undesired directions to suppress radiation.

[0043] Transmit beams can be quasi-colocated, meaning they appear to have the same parameters to a receiver (e.g., a UE) regardless of whether the network node's own transmit antenna is physically colocated. In NR, four types of quasi-colocated (QCL) relationships exist. Specifically, a given type of QCL relationship means that certain parameters about a second reference RF signal on a second beam can be derived based on information about the source reference RF signal on the source beam. Thus, if the source reference RF signal is QCL type A, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, and delay spread of a second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL type B, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and Doppler spread of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL type C, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and average delay of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL type D, the receiver may use the source reference RF signal to estimate spatial reception parameters of a second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel.

[0044] In receive beamforming, a receiver uses receive beams to amplify RF signals detected on a given channel. For example, the receiver may increase the gain setting of the antenna array in a particular direction and / or adjust the phase setting of the antenna array in a particular direction to amplify (e.g., increase the gain level of) the RF signals received from that direction. Therefore, when a receiver is said to be beamforming in a certain direction, it means that the beam gain in that direction is high relative to the beam gain in other directions, or that the beam gain in that direction is the highest compared to the beam gain in that direction of all other receive beams available to the receiver. This results in a stronger received signal strength (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), etc.) for the RF signals received from that direction.

[0045] The transmit beam and receive beam can be spatially correlated. This spatial correlation means that the parameters of a second beam (e.g., a transmit beam or a receive beam) used for a second reference signal can be derived based on information about the first beam (e.g., a receive beam or a transmit beam) for a first reference signal. For example, a UE can use a specific receive beam to receive a reference downlink reference signal (e.g., a synchronization signal block (SSB)) from a base station. The UE can then form a transmit beam based on the receive beam parameters to transmit an uplink reference signal (e.g., a sounding reference signal (SRS)) to the base station.

[0046] It should be noted that depending on the entity forming the "downlink" beam, the beam can be a transmit beam or a receive beam. For example, if the base station is forming a downlink beam to transmit a reference signal to the UE, the downlink beam is a transmit beam. However, if the UE is forming a downlink beam, the downlink beam is a receive beam that receives the downlink reference signal. Similarly, depending on the entity forming the "uplink" beam, the beam can be a transmit beam or a receive beam. For example, if the base station is forming an uplink beam, the uplink beam is an uplink receive beam, while if the UE is forming an uplink beam, the uplink beam is an uplink transmit beam.

[0047] The electromagnetic spectrum is typically subdivided into various categories, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency / wavelength. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands have been identified as frequency ranges designated FR1 (410 MHz–7.125 GHz) and FR2 (24.25 GHz–52.6 GHz). It should be understood that, despite a portion of FR1 being greater than 6 GHz, FR1 is often (interchangeably) referred to as the "sub-6 GHz" band in various documents and articles. A similar naming issue sometimes occurs with FR2, which is often (interchangeably) referred to as the "millimeter wave" band in documents and articles, despite being distinct from the extremely high frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz to 300 GHz), which is identified as a "millimeter wave" band by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

[0048] Frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are often referred to as mid-band frequencies. Recent 5G NR research has identified the operating band for these mid-band frequencies as frequency range designation FR3 (7.125 GHz to 24.25 GHz). Frequency bands falling within FR3 may inherit FR1 characteristics and / or FR2 characteristics, effectively extending the features of FR1 and / or FR2 to mid-band frequencies. Furthermore, higher frequency bands are currently being explored to extend 5G NR operation beyond 52.6 GHz. For example, three higher operating bands have been identified as frequency range designations FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz to 71 GHz), FR4 (52.6 GHz to 114.25 GHz), and FR5 (114.25 GHz to 300 GHz). Each of these higher frequency bands falls within the EHF band.

[0049] In view of the above aspects, unless otherwise specifically stated, it should be understood that if the term "sub-6 GHz" or the like is used herein, it can be broadly referred to as frequencies that may be less than 6 GHz, may be within FR1, or may include mid-band frequencies. In addition, unless otherwise specifically stated, it should be understood that if the term "millimeter wave" or the like is used herein, it can be broadly referred to as frequencies that may include mid-band frequencies, may be within FR2, FR4, FR4-a or FR4-1 and / or FR5, or may be within the EHF band.

[0050] In a multi-carrier system such as 5G, one of the carrier frequencies is referred to as the "primary carrier" or "anchor carrier" or "primary serving cell" or "PCell," and the remaining carrier frequencies are referred to as "secondary carriers" or "secondary serving cells" or "SCells." In carrier aggregation, the anchor carrier is a carrier operating on the primary frequency (e.g., FR1) used by the UE 104 / 182 and the cell in which the UE 104 / 182 performs an initial radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment procedure or initiates an RRC connection re-establishment procedure. The primary carrier carries all common and UE-specific control channels and can be a carrier in a licensed frequency (however, this is not always the case). A secondary carrier is a carrier operating on a second frequency (e.g., FR2) that can be configured and used to provide additional radio resources once an RRC connection is established between the UE 104 and the anchor carrier. In some cases, the secondary carrier can be a carrier in an unlicensed frequency. The secondary carrier may contain only necessary signaling information and signals. For example, since the primary uplink carrier and the primary downlink carrier are typically UE-specific, UE-specific signaling information and signals may not be present in the secondary carrier. This means that different UEs 104 / 182 in a cell can have different downlink primary carriers. The same is true for the uplink primary carrier. The network can change the primary carrier of any UE 104 / 182 at any time. This is done, for example, to balance the load on different carriers. Since a "serving cell" (whether PCell or SCell) corresponds to the carrier frequency / component carrier through which a base station communicates, the terms "cell," "serving cell," "component carrier," "carrier frequency," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0051] For example, still referring to Figure 1In the example, one of the frequencies used by macrocell base station 102 may be an anchor carrier (or "PCell"), and the other frequencies used by macrocell base station 102 and / or mmW base station 180 may be secondary carriers ("SCells"). Simultaneous transmission and / or reception of multiple carriers enables UE 104 / 182 to significantly increase its data transmission and / or reception rate. For example, two 20 MHz aggregated carriers in a multi-carrier system would theoretically double the data rate (i.e., 40 MHz) compared to the data rate achieved with a single 20 MHz carrier.

[0052] The wireless communication system 100 may also include a UE 164 that may communicate with the macrocell base station 102 via a communication link 120 and / or with the mmW base station 180 via a mmW communication link 184. For example, the macrocell base station 102 may support a PCell and one or more SCells for the UE 164, and the mmW base station 180 may support one or more SCells for the UE 164.

[0053] In some cases, UE 164 and UE 182 are capable of sidelink communication. Sidelink-capable UEs (SL-UEs) can communicate with base station 102 via communication link 120 using the Uu interface (i.e., the air interface between the UE and the base station). SL-UEs (e.g., UE 164, UE 182) can also communicate directly with each other via wireless sidelink 160 using the PC5 interface (i.e., the air interface between sidelink-capable UEs). A wireless sidelink (or simply "sidelink") is an adaptation of the core cellular network standard (e.g., LTE, NR) that allows direct communication between two or more UEs without going through a base station. Sidelink communication can be unicast or multicast and can be used for device-to-device (D2D) media sharing, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication (e.g., cellular V2X (cV2X) communication, enhanced V2X (eV2X) communication, etc.), emergency rescue applications, and more. One or more SL-UEs in a group of SL-UEs utilizing sidelink communication may be located within the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 102. Other SL-UEs in such a group may be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 102 or, for other reasons, unable to receive transmissions from the base station 102. In some cases, each group of SL-UEs communicating via sidelink communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each SL-UE transmits to every other SL-UE in the group. In some cases, the base station 102 facilitates the scheduling of resources for the sidelink communication. In other cases, the sidelink communication is performed between the SL-UEs without involving the base station 102.

[0054] In one aspect, sidelink 160 may operate over a wireless communication medium of interest, which may be shared with other vehicles and / or infrastructure access points, as well as other wireless communications between other RATs. A "medium" may include one or more time, frequency, and / or spatial communication resources associated with wireless communications between one or more transmitter / receiver pairs (e.g., encompassing one or more channels across one or more carriers). In one aspect, the medium of interest may correspond to at least a portion of an unlicensed frequency band shared among various RATs. While various licensed frequency bands have been reserved for certain communication systems (e.g., by government entities such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States), these systems (particularly those employing small cell access points) have recently expanded their operation into unlicensed frequency bands, such as the Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) band used by wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies (most notably the IEEE 802.11x WLAN technology, commonly referred to as "Wi-Fi"). Example systems of this type include various variations of CDMA systems, TDMA systems, FDMA systems, orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) systems, and the like.

[0055] It should be noted that although Figure 1 Only two of these UEs are illustrated as SL-UEs (i.e., UE 164 and UE 182), but any of the illustrated UEs could be SL-UEs. Furthermore, while only UE 182 is depicted as capable of beamforming, any of the illustrated UEs (including UE 164) could be capable of beamforming. Where SL-UEs are beamforming capable, they can beamform toward each other (i.e., toward other SL-UEs), toward other UEs (e.g., UE 104), toward a base station (e.g., base station 102, base station 180, small cell 102′, access point 150), and so on. Thus, in some cases, UE 164 and UE 182 could utilize beamforming via sidelink 160.

[0056] exist Figure 1 In the example of FIG, the UE illustrated (for simplicity, Figure 1Any UE (shown as a single UE 104 in the figure) can receive signal 124 from one or more Earth-orbiting space vehicles (SVs) 112 (e.g., satellites). In one aspect, SV 112 can be part of a satellite positioning system that UE 104 can use as an independent source of location information. A satellite positioning system typically includes a system of transmitters (e.g., SV 112) positioned to enable a receiver (e.g., UE 104) to determine its position on or above the Earth based, at least in part, on positioning signals (e.g., signal 124) received from the transmitters. Such transmitters typically transmit a signal with a repeating pseudorandom noise (PN) code marked with a set number of chips. While typically located in SV 112, the transmitter can sometimes be located in a ground-based control station, base station 102, and / or other UEs 104. UE 104 can include one or more specialized receivers specifically designed to receive signal 124 in order to derive geographic location information from SV 112.

[0057] In a satellite positioning system, the use of signal 124 may be enhanced by various satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) that may be associated with or otherwise enabled for use with one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems. For example, SBAS may include augmentation systems that provide integrity information, differential corrections, and the like, such as the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), the Multifunctional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), the Global Positioning System (GPS)-Assisted Geo-Augmented Navigation, or the GPS and Geo-Augmented Navigation System (GAGAN). Thus, as used herein, a satellite positioning system may include any combination of one or more global and / or regional navigation satellites associated with such one or more satellite positioning systems.

[0058] In one aspect, SV 112 may additionally or alternatively be part of one or more non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). In an NTN, SV 112 connects to an earth station (also known as a ground station, NTN gateway, or gateway), which in turn connects to elements in the 5G network, such as a modified base station 102 (without a terrestrial antenna) or a network node in a 5G cellular network (5GC). This element, in turn, provides access to other elements in the 5G network and ultimately to entities external to the 5G network, such as internet web servers and other user devices. Thus, UE 104 may receive communication signals (e.g., signal 124) from SV 112 instead of, or in addition to, communication signals from terrestrial base station 102.

[0059] The wireless communication system 100 may also include one or more UEs, such as UE 190, that are indirectly connected to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links (referred to as "side links"). Figure 1 In the example, UE 190 has a D2D P2P link 192 with one of UEs 104 connected to one of base stations 102 (e.g., UE 190 can indirectly obtain cellular connectivity through the D2D P2P link), and has a D2D P2P link 194 with WLAN STA 152 connected to WLAN AP 150 (UE 190 can indirectly obtain WLAN-based Internet connectivity through the D2D P2P link). In one example, D2D P2P links 192 and 194 can be supported by any well-known D2D RAT, such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth ® wait.

