Low power radio reference signal signaling

Abstract

A low power reference signal method includes sending a capability message from a UE to a network entity, the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio of the UE, wherein the low-power radio is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than the power used by a primary radio of the UE to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low-power reference signal; receiving, at the UE, a reference signal configuration of the first reference signal from the network entity; and processing, at the UE, the first reference signal according to the reference signal configuration using the low-power radio.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 172,547, filed on February 22, 2023, entitled “LOW-POWER RADIO REFERENCESIGNAL SIGNALING,” which is assigned to the assignee of this application and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The field of the present disclosure is low power reference signal signaling, eg, transmission and / or reception. Background Art

[0004] Wireless communication systems have evolved over several generations, including first-generation analog wireless telephone service (1G), second-generation (2G) digital wireless telephone service (including transitional 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data wireless service with internet capabilities, fourth-generation (4G) services (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax), and fifth-generation (5G) services. 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), as well as digital cellular systems based on code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), and Global System for Mobile (GSM) TDMA variants.

[0005] The fifth-generation (5G) mobile standard calls for higher data transfer speeds, a greater number of connections, and improved coverage, among other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance, the 5G standard is designed to provide data rates of tens of megabits per second to tens of thousands of users, with a data rate of 1 gigabit per second being provided to dozens of workers on an office floor. To support large-scale sensor deployments, hundreds of thousands of simultaneous connections should be supported. Consequently, 5G mobile communications should achieve significantly higher spectral efficiency than the current 4G standard. Furthermore, signaling efficiency should be improved, and latency should be significantly reduced compared to current standards. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An example user equipment (UE) includes: a memory; a transceiver including a main radio and a low power radio, wherein the low power radio is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a power used by the main radio to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal; and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver, the processor configured to: send a capability message to a network entity via the transceiver, the capability message indicating an ability of the UE to process the first reference signal using the low power radio; receive a reference signal configuration for the first reference signal from the network entity via the transceiver; and process the first reference signal using the low power radio according to the reference signal configuration.

[0007] An example low power reference signal method includes: sending a capability message from a user equipment (UE) to a network entity, the capability message indicating the UE's ability to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio of the UE, wherein the low power radio is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a power used by a main radio of the UE to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal; receiving, at the UE, a reference signal configuration for the first reference signal from the network entity; and processing, at the UE, the first reference signal using the low power radio according to the reference signal configuration.

[0008] Another example UE includes: means for sending a capability message to a network entity, the capability message indicating the UE's ability to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio component of the UE, wherein the low power radio component is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a power used by a main radio component of the UE to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal; means for receiving a reference signal configuration for the first reference signal from the network entity; and means for processing the first reference signal using the low power radio component in accordance with the reference signal configuration.

[0009] An example non-transitory processor-readable storage medium includes processor-readable instructions that cause a processor of a user equipment (UE) to: send a capability message to a network entity, the capability message indicating the UE's ability to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio of the UE, wherein the low power radio is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a power used by a main radio of the UE to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal; receive a reference signal configuration for the first reference signal from the network entity; and process the first reference signal using the low power radio according to the reference signal configuration.

[0010] An example network entity includes: a memory; a transceiver; and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver, the processor configured to: receive a capability message from a user equipment (UE) via the transceiver, the capability message indicating an ability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio component of the UE; and send one or more configuration parameters of the low power reference signal to the UE via the transceiver based on the capability message.

[0011] An example low power reference signal method includes: receiving, at a network entity, a capability message from a user equipment (UE), the capability message indicating the UE's ability to process low power reference signals using a low power radio component of the UE; and sending, from the network entity to the UE, one or more configuration parameters for the low power reference signal based on the capability message.

[0012] Another example network entity includes: means for receiving a capability message from a user equipment (UE), the capability message indicating the UE's ability to process low power reference signals using a low power radio component of the UE; and means for sending one or more configuration parameters for the low power reference signals to the UE based on the capability message.

[0013] Another example non-transitory processor-readable storage medium includes processor-readable instructions that cause a processor of a network entity to: receive a capability message from a user equipment (UE), the capability message indicating the UE's ability to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio component of the UE; and send one or more configuration parameters for the low power reference signal to the UE based on the capability message. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of an example wireless communication system.

[0015] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of components of an example user equipment is shown.

[0016] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of the components of an example send / receive point is shown.

[0017] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of the components of an example server is shown.

[0018] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an example user equipment.

[0019] Figure 6 is a block diagram of example network entities.

[0020] Figure 7 is a block diagram of example low power radio components.

[0021] Figure 8 is a block diagram of another example low power radio component.

[0022] Figure 9 is a block diagram of another example low power radio component.

[0023] Figure 10 This is a block diagram of OFDM-compatible OOK signal generation.

[0024] Figure 11 This is a block diagram of OFDM-compatible OOK signal reception.

[0025] Figure 12 is a signal and processing flow diagram for low power reference signal delivery.

[0026] Figure 13 is a block flow diagram of a low power reference signal method.

[0027] Figure 14 is a block flow diagram of another low power reference signal method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] This document discusses techniques for using the low-power radio of a user equipment (UE) for positioning and / or sensing. For example, a low-power radio reference signal (LP-RS) may be configured differently than existing reference signals used for positioning and / or sensing. A low-power radio reference signal, or low-power reference signal (LP-RS), may have one or more configuration parameters that differ from those of a standard reference signal. For example, compared to a conventional RS used by the UE's primary radio, an LP-RS may have different modulation, waveform, sequence, transmit power (which may have an incremental power factor relative to other PRS resource configurations), QCL (quasi-co-located) source, repetition factor, and / or time / frequency configuration, required accuracy from a positioning / sensing perspective, SCS (subcarrier spacing), bandwidth (BW), guard band around the signal, and / or RF (radio frequency) requirements, and / or impairments to generated and / or received signals. The UE may transmit a capability message to a network entity to indicate that the UE is capable of processing LP-RS, e.g., for reception and / or transmission. The UE may indicate an on-demand request for an LP-RS configuration as part of a capability message and / or in a separate message, which LP-RS configuration may be used by the UE for positioning and / or sensing signaling (i.e., signal reception, signal transmission, or both). The network entity may, for example, transmit the LP-RS configuration to the UE based on and possibly in response to the capability message and / or the on-demand LP-RS configuration request from the UE. However, other configurations may be used.

[0029] The items and / or techniques described herein may provide one or more of the following capabilities, as well as other capabilities not mentioned. Positioning and / or sensing signaling may be performed using less power than conventional techniques. The use of low power radio components by a UE may be initiated by a network entity or the UE. The use of low power radio components by a UE may be initiated on demand by the UE. Low power reference signals may be configured to facilitate processing with less power than conventional reference signals (e.g., based on the time domain), such that conversion to and / or from the frequency domain may be avoided. Other capabilities may be provided, and not every specific implementation according to the present disclosure necessarily provides any, let alone all, of the capabilities discussed.

[0030] Obtaining the location of a mobile device accessing a wireless network can be used for many applications, including, for example, emergency calling, personal navigation, consumer asset tracking, locating friends or family members, and the like. Existing positioning methods include those based on measuring radio signals transmitted from various devices or entities, including satellite vehicles (SVs) and terrestrial radio sources such as base stations and access points in wireless networks. Standardization for 5G wireless networks is expected to include support for various positioning methods that can utilize reference signals transmitted by base stations for positioning determination, similar to how LTE wireless networks currently utilize Positioning Reference Signals (PRS) and / or Cell-Specific Reference Signals (CRS).

[0031] The descriptions herein may refer to a sequence of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. Each of the actions described herein can be performed by a dedicated circuit (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of the two. The sequence of actions described herein may be embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a corresponding set of computer instructions that, when executed, cause an associated processor to perform the functionality described herein. Accordingly, the various examples described herein may be embodied in a number of different forms, all of which fall within the scope of this disclosure, including the claimed subject matter.

[0032] As used herein, the terms "user equipment" (UE) and "base station" are not specific to or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT), unless otherwise specified. Generally speaking, a UE can be any wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, router, tablet, laptop, consumer asset tracking device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.) used to communicate on 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 device," "subscriber terminal," "subscriber station," "user terminal" or UT, "mobile terminal," "mobile station," "mobile device," or variations thereof. Generally speaking, a UE can communicate with a core network via the RAN, and through the core network, the UE can connect to external networks such as the Internet and to other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for a UE to connect to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible, such as via a wired access network, a WiFi network (e.g., based on IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11, etc.), and so on.

[0033] Depending on the network in which a base station is deployed, it may operate according to one of several RATs when communicating with a UE. Examples of base stations include access points (APs), network nodes, NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), or generalized NodeBs (gNodeBs, gNBs). Furthermore, in some systems, a base station may provide only edge node signaling functions, while in other systems, a base station may provide additional control functions and / or network management functions.

[0034] A UE can be implemented using any of several types of devices, including but not limited to a printed circuit (PC) card, a compact flash device, an external or internal modem, a wireless or wired phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a consumer asset tracking device, an asset tag, and the like. The communication link through which the UE can transmit signals to the RAN is referred to as an uplink channel (e.g., a reverse traffic channel, a reverse control channel, an access channel, etc.). The communication link through which the RAN can transmit signals to the UE is referred to as a downlink or forward link channel (e.g., a paging channel, a control channel, a broadcast channel, a forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term "traffic channel (TCH)" can refer to either an uplink / reverse traffic channel or a downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0035] As used herein, the term "cell" or "sector" may correspond to one of a plurality of cells of a base station or to the base station itself, depending on the context. The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity used to communicate with a base station (e.g., on a carrier) and may be associated with an identifier to distinguish between adjacent cells operating via the same or different carriers (e.g., a physical cell identifier (PCID), a virtual cell identifier (VCID)). In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells, and different cells may be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., machine type communication (MTC), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), or other protocol types) that can provide access to different types of devices. In some examples, the term "cell" may refer to a portion of the geographic coverage area (e.g., a sector) over which the logical entity operates.

[0036] refer to Figure 1An example of a communication system 100 includes UEs 105 and 106, a radio access network (RAN) (here, fifth generation (5G) next generation (NG) RAN (NG-RAN) 135), a 5G core network (5GC) 140, and a server 150. UEs 105 and / or 106 may be, for example, IoT devices, location tracker devices, cellular phones, vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks, buses, boats, etc.), or another device. A 5G network may also be referred to as a New Radio (NR) network; NG-RAN 135 may be referred to as a 5G RAN or NR RAN; and 5GC 140 may be referred to as an NG core network (NGC). Standardization of the NG-RAN and 5GC is ongoing within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Accordingly, NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140 may conform to current or future standards from 3GPP for 5G support. NG-RAN 135 may be another type of RAN, such as a 3G RAN, a 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAN, or the like. UE 106 may be similarly configured and coupled to UE 105 to transmit and / or receive signals to and / or from similar other entities in system 100, but for simplicity of the drawing, the UE 106 is shown in FIG. Figure 1 Such signaling is not indicated in FIG. Similarly, for simplicity, the discussion focuses on UE 105. Communication system 100 may utilize information from a constellation 185 of satellite vehicles (SVs) 190, 191, 192, 193 of a satellite positioning system (SPS), such as a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), Galileo, or BeiDou, or some other local or regional SPS, such as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), or the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). Additional components of communication system 100 are described below. Communication system 100 may include additional or alternative components.

[0037] like Figure 1As shown, NG-RAN 135 includes NR nodeBs (gNBs) 110a and 110b and a next-generation eNodeB (ng-eNB) 114, and 5GC 140 includes an access and mobility management function (AMF) 115, a session management function (SMF) 117, a location management function (LMF) 120, and a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) 125. gNBs 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 are communicatively coupled to one another and are each configured for bidirectional wireless communication with a UE 105. They are also communicatively coupled to and configured for bidirectional communication with the AMF 115. gNBs 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 may be referred to as base stations (BSs). AMF 115, SMF 117, LMF 120, and GMLC 125 are communicatively coupled to one another, and the GMLC is communicatively coupled to an external client 130. The SMF 117 may serve as the initial contact point for a service control function (SCF) (not shown) to create, control, and delete media sessions. A base station (such as gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) may be a macro cell (e.g., a high-power cellular base station) or a small cell (e.g., a low-power cellular base station) or an access point (e.g., a short-range base station configured to communicate with a short-range technology (e.g., WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth ® ,Bluetooth ® One or more base stations (e.g., one or more of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) may be configured to communicate with UE 105 via multiple carriers. Each of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic area (e.g., a cell). Each cell may be divided into multiple sectors based on the base station antennas.

[0038] Figure 1A generalized illustration of various components is provided, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate, and individual components may be repeated or omitted as needed. Specifically, although a single UE 105 is illustrated, many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may be utilized in communication system 100. Similarly, communication system 100 may include a greater (or smaller) number of SVs (i.e., more or less than the four SVs 190-193 shown), gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115, external clients 130, and / or other components. The illustrated connections connecting various components in communication system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, various components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted depending on the desired functionality.

[0039] Although Figure 1 A 5G-based network is illustrated, but similar network implementations and configurations may be used for other communication technologies, such as 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc. Implementations described herein (which may be used for 5G technologies and / or for one or more other communication technologies and / or protocols) may be used to transmit (or broadcast) directional synchronization signals, receive and measure the directional signals at a UE (e.g., UE 105), and / or provide location assistance to the UE 105 (via the GMLC 125 or other location server), and / or calculate the position of the UE 105 at a device with positioning capabilities (such as the UE 105, gNB 110a, gNB 110b, or LMF 120) based on measurements of such directionally transmitted signals received at the UE 105. The gateway mobile location center (GMLC) 125, location management function (LMF) 120, access and mobility management function (AMF) 115, SMF 117, ng-eNB (eNodeB) 114 and gNB (gNodeB) 110a, 110b are examples and may be replaced by or include various other location server functionality and / or base station functionality, respectively, in various embodiments.

