Anchor terminal device selection for sidelink positioning

Abstract

According to one aspect, a first terminal device is provided, the first terminal device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first terminal device to at least perform: receiving one or more messages for a discovery process for sidelink communication from one or more second terminal devices, the one or more messages each include an indicator indicating whether the corresponding second terminal device is aware of the reference location. The first terminal device performs one or more actions based on the received one or more messages.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example implementations relate to wireless communications. Background Art

[0002] Sidelink positioning is a positioning technology used, for example, in 5G NR communication networks. In sidelink positioning, signals sent via a sidelink (i.e., between terminal devices) are used to calculate the position of a given terminal device. When a terminal device determines that sidelink positioning is required, it will first need to determine which potential anchor terminal devices (i.e., terminal devices that can serve as reference points in positioning calculations) are within range, and then select one or more of these anchor terminal devices for performing triangulation or other actions necessary to determine the position. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one aspect, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. Embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0004] According to one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, on which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed by a computer device, the computer device is caused to execute:

[0005] receiving one or more messages for a discovery process for sidelink communication from one or more second terminal devices, the one or more messages each including: an indicator indicating whether the corresponding second terminal device knows the reference location; and

[0006] One or more actions are performed based on the received one or more messages.

[0007] According to one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, on which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed by a computer device, the computer device is caused to execute:

[0008] A message for a discovery procedure for sidelink communication is sent to the first terminal device, wherein the message includes an indicator indicating whether the second terminal device knows the reference location.

[0009] One or more examples of implementations are described in detail in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Example embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0011] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system is illustrated;

[0012] Figures 2 to 5illustrates exemplary signaling according to an embodiment; and

[0013] Figures 6 and 7 An apparatus according to an embodiment is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The following embodiments are presented as examples only. Although the specification refers to "one," "a kind of," or "some" embodiments and / or examples at various locations in the text, this does not necessarily mean that each reference is to the same (multiple) embodiments and / or (multiple) examples, or that a particular feature applies only to a single embodiment and / or example. Single features of different embodiments and / or examples may also be combined to provide other embodiments and / or examples.

[0015] As used herein, “one or more of: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions, where a list of two or more elements is joined by “and” or “or”, mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0016] The embodiments and examples described herein may be implemented in any communication system comprising (a plurality of) wireless connections. In the following, different exemplary embodiments will be described using a radio access architecture based on Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced, LTE-A) or New Radio (NR, 5G) as an example of an access architecture to which the embodiments may be applied, but without limiting the embodiments to such architectures. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments may also be applied to other kinds of communication networks with suitable components by appropriately adjusting the parameters and procedures. Some examples of other options for suitable systems are: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, essentially the same as E-UTRA), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or WiFi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Personal Communications Service (PCS), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANET), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0017] Figure 1 Depicts an example of a simplified system architecture showing some elements and functional entities, some or all of which are logical units, the implementation of which may differ from that shown. Figure 1The connections shown in FIG are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the system typically includes Figure 1 Other functions and structures than those shown in FIG.

[0018] However, the embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but a person skilled in the art may apply the solutions to other communication systems provided with the necessary characteristics.

[0019] Figure 1 The example of FIG. 1 shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0020] Figure 1 Shown is a user device 100 and a user device 102, which are configured to be wirelessly connected to an access node (such as an (e / g) Node B) 104 providing the cell over one or more communication channels in the cell. The physical link from the user device to the (e / g) Node B is called an uplink or reverse link, and the physical link from the (e / g) Node B to the user device is called a downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g) Node B or its functions can be implemented using any node, host, server, or access point entity suitable for such purpose.

[0021] A communication system typically includes more than one (e / g) Node B, in which case the (e / g) Node Bs may also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links may be used for signaling purposes. A (e / g) Node B is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. A Node B may also be referred to as a base station, access point, or any other type of interface device, including a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. The (e / g) Node B includes or is coupled to a transceiver. The transceiver of the (e / g) Node B provides a connection to an antenna unit, which establishes a bidirectional radio link to a user equipment (UE). The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g) Node B is also connected to the core network 110 (CN or Next Generation Core NGC). Depending on the system, the peer on the CN side can be a Serving Gateway (S-GW, which routes and forwards user data packets), a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW) for providing connectivity between user equipment (UE) and external packet data networks, or a Mobility Management Entity (MME), among others.

[0022] The core network 110 may include a location management function (LMF) and / or some other network node for performing location estimation of the terminal device. The LMF may be configured to receive measurement and assistance information from the next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) and the user equipment 100, 102 via an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the core network 110 through an NLs interface between the AMF and the LMF, for calculating the location of the user equipment 100, 102.

[0023] User equipment (UE) (also referred to as UE, user equipment, user terminal, terminal device, etc.) describes a type of device to which resources on the air interface are allocated and assigned, and therefore any features described herein with a user equipment can be implemented using a corresponding device (such as a relay node). An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) toward a base station.

[0024] In some specific use cases (eg, when the core network 110 is unavailable), at least one of the user equipments 100 and 102 may be configured to operate as a location management entity or LMF.

[0025] A user device generally refers to a portable computing device, including wireless mobile communication devices that operate with or without a subscriber identity module (SIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile stations (cell phones), smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices, devices using wireless modems (such as alarm or measurement devices), laptop computers and / or touchscreen computers, tablet computers, game consoles, notebook computers, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that a user device can also be an almost dedicated uplink device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that uploads images or video clips to a network. A user device can also be a device capable of operating in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, a scenario in which objects are provided with the ability to transmit data over a network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. The user device (or, in some embodiments, a layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more user device functions. The user device may also be referred to as a subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, or user equipment (UE), to name a few names or devices.

[0026] The various techniques described herein can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems of collaborative computing elements that control physical entities). CPS can enable the implementation and utilization of a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects at different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems (where the physical system in question has inherent mobility) are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0027] It should be understood that Figure 1 In FIG, for the sake of clarity, the user equipment is depicted as including two antennas. The number of receiving antennas and / or transmitting antennas may naturally vary depending on the current implementation.

[0028] Furthermore, although the apparatus has been depicted as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units may be implemented. Figure 1 Not all are shown).