[0060] Figure 2A An example wireless network architecture 200 is illustrated. For example, 5GC 210 (also known as the Next Generation Core (NGC)) can be functionally considered to include control plane (C-plane) functions 214 (e.g., UE registration, authentication, network access, gateway selection, etc.) and user plane (U-plane) functions 212 (e.g., UE gateway functions, access to data networks, IP routing, etc.), which operate in conjunction to form the core network. A user plane interface (NG-U) 213 and a control plane interface (NG-C) 215 connect gNBs 222 to 5GC 210, specifically to user plane functions 212 and control plane functions 214, respectively. In additional configurations, ng-eNBs 224 can also connect to 5GC 210 via NG-C 215 to control plane functions 214 and NG-U 213 to user plane functions 212. Furthermore, ng-eNBs 224 can communicate directly with gNBs 222 via backhaul connections 223. In some configurations, the next generation RAN (NG-RAN) 220 may have one or more gNBs 222, while other configurations include one or more of ng-eNBs 224 and gNBs 222. Either (or both) the gNBs 222 or the ng-eNBs 224 may communicate with one or more UEs 204 (e.g., any of the UEs described herein).

[0061] Another optional aspect may include a location server 230 that can communicate with the 5GC 210 to provide location assistance for the UE 204. The location server 230 can be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each can correspond to a single server. The location server 230 can be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204 that can connect to the location server 230 via the core network, the 5GC 210, and / or via the Internet (not illustrated). In addition, the location server 230 can be integrated into a component of the core network, or alternatively can be external to the core network (e.g., a third-party server, such as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) server or a service server).

[0062] Figure 2B Another example wireless network structure 240 is illustrated. 5GC 260 (which may correspond to Figure 2AThe 5GC 210 in the 5GC 210 can be functionally considered to include control plane functions provided by the access and mobility management function (AMF) 264 and user plane functions provided by the user plane function (UPF) 262, which operate in conjunction to form the core network (i.e., 5GC 260). The functions of the AMF 264 include registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception, transmission of session management (SM) messages between one or more UEs 204 (e.g., any of the UEs described herein) and a session management function (SMF) 266, transparent proxy services for routing SM messages, access authentication and authorization, transmission of short message service (SMS) messages between the UE 204 and a short message service function (SMSF) (not shown), and security anchor functionality (SEAF). The AMF 264 also interacts with an authentication server function (AUSF) (not shown) and the UE 204, and receives intermediate keys established as a result of the UE 204 authentication process. In the case of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) Subscriber Identity Module (USIM)-based authentication, the AMF 264 retrieves security material from the AUSF. The AMF 264's functionality also includes Security Context Management (SCM). The SCM receives keys from the SEAF, which it uses to derive access network-specific keys. The AMF 264's functionality also includes location service management for regulated services, transport of location service messages between the UE 204 and the Location Management Function (LMF) 270 (which acts as the location server 230), transport of location service messages between the NG-RAN 220 and the LMF 270, allocation of Evolved Packet System (EPS) bearer identifiers for interoperability with EPS, and notification of UE 204 mobility events. Furthermore, the AMF 264 supports functionality for non-3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) access networks.

[0063] The UPF 262 functions include serving as an anchor point for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (when applicable), serving as an external protocol data unit (PDU) session point for interconnection to a data network (not shown), providing packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane policy rule enforcement (e.g., gating, redirection, traffic steering), lawful interception (user plane collection), traffic usage reporting, user plane quality of service (QoS) handling (e.g., uplink / downlink rate enforcement, reflective QoS marking in the downlink), uplink traffic verification (service data flow (SDF) to QoS flow mapping), transport-level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering, and transmitting and forwarding one or more "end markers" to the source RAN node. The UPF 262 may also support the delivery of location service messages between the UE 204 and a location server (such as the SLP 272) on the user plane.

[0064] The functions of the SMF 266 include session management, UE Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation and management, selection and control of user plane functions, traffic steering configuration at the UPF 262 for routing traffic to the correct destination, partial control of policy enforcement and QoS, and downlink data notification. The interface through which the SMF 266 communicates with the AMF 264 is called the N11 interface.

[0065] Another optional aspect may include an LMF 270 that can communicate with the 5GC 260 to provide location assistance for the UE 204. The LMF 270 can be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each can correspond to a single server. The LMF 270 can be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204, which can connect to the LMF 270 via the core network, the 5GC 260, and / or via the Internet (not shown). The SLP 272 may support similar functionality as the LMF 270, but whereas the LMF 270 may communicate with the AMF 264, the NG-RAN 220, and the UE 204 on a control plane (e.g., using interfaces and protocols designed to carry signaling messages rather than voice or data), the SLP 272 may communicate with the UE 204 and external clients (e.g., third-party servers 274) on a user plane (e.g., using protocols designed to carry voice and / or data, such as the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and / or IP).

[0066] Yet another optional aspect may include a third-party server 274 that can communicate with the LMF 270, SLP 272, 5GC 260 (e.g., via the AMF 264 and / or UPF 262), NG-RAN 220, and / or UE 204 to obtain location information (e.g., a location estimate) of the UE 204. Thus, in some cases, the third-party server 274 may be referred to as a location service (LCS) client or external client. The third-party servers 274 may be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each may correspond to a single server.

[0067] The user plane interface 263 and the control plane interface 265 connect the 5GC 260, and specifically the UPF 262 and AMF 264, respectively, to one or more gNBs 222 and / or ng-eNBs 224 in the NG-RAN 220. The interface between the gNB 222 and / or ng-eNB 224 and the AMF 264 is referred to as the "N2" interface, while the interface between the gNB 222 and / or ng-eNB 224 and the UPF 262 is referred to as the "N3" interface. The gNBs 222 and / or ng-eNBs 224 of the NG-RAN 220 can communicate directly with each other via a backhaul connection 223, referred to as an "Xn-C" interface. One or more of the gNBs 222 and / or ng-eNBs 224 can communicate with one or more UEs 204 over a wireless interface, referred to as a "Uu" interface.

[0068] The functionality of a gNB 222 can be divided between a gNB Central Unit (gNB-CU) 226, one or more gNB Distributed Units (gNB-DUs) 228, and one or more gNB Radio Units (gNB-RUs) 229. The gNB-CU 226 is a logical node that includes base station functions, including delivery of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, session management, and more, in addition to those functions specifically assigned to the gNB-DU 228. More specifically, the gNB-CU 226 typically hosts the Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) protocols for the gNB 222. The gNB-DU 228 is a logical node that typically hosts the Radio Link Control (RLC) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers for the gNB 222. Its operation is controlled by the gNB-CU 226. One gNB-DU 228 can support one or more cells, and a cell is supported by only one gNB-DU 228. The interface 232 between the gNB-CU 226 and one or more gNB-DUs 228 is referred to as the "F1" interface. The physical (PHY) layer functionality of the gNB 222 is typically hosted by one or more independent gNB-RUs 229, which perform functions such as power amplification and signal transmission / reception. The interface between the gNB-DU 228 and the gNB-RU 229 is referred to as the "Fx" interface. Thus, the UE 204 communicates with the gNB-CU 226 via the RRC, SDAP, and PDCP layers, with the gNB-DU 228 via the RLC and MAC layers, and with the gNB-RU 229 via the PHY layer.

[0069] The deployment of a communication system, such as a 5G NR system, can be arranged in a variety of ways using various components or parts. In a 5G NR system or network, network nodes, network entities, network mobility elements, RAN nodes, core network nodes, network elements, or network equipment (such as a base station or one or more units (or one or more components) that perform base station functionality) can be implemented in a converged or disaggregated architecture. For example, a base station (such as a Node B (NB), an evolved NB (eNB), a NR base station, a 5G NR base station, an access point (AP), a transmit / receive point (TRP), or a cell) can be implemented as a converged base station (also known as a standalone base station or a single-chip base station) or a disaggregated base station.

[0070] A converged base station can be configured to utilize a radio protocol stack that is physically or logically integrated within a single RAN node. A disaggregated base station can be configured to utilize a protocol stack that is physically or logically distributed across two or more units, such as one or more central or centralized units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), or one or more radio units (RUs). In some aspects, a CU can be implemented within a RAN node, and one or more DUs can be co-located with the CU, or alternatively, can be geographically or virtually distributed across one or more other RAN nodes. A DU can be implemented to communicate with one or more RUs. Each of the CU, DU, and RU can also be implemented as a virtual unit, namely a virtual central unit (VCU), a virtual distributed unit (VDU), or a virtual radio unit (VRU).

[0071] Base station type operation or network design may take into account the aggregated nature of base station functionality. For example, a disaggregated base station may be utilized in an integrated access backhaul (IAB) network, an open radio access network (O-RAN, such as the network configuration initiated by the O-RAN Alliance), or a virtualized radio access network (vRAN, also known as a cloud radio access network (C-RAN)). Disaggregation may include distributing functionality across two or more units at various physical locations, as well as virtually distributing the functionality of at least one unit, which enables flexibility in network design. The various units of a disaggregated base station or disaggregated RAN architecture may be configured for wired or wireless communication with at least one other unit.

[0072] Figure 2C An example disaggregated base station architecture 250 according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. Disaggregated base station architecture 250 may include one or more central units (CUs) 280 (e.g., gNB-CUs 226), which may communicate directly with a core network 267 (e.g., 5GC 210, 5GC 260) via backhaul links, or indirectly with the core network 267 through one or more disaggregated base station units, such as a near real-time (near-RT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) 259 via an E2 link, a non-real-time (non-RT) RIC 257 associated with a service management and orchestration (SMO) framework 255, or both. CUs 280 may communicate with one or more distributed units (DUs) 285 (e.g., gNB-DUs 228) via corresponding midhaul links, such as the F1 interface. DUs 285 may communicate with one or more radio units (RUs) 287 (e.g., gNB-RUs 229) via corresponding fronthaul links. The RUs 287 can communicate with corresponding UEs 204 via one or more radio frequency (RF) access links. In some implementations, a UE 204 can be served by multiple RUs 287 simultaneously.

[0073] Each of the units (i.e., CU 280, DU 285, RU 287, as well as near-RT RIC 259, non-RT RIC 257, and SMO framework 255) may include or be coupled to one or more interfaces configured to receive or transmit signals, data, or information (collectively, signals) via a wired or wireless transmission medium. Each of the units, or an associated processor or controller that provides instructions to the communication interface of these units, may be configured to communicate with one or more of the other units via the transmission medium. For example, these units may include a wired interface configured to receive or transmit signals to one or more of the other units via the wired transmission medium. Additionally, these units may include a wireless interface that may include a receiver, transmitter, or transceiver (such as a radio frequency (RF) transceiver) configured to receive or transmit signals, or both, to one or more of the other units via the wireless transmission medium.

[0074] In some aspects, the CU 280 may host one or more higher-layer control functions. Such control functions may include radio resource control (RRC), packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), etc. Each control function may be implemented using an interface configured to communicate signals with other control functions hosted by the CU 280. The CU 280 may be configured to handle user plane functionality (i.e., central unit-user plane (CU-UP)), control plane functionality (i.e., central unit-control plane (CU-CP)), or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the CU 280 may be logically split into one or more CU-UP units and one or more CU-CP units. When implemented in an O-RAN configuration, the CU-UP units may communicate bidirectionally with the CU-CP units via an interface (such as an E1 interface). As needed, the CU 280 may be implemented to communicate with the DU 285 for network control and signaling.

[0075] The DU 285 may correspond to a logical unit that includes one or more base station functions for controlling the operation of one or more RUs 287. In some aspects, the DU 285 may host one or more of a radio link control (RLC) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, and one or more higher physical (PHY) layers (such as modules for forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation and demodulation, etc.), depending at least in part on a functional split (such as that defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)). In some aspects, the DU 285 may also host one or more lower PHY layers. Each layer (or module) may be implemented using an interface configured to communicate signals with other layers (and modules) hosted by the DU 285 or with control functions hosted by the CU 280.

[0076] Lower layer functionality may be implemented by one or more RUs 287. In some deployments, a RU 287 controlled by a DU 285 may correspond to a logical node that hosts RF processing functionality or low-PHY layer functionality (such as performing fast Fourier transforms (FFTs), inverse FFTs (iFFTs), digital beamforming, physical random access channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering), or both, based at least in part on a functional split (such as a lower layer functional split). In such an architecture, the RU 287 may be implemented to handle over-the-air (OTA) communications with one or more UEs 204. In some implementations, both real-time and non-real-time aspects of control and user plane communications with the RU 287 may be controlled by the corresponding DU 285. In some scenarios, this configuration may enable the implementation of the DU 285 and CU 280 in a cloud-based RAN architecture, such as a vRAN architecture.