[0040] System 100 is capable of wireless communication because the various components of system 100 can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (at least sometimes using wireless connections), for example, via gNBs 110a, 110b, ng-eNBs 114, and / or 5GCs 140 (and / or one or more other devices (not shown), such as one or more other base transceiver stations). For indirect communication, the communication may be modified during transmission from one entity to another, for example, to change header information, alter the format of a data packet, etc. UE 105 may include multiple UEs and may be a mobile wireless communication device, but may communicate both wirelessly and via wired connections. UE 105 may be any of a variety of devices, such as a smartphone, tablet, or vehicle-based device, but these are merely examples, as UE 105 need not be in any of these configurations, and other UE configurations may be used. Other UEs may include wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart jewelry, smart glasses, or head-mounted devices). Other UEs, whether currently existing or developed in the future, may also be used. In addition, other wireless devices (whether mobile or not) may be implemented within the system 100 and may communicate with each other and / or with the UE 105, gNBs 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, 5GC 140, and / or external clients 130. For example, such other devices may include Internet of Things (IoT) devices, medical devices, home entertainment and / or automation devices, etc. The 5GC 140 may communicate with the external client 130 (e.g., a computer system), for example, to allow the external client 130 (e.g., via the GMLC 125) to request and / or receive location information about the UE 105.

[0041] The UE 105 or other device may be configured to communicate in various networks and / or for various purposes and / or using various technologies (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi communication, multi-frequency Wi-Fi communication, satellite positioning, one or more types of communication (e.g., GSM (Global System for Mobile), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), V2X (Vehicle to Vehicle, e.g., V2P (vehicle to pedestrian), V2I (vehicle to infrastructure), V2V (vehicle to vehicle), etc.), IEEE 802.11p, etc.). V2X communications can be cellular (Cellular-V2X (C-V2X)) and / or WiFi (e.g., DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Connectivity)). System 100 can support operation on multiple carriers (waveform signals of different frequencies). A multi-carrier transmitter can simultaneously transmit modulated signals on multiple carriers. Each modulated signal can be a code division multiple access (CDMA) signal, a time division multiple access (TDMA) signal, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) signal, a single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) signal, etc. Each modulated signal can be transmitted on a different carrier and can carry pilots, overhead information, data, etc. UE 105, 106 can communicate with each other via UE-to-UE sidelink (SL) communication by transmitting on one or more sidelink (SL) channels, such as a physical sidelink synchronization channel (PSSCH), a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), or a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH). Direct wireless device-to-wireless device communication (not through a network) may generally be referred to as sidelink communication, without limiting the communication to a particular protocol.

[0042] UE 105 may include and / or may be referred to as a device, a mobile device, a wireless device, a mobile terminal, a terminal, a mobile station (MS), a secure user plane location (SUPL) enabled terminal (SET), or some other name. In addition, UE 105 may correspond to a cellular phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet device, a PDA, a consumer asset tracking device, a navigation device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a health monitor, a security system, a smart city sensor, a smart meter, a wearable tracker, or some other portable or movable device. Typically, although not required, UE 105 may utilize one or more radio access technologies (RATs) to support wireless communications, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), LTE, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 WiFi (also known as Wi-Fi), Bluetooth ®(BT), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), 5G New Radio (NR) (e.g., using NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140), etc. UE 105 may use a wireless local area network (WLAN) to support wireless communications, which may be connected to other networks (e.g., the Internet) using, for example, a digital subscriber line (DSL) or packet cable. Using one or more of these RATs may allow UE 105 (e.g., via elements of 5GC 140 ( Figure 1 125), or possibly via the GMLC 125) to communicate with the external client 130 and / or allow the external client 130 to receive location information about the UE 105 (eg, via the GMLC 125).

[0043] The UE 105 may comprise a single entity or may comprise multiple entities, such as in a personal area network where a user may employ audio, video, and / or data I / O (input / output) devices, and / or body sensors, as well as separate wired or wireless modems. The estimate of the location of the UE 105 may be referred to as location, location estimate, location fix, fix, position, position estimate, or position fix, and may be geographic, providing location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the UE 105, which may or may not include an altitude component (e.g., height above sea level; height above or depth below ground level, floor level, or basement level). Alternatively, the location of the UE 105 may be expressed as a civic location (e.g., a postal address or a designation of a point or smaller area in a building, such as a specific room or floor). The location of the UE 105 may be expressed as an area or volume (geographically or civically defined) within which the UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of the UE 105 can be expressed as a relative location, which includes, for example, a distance and a direction relative to a known location. The relative location can be expressed as relative coordinates (e.g., X, Y (and Z) coordinates) defined relative to some origin at a known location, which can be defined, for example, geographically, municipally, or with reference to a point, area, or volume indicated, for example, on a map, floor plan, or building plan. In the description contained herein, the use of the term "location" may include any of these variations unless otherwise indicated. When calculating the location of the UE, local x, y, and (possibly) z coordinates are typically solved for, and then (if necessary) the local coordinates are converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0044] The UE 105 may be configured to communicate with other entities using one or more of a variety of technologies. The UE 105 may be configured to connect indirectly to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links. The D2D P2P links may be supported using any suitable D2D radio access technology (RAT), such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth ® Etc. One or more UEs in a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be located within the geographic coverage area of ​​a transmit / receive point (TRP), such as one or more of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114. Other UEs in the group may be outside of such geographic coverage area or otherwise unable to receive transmissions from the base station. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, in which each UE may transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP may facilitate the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication may be performed between UEs without involving a TRP. One or more UEs in a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be located within the geographic coverage area of ​​a TRP. Other UEs in the group may be outside of such geographic coverage area or otherwise unable to receive transmissions from the base station. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, in which each UE may transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP may facilitate the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication may be performed between UEs without involving a TRP.

[0045] Figure 1 The base stations (BSs) in the NG-RAN 135 shown include NR Node Bs (referred to as gNBs 110a and 110b). Each pair of gNBs 110a and 110b in the NG-RAN 135 may be connected to each other via one or more other gNBs. Access to the 5G network is provided to the UE 105 via wireless communications between the UE 105 and one or more of the gNBs 110a and 110b. These gNBs may provide wireless communications access to the 5GC 140 on behalf of the UE 105 using 5G. Figure 1 , it is assumed that the serving gNB for UE 105 is gNB 110a, but another gNB (e.g., gNB 110b) can serve as the serving gNB if UE 105 moves to another location, or can serve as a secondary gNB to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 105.

[0046] Figure 1The illustrated base station (BS) in NG-RAN 135 may include ng-eNB 114, also known as a next-generation evolved Node B. ng-eNB 114 may be connected to one or more of gNBs 110a, 110b in NG-RAN 135, possibly via one or more other gNBs and / or one or more other ng-eNBs. ng-eNB 114 may provide LTE radio access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) radio access to UE 105. One or more of gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may be configured to function as a positioning-only beacon, which may transmit signals to assist in determining the location of UE 105 but may not receive signals from UE 105 or other UEs.

[0047] Each of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may include one or more TRPs. For example, each sector within a cell of a BS may include a TRP, but multiple TRPs may share one or more components (e.g., a shared processor but separate antennas). System 100 may include only macro TRPs, or system 100 may have different types of TRPs, such as macro TRPs, pico TRPs, and / or femto TRPs. A macro TRP may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access by terminals with service subscriptions. A pico TRP may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a pico cell) and may allow unrestricted access by terminals with service subscriptions. A femto or home TRP may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a femto cell) and may allow restricted access by terminals associated with the femto cell (e.g., terminals of users in a home).

[0048] Each of gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 may include a radio unit (RU), a distributed unit (DU), and a central unit (CU). For example, gNB 110b includes RU 111, DU 112, and CU 113. RU 111, DU 112, and CU 113 divide the functionality of gNB 110b. Although gNB 110b is shown with a single RU, a single DU, and a single CU, a gNB may include one or more RUs, one or more DUs, and / or one or more CUs. The interface between CU 113 and DU 112 is referred to as the F1 interface. RU 111 is configured to perform digital front-end (DFE) functions (e.g., analog-to-digital conversion, filtering, power amplification, transmit / receive) and digital beamforming) and includes a portion of the physical (PHY) layer. RU 111 may implement DFE using massive multiple-input / multiple-output (MIMO) and may be integrated with one or more antennas of gNB 110b. DU 112 hosts the radio link control (RLC), medium access control (MAC), and physical layers of gNB 110b. A DU can support one or more cells, with each cell supported by a single DU. The operation of DU 112 is controlled by CU 113. CU 113 is configured to perform functions for delivering user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, session management, and more, although some functions are assigned only to DU 112. CU 113 hosts the radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocols of gNB 110b. UE 105 can communicate with CU 113 via the RRC, SDAP, and PDCP layers, with DU 112 via the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers, and with RU 111 via the PHY layer.

[0049] As pointed out, although Figure 1 Nodes configured to communicate according to a 5G communication protocol are depicted, but nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols (such as, for example, an LTE protocol or an IEEE 802.11x protocol) may also be used. For example, in an Evolved Packet System (EPS) that provides LTE radio access to a UE 105, the RAN may include an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), which may include base stations including evolved Node Bs (eNBs). The core network for the EPS may include an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The EPS may include the E-UTRAN plus the EPC, where the E-UTRAN corresponds to Figure 1 The NG-RAN 135 in the figure and the EPC correspond to the 5GC 140 in the figure.

[0050] gNBs 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 may communicate with AMF 115; for positioning functionality, the AMF communicates with LMF 120. AMF 115 may support mobility of UE 105, including cell change and handover, and may participate in supporting signaling connections with UE 105 and, possibly, data and voice bearers for UE 105. LMF 120 may communicate directly with UE 105, or directly with gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114, for example, via wireless communications. The LMF 120 may support positioning of the UE 105 when the UE 105 accesses the NG-RAN 135 and may support various positioning procedures / methods, such as Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (e.g., downlink (DL) OTDOA or uplink (UL) OTDOA), Round Trip Time (RTT), multi-cell RTT, Real-Time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID), Angle of Arrival (AoA), Angle of Departure (AoD), and / or other positioning methods. The LMF 120 may process location service requests for the UE 105, for example, received from the AMF 115 or the GMLC 125. The LMF 120 may be connected to the AMF 115 and / or the GMLC 125. The LMF 120 may also be referred to by other names, such as Location Manager (LM), Location Function (LF), Commercial LMF (CLMF), or Value-Added LMF (VLMF). A node / system implementing LMF 120 may additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as an enhanced serving mobile location center (E-SMLC) or a secure user plane location (SUPL) location platform (SLP). At least a portion of the positioning functionality, including the derivation of the location of UE 105, may be performed at UE 105 (e.g., using signal measurements obtained by UE 105 of signals transmitted by wireless nodes (such as gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114), and / or assistance data provided to UE 105 by LMF 120, for example). AMF 115 may serve as a control node for handling signaling between UE 105 and 5GC 140 and may provide QoS (Quality of Service) flow and session management. AMF 115 may support mobility of UE 105, including cell changes and handovers, and may participate in supporting signaling connections with UE 105.

[0051] A server 150 (e.g., a cloud server) is configured to obtain a location estimate for the UE 105 and provide it to the external client 130. The server 150 may, for example, be configured to run a microservice / service that obtains a location estimate for the UE 105. The server 150 may, for example, obtain the location estimate from (e.g., by transmitting a location request) the UE 105, one or more of the gNBs 110a, 110b (e.g., via the RU 111, DU 112, and CU 113), and / or the ng-eNB 114, and / or the LMF 120. As another example, the UE 105, one or more of the gNBs 110a, 110b (e.g., via the RU 111, DU 112, and CU 113), and / or the LMF 120 may push the location estimate for the UE 105 to the server 150.

[0052] The GMLC 125 may support location requests for the UE 105 received from the external client 130 via the server 150 and may forward the location requests to the AMF 115 for forwarding by the AMF 115 to the LMF 120, or may forward the location requests directly to the LMF 120. A location response (e.g., containing a location estimate for the UE 105) from the LMF 120 may be returned to the GMLC 125 directly or via the AMF 115, and the GMLC 125 may then return the location response (e.g., containing the location estimate) to the external client 130 via the server 150. The GMLC 125 is shown as connected to both the AMF 115 and the LMF 120, but may not be connected to either the AMF 115 or the LMF 120 in some implementations.

[0053] like Figure 1 For further example, LMF 120 may communicate with gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 using a new radio positioning protocol A (which may be referred to as NPPa or NRPPa), which may be defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. NRPPa may be the same as, similar to, or an extension of LTE Positioning Protocol A (LPPa) defined in 3GPP TS 36.455, wherein NRPPa messages are communicated between gNB 110a (or gNB 110b) and LMF 120, and / or between ng-eNB 114 and LMF 120 via AMF 115. Figure 1For further example, the LMF 120 and the UE 105 may communicate using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP), which may be defined in 3GPP TS 36.355. Additionally or alternatively, the LMF 120 and the UE 105 may communicate using a new radio positioning protocol (which may be referred to as NPP or NRPP), which may be the same as, similar to, or an extension of the LPP. Here, LPP and / or NPP messages may be communicated between the UE 105 and the LMF 120 via the AMF 115 and the UE 105's serving gNB 110a, gNB 110b, or serving ng-eNB 114. For example, the LPP and / or NPP messages may be communicated between the LMF 120 and the AMF 115 using the 5G Location Services Application Protocol (LCS AP), and between the AMF 115 and the UE 105 using the 5G Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol. The LPP and / or NPP protocols may be used to support positioning of the UE 105 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based positioning methods, such as A-GNSS, RTK, OTDOA, and / or E-CID. The NRPPa protocol may be used to support positioning of the UE 105 using network-based positioning methods, such as E-CID (e.g., when used with measurements obtained by the gNB 110a, 110b, or ng-eNB 114) and / or may be used by the LMF 120 to obtain location-related information from the gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114, such as parameters defining directional SS or PRS transmissions from the gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114. The LMF 120 may be co-located or integrated with the gNB or TRP, or may be located remotely from the gNB and / or TRP and configured to communicate directly or indirectly with the gNB and / or TRP.