[0029] 5G enables the use of multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites operating in cooperation with smaller stations, and the adoption of various radio technologies depending on service requirements, use cases, and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different data sharing methods, and various forms of machine-type applications, including vehicle safety, different sensors, and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely sub-6 GHz, cmWave, and mmWave, and can also be integrated with existing legacy radio access technologies (such as LTE). At least in the early stages, integration with LTE can be implemented as a system where macro coverage is provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access comes from small cells through aggregation to LTE. In other words, 5G plans to support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as sub-6 GHz cmWave and sub-6 GHz cmWave-mmWave). One of the concepts being considered for use in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnetworks (network instances) can be created within essentially the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0030] The current architecture in LTE networks is completely distributed in the radio and completely centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require content to be close to the radio, which leads to local breakout and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analysis and knowledge generation to occur at the data source. This solution requires the use of resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. This solution also has the ability to store and process content in close proximity to cellular subscribers for faster response times. Edge computing covers a wide range of technologies, such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing, and can also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing, exposed computing, mobile edge computing, cloudlets, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, the Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency-critical), and critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analysis, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0031] The communication system may also be capable of communicating with or utilizing services provided by other networks such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 112. The communication system may also be capable of supporting the use of cloud services, for example, at least part of the core network operations may be performed as a cloud service (this is in the context of Figure 1 (depicted by “cloud” 114 in FIG. 1 ). The communication system may also include a central control entity or the like that provides facilities for networks of different operators to cooperate, for example in spectrum sharing.

[0032] Edge cloud can be introduced into the radio access network (RAN) by utilizing network function virtualization (NVF) and software defined networking (SDN). Using edge cloud can mean that access node operations are at least partially performed in a server, host, or node operably coupled to a remote radio head or a base station including radio components. Node operations may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. The application of cloudRAN architecture enables RAN real-time functions to be performed on the RAN side (in the distributed unit DU 104) and enables non-real-time functions to be performed in a centralized manner (in the centralized unit CU 104).

[0033] It should also be understood that the division of labor between core network operations and base station operations may differ from that in LTE, or may even not exist. Other technological advancements that may be utilized are big data and all-IP, which can change the way networks are built and managed. 5G (or New Radio, NR) networks are designed to support multiple hierarchical structures, with MEC servers being able to be placed between the core and base stations or Node Bs (gNBs). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0034] 5G can also leverage satellite communications to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example by providing backhaul. Possible use cases are: providing service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or passengers in vehicles, or ensuring service availability for critical communications and future rail / maritime / aeronautical communications. Satellite communications can leverage geostationary (GEO) satellite systems, but can also leverage low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, particularly mega-constellations (systems in which hundreds of (nano)satellites are deployed). At least one satellite 106 in a mega-constellation can cover multiple satellite-enabled network entities that create terrestrial cells. Terrestrial cells can be created by ground relay nodes 104 or by gNBs located on the ground or in satellites.

[0035] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the depicted system is only an example of a portion of a radio access system, and that in practice the system may include multiple (e / g) Node Bs, user equipment may have access to multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g) Node Bs may be a home (e / g) Node B. Furthermore, a plurality of different types of radio cells as well as a plurality of radio cells may be provided in a geographical area of ​​the radio communication system. A radio cell may be a macro cell (or umbrella cell), which is a large cell typically having a diameter of up to tens of kilometers, or a smaller cell, such as a micro cell, a femto cell, or a pico cell. Figure 1 An (e / g) Node B can provide any of these cells. A cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network comprising multiple types of cells. Typically, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more cells of a type, and therefore multiple (e / g) Node Bs are required to provide such a network structure.

[0036] In order to meet the need for improving the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) Node B has been introduced. Generally, a network that can use "plug and play" (e / g) Node B includes, in addition to the home (e / g) Node B (H(e / g) Node B), a home Node B gateway or HNB-GW ( Figure 1 (not shown). An HNB gateway (HNB-GW), typically installed within an operator's network, can aggregate traffic from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0037] 6G networks are expected to employ flexible decentralized and / or distributed computing systems and architectures, as well as ubiquitous computing, leveraging local spectrum licensing, spectrum sharing, infrastructure sharing, and intelligent automated management enabled by mobile edge computing, artificial intelligence, short packet communications, and blockchain technology. Key features of 6G will include intelligent connectivity management and control capabilities, programmability, integrated sensing and communications, a reduced energy footprint, trusted infrastructure, scalability, and affordability. Furthermore, 6G targets new use cases, including integrating positioning and sensing capabilities into system definitions to unify user experiences across the physical and digital worlds.

[0038] The terminal devices 100 and 102 can be configured for sidelink (SL) communication. Sidelink enables direct communication between terminal devices without involving any network nodes. The terminal devices 100 and 102 can also support sidelink positioning, that is, using the sidelink to determine the position of a given terminal device (or similarly determine the location of a given terminal device). Sidelink can be used for, for example, vehicular communications, communications related to critical public safety and / or involving law enforcement by police, military and / or first responders.

[0039] In some embodiments, one or more of the terminal devices 100 and 102 with sidelink capabilities may be installed in a vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the terminal devices 100 and 102 with sidelink capabilities may be roadside units (RSUs) supporting vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications.

[0040] When the terminal device (e.g. Figure 1 When a terminal 100, a terminal 102 in the positioning system determines that sidelink positioning is required, it first needs to determine which candidate anchor terminal devices (i.e., terminal devices that can potentially serve as reference points in positioning calculations) are within range, and then select one or more of these anchor terminal devices for performing positioning (e.g., triangulation), which is necessary to determine the position of the terminal device (referred to as the target terminal device in the positioning process).

[0041] Proximity Services (ProSe) defines a discovery process for sidelink purposes, i.e., for detecting the presence of other sidelink-capable terminal devices. However, in sidelink positioning, the goal is not to discover any nearby terminal devices for data communication, but to discover candidate anchor terminal devices (i.e., terminal devices that can act as anchor terminal devices for sidelink positioning). Therefore, if the discovery process of conventional ProSe is used directly for sidelink positioning, many sidelink terminal devices will be discovered for selection as anchor terminal devices, although only a small portion of the discovered terminal devices can actually act as anchor terminal devices for sidelink positioning. That is, several of the discovered terminal devices may not be aware of their own location, which is required to act as anchor terminal devices for sidelink positioning. Therefore, this would be a very inefficient solution to the problem of how to determine candidate anchor terminal devices for sidelink positioning (e.g., in terms of signaling overhead and energy consumption of the discovered terminal devices).

[0042] The embodiments discussed below attempt to overcome or at least alleviate the problems described above by implementing additional functionality on top of the basic sidelink discovery process, enabling terminal devices to share (as part of the discovery process) information relevant to the assessment of their suitability for use as anchor terminal devices in sidelink positioning. Using this information, a target terminal device (i.e., the terminal device to be positioned) or a location management entity can make an informed decision regarding the selection of at least one anchor terminal device.

[0043] Figure 2 The figure illustrates signaling between a first terminal device and two second terminal devices (a second terminal device A and a second terminal device B) according to an embodiment. Figure 2 In the , messages sent between terminal devices can be sent via the side link interface. Figure 2 Any terminal device in can correspond to Figure 1 Any one of the terminal device 100 and the terminal device 102. Figure 2 The described process may be performed by a corresponding terminal device, or a portion thereof, or an apparatus communicatively connected to the terminal device. The first terminal device may also be referred to as a target terminal device, as it is the terminal device to be positioned. The second terminal device may also be referred to as a (potential) candidate anchor terminal device (for sidelink positioning) or a peer terminal device.