[0077] The SMO framework 255 can be configured to support RAN deployment and provisioning of both non-virtualized and virtualized network elements. For non-virtualized network elements, the SMO framework 255 can be configured to support the deployment of dedicated physical resources for RAN coverage requirements, which can be managed via an operations and maintenance interface (such as the O1 interface). For virtualized network elements, the SMO framework 255 can be configured to interact with a cloud computing platform (such as Open Cloud (O-Cloud) 269) to perform network element lifecycle management (such as instantiating virtualized network elements) via a cloud computing platform interface (such as the O2 interface). Such virtualized network elements may include, but are not limited to, the CU 280, DU 285, RU 287, and near-RT RIC 259. In some implementations, the SMO framework 255 can communicate with 4G RAN hardware (such as the Open eNB (O-eNB) 261) via the O1 interface. Additionally, in some implementations, the SMO framework 255 can communicate directly with one or more RUs 287 via the O1 interface. The SMO framework 255 may also include a non-RT RIC 257 configured to support the functionality of the SMO framework 255 .

[0078] The non-RT RIC 257 can be configured to include logic that enables non-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources, artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) workflows including model training and updating, or policy-based guidance of applications / features in the near-RT RIC 259. The non-RT RIC 257 can be coupled to or in communication with the near-RT RIC 259 (e.g., via an A1 interface). The near-RT RIC 259 can be configured to include logic that enables near-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources through data collection and actions via an interface (e.g., via an E2 interface) that connects one or more CUs 280, one or more DUs 285, or both, and the O-eNB with the near-RT RIC 259.

[0079] In some implementations, the non-RT RIC 257 may receive parameters or external enrichment information from an external server to generate AI / ML models to be deployed in the near-RT RIC 259. This information may be utilized by the near-RT RIC 259 and may be received from non-network data sources or from network functions at the SMO framework 255 or the non-RT RIC 257. In some examples, the non-RT RIC 257 or the near-RT RIC 259 may be configured to tune RAN behavior or performance. For example, the non-RT RIC 257 may monitor long-term trends and patterns in performance and employ AI / ML models to execute corrective actions through the SMO framework 255 (such as via reconfiguration of O1) or by creating RAN management policies (such as A1 policies).

[0080] Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3C Several example components (represented by corresponding blocks) are illustrated that may be incorporated into a UE 302 (which may correspond to any of the UEs described herein), a base station 304 (which may correspond to any of the base stations described herein), and a network entity 306 (which may correspond to or embody any of the network functions described herein, including the location server 230 and the LMF 270, or alternatively may be independent thereof). Figure 2A and Figure 2B The depicted NG-RAN 220 and / or 5GC 210 / 260 infrastructure (such as a dedicated network) is implemented to support the operations described herein. It should be understood that these components can be implemented in different types of devices with different specific implementations (e.g., in an ASIC, in a system-on-chip (SoC), etc.). The illustrated components can also be incorporated into other devices in a communication system. For example, other devices in the system may include components similar to those described as providing similar functionality. In addition, a given device may include one or more of these components. For example, a device may include multiple transceiver components that enable the device to operate on multiple carriers and / or communicate via different technologies.

[0081] UE 302 and base station 304 each include one or more wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceivers 310 and 350, respectively, which provide means (e.g., means for transmitting, means for receiving, means for measuring, means for tuning, means for preventing transmission, etc.) for communicating via one or more wireless communication networks (not shown), such as NR networks, LTE networks, GSM networks, etc. WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 can each be connected to one or more antennas 316 and 356, respectively, for communicating with other network nodes (such as other UEs, access points, base stations (e.g., eNBs, gNBs), etc.) via at least one designated RAT (e.g., NR, LTE, GSM, etc.) over a wireless communication medium of interest (e.g., a certain set of time / frequency resources in a particular spectrum). The WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 can be configured in different ways to transmit and encode signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, indications, information, etc.) according to a designated RAT, and conversely, receive and decode the signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, etc.), respectively. Specifically, the WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 include one or more transmitters 314 and 354 for transmitting and encoding the signals 318 and 358, respectively, and one or more receivers 312 and 352 for receiving and decoding the signals 318 and 358, respectively.

[0082] At least in some cases, the UE 302 and the base station 304 each further include one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360, respectively. The short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 can be connected to one or more antennas 326 and 366, respectively, and provide for communicating over a wireless communication medium of interest via at least one designated RAT (e.g., WiFi, LTE-D, Bluetooth ® 、Zigbee ® 、Z-Wave ®, PC5, dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), wireless access for vehicular environments (WAVE), near-field communication (NFC), ultra-wideband (UWB), etc.) and other network nodes (such as other UEs, access points, base stations, etc.). Short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 can be configured in different ways to transmit and encode signals 328 and 368 (e.g., messages, indications, information, etc.) according to a specified RAT, and conversely, receive and decode signals 328 and 368 (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, etc.). Specifically, short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 include: one or more transmitters 324 and 364 for transmitting and encoding signals 328 and 368, respectively, and one or more receivers 322 and 362 for receiving and decoding signals 328 and 368, respectively. As specific examples, the short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 may be WiFi transceivers, Bluetooth ® Transceiver, Zigbee ® and / or Z-Wave ® transceiver, NFC transceiver, UWB transceiver or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and / or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) transceiver.

[0083] At least in some cases, UE 302 and base station 304 also include satellite signal receivers 330 and 370. Satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 may be connected to one or more antennas 336 and 376, respectively, and may provide components for receiving and / or measuring satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. If satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 are satellite positioning system receivers, satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 may be Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) signals, Galileo signals, BeiDou signals, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (NAVIC), Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), and the like. If satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 are non-terrestrial network (NTN) receivers, satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 may be communication signals originating from a 5G network (e.g., carrying control and / or user data). Satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 may include any suitable hardware and / or software for receiving and processing satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. Satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 may request information and operations from other systems as appropriate and, at least in some cases, perform calculations using measurements obtained by any suitable satellite positioning system algorithm to determine the positions of UE 302 and base station 304, respectively.

[0084] Base station 304 and network entity 306 each include one or more network transceivers 380 and 390, respectively, which provide means (e.g., means for transmitting, means for receiving, etc.) for communicating with other network entities (e.g., other base stations 304, other network entities 306). For example, base station 304 may employ one or more network transceivers 380 to communicate with other base stations 304 or network entities 306 via one or more wired or wireless backhaul links. For another example, network entity 306 may employ one or more network transceivers 390 to communicate with one or more base stations 304 via one or more wired or wireless backhaul links, or with other network entities 306 via one or more wired or wireless core network interfaces.

[0085] A transceiver can be configured to communicate over a wired or wireless link. A transceiver (whether a wired or wireless transceiver) includes transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 314, 324, 354, 364) and receiver circuitry (e.g., receivers 312, 322, 352, 362). In some implementations, a transceiver can be an integrated device (e.g., implementing transmitter circuitry and receiver circuitry in a single device), in some implementations can include separate transmitter circuitry and separate receiver circuitry, or in other implementations can be implemented in other ways. The transmitter circuitry and receiver circuitry of a wired transceiver (e.g., network transceivers 380 and 390 in some implementations) can be coupled to one or more wired network interface ports. Wireless transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 314, 324, 354, 364) may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as antenna arrays, that allow a corresponding device (e.g., UE 302, base station 304) to perform transmit "beamforming," as described herein. Similarly, wireless receiver circuitry (e.g., receivers 312, 322, 352, 362) may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as antenna arrays, that allow a corresponding device (e.g., UE 302, base station 304) to perform receive beamforming, as described herein. In one aspect, the transmitter circuitry and the receiver circuitry may share the same multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), so that the corresponding device can only receive or only transmit at a given time, rather than both receive and transmit at the same time. The wireless transceivers (eg, WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 , short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 ) may also include a network listening module (NLM) or the like for performing various measurements.

[0086] As used herein, various wireless transceivers (e.g., transceivers 310, 320, 350, and 360 in some implementations, and network transceivers 380 and 390) and wired transceivers (e.g., network transceivers 380 and 390 in some implementations) may be generally referred to as a "transceiver," "at least one transceiver," or "one or more transceivers." Thus, whether a particular transceiver is a wired or wireless transceiver can be inferred based on the type of communication being performed. For example, backhaul communications between network devices or servers typically involve signaling via a wired transceiver, while wireless communications between a UE (e.g., UE 302) and a base station (e.g., base station 304) typically involve signaling via a wireless transceiver.

[0087] UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 also include other components that may be used in conjunction with the operations disclosed herein. UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 each include one or more processors 332, 384, and 394 for providing functionality related to, for example, wireless communication, as well as for providing other processing functionality. Thus, processors 332, 384, and 394 may provide means for processing, such as means for determining, means for computing, means for receiving, means for transmitting, means for indicating, and the like. In one aspect, processors 332, 384, and 394 may include, for example, one or more general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, central processing units (CPUs), ASICs, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), other programmable logic devices or processing circuits, or various combinations thereof.

[0088] UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306, respectively, include memory circuitry implementing memory 340, 386, and 396 (e.g., each including a memory device) for maintaining information (e.g., information indicating reserved resources, thresholds, parameters, etc.). Thus, memories 340, 386, and 396 may provide means for storing, means for retrieving, means for maintaining, etc. In some cases, UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 may include positioning components 342, 388, and 398, respectively. Positioning components 342, 388, and 398 may be hardware circuitry that is part of or coupled to processors 332, 384, and 394, respectively, and that, when executed, causes UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 to perform the functionality described herein. In other aspects, positioning components 342, 388, and 398 may be external to processors 332, 384, and 394 (e.g., part of a modem processing system, integrated with another processing system, etc.). Alternatively, the positioning components 342, 388, and 398 can be memory modules stored in memories 340, 386, and 396, respectively, which, when executed by the processors 332, 384, and 394 (or a modem processing system, another processing system, etc.), cause the UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 to perform the functionality described herein. Figure 3A Possible locations are illustrated for a location component 342, which can be, for example, part of one or more WWAN transceivers 310, memory 340, one or more processors 332, or any combination thereof, or can be a standalone component. Figure 3B Possible locations are illustrated for a location component 388, which can be, for example, part of one or more WWAN transceivers 350, memory 386, one or more processors 384, or any combination thereof, or can be a standalone component. Figure 3C Possible locations are illustrated for a location component 398, which can be, for example, part of one or more network transceivers 390, memory 396, one or more processors 394, or any combination thereof, or can be a standalone component.

[0089] The UE 302 may include one or more sensors 344 coupled to the one or more processors 332 to provide means for sensing or detecting movement and / or orientation information independent of motion data derived from signals received by the one or more WWAN transceivers 310, the one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320, and / or the satellite signal receiver 330. By way of example, the sensors 344 may include an accelerometer (e.g., a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device), a gyroscope, a geomagnetic sensor (e.g., a compass), an altimeter (e.g., a barometric altimeter), and / or any other type of motion detection sensor. Furthermore, the sensors 344 may include multiple different types of devices and combine their outputs to provide motion information. For example, the sensors 344 may use a combination of a multi-axis accelerometer and an orientation sensor to provide the ability to calculate a position in a two-dimensional (2D) and / or three-dimensional (3D) coordinate system.

[0090] In addition, the UE 302 includes a user interface 346 that provides means for providing indications to the user (e.g., audible and / or visual indications) and / or for receiving user input (e.g., when the user actuates a sensing device such as a keypad, touch screen, microphone, etc.). Although not shown, the base station 304 and the network entity 306 may also include a user interface.

[0091] Referring in more detail to the one or more processors 384, in a downlink, IP packets from the network entity 306 may be provided to the processor 384. The one or more processors 384 may implement functionality for the RRC layer, the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. One or more processors 384 may provide: RRC layer functionality associated with broadcasting of system information (e.g., Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB)), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-RAT mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression, security (ciphering, deciphering, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functionality associated with delivery of upper layer PDUs, error correction through automatic repeat request (ARQ), concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, scheduling information reporting, error correction, priority handling, and logical channel prioritization.