[0054] Using UE-assisted positioning methods, UE 105 may obtain location measurements and transmit these measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) for use in calculating a location estimate for UE 105. For example, the location measurements may include one or more of received signal strength indication (RSSI), round-trip signal propagation time (RTT), reference signal time difference (RSTD), reference signal received power (RSRP), and / or reference signal received quality (RSRQ) of gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, and / or WLAN APs. The location measurements may additionally or alternatively include measurements of GNSS pseudoranges, code phases, and / or carrier phases of SVs 190-193.

[0055] Using the UE-based positioning method, UE 105 can obtain position measurements (e.g., which can be the same as or similar to the position measurements of the UE-assisted positioning method) and can calculate the position of UE 105 (e.g., with the help of assistance data received from a location server (such as LMF120) or broadcast by gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114 or other base stations or APs).

[0056] With network-based positioning methods, one or more base stations (e.g., gNBs 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114) or APs may obtain location measurements (e.g., measurements of RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, or time of arrival (ToA) of signals transmitted by UE 105) and / or may receive measurements obtained by UE 105. The one or more base stations or APs may transmit the measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) for use in computing a position estimate for UE 105.

[0057] The information provided by gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114 to LMF 120 using NRPPa may include timing and configuration information for directional SS or PRS transmission, as well as location coordinates. LMF 120 may provide some or all of this information to UE 105 as assistance data in LPP and / or NPP messages via NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140.

[0058] The LPP or NPP message transmitted from LMF 120 to UE 105 may instruct UE 105 to perform any of a variety of tasks, depending on the desired functionality. For example, the LPP or NPP message may include instructions for UE 105 to obtain measurements for GNSS (or A-GNSS), WLAN, E-CID, and / or OTDOA (or some other positioning method). In the case of E-CID, the LPP or NPP message may instruct UE 105 to obtain one or more measurement parameters (e.g., beam ID, beam width, average angle, RSRP, RSRQ measurements) of directional signals transmitted within a particular cell supported by one or more of gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 (or supported by some other type of base station, such as an eNB or WiFi AP). The UE 105 may transmit these measurement parameters back to the LMF 120 in an LPP or NPP message (e.g., within a 5G NAS message) via the serving gNB 110a (or serving ng-eNB 114) and the AMF 115.

[0059] As noted, while the communication system 100 is described with respect to 5G technology, the communication system 100 may be implemented to support other communication technologies (such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, etc.) for supporting and interacting with mobile devices (such as UE 105) (e.g., to implement voice, data, positioning, and other functionality). In some such embodiments, the 5GC 140 may be configured to control different air interfaces. For example, the 5GC 140 may use the Non-3GPP Interworking Function (N3IWF) in the 5GC 140 to control the 5G network. Figure 1 115). The 5GC 140 may be connected to the WLAN (not shown). For example, the WLAN may support IEEE 802.11 WiFi access for the UE 105 and may include one or more WiFi APs. Here, the N3IWF may connect to the WLAN as well as other elements in the 5GC 140, such as the AMF 115. In some embodiments, both the NG-RAN 135 and the 5GC 140 may be replaced by one or more other RANs and one or more other core networks. For example, in the EPS, the NG-RAN 135 may be replaced by the E-UTRAN, which includes eNBs, and the 5GC 140 may be replaced by the EPC, which includes a Mobility Management Entity (MME) that replaces the AMF 115, an E-SMLC that replaces the LMF 120, and a GMLC that may be similar to the GMLC 125. In such an EPS, the E-SMLC may use LPPa instead of NRPP to transmit and receive location information to and from eNBs in the E-UTRAN, and may use LPP to support positioning of the UE 105. In these other embodiments, positioning of UE 105 using directional PRS may be supported in a manner similar to that described herein for 5G networks, with the difference that the functions and processes described herein for gNB 110a, gNB 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115, and LMF 120 may in some cases be applied alternatively to other network elements, such as eNBs, WiFi APs, MMEs, and E-SMLCs.

[0060] As noted, in some embodiments, positioning functionality may be implemented, at least in part, using directional SS or PRS beams transmitted by base stations (such as gNBs 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114) that are located at the UE (e.g., Figure 1 In some instances, a UE may use directional SS beams or directional PRS beams from multiple base stations (such as gNBs 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, etc.) to calculate the UE's positioning.

[0061] Also refer to Figure 2UE 200 may be an example of one of UEs 105 and 106 and may include a computing platform including a processor 210, a memory 211 including software (SW) 212, one or more sensors 213, a transceiver interface 214 for a transceiver 215 (which includes a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250), a user interface 216, a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver 217, a camera 218, and a positioning device (PD) 219. Processor 210, memory 211, sensor 213, transceiver interface 214, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, and positioning device 219 may be communicatively coupled to one another via a bus 220 (which may be configured, for example, for optical and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., camera 218, positioning device 219, and / or one or more of sensors 213) may be omitted from UE 200. Processor 210 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the like. Processor 210 may include multiple processors, including a general / application processor 230, a digital signal processor (DSP) 231, a modem processor 232, a video processor 233, and / or a sensor processor 234. One or more of processors 230 through 234 may include multiple devices (e.g., multiple processors). For example, sensor processor 234 may include a processor for RF (radio frequency) sensing (where one or more transmitted (cellular) wireless signals and reflections are used to identify, map, and / or track objects) and / or ultrasound. Modem processor 232 may support dual SIM cards / dual connectivity (or even more SIM cards). For example, one SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module or Subscriber Identity Module) may be used by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), while another SIM card may be used by the end user of UE 200 for connectivity. Memory 211 may be a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM). Memory 211 may store software 212, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that, when executed, may be configured to cause processor 210 to perform the various functions described herein. Alternatively, software 212 may not be directly executable by processor 210, but may be configured to cause processor 210 to perform these functions, for example, when compiled and executed. Descriptions herein may refer to processor 210 performing a function, but this includes other specific implementations, such as implementations in which processor 210 executes software and / or firmware. Descriptions herein may refer to processor 210 performing a function as shorthand for one or more of processors 230 to 234 performing the function.The description herein may refer to UE 200 performing a function as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of UE 200 performing that function. Processor 210 may include memory with stored instructions in addition to and / or in lieu of memory 211. The functionality of processor 210 is discussed more fully below.

[0062] Figure 2 The configuration of UE 200 shown is an example and does not limit the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, an example configuration of the UE may include one or more of processors 230 to 234 in processor 210, memory 211, and wireless transceiver 240. Other example configurations may include one or more of processors 230 to 234 in processor 210, memory 211, a wireless transceiver, and one or more of the following: sensor 213, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, PD 219, and / or a wired transceiver.

[0063] The UE 200 may include a modem processor 232 that may be capable of performing baseband processing of signals received and downconverted by the transceiver 215 and / or the SPS receiver 217. The modem processor 232 may perform baseband processing of signals to be upconverted for transmission by the transceiver 215. Additionally or alternatively, the baseband processing may be performed by the general / application processor 230 and / or the DSP 231. However, other configurations may be used to perform the baseband processing.

[0064] UE 200 may include sensors 213, which may include, for example, one or more of various types of sensors, such as one or more inertial sensors, one or more magnetometers, one or more environmental sensors, one or more optical sensors, one or more weight sensors, and / or one or more radio frequency (RF) sensors. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) may include, for example, one or more accelerometers (e.g., collectively responsive to acceleration of UE 200 in three dimensions) and / or one or more gyroscopes (e.g., a three-dimensional gyroscope). Sensors 213 may include one or more magnetometers (e.g., a three-dimensional magnetometer) to determine orientation (e.g., relative to magnetic north and / or true north), which may be used for any of a variety of purposes (e.g., to support one or more compass applications). Environmental sensors may include, for example, one or more temperature sensors, one or more barometric pressure sensors, one or more ambient light sensors, one or more camera imagers, and / or one or more microphones. Sensors 213 may generate analog and / or digital signals, indications of which may be stored in memory 211 and processed by DSP 231 and / or general / application processor 230 to support one or more applications (e.g., applications involving positioning and / or navigation operations).

[0065] Sensors 213 can be used for relative position measurement, relative position determination, motion determination, and the like. Information detected by sensors 213 can be used for motion detection, relative displacement, dead reckoning, sensor-based position determination, and / or sensor-assisted position determination. Sensors 213 can be used to determine whether UE 200 is stationary (stationary) or mobile and / or whether to report certain useful information related to the mobility of UE 200 to LMF 120. For example, based on information obtained / measured by sensors 213, UE 200 can notify / report to LMF 120 that UE 200 has detected movement or has moved, and report relative displacement / distance (e.g., via dead reckoning implemented by sensors 213, sensor-based position determination, or sensor-assisted position determination). In another example, for relative positioning information, sensors / IMUs can be used to determine the angle and / or orientation of another device relative to UE 200.

[0066] The IMU can be configured to provide measurements of the direction and / or velocity of motion of the UE 200, which can be used to determine relative position. For example, one or more accelerometers and / or one or more gyroscopes of the IMU can detect the linear acceleration and rotational velocity of the UE 200, respectively. The linear acceleration measurements and rotational velocity measurements of the UE 200 can be integrated over time to determine the instantaneous direction and displacement of the UE 200. The instantaneous direction and displacement can be integrated to track the position of the UE 200. For example, a reference position of the UE 200 at a certain moment can be determined, for example, using the SPS receiver 217 (and / or by some other means), and measurements obtained from the accelerometers and gyroscopes after that moment can be used for dead reckoning to determine the current position of the UE 200 based on the movement (direction and distance) of the UE 200 relative to the reference position.

[0067] The magnetometer can determine the strength of the magnetic field in different directions, which can be used to determine the orientation of the UE 200. For example, the orientation can be used to provide a digital compass for the UE 200. The magnetometer may include a two-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect and provide an indication of the strength of the magnetic field in two orthogonal dimensions. The magnetometer may include a three-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect and provide an indication of the strength of the magnetic field in three orthogonal dimensions. The magnetometer may provide a component for sensing a magnetic field and providing an indication of the magnetic field, for example, to the processor 210.

[0068] The transceiver 215 may include a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 240 may include a wireless transmitter 242 and a wireless receiver 244 coupled to an antenna 246 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more downlink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) wireless signals 248 and converting signals from wireless signals 248 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and vice versa. The wireless transmitter 242 may include appropriate components (e.g., a power amplifier and a digital-to-analog converter). The wireless receiver 244 may include appropriate components (e.g., one or more amplifiers, one or more frequency filters, and an analog-to-digital converter). The wireless transmitter 242 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wireless receiver 244 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 240 may be configured to operate in accordance with various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth. ® , Zigbee, etc.) to communicate signals (e.g., with a TRP and / or one or more other devices). The new radio may utilize millimeter wave frequencies and / or sub-6 GHz frequencies. The wired transceiver 250 may include a wired transmitter 252 and a wired receiver 254 configured for wired communication, and may, for example, be utilized as a network interface for communicating with the NG-RAN 135 to transmit communications to and receive communications from the NG-RAN. The wired transmitter 252 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 254 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 250 may be configured, for example, for optical and / or electrical communication. The transceiver 215 may be communicatively coupled to the transceiver interface 214, for example, via an optical and / or electrical connection. The transceiver interface 214 may be at least partially integrated with the transceiver 215. The wireless transmitter 242 , the wireless receiver 244 , and / or the antenna 246 may include multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, and / or multiple antennas, respectively, for transmitting and / or receiving appropriate signals, respectively.

[0069] User interface 216 may include one or more of several devices, such as, for example, a speaker, microphone, display device, vibration device, keyboard, touch screen, etc. User interface 216 may include more than one of any of these devices. User interface 216 may be configured to enable a user to interact with one or more applications hosted by UE 200. For example, user interface 216 may store indications of analog and / or digital signals in memory 211 in response to user actions for processing by DSP 231 and / or general / application processor 230. Similarly, applications hosted on UE 200 may store indications of analog and / or digital signals in memory 211 for presentation of output signals to the user. User interface 216 may include audio input / output (I / O) devices, including, for example, a speaker, microphone, digital-to-analog circuitry, analog-to-digital circuitry, amplifiers, and / or gain control circuitry (including more than one of any of these devices). Other configurations of audio I / O devices may also be used. Additionally or alternatively, the user interface 216 may include one or more touch sensors that respond to touch and / or pressure on, for example, a keyboard and / or a touch screen of the user interface 216 .

[0070] The SPS receiver 217 (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) receiver) may be capable of receiving and acquiring SPS signals 260 via an SPS antenna 262. The SPS antenna 262 is configured to convert the SPS signals 260 from wireless signals to wired signals (e.g., electrical or optical signals) and may be integrated with the antenna 246. The SPS receiver 217 may be configured to process the acquired SPS signals 260 in whole or in part to estimate the location of the UE 200. For example, the SPS receiver 217 may be configured to determine the location of the UE 200 by performing trilateration using the SPS signals 260. The general / application processor 230, the memory 211, the DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors (not shown) may be utilized in conjunction with the SPS receiver 217 to process the acquired SPS signals in whole or in part and / or calculate the estimated location of the UE 200. The memory 211 may store indications (e.g., measurements) of the SPS signals 260 and / or other signals (e.g., signals obtained from the wireless transceiver 240) for use in performing positioning operations. The general / application processor 230, the DSP 231, and / or one or more special-purpose processors, and / or the memory 211 may provide or support a location engine for processing the measurements to estimate the location of the UE 200.

[0071] UE 200 may include a camera 218 for capturing still or moving images. Camera 218 may include, for example, an imaging sensor (e.g., a charge-coupled device or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) imager), a lens, analog-to-digital circuitry, a frame buffer, etc. Additional processing, conditioning, encoding, and / or compression of signals representing captured images may be performed by general / application processor 230 and / or DSP 231. Additionally or alternatively, a video processor 233 may perform conditioning, encoding, compression, and / or manipulation of signals representing captured images. Video processor 233 may decode / decompress stored image data for presentation on a display device (not shown) (e.g., of user interface 216).