[0044] refer to Figure 2Each of the second terminal devices A and B sends at least one message for a discovery process for sidelink communication to the first terminal device in messages 201 and 203. Each of the sent messages includes at least a first indicator (also simply referred to as an "indicator") indicating whether the corresponding second terminal device knows its location. The location can be provided, for example, as a geographic location. It is assumed that any terminal device that knows its own location is a prime candidate for serving as an anchor terminal device in the sidelink positioning process. Therefore, by providing the first indicator to the first terminal device, the first terminal device can assess the suitability of the second terminal device for sidelink positioning. Before sending messages 201 and 203, the corresponding second terminal device A and second terminal device B may generate messages 201 and 203 and include one or more of the described indicators (e.g., the first indicator, the second indicator, and / or the third indicator) and optionally associated additional information (e.g., a time estimate associated with the second request) in messages 201 and 203.

[0045] Knowing its own location may generally refer to the second device having knowledge or information about its own location. For example, if the second device has or possesses a sufficiently accurate estimate of its own location, then the second device may know its location. The requirement for accuracy may be preconfigured to the second device (e.g., when the device is assembled), or indicated by the network to give a few examples. Thus, in some examples, knowing its own location may refer to the second device storing (sufficiently accurate) location information about its own location, where the location information indicates a location estimate or the corresponding location of the second device. Similar logic may apply to cases where the second device knows some other reference location.

[0046] The transmission of the message 201 and the message 203 may correspond to a broadcast transmission. Therefore, the transmission may also be received by one or more terminal devices other than the first terminal device within the broadcast range of the second terminal device A / the second terminal device B.

[0047] The discovery process associated with the messages 201 and 203 may correspond to the discovery model A or the ProSe discovery model A. In such embodiments, the messages of the discovery process may be discovery messages of the (ProSe) discovery model A.

[0048] Alternatively, the discovery process associated with messages 201 and 203 may correspond to discovery model B or ProSe discovery model B. In such embodiments, the message of the discovery process may be a discovery response of (ProSe) discovery model B. Each discovery response may be preceded by a discovery request, as will be described below in conjunction with Figure 3 and Figure 4discussed.

[0049] The transmission of one or both of message 201 , message 203 may be repeated periodically or regularly.

[0050] In addition to the first indicator, each or at least some of the messages of the discovery process (messages 201, 203) may also include additional location status information for further facilitating the decision regarding anchor terminal device selection. In at least some embodiments, which additional information is included in the sent message may depend on the value of the first indicator (and possibly one or more additional indicators) included in the message.

[0051] In some embodiments, at least when a first indicator included in a message of the discovery process indicates that the corresponding second terminal device knows its location, the message may further include a time value indicating a validity time of the location information of the corresponding second terminal device.

[0052] At least in the case where a first indicator included in a message of a discovery process indicates that the corresponding second terminal device does not know its location, the message of the discovery process further comprises a second indicator, which second indicator indicates whether the second terminal device is able to obtain location information about its location. In addition, at least in the case where the second indicator indicates that the second terminal device is able to obtain location information about its location, the message may further comprise a time estimate for the time required by the second terminal device in order to obtain the location information. The time estimate associated with the second indicator may be determined by a given second terminal device based on, for example, a configuration or a quality of service (QoS) of the second terminal device. A given second terminal device may be able to obtain location information, for example, using non-3GPP (non-3rd Generation Partnership Project) positioning means, such as using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0053] At least in the case where the first indicator indicates that a given second terminal device does not know its location, the information may also include a third indicator indicating whether the second terminal device knows the relative location of one or more other terminal devices and / or a list of one or more other terminal devices, the list comprising at least the relative location of the one or more other terminal devices. Here, the relative location(s) are defined relative to the location of the second terminal device. The list may also include: a validity period for the relative location of the one or more other terminal devices and / or one or more fifth indicators indicating whether the corresponding one or more other terminal devices are potential anchor terminal devices. In general, relative positioning procedures may be relevant for locating peers, for example, in a firefighter scenario, where one person (i.e., a firefighter with a terminal device) may need to know the location of their peer (e.g., a victim or another firefighter with a terminal device). Relative positioning may also be meaningful in scenarios where a primary anchor terminal device knows its own location and uses other terminal devices to determine relative locations relative to its own location.

[0054] In some embodiments, all or at least one of the messages of the discovery process (message 201, message 203) sent by the second terminal device may further include:

[0055] a fourth indicator, the fourth indicator indicating whether the second terminal device is currently operating as an anchor terminal device; and / or

[0056] Information about the positioning capability of the second terminal device.

[0057] In some embodiments, if the first indicator indicates that a given second terminal device knows its location, further location status information may not be included in the message of the discovery process.

[0058] In some embodiments, all or at least one of the messages of the discovery process (message 201, message 203) sent by the second terminal device may further include different ProSe application codes or different ProSe restriction codes (depending on the level of support). The ProSe application code includes: a temporary identity corresponding to the ProSe application identifier (ID) name, and the public land mobile network (PLMN) ID of the ProSe function that allocates the ProSe code (i.e., mobile country code (MCC) and mobile network code (MNC)). The ProSe restriction code is an identifier corresponding to one or more restricted ProSe application user IDs. Therefore, the ProSe application or restriction code can effectively indicate the purpose of using discovery and optionally indicate which capabilities the second terminal device has (or requests).

[0059] It should be noted that the discovery process message sent to the first terminal device may not include the location information itself. This information may only be provided to the entity performing the sidelink positioning.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first indicator, and at least one of the following items may be included in all messages of the discovery process sent by the second terminal device, regardless of the value of any listed indicator: the second indicator, the third indicator, the fourth indicator, a time estimate associated with the second indicator, a list of one or more other terminal devices whose relative positions are known, or information about the positioning capabilities of the second terminal device. In the event that a certain type of information (e.g., the second indicator) is not available or applicable, the associated data field may be given a predefined value (e.g., zero, blank, or null value) in the sent message.

[0061] exist Figure 2 At the beginning of the process, the first terminal device may be assumed to be monitoring for discovery messages from nearby terminal devices. This monitoring may be initiated in response to a request from the first terminal device to obtain a location, for example, from an upper layer. During monitoring, in blocks 202 and 204, the first terminal device receives discovery messages for sidelink communication from second terminal devices A and B.

[0062] In some embodiments, in response to receiving in block 202 and / or block 204, the first terminal device may send a response back to the second terminal device A / second terminal device B from which it received the message (e.g., the discovery message of the discovery model A). Figure 2 (not shown). The response may be a discovery response of (ProSe) discovery model A.