[0092] Transmitter 354 and receiver 352 implement Layer 1 (L1) functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, may include error detection on the transport channel, forward error correction (FEC) coding / decoding of the transport channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. Transmitter 354 handles the mapping to the signal constellation based on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), M-phase-shift keying (M-PSK), and M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM). The coded and modulated symbols are then separated into parallel streams. Each stream is then mapped to orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers, multiplexed with reference signals (e.g., pilots) in the time and / or frequency domains, and then combined using an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a time-domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM symbol stream is spatially pre-decoded to generate multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from a channel estimator can be used to determine the coding and modulation schemes and for spatial processing. The channel estimates can be derived from a reference signal and / or channel condition feedback sent by the UE 302. Each spatial stream can then be provided to one or more different antennas 356. The transmitter 354 can modulate an RF carrier with the corresponding spatial stream for transmission.

[0093] At UE 302, receiver 312 receives the signal via its corresponding antenna 316. Receiver 312 recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to one or more processors 332. Transmitter 314 and receiver 312 implement Layer 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Receiver 312 may perform spatial processing on this information to recover any spatial streams destined for UE 302. If there are multiple spatial streams destined for UE 302, they may be combined by receiver 312 into a single OFDM symbol stream. Receiver 312 then converts the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The frequency-domain signal includes a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols on each subcarrier, along with the reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the most likely signal constellation point transmitted by base station 304. These soft decisions may be based on channel estimates calculated by a channel estimator. The soft decisions are then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals originally transmitted by base station 304 on the physical channel. The data and control signals are then provided to one or more processors 332, which implement layer 3 (L3) and layer 2 (L2) functionality.

[0094] In the downlink, one or more processors 332 provide demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing to recover IP packets from the core network. One or more processors 332 are also responsible for error detection.

[0095] Similar to the functionality described in conjunction with downlink transmissions by the base station 304, the one or more processors 332 provide: RRC layer functionality associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) acquisition, RRC connection, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression and security (ciphering, deciphering, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functionality associated with delivery of upper layer PDUs, error correction through ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs, resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs onto transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing of MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction through hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), priority handling, and logical channel prioritization.

[0096] Channel estimates derived by the channel estimator from a reference signal or feedback sent by base station 304 may be used by transmitter 314 to select appropriate coding and modulation schemes and facilitate spatial processing. The spatial streams generated by transmitter 314 may be provided to different antennas 316. Transmitter 314 may modulate an RF carrier with the corresponding spatial stream for transmission.

[0097] Uplink transmissions are processed at the base station 304 in a manner similar to that described in conjunction with the receiver functionality at the UE 302. The receiver 352 receives the signal through its respective antenna 356. The receiver 352 recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides the information to one or more processors 384.

[0098] In the uplink, one or more processors 384 provide demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing to recover IP packets from UE 302. The IP packets from one or more processors 384 may be provided to the core network. The one or more processors 384 are also responsible for error detection.

[0099] For convenience, UE 302, base station 304 and / or network entity 306 Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3C1 is shown as including various components that can be configured according to the various examples described herein. However, it should be understood that the illustrated components may have different functionality in different designs. In particular, Figures 3A to 3C Various components in are optional in alternative configurations, and various aspects include configurations that may vary due to design choice, cost, use of the device, or other considerations. For example, in Figure 3A In the case of , a specific implementation of UE 302 may omit WWAN transceiver 310 (e.g., a wearable device or tablet or PC or laptop may have Wi-Fi and / or Bluetooth capabilities but no cellular capabilities), or may omit short-range wireless transceiver 320 (e.g., only cellular, etc.), or may omit satellite signal receiver 330, or may omit sensor 344, etc. For another example, in Figure 3B In certain cases, particular implementations of the base station 304 may omit the WWAN transceiver 350 (e.g., a Wi-Fi "hotspot" access point without cellular capabilities), or may omit the short-range wireless transceiver 360 (e.g., cellular only, etc.), or may omit the satellite signal receiver 370, etc. For the sake of brevity, illustrations of various alternative configurations are not provided herein, but will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0100] Various components of the UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 may be communicatively coupled to one another via data buses 334, 382, ​​and 392, respectively. In an aspect, the data buses 334, 382, ​​and 392 may form or be part of communication interfaces for the UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306, respectively. For example, where different logical entities are embodied in the same device (e.g., gNB and location server functionality incorporated into the same base station 304), the data buses 334, 382, ​​and 392 may provide for communication between the different logical entities.

[0101] Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3C The components of can be implemented in various ways. In some implementations, Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3CThe components of the present invention may be implemented in one or more circuits, such as, for example, one or more processors and / or one or more ASICs (which may include one or more processors). Each circuit may utilize and / or incorporate at least one memory component to store information or executable code used by the circuit to provide the functionality. For example, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 310 through 346 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of UE 302 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor components). Similarly, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 350 through 388 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of base station 304 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor components). Furthermore, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 390 through 398 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of network entity 306 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor components). For simplicity, various operations, actions, and / or functions may be described herein as being performed "by a UE," "by a base station," "by a network entity," and the like. However, as will be appreciated, such operations, actions and / or functions may actually be performed by a specific component or combination of components of the UE 302, base station 304, network entity 306, etc. (such as processors 332, 384, 394, transceivers 310, 320, 350 and 360, memories 340, 386 and 396, positioning components 342, 388 and 398, etc.).

[0102] In some designs, the network entity 306 may be implemented as a core network component. In other designs, the network entity 306 may operate independently of a network operator or cellular network infrastructure (e.g., NG RAN 220 and / or 5GC 210 / 260). For example, the network entity 306 may be a component of a dedicated network that may be configured to communicate with the UE 302 via the base station 304 or independently of the base station 304 (e.g., via a non-cellular communication link such as WiFi).

[0103] NR supports multiple cellular network-based positioning technologies, including downlink-based positioning methods, uplink-based positioning methods, and downlink and uplink-based positioning methods. Downlink-based positioning methods include: Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) in LTE, Downlink Time Difference of Arrival (DL-TDOA) in NR, and Downlink Angle of Departure (DL-AoD) in NR. Figure 4Examples of various positioning methods according to various aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated. In the OTDOA or DL-TDOA positioning process illustrated by scenario 410, the UE measures the difference between the arrival times (ToA) of reference signals (e.g., positioning reference signals (PRS)) received from paired base stations (referred to as reference signal time difference (RSTD) or arrival time difference (TDOA) measurements) and reports these differences to a positioning entity. More specifically, the UE receives identifiers (IDs) of a reference base station (e.g., a serving base station) and multiple non-reference base stations in assistance data. The UE then measures the RSTD between the reference base station and each non-reference base station. Based on the known positions of the base stations involved and the RSTD measurements, a positioning entity (e.g., a UE for UE-based positioning or a location server for UE-assisted positioning) can estimate the UE's position.

[0104] For DL-AoD positioning, as illustrated by scenario 420, the positioning entity uses measurement reports from the UE regarding received signal strength measurements of multiple downlink transmit beams to determine the angle between the UE and the transmitting base station. The positioning entity can then estimate the UE's position based on the determined angle and the known location of the transmitting base station.

[0105] Uplink-based positioning methods include uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) and uplink angle of arrival (UL-AoA). UL-TDOA is similar to DL-TDOA, but is based on uplink reference signals (e.g., sounding reference signals (SRS)) sent by the UE to multiple base stations. Specifically, the UE sends one or more uplink reference signals, which are measured by a reference base station and multiple non-reference base stations. Each base station then reports the time of reception of the reference signal (referred to as relative time of arrival (RTOA)) to a positioning entity (e.g., a location server) that knows the location and relative timing of the base stations involved. Based on the receive-to-receive (Rx-Rx) time difference between the reported RTOA of the reference base station and the reported RTOA of each non-reference base station, the known locations of the base stations, and their known timing offsets, the positioning entity can use TDOA to estimate the UE's position.

[0106] For UL-AoA positioning, one or more base stations measure the received signal strength of one or more uplink reference signals (e.g., SRS) received from the UE on one or more uplink receive beams. The positioning entity uses the signal strength measurements and the angle of the receive beams to determine the angle between the UE and the base station. Based on the determined angle and the known location of the base station, the positioning entity can then estimate the UE's position.

[0107] Downlink and uplink-based positioning methods include enhanced cell ID (E-CID) positioning and multiple round-trip time (RTT) positioning (also known as "multi-cell RTT" and "multi-RTT"). During the RTT process, a first entity (e.g., a base station or UE) transmits a first RTT-related signal (e.g., a PRS or SRS) to a second entity (e.g., a UE or base station), which then transmits a second RTT-related signal (e.g., an SRS or PRS) back to the first entity. Each entity measures the time difference between the time of arrival (ToA) of the received RTT-related signal and the transmission time of the transmitted RTT-related signal. This time difference is referred to as the received-to-transmit (Rx-Tx) time difference. The Rx-Tx time difference measurement can be performed or adjusted to include only the time difference between the nearest slot boundary of the received and transmitted signals. The two entities may then transmit their Rx-Tx time difference measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 270), which calculates the round-trip propagation time (RTT) between the two entities based on the two Rx-Tx time difference measurements (e.g., as the sum of the two Rx-Tx time difference measurements). Alternatively, one entity may transmit its Rx-Tx time difference measurements to the other entity, which then calculates the RTT. The distance between the two entities can be determined based on the RTT and a known signal speed (e.g., the speed of light). For multi-RTT positioning, illustrated by scenario 430, a first entity (e.g., a UE or base station) performs an RTT positioning procedure with multiple second entities (e.g., multiple base stations or UEs) to determine the first entity's position based on the distances to the second entities and the known positions of the second entities (e.g., using multilateration). RTT and multi-RTT methods can be combined with other positioning techniques (such as UL-AoA and DL-AoD) to improve position accuracy, as illustrated by scenario 440.

[0108] The E-CID positioning method is based on radio resource management (RRM) measurements. In E-CID, the UE reports the serving cell ID, timing advance (TA), and the identifiers of detected neighboring base stations, estimated timing, and signal strength. The UE's position is then estimated based on this information and the known locations of the base stations.

[0109] To assist in positioning operations, a location server (e.g., location server 230, LMF 270, SLP 272) may provide assistance data to the UE. For example, the assistance data may include: the identifier of the base station (or the cell / TRP of the base station) from which the reference signal is measured, reference signal configuration parameters (e.g., the number of consecutive time slots including PRS, the periodicity of consecutive time slots including PRS, the muting sequence, the frequency hopping sequence, the reference signal identifier, the reference signal bandwidth, etc.), and / or other parameters applicable to the specific positioning method. Alternatively, the assistance data may originate directly from the base station itself (e.g., in a periodically broadcast overhead message, etc.). In some cases, the UE itself may be able to detect neighboring network nodes without the use of assistance data.

[0110] In the case of OTDOA or DL-TDOA positioning procedures, the assistance data may also include an expected RSTD value and an associated uncertainty, or search window, around the expected RSTD. In some cases, the expected RSTD value may range from + / - 500 microseconds (µs). In some cases, when any of the resources used for positioning measurements are in FR1, the expected RSTD uncertainty may range from + / - 32 µs. In other cases, when all resources used for positioning measurements are in FR2, the expected RSTD uncertainty may range from + / - 8 µs.

[0111] A position estimate may be referred to by other names, such as a position estimate, a position, a position fix, a position fix, a fix, etc. A position estimate may be geodetic and include coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude), or may be municipal and include a street address, a postal address, or some other verbal description of the location. The position estimate may be further defined relative to some other known location or defined in absolute terms (e.g., using latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude). A position estimate may include an expected error or uncertainty (e.g., by including an area or volume within which the location is expected to be included with some specified or default confidence level).

[0112] Figure 5 An example location service process 500 according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The location service process 500 may be performed by the UE 204, an NG-RAN node 502 in the NG-RAN 220 (e.g., a gNB 222, a gNB-CU 226, an ng-eNB 224, or other node in the NG-RAN 220), the AMF 264, the LMF 270, and a 5GC location service (LCS) entity 580 (e.g., any third-party application requesting the location of the UE 204, a public service access point (PSAP), an E-911 server, etc.).

[0113] The location service request to obtain the location of the target (ie, UE 204) may be initiated by the 5GC LCS entity 580, the AMF 264 serving the UE 204, or the UE 204 itself. Figure 5 These options are illustrated as stages 510a, 510b, and 510c, respectively. Specifically, at stage 510a, the 5GC LCS entity 580 transmits a location service request to the AMF 264. Alternatively, at stage 510b, the AMF 264 itself generates the location service request. Alternatively, at stage 510c, the UE 204 transmits the location service request to the AMF 264.