[0072] Positioning device (PD) 219 may be configured to determine the location of UE 200, the motion of UE 200, and / or the relative location of UE 200, and / or time. For example, PD 219 may communicate with SPS receiver 217 and / or include a portion or all of an SPS receiver. PD 219 may work in conjunction with processor 210 and memory 211, as appropriate, to perform at least a portion of one or more positioning methods, although the description herein may refer to PD 219 being configured to perform or performing in accordance with a positioning method. PD 219 may additionally or alternatively be configured to determine the location of UE 200 using trilateration using terrestrial signals (e.g., at least some wireless signals 248), assisted acquisition, and SPS signals 260, or both. PD 219 may be configured to determine the location of UE 200 based on the cell of a serving base station (e.g., cell center) and / or another technique, such as E-CID. The PD 219 may be configured to determine the location of the UE 200 using one or more images from the camera 218 and image recognition combined with the known locations of landmarks (e.g., natural landmarks such as mountains and / or artificial landmarks such as buildings, bridges, streets, etc.). The PD 219 may be configured to determine the location of the UE 200 using one or more other techniques, such as relying on the UE's self-reported location (e.g., as part of a UE's location beacon), and may use a combination of techniques (e.g., SPS and terrestrial positioning signals) to determine the location of the UE 200. The PD 219 may include one or more sensors 213 (e.g., gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, etc.) that can sense the orientation and / or motion of the UE 200 and provide an indication of the orientation and / or motion, which the processor 210 (e.g., general / application processor 230 and / or DSP 231) may be configured to use to determine the motion of the UE 200 (e.g., velocity vector and / or acceleration vector). The PD 219 may be configured to provide an indication of uncertainty and / or error in the determined position and / or motion. The functionality of the PD 219 may be provided in various ways and / or configurations, such as by the general / application processor 230, the transceiver 215, the SPS receiver 217, and / or another component of the UE 200, and may be provided by hardware, software, firmware, or various combinations thereof.

[0073] Also refer to Figure 3, an example of a TRP 300 for gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114 includes a computing platform including a processor 310, a memory 311 including software (SW) 312, and a transceiver 315. The processor 310, the memory 311, and the transceiver 315 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 320 (which may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., a wireless transceiver) may be omitted from the TRP 300. The processor 310 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 310 may include multiple processors (e.g., including a general / application processor, a DSP, a modem processor, a video processor, and / or a sensor processor, such as a processor). Figure 2 ). Memory 311 may be a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM). Memory 311 may store software 312, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause processor 310 to perform the various functions described herein. Alternatively, software 312 may not be directly executable by processor 310, but may be configured to cause processor 310 to perform these functions, for example, when compiled and executed.

[0074] The description herein may refer to processor 310 performing a function, but this includes other implementations, such as implementations in which processor 310 executes software and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to processor 310 performing a function as shorthand for one or more of the processors included in processor 310 performing that function. The description herein may refer to TRP 300 performing a function as shorthand for one or more appropriate components (e.g., processor 310 and memory 311) of TRP 300 (and therefore one of gNB 110a, gNB 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114) performing that function. Processor 310 may include memory with stored instructions in addition to and / or in lieu of memory 311. The functionality of processor 310 is discussed more fully below.

[0075] The transceiver 315 may include a wireless transceiver 340 and / or a wired transceiver 350 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 340 may include a wireless transmitter 342 coupled to one or more antennas 346 and a wireless receiver 344 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more downlink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more downlink channels and / or one or more uplink channels) wireless signals 348 and converting signals from wireless signals 348 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and vice versa. Thus, the wireless transmitter 342 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wireless receiver 344 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 340 may be configured to operate in accordance with various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth. ® , Zigbee, etc.) to communicate signals (e.g., with UE 200, one or more other UEs, and / or one or more other devices). The wired transceiver 350 may include a wired transmitter 352 and a wired receiver 354 configured for wired communication, for example, a network interface that may be used to communicate with the NG-RAN 135 to transmit and receive communications to, for example, the LMF 120 and / or one or more other network entities. The wired transmitter 352 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 354 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 350 may be configured, for example, for optical and / or electrical communication.

[0076] Figure 3 The configuration of the TRP 300 shown is an example and is not intended to limit the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, the description herein discusses that the TRP 300 may be configured to perform several functions or that the TRP performs several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by the LMF 120 and / or the UE 200 (i.e., the LMF 120 and / or the UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0077] Also refer to Figure 4 , the server 400 (LMF 120 may be an example thereof) may include: a computing platform including a processor 410, a memory 411 including software (SW) 412, and a transceiver 415. The processor 410, the memory 411, and the transceiver 415 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 420 (the bus may be configured, for example, for optical communication and / or electrical communication). One or more of the devices shown (e.g., a wireless transceiver) may be omitted from the server 400. The processor 410 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 410 may include a plurality of processors (e.g., including a general / application processor, a DSP, a modem processor, a video processor, and / or a sensor processor, such as Figure 2 Memory 411 may be a non-transitory storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM). Memory 411 may store software 412, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause processor 410 to perform the various functions described herein. Alternatively, software 412 may not be directly executable by processor 410, but may be configured to cause processor 410 to perform these functions, for example, when compiled and executed. The description herein may refer to processor 410 performing functions, but this includes other implementations, such as implementations in which processor 410 executes software and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to processor 410 performing functions as shorthand for one or more of the processors included in processor 410 performing the functions. The description herein may refer to server 400 performing functions as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of server 400 performing the functions. Processor 410 may include memory with stored instructions in addition to and / or in lieu of memory 411. The functionality of processor 410 is discussed more fully below.

[0078] The transceiver 415 may include a wireless transceiver 440 and / or a wired transceiver 450 configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, the wireless transceiver 440 may include a wireless transmitter 442 coupled to one or more antennas 446 and a wireless receiver 444 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more downlink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more uplink channels) wireless signals 448 and converting signals from wireless signals 448 to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and vice versa. Thus, the wireless transmitter 442 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wireless receiver 444 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 440 may be configured to operate in accordance with various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth. ® , Zigbee, etc.) to communicate signals (e.g., with UE 200, one or more other UEs, and / or one or more other devices). The wired transceiver 450 may include a wired transmitter 452 and a wired receiver 454 configured for wired communication, for example, a network interface that may be used to communicate with the NG-RAN 135 to transmit and receive communications to, for example, the TRP 300 and / or one or more other network entities. The wired transmitter 452 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the wired receiver 454 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 450 may be configured, for example, for optical and / or electrical communication.

[0079] The description herein may refer to processor 410 performing a function, but this includes other implementations, such as implementations in which processor 410 executes software (stored in memory 411) and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to server 400 performing a function as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of server 400 (e.g., processor 410 and memory 411) performing that function.

[0080] Figure 4The configuration of server 400 shown is an example and does not limit the present disclosure (including the claims), and other configurations may be used. For example, wireless transceiver 440 may be omitted. Additionally or alternatively, the description herein discusses server 400 being configured to perform several functions or that the server performs several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by TRP 300 and / or UE 200 (i.e., TRP 300 and / or UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0081] Positioning technology

[0082] For terrestrial positioning of UEs in cellular networks, techniques such as Advanced Forward Link Trilateration (AFLT) and Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) typically operate in a "UE-assisted" mode, where measurements of reference signals (e.g., PRS, CRS, etc.) transmitted by base stations are acquired by the UE and then provided to a location server. The location server then calculates the UE's position based on these measurements and the known positions of the base stations. Because these techniques use a location server (rather than the UE itself) to calculate the UE's position, they are not frequently used in applications such as automotive or cell phone navigation, which typically rely on satellite-based positioning instead.

[0083] UEs can use a satellite positioning system (SPS) (Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)) to achieve high-accuracy positioning using Precise Point Positioning (PPP) or Real-Time Kinematics (RTK) techniques. These techniques use assistance data, such as measurements from ground-based stations. LTE Release 15 allows data to be encrypted so that only UEs subscribed to the service can read the information. This assistance data changes over time. Consequently, a UE subscribed to the service may not be able to easily "break the encryption" for other UEs that have not paid for the subscription by transferring the data. This transfer needs to be repeated each time the assistance data changes.

[0084] In UE-assisted positioning, the UE transmits measurements (e.g., TDOA, Angle of Arrival (AoA), etc.) to a positioning server (e.g., LMF / eSMLC). The positioning server maintains a base station almanac (BSA) containing multiple "entries" or "records," one per cell, where each record contains the geographic cell location but may also include other data. An identifier for a record within the BSA can be referenced. The BSA and measurements from the UE are used to calculate the UE's position.

[0085] In conventional UE-based positioning, the UE calculates its own position, avoiding the need to transmit measurements to the network (e.g., a location server), which in turn improves latency and scalability. The UE uses the associated BSA to record information from the network (e.g., the location of the gNB (and more broadly, base stations)). BSA information can be encrypted. However, because BSA information changes much less frequently than, for example, the PPP or RTK assistance data described above, it can be easier to make BSA information available to UEs that do not subscribe and pay for decryption keys (compared to PPP or RTK information). The gNB's transmission of reference signals makes BSA information potentially accessible to crowdsourcing or driving attacks, essentially enabling BSA information to be generated based on in-the-field and / or overhead observations.

[0086] Positioning technologies can be characterized and / or evaluated based on one or more criteria, such as positioning accuracy and / or latency. Latency is the time between the event that triggers the determination of positioning-related data and the availability of that data at a positioning system interface (e.g., the interface of LMF 120). Upon positioning system initialization, the latency for the availability of positioning-related data is called the time to first fix (TTFF) and is greater than the latency after the TTFF. The inverse of the time between the availability of two consecutive positioning-related data is called the update rate, i.e., the rate at which positioning-related data is generated after the first fix. Latency may depend on (e.g., the UE's) processing capabilities. For example, assuming a 272 PRB (Physical Resource Block) allocation, a UE may report its processing capability as the duration (in time units (e.g., milliseconds)) of a DL PRS symbol that the UE can process per T amount of time (e.g., Tms). Other examples of capabilities that may affect latency include the number of TRPs from which the UE can process PRSs, the number of PRSs that the UE can process, and the UE's bandwidth.

[0087] One or more of a number of different positioning techniques (also known as positioning methods) can be used to determine the location of an entity (such as one of UEs 105 and 106). For example, known positioning determination techniques include RTT, multi-RTT, OTDOA (also known as TDOA, including UL-TDOA and DL-TDOA), enhanced cell identification (E-CID), DL-AoD, UL-AoA, and others. RTT uses the time it takes for a signal to travel from one entity to another and back to determine the distance between the two entities. This distance, combined with the known position of the first of the entities and the angle between the two entities (e.g., azimuth), can be used to determine the position of the second of the entities. In multi-RTT (also known as multi-cell RTT), multiple distances from one entity (e.g., a UE) to other entities (e.g., TRPs) and the known positions of the other entities can be used to determine the location of the entity. In TDOA techniques, the difference in travel time between one entity and the other entities can be used to determine the relative distance to the other entity, and this relative distance, combined with the known positions of the other entities, can be used to determine the location of the entity. Angle of arrival and / or angle of departure can be used to help determine the location of the entity. For example, the angle of arrival or departure of a signal, combined with the distance between devices (determined using the signal's travel time, received power, etc.) and the known location of one of the devices, can be used to determine the location of the other device. The angle of arrival or departure can be an azimuth relative to a reference direction, such as true north. The angle of arrival or departure can be a zenith angle relative to a point directly upward (i.e., radially outward from the center of the Earth). E-CID uses the identity of the serving cell, timing advance (i.e., the difference between the reception time and the transmission time at the UE), the estimated timing and power of detected neighbor cell signals, and possible angles of arrival (e.g., the angle of arrival of a signal from a base station at the UE, or vice versa) to determine the UE's location. In TDOA, the time differences in arrival of signals from different sources at a receiving device, along with the known locations of those sources and the known offsets in their transmission times, are used to determine the receiving device's location.

[0088] In network-centric RTT estimation, a serving base station instructs a UE to scan / receive RTT measurement signals (e.g., PRS) on the serving cells of two or more neighboring base stations (and typically a serving base station, as at least three base stations are required). The one or more base stations transmit the RTT measurement signals on low reuse resources (e.g., resources used by the base station to transmit system information) allocated by the network (e.g., a location server, such as LMF 120). The UE records the time of arrival (also known as the time of reception, time of receipt, time of receipt, or time of arrival (ToA)) of each RTT measurement signal relative to the UE's current downlink timing (e.g., as derived by the UE from the DL signal received from its serving base station), and (e.g., when instructed by its serving base station) transmits a common or individual RTT response message (e.g., an SRS (Sounding Reference Signal), i.e., UL-PRS) for positioning to the one or more base stations, and may calculate the time difference between the ToA of the RTT measurement signal and the time when the RTT response message was transmitted. (i.e., UE T Rx-Tx or UE Rx-Tx ) is included in the payload of each RTT response message. The RTT response message will include a reference signal from which the base station can infer the ToA of the RTT response. This is done by measuring the difference between the transmission time of the RTT measurement signal from the base station and the ToA of the RTT response at the base station. Time difference with UE report Compare and subtract UE Rx-Tx , the base station can infer the propagation time between the base station and the UE, based on which the base station can determine the distance between the UE and the base station by assuming the speed of light during the propagation time.

[0089] UE-centric RTT estimation is similar to the network-based approach, except that the UE sends an uplink RTT measurement signal (e.g., when commanded by the serving base station), which is received by multiple base stations in the vicinity of the UE. Each of the involved base stations responds with a downlink RTT response message, which may include in the RTT response message payload the time difference between the ToA of the RTT measurement signal at the base station and the time the RTT response message was sent from the base station.

[0090] For both the network-centric and UE-centric processes, the side performing the RTT calculation (the network or the UE) typically (but not always) sends a first message or signal (e.g., an RTT measurement signal), and the other side responds with one or more RTT response messages or signals, which may include the difference between the ToA of the first message or signal and the sending time of the RTT response message or signal.

[0091] Multi-RTT technology can be used to determine positioning. For example, a first entity (e.g., a UE) can transmit one or more signals (e.g., unicast, multicast, or broadcast from a base station), and multiple second entities (e.g., other TSPs, such as base stations and / or UEs) can receive the signals from the first entity and respond to the received signals. The first entity receives responses from the multiple second entities. The first entity (or another entity, such as a LMF) can use the responses from the second entities to determine the distance to the second entities, and can use the multiple distances and the known positions of the second entities to determine the first entity's position through trilateration.