[0063] In block 205, the first terminal device performs one or more actions based on the received message. Specifically, the one or more actions may be performed based on at least the received first indicator. Optionally, depending on the embodiment, the one or more actions may also be based on any other information that may be received in message 201 or message 203, such as (multiple) second indicator(s), (multiple) third indicator(s), (multiple) fourth indicator(s), (multiple) time estimates associated with the (multiple) second indicator(s), (multiple) lists of one or more other terminal devices whose relative positions are known, or information about the positioning capabilities of the (multiple) second terminal devices.

[0064] In some embodiments, one or more actions of block 205 may include determining, based on the received message, at least one candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning. The at least one candidate anchor terminal device may correspond to a set of one or more terminal devices that are particularly suitable (or suitable and preferred) for serving as an anchor terminal device in the sidelink positioning process. Thus, in other words, the first terminal device effectively filters the set of all terminal devices from which the first indicator is received (all terminal devices effectively becoming candidates for candidate anchor terminal devices) in order to determine or select the at least one candidate anchor terminal device. The number of the at least one candidate anchor terminal device determined is equal to or less than the number of terminal devices from which the first indicator is received. It should be noted that all or only a subset of the at least one candidate anchor terminal device determined in block 205 may ultimately be used for sidelink positioning.

[0065] In some embodiments, determining at least one candidate anchor terminal device in block 205 may include determining at least a given second terminal device is a candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning based on a message received from a corresponding second terminal device, the message including a first indicator indicating that the second terminal device knows its location. In other words, any second terminal device that knows its own location may be prioritized over terminal devices that do not know their own location when selecting a candidate anchor terminal device by the first terminal device.

[0066] In some cases, it may happen that no second terminal devices that know their own position are available for sidelink positioning, or that only a few such second terminal devices are available. In other words, in some cases, the number of second terminal devices that are determined to be candidate anchor terminal devices based on their knowledge of their own position may be lower than a certain predefined minimum number of candidate anchor terminal devices. At least in these cases, other criteria besides only the first indicator may be considered for selecting at least one candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning. For example, in block 205, the determination of the at least one candidate terminal device may include: determining that the second terminal device is a candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning based on a message received from the second terminal device, the message including a second indicator indicating that the second terminal device is able to obtain position information about its position. This is particularly applicable to embodiments in which the second indicator is not provided with any associated time estimate.

[0067] As described above, in some embodiments, the message sent to the first terminal device may include not only the second indicator but also an associated time estimate. The time estimate may also be considered when determining which second terminal devices are to be considered candidate anchor terminal devices. That is, in block 205, determining at least one candidate anchor terminal device may include determining that the second terminal device is a candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning based on a message received from the second terminal device including the second indicator, the second indicator indicating that the second terminal device is able to obtain position information regarding its position, and the message also including a corresponding time estimate that is less than or equal to a threshold time. In other words, the first terminal device may determine that a second terminal device that is able to obtain its position within the threshold time is a candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning. This may apply generally, or at least to situations where the number of second terminal devices whose positions are already known is zero or at least less than a predefined number. The threshold time may be maintained in a memory of the first terminal device.

[0068] In some embodiments, the at least one candidate anchor terminal device determined in block 205 can be limited to a predefined maximum number of candidate anchor terminal devices. If there are too many possible candidate anchor terminal devices available compared to the predefined maximum number of candidate anchor terminal devices, a second terminal device that knows its own location can be prioritized over all other second terminal devices when selecting a candidate anchor terminal device. Furthermore, when selecting a candidate anchor terminal device, a second terminal device that is able to obtain location information within a threshold time can be prioritized over a second terminal device that is able to obtain location information but not within the threshold time, or a second terminal device that is able to obtain location information in an unknown amount of time (for which a time estimate is unavailable). Furthermore, second terminal devices that are able to obtain location information within the threshold time can be selected as candidate anchor terminal devices in increasing order of the time required to obtain location information, as indicated by the provided time estimate. In other words, the second terminal device with the smallest time estimate for obtaining location can be selected first, followed by the second terminal device with the next smallest time estimate, and so on. However, it should be emphasized that a second terminal device that knows its own location can still be prioritized over any of these second terminal devices whose locations are currently unknown.

[0069] In some embodiments, in addition to determining at least one candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning, one or more actions of block 205 may also include (actively) requesting at least one candidate anchor terminal device, whose position is unknown but can be obtained, to obtain position information without delay to avoid or at least reduce delays in subsequent positioning. For example, these (multiple) requests may be sent in response to determining the at least one candidate anchor terminal device.

[0070] In addition to the determination of at least one candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning, one or more actions of box 205 may also include: indicating or forwarding information about the determined at least one candidate anchor terminal device to a location management entity. This may enable the location management entity to perform positioning using the at least one candidate anchor terminal device or a subset thereof. The positioning management entity may be or include an LMF. The location management entity may be a standalone LMF element or a node of a public land mobile network (PLMN) (e.g., a location server), or may be an access node configured with LMF functionality. Alternatively, in particular in out-of-coverage scenarios where "conventional" LMF is not available, the location management entity may be an (anchor) terminal device that includes an LMF. For example, such a terminal device acting as an LMF may be a roadside unit with the purpose of at least assisting in the positioning process.

[0071] Optionally, the first terminal device may further indicate or forward to the location management entity information about selection criteria used by the first terminal device, the selection criteria being used to select (or determine) at least one candidate anchor terminal device. These criteria may define, for example, that only terminal devices that know their own locations are selected as candidates, that both terminal devices that know their own locations and terminal devices that can obtain their own locations are selected as candidates, or that both terminal devices that know their own locations and terminal devices that can obtain their own locations within a threshold time are selected as candidates.

[0072] In some embodiments, one or more actions of block 205 may include forwarding or indicating the message received from the second terminal device, or at least the corresponding (first) indicator, to a location management entity. The location management entity may be defined as previously described. In such embodiments, the determination of at least one candidate anchor terminal device (as described above) may be performed by the location management entity, rather than the first terminal device.

[0073] although Figure 2 The diagram illustrates an exemplary scenario in which two second terminal devices send (or broadcast) discovery process messages 201 and 203 to a first terminal device. However, in general, one or more second terminal devices may send one or more corresponding discovery process messages to a first terminal device. The number of second terminal devices sending messages depends solely on how many sidelink-capable terminal devices are within the sidelink communication range of the first terminal device at a given time.