[0114] Once the AMF 264 receives (or generates) the location service request, it forwards the location service request to the LMF 270 at stage 520. The LMF 270 then performs an NG-RAN positioning procedure with the NG-RAN node 502 at stage 530a and a UE positioning procedure with the UE 204 at stage 530b. The specific NG-RAN positioning procedure and the UE positioning procedure may depend on the type of positioning method used to locate the UE 204, which may depend on the capabilities of the UE 204. The positioning method may be downlink-based (e.g., LTE-OTDOA, DL-TDOA, DL-AoD, etc.), uplink-based (e.g., UL-TDOA, UL-AoA, etc.), and / or downlink and uplink-based (e.g., LTE / NR E-CID, multi-RTT, etc.).

[0115] NG-RAN positioning procedures and UE positioning procedures can utilize LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) signaling between UE 204 and LMF 270, and LPP Type A (LPPa) or New Radio Positioning Protocol Type A (NRPPa) signaling between NG-RAN node 502 and LMF 270. LPP is used point-to-point between a location server (e.g., LMF 270) and a UE (e.g., UE 204) to obtain location-related measurements or position estimates or to transfer assistance data. A single LPP session is used to support a single location request (e.g., for a single Mobile-Terminated Location Request (MT-LR), Mobile-Originated Location Request (MO-LR), or Network-Initiated Location Request (NI-LR)). Multiple LPP sessions can be used between the same endpoints to support multiple different location requests. Each LPP session includes one or more LPP transactions, each of which performs a single operation (e.g., capability exchange, assistance data transfer, or location information transfer). LPP transactions are referred to as LPP procedures.

[0116] A prerequisite for stage 530 is that the LCS Correlation Identifier (ID) and the AMF ID have been passed to the LMF 270 by the serving AMF 264. Both the LCS Correlation ID and the AMF ID may be represented as strings selected by the AMF 264. At stage 520, the LCS Correlation ID and the AMF ID are provided by the AMF 264 to the LMF 270 in a location service request. When the LMF 270 subsequently initiates stage 530, the LMF 270 also includes the LCS Correlation ID for the positioning session and the AMF ID indicating the AMF instance serving the UE 204. The LCS Correlation ID is used to ensure that during the positioning session between the LMF 270 and the UE 204, the Positioning Response message from the UE 204 is returned by the AMF 264 to the correct LMF 270 and carries an indication (the LCS Correlation ID) that can be recognized by the LMF 270.

[0117] It should be noted that the LCS correlation ID serves as a location session identifier that can be used to identify messages exchanged between the AMF 264 and the LMF 270 for a particular location session for the UE 204, as described in more detail in 3GPP TS 23.273, which is publicly available and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As mentioned above and shown in stage 520, a location session between the AMF 264 and the LMF 270 for a particular UE 204 is initiated by the AMF 264, and the LCS correlation ID can be used to identify the location session (e.g., can be used by the AMF 264 to identify state information of the location session, etc.).

[0118] As part of the NG-RAN node positioning procedure (stage 530a) and the UE positioning procedure (stage 530b), the LMF 270 may provide LPP assistance data in the form of downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) configuration information for the selected positioning method to the NG-RAN node 502 and the UE 204. Alternatively or additionally, the NG-RAN node 502 may provide DL-PRS and / or uplink PRS (UL-PRS) configuration information to the UE 204 for the selected positioning method. It should be noted that although Figure 5 A single NG-RAN node 502 is illustrated, but multiple NG-RAN nodes 502 may be involved in a positioning session.

[0119] Once configured with a DL-PRS and / or UL-PRS configuration, the NG-RAN node 502 and the UE 204 transmit and receive / measure the corresponding PRS at the scheduled time. The NG-RAN node 502 and the UE 204 then transmit their respective measurements to the LMF 270. In some cases, the NG-RAN node 502 may transmit its measurements to the UE 204, which may forward them to the LMF 270 using LPP signaling. Alternatively, the NG-RAN node 502 may transmit its measurements directly to the LMF 270 in LPPa or NRPPa signaling. In some cases, the UE 204 may transmit its measurements to the NG-RAN node 502 in RRC, uplink control information (UCI), or MAC control element (MAC-CE) signaling, and the NG-RAN node 502 may forward the measurements to the LMF 270 using LPPa or NRPPa signaling. Alternatively, the UE 204 may transmit its measurements directly to the LMF 270 using LPP signaling.

[0120] Once the LMF 270 obtains measurements from the UE 204 and / or the NG-RAN node 502 (depending on the type of positioning method), it uses those measurements to calculate an estimate of the location of the UE 204. Subsequently, at stage 540, the LMF 270 transmits a location services response including the location estimate of the UE 204 to the AMF 264. The AMF 264 then forwards the location services response to the entity that generated the location services request at stage 550. Specifically, if the location services request was received from the 5GC LCS entity 580 at stage 510a, then at stage 550a, the AMF 264 transmits the location services response to the 5GC LCS entity 580. However, if the location services request was received from the UE 204 at stage 510c, then at stage 550c, the AMF 264 transmits the location services response to the UE 204. Alternatively, if the AMF 264 generates a location services request at stage 510b, then at stage 550b the AMF 264 stores / uses the location services response itself.

[0121] It should be noted that while the foregoing description of location service procedure 500 has described it as a UE-assisted location service procedure, it could alternatively be a UE-based location service procedure. A UE-assisted location service procedure is one in which the LMF 270 calculates the location of the UE 204, while a UE-based location service procedure is one in which the UE 204 calculates its own location. In the case of a UE-based location service procedure, stages 510c and 550c would be performed. The LMF 270 would still coordinate the transmission / measurement of DL-PRS (and possibly UL-PRS), but these measurements would be forwarded to the UE 204 rather than the LMF 270. Therefore, the location service response at stages 540 and 550c could be measurements from the involved NG-RAN node 502 rather than a position estimate for the UE 204. Alternatively, in the case in which the involved NG-RAN node 502 forwards its corresponding measurements directly to the UE 204 (e.g., via RRC signaling), the location service response at stage 540 could simply be an acknowledgment that the NG-RAN node and UE positioning procedure at stage 530 is complete.

[0122] In LTE, and at least in some cases (NR), positioning measurements are reported via higher layer signaling (specifically LPP signaling and / or RRC). LPP is used point-to-point between a location server (e.g., location server 230, LMF 270, SLP 272) and a UE (e.g., any of the UEs described herein) to position the UE using position-related measurements obtained from one or more reference sources. Figure 6 FIG6 is a diagram illustrating an example LPP reference source for positioning. Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 5 , a target device, specifically a UE 604 (eg, any of the UEs described herein) participates in a location server 630 (in FIG. Figure 6 ) in the specific example of the LPP session labeled "E-SMLC / SLP"). The UE 604 is also receiving / measuring data from a first reference source, specifically one or more base stations 602 (which may correspond to any of the base stations described herein and Figure 6 ) and a second reference source, specifically one or more SPS satellites 620 (which may correspond to Figure 1 Wireless positioning signal of SV 112)).

[0123] An LPP session is used between the location server 630 and the UE 604 to obtain location-related measurements or a position estimate, or to transfer assistance data. A single LPP session is used to support a single location request (e.g., for a single mobile-terminated location request (MT-LR), mobile-originated location request (MO-LR), or network-induced location request (NI-LR)). Multiple LPP sessions can be used between the same endpoints to support multiple different location requests. Each LPP session includes one or more LPP transactions, each of which performs a single operation (e.g., capability exchange, assistance data transfer, or location information transfer). LPP transactions are referred to as LPP procedures. The initiator of an LPP session initiates the first LPP transaction, but subsequent transactions can be initiated by either endpoint. LPP transactions within a session can occur serially or in parallel. LPP transactions are indicated at the LPP protocol level by transaction identifiers to associate messages (e.g., requests and responses) with each other. Messages within a transaction are linked by a common transaction identifier.

[0124] LPP positioning methods and associated signaling content are defined in the 3GPP LPP standard (3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 36.355, which is publicly available and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). LPP signaling can be used to request and report measurements related to the following positioning methods: OTDOA, DL-TDOA, Assisted Global Navigation Satellite System (A-GNSS), LTE E-CID, NR E-CID, sensors, Terrestrial Beacon System (TBS), WLAN, Bluetooth, Downlink Angle of Departure (DL-AoD), Uplink Angle of Arrival (UL-AoA), and Multi-RTT. Currently, an LPP measurement report may include the following measurements: (1) one or more ToA, TDOA, RSTD, or Rx-Tx time difference measurements, (2) one or more AoA and / or AoD measurements (currently only used for base stations to report UL-AoA and DL-AoD to the location server 630), (3) one or more multipath measurements (per-path ToA, reference signal received power (RSRP), AoA / AoD), (4) one or more motion states (e.g., walking, driving, etc.) and trajectories (currently only used for UE 604), and (5) one or more report quality indicators. In this disclosure, positioning measurements (such as the example measurements just listed, and regardless of the positioning technology) may be collectively referred to as positioning state information (PSI).

[0125] UE 604 and / or location server 630 may derive the location from one or more reference sources (in Figure 6 In the example of FIG, , the position information of the SPS satellite 620 and the base station 602 is illustrated. Each reference source can be used to calculate an independent estimate of the position of the UE 604 using an associated positioning technique. Figure 6In the example shown in FIG6 , UE 604 is measuring characteristics (e.g., ToA, RSRP, RSTD, etc.) of positioning signals received from base station 602 to calculate or assist location server 630 in calculating an estimate of the position of UE 604 using one or more cellular network-based positioning methods (e.g., multi-RTT, OTDOA, DL-TDOA, DL-AoD, E-CID, etc.). Similarly, UE 604 is measuring characteristics (e.g., ToA) of GNSS signals received from SPS satellites 620 to triangulate its position in two or three dimensions based on the number of measured SPS satellites 620. In some cases, UE 604 or location server 630 may combine position solutions derived from each of the different positioning technologies to improve the accuracy of the final position estimate.

[0126] As noted above, UE 604 uses LPP to report location-related measurements obtained from various reference sources (e.g., base station 602, Bluetooth beacons, SPS satellites 620, WLAN access points, motion sensors, etc.). For example, for GNSS-based positioning, UE 604 uses the LPP information element (IE) "A-GNSS-ProvideLocationInformation" to provide location measurements (e.g., pseudoranges, position estimates, velocity, etc.) and time information to location server 630. It can also be used to provide error reasons specific to GNSS positioning. The "A-GNSS-ProvideLocationInformation" IE includes IEs such as "GNSS-SignalMeasurementInformation," "GNSS-LocationInformation," "GNSS-MeasurementList," and "GNSS-Error." When UE 604 provides location server 630 with a position derived using GNSS or hybrid GNSS and other measurements, and optionally velocity information, the UE includes the "GNSS-LocationInformation" IE. The UE 604 uses the "GNSS-SignalMeasurementInformation" IE to provide GNSS signal measurement information to the location server 630 and provide GNSS network time association (if requested by the location server 630). This information includes measurements of code phase, Doppler, C / No, and optionally accumulated carrier phase (also known as accumulated delta range (ADR)), which implements the UE-assisted GNSS method in which the position is calculated in the location server 630. The UE 604 uses the "GNSS-MeasurementList" IE to provide measurements of code phase, Doppler, C / No, and optionally accumulated carrier phase (or ADR).

[0127] As another example, for motion sensor-based positioning, currently supported positioning methods use air pressure sensors and motion sensors, as described in 3GPP TS 36.305 (which is publicly available and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). The UE 604 uses the LPP IE "Sensor-ProvideLocationInformation" to provide location information for sensor-based methods to the location server 630. This IE can also be used to provide sensor-specific error reasons. The UE 604 uses the "Sensor-MeasurementInformation" IE to provide sensor measurements (e.g., air pressure readings) to the location server 630. The UE 604 uses the "Sensor-MotionInformation" IE to provide motion information to the location server 630. The motion information may include a sequence of points. This information may be obtained by the UE 604 using one or more motion sensors (e.g., accelerometer, barometer, magnetometer, etc.).