[0092] In some instances, additional information may be available in the form of an angle of arrival (AoA) or angle of departure (AoD), which defines a straight line direction (e.g., which may be in the horizontal plane or in three dimensions) or a range of possible directions (e.g., of the UE as seen from the base station's location). The intersection of the two directions may provide another estimate of the UE's position.

[0093] For positioning techniques that use PRS (Positioning Reference Signal) signals (e.g., TDOA and RTT), the PRS signals transmitted by multiple Transient Relay Points (TRPs) are measured and the arrival times of these signals, along with the known transmission times and the known locations of the TRPs, are used to determine the distance from the UE to the TRPs. For example, RSTD (Reference Signal Time Difference) can be determined for PRS signals received from multiple TRPs and used in TDOA techniques to determine the UE's position. Positioning Reference Signals may be referred to as PRSs or PRS signals. PRS signals are typically transmitted using the same power, and PRS signals with the same signal characteristics (e.g., the same frequency shift) may interfere with each other, such that PRS signals from more distant TRPs may be overwhelmed by PRS signals from closer TRPs, potentially making the signals from the more distant TRPs undetectable. PRS muting can be used to help reduce interference by muting some PRS signals (reducing the power of the PRS signals, for example, to zero, thereby not transmitting the PRS signals). In this way, the UE can more easily detect (at the UE) a weaker PRS signal without a stronger PRS signal interfering with the weaker PRS signal. The term RS and its variants (e.g., PRS, SRS, CSI-RS (Channel State Information - Reference Signal)) may refer to one reference signal or more than one reference signal.

[0094] Positioning Reference Signals (PRS) include downlink PRS (DL PRS, often referred to simply as PRS) and uplink PRS (UL PRS) (the uplink PRS may be referred to as an SRS (Sounding Reference Signal) for positioning). A PRS may include a PN code (pseudo-random number) or be generated using a PN code (e.g., by modulating a carrier signal with the PN code) so that the source of the PRS can function as a pseudo-satellite. The PN code may be unique to the PRS source (at least within a specified region, so that identical PRSs from different PRS sources do not overlap). A PRS may include PRS resources and / or PRS resource sets for a frequency layer. A DL PRS positioning frequency layer (or simply a frequency layer) is a collection of DL PRS resource sets from one or more TRPs, where the PRS resources have shared parameters configured by higher-layer parameters DL-PRS-PositioningFrequencyLayer, DL-PRS-ResourceSet, and DL-PRS-Resource. Each frequency layer has a DL PRS subcarrier spacing (SCS) for the DL PRS resource sets and DL PRS resources in that frequency layer. Each frequency layer has a DL PRS cyclic prefix (CP) for the DL PRS resource set and DL PRS resources in that frequency layer. In 5G, a resource block occupies 12 consecutive subcarriers and a specified number of symbols. A common resource block is a set of resource blocks that occupies the channel bandwidth. A bandwidth part (BWP) is a set of contiguous common resource blocks and may include all common resource blocks within the channel bandwidth or a subset of these common resource blocks. Furthermore, the DL PRS Point A parameter defines the frequency of the reference resource block (and the lowest subcarrier of that resource block). DL PRS resources belonging to the same DL PRS resource set have the same Point A, and all DL PRS resource sets belonging to the same frequency layer have the same Point A. Frequency layers also have the same DL PRS bandwidth, the same starting PRB (and center frequency), and the same comb size value (i.e., the frequency of PRS resource elements per symbol, such that for comb-N, every Nth resource element is a PRS resource element). A PRS resource set is identified by a PRS resource set ID and can be associated with a specific Transmission Resource Set (TRP) transmitted by the base station's antenna panel (identified by the cell ID). The PRS resource ID in a PRS resource set can be associated with an omnidirectional signal and / or associated with a single beam (and / or beam ID) transmitted from a single base station (where a base station can transmit one or more beams). Each PRS resource in a PRS resource set can be transmitted on a different beam, and as such, a PRS resource (or simply a resource) can also be referred to as a beam. This does not imply that the base station and beam on which the PRS is transmitted are known to the UE.

[0095] A TRP can be configured, for example, via instructions received from a server and / or via software within the TRP, to transmit DL PRS on a schedule. Based on the schedule, the TRP may transmit DL PRS intermittently (e.g., periodically at consistent intervals starting from the initial transmission). The TRP can be configured to transmit one or more PRS resource sets. A resource set is a collection of PRS resources across a TRP, where the resources have the same periodicity, a common muting pattern configuration (if any), and the same repetition factor across time slots. Each PRS resource set includes multiple PRS resources, each of which includes multiple OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) resource elements (REs). These OFDM REs may be located in multiple resource blocks (RBs) within N (one or more) consecutive symbols within a slot. PRS resources (or, more generally, reference signal (RS) resources) may be referred to as OFDM PRS resources (or OFDM RS resources). An RB is a set of REs that spans a certain number of one or more consecutive symbols in the time domain and a certain number (12 for 5G RBs) of consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. Each PRS resource is configured with an RE offset, a slot offset, a symbol offset within a slot, and the number of consecutive symbols that the PRS resource can occupy within a slot. The RE offset defines the starting RE offset in frequency for the first symbol within the DL PRS resource. The relative RE offsets of the remaining symbols within the DL PRS resource are defined based on the initial offset. The slot offset is the starting slot of the DL PRS resource relative to the corresponding resource set slot offset. The symbol offset determines the starting symbol of the DL PRS resource within the starting slot. The transmitted REs may be repeated across slots, with each transmission being referred to as a repetition, such that there may be multiple repetitions within a PRS resource. The DL PRS resources in a DL PRS resource set are associated with the same TRP, and each DL PRS resource has a DL PRS resource ID. The DL PRS resource ID in a DL PRS resource set is associated with a single beam transmitted from a single TRP (although a TRP may transmit one or more beams).

[0096] PRS resources can also be defined by quasi co-location parameters and starting PRB parameters. The quasi co-location (QCL) parameter can define any quasi co-location information of the DLPRS resource with other reference signals. The DL PRS can be configured to be in QCL type D with the DL PRS or SS / PBCH (synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel) block from the serving cell or non-serving cell. The DL PRS can be configured to be in QCL type C with the SS / PBCH block from the serving cell or non-serving cell. The starting PRB parameter defines the starting PRB index of the DLPRS resource with respect to reference point A. The starting PRB index has a granularity of one PRB and can have a minimum value of 0 PRBs and a maximum value of 2176 PRBs.

[0097] A PRS resource set is a collection of PRS resources with the same periodicity, the same muting pattern configuration (if any), and the same cross-slot repetition factor. Each time all repetitions of all PRS resources in a PRS resource set are configured for transmission is referred to as an "instance." Thus, an "instance" of a PRS resource set is a specified number of repetitions for each PRS resource and a specified number of PRS resources within the PRS resource set, such that the instance is complete once the specified number of repetitions for each of the specified number of PRS resources has been transmitted. An instance may also be referred to as an "occasion." A DL PRS configuration, including a DL PRS transmission schedule, may be provided to a UE to facilitate (or even enable) the UE to measure DL PRS.

[0098] Multiple frequency layers of a PRS can be aggregated to provide an effective bandwidth that is larger than any of the bandwidths of the individual layers. Multiple frequency layers belonging to component carriers (which can be contiguous and / or separate) and meeting criteria such as quasi-co-location (QCL) and having the same antenna port can be spliced ​​to provide a larger effective PRS bandwidth (for both DL and UL PRS), thereby improving time of arrival measurement accuracy. Splicing involves combining PRS measurements on various bandwidth segments into a unified segment, allowing the spliced ​​PRS to be viewed as if it were taken from a single measurement. In the case of QCL, different frequency layers behave similarly, resulting in a larger effective bandwidth for splicing PRSs. This larger effective bandwidth (which may be referred to as the aggregated PRS bandwidth or the aggregated PRS frequency bandwidth) provides better time-domain resolution (e.g., TDOA resolution). An aggregated PRS comprises a collection of PRS resources, and each PRS resource in the aggregated PRS is referred to as a PRS component. Each PRS component can be transmitted on a different component carrier, frequency band, or frequency layer, or on a different portion of the same frequency band.

[0099] RTT positioning is an active positioning technique because it uses positioning signals transmitted by a Transmitter Relay Protocol (TRP) to a UE and by UEs participating in RTT positioning to the TRP. A TRP can transmit a DL-PRS signal for reception by the UE, and the UE can transmit an SRS (Sounding Reference Signal) signal for reception by multiple TRPs. Sounding Reference Signals can be referred to as SRS or SRS signals. In 5G multi-RTT, coordinated positioning can be used, where the UE transmits a single UL-SRS signal for reception by multiple TRPs, rather than transmitting a separate UL-SRS signal for each TRP. A TRP participating in multi-RTT typically searches for UEs currently residing on that TRP (served UEs, where that TRP is the serving TRP) and also searches for UEs residing on neighboring TRPs (neighboring UEs). Neighboring TRPs can be TRPs of a single Base Transceiver Station (BTS) (e.g., a gNB), or they can be TRPs of one BTS and TRPs of separate BTSs. For RTT positioning (including multi-RTT positioning), the DL-PRS signal and the UL-SRS positioning signal in a PRS / SRS positioning signal pair used to determine the RTT (and thereby the distance between the UE and the TRP) may occur close in time to each other so that errors due to UE motion and / or UE clock drift and / or TRP clock drift are within acceptable limits. For example, the signals in the PRS / SRS positioning signal pair may be sent from the TRP and the UE, respectively, within approximately 10 ms of each other. If an SRS for positioning is being transmitted by a UE and the PRS and the SRS for positioning are delivered close in time to each other, it has been found that this may result in radio frequency (RF) signal congestion (which may result in excessive noise, etc.) (particularly if many UEs are attempting positioning concurrently) and / or may result in computational congestion at the TRP of many UEs being attempted to measure concurrently.

[0100] RTT positioning can be either UE-based or UE-assisted. In UE-based RTT, the UE 200 determines the RTT and corresponding distance to each TRP in the TRP 300 and determines the position of the UE 200 based on the distance to the TRP 300 and the known location of the TRP 300. In UE-assisted RTT, the UE 200 measures positioning signals and provides the measurement information to the TRP 300, which then determines the RTT and distance. The TRP 300 provides the distance to a location server (e.g., server 400), which determines the position of the UE 200 based on, for example, the distances to different TRPs 300. The RTT and / or distance can be determined by the TRP 300 receiving signals from the UE 200, by the TRP 300 in conjunction with one or more other devices (e.g., one or more other TRPs 300 and / or server 400), or by one or more devices other than the TRP 300 receiving signals from the UE 200.

[0101] 5G NR supports various positioning technologies. NR-native positioning methods supported in 5G NR include DL-only positioning, UL-only positioning, and DL+UL positioning. Downlink-based positioning methods include DL-TDOA and DL-AoD. Uplink-based positioning methods include UL-TDOA and UL-AoA. Combined DL+UL-based positioning methods include RTT to a single base station and RTT to multiple base stations (multi-RTT).

[0102] A position estimate (e.g., for a UE) may be referred to by other names, such as position estimate, position, fix, position fix, 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, postal address, or some other textual description of the location. A position estimate may further be defined relative to some other known location or in absolute terms (e.g., using latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude). A position estimate may include an expected error or uncertainty (e.g., by including an area or volume within which the location is expected to be contained with some specified or default confidence level).

[0103] Also refer to Figure 5 , UE 500 may include a processor 510, a transceiver 520, and a memory 530 communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 540. UE 500 may include Figure 5 Components shown. UE 500 may include one or more other components (such as Figure 22 (e.g., any of those components shown in FIG. 2 ), so that UE 200 may be an example of UE 500. For example, processor 510 may include one or more of the components of processor 210. Transceiver 520 may include one or more of the components of transceiver 215, for example, wireless transmitter 242 and antenna 246, or wireless receiver 244 and antenna 246, or wireless transmitter 242, wireless receiver 244, and antenna 246. Additionally or alternatively, transceiver 520 may include a wired transmitter 252 and / or a wired receiver 254. Memory 530 may be configured similarly to memory 211, for example, including software having processor-readable instructions configured to cause processor 510 to perform functions.

[0104] The description herein may refer to the processor 510 performing a function, but this includes other implementations, such as one in which the processor 510 executes software (stored in the memory 530) and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to the UE 500 performing a function as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of the UE 500 (e.g., the processor 510 and the memory 530) performing that function. The processor 510 (possibly in conjunction with the memory 530 and, where appropriate, the transceiver 520) may include a capabilities unit 550 and an LP RS unit (low-power reference signal unit) 560. The capabilities unit 550 and the LP RS unit 560 are discussed further below, and the description may generally refer to the processor 510 or generally to the UE 500 performing any of the functions of the capabilities unit 550 or the LP RS unit 560, where the UE 500 is configured to perform that function.

[0105] Also refer to Figure 6 , the network entity 600 may include a processor 610, a transceiver 620, and a memory 630 communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 640. The network entity 600 may include Figure 6 The network entity 600 may include one or more other components, such as Figure 4 , so that server 400 may be an example of network entity 600. For example, processor 610 may include one or more of the components of processor 410. Transceiver 620 may include one or more of the components of transceiver 415. Memory 630 may be configured similarly to memory 411, for example, including software having processor-readable instructions configured to cause processor 610 to perform functions. Additionally or alternatively, network entity 600 may include one or more other components, such as Figure 3, such that TRP 300 may be an example of network entity 600. For example, processor 610 may include one or more of the components of processor 310. Transceiver 620 may include one or more of the components of transceiver 315. Memory 630 may be configured similarly to memory 311, e.g., including software having processor-readable instructions configured to cause processor 610 to perform functions.