[0074] Figure 3 The figure illustrates signaling between a first terminal device and two second terminal devices (a second terminal device A and a second terminal device B) according to an embodiment. Figure 3 In the , messages sent between terminal devices can be sent via the side link interface. Figure 3 Any terminal device can Figure 1 Corresponding to any one of the terminal device 100 and the terminal device 102. Figure 2 The described process may be performed by a corresponding terminal device, or a portion thereof, or an apparatus in communication with the terminal device. The first terminal device may also be referred to as a target terminal device. The second terminal device may also be referred to as a (potential) candidate anchor terminal device (for sidelink positioning) or a peer terminal device.

[0075] refer to Figure 3 In messages 301 and 302, the first terminal device transmits a discovery request for sidelink communication to at least the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B. This transmission corresponds to a broadcast transmission. The discovery request may be sent in response to a request for obtaining a location (e.g., from an upper layer) received by the first terminal device. The discovery request is received by the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B in blocks 303 and 304.

[0076] In the illustrated embodiment, the discovery request is assumed to not include any specific requirements for candidate anchor terminal devices. In other words, the first terminal device can request a response from any second terminal device that receives the discovery request.

[0077] Based on the discovery request (or in response to the discovery request), each of the second terminal devices A and B sends a discovery response in messages 305 and 307. The transmission of messages 305 and 307 may be unicast transmission or broadcast transmission.

[0078] Each discovery response (message 305, message 306) includes an indicator (also referred to as a first indicator) indicating whether the corresponding second terminal device knows its location, similar to Figure 2 Message 201, message 203. In general, each discovery response may include the following: Figure 2 any of the above information in message 201, message 203. Therefore, in addition to the (first) indicator, each discovery response or at least some of the discovery responses may include at least one of the following items: a second indicator, a third indicator, a fourth indicator, a time estimate associated with the second indicator, a list of one or more other terminal devices whose relative positions are known, or information about the positioning capability of the second terminal device.

[0079] In blocks 306 and 308 , the first terminal device receives discovery responses sent by the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B.

[0080] In block 309, the first terminal device performs one or more actions based on the received discovery response. The one or more actions may be combined with Figure 2 The action described in block 205 (the message received here is specifically a discovery response) corresponds to the action described in block 205.

[0081] although Figure 3 The diagram illustrates an exemplary scenario in which two second terminal devices receive discovery requests 301 and 302 from a first terminal device, but in general, one or more second terminal devices may receive a discovery request from a first terminal device, and all or at least one of the one or more second terminal devices may subsequently send a discovery response back to the first terminal device.

[0082] Figure 4 The figure illustrates the signaling between a first terminal device and two second terminal devices (a second terminal device A and a second terminal device B) according to an embodiment. Figure 4 In the , information sent between terminal devices can be sent via the side link interface. Figure 4 Any terminal device can Figure 1 Corresponding to any one of the terminal device 100 and the terminal device 102. Figure 2 The described process may be performed by a corresponding terminal device, or a portion thereof, or an apparatus communicatively connected to the terminal device. The first terminal device may also be referred to as a target terminal device. The second terminal device may also be referred to as a (potential) candidate anchor terminal device (for sidelink positioning) or a peer terminal device.

[0083] Figure 4 The process and Figure 3 Unless otherwise expressly stated, the Figure 3 The discussion provided also applies to Figure 4 process.

[0084] refer to Figure 4 In messages 301 and 302, a first terminal device transmits a discovery request for sidelink communication to at least a second terminal device A and a second terminal device B. This transmission corresponds to a broadcast transmission. The discovery request may be sent in response to a request for obtaining a location by the first terminal device (e.g., from an upper layer). The discovery request is received by the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B in blocks 403 and 404.

[0085] In the illustrated embodiment, the discovery request is assumed to include information about one or more requirements for a candidate anchor terminal device (i.e., a terminal device that serves as an anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning). For example, the one or more requirements may specify that the candidate anchor terminal device should know its location. Alternatively, the one or more requirements may specify that the candidate anchor terminal device should know its location or be able to obtain location information about its location. Alternatively, the one or more requirements may specify that the candidate anchor terminal device should know its location or be able to obtain location information about its location within a threshold time.

[0086] Upon receiving the discovery request in blocks 403 and 404, each of the second terminal devices A and B (independently) determines whether to respond to the first terminal by sending a discovery response in blocks 405 and 406. This determination may depend at least on whether the corresponding second terminal device meets one or more requirements included in the discovery request.

[0087] Figure 4 The diagram shows a specific scenario, where:

[0088] - One or more requirements defined in the discovery request specifying that the candidate anchor terminal should know its location, or be able to obtain its location in a time less than or equal to a time threshold

[0089] - the second terminal device A is a terminal device whose location is unknown but which is capable of obtaining its location within a time less than a threshold time, and

[0090] The second terminal device B is a terminal device whose location is unknown and cannot be obtained.

[0091] Thus, in block 405, the second terminal device A determines that it meets one or more requirements and should therefore respond to the discovery request, and sends a discovery response to the first terminal device in message 407 (eg, as a unicast transmission or a broadcast transmission). Figure 3 Any definition provided for a discovery response also applies here. In block 409, the second terminal device A may initiate a process for obtaining location information immediately after (or substantially simultaneously with) the transmission of the discovery response. This process may be based on the use of non-3GPP positioning methods, such as GNSS. The discovery response may include an indication notifying the first terminal device that a process for obtaining location information has been initiated.

[0092] On the other hand, in block 406 , the second terminal device B determines that it cannot meet one or more requirements and therefore should not respond to the discovery request. The discovery process for the second terminal device B therefore does not continue.

[0093] In block 408, the first terminal device receives a discovery response from the second terminal device A. Then, in block 410, the first terminal device performs one or more actions similar to the one in conjunction with Figure 2 as described in block 205 .

[0094] Similar to Figure 3 As discussed, although Figure 4 The following exemplary scenario is illustrated: there are two second terminal devices that receive discovery requests 401 and 402 from a first terminal device, and only one of the two second terminal devices sends a discovery response back to the first terminal device, but in general, one or more second terminal devices can receive a discovery request from the first terminal device, and all or at least one of the one or more second terminal devices can send a discovery response back to the first terminal device.

[0095] The actions related to block 409 may also be applied to Figure 2 In other words, the second terminal device may initiate a process for obtaining location information (assuming that the second terminal device does not currently know its own location but is able to obtain its own location) after (immediately) or substantially simultaneously with the transmission of the discovery message (message 201, message 203).

[0096] Although in combination Figures 2 to 5 In the discussed embodiments, it is assumed that the messages sent between the first terminal device and the second terminal device are messages for the discovery process of sidelink communication (i.e., discovery messages, discovery requests, and discovery responses), but in other embodiments, the messages may instead be corresponding Side Link Positioning Protocol (SLPP) messages. The SLPP messages may be broadcast messages.