[0128] As yet another example, for Bluetooth-based positioning, the UE 604 uses a "BT-ProvideLocationInformation" IE to provide measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons to the location server 630. This IE can also be used to provide Bluetooth positioning-specific error reasons.

[0129] An LPP session generally includes at least a capability transfer or indication procedure, an assistance data transfer or delivery procedure, and a location information transfer or delivery procedure. Figure 7 An example LPP capability transfer process 710, LPP assistance data transfer process 730, and LPP location information transfer process 750 between a target device (labeled "target") and a location server (labeled "server") according to aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated. These processes may be performed in Figure 5 is executed during stage 530b.

[0130] The purpose of the LPP Capabilities Transfer procedure 710 is to enable the transfer of capabilities from a target device (e.g., UE 204) to a location server (e.g., LMF 270). In this context, capabilities refer to positioning and protocol capabilities related to LPP, as well as the positioning methods supported by LPP. During the LPP Capabilities Transfer procedure 710, the location server (e.g., LMF 270) indicates the types of capabilities required by the target device (e.g., UE 204) in an LPP Request Capabilities message. The target device responds with an LPP Offer Capabilities message. The capabilities included in the LPP Offer Capabilities message should correspond to any capability types specified in the LPP Request Capabilities message. Specifically, for each positioning method for which a capability request was included in the LPP Request Capabilities message, if the target device supports that positioning method, the target device includes the target device's capabilities for the supported positioning method in the LPP Offer Capabilities message. For the LPP Capabilities Indication procedure, the target device provides unsolicited capabilities to the location server in an LPP Offer Capabilities message (i.e., without receiving an LPP Request Capabilities message).

[0131] The purpose of the LPP Assistance Data Delivery process 730 is to enable a target device to request assistance data from a location server to assist in positioning, and to enable the location server to deliver assistance data to the target device without a request. In the LPP Assistance Data Delivery process 730, the target device transmits an LPP Request Assistance Data message to the location server. The location server responds to the target device with an LPP Provide Assistance Data message containing assistance data. The delivered assistance data should match or be a subset of the assistance data requested in the LPP Request Assistance Data message. The location server may also provide any unsolicited information it deems useful to the target device. The location server may also send one or more additional LPP Provide Assistance Data messages containing further assistance data to the target device. With the LPP Assistance Data Delivery process, the location server provides unsolicited assistance data necessary for positioning. Assistance data may be provided periodically or aperiodically.

[0132] The purpose of the LPP Location Information Transfer procedure 750 is to enable a location server to request location measurement data and / or a position estimate from a target device, and to enable a target device to transfer location measurement data and / or a position estimate to a location server without a request. In the LPP Location Information Transfer procedure 750, the location server transmits an LPP Request Location Information message to the target device requesting location information, indicating the type of location information requested and potentially associated QoS. The target device responds to the location server with an LPP Provide Location Information message to transfer the location information. Unless the location server explicitly allows additional location information, the transferred location information must match or be a subset of the location information requested in the LPP Request Location Information message. More specifically, if the requested information is compatible with the capabilities and configuration of the target device, the target device includes the requested information in the LPP Provide Location Information message. Otherwise, if the target device does not support one or more of the requested positioning methods, the target device continues to process the message as if it contained only information for supported positioning methods and handles the signaling content of the unsupported positioning methods through LPP error detection. If requested by the LPP Request Location Information message, the target device transmits an Additional LPP Provide Location Information message to the location server to deliver additional location information.The LPP Location Information Delivery procedure supports the delivery of positioning estimates based on unsolicited services.

[0133] LPP also defines procedures related to error indication when a receiving endpoint (destination device or location server) receives erroneous or unexpected data or detects that some data is missing. Specifically, when a receiving endpoint determines that a received LPP message contains errors, the receiving endpoint may return an error message indicating one or more errors to the sending endpoint and discard the received / erroneous message. If the receiving endpoint is able to determine that the erroneous LPP message is an LPP error or abort message, the receiving endpoint discards the received message without returning an error message to the sending endpoint.

[0134] LPP also defines procedures related to abort indications, allowing a target device or location server to abort an ongoing procedure due to an unexpected event (e.g., an LCS client canceling a location request). The abort procedure can also be used to stop an ongoing procedure (e.g., periodic location reporting from a target device). During the abort procedure, a first endpoint determines that a procedure P must be aborted and transmits an abort message to a second endpoint, carrying the transaction ID of procedure P. The second endpoint then aborts procedure P.

[0135] Referring to E-CID positioning techniques in more detail, in the CID positioning method, UE position is estimated based on knowledge of the geographic coordinates of the UE's serving ng-eNB or gNB. E-CID, based on LTE positioning signals, refers to a technique that uses measurements related to UE and / or NG-RAN radio resources to improve the UE's position estimate. In the case of a serving ng-eNB, uplink E-CID can use inter-RAT NR, GSM Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), or WLAN measurements reported by the UE. It should be noted that for the E-CID positioning method, the UE only reports its available measurements and is not required to take additional measurement actions. Therefore, the measurement gap request procedure is not applicable to the E-CID positioning method.

[0136] There are two types of E-CID procedures, uplink E-CID and downlink E-CID, depending on which entity is providing the measurements. Referring to the uplink E-CID positioning procedures (between the NG-RAN node and the LMF), these types of procedures support E-CID-related measurements obtained by the NG-RAN node and provided to the LMF using NRPPa. The term "uplink" is intended to indicate that, from the LMF's perspective, the measurements in question are provided by the NG-RAN node; this group of procedures can also be considered "NGRAN node-assisted E-CID." An example of this uplink E-CID positioning method for E-UTRA is AoA plus Timing Advance.

[0137] Figure 8 An example uplink E-CID measurement procedure between an NG-RAN node 820 (e.g., gNB 222 or ng-eNB 224) and LMF 270 is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 8 The E-CID measurement initiation process 800 and the E-CID measurement reporting process 850 performed through NRPPa signaling are illustrated. These processes may be performed in Figure 5 Executed during stage 530a.

[0138] The purpose of the E-CID measurement initiation procedure 800 is to allow the LMF 270 to request the NG-RAN node 820 to report E-CID measurements that are used by the LMF 270 to calculate the location of the UE. Figure 8 As shown, the LMF 270 initiates the E-CID measurement initiation procedure 800 by transmitting an E-CID measurement initiation request message. The following table shows the fields that may be present in the E-CID measurement initiation request message. If the NG-RAN node 820 is able to initiate the requested E-CID measurement, it replies with an E-CID measurement initiation response message that includes the requested information (to the extent known / available).

[0139]

[0140] Table 1

[0141] The purpose of the E-CID measurement reporting procedure 850 is to enable the NG-RAN node 820 to provide the E-CID measurements for the UE to the LMF 270. Figure 8 As shown, the NG-RAN node 820 initiates the E-CID measurement reporting procedure 850 by transmitting an E-CID measurement report message. The E-CID measurement report message contains the E-CID measurement results according to the measurement configuration in the corresponding E-CID measurement initiation request message.

[0142] When measurement results other than "Cell ID" are requested, a "Measurement Result" information element (IE) is included in the "E-CID Measurement Result" IE of the E-CID Measurement Report message. If applicable, the NG-RAN node 820 includes an "NG-RAN Access Point Position" IE or a "Geographic Coordinates" IE in the "E-CID Measurement Result" IE within the E-CID Measurement Report message. The "NG-RAN Access Point Position" IE or the "Geographic Coordinates" IE is the configured estimated serving antenna position. Upon receiving the "NG-RAN Access Point Position" IE, the LMF 270 may use this value as the geographic location of the NG-RAN access point. If applicable, the NG-RAN node 820 includes a "Cell Part ID" IE in the E-CID Measurement Report message. Upon receiving the "Cell Part ID" IE, the LMF 270 may use this value as the cell part to be measured.

[0143] Referring now to the downlink E-CID positioning procedures (between the UE and the LMF), these types of procedures support E-CID-related measurements obtained by the UE and provided to the LMF using LPP. The term "downlink" is intended to indicate that from the LMF's perspective, the measurements involved are provided by the UE; this group of procedures can also be considered "UE-assisted, LMF-based E-CID".

[0144] When the process is initiated by LMF, Figure 7The LPP Location Information Transfer procedure 750 illustrated in FIG. 1 is used for the uplink E-CID method. In this case, the LMF transmits an LPP Request Location Information message (specifically, an LPP E-CID Request Location Information message) to the UE to invoke E-CID positioning. The request includes E-CID measurements requested by the LMF and supported by the UE, as well as a requested response time. In response, the UE transmits an LPP Provide Location Information message (specifically, an LPP E-CID Provide Location Information message) to the LMF and reports the requested measurements available at the UE before the response time specified in the LPP Request Location Information message has expired. If the requested measurements are not available, or if the response time has expired before the requested measurements have been obtained, the UE returns any information that may be provided in the LPP Provide Location Information message, which includes an indication of the reason for the unprovided location information.

[0145] Figure 9 The "ECID-ProvideLocationInformation" IE 900 according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The "ECID-ProvideLocationInformation" IE 900 can be used as Figure 7 The LPP provides location information message in the LPP Location Information Transfer procedure 750. The "ECID-SignalMeasurementInformation" IE is used by the target device (UE) to provide various UE measurements to the location server. When the target device reports measurements for both the primary cell (E-UTRA or NB-IoT) and neighboring cells, the "primaryCellMeasuredResults" field contains the primary cell measurements (if the primary cell is an E-UTRA or NB-IoT cell). The "measuredResultsList" field contains the E-CID measurements for up to 32 E-UTRA or NB-IoT cells.

[0146] In an NTN scenario, the cell supported by a spacecraft (e.g., spacecraft 112) can be very large. For example, for a geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a cell may correspond to a spot beam with a diameter of 500 kilometers (km). However, in an NTN scenario, the UE may be configured to report its coarse location to the NG-RAN (e.g., NG-RAN 220), which may be accurate to up to 2 km. Additionally, the UE may report location-related measurements, such as Bluetooth measurements, sensor measurements, and / or UWB measurements, to the NG-RAN via RRC.

[0147] More specifically, in the RRC, the UE may be configured to report additional measurements in the "MeasResults" IE. The "MeasResults" IE covers measurement results for intra-frequency mobility, inter-frequency mobility, and / or inter-RAT mobility, as well as measurement results for sidelink communication / discovery. The "MeasResults" IE may include optional "LocationInfo" and "coarseLocationInfo" IEs. The "coarseLocationInfo" IE indicates the coarse location information reported by the UE. This field is decoded as the "Ellipsoid-Point" IE defined in the LPP. The "Ellipsoid-Point" IE is used to describe the geographic shape and includes the fields "latitudeSign" (which can have a "North" value or a "South" value), "degreesLatitude," and "degreesLongitude." The first / leftmost bit of the first octet of the "coarseLocationInfo" IE contains the most significant bit. The least significant bits (LSBs) of "degreesLatitude" and "degreesLongitude" are set to 0 to meet the accuracy requirement corresponding to a granularity of approximately 2 km. It is up to the UE implementation to determine how many LSBs are set to 0 to meet the accuracy requirement.

[0148] The "LocationInfo" IE is used to convey available detailed location information, Bluetooth measurement results, WLAN measurement results, and sensor measurement results available at the UE. Figure 10A and Figure 10B An example "LocationInfo" IE 1000 is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 10A and Figure 10B As shown, the “LocationInfo” IE 1000 includes a “CommonLocationInfo” IE 1010 , a “LogMeasResultListBT” IE 1020 , a “LogMeasResultListWLAN” IE 1030 , and a “Sensor-LocationInfo” IE 1040 .

[0149] The "CommonLocationInfo" IE 1010 is used to convey detailed location information available at the UE to associate measurements with UE positioning information. The "gnss-TOD-msec" field specifies the GNSS time of day (TOD) for which the measurement and / or position estimate is valid. The value of the GNSS TOD is derived from the GNSS specific system time indicated in the "gnss-TimeID" rounded down to the nearest millisecond unit. The "locationTimestamp" field provides the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time when the position estimate is valid and should be in the form YYMMDDhhmmssZ. The "locationCoordinates" field provides a position estimate using a predefined geographic shape (e.g., an ellipsoid).