[0106] The description herein may refer to processor 610 performing a function, but this includes other implementations, such as one in which processor 610 executes software (stored in memory 630) and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to network entity 600 performing a function as shorthand for one or more appropriate components of network entity 600 (e.g., processor 610 and memory 630) performing that function. Processor 610 (possibly in conjunction with memory 630 and, where appropriate, transceiver 620) may include an AD unit 650 (Assistance Data Unit). AD unit 650 is discussed further below, and the description may generally refer to processor 610 or network entity 600 performing any of the functions of AD unit 650, where network entity 600 is configured to perform that function.

[0107] Reference again Figure 5Transceiver 520 may include a main radio, a low-power radio 524 (LP radio), and one or more antennas 526. LP radio 524 may be referred to as a low-power wake-up radio (LP-WUR). LP radio 524 may be a companion receiver to main radio 522 and may be configured to monitor for a wake-up signal at very low power, for example, while main radio 522 is in a deep sleep state. LP radio 524 may be configured to wake main radio 522 when actual data communication is to be performed. LP radio 524 may be configured to consume a small amount of power by design (e.g., powered separately from main radio 522) and may include fewer components and / or lower-power components than main radio 522. For example, LP radio 524 may utilize one or more components that are less accurate and / or perform less complex processing than similar components of main radio 522. LP radio 524 may share one or more components with main radio 522, for example, may share an antenna with main radio 522. Use of LP radio 524 may avoid waking up of main radio 522, which would otherwise occur, thereby reducing power consumption of UE 500. LP radio 524 may monitor for a wake-up signal (WUS) more frequently than main radio 522 (e.g., due to using less power to do so), and thus may reduce average latency of UE 500.

[0108] Various example implementations of the LP radio 524 may be used. For example, see also Figures 7 to 9 , which can be implemented using RF envelope detection, heterodyne, or zero-IF implementations.

[0109] like Figure 7As shown, RF envelope detection LP radio section 700 may include an antenna 710, a matching network 720, an RF BPF 730 (RF bandpass filter), an RF LNA 740 (RF low-noise amplifier), an RF envelope detector 750, a baseband amplifier 760 (baseband amplifier), a baseband LPF 770 (baseband low-pass filter), an ADC 780 (analog-to-digital converter), and a digital baseband processing unit 790. LP radio section 700 may be used to convert RF signals directly to baseband signals via RF envelope detector 750. LP radio section 700 does not include an LO (local oscillator) or a PLL (phase-locked loop), which helps LP radio 700 consume less power. Various implementations of ADC 780 may be used, such as a 1-bit ADC or a multi-bit ADC. One or more of the components of LP radio section 700 may be omitted to further reduce power consumption. For example, RF LNA 740 and / or baseband amplifier 760 may be omitted. The matching network 720 (e.g., a high-Q matching network) and / or the RF BPF 730 (and / or the BB LPF 770) may be used to suppress adjacent channel interference and / or interference from legacy NR signals and / or other low-power wake-up signals on adjacent subcarriers.

[0110] like Figure 8 As shown, heterodyne LP radio section 800 may include antenna 710, matching network 720, RF BPF 730, RFLNA 740, RF mixer 810, LO 820, IF amplifier 830 (intermediate frequency amplifier), IF BPF 840, IF envelope detector 850, BB amplifier 760, BB LPF 770, ADC 780, and digital BB processing unit 790. LP radio section 800 may be used to downconvert an RF signal to an IF signal via RF mixer 810 and LO 820. The IF signal may be converted to baseband by IF envelope detector 850, and one or more IF stages may be present depending on the design. The configuration of LO 820 may have a significant impact on the power consumption of LP radio section 800. For example, power consumption can be reduced by relaxing the accuracy and stability requirements of LO 820. As another example, a frequency-locked loop (FLL) may be used instead of a PLL for non-coherent detection. An image rejection filter or image rejection mixer may be used. As with LP radio 700 , one or more components of LP radio 800 , such as RFLNA 740 , IF amplifier 830 , and / or BB amplifier 760 , may be omitted.

[0111] like Figure 9As shown, the zero-IF LP radio section 900 may include an antenna 710, a matching network 720, an RF BPF 730, an RFLNA 740, an RF mixer 910, an LO 920, a BB amplifier 760, a BB LPF or BPF 930, an ADC 780, and a digital BB processing unit 790. The LP radio section 900 may be used to directly down-convert an RF signal to a BB signal via the RF mixer 910 and the LO 920. Baseband envelope detection ( Figure 9 LP radio 900 may be implemented in the analog or digital domain. Using LP radio 900, the image rejection filter may be omitted. As with LP radio 700 and LP radio 800, one or more components of LP radio 900, such as RF LNA 740 and / or BB amplifier 760, may be omitted.

[0112] Various configurations of low-power wake-up signals (LP-WUS) can be used. For example, an OFDM-based wake-up signal, or a WUS based on on-off keying (OOK), FSK (frequency shift keying), or chirp can be used, where the waveform can be OFDM or another waveform (e.g., single carrier). OFDM-based WUS can have a configuration similar to LTE NB-IoT / eMTC (similar to narrowband (NB) Internet of Things (IoT) / enhanced machine type communication (eMTC)). In this case, the LP radio section 524 can process the WUS at the baseband. One or more components of the main radio section 522 can be used as part of the LP radio section 522 to receive the LP-WUS. An SSS / PSS (Secondary Synchronization Signal / Primary Synchronization Signal) sequence design (e.g., based on the Gold sequence) can be used for the LP-WUS configuration. For an OOK-based LP-WUS (i.e., with OOK modulation), a design similar to WiFi-11ba can be used. The LP radio section 524 can use an envelope detector (e.g., a low-IF envelope detector). The LP radio 524 may be completely separate from the main radio 522, or may share one or more components with the main radio 522. Manchester codes may be used (e.g., to provide a simple receiver implementation) to provide resilience to interference and to help ensure a 50% duty cycle and avoid long periods of zero (0). Using an OOK-based LP-WUS may provide significant power savings, for example, by avoiding conversion to the frequency domain (e.g., using a Fourier transform).

[0113] Also refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11, OFDM-compatible OOK signals can be generated and detected. An M-point DFT 1010 (discrete Fourier transform) and an IFFT / OFDM 1020 (inverse fast Fourier transform / OFDM) can be used to generate an OFDM-compatible OOK signal 1030. A desired signal 1040 in the time domain (TD), e.g., an upsampled OOK signal with Manchester encoding (e.g., [1, . . ., 1, 0, . . ., 0, 1, . . ., 1, 0, . . ., 0]), can be input to the M-point DFT 1010. The output of the M-point DFT 1010 and non-OOK data 1050 can be input to the IFFT / OFDM 1020, which outputs the OFDM-compatible OOK signal 1030. An OFDM-compatible OOK signal 1030 (eg, a WUS or other reference signal) may be transmitted over channel 1110 and processed by LPF 1120 , time-domain envelope detector 1130 , ADC 1140 , and sequence detector 1150 to detect the OFDM-compatible OOK signal 1030 .

[0114] UE 500 may receive reference signals using either main radio 522 or LP radio 524, and may transmit reference signals using either main radio 522 or LP radio 524. The reference signals may be used for positioning, i.e., for determining location information, such as a position estimate of UE 500. Low-power reference signals (LP-RS) may be configured to be processed by LP radio 524, e.g., to be less complex than conventional positioning RSs to facilitate processing by LP radio 524. UE 500 may reduce power consumption by using LP radio 524 during RRC connected mode (e.g., deep sleep) and / or during idle mode.

[0115] Also refer to Figure 12Signal and processing flow 1200 can be used for signaling between UE 500 and network entity 600 for positioning and / or sensing (e.g., of UE 500). Signal and processing flow 1200 includes the illustrated messages and stages and is an example flow, not a limiting flow. Flow 1200 may be modified, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, concurrently executing, and / or splitting one or more messages and / or stages into multiple messages and / or stages. For example, the transmission of capability request message 1211 and / or the transmission of reference signal configuration request (e.g., LP-RS configuration request message 1214) may be omitted. As another example, stage 1230 or stage 1240 may be omitted. Network entity 600 may include multiple entities. Network entity 600 may be an entity that configures reference signals and may be located in a core network. For example, network entity 600 may be a gNB, a LMF, or a sensing entity. For communication from the UE 500 to the network entity 600 (eg, LMF and / or sensing entity), one or more upper layers may be used, similar to existing communications to the network entity (eg, LMF and / or sensing entity).

[0116] At stage 1210, the UE 500 (e.g., the capabilities unit 550) may send a capabilities message 1212 (also referred to as a capabilities report) to the network entity 600. The capabilities message 1212 may indicate to the network entity 600 the UE 500's ability to process positioning / sensing reference signals using the LP radio component 524, for example, during different RRC states / modes. Positioning / sensing LP-RSs may have a different configuration than traditional positioning / sensing RSs. For example, the positioning / sensing LP-RSs may have different modulation, waveform, sequence, transmit power (which may have an incremental power factor relative to other PRS resource configurations), QCL source, repetition factor, and / or time / frequency configuration, required accuracy from a positioning / sensing perspective, SCS, bandwidth, guard band around the signal, and / or RF requirements, and / or impairments to generated and / or received signals, compared to traditional positioning / sensing RSs. The capabilities message 1212 may indicate one or more configuration parameters (e.g., modulation type, waveform, and / or sequence, etc.) and the UE 500's ability to process signals using the low-power radio component with the indicated configuration parameters. The LP-RS may be similar to a conventional RS (e.g., a DL PRS or SRS used for positioning) or may be less complex than a conventional positioning / sensing RS. For example, the LP-RS may be time-domain based (e.g., OOK-based), which may be easier for the LP radio 524 to process due to its lower complexity compared to conventional positioning / sensing RS (e.g., no signal conversion to the frequency domain is required). The UE 500 (e.g., the LP RS unit 560) may send an LP-RS configuration request message 1214 to the network entity 600 via the transceiver 520 (e.g., the main radio 522 and / or the LP radio 524), e.g., as an on-demand request for LP-RS configuration information for an LP-RS to be used for an on-demand positioning / sensing session. The LP-RS configuration request message 1214 may indicate one or more requested (e.g., desired and / or preferred) configuration parameters for the LP-RS.

[0117] The capability message 1212 may indicate whether the UE 500 supports reception of positioning / sensing LP RSs and / or transmission of positioning / sensing LP RSs. For example, the capability message 1212 may indicate one or more configuration parameters for positioning / sensing LP RSs for reception and one or more configuration parameters for positioning / sensing LP RSs for transmission. The configuration parameters for positioning / sensing LP RSs for reception may differ from the configuration parameters for positioning / sensing LP RSs for transmission (e.g., the same parameter type may have different values ​​for reception and transmission, and / or a specific parameter type may be designated for reception but not for transmission, or vice versa, etc.). As another example, the capability message 1212 may indicate whether the UE 500 supports DL LP RSs and / or UL LP RSs. As another example, the LP-RS configuration request message 1214 may request DL LP RSs and / or UL LP RSs.

[0118] UE 500 may be configured to transmit capability message 1212 in one or more of a variety of ways. For example, UE 500 may be configured to transmit capability message 1212 using primary radio 522 in a RACH (Random Access Channel) message (e.g., msgA in a two-step RACH or msg1 / 3 in a four-step RACH). As another example, UE 500 may be configured to transmit capability message 1212 in response to capability request message 1211 transmitted from network entity 600 to UE 500, requesting UE 500 to provide capabilities of UE 500 (e.g., regarding LP-RS processing). As another example, UE 500 may be configured to transmit capability message 1212 using primary radio 522 and / or LP radio 524 in an L1 / L2 / L3 (Layer 1 / Layer 2 / Layer 3) indication. The L1 / L2 / L3 indication may indicate dynamic changes based on the UE's sleep mode, power saving mode, and / or energy profiles, including energy charging rate profiles, discharge rate profiles, and / or energy level profiles. The charging rate profile may indicate the current charging rate during a configured interval and the predicted energy charging rate across one or more future configured intervals. The discharge corresponds to the power / energy consumption of the UE 500. The network entity 600 may use MIB (Master Information Block), SIB1 (System Information Block 1) messages, OSIB (Other System Information Block) messages, RACH messages (e.g., msgB in two-step RACH, msg2 / 4 in four-step RACH), or L1 / L2 / L3 indications to indicate to the main radio 522 and / or low power radio 524 that the network entity 600 supports the UE 500's use of a low power radio for positioning or sensing (or other purposes). For the Uu interface (utilizing the main radio 522), L1 signals are DCI (Downlink Control Information) signals, L2 signals are MAC-CE (Media Access Control - Control Element) signals, and L3 signals are RRC signals. For the sidelink interface (utilizing the main radio 522), L1 signals are SCI (Sidelink Control Information) signals or dedicated PSSCH signals, L2 signals are PC5-MAC-CE signals, and L3 signals are PC5-RRC signals. For the sidelink, the network entity 600 (e.g., AD unit 650) can determine the per-resource pool configuration of the LP-RS. For the interface used by the LP radio 524 for Rx or Tx (receive or transmit), L1 / L2 / L3 signals are physical layer signals, MAC-CE signals, and Layer 3 signals.