[0097] Figure 5 The figure illustrates signaling between a first terminal device and a second terminal device (a second terminal device A and a second terminal device B), and a location management entity for performing a positioning process according to an embodiment. Figure 5 In the , messages sent between terminal devices can be sent via the side link interface. Figure 5 Any terminal device can Figure 1 The terminal device 100 and the terminal device 102 correspond to each other. As described above, Figure 5 The location management entity may be an independent LMF element or a node of a PLMN (e.g., a location server), an access node configured with LMF functionality, or a terminal device that acts as an LMF. Figure 1 The server 112 corresponds to the location server. Figure 5The described process may be performed by a corresponding terminal device or location management entity, or a part thereof, or an apparatus communicatively connected to the terminal device or location management entity.

[0098] exist Figure 5 It is assumed that the process of determining candidate anchor terminal devices for sidelink positioning according to any embodiment has been previously performed. In this particular example scenario, it is also assumed that the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B have been determined as candidate anchor terminal devices by the first terminal device. Optionally, one or more additional second terminal devices (not in the Figure 5 ) may also have been determined by the first terminal device as a candidate anchor terminal device.

[0099] In message 501, the first terminal device at least preliminarily indicates the determined candidate anchor terminal device to the location management entity. Optionally, the indication may also include: information about the selection criteria used by the first terminal device for selecting the candidate anchor terminal device (for example, only terminal devices that know their own location are selected as candidates, or both terminal devices that know their own location and terminal devices that can obtain their own location within a threshold time are selected as candidates). The indication is received by the location management entity in box 502. The location management entity may be any location management entity described above (for example, a dedicated location server, an access node, or a terminal device playing the role of an LMF). Message 501 may be associated with Figure 2 Box 205, Figure 3 309, and Figure 4 corresponding to any one of the items in box 410.

[0100] In block 503, the location management entity determines one or more anchor terminal devices for sidelink positioning based on the indicated candidate anchor terminal devices. In this example, in block 503, the location management entity determines that both the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B are anchor terminal devices. The location management entity may prioritize candidate anchor terminal devices whose own locations are already known (assuming that such information is provided in message 501) in the determination in block 503.

[0101] In message 504, the location management entity sends a request for location information to any (multiple) anchor terminal devices that know their own location or at least are able to obtain their own location. In this example, the request is sent to the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B, which are assumed to know their own location. These transmissions can be performed through a secure channel.

[0102] In response to receiving the request in blocks 505 and 506, the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B transmit their location information back to the location management entity in message 507. If any anchor terminal device is still in the process of obtaining location information, the transmission of the location information to the location management entity may be delayed accordingly. In block 508, the location management entity receives the location information of the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B. The location management entity may store the received location information in at least one memory.

[0103] In message 509, the location management entity sends (or broadcasts) a sidelink positioning configuration to the first terminal device, second terminal device A, and second terminal device B. The sidelink positioning configuration may define the first terminal device as a target terminal device in sidelink positioning, and the second terminal device A and second terminal device B as anchor terminal devices in sidelink positioning. In blocks 510, 511, and 512, the first terminal device, second terminal device A, and second terminal device B receive the corresponding sidelink positioning configuration. The sidelink positioning configuration may also define latency and / or accuracy requirements for the SL positioning session.

[0104] In block 513 , the first terminal device and one or both of the second terminal devices A and B perform sidelink positioning measurements therebetween according to the sidelink positioning configuration.

[0105] The sidelink positioning measurement performed in box 513 can be based on the communication (and measurement) of one or more sidelink positioning reference signals (SL PRS) between one or more anchor terminal devices (here, at least one second terminal device among the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B) and the target terminal device (here, the first terminal device) to enable positioning of the target terminal device. For example, one or both second terminal devices of the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B can provide SL PRS assistance to the first terminal device by each sending at least one SL PRS to the first terminal device, and the first terminal device can receive (and measure) the (multiple) SL PRS. Alternatively, the first terminal device can send SL PRS to one or both second target terminal devices of the second target terminal device A and the second target terminal device B, and the one or both second terminal devices of the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B can receive (and measure) the (multiple) SL PRS. As described above, the target terminal device is the terminal device to be positioned, and the anchor terminal device is, for example, a terminal device that supports positioning of the target terminal device by sending and / or receiving SL PRS through a sidelink interface.

[0106] According to the general definition, SL PRS is a reference signal sent over the side link for positioning purposes. The parameters of SL PRS can be configured or pre-configured by the network, or autonomously configured or pre-configured by the terminal device depending on the coverage scenario. In an in-coverage or partial coverage scenario, the parameter can be determined by the network, for example, by the LMF or a network node such as an access node (e.g., gNB). In an out-of-coverage scenario, the parameter can be determined autonomously by the terminal device. The parameters of SL PRS may include, for example: time-frequency resources including bandwidth and periodicity, parameters related to directivity, such as beam direction, beam width, number of beams, and / or transmit power.

[0107] The positioning performed in block 513 may be, for example, absolute positioning, relative positioning, or ranging. In absolute positioning, the location of the target terminal device is estimated in 2D / 3D geographic coordinates, such as longitude, latitude, and altitude within a coordinate system. In relative positioning, the location of the target terminal device is estimated relative to other network elements or relative to other terminal devices (e.g., anchor terminal devices). In ranging, the distance between the target terminal device and at least one anchor terminal device and / or the direction of the target terminal device relative to at least one anchor terminal device is determined via a direct device connection.

[0108] Also in box 513, after the side link positioning measurement (and / or partially during the side link positioning measurement), the first terminal device and / or the one or both second terminal devices among the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B report the results of the side link positioning measurement (e.g., the measured SL PRS) to the location management entity.

[0109] In block 514, the location management entity calculates the location of the first terminal device (ie, the target terminal device in the positioning), for example, based on triangulation. The execution of triangulation may involve not Figure 5 The calculation in block 514 may be based on the results of the sidelink positioning measurements and the position information of the second terminal device A and the second terminal device B. The calculated position may be a relative position (defined relative to one of the second terminal devices) or an absolute position.

[0110] In some embodiments, a simpler positioning scheme (compared to triangulation) involving only one or two anchor terminal devices may be employed. For example, if it is known that the first terminal device can only move along a certain axis or route (which greatly limits the range of potential locations of the first terminal device), such a simpler positioning scheme may be employed.

[0111] In message 515, the location management entity reports the calculated location of the first terminal device back to the first terminal device. In block 516, the first terminal device receives the calculated location of the first terminal device. The first terminal device may store its location in at least one memory.

[0112] In some embodiments, although Figure 5 The diagram illustrates a scenario where the location management entity is an entity separate from the first terminal device, but this may not be the case. In other words, the location management entity may correspond to the location management entity. Figure 5 The description of applies mutatis mutandis to such embodiments, for example, element 501, element 509 (part), element 510, element 515, element 516 relating to communication between the first terminal device and the location management entity may be omitted.