[0150] The "LogMeasResultListBT" IE 1020 contains the measurement results of Bluetooth. The "bt-Addr" field indicates the Bluetooth public address of the Bluetooth beacon being measured. The "rssi-BT" field provides the beacon received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the beacon in dBm.

[0151] The "LogMeasResultListWLAN" IE 1030 covers the measurement results for WLANs. The "Wlan-Identifier" field indicates the WLAN parameters used to identify the WLAN to which the measurement results apply. The "rssiWLAN" field indicates the measured WLAN RSSI result in dBm. The "rtt-WLAN" field provides the measured round-trip time between the target device and the WLAN AP, and optionally provides the accuracy expressed as the standard deviation of the delay.

[0152] The "Sensor-LocationInfo" IE 1040 is used by the UE to provide sensor information. The "sensor-MeasurementInformation" field provides air pressure measurements as "Sensor-MeasurementInformation" defined in LPP. The "sensor-MotionInformation" field provides motion sensor measurements as "sensor-MotionInformation" defined in LPP.

[0153] The present disclosure provides a technique for including this information in the E-CID measurement report to improve the positioning accuracy of the E-CID. For uplink E-CID, the E-CID measurement initiation request message (such as Figure 8(as shown) may request and / or the E-CID measurement initiation response message or the E-CID measurement report message may include a “coarseLocationInfo” IE, a “CommonLocationInfo” IE 1010, a “LogMeasResultListBT” IE 1020, a “LogMeasResultListWLAN” IE 1030, a “Sensor-LocationInfo” IE 1040, or any combination thereof.

[0154] In addition, RRC can be extended to support reporting for UWB (e.g., unlicensed spectrum in the 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz frequency range) measurements. In this case, the E-CID measurement initiate request message can request and / or the E-CID measurement initiate response message or E-CID measurement report message can include an IE for UWB measurements (e.g., denoted as "UWB-locationInfo"). Like Bluetooth measurements and WLAN measurements, UWB measurements can include an identifier of the UWB transmitter and associated signal strength (e.g., RSSI) and / or round-trip time.

[0155] Continuing with the uplink E-CID, an E-CID Measurement Initiation Request message may request, and / or an E-CID Measurement Initiation Response message or E-CID Measurement Report message may include, the UE's "mapped cell ID." In NTN scenarios, this mapped cell ID corresponds to a fixed geographic area. The mapping between the mapped cell ID and the geographic area is configured in the NG-RAN (e.g., NG-RAN 220) and the core network (e.g., 5GC 210 / 260). It should be noted that a particular geographic location may be mapped to multiple mapped cell IDs, and such mapped cell IDs may be configured to indicate different geographic areas (e.g., overlapping and / or having different dimensions). Base stations (e.g., gNB 222, ng-eNB 224, SV 112) are responsible for constructing the mapped cell ID based on UE location information received from the UE (if available). The mapping may be pre-configured (e.g., depending on operator policy) or implementation-specific. Currently, RAN nodes provide the mapped cell ID to the AMF (e.g., AMF 264) rather than the LMF (e.g., LMF 270).

[0156] For downlink E-CID, the UE may include a "coarseLocationInfo" IE in the LPP "ECID-ProvideLocationInformation" IE (e.g., "ECID-ProvideLocationInformation" IE 900). As described above, the "coarseLocationInfo" IE indicates the coarse location information reported by the UE. This field is decoded as an "Ellipsoid-Point" IE, which is used to describe the geographic shape and includes the fields "latitudeSign" (which can have a value of "North" or "South"), "degreesLatitude," and "degreesLongitude." The first / leftmost bit of the first octet of the "coarseLocationInfo" IE contains the most significant bit. The LSBs of "degreesLatitude" and "degreesLongitude" are set to 0 to meet the accuracy requirement corresponding to a granularity of approximately 2 km.

[0157] A UE that can report a "coarseLocationInfo" IE in an LPP "ECID-ProvideLocationInformation" IE may indicate its ability to do so in an LPP Provide Capabilities message (specifically, an LPP E-CID Provide Capabilities message) as part of the LPP Capabilities Transfer Procedure 710. The location server may also request the UE to provide its ability to report a "coarseLocationInfo" IE in an "ECID-ProvideLocationInformation" IE in an LPP ...

[0158] Continuing with the downlink E-CID, the UE may also report to the location server a "CommonLocationInfo" IE (e.g., "CommonLocationInfo" IE 1010), a "LogMeasResultListBT" IE (e.g., "LogMeasResultListBT" IE 1020), a "LogMeasResultListWLAN" IE (e.g., "LogMeasResultListWLAN" IE 1030), a "Sensor-LocationInfo" IE (e.g., "Sensor-LocationInfo" IE 1040), a "UWB-locationInfo" IE, or any combination thereof. These IEs (or parameters) may be reported in an LPP Provide Location Information message (specifically, an LPP E-CID Provide Location Information message).

[0159] Figure 11 An example communication method 1100 according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. In one aspect, method X00 may be performed by a network node (eg, a UE or a RAN node).

[0160] At 1110, the network node receives a request from a location server (e.g., LMF 270) to provide an E-CID measurement report for a UE (e.g., any UE described herein). In one aspect, where the network node is a UE, operation 1110 may be performed by one or more WWAN transceivers 310, one or more processors 332, memory 340, and / or positioning component 342, any or all of which may be considered means for performing the operation. In one aspect, where the network node is a RAN node, operation 1110 may be performed by one or more WWAN transceivers 350, one or more network transceivers 380, one or more processors 384, memory 386, and / or positioning component 388, any or all of which may be considered means for performing the operation.

[0161] At 1120, the network node sends a response to the location server, the response including the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report including coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a GNSS location of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons, WLAN location information indicating measurements of one or more WLAN access points, UWB location information indicating measurements of one or more UWB transmitters, sensor location information indicating measurements of one or more sensors, or any combination thereof. In one aspect, where the network node is a UE, operation 1120 may be performed by one or more WWAN transceivers 310, one or more processors 332, memory 340, and / or positioning component 342, any or all of which may be considered means for performing the operation. In one aspect, where the network node is a RAN node, operation 1120 may be performed by one or more WWAN transceivers 350, one or more network transceivers 380, one or more processors 384, memory 386, and / or positioning component 388, any or all of which may be considered means for performing the operation.

[0162] As will be appreciated, a technical advantage of method 1100 is improved positioning performance (eg, accuracy) of E-CID positioning. Additionally, for NTN scenarios, coarse location information can be used for UE location verification (which is a separate core network function for NTN scenarios).

[0163] In the detailed description above, it can be seen that different features are grouped together in the examples. This disclosure should not be interpreted as an intention that the example clauses have more features than those explicitly mentioned in each clause. On the contrary, the various aspects of the present disclosure may include fewer than all the features of the individual example clauses disclosed. Therefore, the following clauses should be considered to be incorporated into the description accordingly, with each clause itself serving as a separate example. Although each dependent clause may refer to a specific combination with one of the other clauses in the clause, the aspects of the dependent clause are not limited to specific combinations. It should be understood that other example clauses may also include combinations of aspects of the dependent clause with the subject matter of any other dependent clause or independent clause or combinations of any features with other dependent clauses and independent clauses. The various aspects disclosed herein explicitly include these combinations unless it is expressly expressed or can be easily inferred that a specific combination is not intended to be used (for example, contradictory aspects, such as defining an element as both an electrical insulator and an electrical conductor). In addition, it is also expected that various aspects of a clause may be included in any other independent clause, even if the clause is not directly dependent on the independent clause.

[0164] Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0165] Clause 1. A communication method performed by a network node, the method comprising: receiving a request from a location server to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE); and sending a response to the location server, the response including the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report including coarse position information indicating a coarse position of the UE, common position information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position of the UE, Bluetooth position information indicating measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons, WLAN position information indicating measurements of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, UWB position information indicating measurements of one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitters, sensor position information indicating measurements of one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0166] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein: the network node is a radio access network (RAN) node, the request is a New Radio (NR) Positioning Protocol Type A (NRPPa) E-CID Measurement Initiation Request message, and the response is an NRPPa E-CID Measurement Initiation Response message or an NRPPa E-CID Measurement Report message.

[0167] Clause 3. The method of clause 2, wherein the RAN node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) RAN node.

[0168] Clause 4. The method of any of clauses 2 to 3, wherein the E-CID measurement report further comprises a mapped cell identifier (ID), the mapped cell identifier (ID) indicating a fixed geographical area of ​​a serving cell of the UE.

[0169] Clause 5. The method according to any one of clauses 2 to 4, further comprising: receiving the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or the combination thereof from the UE in a radio resource control (RRC) measurement result message.

[0170] Clause 6. The method of clause 1, wherein: the network node is the UE, the request is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) E-CID Request Location Information message, and the response is an LPP E-CID Provide Location Information message.

[0171] Clause 7. The method according to clause 6 further includes: sending an LPP E-CID provide capability message to the location server, wherein the LPP E-CID provide capability message indicates that the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0172] Clause 8. The method according to clause 7, further comprising: receiving an LPP E-CID request capability message from the location server, the LPP E-CID request capability message indicating that the LPP E-CID provide capability message will indicate whether the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0173] Clause 9. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 8, wherein the request to provide the E-CID measurement report indicates that the E-CID measurement report is to include the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0174] Clause 10. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the measurement results of the one or more Bluetooth beacons include: identifiers of the one or more Bluetooth beacons and signal strength measurements of the one or more Bluetooth beacons.

[0175] Clause 11. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 10, wherein the measurement results of the one or more WLAN access points include: identifiers of the one or more WLAN access points, signal strength measurements of the one or more WLAN access points, and round-trip times between the UE and the one or more WLAN access points.

[0176] Clause 12. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 11, wherein the measurement results of the one or more UWB transmitters include: identifiers of the one or more UWB transmitters, signal strength measurements of the one or more UWB transmitters, and round-trip times between the UE and the one or more UWB transmitters.

[0177] Clause 13. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprise: one or more motion sensor measurements, one or more air pressure measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0178] Clause 14. A network node, the network node comprising: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor, the at least one processor being communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: receive, via the at least one transceiver, a request to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE) from a location server; and send, via the at least one transceiver, a response to the location server, the response comprising the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report comprising coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons, WLAN location information indicating measurements of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, ultra-wideband (UWB) location information indicating measurements of one or more UWB transmitters, sensor location information indicating measurements of one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0179] Clause 15. A network node according to clause 14, wherein: the network node is a radio access network (RAN) node, the request is a New Radio (NR) Positioning Protocol Type A (NRPPa) E-CID Measurement Initiation Request message, and the response is an NRPPa E-CID Measurement Initiation Response message or an NRPPa E-CID Measurement Report message.

[0180] Clause 16. The network node of clause 15, wherein the RAN node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) RAN node.

[0181] Clause 17. A network node as set forth in any of clauses 15 to 16, wherein the E-CID measurement report further comprises a mapped cell identifier (ID), the mapped cell identifier (ID) indicating a fixed geographical area of ​​a serving cell of the UE.

[0182] Clause 18. A network node according to any of clauses 15 to 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or the combination thereof from the UE via the at least one transceiver in a radio resource control (RRC) measurement result message.

[0183] Clause 19. The network node of clause 14, wherein: the network node is the UE, the request is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) E-CID Request Location Information message, and the response is an LPP E-CID Provide Location Information message.

[0184] Clause 20. The network node of clause 19, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: send an LPP E-CID provide capability message to the location server via the at least one transceiver, the LPP E-CID provide capability message indicating that the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0185] Clause 21. The network node of clause 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, via the at least one transceiver, an LPP E-CID request capability message from the location server, the LPP E-CID request capability message indicating that the LPP E-CID provide capability message will indicate whether the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0186] Clause 22. A network node as described in any of clauses 14 to 21, wherein the request to provide the E-CID measurement report indicates that the E-CID measurement report is to include the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0187] Clause 23. The network node of any of clauses 14 to 22, wherein the measurement results of the one or more Bluetooth beacons comprise: identifiers of the one or more Bluetooth beacons and signal strength measurements of the one or more Bluetooth beacons.

[0188] Clause 24. A network node according to any of clauses 14 to 23, wherein the measurement results of the one or more WLAN access points include: identifiers of the one or more WLAN access points, signal strength measurements of the one or more WLAN access points, and round-trip times between the UE and the one or more WLAN access points.