[0119] At stage 1220, network entity 600 (e.g., AD unit 650) may determine the configuration of the LP RS for positioning / sensing of UE 500. Network entity 600 may configure the LP RS based on capability message 1212 (e.g., based on one or more configuration parameters indicated in capability message 1212 that UE 500 may process using LP radio 524). The LP RS configuration may differ from the configuration of the RS used for primary radio 522 (e.g., DL PRS). The LP RS configuration may be periodic, semi-persistent, or aperiodic. Network entity 600 may send LP-RS configuration message 1222 to UE 500, indicating, for example, the positioning / sensing LP RS configuration for the DL and / or UL. Message 1222 may configure LP radio 524 for the entire positioning / sensing session. Alternatively, the use of primary radio 522 or LP radio 524 may be dynamically specified (as part of message 1222 or separately), for example, using a low-power wake-up signal (LP WUS) or other signals (e.g., other low-power signals such as positioning low-power signals and / or sensing low-power signals). LP-RS configuration message 1222 (e.g., along with the LP WUS) may indicate an LP RS configuration from a set of initially configured options (e.g., may indicate a code corresponding to an LP-RS configuration stored in memory 530). Processing by LP radio 524 may have lower accuracy than processing by primary radio 522, for example, due to the larger bandwidth that can be processed by primary radio 522 and / or one or more higher-quality components of primary radio 522 compared to LP radio 524. The lower accuracy of LP radio 524 may be acceptable due to one or more factors, such as lower power consumption, QoS (Quality of Service), priority, and / or latency associated with the requested positioning and / or sensing and / or associated with the class of UE 500. The priority may be a Layer 1 (PHY) or Layer 2 (MAC) priority associated with the positioning / sensing request. Alternatively, the selection of whether to use primary radio 522 or LP radio 524 may be determined by UE 500 (e.g., LP RS unit 560). If primary radio 522 is in sleep mode and the time required to wake up primary radio 522 from sleep mode would exceed the requested delay, or if UE 500 is unable to use primary radio 522 (e.g., due to a malfunction), UE 500 may use LP radio 524. For example, if UE 500 is configured to support LP RS reception and LP-RS configuration message 1222 includes an LP RS configuration, network entity 600 may transmit LP RS 1224.

[0120] At stage 1230, UE 500 may measure LP RS 1224. For example, UE 500 may measure LP RS 1224 for positioning and / or sensing. UE 500 may determine location information, such as one or more pseudoranges and / or a position estimate of UE 500 or another object. UE 500 may send a measurement report 1232 to network entity 600. Measurement report 1232 may include positioning information (e.g., location information) and / or sensing information. Measurement report 1232 may indicate whether UE 500 should use primary radio 522 or LP radio 524 to measure LP RS 1224, e.g., when UE 500 determines which of radios 522, 524 to use to measure LP RS 1224.

[0121] At stage 1240, the UE 500 may transmit a positioning / sensing UL LP RS 1244 to the network entity 600. The UE 500 (e.g., the LP RS unit 560) may transmit the positioning / sensing UL LP RS 1244 based on the LP-RS configuration message 1222. If the UE 500 has selected which radio components 522, 524 to use for signaling, the UE 500 may transmit the LP-RS configuration message 1242 to the network entity 600 before transmitting the LP RS 1244. The LP-RS configuration message 1242 may indicate which RS type (e.g., which radio components 522, 524) the UE 500 is to transmit as the LP RS 1244. The LP-RS configuration message 1242 may be transmitted using L1 / L2 / L3 signaling and may be transmitted by the primary radio component 522 and / or the LP radio component 524.

[0122] refer to Figure 13 , further reference Figures 1 to 12 , low-power reference signal method 1300 includes the stages shown. However, method 1300 is merely an example and not limiting. Method 1300 may be modified, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, performing one or more stages concurrently, and / or splitting one or more individual stages into multiple stages.

[0123] At stage 1310, method 1300 includes sending a capability message from a user equipment (UE) to a network entity, the capability message indicating the UE's capability to process a low-power reference signal using a low-power radio of the UE, wherein the low-power radio is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a primary radio of the UE is configured to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low-power reference signal. For example, UE 500 may send capability message 1212 to network entity 600. The low-power radio (e.g., LP radio 524) may be configured to process transmitted signals or received signals using less power than a primary radio (e.g., primary radio 522). Processor 510 (possibly in combination with memory 530 and transceiver 520 (e.g., wireless transmitter 242 (and possibly wireless receiver 244) and antenna 246)) may include means for sending the capability message.

[0124] At stage 1320, method 1300 includes receiving, at the UE, a reference signal configuration for the first reference signal from the network entity. For example, UE 500 may receive LP-RS configuration message 1222 from network entity 600. Processor 510 (possibly in conjunction with memory 530 and transceiver 520 (e.g., wireless receiver 244 and antenna 246)) may include means for receiving a reference signal configuration.

[0125] At stage 1330, method 1300 includes processing the first reference signal at the UE using the low-power radio component according to the reference signal configuration. For example, processor 520 may control low-power radio component 524 to generate and transmit a low-power reference signal. As another example, processor 520 may control low-power radio component 524 to process a received low-power reference signal. Processor 510 (possibly in conjunction with memory 530 and low-power radio component 524) may include components for processing the first reference signal.

[0126] Implementations of method 1300 may include one or more of the following features. In one example implementation, the capability message indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal that the UE is configured to process using the low-power radio component. For example, capability message 1212 may indicate one or more configuration parameters (e.g., modulation type, waveform, and / or sequence). In another example implementation, the one or more configuration parameters include an indication of a time-domain-based modulation scheme. In another example implementation, the time-domain-based modulation scheme is on-off keying (OOK) modulation.

[0127] Additionally or alternatively, implementations of method 1300 may include one or more of the following features. In one example implementation, method 1300 includes determining, at the UE, whether to cause the primary radio or the low-power radio to process the first reference signal. In another example implementation, determining whether to cause the primary radio or the low-power radio to process the first reference signal is based on a low-power processing signal received at the UE from the network entity. For example, LP-RS configuration message 1222 may include an indication of which of radios 522, 524 the UE 500 uses to process the LP RS.

[0128] Additionally or alternatively, a specific implementation of method 1300 may include one or more of the following features. In one example implementation, method 1300 includes sending a request for reference signal configuration from a UE to a network entity. For example, UE 500 may send an on-demand request for LP RS configuration. The on-demand request may be sent in an LP-RS configuration request message 1214 and / or as part of a capabilities message 1212. Processor 510 (possibly in conjunction with memory 530 and transceiver 520 (e.g., wireless transmitter 242 (and possibly wireless receiver 244) and antenna 246)) may include means for sending the request for reference signal configuration. In yet another example implementation, the request for reference signal configuration indicates one or more configuration parameters for the first reference signal. For example, the on-demand request may indicate one or more configuration parameters (e.g., modulation type, waveform, and / or sequence).

[0129] Additionally or alternatively, implementations of method 1300 may include one or more of the following features. In one example implementation, method 1300 includes: determining, at the UE, whether to transmit a third reference signal from the UE to the network entity using the primary radio or a fourth reference signal from the UE to the network entity via the low power radio; and, prior to transmitting the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, transmitting, from the UE to the network entity, an indication of which of the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal the UE will transmit to the network entity. For example, UE 500 (e.g., LP RS unit 560) may determine at stage 1240 that LP RS 1244 is to be transmitted, and may, prior to transmitting LP RS 1244, transmit an LP-RS configuration message 1242 to indicate the type of reference signal to be transmitted by UE 500. The indication may be explicit, specifying the RS type (e.g., LP RS), or implicit, for example, specifying one or more configuration parameters of the transmit radio to be used and / or the reference signal to be transmitted. The processor 510 (possibly in combination with the memory 530, and with the transceiver 520 (e.g., the wireless transmitter 242 (and possibly the wireless receiver 244) and the antenna 246)) may include means for sending an indication of which signal the UE is to transmit to the network entity 600. The processor 510 (possibly in combination with the memory 530) may include means for determining whether to transmit the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal.

[0130] refer to Figure 14 , further reference Figures 1 to 12 , low-power reference signal method 1400 includes the stages shown. However, method 1400 is merely an example and not limiting. Method 1400 may be modified, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, performing one or more stages concurrently, and / or splitting one or more individual stages into multiple stages.

[0131] At stage 1410, method 1400 includes receiving, at a network entity, a capability message from a user equipment (UE), the capability message indicating the UE's capability to process low-power reference signals using a low-power radio component of the UE. For example, network entity 600 may receive capability message 1212 from UE 500 at stage 1210. Processor 610 (possibly in combination with memory 630 and with transceiver 620 (e.g., wireless receiver 344 and antenna 346, wired receiver 354, wireless receiver 444 and antenna 446, or wired receiver 454)) may include means for receiving the capability message.

[0132] At stage 1420, method 1400 includes transmitting, from the network entity to the UE, one or more configuration parameters for a low-power reference signal based on the capability message. For example, network entity 600 may transmit LP-RS configuration message 1222 to UE 500. Processor 610 (possibly in combination with memory 630 and transceiver 620 (e.g., wireless transmitter 342 and antenna 346, wired transmitter 352, wireless transmitter 442 and antenna 446, or wired transmitter 452)) may include means for transmitting the one or more configuration parameters.

[0133] Implementations of method 1400 may include one or more of the following features. In one example implementation, transmitting the one or more configuration parameters includes transmitting multiple configuration messages during a single positioning / sensing session, each of the multiple configuration messages including one or more respective configuration parameters corresponding to a respective low-power reference signal. For example, usage of LP radio 524 or master radio 522 may be dynamically specified by multiple LP-RS configuration messages 1222 in a single positioning / sensing session. In another example implementation, the one or more configuration parameters are transmitted in response to receiving a request for low-power reference signal configuration at the network entity from the UE. For example, network entity 600 may transmit LP-RS configuration message 1222 in response to receiving LP-RS configuration request message 1214 from UE 500. The on-demand request may be part of capability message 1212.

[0134] Specific implementation examples

[0135] Specific implementation examples are provided in the following numbered clauses.

[0136] Clause 1. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

[0137] Memory;

[0138] a transceiver comprising a main radio and a low power radio, wherein the low power radio is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than the main radio is configured to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal; and

[0139] a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver, the processor configured to:

[0140] sending, via the transceiver, a capability message to a network entity, the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process the first reference signal using the low power radio component;

[0141] receiving, via the transceiver, a reference signal configuration for the first reference signal from the network entity; and

[0142] The first reference signal is processed according to the reference signal configuration using the low power radio component.

[0143] Clause 2. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the capability message indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal that the UE is configured to process using the low power radio component.

[0144] Clause 3. The UE of claim 2, wherein the one or more configuration parameters include an indication of a time-domain based modulation scheme.

[0145] Clause 4. The UE of claim 3, wherein the time-domain based modulation scheme is on-off keying (OOK) modulation.

[0146] Clause 5. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to cause the primary radio or the low power radio to process the first reference signal.

[0147] Clause 6. The UE of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to cause the main radio or the low power radio to process the first reference signal based on a low power processing signal received via the transceiver.

[0148] Clause 7. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to send a request for the reference signal configuration to the network entity via the transceiver.

[0149] Clause 8. The UE of claim 7, wherein the request for the reference signal configuration indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal.

[0150] Clause 9. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

[0151] determining whether to transmit a third reference signal to the network entity via the transceiver using the primary radio or to transmit a fourth reference signal to the network entity via the transceiver via the low power radio; and

[0152] Before sending the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, an indication is sent to the network entity via the transceiver as to which reference signal, the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, the UE will send to the network entity.

[0153] Clause 10. A low power reference signal method, comprising:

[0154] sending a capability message from a user equipment (UE) to a network entity, the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio of the UE, wherein the low power radio is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a main radio of the UE is configured to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal;

[0155] receiving, at the UE, a reference signal configuration for the first reference signal from the network entity; and

[0156] The first reference signal is processed at the UE using the low power radio component according to the reference signal configuration.

[0157] Clause 11. The low power reference signal method of claim 10, wherein the capability message indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal that the UE is configured to process using the low power radio component.

[0158] Clause 12. The low power reference signal method of claim 11, wherein the one or more configuration parameters include an indication of a time domain based modulation scheme.

[0159] Clause 13. The low power reference signal method of claim 12, wherein the time domain based modulation scheme is on-off keying (OOK) modulation.

[0160] Clause 14. The low power reference signal method of claim 10, further comprising determining, at the UE, whether to cause the primary radio or the low power radio to process the first reference signal.

[0161] Clause 15. The low power reference signal method of claim 14, wherein determining whether to cause the primary radio or the low power radio to process the first reference signal is based on a low power processing signal received at the UE from the network entity.

[0162] Clause 16. The low power reference signal method of claim 10, further comprising sending a request for the reference signal configuration from the UE to the network entity.

[0163] Clause 17. The low power reference signal method of claim 16, wherein the request for the reference signal configuration indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal.

[0164] Clause 18. The low power reference signal method of claim 10, further comprising:

[0165] determining, at the UE, whether to transmit a third reference signal from the UE to the network entity using the primary radio component or to transmit a fourth reference signal from the UE to the network entity via the low power radio component; and

[0166] Before sending the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, an indication is sent from the UE to the network entity as to which reference signal, the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, the UE will send to the network entity.

[0167] Clause 19. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

[0168] means for sending a capability message to a network entity, the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio component of the UE, wherein the low power radio component is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a primary radio component of the UE is configured to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal;

[0169] means for receiving a reference signal configuration for said first reference signal from said network entity; and

[0170] means for processing the first reference signal according to the reference signal configuration using the low power radio component.

[0171] Clause 20. The UE of claim 19, wherein the capability message indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal that the UE is configured to process using the low power radio component.

[0172] Clause 21. The UE of claim 20, wherein the one or more configuration parameters include an indication of a time-domain based modulation scheme.

[0173] Clause 22. The UE of claim 21, wherein the time-domain based modulation scheme is on-off keying (OOK) modulation.

[0174] Clause 23. The UE of claim 19, further comprising means for determining whether to cause the primary radio or the low power radio to process the first reference signal.

[0175] Clause 24. The UE of claim 23, wherein the means for determining whether to cause the primary radio component or the low power radio component to process the first reference signal comprises means for determining whether to cause the primary radio component or the low power radio component to process the first reference signal based on a low power processing signal received at the UE from the network entity.

[0176] Clause 25. The UE of claim 19, the U further comprising means for sending a request for the reference signal configuration to the network entity.

[0177] Clause 26. The UE of claim 25, wherein the request for the reference signal configuration indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal.

[0178] Clause 27. The UE of claim 19, further comprising:

[0179] means for determining whether to transmit a third reference signal from the UE to the network entity using the primary radio component or to transmit a fourth reference signal from the UE to the network entity via the low power radio component; and

[0180] means for sending, before sending the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, to the network entity an indication of which of the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal the UE will send to the network entity.