[0113] although Figure 5 An example scenario with two candidate anchor terminal devices that know their own positions and are therefore selected as anchor terminal devices is illustrated, but in general, at least one candidate anchor terminal device may be provided and at least one of the at least one candidate anchor terminal device may be selected as the anchor terminal device.

[0114] Despite the combination Figures 2 to 5 In the discussed embodiments it is assumed that the first indicator included in a message (e.g. a discovery message or a discovery response) indicates whether the corresponding second terminal device knows its own position, but in other embodiments, more generally, the first indicator may indicate whether the corresponding second terminal device knows the reference position. Here, the reference position may correspond to the position of the second terminal device itself. On the other hand, the reference position may also, instead of corresponding to the position of the second terminal device, correspond, for example, to the position of another terminal device that is communicatively connected to the second terminal device (e.g. via a side link), or to the position of a specific (possibly stationary) reference point. The second terminal device in question may know its own relative position with respect to the reference position, or likewise know the relative position of the reference position with respect to the position of the second terminal device. Therefore, the second terminal device may be able to obtain or derive its own position based on the information available to it. Therefore, in this case, the second terminal device may also be able to act as an anchor terminal device.

[0115] In the embodiment described in the previous paragraph, the second indicator (and the associated time estimate) can be defined relative to a reference position or relative to the position of the corresponding second terminal device. Additionally or alternatively, the fourth indicator and the information about positioning capabilities can be defined for the terminal device associated with the reference position or for the corresponding second terminal device.

[0116] The above text uses Figures 2 to 5 The frames, related functions, and information exchanges described are not in absolute time sequence, and some of them can be performed simultaneously, or in a sequence different from the given sequence. Other functions can also be performed between them or within them, and other information can be sent. Some frames in the frame, or parts of the frame, or one or more pieces of information can also be ignored, or replaced by one or more pieces of information of the corresponding frame, or parts of the frame, or information.

[0117] Figure 6 An apparatus 601 according to some embodiments is provided. Specifically, Figure 6 The diagram shows an apparatus 601 configured to perform at least some of the terminal device side functions according to the embodiments described above. The apparatus 601 may be a terminal device, or a component thereof (eg, a computing device), or a device in communication with the terminal device.

[0118] The device 601 may include one or more communication control circuit systems 620, such as at least one processor, and at least one memory 630, the at least one memory 630 including one or more algorithms 631, such as computer program code (software), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code (software) are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the device to perform any one of the exemplary terminal device-side functions described above.

[0119] refer to Figure 6 The communication control circuit system 620 of the apparatus 601 may include at least a target terminal device circuit system 621, the target terminal device circuit system 621 being configured to at least perform a combined operation using one or more separate circuit systems. Figures 2 to 5 The communication control circuit system 620 of the apparatus 601 may further include an anchor terminal device circuit system 622, which is configured to use one or more separate circuit systems to at least perform the combined Figures 2 to 5 Any one of the candidate anchor terminal devices (ie, the second terminal device) functions described in .

[0120] refer to Figure 6 , memory 630 may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory.

[0121] refer to Figure 6, the device 601 may also include different interfaces 610, such as one or more communication interfaces (TX / RX), which include hardware and / or software for implementing a communication connection through a medium according to one or more communication protocols. For example, the communication interface can provide the device 601 with communication capabilities for communicating in a cellular communication system and enable communication with one or more terminal devices and / or different network nodes or elements (e.g., different access nodes). The one or more communication interfaces may include standard well-known components, such as amplifiers, filters, frequency converters, (de)modulators, and encoder / decoder circuit systems, and one or more antennas, controlled by corresponding control units. The device 601 may also include one or more user interfaces.

[0122] Figure 7 An apparatus 701 (eg, a computer device) according to some embodiments is provided. Specifically, Figure 7 The diagram illustrates an apparatus 701 configured to perform at least some of the location management entity-related (or LMF-related) functions according to the embodiments described above. Apparatus 701 may be a network node (e.g., an access node or a distributed unit of a distributed access node), or a portion thereof, or an apparatus communicatively connected to a network node. Alternatively, apparatus 701 may be a terminal device, or a portion thereof, or an apparatus communicatively connected to a terminal device. Alternatively, apparatus 701 may be a (dedicated) location server, or a portion thereof, or an apparatus communicatively connected to a location server. In general, apparatus 701 may be an apparatus comprising an LMF.

[0123] The apparatus 701 may include one or more communication control circuit systems 720, such as at least one processor, and at least one memory 730, the at least one memory 730 including one or more algorithms 731, such as computer program code (software), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code (software) are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to perform any of the exemplary location management entity-related functions described above.

[0124] refer to Figure 7 The communication control circuit system 720 of the apparatus 701 includes at least a location management circuit system 721, which is configured to at least perform side link positioning for the target terminal device based on the received measurement results and the location information of the anchor terminal device. To this end, the location management circuit system 721 is configured to use one or more separate circuit systems to perform the above-mentioned Figure 5 Describes the functionality of the location management entity.

[0125] refer to Figure 7, memory 730 may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory.

[0126] refer to Figure 7 , the device 701 may also include different interfaces 710, such as one or more communication interfaces (TX / RX), which include hardware and / or software for implementing a communication connection through a medium according to one or more communication protocols. For example, the communication interface can provide the device 701 with communication capabilities for communicating in a cellular communication system and enable communication with one or more terminal devices and / or one or more other network nodes or elements. The one or more communication interfaces may include standard well-known components, such as amplifiers, filters, frequency converters, (de)modulators, and encoder / decoder circuit systems, as well as one or more antennas, controlled by corresponding control units. The device 801 may also include one or more user interfaces.

[0127] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) a hardware circuit implementation only (such as an implementation in analog and / or digital circuitry only); and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as, if applicable: (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor(s) with software, including a digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(s) that work together to enable an apparatus such as a terminal device or access node or LMF to perform various functions; and (c) hardware circuitry and processor(s), such as a microprocessor(s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s) that requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but which may not be present when the software is not required for operation. The definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" also encompasses an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor(s) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, and if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuitry" would also cover a baseband integrated circuit for an access node or terminal device or other computing or networking equipment.

[0128] In an embodiment, combining Figures 2 to 5At least some of the described processes may be performed by an apparatus (e.g., a computing device for a terminal device, a terminal device, a computing device for a network node, or a network node) that includes corresponding components for performing at least some of the described processes. Some example components for performing the processes may include at least one of the following: a detector, a processor (including dual-core and multi-core processors), a digital signal processor, a controller, a receiver, a transmitter, an encoder, a decoder, a memory, RAM, ROM, software, firmware, a display, a user interface, a display circuit system, a user interface circuit system, user interface software, display software, a circuit, an antenna, an antenna circuit system, and a circuit system. In an embodiment, at least one processor, a memory, and a computer program code form a processing component or include one or more computer program code portions for performing the processing according to Figures 2 to 5 Any one of the embodiments or its operations to perform one or more operations.