[0189] Clause 25. A network node according to any of clauses 14 to 24, wherein the measurement results of the one or more UWB transmitters include: identifiers of the one or more UWB transmitters, signal strength measurements of the one or more UWB transmitters, and round-trip times between the UE and the one or more UWB transmitters.

[0190] Clause 26. The network node of any of clauses 14 to 25, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprise: one or more motion sensor measurements, one or more air pressure measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0191] Clause 27. A network node, the network node comprising: means for receiving a request from a location server to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE); and means for sending a response to the location server, the response comprising the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report comprising coarse position information indicating a coarse position of the UE, common position information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position of the UE, Bluetooth position information indicating measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons, WLAN position information indicating measurements of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, UWB position information indicating measurements of one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitters, sensor position information indicating measurements of one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0192] Clause 28. A network node according to clause 27, wherein: the network node is a radio access network (RAN) node, the request is a New Radio (NR) Positioning Protocol Type A (NRPPa) E-CID Measurement Initiation Request message, and the response is an NRPPa E-CID Measurement Initiation Response message or an NRPPa E-CID Measurement Report message.

[0193] Clause 29. The network node of clause 28, wherein the RAN node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) RAN node.

[0194] Clause 30. A network node as set forth in any of clauses 28 to 29, wherein the E-CID measurement report further comprises a mapped cell identifier (ID), the mapped cell identifier (ID) indicating a fixed geographical area of ​​a serving cell of the UE.

[0195] Clause 31. A network node according to any of clauses 28 to 30, the network node further comprising: means for receiving the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or the combination thereof from the UE in a radio resource control (RRC) measurement result message.

[0196] Clause 32. The network node of clause 27, wherein: the network node is the UE, the request is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) E-CID Request Location Information message, and the response is an LPP E-CID Provide Location Information message.

[0197] Clause 33. The network node of clause 32, further comprising: means for sending an LPP E-CID provide capability message to the location server, the LPP E-CID provide capability message indicating that the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0198] Clause 34. The network node of clause 33, further comprising: means for receiving an LPP E-CID request capability message from the location server, the LPP E-CID request capability message indicating that the LPP E-CID provide capability message will indicate whether the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0199] Clause 35. A network node as described in any of clauses 27 to 34, wherein the request to provide the E-CID measurement report indicates that the E-CID measurement report is to include the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0200] Clause 36. The network node of any of clauses 27 to 35, wherein the measurement results of the one or more Bluetooth beacons comprise: identifiers of the one or more Bluetooth beacons and signal strength measurements of the one or more Bluetooth beacons.

[0201] Clause 37. A network node according to any of clauses 27 to 36, wherein the measurement results of the one or more WLAN access points include: identifiers of the one or more WLAN access points, components for signaling strength measurements of the one or more WLAN access points, and components for round-trip times between the UE and the one or more WLAN access points.

[0202] Clause 38. A network node according to any of clauses 27 to 37, wherein the measurement results of the one or more UWB transmitters include: identifiers of the one or more UWB transmitters, components for signaling strength measurements of the one or more UWB transmitters, and components for round-trip time between the UE and the one or more UWB transmitters.

[0203] Clause 39. The network node of any of clauses 27 to 38, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprise: one or more motion sensor measurements, one or more air pressure measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0204] Clause 40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a network node, cause the network node to: receive a request from a location server to provide an enhanced cell identification (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE); and send a response to the location server, the response comprising the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report comprising coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurements of one or more Bluetooth beacons, WLAN location information indicating measurements of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, UWB location information indicating measurements of one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitters, sensor location information indicating measurements of one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0205] Clause 41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of clause 40, wherein: the network node is a radio access network (RAN) node, the request is a New Radio (NR) Positioning Protocol Type A (NRPPa) E-CID Measurement Initiation Request message, and the response is an NRPPa E-CID Measurement Initiation Response message or an NRPPa E-CID Measurement Report message.

[0206] Clause 42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of clause 41, wherein the network node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) RAN node.

[0207] Clause 43. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 41 to 42, wherein the E-CID measurement report further comprises a mapped cell identifier (ID), the mapped cell identifier (ID) indicating a fixed geographic area of ​​a serving cell of the UE.

[0208] Clause 44. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 41 to 43, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the network node, cause the network node to perform the following actions: receiving the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or the combination thereof from the UE in a radio resource control (RRC) measurement result message.

[0209] Clause 45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of clause 40, wherein: the network node is the UE, the request is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) E-CID Request Location Information message, and the response is an LPP E-CID Provide Location Information message.

[0210] Clause 46. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of clause 45, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the network node, cause the network node to perform the following actions: sending an LPP E-CID provide capability message to the location server, the LPP E-CID provide capability message indicating that the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0211] Clause 47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of clause 46, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the network node, cause the network node to perform the following actions: receive an LPP E-CID request capability message from the location server, the LPP E-CID request capability message indicating that the LPP E-CID provide capability message will indicate whether the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0212] Clause 48. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any one of clauses 40 to 47, wherein the request to provide the E-CID measurement report indicates that the E-CID measurement report will include the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

[0213] Clause 49. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of clauses 40 to 48, wherein the measurement results of the one or more Bluetooth beacons include: identifiers of the one or more Bluetooth beacons and signal strength measurements of the one or more Bluetooth beacons.

[0214] Clause 50. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any one of clauses 40 to 49, wherein the measurement results of the one or more WLAN access points include: identifiers of the one or more WLAN access points, signal strength measurements of the one or more WLAN access points, and round-trip times between the UE and the one or more WLAN access points.

[0215] Clause 51. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 40 to 50, wherein the measurement results of the one or more UWB transmitters include: identifiers of the one or more UWB transmitters, signal strength measurements of the one or more UWB transmitters, and round-trip times between the UE and the one or more UWB transmitters.

[0216] Clause 52. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of clauses 40 to 51, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprise: one or more motion sensor measurements, one or more air pressure measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0217] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0218] In addition, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithmic steps described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of the two. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such specific implementation decisions should not be interpreted as resulting in a departure from the scope of this disclosure.

[0219] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0220] The methods, sequences, and / or algorithms described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software module may reside in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An example storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage medium. In an alternative embodiment, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal (e.g., a UE). In an alternative embodiment, the processor and storage medium may reside in the user terminal as discrete components.

[0221] In one or more exemplary aspects, the described functions may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. A storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Furthermore, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc. Disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0222] Although the foregoing disclosure illustrates exemplary aspects of the present disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. In addition, the functions, steps, and / or actions of the method claims according to the various aspects of the present disclosure described herein do not need to be performed in any particular order. Furthermore, although elements of the present disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, plural forms are also contemplated unless expressly stated to be limited to the singular.

Claims

1. A communication method performed by a network node, the method comprising: receiving a request from a location server to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE); as well as Sending a response to the location server, the response including the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report including coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurement results of one or more Bluetooth beacons, WLAN location information indicating measurement results of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, UWB location information indicating measurement results of one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitters, sensor location information indicating one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: said network node being a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, The request is a New Radio (NR) Positioning Protocol Type A (NRPPa) E-CID Measurement Initiation Request message, and The response is an NRPPa E-CID measurement initiation response message or an NRPPa E-CID measurement report message. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the RAN node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) RAN node. 4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the E-CID measurement report further includes a mapped cell identifier (ID), the mapped cell identifier (ID) indicating a fixed geographical area of ​​a serving cell of the UE.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: The coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or the combination thereof is received from the UE in a radio resource control (RRC) measurement result message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The network node is the UE, The request is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) E-CID Request Location Information message, and The response is an LPP E-CID Provide Location Information message.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: An LPP E-CID provide capability message is sent to the location server, where the LPP E-CID provide capability message indicates that the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: An LPP E-CID request capability message is received from the location server, the LPP E-CID request capability message indicating whether the LPP E-CID provide capability message will indicate whether the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to provide the E-CID measurement report indicates that the E-CID measurement report is to include the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurement results of the one or more Bluetooth beacons include: identifiers of the one or more Bluetooth beacons, and Signal strength measurements of the one or more Bluetooth beacons.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement results of the one or more WLAN access points comprise: identifiers of the one or more WLAN access points, signal strength measurements of the one or more WLAN access points, and The round trip time between the UE and the one or more WLAN access points.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurement results of the one or more UWB transmitters comprise: an identifier of said one or more UWB transmitters, Signal strength measurements of the one or more UWB transmitters, and The round trip time between the UE and the one or more UWB transmitters.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprise: One or more motion sensors measure, One or more barometric pressure measurements, or Any combination of them.

14. A network node, comprising: Memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor configured to: receiving, via the at least one transceiver, from a location server a request to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE); and and sending a response to the location server via the at least one transceiver, the response including the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report including coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurement results of one or more Bluetooth beacons, WLAN location information indicating measurement results of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, UWB location information indicating measurement results of one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitters, sensor location information indicating one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

15. The network node according to claim 14, wherein: said network node being a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, The request is a New Radio (NR) Positioning Protocol Type A (NRPPa) E-CID Measurement Initiation Request message, and The response is an NRPPa E-CID measurement initiation response message or an NRPPa E-CID measurement report message.

16. The network node of claim 15, wherein the RAN node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) RAN node.

17. The network node of claim 15, wherein the E-CID measurement report further includes a mapped cell identifier (ID), the mapped cell identifier (ID) indicating a fixed geographical area of ​​a serving cell of the UE.

18. The network node of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: The coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or the combination thereof is received from the UE in a radio resource control (RRC) measurement result message via the at least one transceiver.

19. The network node according to claim 14, wherein: The network node is the UE, The request is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) E-CID Request Location Information message, and The response is an LPP E-CID Provide Location Information message.

20. The network node of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: An LPP E-CID provide capability message is sent to the location server via the at least one transceiver, where the LPPE-CID provide capability message indicates that the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

21. The network node of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: An LPP E-CID request capability message is received from the location server via the at least one transceiver, the LPP E-CID request capability message indicating whether the LPP E-CID provide capability message will indicate whether the UE is capable of providing the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

22. The network node of claim 14, wherein the request to provide the E-CID measurement report indicates that the E-CID measurement report is to include the coarse location information, the common location information, the Bluetooth location information, the WLAN location information, the UWB location information, the sensor location information, or any combination thereof.

23. The network node of claim 14, wherein the measurement results of the one or more Bluetooth beacons include: identifiers of the one or more Bluetooth beacons, and Signal strength measurements of the one or more Bluetooth beacons.

24. The network node of claim 14, wherein the measurement results of the one or more WLAN access points comprise: identifiers of the one or more WLAN access points, signal strength measurements of the one or more WLAN access points, and The round trip time between the UE and the one or more WLAN access points.

25. The network node of claim 14, wherein the measurement results of the one or more UWB transmitters include: an identifier of said one or more UWB transmitters, Signal strength measurements of the one or more UWB transmitters, and The round trip time between the UE and the one or more UWB transmitters.

26. The network node of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprise: One or more motion sensors measure, One or more barometric pressure measurements, or Any combination of them.

27. A network node, comprising: means for receiving, from a location server, a request to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE); and A component for sending a response to the location server, the response including the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report including coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurement results of one or more Bluetooth beacons, WLAN location information indicating measurement results of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, UWB location information indicating measurement results of one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitters, sensor location information indicating one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

28. The network node according to claim 27, wherein: said network node being a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, The request is a New Radio (NR) Positioning Protocol Type A (NRPPa) E-CID Measurement Initiation Request message, and The response is an NRPPa E-CID measurement initiation response message or an NRPPa E-CID measurement report message.

29. The network node according to claim 27, wherein: The network node is the UE, The request is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) E-CID Request Location Information message, and The response is an LPP E-CID Provide Location Information message.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a network node, cause the network node to: receiving a request from a location server to provide an enhanced cell identity (E-CID) measurement report for a user equipment (UE); and Sending a response to the location server, the response including the E-CID measurement report, the E-CID measurement report including coarse location information indicating a coarse location of the UE, common location information indicating a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location of the UE, Bluetooth location information indicating measurement results of one or more Bluetooth beacons, WLAN location information indicating measurement results of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) access points, UWB location information indicating measurement results of one or more ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitters, sensor location information indicating one or more sensor measurements, or any combination thereof.

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