[0181] Clause 28. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions that cause a processor of a user equipment (UE) to:

[0182] sending a capability message to a network entity, the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio of the UE, wherein the low power radio is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a main radio of the UE is configured to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal;

[0183] receiving a reference signal configuration for the first reference signal from the network entity; and

[0184] The first reference signal is processed according to the reference signal configuration using the low power radio component.

[0185] Clause 29. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the capability message indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal that the UE is configured to process using the low power radio component.

[0186] Clause 30. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the one or more configuration parameters include an indication of a time-domain based modulation scheme.

[0187] Clause 31. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the time-domain based modulation scheme is on-off keying (OOK) modulation.

[0188] Clause 32. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, further comprising processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to determine whether to cause the main radio or the low power radio to process the first reference signal.

[0189] Clause 33. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to claim 32, wherein the processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to determine whether to cause the main radio component or the low power radio component to process the first reference signal include: processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to determine whether to cause the main radio component or the low power radio component to process the first reference signal based on a low power processing signal received at the UE from the network entity.

[0190] Clause 34. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, further comprising processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to: send a request for the reference signal configuration to the network entity.

[0191] Clause 35. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the request for the reference signal configuration indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal.

[0192] Clause 36. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, further comprising processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to:

[0193] determining whether to transmit a third reference signal from the UE to the network entity using the primary radio component or to transmit a fourth reference signal from the UE to the network entity via the low power radio component; and

[0194] Before sending the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, an indication is sent to the network entity as to which reference signal, the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, the UE will send to the network entity.

[0195] Clause 37. A network entity, comprising:

[0196] Memory;

[0197] transceiver; and

[0198] a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver, the processor configured to:

[0199] receiving, via the transceiver, a capability message from a user equipment (UE), the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio of the UE; and

[0200] One or more configuration parameters of a low power reference signal are sent to the UE via the transceiver based on the capability message.

[0201] Clause 38. The network entity of claim 37, wherein the processor is configured to send a plurality of configuration messages during a single positioning / sensing session, the plurality of configuration messages each containing one or more respective configuration parameters corresponding to a respective low power reference signal.

[0202] Clause 39. The network entity of claim 37, wherein the processor is configured to send the one or more configuration parameters in response to receiving a request for low power reference signal configuration from the UE via the transceiver.

[0203] Clause 40. A low power reference signal method, the low power reference signal method comprising:

[0204] receiving, at a network entity, a capability message from a user equipment (UE), the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio of the UE; and

[0205] One or more configuration parameters of a low power reference signal are sent from the network entity to the UE based on the capability message.

[0206] Clause 41. A low power reference signal method according to claim 40, wherein sending the one or more configuration parameters comprises: sending multiple configuration messages during a single positioning / sensing session, each of the multiple configuration messages containing one or more corresponding configuration parameters corresponding to the corresponding low power reference signal.

[0207] Clause 42. The low power reference signal method of claim 40, wherein the one or more configuration parameters are sent in response to receiving a request for low power reference signal configuration from the UE at the network entity.

[0208] Clause 43. A network entity, comprising:

[0209] means for receiving a capability message from a user equipment (UE), the capability message indicating an ability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio component of the UE; and

[0210] means for sending one or more configuration parameters of a low power reference signal to the UE based on the capability message.

[0211] Clause 44. A network entity according to claim 40, wherein the means for sending the one or more configuration parameters includes means for sending multiple configuration messages during a single positioning / sensing session, each of the multiple configuration messages containing one or more respective configuration parameters corresponding to a respective low power reference signal.

[0212] Clause 45. The network entity of claim 40, wherein the means for transmitting the one or more configuration parameters comprises means for transmitting the one or more configuration parameters in response to receiving a request for low power reference signal configuration from the UE.

[0213] Clause 46. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions for causing a processor of a network entity to:

[0214] receiving a capability message from a user equipment (UE), the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio of the UE; and

[0215] One or more configuration parameters of a low power reference signal are sent to the UE based on the capability message.

[0216] Clause 47. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to claim 40, wherein the processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to send the one or more configuration parameters include processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to send multiple configuration messages during a single positioning / sensing session, each of the multiple configuration messages containing one or more corresponding configuration parameters corresponding to a corresponding low power reference signal.

[0217] Clause 48. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to claim 40, wherein the processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to send the one or more configuration parameters include processor-readable instructions that cause the processor to send the one or more configuration parameters in response to receiving a request for low power reference signal configuration from the UE.

[0218] Other considerations

[0219] Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software and computers, the functions described above can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof. Features that implement the functions can also be physically located at different locations, including being distributed so that various parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0220] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term "comprising" specifies the presence of recited features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0221] Furthermore, as used herein, the use of "or" in a list of items (possibly followed by "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates a disjunctive list, such that, for example, a list of "at least one of A, B, or C," or a list of "one or more of A, B, or C," or a list of "A or B or C" means A or B or C, or AB (A and B), or AC (A and C), or BC (B and C), or ABC (i.e., A and B and C), or a combination having more than one feature (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.). Thus, a statement that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform a function with respect to at least one of A or B, or a statement that an item is configured to perform function A or function B, means that the item may be configured to perform the function with respect to A, or may be configured to perform the function with respect to B, or may be configured to perform the functions with respect to both A and B. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of A or B" or "a processor configured to measure A or B" means that the processor may be configured to measure A (and may or may not be configured to measure B), or may be configured to measure B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or may be configured to measure A and B (and may be configured to select which one or both A and B to measure). Similarly, a recitation of a component for measuring at least one of A or B includes a component for measuring A (which may or may not be able to measure B), or a component for measuring B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or a component for measuring A and B (which may be able to select which one or both A and B to measure). As another example, a recitation of an item (e.g., a processor) being configured to perform at least one of function X or function Y means that the item may be configured to perform function X, or may be configured to perform function Y, or may be configured to perform function X and function Y. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of X or Y" means that the processor may be configured to measure X (and may or may not be configured to measure Y), or may be configured to measure Y (and may or may not be configured to measure X), or may be configured to measure X and measure Y (and may be configured to select which or both of X and Y to measure).

[0222] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, a statement that a function or operation is "based on" an item or condition means that the function or operation is based on the stated item or condition, and may be based on one or more items and / or conditions other than the stated item or condition.

[0223] Substantial variations can be made depending on specific requirements. For example, customized hardware can also be used, and / or specific elements can be implemented in hardware, in software executed by a processor (including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or in both. In addition, connections to other computing devices such as network input / output devices can be employed. Unless otherwise indicated, components shown in the figures and / or discussed herein as being connected or communicating with each other (functionally or otherwise) are communicatively coupled. That is, these components can be connected directly or indirectly to enable communication therebetween.

[0224] The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may omit, substitute, or add various processes or components as appropriate. For example, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of the configurations may be combined in similar ways. Furthermore, technology is constantly evolving, and therefore many of the elements are examples and do not limit the scope of this disclosure or the claims.

[0225] A wireless communication system is a system in which communications between wireless communication devices are transmitted wirelessly, that is, via electromagnetic and / or acoustic waves propagating through airspace rather than through wires or other physical connections. A wireless communication system (also known as a wireless communication system or wireless communication network) may not cause all communications to be transmitted wirelessly, but may be configured so that at least some communications are transmitted wirelessly. Furthermore, the term "wireless communication device" or similar terms does not require that the functionality of the device be used exclusively or even primarily for communication, that communications using the wireless communication device be exclusively or even primarily wireless, or that the device be a mobile device. Rather, it indicates that the device includes wireless communication capabilities (unidirectional or bidirectional), for example, including at least one radio component (each radio component being part of a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver) for wireless communication.

[0226] Specific details are provided in the description herein to provide a thorough understanding of example configurations (including specific implementations). However, the configurations can be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the configurations. The description herein provides example configurations and does not limit the scope, applicability, or configurations of the claims. Rather, the previous descriptions of the configurations provide a description for implementing the described techniques. Various changes may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements.

[0227] As used herein, the terms "processor-readable medium," "machine-readable medium," and "computer-readable medium" refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific manner. Using a computing platform, various processor-readable media may be involved in providing instructions / code to a processor for execution, and / or may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code (e.g., as signals). In many implementations, processor-readable media is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such media may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical and / or magnetic disks. Volatile media includes, but is not limited to, dynamic memory.

[0228] After describing several example configurations, various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents can be used. For example, the above elements can be components of a larger system, wherein other rules can take precedence over the application of the present disclosure or otherwise modify the application of the present disclosure. In addition, several operations can be taken before, during, or after considering the above elements. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the claims.

[0229] Unless otherwise indicated, “approximately” and / or “about” as used herein in reference to a measurable value (such as an amount, a duration of time, etc.) encompasses variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5% or +0.1% from the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein. Unless otherwise indicated, “substantially” as used herein in reference to a measurable value (such as an amount, a duration of time, a physical property (such as frequency), etc.) also encompasses variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5% or +0.1% from the specified value, as appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein.

[0230] A statement that a value exceeds (or is greater than or higher than) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value meets or exceeds a second threshold that is slightly greater than the first threshold, e.g., the second threshold is one value higher than the first threshold at the resolution of the computing system. A statement that a value is less than (or within or below) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value is less than or equal to a second threshold that is slightly less than the first threshold, e.g., the second threshold is one value lower than the first threshold at the resolution of the computing system.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: Memory; a transceiver comprising a main radio component and a low power radio component, wherein the low power radio component is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than the main radio component is configured to use to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal; and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver, the processor configured to: sending, via the transceiver, a capability message to a network entity, the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process the first reference signal using the low power radio component; receiving, via the transceiver, a reference signal configuration for the first reference signal from the network entity; as well as The first reference signal is processed according to the reference signal configuration using the low power radio component. 2 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the capability message indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal that the UE is configured to process using the low power radio component. The UE of claim 2 , wherein the one or more configuration parameters include an indication of a time-domain based modulation scheme. The UE according to claim 3 , wherein the time-domain based modulation scheme is On-Off Keying (OOK) modulation. 5 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to cause the primary radio component or the low power radio component to process the first reference signal. 6 . The UE of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to cause the main radio component or the low power radio component to process the first reference signal based on a low power processing signal received via the transceiver. 7 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to send a request for the reference signal configuration to the network entity via the transceiver.

8. The UE of claim 7, wherein the request for the reference signal configuration indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal.

9. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: determining whether to transmit a third reference signal to the network entity via the transceiver using the primary radio or to transmit a fourth reference signal to the network entity via the transceiver via the low power radio; and Before sending the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, an indication is sent to the network entity via the transceiver as to which reference signal, the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, the UE will send to the network entity.

10. A low power reference signal method, comprising: sending a capability message from a user equipment (UE) to a network entity, the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio of the UE, wherein the low power radio is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a main radio of the UE is configured to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal; receiving, at the UE, a reference signal configuration of the first reference signal from the network entity; as well as The first reference signal is processed at the UE using the low power radio component according to the reference signal configuration. 11 . The low power reference signal method according to claim 10 , wherein the capability message indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal that the UE is configured to process using the low power radio component.

12. The low power reference signal method of claim 11, wherein the one or more configuration parameters include an indication of a time domain based modulation scheme.

13. The low power reference signal method according to claim 12, wherein the time domain based modulation scheme is on-off keying (OOK) modulation.

14. The low power reference signal method according to claim 10, further comprising: A determination is made at the UE whether to cause the main radio component or the low power radio component to process the first reference signal.

15. The low power reference signal method of claim 14, wherein determining whether to cause the primary radio component or the low power radio component to process the first reference signal is based on a low power processing signal received at the UE from the network entity.

16. The low power reference signal method according to claim 10, further comprising: A request for the reference signal configuration is sent from the UE to the network entity.

17. The low power reference signal method according to claim 16, wherein the request for the reference signal configuration indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal.

18. The low power reference signal method according to claim 10, further comprising: determining, at the UE, whether to transmit a third reference signal from the UE to the network entity using the primary radio component or to transmit a fourth reference signal from the UE to the network entity via the low power radio component; as well as Before sending the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, an indication is sent from the UE to the network entity as to which reference signal, the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, the UE will send to the network entity.

19. A user equipment (UE), comprising: means for sending a capability message to a network entity, the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio component of the UE, wherein the low power radio component is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a primary radio component of the UE is configured to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal; means for receiving a reference signal configuration for the first reference signal from the network entity; and means for processing the first reference signal according to the reference signal configuration using the low power radio component.

20. The UE of claim 19, wherein the capability message indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal that the UE is configured to process using the low power radio component.

21. The UE of claim 20, wherein the one or more configuration parameters include an indication of a time-domain based modulation scheme.

22. The UE of claim 21, wherein the time-domain based modulation scheme is On-Off Keying (OOK) modulation.

23. The UE of claim 19, further comprising means for determining whether to cause the primary radio or the low power radio to process the first reference signal.

24. The UE of claim 23 , wherein the means for determining whether to cause the primary radio component or the low power radio component to process the first reference signal comprises means for determining whether to cause the primary radio component or the low power radio component to process the first reference signal based on a low power processing signal received at the UE from the network entity.

25. The UE of claim 19, further comprising means for sending a request for the reference signal configuration to the network entity.

26. The UE of claim 25, wherein the request for the reference signal configuration indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal.

27. The UE according to claim 19, further comprising: means for determining whether to transmit a third reference signal from the UE to the network entity using the primary radio component or to transmit a fourth reference signal from the UE to the network entity via the low power radio component; and means for sending, before sending the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal, to the network entity an indication of which of the third reference signal or the fourth reference signal the UE will send to the network entity.

28. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions for causing a processor of a user equipment (UE) to: sending a capability message to a network entity, the capability message indicating a capability of the UE to process a low power reference signal using a low power radio of the UE, wherein the low power radio is configured to process a first reference signal using less power than a main radio of the UE is configured to process a second reference signal, the first reference signal being a low power reference signal; receiving a reference signal configuration of the first reference signal from the network entity; as well as The first reference signal is processed according to the reference signal configuration using the low power radio component.

29. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the capability message indicates one or more configuration parameters of the first reference signal that the UE is configured to process using the low power radio component.

30. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the one or more configuration parameters include an indication of a time-domain based modulation scheme.

Images