[0129] According to one aspect, an apparatus (e.g., an apparatus for a first terminal device or a first terminal device) is provided, the apparatus including means for performing the following:

[0130] receiving one or more messages for a discovery process for sidelink communication from one or more second terminal devices, the one or more messages each including: an indicator indicating whether the corresponding second terminal device knows a reference position (e.g., its own position); and

[0131] One or more actions are performed based on the received one or more messages.

[0132] According to one aspect, an apparatus (e.g., an apparatus for a second terminal device or a second terminal device) is provided, the apparatus including means for performing the following:

[0133] A message for a discovery procedure for sidelink communication is sent to the first terminal device, wherein the message includes an indicator indicating whether the second terminal device knows a reference position (eg, its own position).

[0134] In an embodiment, at least one processor, memory, and computer program code form processing means or include one or more computer program code portions for processing according to Figures 2 to 5 Any one of the embodiments or its operations to perform one or more operations.

[0135] The described embodiments may also be implemented in the form of a computer process defined by a computer program or part thereof. Figures 2 to 5Embodiments of the described methods can be performed by executing at least part of a computer program comprising corresponding instructions. The computer program can be provided as a computer-readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon, or as a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon. The computer program can be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and it can be stored in a certain type of carrier, which can be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, the computer program can be stored on a computer program distribution medium readable by a computer or processor. The computer program medium can be, for example, but not limited to, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an electronic carrier signal, a telecommunications signal, and a software distribution package. The computer program medium can be a non-transitory medium. The coding of the software for executing the illustrated and described embodiments is fully within the scope of those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0136] As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is defined to the medium itself (ie, tangible, not a signal), rather than to the persistence of data storage (eg, RAM versus ROM).

[0137] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the examples according to the accompanying drawings, it is obvious that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be modified in various ways within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly and are intended to illustrate rather than limit the embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, as technology advances, the concepts of the present invention may be implemented in various ways. Furthermore, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the described embodiments may, but need not, be combined with other embodiments in various ways.

Claims

1. A first terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the first terminal device at least performs: receiving one or more messages for a discovery procedure for sidelink communication from one or more second terminal devices, the one or more messages each comprising: an indicator indicating whether the corresponding second terminal device knows the reference location; as well as One or more actions are performed based on the one or more messages received.

2. The first terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more actions include: At least one candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning is determined based on the one or more messages.

3. The first terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more actions further comprise: The determined at least one candidate anchor terminal device is indicated to a location management entity.

4. The first terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more actions comprise: The one or more messages, or at least the corresponding one or more indicators, are forwarded to a location management entity.

5. The first terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the reference position indicated by the indicator is the position of the corresponding second terminal device.

6. The first terminal device according to claim 5, wherein the determining comprises: The second terminal device is determined to be a candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning based on a message in the one or more messages received from the second terminal device, the message including an indicator indicating that the second terminal device knows the location of the second terminal device.

7. A first terminal device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the indicator indicating whether the corresponding second terminal device knows the location of the corresponding second terminal device is a first indicator, and at least one first indicator respectively included in at least one message of the one or more messages indicates that the corresponding second terminal device does not know the location of the corresponding second terminal device, and each message in the at least one message includes a second indicator, and the second indicator indicates whether the corresponding second terminal device is able to obtain location information about the location of the corresponding second terminal device.

8. The first terminal device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the at least one message comprises: The second indicator indicates that the corresponding second terminal device is able to obtain location information about the location of the corresponding second terminal device, and further includes a time estimate of the time required by the corresponding second terminal device to obtain the location information.

9. The first terminal device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the first terminal device to execute: Determining that the second terminal device is a candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning based on a message in the one or more messages received from the second terminal device, the message including: a second indicator indicating that the second terminal device is capable of obtaining location information about the location of the second terminal device; or Determining that the second terminal device is a candidate anchor terminal device for sidelink positioning based on a message from the one or more messages received from the second terminal device, the message including: a second indicator indicating that the second terminal device is able to obtain location information about the location of the second terminal device, and a corresponding time estimate that is less than or equal to a threshold time.

10. The first terminal device according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein at least one message of the one or more messages further comprises: a third indicator, the third indicator indicating whether the corresponding second terminal device knows the relative positions of one or more other terminal devices; and / or The list of the one or more other terminal devices includes at least: the relative positions of the one or more other terminal devices.

11. The first terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one information in the one or more messages further comprises: a fourth indicator, the fourth indicator indicating whether the corresponding second terminal device currently operates as an anchor terminal device; and / or Information about the positioning capability of the corresponding second terminal device.

12. The first terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the one or more messages are discovery responses, and the at least one memory and the instructions are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the first terminal device to execute, before receiving one or more discovery responses: One or more discovery requests are sent to at least the one or more second terminal devices.

13. A second terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the second terminal device at least performs: A message for a discovery procedure for sidelink communication is sent to a first terminal device, wherein the message includes an indicator indicating whether the second terminal device knows a reference location. 14 . The second terminal device according to claim 13 , wherein the reference location indicated by the indicator is a location of the second terminal device.

15. The second terminal device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the indicator as the first indicator indicates that the second terminal device does not know the location of the second terminal device, and the message further comprises: A second indicator indicates whether the second terminal device is able to obtain location information about the location of the second terminal device.

16. The second terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the second indicator indicates that the second terminal device is able to obtain location information about the location of the second terminal device, and the message further comprises: A time estimate of the time required by the second terminal device to obtain the location information.

17. The second terminal device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the indicator as the first indicator indicates that the second terminal device does not know the location of the second terminal device, and the information further includes: a third indicator, the third indicator indicating whether the second terminal device knows the relative positions of one or more other terminal devices; and / or The list of the one or more other terminal devices includes at least: the relative positions of the one or more other terminal devices.

18. The second terminal device according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the message further comprises: a fourth indicator, the fourth indicator indicating whether the second terminal device currently operates as an anchor terminal device; and / or Information about the positioning capability of the second terminal device.

19. The second terminal device according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the message is a discovery response, and the at least one memory and the instructions are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the second terminal device to: receiving a discovery request from the first terminal device; and Based on the discovery request, the sending of the discovery message is performed.

20. A method comprising: receiving one or more messages for a discovery process for sidelink communication from one or more second terminal devices, the one or more messages each including: an indicator indicating whether the corresponding second terminal device knows the reference location; and One or more actions are performed based on the one or more messages received.

21. A method comprising: A message for a discovery procedure for sidelink communication is sent to the first terminal device, wherein the message includes an indicator indicating whether the second terminal device knows the reference location.

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